“See you at six.”

He steps forward, forcing me to step back. “What are you wearing?”

“Clothes.”

“Shame.”

I do love it when he’s naughty.

I turn to my door. “Goodbye, Henley.”

“See you at six.”

“Holy fuck,” Chloe whispers as she looks at my reflection over FaceTime. “This poor bastard doesn’t stand a chance tonight.”

I giggle. “That is the plan.”

Knock, knock sounds at the door. “I’ve got to go—he’s here.”

“Text me updates. Love you.”

“Bye.” I take one last look at myself: deep-red corset, plunging neckline, and a flowing skirt. I smile, happy with what I see. This dress was worth every penny.

I open the door in a rush, and there he stands. His messy dark hair and black dinner suit, and a smile that could blow up the world.

“Hi,” he breathes. He steps forward, taking me into his arms.

“Hi.” One touch and my hormones are in overdrive.

His eyes drop down my body and then darken. “You look fucking delicious.”

I smile up at him as the air crackles between us. Without saying a word, he takes my face in his hands and kisses me. A gentle brush of his lips, a little tongue, and a whole load of promise.

Dear god.

Chapter 11

Henley

Just a taste . . .

“Henley.” Juliet pushes me back. “What the hell are you doing?”

Pulled out of my momentary dick fog, I look up at her. What am I doing?

Fuck.

She takes a step back as she pulls out of our kiss.

That was a brain snap and a half. “Well, you shouldn’t look so gorgeous. I am only human, Juliet. There’s only so much a man can take.”

She smiles up at me, and I feel it all the way to the tip of my dick. Unable to help it, I take her in my arms. “We should practice kissing some more.”

She smirks. “Should we?”

My lips dust hers, and a tidal wave of desire rips through my very core. We kiss again, and my eyes close as I pull her closer. What is it about this woman?

Every touch is magnified.

We kiss again and again, and I step forward, pinning her to the counter.

Thump, thump, thump throbs my cock.

I want more.

“That’s enough.” She breaks the kiss and pulls out of my arms.

“What? We haven’t even started yet.”

“This is a fake date, Henley; we don’t need to practice kissing in private. I think we both know that we already have it perfected.”

I stare at her. With no blood left for it, my brain is having a hard time functioning. “Right.”

Get it together.

I drag my hands through my hair. My eyes drop down her luscious body in that red dress. And I swear, I’m two seconds away from blowing.

Which is not in the plan.

“We should get going,” I tell her.

“Okay.”

My eyes drop to her lips, and I imagine them around my cock. I feel myself harden to an almost painful level.

In slow motion she licks them, and I clench as if I feel it. My eyes rise to meet hers.

“Everything all right?” she whispers. She runs her hands over her breasts and down to sit on her waist. She gives a playful wiggle of her hips. “Henley?”

Is she playing with me?

“I’m fine,” I reply sharply. “We should get going.”

“Okay.”

I open the door, and she sashays past me; I follow her down the corridor with my eyes on her ass.

I imagine bending her over and giving it to her from behind. I wouldn’t need any practice for that one. I know what to do.

We get into the elevator, and she takes my hand in hers. “I’m looking forward to tonight.” She smiles casually.

“Me too,” I lie. I have no interest in the event tonight. We are only going so that I have a legitimate reason to touch her.

“Our second fake date.” She smiles up at me.

I smirk, and then in slow motion she lifts my hand to her lips and kisses the back of it tenderly.

Uneasiness falls over me.

Don’t do that.

“I’m eating all the dessert tonight.” She smiles casually. “I wonder what the main course will be.” She kisses my hand again, completely distracted. “I’m hoping we can order whatever we want. I’m craving carbs.”

I stare at her as the walls close in around me. This feels very real-date-like.

The way she looks. The way I feel.

“You should stick to protein,” I mutter.

She giggles and nudges me with her shoulder. I nudge her back. She nudges me again.

“Juliet, don’t push your luck, or you will find yourself being fucked in the foyer of this hotel.”

She giggles. “You wish.”

I do, actually.

I clear my throat, annoyed by my body’s reaction to her. “A date is a date, and all date entitlements should be made readily available.”

“What?” She laughs. “So you think because we are on a fake date that we could actually have sex tonight?”

“Who knows.”

“Hen . . .” She goes up onto her toes and kisses me softly. My hands instinctively snap around her waist. “I’m looking for something more regular.”

“With him?”

“No, not with him.”

“Then with who?”

“Someone I have chemistry with.”

I stare at her, choosing my next words wisely. The elevator doors open, thankfully cutting me off.

Hand in hand, we walk out through the foyer and head down the street. She chats away while my mind is running a million miles per minute.

This feels off.

I’m not on my game. Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

No.

Abort mission.

There’s to be no sex with Juliet Drinkwater under any circumstance. Take it off the table, right now.

She’s my next-door neighbor, for fuck’s sake.

The only thing that’s sure to come out of this is a neighborhood disturbance.

We walk past a storefront window display; it’s a tower of fresh flowers, and she stops to look at it. “Hen, look how beautiful.” She slides her arm in under my coat jacket and puts it around me. She pulls me close as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

The disturbing thing is, it feels like it is.

Juliet

I feel Henley straighten beneath my arm and pull away from me. I glance up at him in question. “What?”

“What, what?” he replies curtly.

“Why did you just do that?”

“Do what?” He stares straight ahead at the window display, seemingly annoyed.

“Never mind.”

“Did you still want to grab a drink before we go?” I ask.