“Saying we’re friends is the fucking understatement of all time.”
“You know this sucks, right?” She sounded peeved, but the warmth of her hand and the way she softened under his touch told him there was a lot more going on.
“It does, it does,” he murmured. Time to lighten the mood. “But you know … from a dude’s perspective—this shit is priceless.”
The arched eyebrow and pursed lips almost got her pinned to the sofa. “Do tell.”
Ha! He predicted an arm slap or shoulder shove and some stifled laughter.
“Babe,” he answered in a practiced Gideon Shaw sexy drawl. “Guys don’t get all dewy-eyed over the details. By cutting out the dating dance and going straight to an engagement, I can focus on your seduction and fuck that other shit.”
Her shriek of outraged laughter made him smile, and he hit the daily double on his prediction earning two arm slaps, a shoulder shove, and a surprise tickle attack.
They laughed and rolled around on the sofa—Paige gave as good as she got until he took the advantage when she lost her balance and managed to roll her under him. With both of her wrists extended above her head in his grip and a thigh wedged high between her legs, she was helpless to his tickling as he reduced her to shuddering wails of pleading to stop.
In her struggle to buck him off, the dress had slid up to reveal not much in the way of undies. The playful moment vanished. He looked at her. She stilled and went wide-eyed with recognition of the provocative position they were in.
Time got wonky as the kidding turned to passion. How long did they stare at one another? Hard to tell when the only thing his mind could process was Paige pinned beneath him. Her heat was burning the thigh pressed to her mound.
“This is not fake. We are not cheating. None of this sucks.”
He used his free hand to massage her breast through the slinky fabric. She wasn’t wearing a bra. When his thumb rubbed a hardened nipple, he groaned. And that sound she made? Fuck, it cut right through him and went straight to his groin.
“Shit.” He kissed her because he had to. Her long, lithe body fit his perfectly, allowing him to drown in the allure of her unique femininity. In a nutshell, she turned his dick to stone.
Paige was the one to slow things down and thank god for that because he’d lost it way too fast.
“E-Edward,” she groaned. “Oh, oh. Stop. Please.”
Releasing her wrists, he dropped his forehead to hers and eased off. Catching his breath was no easy task.
She put her hands into his hair and held on. “I have something to tell you.”
It was weird how with just a few words, an explosion of fear, something he’d only ever felt when he was in Iraq, could completely wipe everything else out.
Was she going to blow his world up? That was what a rejection would feel like. His true feelings for Paige were a fuck-ton more powerful than he’d previously thought. He raised his head and searched her eyes.
“I, uh … well, what I mean to say is …”
Oh, pooh. Why was she stalling? Things were moving so fast that unless she interjected some very basic truth into the proceedings, she was afraid things might quickly careen out of control.
She’d never been a bullshitter and felt no need to play word games. ‘Straightforward or fuck off’ had been her tongue-in-cheek motto ever since she could remember. This was not the time to disregard her inner voice. The one that demanded she put it all out there. She’d see how he reacted and then maybe know what to do.
“I think …” She paused and frowned. “No, that’s not right. Um, actually, I’m sure that I’m kind of in love with you. Have been for a while, too.”
She figured he’d be shocked. Or skeptical. She briefly wondered if her admission would be like throwing ice water on their ardor. Mostly, she didn’t know what to expect. This was a relationship on the supersonic fast track. Her fingers on his scalp tensed.
Edward’s gaze softened, and he slowly smiled. The smile reached his eyes, and he looked at her as if she was a long-lost masterpiece, newly discovered. What would he say? She held her breath waiting for his reaction.
Surprising her, he sat up, scooping her with him so easily she was grateful for the assist. Grabbing the hem of her dress, she grappled with pulling it over her exposed thighs, crossing her legs in a ladylike way as much as possible.
He didn’t hide that he was quite thoroughly checking her out with this thrilling half-grin that did nothing to ease the ache of want she could no longer deny.
They were side by side on the sofa, turned toward each other, his knees touching hers. It was intimate yet oddly comforting, too.
“Paige Turner,” he murmured with a deep chuckle. “I knew you were going to fuck with my head from the first time we talked.”
What the hell did that mean? “Well, you started it,” she stammered.
Edward lowered his tone and answered as if he was doing a stern voice-over. “Yes, and you finished it.”
She watched mesmerized when his hand drew lazy circles on her crossed knee. Oops, had she just whimpered?
“Those 'kind of in love with you' feelings are returned.”
Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god.
He let his words sink in while doing some sexy mojo, panty-melting thing to her leg. This time, the whimper was real. So was his shit-eating grin.
Filled with a sort of electric jolt of pure, unequaled happiness, Paige arched an eyebrow at him and quipped, “How the hell did you end up with the upper hand in this? From where I’m sitting, buddy, you should be kissing my ass for putting up with your crap. Not distracting me with your sexiest man moves.”
He laughed loudly. Then, in one smooth move, he took one of her forearms and gave a short but meaningful tug that propelled her half across his legs. Her legs flailed about in a most unladylike way, and she ended up laying across his lap.
“If ass kissing is on the menu, I propose this position,” he snorted with amusement as his big hands framed her bottom.
“Edward!” she shrieked, frantically trying to back off his lap. “Don’t you dare.”
Wow. They’d always been physically playful with one another. Paige was never one to shy away from a challenge, especially one thrown down by a boy.
But this? This was new. And awfully exciting. The idea of some naked bed wrestling sounded moooost appealing.
One problem. He wasn’t just anybody. Getting intimate with Edward would change everything. For the only time in her life, she understood the fine line of emotion separating sex from making love.
“I won’t sleep with you,” she blurted clumsily before thinking it through. Damn. Really? She sounded like an outraged nun.
“S’cool with me.”
He. Was. Laughing.
At her.
“Babe. Relax. If all this was about was getting laid, you’d be butt-fucking naked, on your back, with those damn sexy legs wrapped around my neck.”
Heat shot into her neck and onto her face at his evocative words. As far as descriptions went, that was a good one. When she finally found the nerve to look him in the eye, he was openly smirking. “The part where I’d be hammer-fucking you into next month was implied, right?”
Instinct. That was what it was. Reflex. Her hand shot out, closed fisted, and walloped him on the bicep. Hard.
“Fuck you, Shaw.”
She bit her lip to stop from smiling, but the effort was useless. His booming laughter was infectious. Good time for a pivot.
“Don’t you have a beard contract or something like that for me, ‘cause there’s only so much of this nonsense I’m gonna put up with.”
Hot fucking damn but she was good. He suddenly understood why she was so effective in a negotiation. The lightning bolt admission of her feelings was a smart play. He respected that Paige wasn’t going to let this turn into a game and good for her. Showed him she was the woman he’d always assumed her to be.