Page 28 of That Fake Feeling

“Anyway, it’s no different from me being able to remove ancient stains from anUpperWestSidefamily’s toilet once they hired me as their cleaner.”Imake pouty lips and narrow my eyes. “Youpay me to do a job,Ido it to the best of my ability.Whetherthat’s toilet cleaning or fake girlfriending.”

“Willyou please stop saying unsexy things in a sexy way?Justshove that thing in my mouth and get this over with.”

I’vebarely parted my lips to reply when he cuts me off. “Anddon’t even think about saying ‘That’swhat she said.’”

He’sright, that’s exactly whatIwas about to say. “Well, look how well we know each other already.”

Ipress the strawberry against his lush, pink lips which part to reveal the redder, shinier flesh inside, as well as his white, but not perfectly straight, teeth.It’slike he had braces for a while but gave up.

Hetakes the whole fruit into his mouth.But, instead of pulling it off the stalk, he drags his lips down over it from hull to tip, caressing it, until it falls from his pout and swings back and forth from my fingers.

It’smesmerizing.

That’swhat it would be like if he kissed me.Hislips would press gently against mine and tug on them.Thethought of it makes my heart do an annoying little dance in my chest.

Thenhis tongue slowly emerges and flicks at the tip of the strawberry, jiggling it back and forth asIcontinue to hold it up in the air.GoodGod, this is one very lucky piece of fruit.

Asmuch asIcould watch him tease it all day, the way my body’s reacting is not even remotely okay.Ihave to make it stop.

Ipush the strawberry between his luscious lips to get it over with.But, quick as a flash, beforeIcan pull away, he takes my finger into his mouth with it.

Myeyes instinctively meet his.Heholds my gaze as he maneuvers the fruit into his cheek, then runs his tongue around the end of my fingertip.There’san immediate fire at my center, the heat rising to my face.He’staking this too far.

Thenhe sucks on it, sending a shiver straight to my core.Ifphotographers are watching, they can’t see sucking, so what the hell game is he playing here?Thisis way above and beyond the call of duty.

Hislips curl into a smile as he pulls back until my finger pops from his mouth.Mystomach goes from a flutter to a full-on flip.

Myhand hangs in the air.Trembling.

It’sbeen so long since a man’s tongue has been anywhere near my body that my heart, my groin, and my belly aren’t sure what to do with themselves.

Ilet my hand fall onto the blanket and dig my fingernails into my palm to stop it from shaking.

Thebest option here is probably to make a joke of it. “Didyou forget my no-tongues clause already?”

Hesmirks as he chews the strawberry. “Yourclause wasn’t very well written.Itapplied only to mouths.Nomention of fingers.”

Heswallows and opens his mouth. “Onemore.”

Inarrow my eyes. “Notongue?”

“Sure, no tongue.”

Ipick the biggest, plumpest strawberry, which has a green stalk sticking out of it.

“Okay.Thehull is your barrier.”Ipoint at it to be sure he gets the message. “Nolips past the barrier.Justpull it off the hull and leave my fingers out of this.”

“Isthat how you talk to your students?”Hetwitches his eyebrows. “It’squite commanding.”

Infuriating.Heis infuriating. “Justpull the goddamn strawberry off the goddamn stalk.”

“I’llget this one over with quickly.”He’strying not to laugh. “Soyou don’t suffer.”

Ihold up the strawberry and he lunges at it with his teeth just asImove to push it into his mouth.Ourtiming is bad.Myfinger ends up inside his mouth again, but this time he bites down hard.

Ishriek in shock at the pain.

Connorsprings to his feet. “Fuck.Sorry.”Heholds up his hands in surrender. “Oh,God, sorry.Totalaccident.”