My stomach floats, giving me an uneasy giddy sensation. I remind myself he’s joking. He’s always joking.
“In light of the way you tried to twist the no-kissing rule,” I say, “I feel the need to make this crystal clear: no sex.”
Those dark eyes turn on me. “Say sex again.”
“No. Sex.”
He grins. “To say no sex means you must have actually thought about sex with me, which I call a win. So, I’ll agree to no sex—until you’re ready.”
“Oh my God,” I groan. “And, like I said, you have to stop dating other women.”
“You actually sound jealous.”
“Hardly.”
“No sex with you and no dating other women? Sounds like a serious cockblock.”
“You have no one to blame but yourself.” I take a deep breath and address the last rule I can think of. “I know this is a given, but because you’re being so obtuse tonight, I’m going to make this crystal clear: no falling in love for real.”
He chuckles in that smoldering way that melts panties and says, “Prepare yourself, sugar. I’ve been told I’m pretty damned loveable.”
6
Xavier
Twenty-four hours later, I park my police unit behind Chloe’s car again in the packed parking lot and make my way toward her boat.
I’ve been looking forward to this all damned day. After kissing her last night, I haven’t been able to think about anything else, which made it a good day to work in a small town where next to nothing ever happens. Normally, this is the last kind of event I’d want to attend, but I’m looking forward to seeing Chloe in her realm. And, fake or not, I can’t wait to claim her as mine.
I check out the people coming in from their houseboats on dinghys, mooring at another dock and heading toward the conference center, some making a pit stop at the market, but I don’t see Bodhi.
I could have traded vehicles at home when I changed out of my uniform, but I want to make a point of letting Bodhi know I’m going to be in his face the entire time he’s here.
Just as I step onto the dock, I hear “Uncle Z” and turn to find Piper rushing toward me. She’s wearing the quasi-uniform for most resort personnel, a turquoise tee with the resort logo and black shorts.
“Hey, you,” I say as she approaches. “What do you think of the job?”
“It’s awesome.” She stops in front of me, clearly excited about something. She glances past me down the dock, then meets my gaze again. “Is it true? Are you and Chloe dating?”
Shit.
I absolutely did not take Piper into consideration when I created this charade. “Uh, yeah, about that—”
“That’s incredible.” She’s bouncing on her toes, barely able to hold her excitement back, her eyes are wide and bright. “She’s so cool.”
“Where did you hear—”
“At school. Becky Wade told Stephanie Cole who told—”
“Okay, never mind. Look, Piper—”
“I have to get back to work. I just wanted to tell you not to screw it up, okay? She’s super cool, and she’s really nice to me.”
Well, shit. I can’t burst her bubble right now, but I may be able to get information.
“Have you seen the guy speaking at the retreat?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Piper says. “Bodhi. He’s nice.”