His mouth continued to consume hers, edgy and hungry and blissfully indulgent, and after a good long while, his lips separated from hers and he tugged her head farther back so he could trail hot, damp, suctioning kisses down the side of her neck. His soft tongue licked a path to her collarbone, then back up to below her ear, where he nipped just hard enough to make her entire body jolt from that wicked, breathtaking bite against her skin.
There was no holding back her soft cry of pleasure that sounded incredibly sexual and needy.
“You taste so fucking good,” he rasped against her ear, his voice pure, liquid sex. “I could eat you up. Every inch of you.”
His hot, perfect words made her shudder against him and set her ablaze. Everywhere. He was giving her the dirty-talk treatment. And coming from him, she liked it. A lot.
He went in for a second kiss, their mouths coming together for another long, thrilling make-out session, until they were both precariously close to doing something she wasn’t sure she was ready for . . . yet. And definitely not at her workplace.
As if he sensed where her mind had drifted, he slowly, gradually let their lips separate. They were both panting for breath, and he pressed his forehead against hers, giving them both time to recover. After a few moments, he tipped her head back until her gaze met his dark, approving one.
“I think my world just tilted on its axis a bit,” he murmured, grinning.
She laughed softly, because she knew Eric was teasing her. But right now, with her heart racing in her chest and her own emotions a bit topsy-turvy, she didn’t want to admit that she’d felt that shift, too. For real.
For the rest of the week, Evie didn’t see Eric because of their busy schedules leading up to the holiday weekend, but they did text often. Mostly funny comments or questions about the reunion and a few flirty messages from Eric, but she was grateful that she’d had a few days to pull herself together after that unraveling kiss at the salon on Monday night. The one that felt and tasted like a whole lot more than a down payment for his services.
According to his messages, he was already anticipating his next “fee.” Honestly, so was Evie, because the man had a mouth on him that was sex personified and made her want to do all sorts of bad, naughty things to him and with him. Like tear off his clothes so she could have her wicked way with his gorgeous, drool-worthy body, she thought as she finished the last of her packing. She just had to be smart about the situation and keep in mind that this was nothing more than a temporary arrangement. She wasn’t looking to get involved with anyone anytime soon, and clearly that wasn’t on his agenda, either, considering his presence on a dating type app.
She’d decided this weekend was all about having fun with Eric, and if something more happened between them, which was likely, given their explosive chemistry, she’d just have to keep her emotions in check and her heart to herself. Simple enough, she told herself. Not that she really believed it.
A half an hour later, she was rolling her small suitcase out to the entry area of her apartment when her doorbell rang. Even though she was fairly certain it was Eric picking her up for their four-hour trip to Santa Barbara—he’d insisted on driving and she appreciated the offer because his car was far more luxurious than hers—she checked the peephole, just to be sure. He stood on the other side on her little porch, grinning at her, then waggled his brows lasciviously. She laughed, just as he’d no doubt intended, and opened the door. He was certainly amusing and unpredictable, but that playfulness was something she enjoyed about him. She felt like she’d smiled more with Eric in the short time that she’d known him than in all the time she’d been with her ex.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, making her blush at the greeting while his gaze took in the summer dress and sandals she was wearing.
She wanted to tell him that compliments weren’t necessary, but he didn’t look like he was paying lip service for the sake of being her pretend boyfriend, and since there was no one else around, he clearly meant what he said. The genuine appreciation in his sexy green eyes was honest and real, and it felt good to be the object of a man’s desire.
He stepped inside, and without giving her the chance to close the door, he framed her face in his hands, tipped her head back, and kissed her . . . deliciously soft, incredibly slow, and arousingly deep. With a low moan of pleasure, she placed her hands on his chest and fell headlong into the delightful bliss of his lips sliding against hers and his tongue teasing and cajoling her to play.
It was the best kind of hello, and by the time he lifted his mouth and ended the leisurely kiss, her entire body felt pliant and desire spilled through her veins.
“Ummm,” he murmured, nipping gently at her bottom lip, that small tug of his teeth making her nipples bloom hard and tight against the front of her dress. “I missed you.”
Her breath caught, until she realized that he must have meant he missed kissing her. That certainly made more sense, she thought, smiling up at him. “I suppose that’s a good thing, considering you’re stuck with me for the next four days.”
“I’m looking forward to every minute of it,” he said with one of those sexy winks before finally releasing her.
“You haven’t met my crazy parents yet,” she said, then added beneath her breath, “Or my spiteful cousin.”
He arched a brow. “Now that sounds like a conversation we should have on the drive.”
Ugh. It was a discussion she absolutely dreaded, but no way did she want Eric to meet Raquel without knowing all the facts up front so he knew what he was dealing with. Her cousin was the queen of zingers, barbs, and underhanded, sly insinuations when it came to Evie.
She reached for the handle on her carry-on-size luggage, but Eric beat her to it.
“Is this the only bag you have?” he asked, looking around for others.
She laughed. “Yes. We’re going to a camping resort, not Paris.”
“I just thought women needed more . . . stuff when they traveled. You know, makeup, hair products, and enough clothes to change outfits three times a day.”
Clearly, the women he’d gone on trips with were high maintenance compared to her. Probably more sophisticated, too. She pushed aside the twist of jealousy at the notion of him being with other women. “There’s plenty of stuff in there. We’re only going to be at the resort for three days, and shorts, T-shirts, and a bathing suit don’t take up much room.”
Interest lit his green eyes, and a slow, sinful smile curved his lips. “One-piece or two?”
He was such a typical male and she refrained from rolling her eyes at his question. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it’s a one-piece. I don’t do bikinis.” She didn’t have the kind of body she’d ever flaunt in public.
“I don’t know why you’d think I’d be disappointed. A one-piece bathing suit can be provocative and sexy as hell.” The words came out on a possessive, toe-curling growl. “And just for the record, I don’t want your boobs hanging out of a tiny bikini top for other guys to lust over when you’re mine for the weekend. Besides, there’s something to be said for leaving something to a guy’s imagination.”
She shook her head at him. “You are such an anomaly.”
He caught his fingers beneath her chin and tipped her head back to keep her gaze on his. “No, not really. You just need to fucking own this incredible body of yours, including rocking the hell out of a one-piece.”
God, fake boyfriend or not, he was so good for her confidence. “We need to get going,” she said, not sure what else to say to his last remark.
He held her gaze for a long moment more, then finally let his fingers fall away as they exited her apartment. She locked everything up behind them, and he led the way to his dark gray BMW. She still didn’t fully understand how he could afford such a high-end vehicle working as a chauffeur, but regardless, she settled into the leather passenger seat that felt like butter against her skin and buckled up. Everything inside the car was so luxurious she felt as though she was traveling in first
class.
As he navigated the way toward the freeway, he deemed her his copilot, which meant letting her have free rein of his satellite radio. It was all so new to her when she’d only ever used a regular radio and a cd player, but a short while later, she found a station that played contemporary country music, and after a few songs played, he openly admitted to liking the songs and artists.
“So, a small change of plans for this evening,” she said as they finally made their way out of the busy, early-afternoon San Diego freeway traffic. “My mother called to let me know that she already checked us into our cabin. Since none of the reunion stuff starts until tomorrow morning at breakfast, we’re meeting my parents for dinner before heading to the resort if that’s okay?”
“Of course,” he said easily.
She glanced over at him sitting in the driver’s seat, admiring his gorgeous profile. “They’re very excited to finally meet you . . . the other Eric . . . well, you know what I mean,” she said, because the whole thing seemed so confusing.
He smiled at her. “Evie, don’t sweat the small stuff. We got this.”
His voice was soft and so reassuring, and the way he said we got this with such conviction made it feel as though they were a real couple. When she’d hired him, all she’d wanted was a guy to stand in as her boyfriend so she didn’t have to be the single, recently dumped one at the reunion when her cousin would undoubtedly be flaunting her recent engagement. But as they headed into this family gathering, he made her feel confident and secure because, crazily enough, she trusted him. She knew that no matter what came her way this weekend, this man would have her back. She couldn’t say that she would have felt that same way if it had been her ex accompanying her.
“So, let’s talk about this spiteful cousin of yours,” he said, bringing up the one thing she had no desire to talk about, but Raquel was a big part of the reason she’d hired Eric to be her boyfriend, so it needed to be discussed.
The situation between the two of them was complicated, and she figured it was best to start from the beginning so he had all the inside information and he’d be able to meet her cousin with his eyes wide open and knowing what Raquel was capable of.
“My cousin Raquel is my dad’s brother’s daughter,” she said, letting that sink in for a moment so he knew which side of the family she was referring to. “We’re the same age, born the same year . . . but out of the two of us, I was always my grandfather’s favorite and I really think it had more to do with me spending more of my time with him than Raquel ever did. She never had the desire or the patience, so he doted on me because I was always hanging around him. Raquel was the beauty queen and cheerleader growing up, and I was the tomboy who loved going fishing with my grandpa. I loved listening to his stories, while she’d roll her eyes and walk away. I played checkers and chess and backgammon with my grandfather Randall, and Raquel had no interest in bonding with him in any way unless it benefitted her. And the closer my grandpa and I got, the more jealous Raquel became.”
“Which sounds ridiculous and petty since she clearly made no effort to get her fair share of attention,” Eric summed up accurately, his tone droll.
“Exactly,” she agreed. “Raquel has always been very spoiled by her parents, and she wanted that attention in materialistic things and not in time spent with Grandpa Randall. As the years went on, her resentment grew, and she decided to punish me for having a great relationship with our grandfather.”
He cast her a quick, curious look. “How so?”
“First, it started with snide comments, usually having to do with how I dressed compared to her or what she had that I didn’t, not that any of that honestly mattered to me. We went to the same high school, and that’s when it got worse. She started stupid, embarrassing rumors about me. She did things in the hallway or classrooms to humiliate me in front of my friends and put me down in sly, underhanded ways. It was . . . rough,” she said, hating those years in school because of her cousin’s bullying tactics.
“Why didn’t you say something to your parents about what she was doing?” Eric asked, his tone sympathetic, which made her cringe inside because she didn’t want him feeling sorry for her. “I’m sure if they’d known how Raquel was treating you, they would have talked to your aunt and uncle about the situation and put a stop to it.”
She breathed out. “I did tell them. Once. When I was about thirteen and she’d put gum in my hair after I just had it cut in a pretty new style that I loved,” she said, recalling the painful event that had resulted in her having to chop another four inches off the length of the hair she’d so painstakingly grown out for two years, all because the glob of gum had been so badly matted in the strands. “My aunt and uncle asked Raquel what happened, and she claimed it was all an accident and I was being a tattletale because I wanted to get her in trouble.”
“Jesus Christ,” he said, angry on her behalf. “How does someone accidentally put gum in someone’s hair?”
“I’m not sure, but Raquel managed to convince them she had,” she said. “So, after that, knowing my aunt and uncle wouldn’t do anything to stop her behavior, I just did my best to avoid her whenever I could.”
She paused for a moment, twisting her fingers anxiously in her lap before getting the rest of the story out in the open. “After high school, I went to beauty school to get my cosmetology license because I really liked cutting and styling hair, and that year during a family holiday get-together, Raquel came up to me when no one else was around and said that it was great that I was going to beauty school to make other people as pretty as possible because I understood how it felt to be less than attractive.”
She saw Eric’s jaw drop open, then snap shut. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he glanced at her with a fierce scowl. “She’s a fucking piece of work, isn’t she?”
His rhetorical question didn’t need a response. Evie’s stomach twisted into a knot as she gathered the fortitude to share the last and final situation involving her cousin because it was the most critical part of the story. “There’s one more important thing you need to know. About five years ago, the two of us were at a wedding for a friend of the family, and there was a good-looking guy there named Graham North, who started talking to me. I was kind of surprised he singled me out, because I was sitting at the same table as my cousin and kept waiting for him to switch his attention to her, because that’s what I was used to when it came to men and Raquel,” she said with a small laugh. “They always ended up choosing her over me.
“She attempted to flirt with him, and while Graham was polite to her, he was genuinely interested in me, which made her furious, because guys did not ignore someone as beautiful as Raquel. Even after Graham and I started dating, at family functions she’d single him out and didn’t hesitate to tease him or touch him or laugh in that coquettish way that grated on my nerves because I knew she wanted nothing more than to have Graham break up with me for her.”
The nausea in her stomach increased, and she pushed through it. “Graham and I were together for almost three years, and I thought we’d end up getting married. After graduating with my cosmetology license, I worked at a salon in Fresno, and I was at the shop long hours because I was trying to build my clientele, but at the end of our time together, I started noticing that Graham was becoming emotionally distant and withdrawn, and when I made time for us to spend together, he always had an excuse as to why he was busy. He started working out, which was something he’d never done in the past, as well as dressing differently, and just . . . changing into a guy who was overly concerned with his looks. He texted and called less often. Sex became nonexistent, which he blamed on my work schedule, and I started feeling so guilty about everything, like I was letting him down.”
The song “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood played in the background, and she almost laughed at the timing and irony of the fitting lyrics.
“How did you find out?” Eric asked somberly, obviously knowing where her story was heading an
d how it would end.
“I decided to make him dinner on a Saturday night so we’d have some quality time together, in hopes of getting things back on track,” she said, staring ahead at the cars in front of theirs on the freeway. “He came over, but when I tried to hug and kiss him hello, it felt so painfully awkward . . .and I remember thinking that whatever the issue was, it wasn’t me. It was him. He wasn’t making any effort to be affectionate or meet me halfway in my attempts to make our relationship work.”
She rubbed her fingers along her forehead and forced herself to finish. “While I was setting the table, he went to the bathroom, and his phone, which he’d left on the table, lit up with a message. I just happened to glance at it because it was right in front of me, and the display showed a text from Raquel asking him what time he was coming over later that night.”
Eric swore beneath his breath and reached out and grabbed her hand, telling her without words just how sorry he was. His touch had such a calming effect on her, and as much as she liked it, she knew better than to get used to it.
“Yeah . . . I’ll admit I did not see that one coming.” Back then, she’d been devastated. Now, she just hated that she’d wasted three years on an unfaithful asshole. “When I confronted Graham, he got defensive about it, and somehow it became my fault that he put his dick in my cousin,” she said in a droll tone, trying to disguise the hurt she was feeling.
An abrupt gust of laughter escaped Eric, and she smiled, which helped to ease the knot that had tightened in her stomach.
“So, after I kicked him out, I made the decision to move away from Fresno, because I needed to start my life somewhere new where I didn’t have to deal with my cousin or see her with Graham.” Evie shivered at the soothing way Eric rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand. “I decided on San Diego, and Scarlett and Jessica, who worked at the same place as I did in Fresno, decided they wanted to join me.”
“For real?” he asked with a surprised grin.
The Boyfriend Experience Page 8