Chapter 3 - Reiner

I smelled her before I actually saw her. As soon as I closed my car door and started walking to the door, a rush of cherry blossoms wafted past me on the breeze. At first, I convinced myself I was being delusional, but the closer I got to the entrance of the bar, the stronger the scent became. I tried like hell to keep walking, to not glance in her direction, but I wasn’t strong enough to resist.

There she was, sitting all alone on the outside deck in that adorable little dress that fits her curvaceous body so perfectly. And now, she’s sitting just a few feet away from me with that same shy little smile that drew me in the first time we met. Her midnight-black hair is a little longer now, stopping just below her shoulder line, and it’s silky and shiny as ever, accentuating her pale skin. Like magnets, those gray eyes always seem to draw mine and hold them hostage, like she cast a spell that I’m powerless to avoid.

That sharp tongue has gained a few barbs, it seems. Every damn time she opens her mouth to speak, she jabs, poking holes in me. I guess I’ve earned it, given the way I treated her the last and only time we spoke, but her attitude isn’t really winning any awards with me. Still, no matter how much she insults and ridicules me, my cock can’t ignore her sassy little mouth. Or the way she squirms when she’s angry. Those full tits look amazing in that dress, and it isn’t hard to imagine sinking down between the cushions of her ample cleavage.

When her face falls as she glances over my shoulder, it’s like a huge ice cube has been tossed down the back of my shirt. I spin around in my stool, facing the group of men coming in. Jack, along with Piper’s brothers, Lenny and Riley, are waltzing toward us, each one sending up a smug warning in my head. Right behind them is an older man and woman I don’t recognize, but judging by the look of panic on Jane’s face, I gather she does. That must be the aunt and uncle she spoke of.

Damn it all to hell. I told Jack I was going out to meet up with my pretend girlfriend, using it as an excuse to get a breather from them. I didn’t expect them to come tracking me down. Well, I knew this lie would come back to bite me in the ass sooner or later. At least I’m not alone. Jane’s screwed, too, I realize.

Unless…

Don’t be stupid , a voice whispers to me. Do not do what you’re thinking.

It’s a dumb plan. I should put it out of my mind right away. Dwelling on something so bone-headed and idiotic will only lead to trouble. After all, Jane can’t stand me, and despite the attraction I feel toward her, she isn’t the kind of woman I would want to play house with, either. Besides, in the grand scheme of things, I don’t need this kind of complication in my life.

“I have a crazy idea,” I breathe, so quietly that only a shifter would be able to hear me.

Jane quirks a perfect eyebrow, her plush lips turning down in a confused frown. “Okay…”

I quickly down the rest of my beer and grab her waist, tugging her off her stool to stand and slide between my spread thighs. With my heart beating in my chest like a piston, I cup the side of her face and put everything I have into gazing into her eyes like a lovestruck idiot. She wiggles against me in her attempts to squirm free, but with her rounded hips trapped between my thighs, all the movement is doing is driving me wild and infuriating her.

“What are you doing?” she demands in a low, frantic whisper. “Reiner?”

A shiver races up my spine when she utters my name in that tone. It’s so damn sexy, even though she’s furious with me right now.

“Just follow my lead and play along, sugar.”

“What? You’d better not—”

I grab her by the waist and pull her tight to my body, earning a satisfying grunt from her pretty mouth, her eyes bulging as the force jerks her off-balance. She can’t say anything, though, because I kiss her then, sliding my tongue between the seam of her lips.

The second our mouths meet, it’s like everything else suddenly fades away. My stupid friends, our stupid lies, her feisty attitude, and her disdain for me, all of it. Nothing but the soft curves of her plush body pressed against my hard, starved groin remains, and Jane makes the most deliciously adorable sound as I devour her mouth. A whimper, maybe? Or is she moaning? Is she even aware that she made any noise at all? Fuck, it sounded so hot.

A bolt of possessiveness bursts in my chest. It almost sounds like a claim of a female from her male, except she isn’t mine. Not really. This is all just for show.

Shocking me completely, Jane grips the front of my shirt and releases a seductive sigh, actually returning my kiss. Her soft little tongue dips inside to twine with mine, moving cautiously, but the shy hesitancy is… well, arousing, to say the least. For such a closed-off woman, she really lets go and lets her inhibitions fall away. Or is that just an act?

“Jane! There you are!”

Instantly, the kiss is broken. We spring apart like two kids who just got caught trying to light firecrackers in the middle of Main Street. All eyes are on us as we feebly put distance between our bodies, then on me as I wipe my mouth and scratch the back of my head sheepishly.

“Aunt Gwen,” she coughs, glancing away from me and shifting her weight anxiously from one hip to the other. “Uncle Richard. Uh… um… this is…”

“Reiner Thomas,” I supply, holding my hand out for her uncle to shake. “Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

Jake and the guys are standing close, eavesdropping like a bunch of rubbernecking shitheads. I catch Riley nudging Lenny and nodding with a cocky grin on his face.

“You’re the one Jane’s been so secretive about,” Gwen says, wearing a knowing smile. “My, my. It all makes sense now.”

Richard watches the exchange in silence, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The tiny woman at his side moves closer, tugging on his arm as she does. “Dick, darling, say hello. We don’t wanna be rude.”

He shoots her a flat look, rolling his eyes, but corrects the mistake. “Nice to meet you, Reiner.”

“Jane, dear, where did Sonya go?” Gwen asks. “I thought you two came out together?”

“Oh, uh…” Jane peeks behind them at the group. “She went to the restroom, but the bartender disappeared, and they were flirting earlier, so… I think she might be busy at the moment.”

“I see.” Gwen straightens, dusting off her hands on her cotton blue sundress. “Well, we just came in to get a couple of drinks before heading home. Thought we’d stop and say hello first.”

She steps forward and hugs her niece, patting her back lovingly. A warm feeling settles in my gut as I watch them together. How close these two are is so obvious, it’s adorable.

Once Gwen releases Jane, her eyes meet mine, and she points a menacing finger at my face. “You take care of our girl, ya hear? Jane’s special.”

For no reason whatsoever, her words embarrass me. I can feel a fierce heat creep up my neck and invade my face as all eyes turn to me. “Yes, ma’am.”

The couple bids their farewells after that, and as soon as they leave our side, my friends take their place. Shit. Jack seems to find all of this extremely amusing. I knew he would.

“So, this is your girlfriend?” he asks, grinning deviously.

Fucked. I’m fucked. No way out. “Jane, this is my cousin Jack, and the dopes behind him are─”

“Riley and Lenny, I know,” she informs me. “They’re my cousins.”

My stomach drops. “I’m sorry, what now? But Piper is their sister.”

“And she’s also my cousin. And best friend.”

“I thought I was your best friend,” a girl whines from behind the boys, playfully pouting at Jane as she sticks her head between them. “How you doing, boys? Haven’t seen you in ages.”

I recognize the girl as the same one who asked Jane to watch her drink. “You must be Sonya,” I surmise.

Her blond ponytail bobbles and swishes as she nods, pushing her way past them and squeezing in to reclaim her barstool. “Yup, that’s me. Sonya Riddles, Jane’s personal enabler.”

A collective “What?” is shared with some uncertain glances as we gape at the bold, pretty young woman.

She waves a hand in the air, dismissing our confusion. “What I mean is, when she needs someone to kick her out of her comfort zone, I’m the gal you call.”

“Well, if that’s the case, you and I should talk,” I say. “I may need your help on this one.”

Images of the kiss keep playing through my head. I can still feel Jane’s soft lips moving beneath mine, her stiff body melting into mine. I’m utterly fucked because I want more, so much more. For the sake of our little ruse, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to sneak in another kiss.

I quickly shoot down the idea, telling myself I’d just be increasing the problem. If I kiss her, I’ll want to do it again, and again.

“I’m just a little confused,” Sonya begins, darting her eyes between me and Jane. “I just assumed Jane was bullshitting when she said she was seeing someone. I figured if it was true, I would’ve been the first to know. So, why all the secrecy? And how long have you two been, you know…?”

An uncomfortable look crosses Jane’s face, but I pick up on something in the look on her face. Help.

“I don’t think I need to tell you Jane is a very shy and private person,” I say. “We agreed to keep things to ourselves for a while, at least until we were sure what was happening between us was worth telling everyone about. We don’t want to jinx it, right, sugar?”

God, the look on her face is priceless. She stammers, searching her brain for something to say, and bites her bottom lip. “Yeah. What he said. We thought it’d be a good idea if we kept things quiet until we got used to it first. No reason to get everyone worked up if things… don’t work out.”

I slip my arm around her waist and, without hesitating, plant a loud, smacking kiss on her cheek. When I turn back to the others, they’re all staring at us like our heads just switched bodies or something.

“This is really weird,” Riley says, mostly to himself.

“Nah, man, I’m down,” Lenny interjects. “It makes sense. It’s like yin and yang. Our sweet, mild-mannered cousin.” He points to Jane, whose face immediately screws into a defiant scowl. Lenny responds with a chuckle before turning his attention back to me. “With this fucking broody hothead. Just fits, ya know?”

Jane squirms, trying to pry my fingers loose, but I don’t budge. Shit, I actually tighten my grip. I bury my nose in her hair and inhale deeply. Her scent is so damn alluring that my body instinctively responds. I can’t stop it from happening, can’t seem to control it even the tiniest bit.

She slaps me with her other arm and starts whispering furiously. “What are you doing? Get off me, ass hat!”

“C’mon, sugar,” I respond, hovering my mouth just over hers, not even trying to ignore the instant hard-on I’m sporting. “It’s all for show, right?”

Sparks fly when I brush my lips against hers. It’s like a live wire trying to run current into my system. To my surprise, Jane visibly melts into me, inhaling deeply as I massage my lips against hers. The sensation is addictive and intoxicating. Having her pressed so closely to my body, I can feel her arousal growing as I slide my tongue through her parted lips. Soon enough, we start to forget about everyone else, quickly losing ourselves in our makeshift embrace.

Good God, this woman is going to be the death of me.