overhearing. They were seated at a table on the patio.
He ordered a Dos Equis. Gabby ordered a Diet Coke.
Today her skirt was white, long and flowing, and so damn sexy. Her shirt matched her eyes and hugged her curves perfectly. Her hair was windblown from the drive, giving her a bit of a sexy, rumpled look. He wanted to fist his hands in it and kiss her senseless.
“So let’s talk,” he said instead.
Gabby frowned, resting her elbows on the metal table between them. “I’ll do it,” she said.
“Do what?”
“Hang out with you so your grandma can think we’re together.” She was avoiding his gaze, and that pissed him off.
“And so that Brad can think we’re together?”
“It might help him decide to leave town sooner.”
“Getting his ass fired might help, too.” Ethan’s fingers tightened around his beer.
Gabby’s eyes rounded. “You’re going to fire him? Why?”
“I didn’t hire him so I can’t fire him, but I can make sure he doesn’t set foot on my property again. What can I say? The guy really rubbed me the wrong way. So how is this thing between us going to work?”
Gabby straightened in her seat. “I meant what I said before about not dating—”
Their waitress interrupted then. Gabby ordered enchiladas suizas with extra sour cream. Ethan got the burrito special. He’d halfway expected her to order a salad and liked that she hadn’t. He hated when women didn’t order what they really wanted, thinking it would impress him if they were dainty or some such shit.
She looked at him across the table. “So it will just be for show.”
He nodded. “Just for show.”
“We’ll hang out and spend time together with Dixie, but that’s it. Behind closed doors, we keep our hands to ourselves.”
He leaned back in his seat and took a long pull from his beer. “If that’s what you want. But I don’t think I’m the only one who enjoyed that kiss earlier.”
“I think it would be best if there was no more kissing.”
“Afraid you can’t control yourself?”
She sucked in a breath. “Hardly.”
He leaned forward, pinning her in his gaze. “Come on now, admit it. You want me just as bad as I want you.”
Her eyes darted to the side. “Fine. You’re not hard to look at. I’m sure you could have your pick of ladies in town.”
“I’d pick you.”
Her gaze flicked to his and held. “Well, that’s good because I have another rule for us. No kissing or sleeping with anyone else while we’re doing this. It might be just pretend, but I won’t be made a fool of either.”
“I would never make a fool of you, Gabby.” He gazed into the honeyed depths of her eyes.
“Just so we’re clear, you and I are not sleeping together either. So you’re agreeing to no sex for as long as this lasts.”
No sex. That well and truly sucked. “Okay.”
“And this…attraction, it won’t be a problem for you?” She closed her lips over the straw of her soda and sucked. He watched her swallow and felt himself go hard.
Oh, it was a problem all right. “I can control myself if you can.”
Her cheeks flushed a warm pink. “It won’t be a problem for me.”
“Well then, I guess we have a deal.”
* * *
Gabby forked another bite of enchilada into her mouth and tried not to stare at Ethan. Her pretend boyfriend. How in the world had she let that happen?
“So if we’re going to pull this off, we need to get to know each other,” she said.
“Okay.” He met her gaze across the table. “So tell me about your family. Brothers? Sisters?”
“I have an older brother, John. He’s an investment broker in Atlanta.”
“And your parents?”
“They live in Charlotte. My mom’s a doctor, and my dad is also an investment broker.”
“Are you close?”
She lifted a shoulder halfheartedly. “We get along okay. We don’t always see eye to eye, but they’re good parents.”
“And how long ago did you break up with Brad?”
“Last fall, so it’s been almost a year
He ordered a Dos Equis. Gabby ordered a Diet Coke.
Today her skirt was white, long and flowing, and so damn sexy. Her shirt matched her eyes and hugged her curves perfectly. Her hair was windblown from the drive, giving her a bit of a sexy, rumpled look. He wanted to fist his hands in it and kiss her senseless.
“So let’s talk,” he said instead.
Gabby frowned, resting her elbows on the metal table between them. “I’ll do it,” she said.
“Do what?”
“Hang out with you so your grandma can think we’re together.” She was avoiding his gaze, and that pissed him off.
“And so that Brad can think we’re together?”
“It might help him decide to leave town sooner.”
“Getting his ass fired might help, too.” Ethan’s fingers tightened around his beer.
Gabby’s eyes rounded. “You’re going to fire him? Why?”
“I didn’t hire him so I can’t fire him, but I can make sure he doesn’t set foot on my property again. What can I say? The guy really rubbed me the wrong way. So how is this thing between us going to work?”
Gabby straightened in her seat. “I meant what I said before about not dating—”
Their waitress interrupted then. Gabby ordered enchiladas suizas with extra sour cream. Ethan got the burrito special. He’d halfway expected her to order a salad and liked that she hadn’t. He hated when women didn’t order what they really wanted, thinking it would impress him if they were dainty or some such shit.
She looked at him across the table. “So it will just be for show.”
He nodded. “Just for show.”
“We’ll hang out and spend time together with Dixie, but that’s it. Behind closed doors, we keep our hands to ourselves.”
He leaned back in his seat and took a long pull from his beer. “If that’s what you want. But I don’t think I’m the only one who enjoyed that kiss earlier.”
“I think it would be best if there was no more kissing.”
“Afraid you can’t control yourself?”
She sucked in a breath. “Hardly.”
He leaned forward, pinning her in his gaze. “Come on now, admit it. You want me just as bad as I want you.”
Her eyes darted to the side. “Fine. You’re not hard to look at. I’m sure you could have your pick of ladies in town.”
“I’d pick you.”
Her gaze flicked to his and held. “Well, that’s good because I have another rule for us. No kissing or sleeping with anyone else while we’re doing this. It might be just pretend, but I won’t be made a fool of either.”
“I would never make a fool of you, Gabby.” He gazed into the honeyed depths of her eyes.
“Just so we’re clear, you and I are not sleeping together either. So you’re agreeing to no sex for as long as this lasts.”
No sex. That well and truly sucked. “Okay.”
“And this…attraction, it won’t be a problem for you?” She closed her lips over the straw of her soda and sucked. He watched her swallow and felt himself go hard.
Oh, it was a problem all right. “I can control myself if you can.”
Her cheeks flushed a warm pink. “It won’t be a problem for me.”
“Well then, I guess we have a deal.”
* * *
Gabby forked another bite of enchilada into her mouth and tried not to stare at Ethan. Her pretend boyfriend. How in the world had she let that happen?
“So if we’re going to pull this off, we need to get to know each other,” she said.
“Okay.” He met her gaze across the table. “So tell me about your family. Brothers? Sisters?”
“I have an older brother, John. He’s an investment broker in Atlanta.”
“And your parents?”
“They live in Charlotte. My mom’s a doctor, and my dad is also an investment broker.”
“Are you close?”
She lifted a shoulder halfheartedly. “We get along okay. We don’t always see eye to eye, but they’re good parents.”
“And how long ago did you break up with Brad?”
“Last fall, so it’s been almost a year
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