Living with Her Fake Fiancé (The Loft Book 3) Read online

  “You need to bring your young man over this week so I can get to know him.”

  “I will,” Chloe said with a smile. “You’ll really love Brent. He’s quiet, but he’s got the biggest heart you’ve ever seen.”

  He knew the words were just for Mima’s benefit, but it really sounded like Chloe meant it.

  “I know I’ll love him, even if he looks like a lumberjack.” Mima tittered as if she’d said something scandalous. “I know you have work during the days, but maybe you can bring him to dinner one evening.”

  “Yes. Let’s plan on that. I’ll get with Mom and figure out a good day.” Chloe kissed Mima’s cheek and then reached for Brent’s hand. “We’ll see you soon, Mima.”

  “It was nice to meet you,” he managed to say so she wouldn’t think he was rude.

  “You too, Brent. I’m so happy Chloe found you.”

  The old woman looked happy, and it gave Brent a stab of guilt in his chest.

  He was sure Chloe felt the same way. She looked subdued as she said goodbye to the rest of her family.

  Her mother followed them a few steps from the rest of the group. “Mima wants Brent to come over for dinner one day this week.”

  “That’s what she said,” Chloe said. “That will be fine. Brent has a class on Monday evening, and I have classes on Tuesday and Thursday, but we could do Wednesday or Friday.” She glanced up at him. “Unless you have something else this week?”

  “No. Wednesday or Friday will be fine.”

  “Let’s say Wednesday then,” Chloe’s mother said. She was an attractive woman—taller and slimmer than Chloe and without her vividness and personality. “Don’t you think that sweater is a little tight?”

  Chloe blinked and looked down at herself. “I thought it was okay.” The sweater was snug, but it was made that way, and the knit fabric wasn’t stretched at all, even over the lush swell of her breasts.

  “For Mass? Oh well, it doesn’t matter. Mima seems happy, and that’s what’s most important.”

  “Okay. We need to get going. I’ll talk later.” Chloe looked up at Brent as if she were waiting for something.

  Brent didn’t know what, but he was really annoyed with her mother. Chloe’s sweater was nice. She looked beautiful and perfectly appropriate for anything. There was no reason to snipe at her that way.

  He wanted to get away, so he put a hand on Chloe’s back and turned her toward the car. “See you later,” he said, managing to sound polite as he said goodbye to Chloe’s mother.

  He let out a breath when they were far enough away.

  Chloe looked more subdued than ever, but whether it was from her mother’s criticism or lying to Mima, he didn’t know.

  “You okay?” he asked when they got into the Jeep.

  Chloe blew out a long exhale. “Yeah.”

  “You don’t look okay. I mean, you look like something’s wrong. You do look okay. You look beautiful.”

  She jerked her head toward him, her lips twitching slightly. “Was that a compliment?”

  “Uh. Yeah.”

  “Thank you.” She reached out to touch his arm. She was a touchy person, so he shouldn’t take her little touches personally, but it was hard not to. He loved the way she reached out for him all the time.

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Yes, you did. You made me feel better.”

  “I did?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good.”

  “My mom is always like that.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with your sweater.”

  “I know. She’s just... always that way. I try not to let it bother me. I mostly feel bad about lying to Mima.”

  “I know. I felt bad about that too. She seems really nice.”

  “She is. I love her. I’m glad she’s happy, but I wish she was happy about something real. She thinks I’ve really found a guy who loves me.”

  “Well, you will. Eventually you will. So it’s not like what she’s happy about is never going to happen. And it would really suck if you had to tell her that her own daughter lied to her like that.”

  “I know. I can’t tell her. I’d rather go through with this pretense than hurt her that way. Anyway, I really appreciate you helping. And you making me feel better.”

  Brent focused on the rearview mirror as he backed out of his parking space, and he tried not to show how much he wanted to hear what she was saying to him.

  She was just being nice. Steve was right earlier this morning. He wasn’t her type, and she was never going to see him as anything but a friend.

  But he’d rather be her friend than nothing at all.

  THAT EVENING, BRENT was working on his bed when there was a knock on the door.

  His chest relaxed slightly at the sound. Chloe had spent the whole afternoon with Michelle, and so he hadn’t had any time with her alone. They hadn’t kissed today, and he was definitely feeling the loss. He was hoping she’d come to see him when she finally got home.

  “Yeah?”

  The door opened, and Chloe stepped in.

  He felt himself smiling like a fool.

  Her own smile was just slightly bashful, and it drew his heart from his chest like a magnet.

  “Hi,” she said, closing and locking the door behind her.

  The fact that she locked the door was very encouraging.

  “Hi.” He sat up straighter, still propped against two pillows.

  She came to sit on the bed beside him, doubling up the one remaining pillow on the bed so she could lean against it.

  “You need another one?” he said, leaning up and touching one of the pillows behind him.

  “No. I’m fine. You’re a lot bigger than me, so you probably need it more than I do.” She angled her head so she could see onto his laptop screen. “What are you working on?”

  “The dissertation. Still. Always.”

  She snickered. “So you can just sit there and write it off the top of your head?”

  “No. Definitely not. My original research is all on campus, but I’m just doing the lit review right now—going over all the stuff that’s ever been done that’s remotely connected to my subject. I dumped it all into a document before, and now I’m trying to shape it into something coherent.”

  “Sounds exciting.”

  “It’s about the dullest thing in existence, but it has to be done.”

  Chloe had changed into leggings and a long sweater after church, and she looked very curvy and delectable as she sat on the bed beside him. Her hair was loose, and her expression was soft, open, like she was perfectly comfortable with him. He wasn’t sure how it had happened, but he was still reminding himself to keep it in perspective.

  She wasn’t in love with him. She just liked him and appreciated his help with her family.

  “How was shopping?” he asked after searching his mind for something normal to say since he was on the verge of blurting out how crazy about her he was.

  “It was fine. I didn’t buy anything, but Michelle got a cute dress. She doesn’t own very many dresses, so I had to talk her into getting it.” She paused, glancing at the door and then back at him. Her tone got softer as she added, “Did you know that they’re house hunting?”

  Brent blinked. “No. I didn’t know that. They are?”

  “Yeah. She just told me this afternoon. She felt bad about keeping it a secret.”

  “They’re serious about it? They’re going to move out?”

  “I don’t know. Not immediately. Right now they’re just looking around. She said they aren’t in a rush or anything, so they’re waiting to find the perfect house. But still...”

  “Damn.”

  “Yeah. I know it’s selfish, but that was my first reaction too. I don’t want to have to move out of this apartment, but it will be a stretch if we have to cover the rent with just the two of us. At least it would be a stretch for me.”

  Brent could afford two-thirds of the rent fairly easily since he had a lot saved and ha
d a good stipend with his assistantship and fellowship. But he wasn’t sure what Chloe would think about that idea, so he didn’t say it right now. Instead, he said, “Maybe we could find another roommate.”

  “Yeah. Hopefully so. I don’t know anyone looking right now, but hopefully we’ll have at least a few months before they move out.” Chloe’s shoulders drooped. “I guess it was too much to hope that such a good living situation would last long term.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I don’t blame them. I mean, if I was a couple, I’m not sure I’d want to live with two other people. I’m sure they want more privacy.” She slanted him a mischievous look. “Especially since they have so much fun in the bedroom.”

  Brent met her eyes, sharing a look of perfect, amused understanding. Steve and Michelle had a very enthusiastic sex life. They kept all carnal activities to their own bedroom—one of the rules of the apartment—but the walls weren’t soundproofed and their nightly enjoyment of each other often drifted out beyond their room. Steve might come across as laid-back and old-fashioned, but he must know what he was doing in bed.

  It was hard not to be envious—especially since Brent’s own sex life was so lacking.

  Not that he was going to complain. He’d kissed Chloe ten times now, and she was reclined on his bed beside him. He’d never imagined he’d ever have her in such a position. He had no delusional dreams about becoming some kind of sex god.

  He’d just like to have sex eventually.

  “So...” Chloe reached over and rubbed a hand over his forearm. He was wearing an old T-shirt with a pair of flannel pants, so she was stroking his bare skin.

  His whole body tightened. “So.”

  “You want to kiss some more?”

  “You think I’m going to say no to that?” He closed his laptop and moved it over onto the table that served as his nightstand.

  She giggled and scooted over, sitting on her knees right beside him. She leaned forward, and he took her head in one hand to pull her mouth the rest of the way to his.

  He was a lot more comfortable with kissing than he’d been ten days ago. He knew now the kinds of things he could do with his lips and tongue. He knew how to flick his tongue to get Chloe’s breath to hitch. He knew how to tug on her lower lip so she’d make a little whimpering sound. He knew she liked it when he rubbed his beard against her cheek and neck. She would giggle and dig her fingers into his skull to hold his head in place.

  It gave him the most intense feeling of possessiveness—to know those things about her.

  He wanted to know even more.

  This evening, they kissed for about ten minutes—just playing, teasing each other. He was as hard as a rock in his pants after just a minute or two, and his erection throbbed pleasurably as they kissed.

  He was used to unfulfilled desire, so he was in control of it. He wasn’t going to do anything other than kiss her until Chloe indicated it was all right. He wanted to touch her body. To slip his hands under her sweater so he could feel her skin, her breasts. He wanted to pull off her leggings and explore between her legs. He might not know exactly what to do, but he was sure he could figure it out.

  But Chloe had told him they should go slow, so that was what he would do.

  She was teasing his lips with her tongue, combing her fingers through his beard and laughing softly against his mouth when she suddenly jerked and grabbed his shoulder.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked, letting go of her head so she could pull back.

  “Nothing.” She was smiling sheepishly. “Just got a catch in my back. We need to change positions.”

  “Okay. How do you want to be?”

  She looked at him. Licked her lips in a way that caused lust to surge up from his balls.

  “Okay,” she began, straightening her back. “I’m going to try something. Just tell me if you’re not comfortable with it or if it’s moving too fast for you.”

  “Too fast?” He had absolutely no idea what to expect, but he couldn’t imagine anything she might do that would be too fast for him.

  She swung one of her legs over his hips until she was straddling his pelvis. She held on to his shoulders and looked down at him. “Is this okay?”

  He stared up at her dazedly, his mind a blur of need and pleasure.

  “Brent? Do you want me to move?”

  “No!” He cleared his throat and tempered his tone. “You don’t have to move. I like you like this.”

  She laughed with what sounded like relief and leaned forward to kiss him again.

  It was different this way. Her warm weight was pressing down into him. Her hair was spilling all around him. Her breasts brushed against his chest. Arousal throbbed in his groin, his ears, behind his eyes.

  Her tongue went deep, and he opened all the way to the intrusion. Without ever thinking it through, he moved his hands to her thighs, repositioning them so his erection was pressed against the cleft between her legs.

  She moaned into his mouth.

  He lifted his hips slightly so he could rub against her, the pressure on his arousal both relieving and torturous.

  “Oh shit, Brent,” she gasped, breaking out of the kiss and rubbing her face against his beard. Her body was pressing down into him. “You feel so good.”

  Gratification shot through him, and he made a helpless sound low in his throat. He was grinding up against her. He really didn’t think it would take very much for him to come just like this.

  “Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh Brent.” She was almost riding him now, and the soft exclamations escaped her lips each time she rocked down against him.

  He was holding on to her tightly, his fingers clenched in the soft, full flesh of her thighs through the stretched fabric of her leggings. He heard himself grunt out, “Chloe,” just before she kissed him again.

  His tongue in her mouth matched the rhythm of his hips. It was instinctive. He wanted to fuck her. Desperately. With any part of his body he could.

  He was about to lose it completely when Chloe suddenly tore her mouth away. “Brent. Brent, wait.”

  He dropped his hands immediately, biting back the groan of reluctance at the abrupt loss of their motion. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. Nothing.” She was flushed a deep red, and her eyes were huge and wild and hot. There was a sheen of perspiration on her skin, and her hair was rumpled and messy.

  She was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen in his life.

  “I just wanted to... to check in with you.”

  “Check in with me?”

  “Yes. Check in. Is this too much? Too fast?”

  “Too much?” He gaped at her.

  “Yes. We’ve only been kissing, and this is a big jump. Is it... too much?”

  She was serious. She was worried about him. It was the sweetest thing.

  And also absolutely ludicrous.

  “It’s not too much,” he told her gruffly.

  “It’s not?”

  “No.”

  “So you want to... want to...”

  He knew he needed to say it out loud. She was waiting to hear it. So he forced the words out. “I want to do what we were doing. Yeah.”

  She let out a long sigh that proved she was hoping he’d answer that way.

  It made him smile. “Not sure I’ve ever wanted anything more.”

  “Me either.” She grabbed his head and kissed him again. “You’ve got the best body. You know that, right?”

  “I do?” He was trying to kiss her as they talked, but his lips landed on her chin instead of her mouth. So he kissed her there. When she arched her neck, he kissed his way down the graceful arc of her neck. He’d never done anything like it before, but it felt like that was what she wanted him to do.

  “Yes.” She was breathless and clutching at his shoulders, like she needed to hold on. “You’re so big and hard and... and hard. Exactly right to rub up against.”

  He chuckled at the wry note in her voice, but he could tell she meant what she said.r />
  She did like his body.

  She did like to do what they were doing.

  She wanted to be with him like this even though most of the time he didn’t know what he was doing.

  She was rubbing her groin against his again, but this time slower than before. Deliciously slow.

  He sucked on her pulse point and thrilled when she let out a soft, little cry of pleasure.

  “Oh Brent. You’re making me feel so good.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh yeah. Oh fuck. Oh Brent.” That seemed to be her standard refrain, and the rough, simple words were incredibly hot.

  She was grinding herself against him again, and she readjusted to wrap both arms around his neck so they were almost hugging each other on the bed.

  He held on tight as she rocked over him. His arousal was intensifying dangerously. He was going to lose it any minute now.

  He knew that was the point of what they were doing, but he didn’t want to lose it before she did. He might not be good at this, but he wanted to manage at least that.

  He moved one hand to her bottom. It was soft and substantial and rounded, and it felt amazing beneath his hand, separated only by a thin layer of cotton. He held her down against him tighter, and she moaned in response, right in his ear.

  His body throbbed.

  “I’m going to come, Brent,” she whispered, her motion over him growing more urgent. “I’m about to come.”

  He grunted. Couldn’t possibly form a single word.

  “Oh fuck. It’s so good. I’m so close. It’s going to be hard.” It felt like she was about to explode in his arms—hot tension shuddering through her small body.

  He couldn’t see. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t do anything but hold on to her and pump his hips up to match her motion above him. All the days and weeks and months of wanting her were culminating in the pressure in his balls.

  He was about to release it all. He was finally allowed. He just needed to wait a few more seconds.

  “Oh Brent!” Her voice had gotten louder, although it still wasn’t anything close to a scream. “I’m coming... coming... now!”

  Something happened to her body on the last word. All the tight shudders transformed into inhibited shaking. She rode him through her climax, digging her fingers into the back of his neck and making loud, helpless sobbing sounds that proved she was really feeling good.