by A. M. Kusi
Isa stepped back, out of his grasp. She was still a little dizzy, but she wasn’t sure if it was due to the concussion or because all her blood had drained to her most secret parts.
“Isa?” Ethan stood alongside her and took hold of her arm to steady her. His touch warmed her and sent tingles through her body, and she quickly pulled her hand away.
“What? No!” She didn’t look him in the eye, afraid he would see the truth. “What are you doing in my room again? You snore really loudly.”
Ethan rubbed his face with his hands. His muscular forearms flexed with the action. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Her eyes followed his well-defined pecs across his toned broad chest and washboard abs; it was like he was chiseled from marble. Her mouth watered, suddenly wanting to lick every inch of the man in front of her. A happy trail of dark hair led between a perfect V made visible by his low-hanging pajama pants. My God, this man is the most beautiful creature.
His warm hand reached out and touched her chin, closing her mouth. She had been caught drooling. Her eyes darted to his face. She was surprised when she didn’t see a smirk—rather, a very good rendition of the eye-fucking they had practiced at the diner. She was in trouble.
“I was worried about you last night. I didn’t want to leave you alone,” he explained, answering her earlier question.
Forget trouble; she was in danger. Warning signs flashed by her mind, while sirens blared. Danger! Danger!
“You slept on the floor?” she asked.
“I didn’t think you would be comfortable waking up in bed with me.” He ran his hand over his hair.
Sexy, kind, and a gentleman? Forget danger—the crime had already been committed. Call the paramedics.
“Oh, well . . . I have to pee,” she said, crossing her arms as she swallowed the emotion.
“Right. Well, I’ll leave you to it,” he said, picking up his makeshift bed and giving her a spectacular view of his tight ass and muscular back as he walked out.
An hour later, Isa was showered, changed, medicated, and hydrated. She felt like herself again. She’d had time to calm her body and rationalize her unique reaction to Ethan as nothing more than human weakness. It had been a while since she’d had a lover, and, God, that accent didn’t help. Having seen the body of the man who seemed to be etched from marble, she had reacted as any woman with a beating heart would.
Today, they would get payback and pretend they had fallen for each other. It was just pretend, so she would be okay. She could handle pretend. She just needed to repeat pretend to herself like a mantra.
There was a knock at her door. She opened it to find Harper standing there, shifting back and forth on her feet nervously.
“Hey,” she said timidly with tears glazing her eyes.
Isa opened her arms to her best friend. “Hey, mama.”
Harper walked into her hug and Isa squeezed her tightly.
“Ugh.” Harper made an exaggerated squished sound. “Not too tight or I might leak breast milk all over you.”
Isa released her instantly with a sour face. “Eww.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “It tastes sweet.”
“What the hell? You drank your own breastmilk?” Isa asked, shutting the door behind them.
“Mila loves it.”
“She’s a baby,” Isa protested.
“Jax is a fan.” Harper shrugged.
“If it involves your boobs, Jax is probably down for anything. He strikes me as a kinky kind of guy.” Isa smiled.
“Okay, I was just so curious. Someday, if you have a baby, you will be too. It’s human milk, for humans. Duh,” Harper said, like it made all the sense in the world.
“That’s a big if.”
“Why? I think you’d make a great mother when the time comes,” Harper said.
Isa sighed. “I wouldn’t want to do it without a partner to share the responsibilities and experiences with. Since that guy more than likely doesn’t exist, I’m choosing not to. Maybe in the future I’ll reevaluate things.”
Harper nodded and took a deep breath. “I’m really sorry about what happened, Isa. I already reamed Jax out. Their stupid antics went too far.”
“It’s okay. I know he didn’t mean to hurt me, or expect me to be in such a compromising position,” Isa said. “Besides, Ethan took great care of me.”
Harper smiled. “Oh yeah?”
Isa knew she had caught her, hook, line, and sinker. “Yes. I mean, I guess you might have been right about him. He is . . . well . . .”
“Well?” Harper asked, leaning towards Isa with anticipation and hope in those honey-brown eyes of hers.
“He’s growing on me. I think I’ll take a chance on him.”
“Yes! I knew it!” Harper threw her fist in the air in celebration. “When did you realize it?”
Isa ran through her memories, searching for a suitable answer. The moment she’d seen him with baby Mila; the way he’d watched over her at the hospital; the fire in his eyes at the diner; the way he’d carried her into her room and then slept on the floor to make sure she was okay. The protectiveness and strength he had shown her through it all. “I believe it was right after I woke at the hospital. All it took was a concussion for me to see that true love was staring me in the face.”
“You mock me.” Harper sighed.
“Because it’s so easy to do. All I can say is that I have agreed to see where this goes with him.”
“You mean . . . you mean you’re actually, like, with him?” Harper asked, excitedly.
“Yes.” Isa smiled, knowing that her and Ethan’s payback would be one for the history books.
“That seems a little quick for you. You were fighting it, and after last night, you’re all in?” Harper eyed her skeptically.
“A near-death experience can do wonders for your outlook on life,” Isa said, using her friend’s guilt against her.
Harper rolled her eyes. “I know you. What is the real reason? What made you change your mind?”
Isa bit her lip, thinking for a moment before she answered. “I know you trust him for me, and I do value your opinion. There are so few people in this world who I trust, and you are one of them.”
Harper smiled, so Isa continued, “He is really blunt, which makes me assume he is honest. It’s surprising and refreshing. He isn’t bad to look at either, so that helps.” She laughed, switching to a lighter topic. Isa thought that sticking as close to the truth would be the most convincing. She had done so well, not even she could tell the difference anymore.
“It probably helps he went all Hulk trying to protect you.” Harper gave her a knowing look.
Isa’s chest tightened. She wasn’t used to being protected. Controlled, yes, but not protected. “Maybe that had something to do with it.”
“Isa has a boyfriend! I never thought I would see the day,” Harper joked, eyes gleaming.
“Hey, now. I’ve had boyfriends,” Isa said defensively.
“Lovers are different than boyfriends. Your last boyfriend was . . . well, a douche,” Harper said.
Isa’s face fell at the memory of the man she had let close to her. The one she’d believed she could see a future with until finding out he had just used her all along.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that asshole up. You’ve got something great here now. I can’t wait to see you two together!” Harper nearly squealed. “Let’s go. Everyone else is in the kitchen. I made pasta for us all so that we could have a late lunch to celebrate your recovery and to say sorry.”
Isa took a deep breath as Harper opened the door and pulled her out of the room. The reminder of her ex was just what she needed to temper her down and remind her that this could never be more than pretend. Ethan was even more dangerous than her past lovers had been because she was actually beginning to like him as a person.
No
t falling for him was going to be harder than she’d thought.
Chapter 7
As Isa walked into the kitchen, Ella approached her first. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m alright. Just a dull headache,” Isa answered.
“I have some herbal stuff that might help,” Ella offered.
“I don’t think Isa needs any more surprises.” River chuckled.
Ella and River shared a look and Ella grinned. “I didn’t mean that.”
“It’s okay,” Isa said. “I just took a painkiller.”
Jax walked over to her next, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m really sorry. I swear I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”
Isa could hear the sincerity in his voice. “I know. I guess I’ll forgive you, but only because my best friend loves you so much and you make cute babies.”
They all laughed.
“Besides”—she smiled, finding Ethan’s gaze—“it worked out in my favor.”
“What do you mean?” Ella asked.
Ethan came to the kitchen island and put his arm around her. His hot lips placed a kiss to her cheek. Her face flushed as he looked at her adoringly.
Pretend. Pretend. Pretend.
“No kidding.” River chuckled.
“She just needed to have some sense knocked into her—literally,” Harper joked.
Ethan slowly lowered his hand to her hip, and she felt every movement as if it were enhanced a thousandfold.
“You’re not trying to pull one over on us, are you?” Jax asked.
Panic surged. If her friends didn’t believe them, their plan wouldn’t work. But even worse, it meant Ethan would stop touching her like this. He would stop gazing at her like he was now—like there was no one else he’d rather be looking at. Like she was the only thing that mattered.
Isa sucked in a quick inhale as his face bent towards her. Dizziness overtook her body as he closed the distance between them. Her ears rang from the rush of blood. His breath danced against her lips, and she shivered in anticipation. She knew what was coming next, and her traitorous body wanted it.
Ethan’s mouth brushed hers softly, and in that same moment, the warm tingling sensation rippled between them, igniting her body with fire and longing. His kiss awoke something sleeping inside her. This kiss was soft and sweet, their mouths still closed. She leaned into him, reaching her arm to his chest, looking for something to hold on to and pull him closer with. He pressed his lips firmly to hers, his strong hands at the base of her back. She wanted to give those hands the freedom to explore and strip off the remaining barriers between them before joining her body to his. Flesh to flesh. Hard to soft. Dark to light. The energy sizzled between them like the gusts of wind that warned you of an impending storm.
Ethan pulled back, meeting her gaze. Isa was panting and left wanting. She swallowed, trying to regain some semblance of control, remembering where they were. Nothing about that kiss had felt pretend. Something flickered in his eyes, and she wished more than anything that she could read his thoughts.
“Well, I think we have our answer,” Ella said.
All four of their friends were smiling at them with knowing looks, while baby Mila let out a happy gurgle.
Isa cleared her throat and tried to calm the threat of a storm raging within her by changing the subject. “Sorry I missed the morning activities. I’m ready to get started now.”
Ella spoke first. “We already got a lot done this morning. We have a few errands to run, but we figured you would need to take it easy for a while. Why don’t you and Ethan enjoy the rest of the week off from wedding stuff. We can handle it. There’s not much to do until right before the actual day now anyway.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Absolutely. Maggie gave me the keys to her studio in case you wanted to paint while you were here. Julia has everything you need set up.” Ella held out the key ring.
Isa felt a surge of excitement as she reached for it. “You bet I do.”
“I’ll drive you,” Ethan offered.
Isa was about to reject him until she remembered why he had offered. They had to seem like a happy couple who couldn’t get enough of each other. After that kiss, she wasn’t sure how untrue the statement really was. Ethan was a better actor than she’d thought.
“Sounds perfect,” she agreed.
***
Isa could feel Ethan’s gaze on her as they entered the brick building of Avery’s Art studio. Natural light shone through the several arched windows, illuminating the large room. It smelled like paint and clay. Ethan walked over to the solid built-in shelf across the room that held several pieces of pottery in various stages of completion.
Isa homed in on the acrylics and easel Ella’s friend Julia had set up for her. She unwrapped the large canvas, and stared at the blank white space as she contemplated what she would paint. She took a deep breath, centering herself and opening her mind to the possibilities. Ethan found a seat at one of many workstations spread around the room. His shorts rose enough to show off his toned muscular legs, and the bright blue T-shirt he wore contrasted beautifully with his dark skin.
“You can leave if you want. You don’t have to stay here,” she said, offering him an out. The truth was, she was finding it more difficult to focus with him around. They hadn’t even talked about their kiss. But did they need to? It was just pretend, right?
“I’m good here. I want to see the artist at work.” He smiled, leaning back and resting his elbows against the table.
Isa nodded and raised the palette before picking several different shades of blue. She grabbed a brush and zoomed in on the white surface, entering the zone in which she conceptualized while everything else slipped away. The swirl of the colors mixing and the swiping of the brush had her hypnotized in a trance of creation.
***
Ethan sat, giving her space. He could tell she’d been nervous in the car ride over here. That kiss had shaken his world. Who knew they would have so much sexual chemistry? If one sweet chaste kiss could have that much of an effect on his body, he could only imagine what experiencing all of her would be like.
She started mixing colors and swiping the canvas with more intention and pace.
How had she learned to do that?
Ethan wanted to ask her questions, but he didn’t dare interrupt her concentration.
He had seen the painting she had done in River’s place before he’d moved from Boston to Vermont. Different colors mixed and swirled together in a way he’d have never imagined would make sense. Something about that piece had been moving, like she had taken an emotion and captured it in fragmented colors that spilled out onto the canvas.
What feeling would she capture this time?
Several minutes passed as he waited, until she looked at him. Her cheeks reddened when her eyes met his. “Why are you staring at me?” she asked, directly.
“Just admiring the masterpiece.”
“You can’t see the painting from there, and believe me, it’s far from a masterpiece,” she scoffed.
“I wasn’t talking about the painting.” He smiled.
She met his eyes again, realization spreading throughout her features. “No one is around anymore. You don’t have to pretend in here.” She focused again on the painting.
If she only knew. Pursuing her was not at all what he’d planned but, the more he saw of Isa Grayson, the more he wanted. Each question he answered about her only added to his thirst for knowledge of all things Isa.
She was far from the spoiled, superficial rich girl he’d assumed she was at first. Harper’s words about her friend had given him the push he’d needed to put his judgements aside. If he’d had any doubts before, that kiss had blown them all out of the water. He sure as hell wanted to explore whatever this was between them. She wasn’t Ghanaian, but there wasn’t much he c
ould do about that. She didn’t believe in commitment, so where could this go anyways? But, maybe she just needed to be shown how good it could be within a monogamous relationship.
“Isa?”
She looked up. “Yeah?”
“Tell me about yourself.”
She took a visible deep breath, as if arguing with herself in her mind.
“Our friends might catch on if I don’t know anything about you after we spend all this time together,” he added.
“Right. That makes sense.” She nodded. “Well, you already know I like to paint and volunteer. I travel a lot. I’m supposed to go to Europe in a couple of months.”
“What do you like about traveling?” he asked.
“I love seeing the different cultures, museums, and famous places. It inspires me. I also love the fact that no one knows me. I can be whoever I want to be,” she finished, placing her paintbrush in her messy bun and picking another from the supplies before putting it to work.
“Why can’t you be that back in Boston?” he asked.
She blinked a few times. “I just can’t.”
“Why?” he pressed.
She let out an exasperated breath before saying, “You really don’t take the hint when someone doesn’t want to talk about something, do you?”
“I’m not good with polite conversation and bullshit answers.”
She met his gaze, seemingly taken aback for a moment before a small smile tilted her lips. “Okay. I’ll be an open book if you are.” She said it like it was a challenge.
“I am always willing to give an honest answer. Don’t ask me a question you don’t want my answer to. I say it like it is.”
“Which must make this pretend relationship awfully hard on you then.” She smiled coyly.
“Is that a question?” he asked.
“Just an observation. You say you’re honest, but your acting skills seem a little too good.”
Still, it wasn’t a question. He didn’t think she was ready for the truth yet—that he wasn’t viewing this as a temporary fantasy—so he waited.
