Page 88 of Lie For Me

‘I went to have a quiet conversation away from the blaring music, with Suzy—who is happily married, by the way—to talk about business, because I was after some advice. And we,’ Jack’s fingers tightened about her hand, ‘just talked. We weren’t pressed up against each other on the dance floor—’

‘We weren’t pressed up against each other,’ Lucy protested.

‘––making everyone wonder if you’re going to cheat on me.’

‘Don’t be so dramatic!’

‘And I might only be a fake boyfriend, Lucy,’ his mouth was against her ear, his lips moving against her skin, ‘but you brought me here, to do you a favour. So you’re stuck with me.’

Lucy wrestled free, spinning around to face him and trod on his foot.

‘Stop spinning me,’ she said. ‘I can’t think.’

Jack relented but didn’t let her go. He slipped her arms around his neck, just as they had been on the blonde man, and held her by her waist.

‘I didn’t think a better prospect came along,’ she said. ‘But we’re not really together, Jack. What do you care if I meet someone else?’

Her eyes were on his, searching. Jack felt her fingers slip up his neck and into his hair. He could feel the curve of her body pressing into his, the fullness of her breasts against his chest, her thighs pressed against his.

He dropped his mouth to her ear and murmured, ‘Oh, I don’t care. I just think you can’t have your cake and eat it.’

The music slowed, and Jack eased the furious pace of their dancing.

‘So you’re jealous?’ Lucy said, pulling back to look at him.

He couldn’t look at her. He was afraid she’d see that there was truth in her accusation.

‘No, not jealous.’ He pressed his cheek against hers. ‘I just think you need to be fair. If I can’t talk to anyone else—’

‘I didn’t say that!’ Lucy bit out.

‘––then neither can you.’

Jack glanced over Lucy’s shoulder and saw the blonde man watching them. Someone was talking to him, and the man nodded distractedly, his eyes still following Lucy.

Jack waltzed them into a crowd of dancers and out of sight.

‘Who was that man you were dancing with?’ he asked. ‘You seemed to be getting to know one another very well.’

‘So you are jealous?’ Lucy said, a gleam in her eyes and a smile on her lips.

Jack didn’t know if she was simply happy to be proven right or glad that he was jealous of her being with someone else.

‘What if I was?’ he threw back.

The smile drained off her face. Jack felt her soften and stumble in his arms. He tightened his arms around her, holding her to him. He could see the cogs whirring as she took in his words. She opened her mouth to speak, then swallowed.

‘Ha, right,’ she said, on a whisper.

‘What if I was?’ he insisted, his mouth now inches from her lips, his eyes boring into hers. ‘Would you care?’

Lucy didn’t reply. Her eyes flicked between his, as if searching for more information before she could reply. Then he felt her fingers curl into the hair at the nape of his neck.

He covered the last few inches of distance between them and kissed her. It was a hungry and possessive kiss, fuelled by things left unsaid. His hand raked up into her hair, holding her to him as his mouth explored hers. She met his intensity, her tongue seeking his, her teeth grazing his lips. After a few moments, Jack pulled back just enough to look at her. Her eyes were big and dark, her lips red and swollen from their kiss. He struggled to even out his breathing.

‘I do care,’ she said, on a ragged breath, ‘if you’re jealous.’

‘I didn’t like coming in here and seeing you with him,’ Jack said into her mouth, stroking her hair.

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