The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

            “True.” Hallie nodded, and her lips slid into a smile of their own accord as she felt all warm inside. “No one else understands that it’s ridiculous to put the cheese on top.”

            “I mean,” he said, his grin matching hers, “what is the point of cold, hard cheese?”





Chapter

NINETEEN





They spent the afternoon, just the two of them, walking all over Vail. She forced him to go down the hill with her to the nearest Starbucks before they visited the charming shops, and after that they snagged beer and slices outside an adorable pizzeria.

            They’d intended to hike up into the mountains, but the village of Vail had been so picturesque, the afternoon so autumnally gorgeous, that they’d just strolled instead.

            Hallie felt happy because, in spite of his concerns, fake dating Jack was her new favorite pastime. Alone in the mountains, they wouldn’t have to pretend. But in the picturesque little town, anyone attending the wedding could see them.

            Which was why she held his hand while they walked around, hopped on his back when her legs got tired and he offered a piggyback, and why she kissed him.

            It was absolutely necessary.

            When they stopped in front of a store that looked like a tiny chalet and Hallie attempted a French accent, Jack gave her the mockery she deserved.

            “That is atrocious, Piper,” he said, laughing at her, and she realized that his smiling face was only about an inch or two above hers. Just . . . right there.

            So close.

            He swallowed as their eyes held, as if noticing the same thing, and she said, “I think I see my uncle Bob coming.”

            “You’re looking at me. How would you see that?” he asked, his eyes dipping down to her lips.

            “It’s like an intuition thing,” she said in a near-whisper. “Just in case, we should probably kiss.”

            He said in a deep, quiet voice, “Hallie Piper, do you even have an uncle Bob?”

            “I just want to so badly,” she breathed, unsure if she was talking about kissing or having an uncle Bob.

            “Well, if you want to,” he said, reaching out with a finger to trace the arch of her eyebrow, his eyes all over her face, “maybe you should.”

            The words were nothing, but his tone was challenging. Daring.

            So she tugged on the collar of his coat, pulling him down a little closer as she went up on her tiptoes. Instead of going for his mouth, though, she kissed the side of his neck, breathing in his scent while scraping his throat with her teeth. She could feel his intake of breath, and she reveled in the tiny groan as her lips and tongue tasted his warm skin.

            Images shot through her head as she imagined what it would be like to do that when they weren’t on a public street in a charming mountain vill—

            “Hal. You need to stop. That. Shit.” Jack grabbed her upper arms and set her a step away from him, his voice a little gravelly. He ran a hand down his face, breathed in through his nose, and said, while not looking at her, “Come on. I need to walk.”

            She felt like a sex goddess as they started walking, like she’d rendered him weak with her seductive necking skills. She hadn’t realized she’d been smiling, though, until he nudged her arm and said, “Quit that.”

            It was barely an hour later when they kissed again, but this time it was all Jack. They were in the outerwear store, and Jack went back to the men’s section while Hallie shopped in the women’s.

            The store employee was totally a ski bro: young, adorable, athletic, and into skiing. He chatted her up about the slopes, and then he put a cute hat on her head.

            “You need to get the pink Patagonia. Totally makes your gorgeous greens pop.”

            She rolled her eyes and shook her head at the dude. “Stupid sentences like that aren’t going to get you the Patagonia commission. Not from me, at least.”

            He smiled and adjusted the hat, pulling it down onto her forehead. “It’s not nice to call my heartfelt compliment stupid.”

            She laughed and said, “I’m not buying the hat.”