He shook his head, grinning.
After his shot, I put some salt on his neck, then I put the lemon wedge in his mouth. His eyes widened as I put the shot in his pants just above the zipper.
“Rebecca, I’m not going to be able to sleep with you in the same room.”
“Am I getting you all hot and bothered? That’s only supposed to work for real girlfriends, right?”
He laughed.
I licked the salt seductively off his ear. He let out a soft moan as my tongue ran up his earlobe. Then I knelt and slammed down the tequila. I swear I could hear his heart racing as I sucked the lemon wedge out of his mouth.
It was so erotic, so sensual.
“You’re teasing me,” he said.
When he went to kiss me, I stopped him.
“No, no. That’s only when the cameras are around. I don’t see any cameras around, do you? ”
He pulled me close. “You’re so fucking hot.”
I gazed into his eyes and softly kissed his lips. “Goodnight, Marcus.”
I HAD MY WEIRD DRAGON dream again. Only this time, it wasn’t the dragon that turned into a jigsaw, it was me. The last thing I saw were its ocean-green eyes as a million little pieces of me fell, scorched and burning, back to earth.
I jerked awake, clutching my chest and panting.
Fuck dreams.
I’d slept all night without waking up even once. Pulling on my complimentary bathrobe, I tiptoed down the hall and peeked into the living room. The couch was already neatly made, and there was a note on the pillow. Even after only a few weeks, I already recognized Marcus’ messy scrawl:
Gone to pick up something in town.
Breakfast is on the table.
Gala starts at three.
I’ve been smiling all morning. I can’t stop thinking about you.
- Marcus
I smiled. Was he really thinking about me? Or was it all part of the act? I glanced up at the table to where a plate of fruit and croissants were laid out next to some juice. Nestled up behind the morning newspaper was a bag of Cheetos. I grinned as I crinkled the bag, but I was also slightly relieved that Marcus wasn’t here. After what happened yesterday on the beach...I had no earthly idea what I would say.
It was just a kiss. It never got any further. We never let it get any further. It was tender and passionate, and it took my breath away, but it was just a kiss.
Except...it was so much more.
In the land of Marcus and Rebecca, if two people kissed and no one was there to see it, did it really happen?
I grabbed the bag of Cheetos and headed back to my bedroom, shoving the question firmly from my mind. I didn’t know the answer. All I did know was that the gala was in just a few hours...and we both had a job to do.
As I crossed back down the hallway, I noticed a garment bag hanging from the front door. A paper tag strung to the front said my name.
Of course, I’d almost completely forgotten. Ever since Marcus and I first struck up this crazy arrangement, people on his staff had been working tirelessly on a hand-crafted, couture gown just for the occasion. They’d taken a million measurements and shown me a million different sketches, but I had no idea what they’d actually decided on in the end.
I snatched the hanger from the door and whisked off to the bathroom to shower. With the gala starting at three, I had just a little over four hours to get ready. And in this world of whimsical fancy, that meant I was already behind.
A SOFT KNOCK ON THE door made my heart stop in my chest, and I stared up anxiously from the mirror. My hair had been piled gracefully on top of my head, held fast with a sparkling Swarovski barrette that latched onto the side. My makeup was carefully applied but minimal, with only a bit of mascara and shimmer above my eyes. That and a bit of gloss was supposed to carry me through the night. Whoever my stylists had been, I admired their confidence.