Tempting Her Fake Fiance

by Julie Particka

  “I’m not.” Shrugging off the jacket, he held her close and pushed them toward where the shot girls were dancing. He laid the jacket over the edge of the stage and tossed his hat on top of it, garnering attention from one of the dancers. Before the reprimand left her lips, they dropped open and recognition lit her eyes. Perfect. He waved at the bottle and yelled, “Tequila.”

  The dancer rushed over to the mic and announced, “It’s body-shot time!”

  Gripping Stasia around the waist, he lifted her to sit on the stage. Her gaze darted around as cheers went up over the announcement, and her hands were all over the dress, yanking on the hem. “What are you doing?”

  “Keeping my promise.” When a bottle and tray passed overhead, he grinned. “What’s your favorite part of my body?” Stasia’s eyes went wide, and her gaze shifted to his groin for a second. Laughing, he tipped her chin up. “Waist or higher, babe.”

  Biting her lip, she rested her palm on his chest. He knew the spot well. It bore an imprint of her teeth from last night—just as her shoulder did his. “Works for me.” Without warning, he yanked his shirt off and waved for the salt shaker. “Lick.”

  Stasia bit her lip, but she leaned in and tentatively drew her tongue over the spot. “Now what?”

  He would have answered, but he already had a lime wedge stuck between his teeth. The waitress with the salt leaned over and shook some onto the dampness, nudging Stasia toward him again, and said, “Now, you lick again, but this is a show—so make it a good one.”

  A flush rose in her cheeks, but Stasia had clearly decided to do her best to embrace tonight. Careful of her dress, she stood on the stage, held out a hand, and said, “Up.”

  He hopped to his feet and let her draw him close, knowing without looking that people had their phones out. Then her mouth was on his skin, her tongue tracing patterns in the salt. When she drew back, her eyes were hooded with need.

  Screw the shots. He wanted to get that room right now.

  The waitress handed her a shot glass. “Well done. Now drink.” Stasia threw back the shot like she’d done this a thousand times. Only the trembling of her hands gave her away—and no one could see that other than Evan. “And…suck.”

  Stasia’s hand was behind his neck, pulling him toward her, and then her lips were on his, lingering for a second as she bit into the lime wedge, drawing the juice into her mouth. Cheers erupted from the crowd as people pressed toward the stage. Evan knew once he started this, it would keep going as long as there were willing bodies at hand. But he wanted his chance to publicly taste Stasia before they got off the stage.

  Hand on the small of her back, he leaned her against it until the deep V of her cleavage was on display before him. He buried his face between her breasts, swiping his tongue over her warm skin, wanting to lick every part of her but restraining himself to the few inches on display. Her hands were still on the skirt, aware of it regardless of how turned-on she seemed—and the way her nipples strained against the fabric, begging to be teased, said she was very turned-on.

  “Salt.” As soon as it was poured, he laved his tongue over her again, his cock straining against his zipper. Flashes on phones went off all around them, but the only thing he cared about was worshipping the creature before him.

  He needed her almost as much as he wanted her. Every taste of her only made him yearn for more. He couldn’t have her forever, but damn if he wasn’t going to do everything in his power to get her out of his system before the premiere. And that meant getting her the hell out of the bar and into a bed. Or a tub. Or anywhere they could have sex.

  Hungry in a way he didn’t quite understand, he drew her upright, slamming his shot before claiming the lime wedge, and then her mouth. Their tongues twined in a dance of want and need and meaning. There was no way he was wasting time getting back to the suite at the Palazzo. One more drink. That was all he could do. Then they were getting a room here before he exploded. They parted, both breathless, and he planted a soft kiss on the tip of Stasia’s nose. “One for the road…or, more accurately, the walk upstairs?”

  She nodded, her own desire obvious with her peaked nipples and flushed skin.

  The blonde leaned close as he passed over a fifty for the shots. “In case you’re interested in a third for the night, I get off in two hours.”

  Evan grinned, amused at the suggestion. “Thanks for the offer, but I plan on getting off long before then.”

  The waitress laughed as he hopped off the stage and helped Stasia down after him. He didn’t need a third. The woman in his arms was the only one he wanted.

  Fortunately, it didn’t take long to get a room. If it had, he would have grabbed the limo waiting outside and made love to Stasia while they drove the Strip for a couple hours instead. He was already kissing her against the hotel room door when it finally popped open. They stumbled inside, and he kicked it shut behind them.

  Stasia’s dress was over her head and on the floor in the space of a heartbeat, his shirt following immediately after. Then their lips were crushed together again, his hands tangled in her hair as she fought with the button of his jeans. When she popped it free, he braced a hand on the wall to steady himself as he kicked them off.

  Instead of the textured wallpaper, his fingers fell on smooth glass. Deserting the kiss for a second, he looked toward the clover-shaped spa surrounded by mirrors. The room wasn’t as big as their suite back at the Palazzo, but they also didn’t have one of these. “Oh, babe, this is going to be even better than the windows.” With a flick of his wrist, he twisted on the tap and let the tub start filling.

  Stasia threw her head back as his lips found that sensitive spot on her neck. “You know, there’s a bed, too.”

  “Believe me, we’ll be venturing onto the bed soon enough.” He deftly unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor. Trailing kisses down her abdomen, he eased her panties off and then let his tongue find her center. As soon as he’d shed his boxers, he took her hand and led her into the rapidly filling tub. “There’s something I want to show you in here.”

  A tiny snort of laughter escaped her. “That you can’t show me on the bed?”

  “Uh huh.” He eased her into the water, laying her back until the only thing left from her makeover were the highlights in her hair. Then he stood her up and turned her to face the mirrors. She immediately twisted her head away. “No, Stasia. I want you to look. Really look at yourself. The designer clothes and fancy makeup are gone—all that’s left is the most beautiful part.” Beneath his touch, she began trembling, and Evan kissed a line across her shoulder, hoping to drive some of her fears away. “Look, babe. See yourself like I do.”

  …

  Stasia could hardly breathe. She’d seen herself in the mirror often enough this shouldn’t have been such a challenge. Yet, she was terrified. The only thing keeping her from sinking into the tub was Evan’s strength.

  He kept kissing her until she closed her eyes and let herself stop worrying. She sagged into his embrace, reaching back to touch his legs even as he cupped her breasts.

  “Open your eyes, Stasia.” This time, she did it without thinking. There she was, no matter which direction she glanced. Evan squeezed her full breasts and droplets of water clung to her pert nipples. His hands glided down, swooping to her narrow waist before coming to rest on the swell of her hips. “You are gorgeous. No matter what anyone has made you believe in the past, you are absolutely stunning. Never forget it.”

  Biting her lip, Stasia nodded. With him, she felt beautiful. Maybe she’d be able to remember once this was all over. God, she hoped she would remember what this felt like.

  “Good.” He lifted her right leg and propped her foot against the tub ledge, eased around her, and sank to his knees. “Now that you aren’t afraid to watch, I’m going to worship your body the way it deserves.”

  “But you…” She’d felt his erection pressing against her since the bar, held the heat of it in her hand while he kissed her.

  “
Trust me, babe, I’m not going to let you neglect me, either.” Grinning up at her, he grabbed her ass in both hands and then yanked her toward him and buried his face between her legs. He sucked on her throbbing clit, and Stasia’s breath caught. She needed something to hold on to, something solid, but she couldn’t reach the walls. And they were still less secure than the man whose tongue was driving her to the brink of insanity.

  She raked her fingers into his hair, holding him tightly to her. The mirror stared back at her, the woman there not only lovely, but also strong and wild…powerful. Evan’s teeth grazed over her folds, and Stasia couldn’t hold back any longer. Clinging to him as his tongue delved deep into her center, she threw her head back and cried out his name, for once not caring if anyone heard her.

  Chapter Eight

  Stasia had always figured a walk of shame would be shameful. However, she felt nothing but happiness as she and Evan left New York, New York the next day. Even when they were assaulted by photographers waiting outside, she managed to laugh it off.

  For the first time in forever, she wasn’t worried what other people thought. Evan had reminded her what that could be like. And she didn’t care if he was using her to boost his career. She needed a boost, too, and he was definitely giving it to her.

  God, it felt good to have fun. They’d shared a shower when they got back to the suite at the Palazzo, but then Evan told her to put on something she didn’t mind getting grungy. “Where are we going?”

  He’d only flashed her that killer grin of his and said, “You’ll see, but if we don’t get going soon, we won’t have time to get cleaned up for dinner tonight.”

  None of the begging or prodding she tried got more of an answer out of him. The only clue came when they made it downstairs. He’d rented a convertible and drove them out to the desert with music blaring and the wind blowing in her hair. It was a kind of freedom she hadn’t expected to have this week. He’d even blasted through a light as it was turning red, trapping any photographers in the traffic—right below a billboard advertising the DVD release of Time Phantom Three. When he finally stopped, it was in front of a dune buggy and a man holding helmets. Stasia practically jumped out of the car. “If you keep this up, a girl might just fall in love with you.”

  The words were out before she could stop them, but then again, she didn’t care. He deserved to know how good he was making her feel. And she felt amazing—all because of a crazy man willing to stop his life to help her sort out hers. Evan was forcing her to rethink her definition of Hollywood hero.

  A picnic lunch, and three hours out in the middle of the desert, settled her into a nice state of life is awesome.

  Back at the hotel, she buzzed through getting ready for the official press dinner, not the least bit worried about dealing up close and personal with the rest of the reporters. Even facing Paul wouldn’t get her down, not tonight.

  Makeup done and wearing what her friend Trista always referred to as freshly fucked hair—full and slightly messy—Stasia stepped into the little black dress. Not as short as what she’d worn last night, this one still didn’t cover as much as she was used to. She twisted in front of the mirror, resisting the urge to find something to cover up a bit more. Then she remembered the mirrors the night before and couldn’t help but smile at the thought of what Evan’s face would look like when he saw her.

  As soon as she slipped on her new heels, she walked into the other room. His expression was even better than she’d imagined—jaw dropped open, eyes wide, as if he was already salivating over the things they’d do later. He slid the ridiculous ring on her finger—they’d agreed she would wear it to any official outings. “Damn, babe. You look amazing. I’m going to have to keep a tight hold on you.”

  “Sounds good to me, though, I think your belongs to Evan sign is pretty clear.” He laughed as she flashed the ring. The sound made her toes curl in the best way. She let him wrap an arm around her waist and didn’t stop smiling the whole drive to the Sugar Factory. When they made their way to the section reserved for the press party, her resolve faltered. There were two seats left at the table. Right next to Paul and Lissa.

  Evan brushed back her hair, tucking it behind her ear and whispered, “I see them. Want me in between as a buffer, or do you want to sit next to him so you can make it clear you’re not avoiding him?”

  Since there was no way to politely rearrange the seating, those were her only choices. By this point, anyone who hadn’t already known about her connection to Paul Travers was well aware, which meant politics were in play, too. Not to mention Evan was using their engagement as promotion as well. With everything he was doing for her, she wasn’t going to get in the way tonight. “Buffer. He’s supposed to be here to schmooze with you, anyway. I sit between you, it could look like I’m trying to block his access.”

  “You got it, babe.” Evan kissed her softly and then, with a hand pressed possessively to the small of her back, steered her toward the table, making a point of pulling out her chair.

  Before Evan could sit between them, Paul leaned across the open space and said, “You look different.”

  Different. Not great. Not beautiful. Just different. All the times he’d said she hadn’t been enough slammed back into her mind until the only thing Stasia wanted to do was crawl under the table. But Evan thought she was gorgeous, and she’d seen it for herself last night.

  It was just Paul trying to drag her down again. She wouldn’t let him. Not this time. Stasia gripped the edges of her chair and forced a smile that became much more natural as Evan settled between them and rested an arm across her shoulders. With him there, it became a lot easier to say, “I know. Turns out happiness looks good on me.”

  “Funny,” he muttered, turning back toward Lissa. “I thought it was the designer clothes and the gigantic rock you’re sporting.”

  She bristled, her fingers clutching the wood of her chair until her nails dug in—the diamond ring caught the light, flashing.

  Evan took it completely in stride, though. “Well, Paul, this is the sort of thing you do for a woman you love. Make sure she, and the rest of the world, sees exactly how beautiful and loved she is. Shame some people never figure that out.” Turning back to her, he gave her one of those heart-melting smiles. “Want to be that horribly cute couple that shares a drink?”

  Considering the Sugar Factory’s signature drinks came in fishbowls, she’d never finish one on her own. “Only if we’re doing the whole two-straw thing.” It was because of his words about beauty and love that Stasia noticed Lissa’s outfit. Once more, she’d eschewed the fitted dresses that showed off her model’s body in favor of a very conservative gray suit. It was the same trap Stasia’d fallen into herself. She almost felt sorry for the other woman.

  Evan chucked her under the chin, bringing her attention back to him, and kissed the tip of her nose, setting most of the women at the table into fits of sighs. “I bet we could even convince someone to take a picture.”

  At this angle, she caught Paul’s reaction—namely turning his back on their cutesy display. Good. Maybe he would ignore them the rest of the night. Then she’d be able to breathe.

  For the most part, he did exactly that, which allowed Stasia the opportunity to ease into conversation with some of the other members of the press, most of whom she’d never met. She didn’t have Paul’s desperate need to climb to a higher position in a bigger market. She made enough of a living for a moderately comfortable life, and that was all she required. It was nice to find other people who were more worried about the work than where it could take them.

  After checking out the Tiffany engagement ring, Courtney, a film critic from Chicago, propped her chin on her hands. “I think this whole thing is horribly romantic, but how are you supposed to review his films, or those of people who will eventually be your friends? It seems like a rather twisty conflict of interest there.”

  “It would be if I did reviews. I’m more interviews and pop-culture commentary, so this won�
�t hurt things at all.” There was a twinge of regret when she realized there would be no meeting of Evan’s friends. No introduction to his family. None of the things everyone was asking her about. She wanted those things, but they weren’t part of the deal. It didn’t seem fair, and it certainly wasn’t something she should be dwelling on. Then Evan’s hand was on her leg, squeezing and soothing away most of her worries.

  “Paul was just asking if we’d be interested in doing a special interview with him and Lissa for her show,” Evan said, catching her gaze.

  She couldn’t have looked away if she tried. She would have drowned in those pools of blue if given the chance, but she couldn’t, not right now.

  The moment was another reminder that they had more going on than an amazing week together. Her ex was on the hook; it was time to start reeling him in. “Sure. Do you know when would work best with the appearances you need to make this week?”

  She knew today had been his last day of freedom. He had things to do and places to be off and on until the premiere. Since Evan’s schedule was available to the press, Paul knew it, too. Before Evan could open his mouth, Paul said, “How about the day after tomorrow? I think you have a wide-open block in the afternoon.”

  Evan nodded. “Sounds good.”

  It did, but something about it sounded wrong as well. Patience had never been Paul’s strong suit. If he wanted something, he wanted it immediately. And Evan had a window tomorrow as well. Maybe it was Lissa who needed the extra time, but a thread of worry niggled its way into Stasia’s brain and wouldn’t let go.

  She spent the rest of dinner trying to ignore it and keep her smile in place. By the time they left, she was such a bundle of stress all she wanted to do was curl up and pass out. But several cast members had shown up early to spend some time in Vegas before the premiere. A last-minute welcome party meant she and Evan needed to head to a new nightclub called The Cavern, game faces in place.