Page 47

Sean steps closer, close enough that I can smell his cologne. “Like I can't quite believe you're real.”

The words knock the air from my lungs. Our gazes lock, and for a moment, I forget where we are. Forget that this is supposed to be pretend.

The spell breaks when someone calls my name. I spend the next hour in a daze, making small talk while all too aware of Sean's presence beside me. His hand on my back. The way his eyes find mine across conversations. The rare, genuine smile he gives me that doesn't look like the one he wears for others. Every part of me feels alive when he’s near.

We leave just after eleven. My heels hurt. My head spins. But not from wine.

The drive home is quiet, charged with a desire neither of us acknowledges. Sean's hand rests on the console between us, and I resist the urge to touch it. I try to focus on the city lights blurring past the window. But all I feel is his nearness.

The house is quiet. Eric’s at Jen’s and the thought makes my pulse race now that we're alone. The pretense of the evening has followed us home, blurring the lines I've tried so hard to maintain.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” I say as we step inside, kicking off my shoes. “You were… amazing.”

“Just doing my part.” He loosens his tie, and I follow the movement with my eyes.

“Everyone believed us.”

“Maybe because some parts weren't pretend.” His voice drops lower.

I look up, finding his eyes dark and intent. “Which parts?”

Sean steps closer. “The way I couldn't stop looking at you.”

My breath catches. “I noticed that.”

“Did you notice this too?” His fingers brush my cheek, feather-light. “How I wanted to touch you all night?”

“Sean…”

“Tell me to stop, Wren.”

I know what’s happening. I know I should stop it. But I don’t want to. I can’t.

He leans in.

And I rise on my toes and press my lips to his.

The kiss starts gentle—a question, an exploration. Then something breaks between us. His arms wrap around me, lifting me against him as the kiss deepens. I thread my fingers through his hair, holding him to me.

His hands are everywhere, leaving trails of fire on my skin. He backs me against the wall, his body pressed to mine.

“Bedroom,” I manage between kisses.

Sean lifts me, my legs wrapping around his waist as we stumble toward the stairs. My dress is halfway off before we reach the bed.

“You're sure?” he asks, hovering above me.

In answer, I pull him down to me.

His lips trace a path down my neck, across my collarbone. “I've thought about this since the first day in your office.”

“Show me.”

Clothing falls away, revealing skin I've tried not to think about. His hands are everywhere, learning me, memorizing.When he lowers me to the bed, I pull him down with me, wanting his weight, his heat.

“You're so beautiful,” he murmurs against my neck.

I close my eyes, surrendering to sensation. To the feel of his hands, his mouth. The sound of my name on his lips. The way he watches me with wonder as my body responds to his touch.