History would repeat itself if she wasn’t careful, and Paul would only be able to use her if she let him. But she wouldn’t. Their arrangement gave her something precious—an opportunity, a chance—and she would otherwise keep him at a distance.

“But getting messy is so much fun.” He reached out to her and pulled her to him, his hips flat against her belly as he wedged her against the kitchen bench. “Besides, they’re spying on us.”

“Who?”

“My family.” He inclined his head back toward the kitchen door with a movement so subtle she felt as though they were spies communicating undercover. “We should sell it; we don’t want them thinking this is just business.”

His hands touched her hips, his fingers tracing the line at the top of her jeans just under her shirt. The throbbing started up again, insistent. Demanding.

“They don’t think that,” she protested, but her hands came up to his chest as if controlled by a puppet master tugging her strings.

His muscles were hard beneath her palms, and she had to stop herself from rubbing against him. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw a flash of red. Gracie.

“Okay, maybe they are watching us.”

“Ready to play the part?” One hand came up to cup the angle of her jaw. “Let’s see what kind of actress you are.”

“This is purely for show,” she said, the breath rushing out of her lungs as his face hovered close to hers.

“Of course.” His lips brushed the space next to the corner of her mouth, so close and yet the distance felt like pure, unadulterated torture. “You won’t enjoy this at all.”

“I won’t.”

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

He angled her head, coming down over her in a way that was completely possessive and in control. As his lips parted hers, she sighed against him, her body losing the ability to hold itself upright. Every nerve ending in her body sparkled like New Year’s fireworks, and her fists curled into his T-shirt.

The moment his tongue touched hers her mind went blank, the taste of wine on his lips and the scent of his skin driving her to a point of desperation. His fingers thrust into her hair, pulling her head back so he could take more, demand more. Taste more.

Unable to stop herself, Libby pressed her hips against him, gently rubbing up and down until a wonderfully guttural sound came from the back of his throat. He was hard beneath her hands, the muscles in his chest perfectly shaped. The press of his thighs against hers enough to spark wild images in her mind.

“You seem fairly invested,” he murmured against her lips, pulling away from the kiss with a dark fire in his eyes, “for someone who’s not enjoying herself.”

“Just playing the part.” The crack in her voice betrayed just how much she’d wanted that kiss to continue.

“Right.” A cocky smile passed over his lips as he nudged her legs apart with his thigh.

A small gasp came rushing out as he pressed against the distracting ache there. If they’d been alone her restraint would have shattered like glass against stone. Thank God his family was in the next room.

“You don’t look like you want to jump me at all,” he teased.

“I’m a good actress.” Sucking in a breath, Libby pressed her lips together and straightened up. “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“It’s one thing I want.”

Paul was not a guy who would be easily fooled. She’d have to be more careful about how much she revealed around him. She’d already made it clear she was attracted to him, but her business came first.

That was one thing she didn’t have to pretend.

“Your family is waiting,” she said primly. “You don’t want them to think I’m some floozy who’s ready to jump their son in the next room.”

“I don’t much care what they think, you just say the word.” He brushed his hand down the side of her neck, tracing her collarbone with a fingertip.

“You should care.” She wriggled out of his grasp and closed the door to the dishwasher. “You have a family who loves you. If you don’t care about that you don’t deserve them.”

A moment later, when they’d no doubt decided that the kissing had stopped, Leone entered the kitchen. “How about some dessert?”

“Why didn’t Libby mention anything about being your girlfriend when she met with me the other day?” Des asked, leaning back in his chair and rolling up the sleeves on his shirt. The bottom of one tattoo peeked out. The colored ink looked even more intense against the white cotton.

“We hadn’t decided that we were going to go public yet.” Paul shrugged, pretending to inspect his coffee so he didn’t have to face his brother’s doubt. Or the churning in his own gut. “She wanted to come to you on her own so you’d focus on her business idea rather than seeing her as my girlfriend.”

The lie tasted sour on his tongue. Paul was many things but he’d always been an open book. Lying wasn’t something that felt natural, but he reminded himself why he and Libby had entered into this arrangement. He was done being second best.

“I think it’s a great idea, but it’s not really something that would suit First.” Des brushed a hand through his hair, a hint of remorse in his voice. “I feel bad saying no, but I have to do what’s best for the business. You know that, right?”

“I know.” Paul nodded, watching Libby’s red hair glimmer under the lamplight as she sat a few feet away in the lounge room chatting to his mother and Gracie.

“I was pretty abrupt,” Des admitted. “But I know when something’s right and when it’s not.”

“It’s fine. She’s a tough one, I don’t think it’s the first time she’s had to deal with people saying no to her.”

Des grimaced. “You should have given me the heads-up.”

“Why?”

“It’s been a while since you brought anyone home. I’m sure you don’t want her to think your family is full of jerks.”

“She doesn’t think that.”

“Good, because I think Ma is already picking out table settings for your wedding.”

Paul held up his hands. “Let’s focus on getting you married. I’ve got no plans to get hitched anytime soon.”

“Anytime soon? That seems like a turnaround from your previous opinion that weddings are a total waste of money and that you’d never even consider it.”

Paul swallowed and pushed back the memory of traipsing around the city trying to find the perfect ring for Sadie. He’d picked it out, too, but his credit card had been deactivated that day. The bank had found fraudulent activity on his account, and he couldn’t pay for the ring. A stroke of luck that saved him the last of his humiliation. That afternoon he’d come home to find Sadie packing her bags, his smug-faced cousin by her side. The stench of her infidelity seeping into the walls of their apartment.

He’d never told anyone about his plans to propose.

Paul’s lips twisted into a grimace. “I haven’t changed my mind.”

“There’s a big difference between not wanting to get hitched anytime soon and not wanting it ever.” Des folded his arms across his chest and grinned. “She’s gotten to you. That’s why you brought her home.”

“I was quite content keeping my family and my love life separate…”

“But?”

“Libby’s…different.” At least that wasn’t a lie. “She’s different from Sadie.”

Des chuckled. “You mean she’s not a two-faced, cheating waste of space?”

Paul’s head snapped up. “I thought you liked Sadie.”

He’d never heard a single family member say a bad word about his ex, not even after everything that had happened. Deep down he’d always wondered if they’d wished the two of them had stayed together. Or worse, they blamed him for the breakup…for driving her into another man’s arms.

“I liked her well enough while you were going out, but you can’t really excuse what she did.” Des frowned. “I know Ma always says we have to remember she’s still part of the family but…”

“But?”