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“How are you going to convince her you want more?”

“I’m going to ask her to be my fiancée.”

“Your fiancée? Wait a minute. For real?”

“I wish. But no. Just to convince Grandma. She gave me a diamond to give Damaris. I didn’t know how to get out of it.”

“Are you nuts? What the hell good is that going to do? Just tell Damaris the truth, man.”

“I can’t. At least, not now. I’m pretty sure—no, make that I know something happened in her past that was bad enough to make her super wary of getting involved with anyone. So I’m just going to ease her into it.”

Travis shook his head. “Good luck. I hope it doesn’t blow up in your face.”

“Yeah. I do too.” But knowing his luck it probably would.

*

Nate called Damaris from the airport when he and Travis returned from their flight. “Hey, are we still seeing each other tonight?”

“Yes. I finished up early. Want me to come to you? I don’t even have to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow.” Meaning she could stay the night. She thought he might get tired of always coming to her place.

“Sounds great. Lucy’s Pizza is on the way home. Why don’t I pick up dinner? Meat lovers, right?”

“Ick, no.” Surely he knew what she liked by now.

Nate laughed. “Just kidding. Pepperoni it is.”

“I’ll bring the beer and meet you there.”

“Okay. See you soon.”

Damaris was waiting for him when he got home. He’d told her the garage door code long before and he always left the door to the garage unlocked. After work she’d showered and changed into a black tank top and a short skirt with geometric patterns in different colors. On her feet she wore a pair of ankle-high red cowboy boots that matched the red in the skirt.

She was bent over looking in his refrigerator for something to make a salad out of—with no luck—when she heard the back door open.

“Now that’s a pretty sight.”

She laughed and turned around. “You are so easy. Hi. How was your flight?”

“Good,” he said, placing the pizza box on the table and coming forward to pull her into his arms and lay a kiss on her that sizzled. “But not as good as that.”

She’d wrapped her arms around his neck when he kissed her. She drew back and sniffed. “Are you wearing a new aftershave?”

“No, why?”

“It smells like…” She sniffed again. “It smells like perfume.” She looked at his shirt collar and saw a smudge of what could only be lipstick. “What the hell is this?” She jerked herself out of his arms and glared at him.

“What is what?”

“You smell like a whore and there’s lipstick on your collar.”

He had the nerve to smile. “That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?”

“Not funny, Nate. You—you—bastard!” Even though they were temporary friends with benefits that didn’t mean she was okay with him seeing other women. Not when they were supposedly together. Not to mention actually sleeping together.

“Calm down, Damaris. First of all, I wasn’t with a woman.”

“Right.”