Escorting the Groom (The Escort Collection Book 4) by Leigh James

wedding.
    "Really. It'll keep things interesting, and it'll be nice to have some guests on your side of the aisle. And some bridesmaids. But they're going to have to keep up a united front pretending, so that no one knows who they—and more importantly, you—really are. Do you think they can do that?"
    I nodded. "They're professional pretenders. That's what they do." I thought of several of the girls I worked with who were a little wild. They could and would pretend to be friends of mine, but that rowdy streak couldn't be disguised easily. "That's really nice of you. But don't you think your sister's going to freak out? With all the, er, riff-raff hanging around?"
    A small smile played on his lips. "It wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to her. But I know what is, and I'm going to do that, too."
    "You're full of surprises," I said. "Care to let me in on that last one?"
    "First, I'm going to see if I can pull it off. Then I will surprise and delight you with my ruthless ingenuity." His eyes glittered in the semidarkness, and I admired the handsome, rugged planes of his face. I had no doubt in his ability to accomplish what he set out to do.
    Not a one.

    * * *
    L UCAS
    "Well, good night." Blake and I were in the hallway of my penthouse, getting ready to go our separate ways.
    "Are you heading back to the office?" she asked.
    I shook my head. "I'm off tonight. And tomorrow, actually. We have some things that we need to attend to."
    "Oh? Like what?" She tilted her head up at me in a way that was both attractive and annoying. Attractive because she was beautiful, and annoying because it was the perfect angle for me to kiss her. I wondered if she was attempting to prove something to me again, like when her hand had skimmed over my belt earlier.
    If she was trying to get under my skin or make me want her, she didn't have to work so hard. But this was a business arrangement that I wouldn't allow to fail, and I wasn't going to complicate it by letting things get physical between us. Because if I did that—if I did her —I would push her away afterward. I was a one-and-done sort of fellow. And I didn't know if she had the emotional wherewithal to deal with that, then live with me and pretend everything was great for a whole year afterward.
    I took a step back from her. Nope. No way. No how. I didn't do self-destruct. I wanted this to work, and I wasn't about to let my dick get in the way.
    Still, Blake was looking up at me expectantly, with her shiny blond hair and her perfect pink lips, which were slightly parted. She knew what she was doing—tempting me.
    "Why're you looking at me like that?" I finally asked.
    She tossed her hair and licked her lips. "Like what?"
    Yeah, right. "You're giving me a fuck-me look again. Why?"
    Blake promptly closed her mouth and stood up straight. "Sorry. I was trying to see if you wanted to, you know . Just get it out of the way."
    "I told you I'm not interested." The lie sounded harsh as it hung in the air between us.
    A flicker of hurt might have passed over her features, but it was gone before I could be certain. "Then I'll stop trying to make it easy for you." She smiled at me as though my rejection had rolled right off her back.
    I took a step toward her, inhaling her scent. It was her hair; it smelled fantastic. I wanted nothing more than to wind my hands through it, throw her over my shoulder, carry her to my giant bed, and bury myself inside of her. Explore her body. See her breasts freed from the tight bondages of her prim lace dress. Run my hands down her naked skin.
    Christ, I was getting hard again. Down, boy.
    "It's not like I don't want to." My voice came out husky. I allowed myself to trail a finger down her arm, relishing her responsive shiver. "But I told you before: I don't do complicated. And I can't imagine that anything good could come from us compromising the integrity of our agreement."
    Blake watched my finger with fascination as I trailed it back up her arm,