Page 87 of Fake it for Keeps

And that was the problem. Last night he felt like my boyfriend.

I needed to re-establish boundaries. Needed to make it clear that last night was a mistake. We both needed to understand we had crossed lines we shouldn’t have crossed and it couldn’t happen again.

I cleared my throat. Colt turned, and the smile that spread across his face made me forget everything I just vowed to do. I didn’t want to go back. I liked the smiles. I liked the warmth in his eyes.

“Morning, sugar,” he said, his voice rough with sleep. “Coffee?”

“We need to talk,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Ominous.” He poured two cups anyway, putting sugar in mine the way I liked it without asking. How did he know that? “But okay. Talk.”

I took the coffee because I needed something to do with my hands, and the caffeine was definitely needed. I hated drinking champagne. It always left me feeling a little hungover. “Last night was⁠—”

“Incredible,” he finished, leaning against the counter. “Mind-blowing. Best sex of my life.”

My cheeks flamed. “Colt, come on.”

“What? You want me to lie?” His eyes danced with amusement. “Come on right back, Hallie. You were there. You know exactly how good it was.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is the point?”

“The point is we have a contract. An arrangement.” I gestured between us. “This complicates everything.”

He took a sip of his coffee, watching me over the rim. “Does it? Or does it make things simpler?”

“How could it possibly make things simpler?”

“Because now we don’t have to pretend.” He set down his cup and moved toward me. “Now we can just be honest about what we want.”

I backed up a step. “And what do you want?”

“You.” The word was simple. Easy. Direct. “I want you, Hallie. In my bed. In my life. In whatever way you’ll let me have you.”

My heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it. “This isn’t part of the deal.”

“Fuck the deal.” He kept advancing until my back hit the counter. “The way you said my name when I was buried inside you sure made it seem like you wanted it.”

The bold, crass words made my entire body flush with heat. I couldn’t look at him, couldn’t meet those knowing eyes.

“That’s—you can’t just—” I stammered.

“Can’t just what? Tell the truth?” His voice dropped lower. It was like he was caressing me with the tips of his fingers. A feather-light touch meant to tease. “A good fuck here and there is just a nice perk of our arrangement. And baby, last night was a very, very good fuck.”

“Colt!” I was scandalized and turned on in equal measure. I hated that he could see both on my face. I knew he saw it because that satisfied smirk spoke volumes.

“Relax. I’m clean. Tested regularly. You don’t have to worry about that.” He leaned in closer, not quite touching me but close enough that I could feel his body heat. “Are you on the pill or one of those implant things?”

It was such a private question. Usually, that kind of information was volunteered, not asked for. Not that I would really know what was usual. It wasn’t like I went around having random hookups with men. But I knew people that did.

“That’s none of your business,” I managed to say.

He arched a brow. “Baby, when you get me as hot as you do, it is my business. If that condom breaks, I need to know what the odds are.”

That seemed valid.

I sighed. “Yes, but that’s the least of my worries right now.”