Fake Engagement, Real Temptation

“You’re right,” Blake agreed.

“We both have lives to lead after this island vacation is over. Don’t lecture me on how to live mine, and I won’t lecture you on how to live yours.”

She turned and walked toward the lush forest, taking the long, private walk back to the hotel alone.

…

Blake sat stunned.

This woman had just handed him his ass, and yet he wasn’t wrong in what he’d said. Granted, maybe she wasn’t wrong, either.

And he didn’t put himself in situations to be the hero!

But the mom stuff hit hard. He wouldn’t get into that, because he couldn’t change it. She was the only one who ever called out the truth.

It did still haunt him.

No, no, this wasn’t going down like this. It was starting to feel too…

Real.

If Carrie didn’t get truly out of Kevin’s shadow, maybe she’d never be able to really live the fantasy that could become her own reality. Love, family, all the things she deserved but he couldn’t give her.

Which meant Blake needed to keep doing what he was doing. Be the fake boyfriend. But if he didn’t force change, acknowledge there was more growing between him and Carrie, he ran the risk of this particular fantasy taking hold, and he could lose her for good.

He liked Carrie. But there was no future. No nothing. They could be friends, the kind who rarely saw each other and even more rarely spoke, sure. But that was it. But he’d protect her. Always. And he was going to make that clear.

He shouldn’t care if she chose to work with that artist asshole. That was her life. Yep, definitely didn’t care. And he’d tell her so. His job was to get her ready to claim the life she deserved, to own her choices, good or bad, so that no one could ever hurt her again like Kevin had.

But that didn’t mean she had to jump back into situations where she was begging to be hurt. Kevin wouldn’t let her be happy. He’d crush her again. Blake would die before he saw that happen.

He stomped in the direction she’d just went. Into the dense foliage walking the back way to the resort suite. It was little better than a jungle and nothing but the sounds of trees and birds echoed as he trailed farther after her.

Finally he caught a flash of her red wrap skirt and darted his hand out to grab hers and spin her to face him.

“You want to see what situation I put myself in?” he said, seeing lust and red in his vision and her lips. Because something in him snapped. Something that had to do with not wanting her to pander to that douche ex of hers, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise. It was that same something that simply wanted her for himself. Something that felt all too real.

He was an idiot.

And yet, he stood there, watching her chest heave on healthy breaths, her eyes wide with… Anger, rage, lust? He didn’t know. But he would settle this, once and for all.

“Here you go, little girl. Here’s a situation.” He stepped closer, put his hand under her skirt, and gripped her inner thigh. “And I can tell you right now there’s not a damn weak thing about you.”

“I still feel inclined to prove it,” she said, and pushed him back, making him fall on his ass. She was on top of him, straddling his waist and kissing him deep.

“Admit it,” she said, and bit his lower lip. “You’re here because you want to be.”

“I’m here to keep you safe.”

She raised an eyebrow, reached between them, and gripped his hard cock.

“And this is your weapon of choice?” she said with a grin.

“I prefer a ‘multi-use tool’ and I’ve heard no complaints. It gets the job done.”

She pushed her skirt up and freed his cock from his shorts.

“I think you want me,” she said, leaning down to linger her lips over his and position him at her entrance.