揧ou watch too many movies. There抯 no such thing as true love棓
揧es, there is,?she says fiercely, drawing up in her chair. 揑 know. I had it once.?
揧ou did.?My voice softens with this gentle grief I haven抰 acknowledged in ages pushing up. 揂nd you haven抰 been the same since棓
She sets her cup down with a loud clink!
揝o? Lincoln, that doesn抰 make our love any less real. It was so real and beautiful that I still have a punk in a fancy suit across from me talking like a smartass.?She sniffs loudly.
揝orry.?I hold my hand up defensively.
Her face falls before she looks at me again.
揑t抯 okay,?she whispers.
揗a, look, I抦 trying to let you down easy before you get any ideas. If you keep believing this is going to magically morph into a real relationship…you抣l wind up pretty disappointed.?
揑抳e been around the block, Lincoln Burns. I抣l manage.?She pauses, staring into her cup before she says, 揗y only question is, can you handle a teensy bit of surprise in your life??
Can I?
Her question haunts me as I finish my tea, wondering why I feel so goddamned annoyed that I can抰 answer it.
Saturday morning, I find Dakota perched at her desk, diligently working.
There抯 something wrong with my brain.
Even the way her little fingers move nimbly over the keyboard does terrible things to my cock.
I know how those hands feel. This woman could be gargling mouthwash with two-day-old bedhead and I抎 still want her under me.
揑 hope you抮e not planning on giving me more work,?she says as soon as she looks up.
揥hat the hell? I don抰 even get a hello??
揙nly if you promise you aren抰 task dumping. It抯 the weekend.?Her little pout makes my teeth ache, stricken with the urge to bite her.
揝cout抯 honor,?I say.
揝omehow, you don抰 strike me as a Boy Scout.?
揑 was a Marine,?I mutter. 揇oes that count for anything??
She hesitates.
揌mm, well, I suppose.?
揕isten, I got an email from Anna. The photographer wants to do our first shoot next week. I know you hate weddings, so I thought we could take my boat out today and try out the setting alone as a trial run. The clothes are already aboard. You can choose a dress you like before the shoot and you抣l have a chance to get used to everything without the pressure.?
She casts a longing look and sighs.
揕inc, I know what you抮e trying to do and I appreciate it, but it抯 not necessary. I know what I agreed to. I won抰 mess up the shoot.?
She smiles up so bravely, my bright girl with the sun in her hair and determination set in her face.
揥hat if I just want to see you again on my boat??My body tenses.
揂t least you抮e honest. Usually when a man 慾ust?wants to see you again, there抯 some flimsy excuse.?
I narrow my eyes.
揧ou criticizing my game, Nevermore??
揗ore like calling it out.?
Brat. I see the smile she抯 trying to hold back.
揥ell, fuck, I want to see you again regardless. It抯 a nice day on the water, but I do think it抯 a good idea to prep for the photo shoot. I抣l pick you up in a few??
揝ure,?she finally says, glancing around.
It抯 always a skeleton crew in the office on the weekends and everyone on the floor already went home. Even if they haven抰， my mind says fuck it.
I lean down, cradle her face, and pull her lips to mine.
She moans real sweet for me as I drink her deep, my tongue hinting at exactly what I intend to do.
Later, we抮e on the open water, cruising the Puget Sound while Seattle抯 evening lights are just beginning to twinkle in the distance.
揓esus. When you said boat, I thought it抎 be some James Bond speedboat. Not a hotel with a hull,?she says, whistling quietly into the wind as we stand on the top deck.
揋ot it. I knew you were obsessed with size, Nevermore. Ever heard the phrase that it抯 not the size of the boat but the motion of the ocean? Thankfully, I抦 blessed with both.?
揑diot!?She whacks me playfully in the arm, laughing.
揌as work been awkward since we committed to the wedding hoax??I ask, shifting to a serious tone.
She shakes her head, her hair whipping around delightfully. 揟he only people making dumb jokes about it are Cheryl and Anna, and I抦 pretty used to that.?
揥hy are they giving you shit??
揥ell, Anna抯 convinced we have chemistry梩he real kind梐nd Cheryl agrees. She抯 a huge sucker for romance movies.?
揘o wonder she抯 best friends with my mother,?I groan, raking back my hair.
Dakota抯 green eyes catch mine a second later.
揂nd what do you think, Nevermore? Does their teasing ruffle your feathers??
She blushes, but her face is tense. 揅hemistry is a loaded word. I think I抎 call it energy potential.?
揈nergy potential??I snort. 揧ou sound like a physics teacher.?
She bites her bottom lip, oblivious to how it makes my dick lurch in my pants.
揥ell, we definitely have potential for梪mm, inspiration, as you put it before梑ut I kinda thought it was a one-off. You said you didn抰 want it to be, and that抯 why we agreed to this whole wedding farce, besides the marketing benefit. But this is the first time we抳e really talked outside work since it happened…？
揧eah. I抣l admit I can be an idiot sometimes,?I say slowly.
Laughter sputters out of her. 揘o argument there!?
揅areful, hellion. Are we cool, though??I stare at her, needing her to say yes.
?I don抰 know, Lincoln. You tell me.?
揑 hope so. If I抳e upset you, let抯 lay it out, here and now.?
揘o. We抮e good,?she says softly, her eyes searching mine.
揑 want to believe you, but you are a Poe. I can抰 dismiss the possibility that you抮e planning to murder me in my sleep and bury my heart under the neighbor girl抯 floorboards. You抮e just waiting for one more round of the best dick of your life,?I say with a slow smile.
Her grin stretches from one red ear to the next.
揑 won抰 murder you梕ven if your attitude might deserve the death penalty. I still need you to sign my paycheck.?
I laugh. 揋lad you have one good reason to keep me around.?
The distance between us closes and we抮e standing toe to toe. She props her hand on her hip.
揟hanks for reminding me I抳e been signing stuff for you a lot lately. I could probably forge your signature.?
揂ll this fluff and you still won抰 mention the real reason you like having me around, huh??I lean closer, audibly inhaling her scent.
I feel her weight shift. She leans up on her toes, flushed scarlet as she gives in, brushing her lips to mine.
Here we go.
Growling, I pull her in, mashing her perfect tits to my chest. One hand skims down the small of her back, stopping to toy with the upper curve of her ass.
揇o you want to see the wedding line or do you just want to fuck? They sent several dresses in your size,?I rasp against her ear, adding a nip of my teeth. 揑抎 love to see you in them before they抮e on the floor. But if you抎 rather skip to the best part, I抣l hardly complain.?
揋od, you抮e just…？She trails off, trembling in my arms, overcome with the same desire coursing through my veins. ?I don抰 particularly like white. Fair warning.?
揧ou抮e beautiful in any color. And you never finished that thought about me, Dakota Poe. What do you think I am??
揃ossy. Way too flipping bossy for your own good. One day it抣l give you a bruising,?she whispers.
揂s long as it抯 you leaving marks,?I say with a shrug.
Then I take her hand and lead her to the upper cabin near my suite, where the two largest cabinets with the clothes are set up.