Test Drive

by Samantha Chase

  “What if…what if I said that I wanted to kiss you too? And not just for research purposes?”

  Could he really be this lucky?

  Taking another step closer to her, he grinned. “Then I’d have to ask if you mind if I sit beside you on the bed and pick up where we left off.”

  She let out the most feminine giggle he had ever heard, even as she scooted back on the bed and patted the space next to her.

  Crawling up on the bed, he took her in his arms and gently lay back on the mattress with her, and it was so much better than the sofa or Natalie’s floor.

  There was something slightly comical about this whole thing–it was like being a teenager back in high school where it felt forbidden to be making out with a girl on a bed. Although there was no fear of his parents or hers coming home and surprising them, there were enough similarities that it made him smile.

  Willow pulled back and looked at him. “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing. Why?” he murmured, leaning in to kiss her throat.

  “You were smirking.” The words came out, but she was arching to give him better access to her skin.

  “I was just thinking…this was a lot like…being in high school.”

  She laughed even as she rolled to pull him on top of her. “How often did you get lucky like this in high school?”

  Instead of answering right away, he gave her a very thorough kiss. Lifting his head, he said, “I never got lucky like this. No other girl compares to you.”

  Ugh…way to sound creepy and a little…intense.

  Luckily Willow didn’t comment on it and cupped his head and steered him back in for another kiss.

  And another.

  And so many others.

  The next time Levi noticed anything, the room was dark. Glancing at the bedside clock, he saw it was almost eight. Reluctantly, he rolled away from her and sat up. “Wasn’t it just barely five a few minutes ago?”

  With a soft laugh, Willow sat up and attempted to smooth her hair. “That’s what I thought.” Her stomach growled loudly, and she groaned. “Oh, my God…I’m sorry.”

  “For what? Being human?” Jumping off the bed, he held out a hand to her and helped her down. “Come on. I’m starving too.”

  And not really for food…

  “Let’s see what Katie left for us. Or we can get something delivered. It’s up to you.”

  “Why don’t we see what she made and then decide.”

  “Smart girl.”

  Her hearty laugh was infectious, and once she calmed down, she said, “I’m not so sure about that. After all, who invites someone they barely know on a weeklong trip to hang out with her family while pretending to be her girlfriend?”

  Levi hauled her in close and kissed her soundly. “A really smart girl.”

  7

  “Quick! What're three things we have in common?”

  They were less than fifteen minutes away from Gammy’s house and Willow was starting to panic. Their thirty-six questions had gone out the window yesterday, and now she was afraid her family was going to look at them and know this was all a sham.

  Unless they asked her to make out with Levi.

  But somehow, she didn’t think she’d get that lucky.

  Just like she didn’t get lucky last night.

  After kissing and touching for hours, they had eaten the rotisserie chicken and salads Katie had left for them, then watched some re-runs of Friends. At eleven, Willow had gone and taken a shower and was totally prepared for Levi to join her in bed and take things to the next level, but he had turned her down.

  Sweetly, but turned her down nonetheless.

  She had stared at the ceiling for hours and tried not to take it personally. His theory was that he didn’t want to make love to her in his sister’s house, and she had to admit, once he put that out there, he had a point.

  Not that it made her feel better.

  And neither did the cold shower she took this morning.

  Levi had mentioned having to do the same, but…well, that one made her feel a bit better, but only marginally.

  He was holding her hand and driving at a very leisurely pace. Grinning at her, he asked, “Three things, huh?”

  Forcing images of Levi naked in the shower from her mind, Willow nodded. “Yup.”

  “Okay, we both like kids.”

  “You should probably avoid mentioning that if anyone asks.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I have a feeling that will have my family–especially Gammy–pushing for you to put a ring on my finger.”

  Ugh…why did I just say that?

  Open mouth, insert foot…

  “Gotcha,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “So…we both love sushi, have similar taste in music and movies, and share a love of baked goods.” He glanced toward the coolers in the backseat. “Speaking of, are there any brownies left?”

  “Hmm…I think only one.”

  “Any chance I can have it before we get to your grandmother’s place?”

  “Seriously? It’s barely lunchtime!”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t spoil my appetite.” Winking, he continued to smile, and she knew she couldn’t say no to him.

  Too bad he didn’t have the same problem with you…

  Twisting in her seat, she grabbed the cooler and pulled out the last brownie and decided she might as well be a total glutton for punishment and fed it to him.

  Piece by piece.

  And he licked her fingers with each bite.

  It would be wrong to ask him to pull over, right?

  Beside her, Levi let out one of those low, sexy laughs. “I can totally read your mind, Willow. And if we hadn’t promised your grandmother that we’d be there for lunch, I would be totally open for a detour.”

  She wanted to fan herself.

  Or put the icepack from the cooler down her pants.

  The GPS noted how they were three miles from their destination and for the first time since this whole crazy charade started, she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Gammy. What she was looking forward to seeing was Levi.

  Naked.

  And sweaty.

  And possibly handcuffed to her bed.

  Gasping, her hands flew to her mouth as if she said that out loud.

  “You okay?” he asked, concerned.

  “What? Oh…yeah. I just realized…” That I have a very dirty mind. “I realized I forgot the birthday card I had bought for Gammy.”

  Lame, Willow. Very lame.

  “Do you want to stop at the store and grab one?”

  “Uh…no. It’s okay. Really. I have the gift, and I can just mail her the card when I get home.”

  He didn’t look like he quite believed her, but luckily he didn’t push her on it. Instead, they drove the rest of the way in silence. Once they pulled into Gammy’s neighborhood and turned onto her block, all of her nerves threatened to bubble to the surface. Her breathing got a little shaky, and she immediately began smoothing her hair and her shirt and her jeans and…

  The car stopped moving and Willow looked around and noticed they weren’t in Gammy’s driveway.

  “This isn’t the right house.”

  “Yeah, I know, but you’re kind of freaking out over there, so I figured you maybe needed a minute to calm down before we actually go to the right one.”

  “Oh, well…”

  That was incredibly sweet.

  How was it that Levi was so in tune with her? Little things that she didn’t think anyone ever noticed about her, he did.

  Okay, don’t think about that now too or you’ll officially break into the mother of all anxiety attacks!

  Easier said than done.

  “I just…I need a minute.”

  He turned to face her and took both her hands in his. “What’s upsetting you? You’ve been fine until now.”

  “What if this doesn’t work? What if they know we’re lying? What if they all figure out I’m just a fraud who had to ask a friend to p
retend to date her because I’m so pathetic and undatable?”

  His blue eyes went wide. “Undatable? Willow, what the hell are you talking about?”

  Why did I have to open this particular can of worms now?

  Letting out a weary sigh, she looked up at him. “Levi, I realize we haven’t known one another very long, but…did you ever see me with a guy on Friday nights?”

  “Well, no. But that doesn’t mean you’re undatable. I just thought Friday nights were girls’ night.”

  “Yeah, no,” she replied. “I haven’t had a proper date in over six months and most of my relationships end because…I’m the girl everyone is friends with–the girl who guys date to pass the time until they can date the girl they really wanted in the first place.”

  “How is that even possible?”

  “It’s happened more times than I can to admit.”

  “Wow.”

  She nodded. “I know. And the thing is, most of the time, I knew it. Like I could tell they weren’t super interested, but I figured that would change over time.” She paused. “It never did.”

  “Why would you keep doing that to yourself? Didn’t you see the signs? Any red flags?”

  She looked at him sadly. “Levi, I’m like a red flag factory. Trust me.” Groaning, she hung her head. “And now you probably wish you never signed on for any of this.”

  Kissing her hands, he simply did what Levi did best.

  He smiled and made sure she was okay.

  “For your information, I do not regret for one minute any of this. I have loved getting to know you, and the last two days have been a blast.” Another kiss to her hands. “Now let’s go get some time with your grandmother before your parents show up. That’s what you wanted most, right?”

  Well, that and an orgasm or two last night would have been nice, but…

  “Yeah,” she said instead. “Definitely.”

  “You sure you’re good to go? Because if you need a few more minutes, we can do that too.”

  “Nope.” She shook her head. “We’ve driven all this way, let’s go and do this.”

  Levi straightened and drove them the rest of the way–all five houses worth–to her grandmother’s. Gammy was walking out the front door grinning from ear to ear before the car even came to a complete stop.

  Smiling, Levi looked at her. “Showtime!”

  “And then there was the time when Willow bell and I went to Colonial Williamsburg and dressed up and learned how to make soap!” Gammy laughed and looked over at Levi. “Have you ever been there, Levi?”

  “Um…once. In my senior year of high school we took a class trip there along with Busch Gardens.”

  “Oh, what fun! I bet that was a wild time for your chaperones!” Gammy said.

  And yeah, she had insisted on him calling her Gammy.

  Which just felt weird.

  He was a grown man, and that was the kind of endearment that…well, that a grown man shouldn’t use.

  Especially one who just met her.

  “Where did you go on your senior trip, Willow?” Gammy asked as she rose from the dining room table to get them more food.

  Because clearly the platter of sandwiches along with potato salad, coleslaw, macaroni salad, chips, carrots and celery, and sweet tea wasn’t enough.

  I probably shouldn’t have eaten that brownie…

  Or licked the icing from Willow’s fingers…

  “We went to Niagara Falls,” Willow said, smiling. “It was so much fun. I have a picture of a group of us straddling the line between the US and Canada somewhere. I never thought about going back or anything, but we definitely had a good time.”

  “I bet you did,” Gammy said, placing a plate of cookies on the table before sitting down again. “So, Levi, Willow tells me you’re a bartender.”

  He nodded.

  “What’s your specialty?”

  “I don’t really have one,” he said lamely. “It’s a pub, so it’s a lot of basic stuff. Nothing too fancy. It’s not that kind of clientele.”

  Willow frowned at him. “We were talking about that on our way here,” she said. “The people that go to McGee’s aren’t the college crowd, but they’re not the kind that hangs out at wine bars either. Still, there is a massive collection of beers they serve.”

  “I never acquired a taste for beer,” Gammy said. “Give me a good Old Fashioned or just some vodka neat and I am a happy woman.” She winked. “The bartender at the country club makes the best Old Fashioned I’ve ever had. You’ll have to try it at the party, Levi.”

  He nodded again but didn’t want to admit that he wasn’t a big whiskey drinker. Honestly, he wasn’t much of an alcohol drinker, period. He enjoyed all kinds of beers, but…that was it.

  Probably not the smartest thing a pub owner can admit.

  So he didn’t.

  “What about you, Willow bell? You still drinking your rum and pineapple?”

  Reaching for a cookie, Willow nodded. “I am. And Levi makes it just the way I like it-the perfect ratio of rum to pineapple. Totally yummy.”

  “Yes, he is!”

  “Gammy! Behave!”

  “What? You think I don’t appreciate a handsome young man just because I’m 75?” Gammy winked at him. “You’ll fit in nicely with the Romeos. They’re going to take you to lunch tomorrow while Willow and I go get our nails done.”

  “Um…what? Who am I going out with?”

  “The Romeos,” Gammy repeated like he had no reason to question her.

  “And they are…?” he prompted.

  “They’re a group of wonderful men who live here in the community.”

  “And they’re called the Romeos because…they’re single and date a lot?” He glanced at Willow for help, but she was trying not to laugh while eating her cookie.

  Gammy considered him for a moment. “Now that would be a much more interesting way to describe them, but Romeo stands for Retired Old Men Who Eat Out.”

  He thought about that for a minute. “But wouldn’t that spell…”

  Willow held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t waste your time. It’s what they call themselves, even if it’s not what it spells.”

  “When they talk about themselves,” Gammy explained, “they say retired old men eat out. But I’m a retired English teacher, and it just sounded wrong to me. I’m probably the only one who adds the ‘who’, but I can’t help it. You can ask them about it when you have lunch with them tomorrow. They’re very excited to meet you.” She laughed with glee. “I think they’re just excited to have such a handsome young man join them–like you’ll improve their image.”

  “Gammy! Don’t let them use Levi like that!”

  “And what would you have me to, Willow? It’s not like Levi can come and get pedicures with us!”

  “Men get pedicures all the time,” Willow challenged.

  “Not this man,” he murmured, unsure which of his options were the lesser of two evils.

  “Nonsense. Levi is going to go to lunch with the boys. Your father may go too. I thought it would be nice if we invited your mother to join us at the spa.”

  He tuned out after that because he felt like he might break out in the same kind of panic attack Willow had earlier in the car. Not only was he going to be forced to go out to eat with a group of retired old guys–and complete strangers–but he was going to have to deal with Willow’s father too? This wasn’t part of the plan! They hadn’t prepared for this kind of scenario. They were supposed to be together at all times–projecting a united front! Now what was he supposed to do?

  As if sensing his internal freakout, Willow reached under the table and squeezed his knee. It was only mildly reassuring, and he couldn’t wait to get her alone so they could figure out how to get him out of Gammy’s plans.

  “Oh, my goodness! It’s time for Shirley and me to go get the mail,” Gammy said as she stood. “Willow, why don’t you and Levi get settled, and I’ll be back in around thirty minutes, okay?”

&nb
sp; Willow stood and began clearing the table. “No problem. Take your time.”

  With nothing else to do, Levi stood and helped her clear the rest of their lunch stuff, and once Gammy was out the door, he stopped. “We need to talk.”

  She sighed loudly. “Yeah, I know. She mentioned sending you out with the Romeos, but I didn’t think she was serious. I’m sure we can get you out of it.”

  “How? It’s not like I’m going to fake a headache or anything like that.”

  “Lunch won’t be so bad–probably only an hour of your time. And all the restaurants in the town square are amazing. See if you can get them to take you to the kosher deli. The food is so good!”

  “This isn’t about the food choices,” he commented. “What am I supposed to talk about with a group of old guys?”

  She put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and straightened. “I don’t see why this is bothering you so much. You’re a bartender, Levi. Talking to strangers is in your job description.”

  “Yeah, but…I talk to them for the amount of time it takes to make a drink, I don’t sit down and share a meal with them!”

  “Okay, I didn’t think of that…”

  “And then there’s your father getting thrown into the mix.”

  She waved him off. “He’ll be so busy psycho-analyzing everyone in the group that he won’t have much time to focus on you. If he even goes.” She was walking across the room and toward where their luggage sat by the front door before he could respond.

  The house was small–some would say cozy–but most of it was just one open space. Gammy’s bedroom was off one side of the kitchen and he guessed the guest rooms were on the opposite side. Following Willow, Levi walked over and grabbed the rest of their bags and followed her to the…

  Only other bedroom.

  As in…one room.

  One bed.

  “Um…Willow?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Is there another room that I’m just not seeing?”

  “Nope. Just this one. Why?”

  She didn’t seem the least bit bothered by this, and then he realized why should she? She had to have known about this from the moment they started making plans to come here together. Was it possible that she…was interested in sleeping with him before the whole fake relationship thing?