The Boyfriend Experience (The Boyfriend Experience 1)

To her surprise, he lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips across her knuckles, so gently, so sweetly she melted inside.

“There’s one thing I can promise you this weekend,” he went on, determination in his voice. “Your entire family is going to think you have a fucking amazing boyfriend who absolutely adores you. And your cousin and Graham? They’re both going to see that, despite what happened, you’ve moved on to much better things. Me being that much better thing,” he added, winking at her.

She laughed, and all the dread, anxiety, and insecurities that had been creeping up on her in regard to seeing Graham and Raquel together again seemed to drift away because Eric was right. She did have more exciting and fun things to focus on this weekend, like enjoying the whole boyfriend experience and everything Eric decided it would entail. Being the center of his attention. Indulging in his flirtatious banter. Basking in all the spontaneous kissing.

And just being herself around him, no pretenses or measuring up to someone else’s standards, because there were no expectations between them. The thought of being comfortable in her own skin for a change and not trying so hard to be an ideal woman for a guy who didn’t care in the end, anyway, was immensely appealing.

Except she couldn’t help but feel a stab of disappointment at the thought of her and Eric going their separate ways after what was destined to be an exceedingly enjoyable weekend.

CHAPTER NINE

With the GPS announcing that they were ten minutes away from their destination, which was the restaurant where he and Evie were meeting her parents for dinner, he glanced over at the woman who was sleeping so soundly in the passenger seat. Soon after she’d shared all the ugly details about her relationship with her cousin, she rested her head against the window, and within minutes she’d drifted off to sleep.

He let her doze because she clearly needed the rest and mental and emotional reboot before seeing her parents. He’d heard the pain in her voice when she’d shared everything that had happened with Raquel and then with Graham. The few times he’d glanced at her, he’d witnessed her vulnerability. Opening up to him couldn’t have been easy, but the fact that Evie had trusted him with something so hurtful and, yes, humiliating made something odd shift in his chest, which he chalked up to a feeling of protectiveness over her.

He might not have ever put his heart on the line for a woman like Evie had for Graham, and then the other Eric, but he could relate to her pain because his sister’s death had devastated him, shattered his family, and left him feeling isolated and alone. Which was why he’d avoided getting emotionally attached to a woman—he feared the potential loss or breakup would take him back to that place he never wanted to relive again. There was also that nagging thought in the back of his mind that revisited him now and then . . . Since his twin had died of cancer at such a young age, couldn’t that happen to him considering they shared the same genetic makeup?

Some might call it ridiculous; others might validate his concerns. Clearly, he had commitment issues, and it had always been easier and safer—for himself and the women he dated—to keep relationships casual.

He intended to do just that with Evie this weekend, but he vowed that he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt, belittle, or humiliate her on his watch. As far as everyone who looked at the two of them was concerned, Evie lit up his world. His heart gave an odd skip in his chest because there was truth in that statement, and he tried not to think about what would happen after this weekend, when he no longer had an excuse to see her.

Arriving at the diner, he turned into the parking lot and found a vacant spot for his car. He turned off the engine, surprised that Evie remained sleeping. Smiling to himself, he reached across the space between them and gently caressed the back of his hand down her soft cheek, awakening her.

She gradually stirred, making the softest, sexiest sounds that went straight to his dick, and he immediately warded off any dirty thoughts before they blossomed in his mind. Meeting Evie’s parents for the first time with a hard-on was not cool.

“Hey, we’re here,” he said, watching as her eyes fluttered open and she tried to reorient herself as to where she was.

She turned her head to look at him, her blue eyes slumberous and her complexion turning pink in embarrassment. “I can’t believe I fell asleep on you. I’m so sorry. That was so rude.”

He smiled, still stroking her cheek with his thumb. “No worries. You were tired, and it gave me time to bond with your country music station,” he teased. “I’m now a bona-fide fan of Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Carrie Underwood.”