Free The Job Offer by Eleanor Webb Page A

and forced himself
to relax.  Turning to look out at the water, he could see the outline of a
fishing boat with its trolling lights on about midway through the channel
headed southwest.  "She will say something to my family."
    "Probably.  She seems like the
type."  He turned to look back at Anne.  She had taken her sandals off and
was now sitting on an overturned tree trunk that made a perfect bench.  He
could not believe how relaxed she looked.  He was finding it difficult to
maintain his anger when he looked at her.  It was really hard to stay angry
with someone who was both logical and beautiful.  Looking at her calm demeanor
and pretty smile, he considered the advantages of a fake engagement over the
next few days.  The setting sun sent fire through her curly hair, and the skin
of her chest, her shoulders, and her arms looked downy soft.  She looked sexy
as hell, and he wanted her right now.  Sighing, he walked over and sat down
beside her.
    "Ok.  What do we tell our
families?"
    "We tell them the truth.  We will
tell them that I'm only acting as your fiancée as a favor to you until the
wedding is over."
    "It's going to be a job to pull
this one off even with the help of our families.  You don’t know Chelsea.  What
about where you sleep?" He looked over at her contemplative expression.
    "I can see where you are going with
this."  Her expression turned slightly nervous.
    "I didn't mean that I expected you
to sleep with me.  What kind of a jerk do you think I am, Anne?  I only meant
that, Chelsea will never believe that you don't sleep in the same room as me,
and trust me, she will check."
    "She will check, huh?"  Anne
sat in silence looking out at the water.  Ben was not sure what she was
thinking.  "Which room is yours?"
    He told her his suite number surprised
by the question.  What did she have planned now?
    "Perfect.  Every night I'll go up
to your room with you and sneak down the back balcony fire escape.  Then, in
the mornings, I'll sneak back in the same way, and we can go down to breakfast
together.  What do you think?"  The plan did sound good.
    "We will have to spend our days
together as well.  That will spoil your vacation and your time with your
parents."
    "I probably would not have been
spending much time with them, anyway, with this being their busy season.  Ok,
here's the deal, Ben.  How were you planning on spending your few days up here
until Friday night's groom's dinner?"
    "I had planned on doing some more kayaking
and doing some biking over the next few days in between getting some work done."
    "Perfect!  So was I.  We can go
together on our outings.  When we get back, I'll swim, read, or do something
else while you are busy with work or wedding preparations.  Then when you leave
on Sunday, we can part, and that will be that.  We don’t see each other again,
and you can tell Chelsea whatever you want.  Job complete."
    "Ok, fine.  That sounds pretty cut
and dried when you lay it out like that, but what about when I kiss you?  Or
you kiss me?"  He saw the look of alarm which crossed her face.
    "What?"
    "They are called 'shows of
affection', my dear.  We have to have them to make this all believable.  We
have to act like a newly engaged couple, and that means that I get to touch you
openly and I expect you to touch me as well.  It also means that there will be
times when I will kiss you and you will kiss me.  What's more, I am not talking
about a little peck like from earlier today.  I’m talking about a real kiss.  In
fact, we should practice now to make sure we have the right chemistry."  She
suddenly gave a soft chuckle and looked at him with humor in her eyes.
    "This is the being 'mostly good'
part of the walk to the water, isn't it?"  He flashed a charming smile at
her reference to their earlier discussion.  The answering smile on her face
drew him in, and he felt the catch in his gut again.
    "I guess it is."  The humor
left him only to be replaced by