Pretend You Love Me

by Stacia Wolf

  She wanted his hands back on her shoulders; she wanted to feel that zing that always happened between them when they touched. Anything to wipe that frown off his handsome brow. He was much too serious much too often. She loved his laugh and that slightly devilish smile that he flashed on occasion. She loved the ways his eyes danced when he looked at her.

  Face it. You love everything about him, including his frown, because you're hopelessly in love with him.

  She shook her head. She couldn't be in love. No, this time spent with him was supposed to cure her of her ridiculous crush on him. She couldn't have fallen in love with him!

  She stared at him in shock and confusion, wondering how this could have happened while at the same time acknowledging it as inevitable. Since meeting him all those years ago, he'd stolen a chunk of her heart. Despite her attempts to continue life without him, she'd never quite succeeded. Now it would be even worse. He owned her entire heart, not just a piece.

  She was in love with Mike Ashford. How ironic. How sad and stupid. She'd wanted to get over this mad feeling she'd had for him. Now it threatened to tear her into pieces.

  Her eyes stung. Damn. How pathetic.

  "Princess? Are you okay?” Mike's voice reached through the foggy recesses of her brain, and she recognized the concern in his voice, and saw the worry in his eyes. She could also see deep affection and caring there.

  But no love. No, he might someday have sex with her, but he'd never love her. He was too hung up on her Delistraty roots, and too bothered by her impetuous nature. She'd never hear him say, “I love you."

  At this thought, tears stung her eyes.

  "Cass.” Mike pulled her into his arms. He held her against his chest, and she could feel his heart beat a rapid staccato that hers matched, beat for beat. It felt good. It felt right.

  Damn, she had it bad. What was a girl to do?

  Bundled against the solid warmth of the man she loved, Cassie swiftly came up with an answer to her self-posed question.

  What was a girl to do? Why, make sure she showed this man the depth of her feelings and make it very, very difficult for him to ever walk away. What did she have to lose?

  And she had so much to gain.

  It was high time this girl convinced the man of her dreams that she was his dream.

  * * * *

  "Take me home, Mike."

  Cassie smiled at him, her bravado hiding the upset she'd obviously experienced over the altercation with her brother. The tears were gone, and her eyes gleamed with purpose once more.

  He felt a momentary twinge at what shape that purpose might take, then decided not to worry about trouble until it happened.

  A few minutes later, heading back to Cassie's place, Mike didn't flinch or try to pull away when Cassie curled up against his shoulder. It felt good to have her leaning on him, both literally and figuratively.

  "Feeling better?” he asked her.

  She nodded against his shoulder. “Yes, much. Thank you."

  He nodded, resisting the urge to plant a kiss on her soft cinnamon hair. “I have some paperwork to catch up on at the club.” He felt her body tense. Damn, she didn't want to be away from him any more than he wanted to say goodbye to her.

  "All right. I've kept you busy the last couple of days, haven't I?"

  If she'd protested or complained, he'd have stuck to his guns to put some distance between them. But she didn't. She understood that he needed to get some things done. Faced with such a caring gesture, his determination melted.

  "I'll pick you up tonight for a bite to eat before the band starts up. If you like, you can stick around and I'll teach you how to bartend."

  Cassie lifted her head and her breath fanned the side of his neck as she laughed. “You're going to trust me in your precious club? What will Ernie say?"

  He worked hard to laugh lightly, despite his stomach clenching at her words tickling his neck. “Tonight should be a slow night, and Ernie will be fine with it."

  He could feel her smile as she laid her check on his shoulder. “You know, that sounds like fun. Thanks."

  "You're welcome.” He couldn't help himself. “And Cassie?"

  "Yes?"

  "Wear something... non-provocative."

  Cassie's amusement bubbled right over him and into his heart. “Yes, sir! One gunny sack coming up!"

  * * * *

  The next few days went by swiftly. Cassie loved spending time with Mike, even though he always insisted on being around others. But that suited Cassie fine. It gave them opportunities to get to know each other better.

  She discovered that she liked the adult Mike even more than she'd adored the teenaged version. Once he relaxed, his sense of humor kept her laughing.

  Right now, though, she was running late. She'd gone to the home improvement store to get a new light fixture for the master bath. This final touch would finish the room off, and other than the kitchen, her house now sparkled with her personality.

  Over the last six months, she'd used the skills she'd picked up as a child helping her mother redo their house and applied them to her own home. New paint, molding, light fixtures. Most home repairs she could handle on her own. She liked that her house reflected her true personality so well.

  Her living room felt relaxing in soft greens, her office soothed her in warm browns and her bedroom's mixture of greens and gold, coupled with the gorgeous white woodwork, gave her such a feeling of peace. Now the master bathroom, a soft gold and cream, would be done and she could sit back and enjoy her little haven.

  The light before her turned yellow and Cassie gunned it, knowing that Mike waited for her. At this pace, she'd be about ten minutes late. One more red light and she could add five more minutes to that estimate. Darn it, how had time gotten away from her? Mike hadn't been too excited about coming over and helping her install the light. Would he still be there waiting for her?

  To top it all off, she'd left her cell back at the house, so she couldn't even call him to say she'd be a few minutes late.

  She hadn't remembered where she'd bought the light fixture for her bedroom, and she'd wanted the bathroom sconce to match. This meant going to three different stores, but now she had it, and it would only take a few minutes to install.

  And since it took two pair of hands to put it up, it gave her a good excuse to have Mike in her house. In her bedroom. Alone. He'd asked if her brother or dad could help her, but Cal was tied up with a clinic session, and her dad had declared himself too busy to help. Of course, Mike didn't know that Cassie had chosen today to do this, after discovering that her family would be otherwise occupied.

  So he'd reluctantly agreed to give her a hand. She knew he planned on a hasty retreat, but she'd find a way to cut him off at the pass. Up to and including a strip tease. She planned on nothing stopping her.

  Because tonight would be the night she'd seduce him.

  However, at the moment, her chances of any sort of encounter with Mike were dwindling fast.

  She thumped her hand on the wheel in frustration. Darn it, she'd meant to be home and ready for him, setting a subtle mood with candles and soft music. Instead, she'd taken way too long getting the rotten fixture. She could howl in anger at herself.

  Finally, seventeen minutes late, she screeched up to her house to find Mike's Bronco nowhere to be seen. Futility roiled in her. She'd given him the perfect excuse to avoid her today.

  Pressing the garage door button, she ran some alternate plans in her head. Plans that would only work if Mike wasn't too miffed at her no-show performance.

  Okay, first step would be to grovel and hope she caught him in a good mood. Second...? Well, if she accomplished the first, she'd worry about the next step then.

  Pulling the car into the garage, she pressed the button to close the door, while sadly thinking about what could have been.

  * * * *

  From his vantage point down the street, Mike watched Cassie enter the garage. He could feel her disappointment from here. He
felt rather smug. She'd been late again. It wouldn't hurt her to suffer for a few minutes.

  It occurred to him that he could simply leave and she'd never be the wiser. She'd been looking for the Bronco, not this slick Mustang convertible he'd bought only that afternoon. He'd seen the sleek silver machine and the image of Cassie in the passenger seat, her hair whipping in the wind and her laughter exploding from her lips, made it impossible for him to walk away. It was a Cassie type of car. So he'd bought it.

  He didn't want to leave. He planned on helping her install the light, then he'd take her for a car ride with the top down. Starting the car, he pulled up in front of her house just as his cell rang.

  "Mike?” Cassie's anxious voice caused him to smile.

  "Cass. Where are you? I tried calling your cell.” He pretended to be angry, but she'd been late her entire life, so he'd always planned on it. Cal joked that the only time she'd come early was her birth.

  "I'm so sorry. I forgot the phone at home. I'd been trying to find the light fixture that matched the one in my bedroom, and I couldn't—"

  "Cass.” He couldn't take it any longer. “Look outside."

  He didn't need to tell her twice. The curtain moved, then the door flew open, and there she stood, her cell on her ear, staring at him in delight.

  "Oh, my God!” she exclaimed in the phone as she rushed to him. “It's silver! Mike, it's adorable. Take the top down."

  Laughing, he spoke in the phone, even though she now stood in front of him. “All right.” Pressing a button on the dashboard, he listened to the satisfying hum of the top retracting. “I have to hang up now. There's this incredibly gorgeous woman wanting me to take her for a ride."

  She laughed. “Honey, with me, you could have so much more than that.” With a shriek, she clicked the phone off, then hopped into the car. Her eyes danced. “Mike, this is awesome.” Then her lips pouted. “Although I'll miss you helping me out of the Bronco."

  Laughing, Mike pulled away from the curb. “I still have the Bronco. We can switch off and on."

  Her look of rhapsody hit him the instant he realized he'd made their relationship sound permanent. Yet instead of shocking him, it felt right. In one form or another, she'd always been part of her life.

  They pulled out on the main strip, and just like his fantasies, her eyes closed and she lifted her face into the breeze. Her wild curls whipped about her face as her lips parted in delight.

  Beautiful. Fascinating. Addicting.

  He turned back, pulling up in front of Cassie's home a few minutes later.

  "We're home, princess."

  A smile formed on her lips before her eyes opened, and a hand lifted up, contacting his cheekbone in a soft caress. Before he could react, she slid the hand back behind his neck and pulled herself up to plant her lips on his.

  If he'd ever thought he could resist her, he found himself sorely mistaken. A lightning bolt of need lanced through him, shattering his self-control in one solid blast. His nerves jumped, his bones melted, and his body instantly responded to her kiss with a massive hard-on.

  Then her tongue slid over his bottom lip, and he abandoned all pretense of resistance. Unbuckling both belts, he jerked her into his arms. He tangled his fingers into those curls and sank himself into the feel and sensuality that made Cassie so unique.

  He thrust his tongue into her mouth, and nearly died from pleasure when she nipped, then sucked on it. Her instantaneous responses to his touch enflamed him and he tightened his arms, wishing he could simply melt into her, become one with her so he'd never have to be without her.

  "Mike,” she gasped, pulling her mouth away and skimming hot moist lips over his cheek. “Let's go inside."

  His internal alarm went off, reminding him of his resolution to keep away from her. “Cass, you're not thinking straight."

  "I'm thinking fine,” she said, her raspy voice inflaming his skin. She nipped at his earlobe and his erection throbbed against his zipper. “I'm thinking that I want you in my bed. Naked. Now."

  Then her hand slid down between them, to settle with intimate familiarity on his crotch, rubbing against his jeans and sending all thoughts of walking away out of his head.

  "Naked...” He gasped as her probing fingers found his tip and pressed down. “Naked sounds—damn, Cassie, you're driving me insane—good."

  He never remembered the trip into the house, and he vaguely recalled dodging three excited, yapping dogs on their way to her bedroom, then Cassie shutting the door on them.

  Her fingers went to work at the buttons on his shirt, while he pulled her cotton blouse up and over her head. His pulse went through the roof and his hard-on jumped when he discovered she didn't have a bra on.

  "Cass.” He sucked air into his oxygen-starved lungs. But she didn't cut him any slack. Smiling at him like the temptress she was, she cupped her breasts with her hands. Her thumbs drew circles over her pebbled nipples. He could feel his pulse throbbing in his neck and thought his zipper would burst from the pressure his rock-hard penis put it through. He knew that he'd die if he didn't slide into her soon.

  One of Cassie's hands remained on her firm, round breast while the other slipped down and pulled her skirt off her waist and past her hips. It slid down to pool at her feet, revealing Cassie in front of him, naked. Mike shuddered with need as her hand slipped down between her legs and plunged one finger into her wet heat.

  She tipped her head back and a tiny mewl escaped her lips. That one sound ripped away the last of Mike's control. He had to have her. Now.

  In one stride, he reached her. Gripping her about the waist, he pushed her back onto the bed. Her skin smelled of exotic spices; no wimpy floral scents for Cassie.

  Lying beside her, he tasted her hot flesh, traveling from the base of her throat down to one tempting peak, sucking it into his mouth. She gasped and her pelvis pressed against him while both of her hands curled into his shoulders.

  His head spun at her sensual response. He couldn't think of anyone or anything other than Cassie and how he'd never been so hooked on one woman before.

  "Damn, Cass, do you know what you're doing to me?"

  * * * *

  Cassie didn't answer him. She couldn't. The feel of his body pressed against hers robbed her of all coherent speech. Instead, she'd have to show him.

  Cassie pulled his shirt the rest of the way off, tossing it aside. She touched his chest, thrilling at the hard feel of muscles beneath her palm. Sheer heaven. The sparse dusting of dark hair tempted her to run her fingers through it, and she readily gave in.

  "Cass.” Mike's breath hissed between his teeth; she could see raw desire in his eyes.

  He shuddered under her touch. Emboldened, she trailed her mouth after her fingers, her tongue tasting his slightly salty flesh just waiting for her exploration.

  Her tongue circled his nipple, and she thrilled when he jerked beneath her probing mouth. His reaction to her made her feel so powerful, so feminine. She felt moisture pooling between her legs, and wanted him to touch her there. If exploring him enflamed her this much, what would happen when he caressed her?

  She traveled downwards, teasing and tasting, until her hands hit his waistband. She didn't stop, didn't hesitate. His muscled torso enticed her to explore further; she knew she wouldn't be disappointed. The pants had to come off.

  But he captured her questing fingers before she could go any further. “Honey, slow down. We have all night, and if you keep this up, I'm not going to last ten minutes.” He kissed her fingers, and she could hear the hitch in his breathing.

  She stroked his bottom lip with her index finger, and as if tasting a tempting candy, he sucked it into his mouth, taunting it with his hot tongue and sensuously scraping teeth.

  A spasm tore through her core. Cassie buried her face into his shoulder, nipping at him. His hand slipped down and flattened against her buttocks, pulling her up against him. The feel of his straining erection sent her blood roaring and her eyes rolled back in pleasure. What a
glorious experience to be so close to the man she loved.

  She could fantasize that he loved her as well, that they'd declared their love for each other and that this coupling would be a consummation of those feelings. If only reality wouldn't shatter her imagination...

  She opened her eyes. He gazed down at her, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand as if he found her to be the most treasured thing he'd ever seen.

  She could almost believe her fantasy now.

  "You're so beautiful, Cass. Do you know what you do to me with your smile and those gorgeous green eyes? Do you know...” He swooped down, stole a tantalizing kiss from her parted lips. “...What touching you does to me? You drive me wild with just a look. Getting to hold you like this...woman, I'm not made of steel. If I don't have you I'm going to break."

  Cassie closed her eyes and let his desire for her sink in. A warm glow built in her chest and formed a smile on her lips that she couldn't contain. She'd never felt this way, like she could float away on a veil of happiness. She pressed her cheek against his fingers, soaking in the tenderness she felt in his touch.

  "You have me, Mike. I'm not going anywhere.” A tiny laugh escaped. “And here I thought you felt only brotherly toward me. Or is this pity sex?"

  Mike growled and rolled on top of her. His throbbing penis pressed against her, and she angled her hips so it would pulse against her womanhood.

  "Does this feel like brotherly love?” he asked, rocking his engorged erection against her. “Does this...” and he kissed her, long and hard. “...feel like pity to you?"

  "No,” she gasped. “It feels like heaven."

  Mike chuckled against her lips. “Honey, you ain't seen nothing yet."

  Her eyes beamed up at him. “Then show me."

  He didn't hesitate. He kissed her, his mouth devouring her, bearing into her. She opened to him, accepting his passion, his intensity, and giving it back to him with her mouth, her hands and her body, moving underneath his weight, demanding more in her quest to feel as one with him.

  His fingers buried themselves in her tangled curls, imprisoning her head. Lifting his mouth from hers, he stared into her eyes, his own a dark pool of passion. “Cass, be very sure this is what you want, because I swear if you keep moving like that I won't be able to stop."