turned again to the window and the crescent moon swinging from a star out there in the night. The soft sound of his footsteps approaching thrilled her.
He came and stood behind her. And he did just what she’d hoped he might do. He stepped close and his big arms came around her. She settled back against his solid strength with a sigh. He nuzzled her hair. She tipped her head to the side, anticipating the touch of his mouth against her neck.
And then his lips were there, so soft and warm. “What are you doing, alone here in the dark?” His breath fanned her skin as he spoke.
“Watching the moon.” She turned in his embrace, slid her hands up his hard chest. “Waiting for you.”
He kissed her. There, at the window in the soft darkness, with only the muted light from the other room and the faint glow provided by the moon.
When he pulled back, his eyes shone in the dimness. “It’s funny…”
Something had changed in him. She felt it, knew it. She touched his lower lip, so soft compared to the rest of him. “Tell me.”
“I roped you into coming here, into pretending we’re in love.”
“Uh-uh, you didn’t rope me into anything. I came because you offered me the way to make some changes in my life. And also because you’re my friend and I’ll do just about anything to back up a friend.”
He framed her face in his two hands. “Even something pretty stupid?”
She gave a low chuckle. “Yeah. For a friend like you, I’ll even do stupid.”
He traced her brows with a touch that lingered. “I want you to know…”
“What?”
“I think I’ve been played by my own game.”
“Played?”
“I think I…needed for this to be fake. At first. Otherwise, I couldn’t make myself take the leap. Take the chance.” He shook his head. “Am I making any damn sense at all?”
She held his gaze. “You are making perfect sense.”
He brushed her cheek with his thumb. “So…if this, with us, turned into something real…” Her heart expanded inside her chest. And the darkened yellow room suddenly seemed a magic and wondrous place, filled with light. He asked, “Could you maybe be into it?”
She didn’t play coy. Coy wasn’t her style. “I could. Yeah. No maybe about it.”
He sucked in a slow breath, said her name so softly. “Sam.”
She commanded, “Kiss me again.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He took her mouth, his tongue delving in. She kissed him back, stoking the fire. And she pressed her body against him, drinking in the groan it brought from deep in his throat, feeling the hard ridge beneath his fly, the proof that he really did want her. Her breasts tingled and down below she felt so soft and hot, a melting kind of heat…
When that burning kiss ended, he said, “I don’t want to push you…” His voice was low and rough.
She gave a husky laugh. “Oh, yeah, you do.”
His mouth quirked up at one corner. “All right. I do.” Then he grew serious. “I know you’ve been hurt, Sam.”
She held his gaze. “We both have.”
“And this is pretty sudden.”
“Sudden? We’ve been friends for twelve years.”
“You know what I mean.” He looked at her so intently. As though he could see into her heart and liked what he saw.
She confessed, “Yeah, I do know.” Joy. She felt such joy. It filled her like a golden light, bright as the sun. She laid her hands on his chest again. She could feel his heartbeat. And the diamond he’d given her caught a random ray of light from the other room and glittered in the darkness.
Somehow, the sight of that sparkling stone brought the doubts creeping in, turning the golden glow of her joy a little gray around the edges.
This magic between us started with a great, big lie….
And they were still lying to his family.
He must have seen the shadows in her eyes. “What? Tell me.”
She touched the side of his face. “I was thinking that maybe we need to stop lying to your family.”
He didn’t hesitate. “Fine. We’ll tell
He came and stood behind her. And he did just what she’d hoped he might do. He stepped close and his big arms came around her. She settled back against his solid strength with a sigh. He nuzzled her hair. She tipped her head to the side, anticipating the touch of his mouth against her neck.
And then his lips were there, so soft and warm. “What are you doing, alone here in the dark?” His breath fanned her skin as he spoke.
“Watching the moon.” She turned in his embrace, slid her hands up his hard chest. “Waiting for you.”
He kissed her. There, at the window in the soft darkness, with only the muted light from the other room and the faint glow provided by the moon.
When he pulled back, his eyes shone in the dimness. “It’s funny…”
Something had changed in him. She felt it, knew it. She touched his lower lip, so soft compared to the rest of him. “Tell me.”
“I roped you into coming here, into pretending we’re in love.”
“Uh-uh, you didn’t rope me into anything. I came because you offered me the way to make some changes in my life. And also because you’re my friend and I’ll do just about anything to back up a friend.”
He framed her face in his two hands. “Even something pretty stupid?”
She gave a low chuckle. “Yeah. For a friend like you, I’ll even do stupid.”
He traced her brows with a touch that lingered. “I want you to know…”
“What?”
“I think I’ve been played by my own game.”
“Played?”
“I think I…needed for this to be fake. At first. Otherwise, I couldn’t make myself take the leap. Take the chance.” He shook his head. “Am I making any damn sense at all?”
She held his gaze. “You are making perfect sense.”
He brushed her cheek with his thumb. “So…if this, with us, turned into something real…” Her heart expanded inside her chest. And the darkened yellow room suddenly seemed a magic and wondrous place, filled with light. He asked, “Could you maybe be into it?”
She didn’t play coy. Coy wasn’t her style. “I could. Yeah. No maybe about it.”
He sucked in a slow breath, said her name so softly. “Sam.”
She commanded, “Kiss me again.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He took her mouth, his tongue delving in. She kissed him back, stoking the fire. And she pressed her body against him, drinking in the groan it brought from deep in his throat, feeling the hard ridge beneath his fly, the proof that he really did want her. Her breasts tingled and down below she felt so soft and hot, a melting kind of heat…
When that burning kiss ended, he said, “I don’t want to push you…” His voice was low and rough.
She gave a husky laugh. “Oh, yeah, you do.”
His mouth quirked up at one corner. “All right. I do.” Then he grew serious. “I know you’ve been hurt, Sam.”
She held his gaze. “We both have.”
“And this is pretty sudden.”
“Sudden? We’ve been friends for twelve years.”
“You know what I mean.” He looked at her so intently. As though he could see into her heart and liked what he saw.
She confessed, “Yeah, I do know.” Joy. She felt such joy. It filled her like a golden light, bright as the sun. She laid her hands on his chest again. She could feel his heartbeat. And the diamond he’d given her caught a random ray of light from the other room and glittered in the darkness.
Somehow, the sight of that sparkling stone brought the doubts creeping in, turning the golden glow of her joy a little gray around the edges.
This magic between us started with a great, big lie….
And they were still lying to his family.
He must have seen the shadows in her eyes. “What? Tell me.”
She touched the side of his face. “I was thinking that maybe we need to stop lying to your family.”
He didn’t hesitate. “Fine. We’ll tell
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