Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Theo
“Well, hell.” Theo groaned. He’d said all the right things to Livie, hoping to calm her fears. Only it did nothing to ease the erection he’d had for hours. It wouldn’t be a secret for much longer, not once she climbed into that tiny bed next to him.
He took a deep breath and looked around Livie’s childhood room. Once he got over the initial shock of the color, it wasn’t too bad. Kind of cute, really—like a snapshot of her childhood. One he hadn’t delved into you.
The memory board hanging over Livie’s desk drew him closer. She hadn’t changed much. There were several photos with friends and a couple he assumed were her brother and sister. None of the whole family together, though. He didn’t understand how her parents could treat her like she’d described, but even his small taste of Helen Anderson told him that Livie hadn’t been exaggerating.
After seeing her parents in action, Theo would make it his mission to show them that Livie was amazing. No one would talk down to his girl this weekend or ever, if he had his way. Maybe it started out as fake, but in the last couple of hours that had changed, even if Livie still believed it. Feelings Theo had ignored for the last few months filled him with longing for this woman.
If they hadn’t been seatmates, he might have been able to convince himself it was just attraction to a beautiful woman and never taken it further. Now that he’d spent time with her, and learned about her hopes and dreams, there’d be no walking away.
It wouldn’t be easy. Not only did he need to convince her parents—her family—it was real, but Livie, too. Maybe his hard-on wasn’t the worst-case scenario. She’d know his attraction was real.
Was hers, though? He’d caught her staring at him more than once from across the Ready Room. Plus, she’d agreed to be his fake girlfriend. Now he just hoped that there were real feelings behind her peachy blushes.
With a sigh, Theo grabbed his backpack and went into her closet to unpack. He needed to make his best impression on this family tomorrow. After hanging his shirts, the one pair of dress slacks he’d packed, and his jeans, he stepped out of the closet.
Livie entered the bedroom at the same time. It was comical, really. They stopped and stared. She was too cute in the oversized T-shirt. Seeing her hair down for the first time took his breath away. If she thought she didn’t look sexy, she needed to think again.
Theo couldn’t help puffing out his chest a bit as her gaze traveled over him. The peachy-rose color he loved traveled from under her sleep shirt, up her neck, and over her cheeks.
“Holy crap, you’re beautiful,” she said under her breath. She probably hadn’t meant for him to hear, but he had and couldn’t hide his smile.
“Like what you see, baby?” He shouldn’t tease her, but she was too delightful not too.
“I didn’t expect—aww hell—yes, I do. But you already know it. You don’t need me to make your head any bigger.”
Chuckling, Theo walked over to the bed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease you.”
“It’s okay. I’ve seen how the women at the bar fawn over you. Unless they were blind, I don’t see how anyone could be immune to you.”
“I think it will help us this weekend. It will show in our interactions. But I really wasn’t looking for compliments. Besides, I’ve already told you a few times that you’re beautiful. I guess we’re even now.”
“Maybe? This won’t be easy, will it?” Livie turned off the overhead light and approached the bed.
The small bedside lamp didn’t give off much illumination, but he could still see her clearly. It bothered him she looked so troubled, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it.
She needed sleep. That he could help with. “Do you prefer a side?”
Livie rolled her eyes and snorted. It had to be one of the cutest things he’d ever heard.
“Really? How about you climb in, and I’ll lie on top of you? We might both fit then.”
“It’s not that bad. You’re tiny. I promise not to hog the space if you promise not to hog the blankets.”
“Deal. We’ll make this work. It’s not like we have a choice at this point. I hope you’re not regretting your decision to do this.”
“Not for a minute. I promise. Now, c’mon. Let’s get some sleep before your mother bangs on the door at whatever idiotic time she deems we need to be awake for breakfast at zero eight hundred hours.”
Livie snorted again. “You’ve got her number already, huh?”
“I told you I was good at reading people.”
“Yes, you did.”
They climbed into bed. It was a tighter fit than Theo’d expected, but he stayed as close to his edge as possible. She did the same. When they stopped their shuffling, there was about three quarters of an inch between them.
Livie’s giggles filled him with warmth and did nothing to help the state of his dick.
“Care to share with the class?” he asked.
“I was just thinking that when I tell Patience about this, she’s never going to believe it.”
“You don’t think so?”
“Nope.”
“We’ll just have to prove it to her. I don’t think it will be that hard.”
“I think it is already,” Livie said.
Theo groaned. Not like there was much he could do about it. “You noticed, huh? I won’t apologize. You’re all the things I love about a woman, and you smell delicious. There’s no way he wouldn’t notice.”
“That must be uncomfortable. I know all about blue balls. We learned about them in medical school.” She continued to giggle.”
“You’re a funny girl. Don’t worry, it’s not my first time. It won’t be easy to fall asleep, but I’ll manage.”
“We could talk about my parents. It would probably deflate instantly.”
It was Theo’s turn to laugh. “Maybe if I wasn’t inhaling your intoxicating scent. What is it?”
“Jasmine. It’s my body wash. I took a quick shower to cool off a bit.”
He wanted to ask her why, but he’d teased her enough already. “I love it. I might have to get a bottle when I go home.”
“That’s silly. You can’t smell like jasmine. You’d never live it down.”
“I don’t know.” Theo leaned his head on his hand and looked at her. “Before we attempt to fall asleep, is there anything else we need to go over before breakfast? Any landmines to watch out for?”
The laughter evaporated from Livie’s voice as she sighed. “I don’t think so. Betsy and Geo will tease us. My mother is the grand inquisitor of our family. Dad just tags along for the ride, usually.”
Theo nodded. Even if she hadn’t told him, he’d seen it in their interaction when they’d arrived. “I’m going to be very affectionate tomorrow, just so you know, and don’t act surprised. We’ll be holding hands, touching, and kissing. Remember, we’ve been dating for months.”
“I’m a little worried I’ll give us away.”
“I could kiss you now. Kind of like a trial run. This way, you’ll have an idea what it’s like before we have an audience.” Theo held his breath while he waited for her answer. He was dying to taste her, to hold her.
She smiled shyly at him in the dim light. “That’s probably a good idea.”
He didn’t waste any time pulling her closer. His hand slid under her silky hair and circled her neck. Her soft breath mingled with his as he hovered just above her lips. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
That’s all he needed to hear. It was meant to be a gentle kiss until she moaned. She moved closer, her hard nipples pressed against her chest, and his hunger took control.
He slanted his mouth over hers, licking along the seam of her lips until she opened for him. His tongue slid along hers, tasting her toothpaste, as he inhaled more of her scent. As he explored her mouth, licking, tasting everywhere, her hands clutched at his shoulders. When he finally pulled away, they were both breathless.
“Wow,” she murmured and buried her head under his chin.
Theo held her close as his breathing returned to normal. “Yeah, that covers it.” It looked like neither of them was immune to the attraction simmering between them.
Maybe the kiss hadn’t been the best idea. It took forever for her breathing to even out and even longer for him to relax enough to fall asleep.