Page 65 of Faking I Do
He pulled back slowly then climbed on the bed beside me. “Come here.” With long, gentle strokes his fingers smoothed the hair back from my temple.
The tension in my head eased a bit. Bodie continued to stroke my hair, his chest pressed against my back. Maybe it was the calming scent of what had to be freshly washed sheets. Or it could have been the warmth I felt with his front pushed against my back. Whatever it was, it eased my headache from debilitating to slightly less so.
I waited until my pill took effect then closed my eyes. Taking a short rest before I tried to head home would be the smart thing to do.
I woke to the thump-thump-thump of a heartbeat against my ear. It was impossible to see in the inky darkness. I remembered Bodie, arguing in front of the reporter from the Texas Times and then a monster headache coming on.
Propping myself up on an elbow, I squinted at the clock on the nightstand. Four thirty in the morning? My dad had probably been worried sick about me. I tried to get up but something pinned me in place. One of Bodie’s arms clamped around my middle. Just like the other night. For a moment I wanted to lie still, linger in his arms, and pretend we were just a guy and a gal, not the warring deputy sheriff and mayor, both trying to protect and save something we loved that happened to be in direct conflict with each other. Wriggling, I tried to free myself.
“Hey.” His breath brushed against my cheek. Sleepiness edged his voice, making it sound gravelly, even borderline sexy. “You feel any better?”
“Yeah, I should go. Dad’s probably wondering where I am.”
Bodie’s arm tightened. “I called him last night. Told him you had a migraine and were going to stay here.”
“You did what?” I tried to flip around to face him. He loosened his grip a little and I rolled over.
His hand skimmed up and down my back. “Didn’t want him to worry.”
“I need to get home.”
“Why?” His question gnawed at my resistance. “Alarm’s set for six thirty. Just go back to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep with you.” I spoke into the soft cotton of his T-shirt.
His chest rose and fell as he let out a soft laugh. “Too late for that. Besides, aren’t we engaged now?”
Heat slapped my cheeks. Engaged. That’s right. If I wanted to hang on to the promo opportunity, Bodie and I would need to pretend to be engaged. With his arms enveloping me, the sound of his heart against mine, and his intoxicating scent surrounding me, I wished with all my might I’d picked someone else to befake engaged to. But my options were limited. No one else had as much to gain or lose by keeping up the charade.
“You know I wouldn’t have done that if I thought I’d had a choice.” His shirt muffled my words. At least he had one on. For a brief moment I let myself remember what it felt like to be cradled against his bare chest the other day. The heat moved from my cheeks, down my neck, across my breastbone, then lower, uncomfortably lower.
“So here we are.” He reached up, running a finger down my cheek. “How are we supposed to play this now, Mayor?”
“I don’t know. Adeline’s wedding was scheduled for mid-May. That means we only have to pretend to be engaged for a couple of months.”
“Surely you’ll be able to put up with me for that long.”
As his hand ran over the contour of my hip, I doubted my resolve. I couldn’t let myself get involved with Bodie. Not now. Not when I knew for certain he’d been hiding things from me.
“You know, I’m going to run home.” I rolled away from the indentation he’d caused in the mattress and let my feet hit the floor.
“You sure?” His fingers wrapped around my arm. “How’s your head?”
“It’s fine. Thanks for taking care of things last night.” My heart swelled as I remembered what it felt like to get swooped up in his arms. He might have been thrown off by the fake engagement but the concern and gentleness he’d shown had been real, I was sure of it.
“So I’ll see you around?” he asked. “Have you given any thought to how we’re going to break the news of our engagement to everyone?”
No, of course I hadn’t. It had been an impulsive reaction to feeling all of my hopes and dreams for Ido slipping away. “I’ll figure it out.”
He let go of my arm. My breath returned to normal.
“Let me know when you do. I want to make sure I play a convincing role.” There it was, the tiny bit of bitterness I’d been expecting.
“It’s not like you left me much of a choice.” Even in the dark I could sense his glare, the weight of his disapproval heavy enough to sit like a boulder on my shoulders.
He let out a frustrated breath. “I told you, I don’t want to say anything about the import stuff until I figure out what’s going on.”
“I get it, really I do. But the deal with Swynton and your offer from Buck . . . it’s too much. I don’t know which side you’re on anymore, Bodie.”
