From Friend to Fake Fiancé

“You just like to kiss.”

Shrugging, he threw her a glance. “You have a great set of lips. Who wouldn’t like to kiss them?”

Jenna reached out to push aside a tropical plant hanging over the walkway. “We’re pretending, no need to start laying on the charm.”

“I wouldn’t lie about something like that,” he replied. As they hit the edge of the sand, he turned to her. “You do believe me, right? I may have to keep secrets from you to protect you and my family but when it comes to other things between us, you’ll only get the full truth from me.”

Jenna stared at him as if he were crazy. “Yeah, sure.”

Before he could stop himself, he snaked his arms around her and pulled her flush against his body. He captured her squeal when he covered her mouth with his.

Mac gripped the back of her dress, fighting the urge to lift it up and whisk it over her head. They were in public, but she was seriously doing a number on his emotions. Mac had originally set out to seduce her, but now he also wanted to dismantle any insecurities she had, so when she moved on to the next guy, she would know her self-worth.

Damn. The next guy. Mac didn’t think any guy would be good enough for Jenna.

When she moaned, Mac lifted his head slightly, nipping at her lips a few more times before pulling back. He’d always been able stay detached from any woman, but Jenna was becoming his drug of choice and he saw no way to break the addiction until he got her into his bed.

“Did you see someone?” she asked, her lids fluttering open.

“I thought I saw your mom down the way.” Okay, so that was a lie and he’d just told her he wouldn’t lie to her, but he wasn’t sorry—he was selfish. Pretending to squint and look in the distance, Mac shrugged. “My mistake.”

Lacing his fingers through hers, Mac guided her down the beach. Jenna leaned against his side and he wondered if she was as turned on as he was from that kiss. Each time he tasted her he wanted more, he wanted to take it to another level. Did she even have those thoughts? She couldn’t moan like that, couldn’t lean so perfectly against his body and not want more. His ego swelled, but more than that, hope filled him because now he knew she would reciprocate his need, this ache that kept bouncing between them.

“My sister asked if you and I were free to have dinner with her and Nathan.”

Water lapping at their bare feet, they strolled down the shoreline. Mac decided he really didn’t want to share his Jenna time with anyone else. This week was about seducing his best friend, finally getting her where he’d wanted her since propositioning her years ago at a party. She’d never let herself respond to him before.

“When did they want to get together?” he asked, stroking the delicate area between her thumb and index finger.

“Well, the only free night is tonight. We have a dinner tomorrow, a party the following night, Friday is the rehearsal and Saturday is the wedding.”

Damn. He’d been warned of all the “outings” this week, but he didn’t realize his time would be so monopolized by wedding events. On the other hand, he could totally play this to his advantage. If they were in public he would have to be in lover mode. Maybe there were some perks to these evening activities, after all. After making Jenna moan, who knew what else he could pull out of her during their remaining time on the island?

“I’ll do whatever you want,” he told her.

A mother and a father were splashing around at the edge of the water with their toddler son. Mac didn’t miss the way Jenna stared at the family, the way her breath caught before a soft smile spread across her face. He’d bet she hadn’t even noticed that she’d squeezed his hand a bit tighter. Mac knew this is what she wanted, a family, children. Everything he couldn’t offer, yet everything she deserved. One of the many reasons this arrangement had to be a temporary thing only. After she was out of his system, he’d have to step aside and allow another man to come into her life.

Best friends. That was the highest relationship status he had to give. Jenna would meet the right man and start the family she wanted. The thought conjured up a whole host of images Mac didn’t appreciate. No man would ever measure up, but that wasn’t his decision to make. Shame, that.

Still, when she found a man and things started getting serious, Mac would do a complete background check and make sure the guy was squeaky clean because Jenna deserved a man on the right side of the law, a man with no secrets.

A man totally the opposite of Mac.