Chapter 18 #2
The tension stretched between us, thick and charged, until she finally moved to the side to make her coffee and I retreated to my seat, trying to pretend my hands weren’t almost shaking.
And that my mouth wasn’t hitching up, savoring every inch of her body. And sass.
Thankfully, her supreme resting grumpy face reminded me to get my head out of the gutter and back into the game.
She poured her coffee and got to work, adding what I knew was an insane amount of “sugar” to the liquid.
Oh, this is going to be so good.
I watched her measure out not one, not two, but three heaping spoonfuls of salt. My inner twelve-year-old was practically cackling with glee.
“We’re not going to suddenly be nice to each other just because your stupid move put us in danger,” she said, not looking at me as she stirred with mechanical precision.
“Back to blaming me for your mistakes, I see.” I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning. “I think there’s a term for that.” I snapped my fingers. “Narcissism.”
This time, she full-on glowered at me as she retrieved oat milk from the refrigerator.
The woman was a creature of absolute habit.
Always the same amount of milk, always stirred clockwise exactly seven times.
When she bent over to put the carton back, I caught a glimpse of smooth thigh and had to grip my phone tighter to keep from making some kind of embarrassing noise.
Any second now …
“Stop. Staring.”
“Wow,” I managed. “You’re even grumpier than yesterday, and that’s saying something.”
She stirred the mug’s contents with enough force to create a tiny whirlpool, simultaneously attempting to slice my face open with her stare.
Come on, Dakota. Just one little sip.
Look at her. The way she was concentrating on stirring her coffee, her tongue darting out slightly to wet her lips. My groin liked that a little too much.
“You look like a bear who got woken up from hibernation early and wants to commit mass murder for revenge.”
“Screw you, Pierce.”
There’s my girl.
The way she said my name, all venom and heat, shouldn’t have been sexy. But somehow, when Dakota told me to go to hell, it sounded like an invitation.
“Maybe you should go back to bed,” I suggested, leaning back in my chair. “Sleep off the jerk hangover.”
The image of her going back to bed—specifically my bed—flashed through my mind again. Of me following her there, pinning her against the mattress, showing her exactly how much her grumpy morning attitude affected me.
“Gosh, you are just the funniest man I’ve ever heard in my life.” She sat down across from me. “I’ll be out of your hair within the hour.”
That got my attention.
“I thought you were staying home to film content today.”
“Change of plans. I’m squeezing something in before that. I have to leave in—” Her eyes landed on the clock and flew open wide. She shot out of her chair like she’d been launched from a cannon. “What the hell?”
The sudden movement made the hem of her shorts ride up, revealing a strip of toned thigh that I wanted to trace with my tongue. Focus, Pierce. Focus on the prank, not on how badly you want to taste her skin.
“Problem, Sunshine?”
Her mouth dropped open. “I didn’t hit snooze. I came out as soon as my alarm went off.”
“Late for a meeting?”
“I’m going to visit Knox today.”
I set my phone down, suddenly serious. “You’re going to the prison?”
“Damn it, I had my whole day planned out down to the minute.” She ran a hand through her messy hair, and I tried not to notice how the gesture made her breasts swell.
The way she moved, all frustrated energy and unconscious sensuality, was driving me insane. I wanted to grab her wrist, pull her closer, show her exactly what kind of trouble that restless energy could get her into.
“Why are you going to visit Knox?”
“He’s my brother.”
“I’m aware. I meant, why today?” It was obvious this was last minute, and Dakota Blackwood didn’t do last-minute anything.
She sank back into her seat, seeming to accept the loss of twenty-seven minutes in her perfectly calibrated schedule. I could practically see her mentally reshuffling everything to accommodate this “mistake.”
“If we’re about to become an it couple with people following us around, I really don’t want them trailing me to the penitentiary.”
She raised her cup for her first sip—finally, sweet vindication—but before it reached her lips, realization dawned on me.
“Your followers don’t know your real name is Dakota Blackwood. Or that Knox is your brother. In prison for murder.”
She paused, cup halfway to her mouth, staring at the dark liquid.
No! So close! Drink the damn coffee, woman.
But watching her lips part slightly as she prepared to take that sip was making it extremely hard to focus on this prank. I found myself imagining those lips on my skin, wondering what sounds she’d make if I—
Stop. Just stop.
“If we’re about to become famous, for lack of a better word, I can’t risk them connecting the dots and following me there.”
Right. This whole fake engagement would be pointless if her business tanked anyway.
“I’m coming with you.”
Damn it. She lowered the cup again. Still no sip. My masterpiece was getting cold.
This is torture. Pure, exquisite torture.
“No.”
“Look, hopefully, Ryker’s blowing this whole thing out of proportion. But until we know for sure, I don’t want you going anywhere alone.”
Dakota went still at the protective undertone in my voice. That warmth shooting from her eyes hit me like a direct punch to the solar plexus.
Oh, come on. Now is not the time for a moment. Drink. The. Coffee.
Seconds later, she shook off whatever that moment was with a small clearing of her throat.
“I’ll see if Ryker can go with me; today’s the day he normally visits Knox. But let’s be clear: it’s not because you told me so. Although, thank you for caring enough.”
Uh-oh. She was being sweet.
And then—Lord help me—she actually smiled. A real smile that reached all the way to her eyes and made something dangerous flutter in my chest.
She even tilted her head and added, “You know, it’s moments like these that make me remember it hasn’t always been an ocean of animosity between us. Once upon a time, I actually thought you were nice.”
Shit.
Dakota had just let a genuinely happy moment slip between us. Her voice hadn’t held a trace of sarcasm; she was being authentically nice to me.
And of course she chose this exact moment to finally, finally raise that mug to her lips.
Oh no. Oh, this is bad. This is very bad.
I opened my mouth to warn her—
Too late.
She took a huge gulp of what was essentially saltwater with a caffeine chaser. Her eyes bugged out like a cartoon character, and she spat the liquid out in a volcanic explosion of disgust as she shot to her feet.
“WHAT THE HELL?”
Panting, Dakota stared into her mug like it had personally betrayed her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and I couldn’t help but notice how the quick breathing made her breasts strain against her shirt.
Then her gaze snapped to my face, and I tried—really tried—to hide my laughter. But the moment of kindness we’d just shared didn’t erase a decade of hostility, and frankly, her expression was priceless.
Her eyes narrowed into laser-focused slits, and she glanced at the clocks again, the pieces clicking into place with almost-audible precision.
“You’re dead, Pierce.”
But instead of looking murderous, something shifted in her expression. A slow, wicked smile spread across her lips. The kind that promised trouble of the most delicious variety.
“Actually, no. Death would be too easy.” She set the mug down and crossed her arms, the movement pushing her breasts up in a way she knew would demand my attention. Dammit. I shifted the bulge in my pants. “I’m going to get you back so good, you won’t know what hit you.”
Well, shit. The prank had definitely worked. All the fear and anxiety I’d seen winding through her shoulders two nights ago had evaporated into pure, focused determination to make my life interesting.
I just had the sinking feeling I’d started something I couldn’t finish.
Something that looked suspiciously like … fun.
And the way she was looking at me right now, like she was already plotting her revenge and enjoying every second of it?
I was so screwed. And weirdly … I couldn’t wait to see what she’d come up with.