Page 24 of Use Me

The mug of hot java stopped at my lips. “With you?”

He smiled that smile that made his dimples appear. “Yeah. Wearefake boyfriend and girlfriend after all. Plus, I’m assuming we both have today off.”

“How do you know I don’t have plans?”

“Do you?”

I shook my head. “No, but I thought we were both just letting off sexual frustration and heartbreak last night?”

Rhys turned his body toward me, his knees pressing against the side of my thigh. “We did, but that doesn’t mean it needs to stop there.”

“I’m not ready to date,” I confessed.

“I’m not either,” he admitted. “I just thought we could spend the day together and not have to sit alone while we think about our exes.”

Rhys was right. I would go home, and even though I unfriended Corey, I’d go to his page and see if he posted a picture with someone else. After a few seconds, I asked, “What do you have in mind?”

“Well, looking at the weather report it seems this might be our last day to have decent temperatures. Before we know it, it will be snowing and shit. So, how about we take a boat ride on Lake Michigan?”

“Friends take boat rides on Lake Michigan together—alone?”

He smiled again. “Maybe, but so do fake boyfriends and girlfriends.”

“This feels like it will be a real date.”

Rhys grabbed my hand, running his thumb along the back. “It’s just two people who don’t want to be alone, out on a boat and getting to know each other. I even promise not to kiss you—much.”

I grinned at him. “Much?”

He shrugged and released my hand then reached over to grab his coffee. Before he took a sip, he smirked. “What can I say, you taste amazing.”

My cheeks heated at his words. I grabbed my coffee to take some time to think about what he was proposing. The two times I’d spent with him, I enjoyed it. Granted the last time was sex, and I’d definitely enjoyed that. I didn’t want to go home and stalk Corey like I knew I would, but going on this non-date with Rhys felt like it would be a real date. Was I ready to take that step?

I turned my head toward him and smiled. “Okay, but we buy our own lunches.”

“Deal.”

After we drank our coffee, Rhys walked me to my condo so I could get ready. I expected him to only walk me to the front door of the building, but he surprised me and walked me all the way to my door. He didn’t kiss me, and the moment he walked away I realized that I wanted him to. I was so confused. My brain was telling me that it was only a one-night thing and that we’d got what we wanted and he’d be long gone. My body was telling me I wanted it to be more. And maybe I would get more since he wanted to spend the day together.

I’d been on tours on Lake Michigan many times. There was even talk about someone building a private, floating island in the middle of the lake. Paradise would be just a short boat trip away, and I wanted to experience everything I’d read about from the sundecks to the pools, to the cabanas, to the spa, and to the restaurants. I was going to pitch that I should cover that story when the island opened.

I dressed in jeans, a purple sweater, and my dark grey Chuck Taylors. When I got downstairs, there was a black MazdaSUV parked in the loading zone with Rhys leaning against it. As I walked to him, a smile graced each of our faces.

“Cupcake,” he greeted, taking a step away from the car.

I laughed. “Still calling me that after last night?”

“You’re telling me that you’ve only eaten one cupcake in your entire life?”

“No.” I snorted.

I stopped just before him, and he stepped forward, almost coming nose to nose with me. “Exactly. Now that I’ve had a taste, I’m not stopping at just one time.”

“Is that right?” I chuckled again although my belly dipped at the thought.

He stepped back and opened the passenger side door for me. I slid in. “Well, at least I hope I’ll have more. Cupcakes are fucking delicious.”

My face started to hurt from the wide smile I had spread across it. It was clear to me that Rhys had licked his fair share of icing offcupcakesbefore, and honestly, I wasn’t going to tell him he couldn’t.