“No shit.”
“Um…how do you know them?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Long story. Ancient history.”
She nodded and he knew she was curious but didn’t ask anything more, thank god.
“‘Shelby Rose’?” she murmured.
He grinned. “I like it.”
She shook her head, smiling, but then as they stood in line waiting for hot dogs, she went onto her tiptoes and whispered, “Thank you so much.” Then she bit her lip, casting an anxious glance back at Andrew. “He looked kind of annoyed.”
“Yeah.” Jake’s voice came out flat. “He did. You were right, Shelby. He did not like seeing you with me.”
She lifted onto her toes again—wearing flip flops, she was so little, it was kinda cute how she had to stretch up—and kissed his jaw. He slid his arm around her again and pulled her up against him, bending his head to kiss her mouth. And he hoped like hell Andrew and Gianna were watching.
Chapter Four
Jake’s mouth brushed over hers, his lips warm and firm and whoa, heat washed down through her in a shocking rush. Even though she knew it was an act, and she hoped Andrew was watching, having Jake’s arm around her and his mouth on hers felt really, really good. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest, nerves stretched tight at the importance of convincing Andrew she and Jake were a couple, but also with the sexual tension buzzing between them. Dammit.
Jake released her with a sexy smile and she blinked and tried to focus.
She’d been prepared for Andrew to be annoyed, but man, the black look on his face had almost scared her. Was he that pissed off about her seeing someone else? If so, this was worse than she’d thought.
And with his wife standing right there beside him! Though Gianna’d looked a little gobsmacked, too. Shelby couldn’t figure that out, but didn’t have time to pause and think about it much as she tried to maintain the act between her and Jake.
They moved forward in the line, filled their plates with hotdogs, salads and potato chips, accepted plastic cups of beer from the makeshift bar set up, and found a place to sit at one of the wooden picnic tables, sitting across from one another.
Shelby studied Jake as he lifted his hotdog to his mouth. He’d looked so disturbed. Was it because Andrew had been so annoyed? Something soft and warm unfurled inside her. He actually cared about her. Even though they didn’t know each other, he was glad he’d helped her, she could tell.
She looked down at her plate momentarily, feeling strangely emotional. This whole situation was stressful. Her coworkers, while not openly hostile toward her, weren’t exactly friendly. She had to force herself to act all cheerful and friendly, while her insides were tight and knotted. Added to that, the stress of introducing Andrew to Jake, anticipating how displeased her boss was going to be, and she was strung as taut as the finish line at the kids’ races. Jake’s support in a world where she felt out of place and unwelcome made her go all mushy and warm inside.
She sucked briefly on her bottom lip, then took a fast breath, blew it out and straightened her shoulders. She lifted her head and smiled at Jake.
“So, Shelby, is this your boyfriend?” Susan, Andrew’s secretary, sat down beside her.
Shelby smiled at Susan, a bit surprised but grateful for her new friendliness. “Yes. Susan, this is Jake Magill. Jake, Susan.” Susan introduced her husband, Steve.
“I didn’t know you were seeing someone,” Susan said, and Shelby knew exactly what she was thinking. She was thinking about Shelby’s long coffee breaks and closed door meetings with Andrew. “How long have you two been going out?”
Good thing they’d gotten together and covered this last night. They managed to answer Susan’s questions and chat with the other couple. Another couple joined them and even though the conversation became shop talk, Jake was able to participate with his technology background. In fact, he charmed the other people so much, they seemed to be relaxing and warming to her too. Shelby had to shake her head. Man, if this was what it took to get her coworkers to like her…well, it’s not like she could’ve come up with a fake date before this, but her gratitude toward Jake continued to grow. Dammit again.
After they ate, they mingled with other coworkers. These were good people, a lot of people she liked and respected, one of the reasons she enjoyed working at Gold Shield. She just wanted to fit in with them and not be the subject of icky gossip.
She and Jake schmoozed with some of the higher-ups from the company in a relaxed social atmosphere, watched the band that played, danced in the grass as the sun set and the crowd grew smaller. Families with small children left, leaving only the adults, and eventually the sky darkened, stars twinkling above, and the music grew slower and sultrier, accompanied by hushed waves washing onto the beach not far away. Jake had done his duty and they could leave, but still they danced in the warm summer evening.
Andrew and Gianna danced together too, several couples away from them, Shelby fully aware of the glances the two of them kept shooting at her and Jake. So she linked her arms around Jake’s neck and pressed her body against him. A few beers had mellowed her, and hell, his body felt so damn good against hers. Those troublesome sexual urges that so often got her into trouble were rising up inside her, making her pelvis feel full and achy, making her breasts need to press into his chest.
“You’re just a little thing, aren’t you?” Jake set his hands on her hips as they moved to the music and smiled his sexy smile down at her, his dark eyes heavy-lidded and sensual. They were both putting on a good act, but Shelby knew she was kidding herself. This was no act. She was so attracted to Jake. More than attracted. His charming personality, the easy way he talked to her coworkers, just the way he’d stepped in to help her and how he’d been so convincing in his role as her boyfriend drew her to him.
She could pretend this was all just an act. Yeah. When the evening ended and they parted, Jake’s favor over and done with, she’d be fine. But right now, pretending was so much fun.
“I hope Andrew doesn’t give you a hard time at work next week,” Jake murmured, a small crease between his thick, straight eyebrows.
“I’m hoping he’ll just leave me alone. I mean, I still need to work with him. Well, you know what I mean.”
“I know what you mean, Shelby Rose.”
The way he called her that made her go all soft inside. They shared a slow smile, gazes fastened on each other as they danced.
They drank another beer, chatted a bit more, danced again. As the evening grew cooler, Shelby slipped on a hoodie she’d brought. She almost forgot to be aware of where Andrew was, and whether he was watching them. As the crowd dwindled, she looked at Jake with regret.
“We could leave now,” she said softly. “I think our mission is accomplished.”
“Yeah. Okay.” He nodded and set down the cola he’d requested instead of beer last time. “I’ll drive you back to your car.”
“Oh. Yeah.” She hesitated. “You know, that wasn’t very smart of me, but I think I’ve had too much to drink.” She bit her bottom lip as she met his eyes. “I completely forgot I had to drive.”
“That’s okay. I’ll just drive you home then. Will you be able to get your car tomorrow?”
Things were pleasantly blurry as they walked hand in hand toward the parking lot. “Yeah, I’ll get it somehow. But thanks for driving me home. Geez, I feel so stupid.”
“You are far from stupid, Shelby Rose.”
“I like how you call me that,” she confessed. He opened the passenger door of his Audi SUV, and she paused. “Man, this is a high vehicle.”