she blew out a breath and her hold on his arm slid away. “What would this…marriage entail?”
He faced her full on. “Being seen together. Buying a ring. Setting a date.”
“What about your work?” Her eyes dulled with skepticism. “Do you have time for this kind of charade?”
“I do have several important business transactions coming up, but, as I said, I’ll be in Sydney for a few weeks. I’ll try to limit my travel after that to keep the pretence up. And once you have guardianship of the child, and there’s no chance of things unraveling, we can go our separate ways.”
She rubbed her palms down the sides of her jeans. “Do you actually believe we can convince people that our engagement is real?”
“Absolutely.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Because in business you’re used to bluffing?”
Because since I laid eyes on you again, all I can think about is taking you in my arms and kissing you senseless.
His thoughts might have shown on his face since she blinked several times and a blush crept from her cleavage all the way up the column of her throat.
He rapped his knuckles against his thigh and crossed back to the desk.
One step at a time.
“We’ll need to show the world,” he explained, “that we’ve fallen in love. That we’re committed to each other.”
He collected a silver framed photo next to the globe and clenched his jaw.
What a waste. Amy had been a nice girl; too nice for his tastes. It had always been Jenna who’d caught his interest, the teenager with a wiggle in her walk and a sense of right on her side. Once upon a time he’d honestly hoped they would marry. If only things had been different…
He pushed if onlys from his mind, set the frame down, and met Jenna’s gaze again.
She seemed to be sizing him up. “And what precisely do you get out of all this?”
He merely smiled. “I get to help an old friend.”
“That’s not a very good answer.”
“It’s the only answer I have.”
“You mean it’s the only one you’re prepared to give. Forgive me if I’m a little skeptical of your motives.”
“What other motives could there be?”
She pressed her lips together as if they’d gone dry. “You wouldn’t expect us to…I mean…you’re not thinking that…”
An adrenaline surge threw his heartbeat into a cantor. “You’re asking if we’ll need to embrace…to kiss?”
Make love?
He crossed back and invaded her personal space until her neck arced slowly back. Gazing down into her eyes, he enjoyed a deep stir of desire—the same as long ago, yet somehow deliciously different.
“Jenna, we need to get something out in the open. Two people know when they’re sexually compatible. We were compatible then. We still are now. It would be crazy to deny it. And, yes, we will need to show affection in public. But I won’t take advantage of the situation.”
Naturally he wanted her, but that could only happen if she wanted him, too. And not out of comfort from grieving, or impossible dreams of happy families, but from a mutual hunger that deserved to be satisfied, once…possibly twice. That was the limit. That would be safe.
Calm, mingled with curiosity, washed over her face. “You’re a complicated man, Gage Cameron.”
“That’s where people come unstuck.” He grinned. “I’m easy to work out.”
He imagined his palm sliding down over her curves, his head lowering and insides smoldering as his mouth captured hers. She was frightened, filled with pain and a desperate need for reassurance. How easy it would be to meet her lips and give her some relief.
He bit down and moved away.
Time to go.
“I can get things underway tomorrow,” he said, almost to the door. “I’ll collect you at ten.”
“Gage?”
He turned back.
“I’m not sure I won’t regret this, but…” She hesitated then slowly smiled. “Thank you.”
He nodded and left, the dog trotting at his heels.
When Jenna had what she needed—when there was no question—he would walk away, just as he was walking away now. Because her father had been right. Long term he was bad for her.
Hell, too close for too long, he was bad for anyone.
Three
The next day Jenna accepted Gage’s hand and let him help her out from his black imported coupe onto the sidewalk that surrounded her stepmother’s apartment building. Peering up at the top floor, she sucked in a nervous breath and straightened her conservative, pale blue dress.
She hated conservative. A T-shirt and jeans suited her far better. But denim would look decidedly out of place today alongside Gage’s craftsman-cut suit. Not that his long, powerful legs wouldn’t still look exceptional in faded hip-riding Levi’s. Whenever she’d seen him during that summer long ago, hunched over the open bonnet of his eighties model Ford—his broad, bare back glistening and brown—she’d practically melted.
“We don’t need to do this today.” He placed a warm palm between her shoulder blades. “You can give yourself another day or two.”
His words, and touch, almost melted her now. And after yesterday, when he’d stood so close and had spoken about affection in public and sexual compatibility, she was certain any significant physical contact between them would be as dangerous as ever. Yet, for the sake of authenticity leading up to their “marriage,” he’d made it clear they needed to play, and play well, at being lovers.
So how soon before he brought her close to him? How soon before they kissed?
“After hearing your lawyer’s advice half an hour ago,” she said, forcing herself to focus, “seeing Leeann sooner is definitely better than later.”
He walked in step beside her. “Lance sounded more than optimistic about our chances.”
She clutched her handbag to her chest. Her stomach was a constantly churning ball of nerves. “I’m not sure he bought the reunited lovers story.”
She wasn’t any more certain Leeann would. Jenna loathed being deceived and hated deceiving anyone else. But as Gage had pointed out, these were desperate times. And the next few weeks weren’t to benefit herself but her niece. Despite the guardianship directive, in her heart she knew Amy would have given more than her blessing—she’d have been cheering her on every step of the way.
Gage
