“Oh god,” James murmured. Why did he have to make everything so damn complicated? Now it wasn’t just enough for them to keep up the charade that Daniel was really Daniella, but he also had to pretend they weren’t too close in order to keep his mother from interfering in his relationship. Hell, with the way his mother had been acting about Holly’s wedding, she would turn into a nightmare of epic proportions if she thought James might get married.
“Exactly. I’ll do my best to keep your mother occupied with Holly’s wedding and all the things that are happening the next few days, and you and Daniella do your best to stay out of her way and under the mama radar.” He went back to watching baseball, cheering when the Colorado Rockies scored a run.
“Thanks, Dad,” James said, his father unlikely to have heard as he skulked down the hall toward his old bedroom, the hum of the sewing machine penetrating the door. “How is it coming?” James asked as he went inside.
The machine stopped and Daniel lifted his gaze from his work, his lower lip between his teeth, eyes filled with concentration. James closed the door and hurried over to him, cupping Daniella’s made-up cheeks in his hands, leaning over the machine and kissing him. Yeah, it was probably the wrong damned thing to do, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to know what was real and what wasn’t. The tingle that raced through him all the way to his toes and the way Daniel returned the kiss were real.
Damn it all, it would have been so much easier if the kiss had been a complete dud and they really were just pretending. But it was real, and now he had to figure out the rest of it. James wanted Daniel with everything he had, and his whole body shook with excitement. But like it or not, he had to tamp down his feelings in order to keep them from his mother or this entire situation was going to get a hell of a lot worse.
“You’re really bad, James,” Daniel said softly as he pulled back.
“But I’m really good when I’m bad.” He wagged his eyebrows, and Daniel grinned widely, pink lipstick shining.
“I don’t get it. Do you Missoula boys all take a class in cheesy lines? You and Weston could sure as hell use some lessons in smooth…” Daniel pointed in queenly derision with a long-nailed hand. “Maybe I should offer a class in how to not sound like a dork.”
“I see. I thought I was being cute.” He drew nearer.
Daniel stood, leaving the wedding dress draped over the sewing table. “If you want to be remembered, try a sincere compliment.”
James nodded. “You mean, like your eyes are the same color blue as I imagine the ocean is from a cruise ship at midnight—dark and mysterious with just enough turmoil to be interesting?” He came even closer. “How was that? Or I could say that your lips always remind me of the sweetest chocolate, and I can never get enough chocolate, especially the dark smooth kind that I want to lick until it’s gone.” His breath came deeper, and James’s chest ached. “I could compliment your shoes or the fact that you always look perfect, but that’s what you’re wearing. It isn’t you. Your eyes are the same no matter how you dress, and so are your lips.” James smiled. “Maybe I could say that I want to follow that strip of skin down your throat until that little crescent disappears behind your first shirt button.” He backed away. “Is that closer to what you had in mind?”
Daniel swallowed hard, throat working, drawing James’s attention to the scarf around a long, slender neck. He knew it hid one of the few visible indications that he was a man, but he didn’t care, tugging the knot open, running his finger down warm, smooth skin until it slid over the silk blouse.
“I think you got it down.” Their gazes met, electricity filling the room.
The moment shattered at a knock on the door and Daniel tugged the scarf out of James’s hand, tying it in place once again. “Are the two of you busy?” Holly asked and then barged right into the room. “Mom said you were working on the awful dress.” She paused in the doorway. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Just a private conversation.” James sat on the side of the bed. “Are you only being nosy? Because I can arrange for certain people to be really nosy on your wedding night.” James grinned at Daniel. “We could arrange a shivaree. It wouldn’t be hard to find out where they’re staying.”
Daniel clapped his hands together in delight. “I could sing, and we could get all the groomsmen to bring pots and serenade the happy couple. I always wanted to do that. Doris Day has the most lovely songs.”