"I have a favor to ask." Josh's voice sounded just beside her.
Tracy jumped and dropped the flashlight. "Damn it! You scared me."
Josh picked up her flashlight, handed it to her and thrust his hands in his pockets. "Sorry."
Tracy sighed. "What's the favor?"
"I want you to pretend to hook up with me."
Tracy was glad for the darkness. An open mouth wasn't very attractive. After a moment, she managed to speak. "Why?"
Josh started pacing in front of her tent. "Because Holly won't give up. I've seen her do this before."
"So have I, and I've managed to evade her so far. What's the big deal?"
He stopped and looked at her. "The big deal is that she's been planning this for over a year. I figure pretending she's been successful for a couple of weeks is a small price to pay for a little peace."
"Why would I want to help you? You haven't exactly been polite to me."
"I'm sorry about that. I thought you were in on the scheme to pair me off."
In the eerie light of their flashlights, she couldn't read his expression. Was he sorry about the kiss, too? "You still haven't given me a good reason."
He broke into a grin. "I'm told I'm charming when I want to be. Maybe I'll grow on you and it won't be so bad."
"Exactly how far are we going with this charade?"
He stepped closer to her until she had to tip her head to see his face. "As far as you want to go."
"How far do you want to go?"
He snorted. "I'm a guy. What do you think?"
Tracy laughed as she weighed the pros and cons. A casual hook up with all the cards on the table sounded appealing. No heartache, no strings. Lots of hot sex. "And when the two weeks are over, we just tell Holly it didn't work and it gives us an out for any future set ups, right?"
"Yes."
She shrugged. "Okay. When do we start?"
Josh was so still, she wondered if he had been joking. "Now." He grabbed her hand, hauled her to him and crushed his lips to hers.
Tracy had never felt overwhelmed by a man's size. Josh was the first man who made her feel almost dainty. His huge hands traveled down her back and cupped her rear end. Moulding her body to his, she tilted her head. He lowered his mouth to her neck, placing little bites along her throat that made her shiver. She was on fire.
When his lips touched hers again, it was gently. His tongue stroked the inside of her mouth with care as his hands crept up to thread through her hair. He broke the kiss and released her slowly.
"Just giving you another good reason." He brushed a strand of her hair from her face. "Good night, Tracy."
She was too stunned to say anything as he walked away again. Damn, he was good at making an exit. What the hell had she just gotten herself into?
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