My Not So Fake Boyfriend

by Raquel Belle

  She nodded. “Of course, but it’s getting dark out. You’re hardly going to accomplish any of that tonight.”

  Scratching his chin, he laughed. “You have a point.” Staying with Jenna for even one more night could lead to something more, considering that he was still burning with desire for her. As he met her gaze, he became positive that something more was going to happen. She tried to hide the desire in her eyes by lowering her lashes, but the rosy tint of her cheeks was a dead giveaway. He knew what she was thinking, and he knew he couldn’t ignore his body’s reaction for much longer. He needed to get away.

  “I’m hungry,” he said. “Are you?”

  Jenna blinked. “We stopped for dinner less than two hours ago.”

  They had stopped not too long ago, and he’d eaten a huge meal. Of course, he wasn’t really hungry. It was the best excuse he could come up with on the spot to put some distance between them. “I feel like I want something else. What about you?”

  Jenna’s frown and the uncertainty clouding her eyes made him want to kick himself. “I’m fine. I’m going to get settled in.”

  Adam watched her walk away and disappear into her bedroom. With a long sigh, he lifted her bag and deposited it in front of her closed door. He stared at the door for a long while, as the battle raged in his mind. Knock on the door and talk to Jenna to remove the confused look in her eyes … or get the hell away from her before he did more damage. The latter seemed much easier so he took off.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jenna

  Jenna sat at her desk and stared broodingly out the window. It was way past five, and she was probably the only one left in the office. It had been that way for a couple of weeks—her staying at the office just to avoid going home. She told Adam he could stay at her place as long as he wanted, but he’d left anyway. Now her apartment felt empty and each time she walked through the door, she remembered him. She especially remembered the way he’d avoided her for days before finally moving out with a polite thank you for everything. Jenna scowled. Did everything encompass the hot sex? The hot sex that she desperately wanted more of.

  With a frustrated growl, she dropped her forehead to her desk. “I’m so horny!” How could Adam do that to her? Give her a taste of the most amazing sex she’d ever had and then leave her aching for more. She lifted her head and gasped when she saw one of the janitors standing in the doorway. The middle-aged man, with graying hair stared at her with wide eyes. He’d obviously heard her outburst. Jenna’s face felt like it caught fire.

  “Good evening, Mr. Gardener. How are you?” She knew all of the staff, remembered who was married, and who had how many kids. That was the type of person she was. Too fucking nice! And that was why Adam had friend-zoned her. It had to be.

  “Ms. Benson …,” he said. “I’m well. You?”

  “Great,” she said with false cheer. “How long have you been standing there?”

  The janitor’s lips pursed, as he tried to hide his smile. “Long enough. You take care now, Ms. Benson.” With a grin, he pushed his trolley down the hallway.

  Covering her face, Jenna moaned. Before her embarrassment could kill her, her phone rang.

  “Hey, Ash.”

  “Jenna, have you left the office yet?”

  “Nope, but I’m going to because the janitor thinks I’m a freak.”

  “What?”

  “Never mind. What’s up?” Ashley squealed and Jenna pulled the phone away from her ear to stare at it. Ashley never squealed.

  “You need to get home and change into something slutty.”

  “What?” Jenna frowned. “I’m sure you have a good explanation as to why I need to change into something slutty.”

  “For our date tonight! You and I are going on out first ever double date. Don’t act like you haven’t been wanting to go on a double date with your bestie.”

  Jenna snorted. “I haven’t.”

  “Well, we’re going on one tonight. I won’t take no for an answer because there’s a good reason for this double date.”

  With a patient sigh, Jenna said, “Pray tell.”

  “We’re going to make Adam jealous.”

  Jenna was sure her ears perked up in the same way her cat’s did when something caught her attention. She sat up straighter. “We are?”

  “Damn right we are. I’m tired of seeing you mope around, so I’m taking action. Get your ass home right now, workaholic, I’ll meet you there in an hour.”

  Ashley hung up before Jenna could protest. She had to admit, the thought of making Adam jealous was intriguing, and that was the only reason she jumped up, collected her belongings, and scurried out of the door.

  As promised, Ashley arrived at Jenna’s apartment wearing a huge grin. She was donned in her usual black leather, but this time it was a barely-there dress. Jenna looked her up and down with wide eyes. “When you said slutty, I didn’t think you meant that slutty. If you bend over too much, I’ll see your privates.”

  Ashley shouldered her way into Jenna’s apartment and gave her a once over. “Precisely. This is what slutty is, Jenna. Not that.” She waved a hand over Jenna’s form with a look of disgust.

  Jenna adjusted the collar of her floral print jumpsuit. “I’m showing just the right amount of cleavage.”

  “Such a prude,” Ashley said, grabbing Jenna by the wrist. “You’re changing. Now.”

  Biting her tongue, Jenna followed. She had a feeling she wouldn’t get away with leaving the house in her modest attire, but it was worth a try. “I feel ridiculous, you know.” She stepped out of her jumpsuit. “Making Adam jealous. Well, attempting to make him jealous because there’s a good chance that he couldn’t care less if I go out with someone else.”

  Pushing aside articles of clothing, her brows furrowed together in deep concentration. “He’ll feel some type of way, trust me. I saw the way he looked at you before you took off to your brother’s wedding together. He wanted you, and he still does. We’re just going to force him into that realization.”

  Dubiously, Jenna watched her friend sort through the many outfits that filled her closet, the outfits she hardly wore because she was always busy working. With a resigned sigh, she decided to quit murmuring and go along with Ashley’s plan. Even if going out on a spontaneous date didn’t shake Adam up, it was Friday night, and she really should enjoy life a little.

  “You’ve gone quiet, which means you’re doubting me, grasshopper.” Ashley glanced over her shoulder. “My plan is going to work. Trust me.” She spun around holding the dress Jenna had prayed she wouldn’t find. The red velvet dress with the plunging neckline and no back left little to the imagination. It had been purchased on a rare shopping spree months before where Ashley had dared her to buy it. Jenna had no problem buying the dress, wearing it, however, was a different story.

  “I am not wearing the hooker dress.”

  Ashley grinned wickedly. “You’re wearing the hooker dress.”

  They had a stare down, until Jenna huffed and snatched the dress. “Fine. I’ll wear the hooker dress this once. If your plan fails then I’m burning it.”

  “Deal.”

  Ignoring Ashley’s obvious smug satisfaction, Jenna got dressed. “So, how exactly is this supposed to work? Adam won’t even see me, and I’m not calling him.” She’d resisted calling him every day. She was proud of herself for not giving in, and hell if she would give in now.

  “You leave that to me. The night we met before you two left town, we exchanged numbers.”

  Whipping around, Jenna glowered at her friend. “You did? Why? Do you two communicate?” She didn’t want to admit that she’d felt insecure seeing Adam and Ashley’s easy interaction when they’d met, but there it was, and she suspected Ashley caught on if her smirk was anything to go by.

  A small sputter of laughter erupted. Ashley held up both palms. “Before you blow a fuse, keep in mind that I have a tattoo parlor, and the guy is obviously interested in tattoos.”

  “Oh, right.” F
lushing, Jenna turned away from Ashley to pull the pins from her hair. Along with her modest jumpsuit, she’d decided on a chic up-do to match. But the hooker dress called for her hair to be let down literally and figuratively.

  Ashley gazed at her in the mirror with a satisfied look. “Now this is more like it. Let’s party.”

  Stifling a groan, Jenna turned to her. “I hope the guys you found out of the blue are … decent.” Her mind began to conjure images of sociopaths and axe-murderers, and she shuddered.

  Throwing her head back, Ashley hollered. “First of all, I didn’t find them out of the blue. They’ve been coming to my shop for a while now. One of them saw your picture, you know the one I have on my counter of the two of us, and he said you were cute.”

  “Oh, cute. Not hot or smoking or sexy just cute. Awesome. I’ve been ‘just cute’ my entire life.” No wonder Adam had run in the opposite direction.

  “Oh, stop it.” Ashley waved her off. “You are smoking, especially in that dress. Anyway, the guy’s interest sparked an idea. Get you back in the dating game, and see if your hot sailor doesn’t come running back.”

  “This is the worst idea in the history of ideas.”

  “Worse than getting Adam to be your fake boyfriend?”

  Pursing her lips, Jenna nodded. “Okay, you win. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Adam

  Things were moving along faster than Adam had expected. Of course, he didn’t spend much time sleeping or doing much else, so finding a house and getting his foot in to a new job would happen fast. He had a little while longer to stay in a hotel before he moved into his new home. Finally, he would feel some semblance of normalcy. His life was falling into place, and he should be happy. So, why was he sprawled on a couch alone and scowling at his phone?

  He was irked that Jenna hadn’t called once in an entire week. He’d left her place two weeks before, and there had been occasional calls until they simply stopped, and he found that he missed their short conversations, polite though they were. He missed her. He decided that it was necessary for him to put distance between them as soon as possible rather than linger in her apartment until he found a place of his own. Sleeping with her once had already complicated things, and he didn’t want to make it worse.

  She was getting attached. He could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him. What really frightened him was the fact that he might have been getting attached, too. Adam flung an arm over his eyes and groaned, recalling his words the evening he’d packed up and left.

  Thanks for everything. It’ll be better if we just stay friends.

  “I’m such a moron.”

  The look of hurt, disbelief and disappointment on her face would haunt him for the rest of his life. He wished he could explain to her that he was only trying to protect her. She would get over whatever they had soon enough. She’d find some nice guy who could give her everything she wanted, and she’d be happy. Jenna was probably happy with another man. The thought made Adam frown and left his stomach unsettled. He willed away the ill feeling.

  Just when he decided to put Jenna out of his mind, his phone buzzed, and his heart jumped. He scrambled to pick it up and would have been embarrassed if anyone was around to witness his desperation. Disappointment pooled in his gut when he didn’t see Jenna’s name. It was a text from her friend, Ashley. Strange, since they hadn’t exchanged a word since the night they met.

  Curious, he opened the message.

  Hey, sailor. It’s Friday night. Come party with us.

  Adam snorted when another text came in. As if he was going to take Ashley up on her invitation, unless Jenna was with her. But, Jenna hated partying as much as he did. Before he sent his refusal, he checked the other message. They were pictures, images that nearly caused the phone to slip from his fingers. As he peered at the screen, he felt rage and a wave of jealousy roll though him. Jenna had her arms around some man who looked like an escaped convict, and they appeared to be dancing. The man had his hands placed dangerously low on her hips. And what was she wearing? The dress was missing quite a few yards of material. His fingers tightened around the phone so much that he thought it would shatter.

  He told himself he had no right to be jealous because he was the one who had walked away and insist they be friends. She was free to be with whomever she wanted.

  He sent Ashley a quick reply.

  Not my scene. Thanks though.

  Slamming the phone down as if it was his worst enemy, he snarled. If he showed up and saw Jenna with that man’s hands all over her, he would probably lose it and beat the man to a pulp just as he’d felt homicidal when he saw Bryce, the douche, with his hands on Jenna. Hissing expletives under his breath, he reached for the phone to switch it off to avoid receiving any more pictures. He didn’t want to smash his brand new phone into the wall. Reaching for his laptop he decided to check his emails. He was corresponding with someone about potential employment and felt it was time to make a decision.

  An hour ticked by, then two and Adam was still looking at the same email he’d opened hours ago.

  “Damn it!” Focusing on anything but Jenna out with another man was impossible. “To hell with it,” he growled and jumped up. He’d avoided it for two weeks, but it was time to pay Jenna a visit, and he didn’t care that it was almost midnight.

  It didn’t take long for him to reach her place, and he was beyond annoyed that she wasn’t home. Adam paced the hallway in front of Jenna’s door until he swore he’d worn a hole in the hardwood. Eventually, he stopped and leaned against the wall with a heavy sigh. His imagination ran wild with images of Jenna and the man he’d seen in the cursed picture in all sorts of compromising positions. Just when he thought he would go mad from his own thoughts, the sound of heels tapping on wood made him look up.

  His and Jenna’s eyes met, and she halted, her eyes widening. “Adam. What are you doing here?”

  “Waiting for you.”

  Tentatively, she approached her door and him, and he couldn’t stop himself from hungrily assessing her. The barely-there dress molded her curves and showed off too much cleavage and creamy thighs. Her heels accentuated her legs making them appear to go on forever. She looked incredible, like sex on legs … and that sent another wave of anger through him.

  “Have fun?” he asked.

  Jenna stopped, a frown marring the perfection of her face. Adam desperately wanted to reach out and touch her, to kiss her pout away. “Okay, obviously I’m missing something here. I can’t figure out why you’re here this time of night, scowling at me.”

  Suddenly, he felt stupid. What was he really doing there? Massaging the bridge of his nose, he let out a breath, searching for an explanation. “I was surprised to get Ashley’s invitation tonight. I have to admit I was disappointed it didn’t come from you.”

  Stunned, she stared at him speechless for a few seconds. “I wouldn’t make such an invitation knowing that you don’t like the club scene. Besides, I’m glad I wasn’t the one who invited you. You would have turned me down as well.”

  He shrugged. “I would have made an exception for you.”

  Jenna eyed him warily, as she dug into her purse for her key. “Well, I’m sorry. Next time.”

  His brows dipped. “Next time? As I recall, you don’t enjoy the club scene either.”

  “I had fun tonight, so I thought I’d do it again soon.”

  She avoided his gaze, as she tried to step around him to get to her door. Irritated, Adam shifted, blocking her path. “I suppose that man you were with had a lot to do with the fun you had?”

  Jenna threw her arms up and huffed. “Adam, what is this? What do you care about who I have fun with?”

  “That man looks like a criminal.”

  “You saw a picture. You don’t know him. Dragon is not a criminal.”

  “Dragon?” Adam stared at her in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  “That’s his biker name.”

  “D
o you even know his real name?”

  “I didn’t ask. I like Dragon. It has a ring to it.” Lifting her chin, Jenna stared down her nose at him in the way that never failed to turn him on. It was strange and incredible, the simple things about her, the simple things she did that excited him. “He was a perfect gentleman, and he rode very cautiously when he dropped me home on his motorcycle. He is not a criminal. He’s a part of a civilized biker group.”

  Adam’s fury was so ferocious he felt as if he’d burst a blood vessel. She rode on another man’s motorcycle? He pictured her draped all over Dragon with her breasts pressing into his back, and he almost lost it. He wanted to grab Jenna by the shoulders and shake her. At the same time, he wanted to throw her against the wall and kiss her senselessly until she agreed to never see Dragon again … or any other man for that matter. “A biker gang. They don’t exactly meet up to play bingo or knit blankets, Jenna. You’re not seeing him again.”

  Jenna studied him in silence as her anger built. Taking slow steps towards him, she all but snarled. “You know what, Adam, go home or wherever it is you’re staying. I’m not going to stand here and take any lectures or orders from you. I’m tired of you and my brother with your overprotective bullshit. I’m a grown woman, and I’ll do whatever the hell I want, and date who I want.

  “Jenna …”

  “Shut up, Adam. You had your chance. You must have realized that I wanted something more with you, and that’s why you ran.” She shrugged. “I don’t blame you. You were perfectly clear about where you stood with me, and I was foolish enough to hope for more, and I chased you off. I accept that. But, you had your chance, so, as just my friend, you have no say in anything I choose to do.”

  He was rendered speechless by her outburst. He’d never heard or seen Jenna so angry or hurt. He hated himself for causing her grief, but he hated himself more for his cowardice. All he had to do was admit that maybe he did want more, but he was just afraid of what would happen later, especially to her.