Laurel smiled up at him, her eyes warm and her lips inviting. ‘Same here. In fact...’ She bit her lip. ‘It kind of felt like that last night. With us.’
‘Once we got rid of our families...yeah. It did.’ Amazement flowed through him at the realisation. He’d known that last night had been something new, something meaningful. He just hadn’t realised how close it had been to everything he wanted.
Except it was only pretend. And he wasn’t anything close to what she wanted.
Laurel wanted everything—but all they could have was tonight.
He’d just have to hope it would be enough.
But he couldn’t assume. Couldn’t be sure that it was what she wanted unless he asked.
The doors opened and Laurel stepped out first, leading him towards their room. Dan paused at the door as she slid the key home.
‘Wait.’ He grabbed the door handle to hold it closed.
Laurel looked up at him in confusion. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing. Just...’ Dan shook his head, trying to rid himself of the confusion that came more from her presence—the scent of her, the feel of her—than the couple of beers he’d had at the stag party. He took a breath and tried again. ‘Once we go in there...I liked last night. I liked spending it with you. And if that’s what you want again I’m fine with that. But...’
‘But...?’
Was that hope in her eyes? He couldn’t be sure. But he had to take a chance that it was.
‘When you kissed me today I realised...it could be more. We could be more. I know this isn’t real—that this whole wedding is like a week out of time. But while we’re here, pretending to be together...’
‘Why not really pretend?’
She was closer now, suddenly, her curves pressing against his chest, one hand on his arm. And he knew from her smile, from her eyes, that she wanted this every bit as much as him.
Oh, thank goodness for that.
‘Exactly.’ He lowered his lips to hers, sinking into her embrace, letting her kiss overwhelm every one of his senses.
This. This was exactly where he was meant to be.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her up against the door, moaning against her mouth as she responded by twining her arms around his neck and holding him closer. He reached lower, boosting her up until her legs were around his middle and he could feel every inch of her against him...
‘Inside,’ she murmured against his mouth. ‘Oh. The...the room. Not me. Yet.’
The room. The bedroom.
Geez, they were still in the hallway. What was she doing to him that he’d lost all track of space and time?
‘Inside,’ he agreed, reaching for the door handle behind her. ‘One and then the other.’
It looked as if it was going to be a good night after all.
* * *
Later—much later, Laurel suspected, although she was too boneless with pleasure to check the time—they lay together in the darkness of the room, much as they had the night before, except with fewer clothes.
‘You know, this fake relationship plan was a really good idea,’ she said, her words coming out breathless.
Dan laughed. ‘I do have them. Sometimes.’
‘You do.’ Even this—even knowing it was just for the week, just pretend—Laurel couldn’t see it as a mistake. Even if the relationship was fake, the passion between them was real. So why shouldn’t they indulge it...make the most of their time together? Everyone thought they were together anyway. This could only make the charade more realistic.
And a hell of a lot more fun.
There was time for ‘perfect’ later. Her prince would show up eventually. And in the meantime... She pressed a kiss against Dan’s bare shoulder and his arm tightened around her.
‘So,’ he asked after a moment. ‘How was your night?’
‘Are you fishing for compliments? I’d have thought my enjoyment of the night was pretty obvious.’
She hadn’t held anything back with him, she realised. With Benjamin, and the one serious boyfriend she’d had before him, she’d always been too concerned about how she looked or sounded, or what they were thinking about her, to really let go. To let herself fall into the pleasure.
With Dan, it hadn’t mattered. He wasn’t staying, so he couldn’t leave her—not really. Leaving and leaving her were very different things, and Dan was already committed to the first. So what did it matter how she looked or sounded? As far as she could tell he was enjoying himself too much to notice anyway.
‘I meant before we met up again,’ he said, chuckling. ‘But it’s good to have confirmation all the same.’
The hen party. She’d almost forgotten about it—and the conversation with Benjamin that had taken place before.
Laurel shifted, resting her head on Dan’s chest as she spoke. His fingers tangled in her hair, teasing out strands as he smoothed it down. It felt strangely comforting...as if it might lull her into sleep if she stopped talking.
‘The hen party was fine, I guess. By the time I left we’d done all the games—stupid party games Melissa found on the internet, mostly. Eloise disappeared ages ago, and the rest of them were settling in for tequila shots, so I figured no one would miss me.’
‘Noah left early on, too. Reckon they’re together.’
‘Probably,’ Laurel said. ‘Although they’d almost certainly deny it if you asked them.’
‘How was Melissa?’ Dan asked.
‘Oh, you know. Melissa-ish.’
In truth, she’d ordered everyone around, tried to humiliate Eloise, and made pointed comments about each of her bridesmaids. Laurel had been glad to escape when she had. She was under no illusions that she wouldn’t have been the bride’s next target.
‘Fun.’
‘Yeah.’
Benjamin’s words from earlier came back to her, unbidden. ‘She owes you, Laurel. Help us out and Melissa gets everything she deserves.’
She tensed at the memory, and Dan’s hand stopped moving through her hair in response.
‘What? What did she do?’
‘It wasn’t her, for once.’
Sighing, Laurel sat up, tugging the duvet over her as she crossed her legs and looked down at him. She needed someone to talk to about Benjamin’s offer, and who better than her fake boyfriend?
‘I had a conversation with Benjamin. Before the party.’
This time it was Dan who tensed, his muscles suddenly hard and his jaw set. ‘What did he say?’
Laurel took a breath. There was no way to make Benjamin’s offer sound good. ‘His fiancée, Coral, is a gossip columnist. Her magazine is offering big money to anyone who can get them a photo of Melissa’s dress, or any details of the wedding ceremony, before the big day—before the Star! exclusive goes to print.’
‘Except all the guests have had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, right? No exceptions.’
‘No exceptions,’ Laurel agreed. ‘Except...one.’
‘You,’ Dan guessed. ‘Melissa didn’t make you sign one?’
‘I guess she thought she didn’t need to.’ Laurel sighed. ‘Benjamin said I was so under her thumb she knew I’d never do anything to betray her like that.’
‘Is he right?’ Dan looked up at her, his gaze steady but with no judgement. ‘Or rather, is Melissa?’
She looked away. ‘Probably. She’s still my client. My sister.’
‘Yeah, she is.’
‘Even if she isn’t paying me properly or treating me like one.’
‘He knew just what buttons to press, huh?’ Dan shifted to rest against the headboard, pulling her against his bare chest.
‘He really, really did.’ She sighed. ‘I can’t do it. I mean, I could—but I won’t. But the way he said it...t
he way he knew that I’d be tempted...’
‘Who wouldn’t? The way she treats you...her overwhelming sense of entitlement...it’s natural to want to bring her down a peg or two. It’s what you decide to do next that matters.’
‘Yeah. I guess.’