“Kleenex starts with K. It should go in front of the lighter.”
Yeah, he knew her little quirks. He’d never called her out on them after the first time, many months ago, when she explained the system kept things organized in her mind. It was a great memory tactic that had come in handy on a few occasions. “It’s a tissue, T. Kleenex is the name brand.” She raised a brow, daring him to argue.
He countered with a smirk, slipping the tissue back in the space between the money and the wallet.
She returned his smirk with a jaunty smile, happy she’d gotten her own way.
He replied with a grin and a wink.
Their silent exchanges had been happening more frequently over the past few weeks. The more time they spent together, it was becoming easier to read each other. She supposed being partners was, in a sense, like being married. Pretty soon they’d be finishing each other’s sentences and eating from each other’s plates.
Oh, wait, they did that already, too.
After finishing up inside, they hauled Jeremy Ford, AKA Drunk Guy, out to the cruiser. Ethan secured him in the back, while Katie looked at the in-dash computer screen. “Guy’s got a couple priors for D&D but no outstanding warrants.”
Ethan gave her an acknowledging caveman grunt before clicking his seat belt, backing out of the alley, and taking off toward county jail.
“You never told me what you needed help with.” Ethan picked up their tray from the food truck’s service window and walked it to one of the empty outside tables.
Taking a seat on the concrete bench, she grabbed one of the paper plates piled with tacos and her diet soda. A lump formed in her stomach, her appetite dwindling just thinking about asking Ethan to be her pretend date, which kind of pissed her off because Tasty Taco was one of her favorite places to stop for lunch.
“Well?” His eyes were locked on her while he tilted his head to take a large bite of his taco. A glob of guacamole oozed out the back, falling with a plop onto his plate. She absentmindedly handed him a napkin. “Thanks,” he mumbled, mouth full. He wiped his mouth and stared at her while chewing, waiting for her to respond.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “God, I don’t even know how to ask you this.” Her eyes flew open when she felt his hand on her thigh right above her knee. He’d never touched her like that before, and it startled her enough to lose her train of thought.
He gave her a grin. “Stop stressing and just spit it out already.”
A nervous giggle escaped at his teasing. “You’re right. I’m being ridiculous. I mean what’s the worst that could happen? You’d just say no, right?”
*
Ethan wiped his mouth with his napkin again then took a sip of his soda. He’d never known Katie to be nervous about anything. To say he was intrigued by what she had to say would be an understatement. “Right,” he drawled.
“Okay, I’ll just spit it out then.” She gave him a cute, nervous smile that went straight to his dick. He shifted in his seat and took another long pull of his soda.
“You know I meet my parents once a month for family dinner, right?” At his nod, she continued. “Well, since I’ve joined the force, they’ve been on a mission to see me settled down. Get married, have babies, you know, the whole nine yards, in the hopes I’d give up my career in law enforcement.”
He gave her a questioning look. “They don’t like that you’re a cop?” He knew they were a bit overprotective—calling her every week, family dinners once a month, making her brother check on her all the time. He’d never seen an issue with it, liking the fact her family cared enough to keep tabs on her. But he never knew they didn’t approve of her career.
Katie sighed. “No. They think it’s too dangerous. My mother swears I’ve given her ulcers. Anyway, the last few months they’ve grown more determined, even going so far as inviting a blind date for me.”
“What?” He felt his left eye twitch and the paper cup he clutched dented under his fingers. He eased his hold before the lid popped off, spilling soda everywhere.
“I know, right?” she laughed, misunderstanding his reaction of anger for amazement. Seeming more at ease, she picked up her taco and took a bite. Talking with her mouth full, she said, “So, I had this idea. I thought if you came with me on Friday to family dinner and I introduced you as my boyfriend, they’d back off.”
He wished she would look at him, but she was fully absorbed in her taco. Not that he blamed her, they were that fucking good.
He remained silent until she finally looked at him. “Just for pretend,” she stressed, mistaking his silence for hesitancy.
He ground his back teeth. “Pretend. Right.” The last thing he wanted was to be her pretend anything. He wanted the real thing, damn it.
She gave him a weak smile. “So, will you do it? It would just be the one night. Next month I’ll still say we’re dating, but I can get you out of dinner by telling them you’re busy or something,” she said with a nonchalant wave of her hand.
At first, the thought of being Katie’s pretend boyfriend pissed him off. But the more he thought the idea through, he saw its advantages, thinking it just may be the “in” he’d been looking for. “Yeah, I’ll do it.” He leaned into her personal space—a boundary he’d never quite breached before—bringing his lips close to her ear. He felt her warm, soft breath hit the side of his face as he whispered, “You know, we’ll have to be pretty convincing for your parents to believe us.”
Her warm breath fluttered against his cheek as she answered him with a choppy, “What do you mean?”
They were in public and knew he should be mindful of PDA but couldn’t resist putting his hand back on her thigh. However, this time, he slid it up her leg, only stopping when he felt the heat from her pussy. Her breathing grew harsh, and he felt an evil smile tug at his lips. “I mean, I’ll need to touch you.” His voice was a hoarse whisper. “Maybe even kiss you.” He deliberately let his lips graze her ear. “Do you think you can pretend to like it?”
“I…I…”
He liked that he had her flustered, but he didn’t want to push too hard, too fast. Leaning back out of her space, he resumed eating, picking up his taco and taking a healthy bite. He watched from the corner of his eye as she took a long pull of her soda, and he fought back a grin.
“I um…” She cleared her throat and took another sip from her straw. “I think I can manage that.”
He didn’t look at her as he ate the last of his tacos, pretending what had just transpired didn’t have an effect on him. When in reality, he was so hard he wasn’t sure how he would hide it when he needed to stand to leave.
Hoping to pull his mind from the gutter, he asked, “What time should I pick you up on Friday?” They had Thursdays and Fridays off because they worked the weekends.
“Pick me up?”
“Yeah, your parents would expect your boyfriend to pick you up and bring you to dinner.”
She nodded, still seeming a bit out of it. Good. That meant he affected her, too. “You’re right. I guess I hadn’t really thought things all the way through.”
Well, he’d thought them all the way through. All the way to her waking up in his bed the following morning.
“I’m supposed to meet them at Rocky’s at six.”
He nodded, taking the last sip of his soda and tossing the empty cup on the tray. “I’ll pick you up at five-thirty.”
Chapter Three
Katie eyed herself critically in the bathroom mirror and sighed. Although the black dress did make her feel sexy—the Lycra material hugged her curves, and the wrap-around design created a deep vee, displaying more cleavage than was her norm—she still felt something was missing. Not having had a lot of practice, she’d done her makeup the best she could, sticking to a little color on her lids and cheeks, a few coats of mascara, and a dar
k shade of red lipstick that made her lips look fuller. Last, she’d piled her hair into a sophisticated twist atop her head, but that still wasn’t enough.
Then it came to her. She needed jewelry. Something fun, like dangling earrings or a sparkling beaded necklace. Except she didn’t have either of those things. And right then, she was kicking herself for not being a wee bit more fashion-conscious. She checked the time on her cell and saw she still had a half-hour until Ethan was to arrive. Plenty of time to ask Emma for help. Katie always thought her neighbor and friend had a good sense of style and knew she would have something perfect to go with her dress.
She dashed across the breezeway, the concrete floor cold on her bare feet. The night had grown chilly, and she did a little jog in place after she knocked, waiting for someone to answer the door.
“Wow, look at you. Hot date?” Emma asked, swinging the door wide and gesturing for Katie to enter.
Katie waved to Emma’s roommate, Winnie, who sat at her desk working. “Something like that.” She went on to explain The Plan, then confessed how she secretly hoped all the pretending would lead to something real. “Which brings me to why I’m here.” She made a hand gesture down her body. “I need, I don’t know, like earrings or something.”
“I know just the pair,” Emma exclaimed excitedly. “Let me go grab them. I’ll be right back.”
Katie watched Emma disappear down the hall before Winnie’s loud and vulgar curse of frustration grabbed her attention. After pulling a colored pencil from the collection in her messy bun, Winnie’s hand moved quickly across the paper. She swore again before grabbing the pile of papers and tossing them in the air like confetti. Standing, she snatched up the large wineglass from the edge of her desk and grinned. “Screw work. I think it’s wine o’clock instead. Want a glass?”
Katie eyed the wine longingly. She’d had many a bottle with both these ladies on the many dateless nights they’d shared. Emma would fill their bellies with her fabulous cooking while Winnie entertained them with her crazy antics.
And she could really use a glass then. Goodness knew her nerves needed soothing but thought better of it. Sighing wistfully, she replied, “I’d better not.”
Winnie smirked. “Yeah, probably should keep your wits about you.”
Emma rushed back into the room. “Here you go.”
Katie took the earrings. They were perfect, long clusters of multicolored gemstones that would add just the splash of color her outfit needed. “They’re great. Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary, I’m happy to help. But I do expect a full report in the morning.”
Katie laughed and waved goodbye, secretly hoping she’d have some exciting news to share.
Nerves on edge, Katie paced her living room while waiting for Ethan to arrive. She looked at the time, still five more minutes until he was due. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. This was Ethan. Her partner. Her friend. They knew each other inside and out. She should be completely comfortable in his presence and usually was, so didn’t know why her mind was turning their fake date into some big, meaningful event. He’d agreed to do her a friendly favor, that’s all. That her heart hoped all the pretending would jump-start into something momentous was her own damn problem—her own crazy fantasy that lived only in her head—and she shouldn’t expect more to develop. Unfortunately, convincing herself of that didn’t help calm the butterflies churning in her stomach.
Her heel caught on the carpet, and she stumbled. Quickly grabbing the back of the couch, she saved herself from falling. Mortified, though no one saw her, she emitted and small, hysterical giggle. God, she hoped she didn’t do anything like that in front of Ethan. She really needed to pull herself together.
A knock sounded. Panicking, she looked at her front door as if an ax murderer were behind it ready to hack her to pieces. Her heart rate picked up speed knowing Ethan was right on the other side. She looked down at herself. Did she look okay? She twisted around, trying to get a look at her ass. She snickered while shaking her head, realizing she looked like a dog chasing its tail.
A knock sounded again, and she knew she could no longer delay the inevitable. On shaky legs, mindful of fully picking her feet up from the carpet, she hesitantly approached the front door. Grasping the doorknob, she took a deep breath, counted to three, then swung the door wide.
She wasn’t prepared for the Ethan who stood before her. Ethan in a suit. And man-oh-man did he look hot. She knew she was staring, but couldn’t seem to look away. Someone built like a linebacker—broad shoulders with a wide chest narrowing into a firm, tapered waist—usually looked good in a suit, but Ethan took good to a new level. Like the highest peak of Mount Everest good. The suit fit him perfectly without a seam straining. He was tieless, his crisp, white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, giving her a nice glimpse of smooth, tanned flesh.
A smirk greeted her when her eyes finally reached his face, and she felt her cheeks heat, knowing her observation had been long and lingering.
Then it was his turn. His lips lost their smile, and his brown eyes heated as they traced a path down her body, pausing at the deep vee of her dress. They slowly continued down to her black, slingback pumps before pausing, once more.
He didn’t say anything, and as his silence stretched, she started to fidget, tugging and pulling at the material of her dress. Warm heat engulfed her hands as he sandwiched them with his against her hips. “Don’t. You look beautiful.” He shook his head. “No, you look stunning.”
What the heck? Was he… flirting with her? No, she must have misunderstood. He’d never seen her dressed up before and was only being polite. Speaking softly, she said, “We should get going, we don’t want to be late.”
Something sparked in his eyes before he took a step back, releasing her from his hold. She didn’t hesitate, reaching for her purse and heading out the door.
*
How the hell was he going to make it until the end of dinner without ripping that sexy-as-fuck dress off her body? His eyes were plastered to her ass as her hips swayed with each step down the stairs, her heels clacking on the concrete steps. He’d never seen her in anything but regulation uniform shoes or tennis shoes and he had to say, the heels made her legs look fucking fantastic. He could picture them wrapped around his waist, tightly squeezing him, the heels digging into his ass. He discreetly adjusted himself. Fuck, it was going to be a long-ass dinner.
“Obviously, I didn’t mention we were dating the last time I saw my parents, so we should say we’ve officially started dating a little less than a month ago. Again, obviously, I’ve talked about you before, so they know who you are. It’s good we know so much about each other, makes the charade seem more believable.”
Ethan had to suppress a smile. Katie had been talking nonstop since they’d gotten in the car. It would be cute if he didn’t know her ramblings were from nerves. She turned quiet, and he glanced over at her. She was chewing on her finger again. Reaching over, he pulled it from her mouth, pushing her hand into her lap. But instead of letting go, he held on to it. “Everything will be fine. There’s no reason for them not to believe we’re dating.”
She sighed while squeezing his hand. “I know, you’re right. I’m just such a terrible liar. I never got away with anything growing up.”
He gave her hand a squeeze back. “Just follow my lead. If you want, I’ll do most of the talking if they ask any relationship questions.”
He saw her body relax as she deflated back into her seat. “Thank you. That would help a lot.”
He wanted to tell her she never had to thank him, that he would do anything for her, but figured that conversation would have to wait. First, he had to make their pretend relationship real. He smiled to himself knowing just how he would make that happen.
“Katie!” Victoria Sawyer’s arms wrapped her daughter in a fierce hug.
“Hey, Mom.” Observing them together, Ethan noted Katie looked a lot like her mother. They had the same light-brown shade of hair, green eyes, and delicate features. The biggest difference was Katie being a good three inches taller than her mom even with them both in heels.
“Vicky, you’re smothering the poor girl.”
He saw Katie give her dad a grateful smile before he pulled her in for a quick squeeze. “Hi, Daddy.”
“How’s my baby girl?”
“I’m good.”
He gave her a broad smile then looked at Ethan. “You must be the new boyfriend. Katie’s told us a lot about you. Nice to finally meet you, son.”
Ethan took the hand Stewart Sawyer held out in greeting. He was a big guy, still in good shape, and had a nice firm grip. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. Katie’s told me a lot about the two of you, as well.”
Vicky stepped up, engulfing him in a cloud of perfume as she gave him a hug as fierce as the one she’d given her daughter. “I’ve been looking forward to this dinner for days, ever since Katie mentioned she was bringing her new boyfriend.” She took his hand, giving it a small tug. “Come, I think our table’s ready.”
Chapter Four
Katie considered it a small blessing her mother had waited until dinner was ordered before starting the interrogation. Her parents sat directly across from her and Ethan at a table in the center of the busy restaurant. Rocky’s was a popular place, especially on a Friday night. Serving good, American cuisine in a classy environment, they catered to the dating scene and families out for special occasions.
Ethan had his arm draped across the back of her chair—very date-like—and every once in a while, she felt the barest of tugs on the wisps of hair at the back of her neck that had escaped her hairdo, as if Ethan were playing with it. She figured it was probably her imagination—or wishful thinking.
“So, tell me,” her mother said, removing her napkin from the table and laying it across her lap. “How long have you two been seeing each other?”
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