The Romeo Arrangement

Holy Hades. Teasing me.

Honestly, it was far more than simple teasing. My libido must be halfway to Mars by now.

Dancing with him was a dream. Those slow, close, shockingly graceful movements.

Every time he reeled me in close, I got a whiff of his aftershave mingled with his scent. It leaves me delirious, this dense, earthy shadow in every breath. Inhaling Ridge Barnet affects my ability to breathe, to think, to control myself.

Did I mention his body?

It’s hard in all the right places. Muscle and ink fused together by a crazed perfectionist, dusted with a halo of raspy stubble and eyes like a wild thing forever on the hunt.

I could go on forever, but that’d require my wits, which I’m not sure I’ll ever find again.

Praise for Ridge aside, I have to admit, I wasn’t half bad tonight.

His lead was easy to follow and he told me where to go, to act as in love with him as he is with me.

Never once did the high stakes behind what we’re doing leave my brain.

Standing our ground is the best option, and I’m grateful we have it, considering everything else close to going haywire.

After being around him this long, I expect the unexpected from a handsome, overly sexy, foul-mouthed beast-man hell-bent on saving our lives.

What I didn’t expect?

That I’d ever have this much fun.

It’s easy when your Not Fiancé is a natural jokester, too. He’s had people laughing all night, including me.

Especially me.

Astounding, considering I haven’t laughed so hard my sides hurt in ages.

I haven’t felt so carefree since college.

I’d partied more than one night away back then, and remember how I felt the next morning. So I’m nursing my margaritas rather than doing shots with lime and salt on my well-licked hand.

Truth be told, tequila has nothing on the high he delivers.

Ridge is the life of the party, hell, the entire gravity.

His exuberance has the bar as hyped as he is, everybody in wild spirits. I think they’ll be talking for ages about the night a billionaire movie star bought out half the booze on the shelves and let it flow like water.

After another round of dancing where he twirls, dips, and kisses me—leaving me thinking terrible things about his god-like stamina—I’m so breathless I could keel over.

“I need to sit,” I say, tumbling into a chair.

So, another revelation for the night is just how easily he leaves me in the dust. I’m an active woman, yet I feel my inner couch potato dragging a hundred miles behind an ex-military workout fiend.

“Too much?” He sits beside me, hanging an arm around my shoulders.

I laugh. “You’re like the Energizer Bunny.”

“Aw.” He leans over and nuzzles my neck, stamping several more fiery kisses on the tender skin under my ear. “You sure you want to think of me as some cute, warm thing, darlin’? Whatever else you do, don’t think of me as small.”

Does. He. Hear. Himself?

Honestly, I’m sure he does. He’s trying to kill me with innuendo that’s about as subtle as a sausage to the face.

“Does your ego bruise that easily?” I bite my lip and roll my shoulder, easing him back. “How’d you like to be a jackrabbit?”

“Real smooth, Grace. I like the sound of that.” He lifts my chin with one hand and kisses my lips, sending another shock through my system. “Never skips leg day? Awesome hearing? Fucks like it’s going out of style? I can work with that animal.”

“You’re incorrigible!” I spit back, going slack in his arms, hating myself because it just opens the door to more mischief.

“And you’re adorable—especially when you whip out those ten-dollar words, darlin’.” He winks at me and then stands. “Ready to call it a night?”

I have to say yes, even as regret floods me, knowing the fun is over.

It’s back to stressing over Dad’s recovery and the psychos with B-movie villain names who might show up any day.

Ugh.

Nodding, I get up and wait for him to fetch my coat. A shadow falls over me, about as big as Ridge, but when I look up, it’s a tall, muscular man with a similar build, dark hair, and emerald-green eyes.

I tense as he extends a hand.

“So you’re the little lady giving Ridge all sorts of hell.” He grins, an accent in his voice that’s not from North Dakota. Somewhere southern, I think. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am. I’m Quinn Faulkner, aka Faulk to almost everybody here.”

“Oh!” I snap my hand up and give him a hearty shake. “Right. He’s mentioned you. If you’re helping us with our problem, I—”

Faulk holds a finger up to his lips, still smiling. He’s handsome, chiseled in his own right, almost like Ridge belongs to some secret club of sexy strange men hiding in this little town. But I know which one’s my favorite.

“Sorry. I didn’t know you’d be here. Is everything all right?” I whisper.