She licked her lips and watched his as he spoke.
“A kiss?”
His palm cupped her cheek. “Maybe some heavy petting. There has to be a room void of cameras that we can escape to… let the person watching wonder.”
Oh, she wondered. Wondered what it would feel like in his arms. She’d thought of kissing him again ever since their wedding day.
“What would that prove?” she asked, ignoring how his thumb stroked her cheek and brought erotic images of his hands on other parts of her body.
“It would prove we’re intimate, that we enjoy each other outside of the public eye. As long as they think we’re oblivious of their surveillance, it should work. What do you say, Samantha? Are you up for the challenge?”
She stopped staring at his lips and found him staring at her. He already knew how to get her riled and ready for a fight. “I’m up for it.”
His grin turned into a huge smile. “Atta girl. Now, why don’t you have the cook make you breakfast while I try to catch a couple hours sleep. Then we’ll take a trip to your place. That should give my men the time they need to find all the bugs.”
He dropped his hand to his side and pushed off the bed.
“Blake? What about tomorrow? The next day? How are we going to keep this up for a year?”
“One day at a time, sweetheart. We’re two intelligent people with the same goal. We’ll figure something out.”
Chapter Six
There were cameras in her living room, kitchen, and both bedrooms. They knew about the phone line already. According to Blake’s men, her car was clean.
But dammit! Someone had watched her dress, watched her sleep. Samantha revealed to Blake the conversation she’d had with Eliza, the only one that might hold a hint of their deceptive marriage. The cameras were most likely planted by the guys posing as telephone repairmen. Or perhaps someone had snuck in while she’d been out jogging.
After that, the conversations were on her cell phone and usually when she was out. Not that it mattered, they’d only talked about the reception and the people she’d meet. Admittedly, they talked like an old married couple, which was surprising considering they hardly knew each other.
Blake drove the town car with Sam guiding the way to her house.
As the townhome drew closer, the reality of what they were doing spread worry throughout her limbs.
“You’re wringing your hands together,” Blake told her. “What’s wrong?”
“Honest answer?” she asked him, knowing what he’d say.
“Always.”
“Kissing you.”
He snuck a glance behind his glasses and returned his eyes to the road. “Kissing me is wrong?”
“Yes,” she blurted out. “I mean, no.”
He chuckled. “Which is it?”
“Ugh. What if I choke? What if I don’t look convincing?” What if she screwed up and gave the camera exactly what they wanted and Blake lost his inheritance?
Blake removed one hand from the steering wheel and placed it over her cold ones. “Samantha?”
“Yes.”
“Relax. Let me take charge here.”
She shook her head. “I’m not used to men taking charge in my life.”
“I know that. But you can trust me.”
She wanted to trust him. But her hands shook as they pulled into her driveway. He removed the key from the ignition and shifted in his seat. “Let’s just go inside and start packing.”
“Are you going to kiss me the minute we’re inside?” God, she had to know… so she could prepare herself.
Blake leaned forward and removed his sunglasses. “Come here,” he whispered, staring at her lips.
She inched forward, thinking he wanted to whisper something important.
Instead, he leaned over the seat and placed his lips softly on hers. The heat was instant and sizzled all the way to her toes. Her eyes fluttered shut as she eased into his kiss. Then he moved away. “Kissing will be the easy part,” he said over her opened lips. “Pulling back will prove much harder.”
Blake bushed his thumb over her lower lip before turning and opening his door.
Samantha stepped on wobbly legs and allowed Blake to hold her arm for support.
He glanced up and down the block with an obviously disapproving glare. “This neighborhood doesn’t feel safe to me. How long have you lived here?”
“Two years,” she told him as she placed her key in the lock and opened the door.
They stepped inside the foyer and Samantha placed her purse on the table. “I have some boxes in a shed out back.”
“I’ll get the ones from the car.”
As they went in opposite directions, Samantha found her eyes traveling to the camera she knew was hidden in her bookcase. Walking by it, she headed out through her kitchen to the shed and came back with several dusty cardboard boxes in various sizes. She dumped them on the coffee table and glanced around the room.
Blake brought a half dozen boxes still folded up and a roll of packing tape.
“Why don’t we use those for my clothes since they’re clean,” she suggested.
“Okay,” he said glancing up the stairwell.
Samantha led the way to her bedroom and had Blake dump the boxes on her bed. He picked them up one by one and tucked their edges together. After a little tape, the boxes were ready to go.
“Where do you want me to start?” Blake asked.
“In the closet.”