“I can buy a dress in a day. So does next Saturday suit you?”
“Yeah.” He stretched his long legs out and leaned back in the bench, slipping his fingers in the tops of his pockets. “I can't believe I’m doing this,” he said watching Penny play.
“If you’d rather not—”
“No, it’ll work. I’ll see to it.”
Michelle nodded. “Me, too.”
Chapter Three
Michelle stared at Caroline’s house, butterflies kick boxing in her stomach. Nervous, she tried deep breathing, then stopped, afraid she’d hyperventilate. She could do this, she repeated, wondering if she was fooling herself.
Though lying had never been an easy skill of hers, surely she could convince her sister, and Brandon, that she and the man beside her were madly in love and couldn't wait to get married.
The man beside her.
She looked at him. Meeting his gaze, she was startled by the amusement in his eyes.
“I don't think this is funny,” she said.
“You look as if you're going to an execution. Relax. I thought you liked your sister.”
“I do. I love her. But what if she suspects this isn’t a normal marriage? If I can’t convince her, she’ll worry and that’s definitely not something I want happening.”
Josh shrugged. “I’ve worked undercover before. You imagine the part, then step in. Didn’t you ever do plays or something when in school?”
“No.” She'd been too shy.
“Well, it’s easy. Just go along with the role you’ve created.”
She nodded and took another deep breath.
“Of course, you understand props. We need props to make it work.”
Swinging her gaze at him again she shook her head. “What props?”
“This for one.”
Josh leaned over and kissed her soundly on her surprised mouth.
It wasn’t just a light brushing of lips but a full-blown kiss. Michelle’s eyes widened, then slowly drifted closed as her senses kicked in and became embroiled with the sensations that suddenly exploded inside.
Her heart raced, the butterflies forgotten as heat swept through her like the hottest Louisiana sunshine. When he pulled back, she slowly opened her eyes and stared at him in bemusement.
“Better,” he said, running his hands through her hair, mussing it up.
“Stop, what are you doing?”
“Setting the stage. You want your sister to believe we’re in love, right?”
Michelle thought she did, but with the blood pounding through her veins and the echo of thunder in her ears from his kiss, she was having trouble thinking at all!
“At least wait until there’s an audience,” Michelle said, opening the screeching passenger door.
Josh got out and swung around the front of his car to catch up with her quick walk up the walkway. He hadn't expected anything from that kiss—just to tease her into a better frame of mind. Now, he wondered what had hit him. And would it happen again if he kissed her a second time? He was glad Penny was staying with a neighbor. He wasn’t ready for her to see the two of them kissing.
Michelle rang the doorbell as Josh joined her on the wide wooden porch. Glancing around she looked everywhere but at him.
“Chill out, babe. It was only a kiss.”
At that her gaze snapped up at him. “Don’t call me babe!”
Josh smiled and leaned closer—so close Michelle could breathe his scent, that tangy spicy aftershave and the unique scent that was Josh’s alone—male and magical. She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the fluttering of her heart. This was make-believe—nothing more.
“Think of it as a term of affection.’’
“It brings to mind tight skirts and slinky women.”
“Ah, now that’s an interesting image.” His gaze ran down the length of her and Michelle was hard pressed not to turn around and storm back to the car. Maybe coming tonight had been a mistake. He wasn’t touching her, yet she felt every inch come alive. She wanted to push him away, rail against the unfairness of the situation—he was deliberately provoking her and she had no way to retaliate. Not now. Just you wait, she thought. Some place, some time when you least expect it—
“Maybe we should explore this a bit more—word association. If babe brings slinky women to mind, what do you think about when I say hot as honey?”
Michelle drew herself up and tightened her lips. “Will you behave? We’re here to make sure Caroline and Brandon believe we’re madly in love. Provoking me isn’t the way to prove that!”
“Prove what?” Caroline opened the door and looked from her sister’s angry gaze to the amusement dancing in the eyes of the man standing next to her. Slowly she smiled.
“You must be Josh,” she said, holding out a hand.
“And you’re Caroline.” He shook her hand and ushered Michelle into the cool house, his hand warm on her lower back.
Michelle forced a smile, kissing Caroline’s cheek. “Yes, this is Josh.”
“Annoyed, are you?” Caroline asked, her own smile wide and amused.
“He’s enough to drive a saint to do something crazy.”
“And I never even pretended to be a saint," Josh said.
“Come and meet my husband,” Caroline said, walking down the wide hallway toward a large room in the back. Windows covered one wall, bringing the lovely garden into the room.
Michelle wished she’d come up with some other way to have Caroline be assured about what she was doing. But now that they were here, she’d have to make the most of it.
Brandon turned to her after greeting Josh and kissed her lightly on the cheek. His eyes missed nothing, from her heightened color to the mussed hair Josh had tousled. He sought Caroline and they shared a look.
Michelle refused to be annoyed. At least she was over her stage fright.
Until Josh placed his arm across her shoulders and walked with her to the sofa. Sitting much too close, he settled right beside her. His leg pressed against hers, his arm encircled her shoulders. She felt surrounded, crowded. Aware.
Toying with her low pony tail, Josh calmly answered Brandon’s questions and Caroline’s gentle probing. But Michelle
