Pretend You're Mine (Inked Hearts 3)

His palm plants on my lower back.

His eyelids flutter together.

Slowly, his lips brush mine.

My knees go weak.

My fingers dig into his t-shirt.

It’s a stage kiss.

It barely last two seconds.

But I still feel it everywhere.

The mint of his toothpaste. And something else. Some taste distinctly Ryan.

He unpeels his body from mine. Brings his mouth to my ear. “You look amazing in that dress, baby.”

My cheeks flush.

“I want to rip it off,” he stage whispers.

I bury my head in his chest.

“You wearing anything under that?”

“Maybe,” I stage whisper back.

His fingers skim my waist. My hip. He presses the cotton into my skin, feeling for the fabric beneath it.

I suck a breath through my teeth.

He’s really going for this.

He’s really touching me.

I… I…

“Over here,” Penny calls. Her voice is bright. Like she’s happy to see us.

Or happy to rub her new beau in our faces.

Ryan releases me.

But I’m still floating. I squeeze his arm. Focus all my attention on placing one foot in fr

ont of the other.

Somehow, I get to Penny’s table.

She stands. Smooths her off-white dress and offers her hand. “It’s been a while, Leighton.”

I shake. “It has.”

She motions to her fiancé. “This is Frank. I’m not sure if you’ve met.”

“No.” I offer him my hand. “Nice to put a face with a name.” Okay, so the name in my head is douchebag who helped destroy Ryan, but it’s still nice to have a face for my virtual punching bag.