Riley moves her body against mine and I can tell that she has good rhythm. My hands move over the curves of her waist as we dance. We’re so close I can smell the cinnamon and beer on her breath. Her eyes look straight into mine.
Something about her lights a fire inside me. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s her no-nonsense attitude or her sharp wit. Or that everything has to be efficient with her, even her sex life. She’s definitely the blue to my red.
Looking into those gray sea glass eyes, I know what I want to do.
But I can’t. She’s said so many times. Even though her hazy, seductive eyes seem to be telling me a different truth.
Her lips part.
“I think we should kiss,” she whispers into my ear. Her arms are wrapped around me and she’s so close, it feels like we’re in our own little world. The rest of the people in the bar are a million miles away.
“You do?” My heart thumps hard against my chest.
“Yes,” she breathes. “You know, for appearances.”
“Oh.”
“It’d be weird if we were on a date and we didn’t kiss, right?”
I nod. “Right. Okay.”
She hesitates for half a second before leaning in, connecting her soft velvet lips against mine. I taste the apple cinnamon on her lips. Pressing into her, I kiss her back. Her hand finds its way into my hair as she gets lost in the kiss. And, truthfully, so do I.
I let out an involuntary moan which causes her to pull back.
She clears her throat. “Well, now that that’s out of the way…” She looks everywhere but at me. I watch her with intense curiosity, causing her eyes to lock with mine again. The chemistry between us lingers in the air.
“You’re a really good kisser,” I say. And I mean it.
She smiles. Time slows down as she leans in and presses her lips against mine again. This time I take my time kissing her. Her hands roam through my hair as she pulls me tighter against her. Her lips are soft and inviting, and her tongue teases mine. I start to forget that this is all for show.
“LAST CALL!”
Riley pulls away from me. “Oh crap. It’s late. I have class in the morning.”
“Let me walk you back to your building.”
“Are you sure?” Every time we make eye contact, she pulls her gaze away.
My stomach sinks. Maybe that kiss wasn’t real. What else would I expect from someone who’s all about efficiency? Of course the kiss was fake.
“Of course,” I say.
When we step outside, we discover it’s pouring rain.
“Damn!”
“It doesn’t look like it’s letting up,” I say.
“Let’s just make a run for it.”
“Really? Ms. Granola Bar wants to run through the rain?”
She gives me a sideways glance. “You got any better ideas?”
I shake my head. “Let’s go, then.”
We start running and we instantly get soaked. I try to shield her from the rain but it’s coming down too hard and she’s running too fast. When we reach her building, we’re both drenched.
“Over here!” She says as she takes my hand.
We’re both laughing as she pulls me into the elevator. Two other girls in the elevator are staring at us.
Riley’s blouse is clinging to her body and I can tell she’s cold. I hold her tight against me to warm her up. The other girls giggle and whisper to each other. I ignore them and look back down at Riley. She’s smiling and, even though she’s dripping wet, she looks beautiful.
We get off on her floor and I walk her to her door.
“Well, Mr. Drake,” she says as she turns around, leaning back against her door. “Thank you for a fun evening.”
“Same to you.” I hover over her for a few seconds, waiting to see if she’ll make a move for another kiss.
“Remember our rules,” she whispers. “Displays of affection are only allowed if they’re public.”
There’s that crushing disappointment again.
“I didn’t realize you were such an exhibitionist,” I say in a joking tone.
She chuckles. “I’m into a lot of things but that’s not one of them.”
I raise my eyebrows. “You’re into a lot of things? As my fake girlfriend, do you care to share?
“Sorry, Mr. Drake. I only talk about my S&M preferences on the third fake date.”
I laugh. “You’re full of surprises.”
“More than you know.”
“I guess we have no choice but to go on that next date to find out.”
She smiles as she turns the doorknob. “Good night, Logan Drake.”
“Good night, Riley Jamieson.” I take her hand and kiss it, looking up into her electric eyes. She smiles shyly as she pulls away, closing the door.
As I catch a ride home, I think about the evening. I’ve never had a date not end in sex. But I’ve also never had a date that left me with this much excitement stirring in my chest.
Either there’s something between us, or she’s a really good actress. No matter what the answer is, I know one thing for sure: I had a really good night.
