“What do you mean?” Rose convinced herself to face him. He was so close she could see the brown flecks in his hazel eyes.
“Right now, you’re asking yourself whether you should dance with me.” A ghost of a smile curved his sexy lips. “Consider this—your reunion is two months away. And we’ll have to convince people that we’re lovers.”
Rose’s breath caught in her throat. That word on his lips should be illegal. “I know.”
“I’m sure we would’ve danced at least a few times in our relationship.” Donovan stood and removed his pewter-gray jacket. His muscled shoulders flexed beneath his pale rose shirt. “Come on.”
Donovan cupped her elbow to help her to her feet. His hand slid down her arm in a long, lingering caress. He caught her palm and clasped it to his. Rose’s skin heated beneath his touch. Donovan drew her onto the crowded dance floor. Rose gave his back a narrow-eyed stare. Had he done that on purpose?
He guided Rose past shaking, shimmying bodies along the way, he exchanged warm greetings with associates. It was obvious they not only respected the sales executive, they admired him. When Donovan had arrived almost at the center of the floor, he turned to Rose. Then the music changed.
She stilled. How could the DJ go from a bass-driven dance song to a slow-moving ballad? Who did that? Rose groaned. Was it with disappointment—or desire?
Donovan’s eyes twinkled as though he was once again reading her mind. How many women have swooned under that look?
He looped his arms loosely around her waist and lowered his head to whisper in her ear. “Come here, lover.”
“Stop calling me that.” Rose scowled up at him. She ignored the way his words heated her blood. Though his smile invited her to share the joke, she wasn’t amused. She braced her hands lightly on his shoulders, then tried her best to ignore him. It wasn’t easy. His cologne surrounded her. The scent was almost as intoxicating as the expression in his eyes. If he did a commercial for the fragrance, the company would move a lot of product.
“A penny for your thoughts.” He lowered his head to whisper in her ear again. This time, he must have felt her shiver in response. His arms tightened around her. Rose swallowed a moan.
“My mind is a perfect blank.” Wishful thinking. Her thoughts tumbled over themselves, each one focused on him: his shoulder muscles flexing, then relaxing beneath her palms; his scent teasing her senses; his body brushing against hers; his warmth seeping into her skin.
“Do you want to know what I’m thinking?” He didn’t whisper in her ear this time, thank goodness.
“Not especially.” Rose kept her attention on their surroundings. Tyler and Iris danced cheek to cheek. Nearby, Xavier and Lily barely moved as they chatted like long-lost friends reunited. In the distance, Foster and Kayla beamed at each other.
“It was your idea that we pretend to be madly in love.” Donovan continued to exhibit a twisted sense of humor.
The man was impossible. Rose’s gaze chastised him. “I never said anything about being madly in love.”
“Are you still in love with Ben?”
Rose stiffened. “Definitely not.”
The bold, dark slashes of Donovan’s eyebrows lifted. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”
“I’m serious.” Rose’s gaze drifted around the room again.
“You’re not going to be able to convince him of that if you can’t even dance with me.”
“I am dancing with you.”
Donovan chuckled. Her thighs quivered as though he’d touched them. “Rose, a door would feel more at ease. You need to relax.”
“I am relaxed.” Another lie. She was getting good at this.
Donovan Carroll was too handsome, too sexy, too charming. Just like Benjamin. It wasn’t easy letting down her guard with another player. She’d spent the past seventeen months developing her Anti-Player Defense Shield. Donovan’s expression grew serious. “If we’re going to pull off this fake relationship, you’re going to have to trust me.”
Mercifully, the music stopped. Rose led Donovan back to the executive table. Why does it feel as though I’m running away from him?
Maybe he was right. She needed to make a greater effort to relax around him. But she was caught between a rock and a hard place. To save face in front of her cheating ex-fiancé, she’d have to pretend to be in love with another player.
What made me think this would be a good idea?
* * *
“This is a photo of Van and me at one of his company’s functions.” Rose loaded onto her cellular phone the picture of her and Donovan that Iris had taken during the launch celebration last Friday. She passed the phone to Maxine Ellerson, who was seated beside her at the booth in the restaurant.