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As Zach drifted into consciousness, he became aware of a warm body pressing against his chest. The warm, naked body felt wonderful next to his, and he tightened his arms around her.
Yes, he’d woken up snuggling Jo MacGregor.
He felt a moment of panic but told himself to take deep breaths and calm down. Though Zach wasn’t usually one to freak out, this was a most unexpected situation, even if he’d been thinking about sleeping with Jo since last week’s skating expedition.
Then last night, she’d come over to his parents’ house for Chinese New Year. They’d won Pictionary, and she’d horrified his grandmother by drawing a large cock on the whiteboard.
He couldn’t help chuckling at the memory.
Then after...
Well.
And now he was snuggling Jo and feeling like all was right in the world, which disturbed him. He’d wanted a fake relationship precisely because he had no interest in a real one.
What was going on?
“Morning.” Jo rolled over to face him. There was a bit of makeup smudged under her eyes, and her hair was a mess.
She was just right.
But Chinese New Year was over, and she didn’t need to pretend to be his girlfriend anymore.
He couldn’t bear the thought, though he didn’t care to examine his feelings too closely.
“We never talked about the end of our so-called relationship, did we?” he said casually.
“No, we didn’t.”
“Wouldn’t it be a little suspicious if we broke up right after my family’s New Year dinner? They might catch on. Perhaps we should keep doing this for another week or two.”
“I think that’s an excellent plan.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“I’m quite sure.”
She slid her hand down his chest and grasped his erection.
Jo was so much fun in bed. Playful and sexy and eager... He wanted to punch Matt the Douche Canoe for making her feel unwanted and uncomfortable with her sexuality.
But she’d blossomed under Zach’s touch last night, responding to everything he did.
He couldn’t help feeling a little proud of the way she’d come apart in his arms, and the dopey expression she was giving him now as she leisurely stroked him.
He wanted to touch her, too. In fact, he very much wanted to do something he hadn’t had a chance to do last night.
“How about we start the morning off right,” he said, “with you sitting on my face?”
She grinned, slow and sexy, and his balls tightened.
Yes, this would be a great morning indeed.
* * *
“Hey,” Jo said.
“Morning.” Tiffany sat down across from her. “What’s so important that you need a Sunday morning tea-and-scone date at the bakery?”
Jo leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I slept with Zach last night!”
“And it was good?”
“Do I look like I had bad sex?”
Tiffany regarded her for a moment. “Nah, you look like you had amazing sex. I bet everyone in here can tell.”
“Tiff!”
“Just kidding.”
Jo glared at her friend, then went back to thinking about last night. “It really was amazing,” she said dreamily. “He was so sweet and attentive, and he made me feel like I mattered, more than Matt ever did. And this morning, he said he’d like to extend our fake relationship a little longer. I said yes, of course, but I wish he wanted a real relationship, and he didn’t say anything about that.”
“He might just want to get laid again.”
“Yeah, maybe he wants to use me for sex.” Using someone didn’t seem like Zach, though. “Or maybe he’s trying to figure things out. Maybe he’s developing feelings for me.”
Tiffany looked at her sadly.
The excitement Jo had felt over having great sex with the man she loved started to fade. Perhaps it was delusional to think he was starting to develop feelings, and if she just waited, it would happen.
It was risky, too. After the intimacy she’d shared with Zach, she could already feel herself getting more attached. Her sky-high fantasies about the sex hadn’t been dashed by the real thing, and they’d woken up cuddling, for God’s sake.
Jo sighed. She’d allow herself to continue this fake relationship...for now. Zach was right—it would be odd if they broke up right after she met his family.
Though he could always tell everyone that he didn’t want to be with a woman who drew male genitalia at a family gathering.
* * *
Sometimes when Zach’s brothers were in Mosquito Bay for the weekend, he’d invite them over to knock back a beer or two. This Sunday afternoon was one of those days. However, Zach was now regretting his decision.
“I can’t believe your girlfriend drew a giant dick in front of Ah Ma and Ah Yeh!” Nick slapped his knee and laughed. They were all sitting on the couches in the living room. “It must have been...what would you say, Greg? Was the dick twelve inches, or longer?”
Greg grunted in response, but the corners of his lips tilted up.
Zach wasn’t used to being in a bad mood, but he’d been like this since Jo left this morning. “Thanks, Mr. Fancypants,” he said to Nick.
Nick took a sip of his beer. “So you and Jo, eh? How long has this been going on?”
“Two weeks.”
“Did something bad happen? You’re even grumpier than Greg.”
“Thank you,” Greg said.
“I’m fine,” Zach said in a clipped voice.
Nick drummed his fingers on the table. “I thought you swore off dating after Marianne left you.”
“Well, you didn’t date either until you met Lily.”
“Guess I was waiting for the right woman. Is Jo the right woman? Is she your true wuv?”
Nick was teasing Zach the way Zach had teased Nick about Lily.
Yeah, on some level, Zach felt like he deserved this.
However, he wanted to set the record straight. Just with his brothers.
“Jo isn’t my girlfriend,” he said. “I just asked her to pose as my girlfriend for Chinese New Year so nobody would try to set me up with another woman. I didn’t need a repeat of Thanksgiving, thank you very much. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
Nick scratched his head. “But you two have been dating for a couple weeks.”
“Had to make our relationship believable.”
“You were sure doing a good job of being affectionate.”
Zach shrugged. “I’m a good actor, what can I say?”
“No, I think you’re secretly in love with her, and now that Chinese New Year is over, you’re mourning the loss of your fake relationship.” Nick laughed. “Can’t believe you got a fake girlfriend!”
“The possibility actually occurred to me yesterday morning,” Greg said. “But then I brushed it aside as too ridiculous. Guess I was wrong.”
“It’s not over yet,” Zach said. “I asked her to extend the act a little longer. It would be suspicious if we broke up immediately after Chinese New Year, right?”
“Aww.” Nick put his hands over his heart. “You really do love her.”
“No, I don’t.”
Why was he telling his brothers about this?
Well, he could use some advice, he supposed, though whether he could get anything useful out of Nick and Greg was questionable.
He took a deep breath. “We slept together last night.”
Nick grinned. “Ah. She wanted to see if your shaft looked like her drawing.”
“I sure hope it doesn’t,” Greg said. “Or your dick isn’t normal.”
“Alright,” Zach said. “Enough. No more talk about the Pictionary game, okay?”
Nick leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. “So you slept together. Was it bad? Is that why you’re in a crappy mood?”
“It was not bad,” Zach said.
“Ah,” Greg said sagely, nodding his head. “It was the best you’ve ever had, and that disturbed you.”
Zach said nothing.
Unfortunately, his brothers read a lot into that.
“You love her,” Nick said. “I was right.”
“I don’t love her,” Zach protested, “but I do want to do it again. I’ve had a bit of a dry spell lately—that must be the reason.”
“It could be. Or maybe you’re meant to be together. Personally, I vote for the latter.”
Geez, Nick had gotten annoying since he’d started seeing Lily.
“You asked her to continue your fake relationship,” Nick said. “I think you’re in denial. Next thing you know, you’ll be making her soup dumplings and butter tarts and ordering your family to make you a snow fort.”
“Hey.” Greg crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t order you. You helped willingly.”
“Yeah, we were willing to help,” Zach said. Greg and Tasha, his high school girlfriend, had always seemed like they belonged together. “But your control-freak side really came out when we were helping you with that snow fort.”
“Agreed,” Nick said. “You were a pain-in-the-ass.”
Greg grunted.
“Back to your problem.” Nick turned to Zach. “I still think you’re in love with Jo, but you can’t accept it yet. And I feel your pain. I’ve been there before. But you don’t need to be so frightened.”
“I’m not frightened.” Zach was just being logical after the implosion of his engagement.
Greg gave him a not-so-comforting slap on the shoulder.
“I like Jo,” Nick said. “She’s nice, and she’s not afraid to draw pictures of giant dicks in front of your family. Always a winning combination.”
God, Zach would hear about that dick pic for years to come.
Although, admittedly, the memory did make his lips twitch. The look on Ah Ma’s face had been priceless.
His brothers had been of no assistance today, but that was okay. Zach was sure these weird feelings would disappear soon.
He couldn’t help hoping that he and Jo would sleep together a couple more times, though. Another week or two of casual sex between friends, and then she’d be out of his system, right?