“My idea is just a way to throw my brother off our trail and, at the same time, get Colin to back off. It’s a win-win that way. And you had mentioned the other night that you want the focus to be on your career rather than on what different woman is on your arm at every event, and this would be a way to, uh…have the same woman on your arm at every event.”

My brows crash together as I have no idea what the fuck she’s talking about. “Okay…” I say, drawing out the word. “Out with it. What are you thinking?”

“A fake relationship,” she says, and her tone is a little proud, a little confident, and a little nervous all at the same time.

“A fake what now?” I ask.

“We pretend we’re dating. For the media, of course, and we tell Beck it’s just for show, a way for you to protect me from my ex since he asked you to protect me.” She lifts both shoulders and holds them up for a few beats.

I shake my head as I push to my feet. “No. Absolutely not. I don’t want to make this any worse, and I don’t want to lie to Beckett.”

“We wouldn’t be lying to Beckett,” she says.

“How is that not a lie?” My tone comes out with a huge dose of exasperation. “We’d explain away the photos by telling him we were faking it?”

“We were faking it in front of Colin. How is that a lie?”

He sighs. “It’s not the whole truth.”

“No, it’s not. And do either of us really want to give Beckett the whole truth that you laid me down on the bed right in the next room, stripped me naked, sucked on my—”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” I say, holding up a hand as I interrupt her before she says exactly what I sucked on since hearing those words fall from her mouth will only make me want to do it again. Harder. Faster. More. Now.