Her Fill-In Fiancé by Stacy Connelly Read Free Book Online

T-shirt from earlier, and Sophia wondered how long he’d been sitting there. Her heart picked up its pace as Jake stood and crossed the small kitchen to stand in front of her. The single bulb that had seemed bright before now shone like a spotlight, emphasizing his tousled dark-blond hair, the rough stubble grazing his jaw, and she couldn’t look away.
    With the heat coming off Jake’s body and the refrigerated air at her back, Sophia half expected a spontaneous tornado to sweep through the kitchen—a storm certainly seemed to be brewing inside her.
    â€œSophia.” His voice held a hint of warning, and her gaze instantly rose to meet his. The desire she saw there only amplified the longing spinning through her in ever tightening circles, spiraling down into a pinpoint focus. She wanted him to kiss her. To let the heat and urgency of his mouth against hers wipe away the past weeks. To turn back time to those few, short days when Jake Cameron was a man she could trust, a man she could count on…
    Instead of a man who lied.
    Realization hitting with an embarrassment that Jake couldso easily turn her on even though he had lied, Sophia spun back toward the fridge.
    â€œUh, no. I couldn’t sleep.” She busied herself with taking out the milk, wishing she could press the cold container against her heated face. “I thought some warm milk might help. I can fix you some if you’d like.”
    â€œI don’t think warm milk will do the trick.”
    As the refrigerator door swung shut, the kitchen was once again wrapped in semi-darkness. Just as well, since Sophia feared seeing more in Jake’s expression than she wanted to know. She found a small saucepan right where it had always been and set it on the stove. “You know, just because we’re pretending to be dating doesn’t mean you have to stay. You could say something came up with work.”
    â€œWhat kind of boyfriend would I be if I missed your parents’ anniversary party?”
    â€œHow did you—never mind. It’s your job to know these things.”
    Jake stepped closer, making it almost impossible for Sophia to keep her focus on the milk swirling in the small pan. “This is not part of my job.”
    You’re not hoping that he’ll, I don’t know, have some crazy explanation and that you guys can pick up where you left off—
    Maybe Theresa was right not to pass on the message that Jake had called, Sophia thought, suddenly worried she might end up doing exactly what her cousin feared. That she’d be willing to believe anything Jake said as long as it meant picking up where they left off. Did he know, she wondered in pained embarrassment, how close she’d been to falling into bed with him? That if he’d pressed just a little, she would have gladly given in? And did he think even now it might be that easy again? That she would be that easy… “What about the mugger?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThe would-be purse snatcher and your timely rescue. Was that part of the job? Did you hire him the same way someone hired you?”
    â€œNo! No, I did not hire that guy!” He swore beneath his breath. “I would never do anything to purposely hurt you or anyone.”
    He’d purposely lied, purposely fooled her into coming far too close to falling for him, and if Jake didn’t know how much that had hurt, Sophia wasn’t about to tell him. Her thoughts were still spinning, and her mind didn’t know how to reconcile the man she thought she knew in St. Louis with the man she didn’t know at all standing in her mother’s kitchen. Unfortunately, judging by the awareness buzzing along her skin like an electrical current, her body didn’t care. Whenever, wherever, whoever Jake Cameron was, she wanted him.
    Crossing her arms over her stomach, she pointed out, “I wasn’t hurt.”
    â€œYou were scared,” Jake said. “I