One thing was for certain-faking an attraction wasn't going to be an issue at all. Settling his hands on her hips, he eased her back so he could breathe without thinking about skimming his hands along her curves and other places they didn't belong.

She looked up at him, her eyes shining gratefully. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," she said, still caught up in the fact that he'd agreed to help her out. "Just knowing that I won't have to deal with Craig's subtle advances for the next three weeks is a huge relief."

He smiled, enjoying her enthusiasm. "Good."

Despite those four-inch heels of hers, there was a bounce to her step as she walked over to the chair and grabbed her purse. When she spun back around, she was grinning effusively. "You know what this means, don't you?"

He didn't quite trust the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Umm, no." But he was positive she was about to enlighten him.

She strolled back toward him and trailed a pink painted fingernail down the center of his chest. "This means, as my boyfriend, you're gonna have to call me Christy."

His deep groan rolled into a laugh, and he shook his head at her impudence. Leave it to Christine to revel in that small bit of victory.

Chapter Four

BY the time Christine arrived with Ben at Envy, her friends were already there and had claimed a table in the downstairs lounge where it was much quieter than upstairs near the dance floor and circular bar. Instead of stiff, uncomfortable bar stools, the lounge area was sectioned off with velvet armchairs, couches, and love seats in vibrant shades of purples, greens, and reds. Despite how crowded the place already was, the overall atmosphere was warm and inviting, which made for an enjoyable night club experience.

Wanting to make sure she established Ben as her boyfriend to anyone who might be watching her, especially Craig, she clasped his hand in hers as she led the way to Madison, Ronnie, and her boyfriend, Mark. Ben automatically wove his fingers through hers, bringing her attention to just how large his hand was as it closed around hers. She thought about how it would feel to have his heated palm and long fingers stroking across her bare, sensitive flesh, and shivered.

As she neared the group, she noticed Ronnie's curious expression as her long-time friend's gaze zeroed in on Ben. Then there was Madison. They'd been sorority sisters in college and had remained close friends even after graduation. Since Madison was also Christine's assistant at The Big Event and they spent days and hours together, she was the friend that knew her best, and was like the sister Christine never had. The two of them talked about the most intimate details of their lives, and shared just about everything, and that was why Madison was staring at Ben in shocked surprise, because to her best friend's knowledge, Christine hadn't been dating anyone.

Christine had already decided that she'd explain the situation to Madison and tell her the truth about her new boyfriend who was really her bodyguard-as well as their 24/7 living arrangement. But in the meantime, she had a new beau to announce to everyone.

"Hi, gang," she said brightly, and launched right into the introductions. "I'd like you all to meet my boyfriend, Ben. Ben, these are my good friends Ronnie and Madison, who is also my assistant at The Big Event. And this here is Mark, Ronnie's boyfriend."

Ben stepped in front of her and greeted the two women in that polite, gentlemanly way of his, then shook hands with Mark. Compared to most of the guys at Envy who were wearing the latest designer styles for men, Ben definitely looked dressed down in his jeans and his untucked chambray shirt. He was also so opposite of the polished men she'd dated in the past. But there was no denying that with his thick brown hair tousled in a no-fuss style, those dark, seductive brown eyes, and a hard, gorgeous body made for sin, he was sexier than most of the men in the place in an earthy, rugged way.

And Ronnie was definitely taking notice of all those little details that made Ben so uniquely male, while Madison was much more reserved in her speculation of who Ben really was.

"We didn't know you were bringing someone," Ronnie said, still checking out Ben. "So, we only grabbed one extra chair."

Christine shifted on her feet. Ronnie and Mark had claimed the love seat, Madison was sitting in one of the plush armchairs, and there was one left free, obviously for her. She glanced around for a vacant seat for Ben, but there wasn't one to be found in the lounge.

"That's not a problem," Ben said, taking matters into his own hands. "There's plenty of room for two in this chair right here."

Before Christine realized what Ben meant to do, he sat down in the plush armchair, then grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him, until she was draped across his lap with her hip pressed against the gun he'd holstered just inside the waistband of his jeans-which he'd told her he had a license to carry in public. She gasped in surprise and caught the wicked glint in Ben's gaze that told her he was taking his role as her boyfriend very seriously.

"My, my, my. Such a resourceful kind of guy," Ronnie said, seemingly impressed with Ben's take-charge approach. "I like that in a man." She took a sip of her cosmopolitan.

Ben slid one arm around Christine's waist, and rested the palm of his other hand on the bare skin of her thigh right below where the hem of her miniskirt ended, his touch undeniably possessive. And hot. Very hot.

"I'd rather keep Christy nice and close, anyways," he replied with a grin.

From across the way, Madison was sending her a What the hell is going on? look, and all Christine could do was smile at her best friend for now and keep up the charade that was of her own making.

One of the bar's cocktail waitresses came up to their group. Since Christine frequented Envy, she immediately recognized the pretty auburn-haired woman as Jodie.

"What can I get you two to drink?" she asked, eyeing Ben with too much interest.

"I'll take an apple martini," Christine said, needing something with a bit of a kick to help her get through the next few hours.

"Sam Adams for me," Ben told the other woman, once again establishing himself as someone who didn't give a damn about social pretenses. In an upscale club where most men ordered hard liquor over cheap beer, he was an anomaly.

Once the cocktail waitress headed back to the bar, Ronnie snuggled up to Mark's side and turned her green-eyed sights back on Ben. "So, Christy, where have you been hiding this fine specimen of a man?"

Forcing herself to relax against the hard, muscular thighs beneath her bottom, she slipped an arm around his broad shoulders and leaned into his chest. "We've been dating quietly for the past few weeks, and I thought it was time to take things to the next level and introduce Ben to my closest friends."

"He's definitely your best-kept secret," Madison murmured wryly, and followed that comment with a sip of her strawberry margarita.

"Well, I, for one, am glad to see you back on the market after you-know-who did you-know-what." Ronnie lifted her cosmopolitan in a mock toast, then finished off the rest of the drink.

As much as Christine adored Ronnie, her friend didn't know the meaning of subtlety. She was bold and brazen, and usually said whatever was on her mind. She'd never liked Jason, and couldn't have been happier when Christine had ended their engagement.

At least Ben knew what she was talking about, and it wasn't something she'd have to explain later.

Jodie arrived with their drinks and set them both on the table. "By the way, the bartender just told me that Craig is picking up your tab tonight."

Before Christine could issue a reply, Ben beat her to it. "Thank you, but I'll pay for the drinks," he said firmly, playing his role with a believable amount of authority.

Taken aback by his firm tone, Jodie's eyes widened. "Oh. Okay. I'll let Craig know."

Well, that was certainly one way to bring Craig's attention to the fact that she had a boyfriend, Christine thought.

"So, what do you do for a living, Ben?" Ronnie, the inquisitive one, asked.

"I work for a security firm," he said smoothly. Before Ronnie could drill him about what, exactly, his work entailed, he added, "Prior to that, I was in the military."

That bit of information caught Mark's attention. "Which branch?"

"The Marine Corps." Ben handed Christine her apple martini, but didn't touch his bottle of beer.

Mark's gaze lit up with interest. "My younger brother, Tim, is in the Marines. He was just recently deployed to Iraq. He says the conditions there are pretty deplorable."

Ben nodded in agreement. "It can be a tough assignment."

Christine knew that Ben spoke that statement from the heart. Having lost someone he cared deeply for as a direct result of the combat zone in Iraq, he had firsthand experience of just how harsh and unforgiving the war could be.

The two men continued to talk about the military, and discuss their opinions on the war. Ronnie rolled her eyes in boredom, and signaled Jodie for another cocktail, then launched into a more girl-appropriate discussion about an incident that happened at the exclusive boutique she managed. While Christine listened to Ronnie's animated story about a woman who'd attempted to shoplift a designer purse by stuffing it down her stretch pants and concealing the bulge with a loose blouse, she sipped her drink and tried to keep her mind off the way Ben's deep, husky voice was so close to her ear as he talked, and the sensual feel of those hands still on her body.