Seductive Guest by E. L. Todd Page A

was food—except hot dogs. “I don’t care. Anything.”
    “Okay.” He leaned in and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. It lingered for a long time, stretching for seconds until an entire minute had passed. Heat coursed through me and I liked the feel of his mouth against mine. Maybe it was because I hadn’t been with a man as attractive as River. Or maybe it was because it’d been too long since I’d been with a man at all. But I felt the heat. And judging his rock-hard cock, he did too.
    He pulled away and looked down into my face. “You’re a good kisser.”
    “Thanks. But I think that’s all you.”
    “It takes two to tango, sweetheart. Now let’s go.”
    I grabbed my purse and resisted the urge to glance in Nathan’s office. Was he watching us? Did he see anything? But I kept up my indifferent façade.
    River wrapped his arm around my waist then escorted me into the elevator. Then he pressed me against the wall before he hit the button for the lobby. My breathing increased as he had me pinned. My chest was close to his, and my hands immediately went to his arms. River turned back to me then brushed his lips past mine, over and over.
    It started to frustrate me. He kept teasing me until I wanted the kiss to happen. The doors closed and the elevator started to move. But he kept up the act even though there was no one to perform for.
    “What did we talk about?” he whispered. “You want something, take it.” He stared at me and waited for me to move in.
    But I didn’t. I couldn’t do it. I wanted the kiss to happen but it didn’t feel right. I was paying him to pose as my boyfriend, not kiss me in the elevator.
    River backed off. “You’ll get it eventually.” He put his hands in his pockets then leaned against the opposite wall of the elevator. But he continued to stare at me, his eyes honing in on my legs.
    “Did he see us?”
    He nodded.  “I could see him over your shoulder. And he watched us the entire time.”
    “He did?” I couldn’t hide my excitement.
    River’s mood darkened. “Yes, the jackass who never noticed you before finally knows you’re alive. Congratulations.”
    River didn’t like Nathan and I knew he never would. “Are we really getting lunch?”
    “Why wouldn’t we? I’m starving.”
    We left the building then went to a pizza parlor a few blocks over. I was surprised when River paid for my lunch as well as his. After all, he was there because of me. I figured I should pay for all of his expenses. “You don’t need to buy me lunch.”
    “I’m aware of that.” He took a bite of his combination pizza and devoured half of it.
    “I should be paying for your lunch.”
    “No,” he said. “I’m not that kind of guy.” He looked out the window while he ate. Then he turned back to me. “You like your food?”
    “It’s pizza,” I blurted. “Of course I like it.”
    He moved onto his second slice.
    “So, do you like what you do?” I asked. “You know, pretending to be someone’s boyfriend.”
    “I like it a lot,” he said. “I’m my own boss, for the most part.”
    “But you must get some stalkers…”
    He shrugged before he took a drink of his soda. “I had stalkers before. Come on, look at me.”
    I laughed. “Someone has an ego.”
    “Or someone actually knows what they are worth— unlike someone I know .”
    He kept making this jab. “I admit I’m a little pathetic when it comes to Nathan—”
    “A little?”
    I ignored him and kept going. “But I’m strong and proud in any other instance. I have confidence and I don’t care what anyone thinks of me.”
    “Sure.” He gave me a look that told me he didn’t believe a word I said.
    “If I cared that much I wouldn’t have hired you. You think it was easy to walk into your store and hire a boyfriend?”
    “But you’re doing it because you care what Nathan thinks of you—doesn’t count.”
    “You know, you’re kind of a jerk.”
    He took a bite of his pizza and took his time