Adele bit her lower lip, uncertain if she wanted to laugh or cry.
Was Nick trying to subtly tell her he’d been watching porn?
Fuck my life.
This was ranking as one of the most uncomfortable moments of her life, which was saying something, considering the fact she was sort of professional when it came to doing stupid shit.
After she’d called a halt to their awkward beginning in the bedroom, Adele had tried to explain that she preferred a lover who was a bit more “take charge” and that it was obvious he wanted the same.
When he asked what she’d meant, she’d come a hell of a lot cleaner than she probably should have, telling him she preferred a dominant man with a kinky side.
Then, fool that she was, she’d listed the kinks the Maris grapevine had supplied about Porter’s bedroom proclivities, including spankings, bondage, hair pulling, and toys. Nick had looked like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing without sound for several minutes.
He hadn’t managed to find his voice until they’d both put their clothes back on and she was pushing him toward the door.
Just before leaving, he’d told her he wouldn’t mind exploring those kinks with her, but she’d known—without a shadow of a doubt—that he still hadn’t gotten it. There was no question in her mind that his idea of exploring meant a tit-for-tat situation where they’d take turns on the receiving end.
She had zero desire to play dominatrix to some weak-ass CPA, and she thought she’d done a great job of explaining that in a kind way. The truth was they were too much alike in their sexual desires to ever be truly compatible.
Obviously, she hadn’t done as well setting him straight as she thought.
“Nick. Please. I really think it would be smart to just leave—”
“I can give you what you want.” He lowered his voice when he added, “In bed.”
Porter’s eyebrows raised, a slight smirk tilting his lips upwards.
Adele narrowed her eyes, suddenly feeling the slightest niggling of annoyance toward the hot cowboy.
After all, he was the reason she was in this predicament to begin with.
Him and those damn dances.
Maybe him sticking around wasn’t such a great thing after all.
Adele shook her head, trying to figure out how the hell she could get out of this mess without hurting Nick’s feelings and showing Porter more than she wanted him to see.
“No,” she said as gently as she could. “Please don’t make me say it all again, Nick.”
“Give me a chance. To prove I can do it.”
Adele closed her eyes, aware there was no easy way out of this. She hated hurting anyone’s feelings, and she’d been pretty proud of her breakup track record, managing to remain good friends with both of her previous ex-boyfriends, parting amicably with Alex and Keith.
Hell, Alex was still on her Christmas card list, and she and Keith chatted on the phone every now and again. They’d spoken weekly after he left town, but lately, she’d started hesitating to answer when she saw his name on her cell because the conversations invariably led to him asking her to move to St. Louis, and with each failed date, it was getting harder and harder to say no.
Before she could figure out what to say next, Porter spoke up.
“I’m afraid you’re too late, Nick,” Porter said. “Addie and I are going out now.”
Nick frowned, clearly confused, considering she’d only dumped him a couple weeks ago. “Addie?”
Porter nodded.
“Going out? You mean you’re on a date right now?” Nick asked.
“No. I mean we’re dating. She’s my girlfriend.”
“But…I…I mean…you…Porter, you don’t…” Nick stammered.
Adele understood why Nick was struggling. Everyone in town knew Porter didn’t date and he’d never had a girlfriend.
Ever.
And while she appreciated Porter’s efforts on her behalf, Maris was a small town, and it wouldn’t take more than five minutes for Nick to figure out Porter was lying.
Porter smiled at her, his expression genuinely affectionate.
Talk about a great actor.
“What can I say? I found out she was single and decided it was time to strike fast before some other young buck snatched her up.”
Porter reached across the counter, palm up, and before she could consider her actions, she found herself taking his proffered hand. His hand was large, calloused, warm. He squeezed hers and gave her a wink that she suspected was supposed to be playful or friendly, but it missed the mark because she found it ridiculously sexy. Her body reacted before she could give it the old “down, girl” command, all her pertinent parts suddenly tingling, tightening, clenching.
Adele realized she was staring at Porter, so she forced herself to face Nick, pasting on a smile as fake as her so-called relationship with the sexy cowboy. “It took me by surprise too, Nick.”
She tried to pull her hand away from Porter because touching him was making it very difficult for her to concentrate on the task at hand, which was letting Nick down gently.
Porter tightened his grip, refusing to relinquish it. She shot him a look that he not only ignored but answered with one of those dimpled grins that sent a shiver of arousal down her spine.
Her panties were suddenly very, very damp.
Nick glanced from her to Porter and back again, and then his shoulders slumped. She didn’t have a clue what Nick saw, but it was apparently enough to convince him that Porter was telling the truth.
He gave Adele a rueful grin as he shrugged. “Guess I missed my chance. Sorry for interrupting.”
Nick gave Porter a quick nod of goodbye before leaving the restaurant.
She had to hand it to Porter. He’d helped her dodge a bullet…for now. She hoped Nick wouldn’t be too hurt or angry when he discovered they’d been lying.
Adele tried to pull her hand away again now that they were alone, but Porter held tight.
“You can let go. He’s gone now.”
Porter shook his head. “No. If I want to hold my girlfriend’s hand, I will.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “As far as unbelievable lies go, that one might just take the cake. You know it won’t take Nick long to figure out everything you just said is a pile of shit.”
“What did he mean when he said he could give you what you want in bed?”
Adele wasn’t the type of woman to embarrass easily, so she could probably count on one hand the number of times she’d blushed. Porter’s question sent a flood of heat to her cheeks, and she didn’t need a mirror to know her face was probably blood red. “None of your business.”
Porter gave her a shit-eating grin. “Now that I’m your boyfriend, I think it would be helpful to know exactly what it is I’m supposed to be researching.”
He was having way too much fun at her expense. She tugged her hand away, putting enough force behind the pull that Porter had no choice but to release his grip.
“Very funny. You don’t need to research a thing.”
She meant he didn’t need to research because they weren’t dating, but it was clear that wasn’t how Porter had interpreted her comment, when he wiggled his brows suggestively. “Good to know I’ve already got the appropriate skill set.”