He sticks the carrot in the middle of the head ball, making our masterpiece complete. “What weird ideas?”

“Like we’re not together, and you’re really just a friend doing me a favor pretending to be my boyfriend.”

Diego flashes me his impossibly sexy grin. “How absurd.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch two heads staring from the kitchen window. Panicking, I quickly grab Diego by the hips and pull him toward me.

“And what’s happening now?” he asks, the smile never leaving his face.

“They’re spying on us from inside the house. We need to appear… mmm… affectionate.”

“Mmm, boss, is it just me?” Diego taunts me. “Or are you taking the opportunity to discretely grope my assets?”

Accurate, unfortunately. My hands are wrapped around his lower back, well within ass-groping territory.

“Sorry,” I say. “Emergency situations call for extreme measures.”

“In that case…”

And with a devilish sparkle in his eyes, he lowers his hands on my back to return the favor.

I scowl, although I’m not at all convinced I don’t like the close contact.

“Want to know what I think, boss?”

“No.”

“I think there’s a much better way of convincing your mom and sister we’re legit than discreetly groping each other’s assets in the backyard.”

“What way?”

“You should kiss me.”

If the cold hasn’t turned my cheeks bright red already, they sure are now. “I-I should… what?”

Diego stares up at the sky. “I mean, we’re not standing under the mistletoe or anything.” He looks back at me, his eyes teasing. Is he flirting with me? Or is he just a really good actor? “But we should make an exception; extreme circumstances and all…” He pulls me closer.

“I’m not forcing you to kiss me,” I say. “It wasn’t in our contract, and I promised you no physical interactions, and—”

“Nikki,” he interrupts. He’s never said my name with such intensity. “Shut up.”

And to make sure I do, he presses his lips onto mine. And it’s no stage kiss. There’s tongue, and there’s heat. So much heat I’m afraid poor Frosty will melt after all.

Gosh, how long has it been since someone kissed me like this? Has anyone ever kissed me like this? I can’t remember… Right now I can’t remember anything; my brain is melting, and my knees are turning into a wobbly mess. I remove my hands from his butt and wrap them around his neck—to pull him closer, or to support myself, I’m not sure.

“Err-emm,” someone clears his throat behind us.

I quickly detach myself from Diego and turn around to find Dad staring at us from the backyard threshold, arms severely crossed over his chest.

“Lunch is ready,” he announces.