Page 8 of Just One Fake Date

No strings attached.

It was crazy.

It was impulsive.

But once she had the idea, she couldn’t ignore it.

Shannyn was going to tickle the dragon’s belly and she knew she had to look like she didn’t care if he breathed fire. “We could make a deal,” she said, carefully putting her camera away. She used the time to consider changing her mind, but couldn’t think of a single good reason to do so. When she looked up, Tyler was motionless, his eyes bright with interest. Shannyn took a step, closing the distance between them, then gave his tie a playful tug. She dared to look up and meet his gaze. Pure fire. “Because I’ve always wondered what I was missing.”

“How so?” Tyler’s voice turned silky, and he was a thousand times more intense than he’d been before.

“One hundred and ninety-eight women in that class, and I was the only one neither of you hit on.”

He was visibly surprised. “Not Kyle?”

“Not Kyle. Not you. Did I look like I had a communicable disease or something?”

He frowned and shook his head. “No. You were serious.”

“That’s a crime?”

“You were looking for more than a hook-up,” Tyler explained, pushing a hand through his hair. “You wanted to fall in love. I could see that. I could hear it when you read the poetry aloud in class. I respected that, but I wasn’t on the same proverbial page. I was ambitious.”

“Somehow I doubt you got over that.”

“I haven’t.” He shook his head and smiled just a little, the sight making her heart squeeze tight. His eyes twinkled as his voice softened, as if they were exchanging confidences. “But if some asshole was going to break your heart, it wasn’t going to be me.”

It was a nice thought, a protective impulse, either a hint that she had called it wrong or an attempt to say what she most wanted to hear.

Shannyn didn’t care.

Because either way, it was the perfect opening.

She reached up to trace the line of Tyler’s mouth with her fingertip, surrendering to that ancient temptation. It felt just as good as she’d expected. Tyler’s lips were firm and warm, and his gaze sizzled. He didn’t move but she could feel the tension emanating from him, and was awed by his patience and control.

She wanted to shatter his facade and let him loose.

She wanted him to want her so badly that he took her hard and fast, against a wall or on this desk.

She suspected that all she had to do was ask.

Shannyn stretched up, almost touching her lips to his ear. She closed her eyes, smelling soap and clean, sexy man along with that delicious cologne. “I’ll trade you,” she whispered, then brushed her lips across his ear lobe. She felt Tyler shiver and that made her feel powerful. She saw his eyes narrow when he pulled back slightly to look at her.

He was so close. “Trade what?” he murmured.

“Sex, right now, in exchange for one wedding date, at a specified future date.”

There. She’d said it.

“Are you kidding me?”

“I wouldn’t.”

His gaze was searching. “I don’t think people change very much, Shannyn. I still can’t give you what you want.”

Her reservations melted a little more that he would be protective of her—even though this was just about sensation. “I could argue that. I think you could give me exactly what I want.” She ran a hand across his chest and felt him catch his breath. His dress shirt was crisp and smooth, and he wore a tight white undershirt beneath it. Under that was all rock hard chest. She flattened her hand and ran it across him. “Because I’ve changed. I’m all about living in the moment now.”

“Why?” Tyler looked as if she was a riddle he wanted to solve.

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