Faking It For Mr Right

His grin turns sharp, and without another word, he closes the gap between us entirely. His lips collide with mine, sinking into them, and I tilt my head with a sigh, letting him take control, falling into him. His lips work against mine, his tongue slipping into my mouth to claim it. I let my head fall back and my tongue wrestles with his as our lips work together, my heart racing so hard it feels like it could beat straight out of my chest.

I want him.

And right now, with his hands sliding down my body, over my curves, to settle on my hips and grip hard, yanking me closer to him, my chest pressed flat against his muscular one… Right now, I can’t think of a single reason why I shouldn’t give in to this sensation.

Like he said, we’d be having fun together. Enjoying ourselves. Traveling and living in New York City and having wild, incredible sex on top of that. Everything I could ever ask for. And at the end of it all, he gives me enough money to pay myself out of debt.

It’s a dream come true.

No, more than that. It’s not even a dream I’d ever dared to dream, because it seemed too huge and impossible to ask for. It would solve all my problems in one fell swoop. All I have to do is pretend to be about to marry the hottest man I’ve ever met. The first man in years—or maybe ever—to ignite me with a single glance.

What could possibly go wrong?

We break apart, and I tilt my head forward, my forehead resting against his so I can gaze into his eyes. “Okay,” I breathe. And it feels like both the best and most terrifying decision I’ve ever made in my life.

5

Melanie

I sink a little lower in the airport lounge chair, my phone open to Devan’s latest text.

Be careful. Seriously, Mel. Remember how hurt you were when he left last time? And you’d only known him for a single night back then. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.

You and me both, I think with a sigh. Part of me wonders if I did the right thing, telling Devan what I told her about Xander. I didn’t explain everything—I didn’t mention the whole fake fiancée bargain. It still seems too good to be true, and the part of me that’s waiting for the other shoe to drop doesn’t want Devan to know how much I’m bargaining on this. Going out of town for this long almost certainly means I’m going to get fired from Bob’s. Not to mention I’m leaving the only home I’ve ever known. Giving up familiarity and my safety net, all for the promises of a guy I barely know.

What could possibly go wrong? I ask myself for the hundredth time, and now I think I finally know the answer: Everything.

So I told Devan that Xander wanted to try dating, and that he’d invited me for a trip down to New York City with him. I told her I’d be back by the end of the week. Then I called Bob and pretended to be sick. Devan’s covering the few of my shifts I was scheduled for. If I need more time off at the end of all this, then… well, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Maybe this big gamble will pay off, and I can finally tell Bob where I’d like him to shove it.

Or maybe by the end of the week I’ll be slinking back home with no more money than I started with, heartbroken and betrayed all at once. Who knows?

I shake my head and focus on the airport window again.

“You all right?” Xander takes the seat beside me and hands over the coffee he went to grab for both of us. It startles me out of my reverie, and I accept it with a weak smile.

“Fine,” I say, which only makes him arch an eyebrow, clearly doubting it. The fact that he’s able to read me so easily at least makes me smile, just a little. I bow my head, relenting. “Devan is mother hen-ing. She’s worried about me running away to New York with a guy I barely know. Especially a guy who she thought I was doing a No Strings Attached thing with, who suddenly wants to get serious.”

His eyes flash. “I see.” He reaches over to twine a hand through mine. The gesture feels so natural. So normal.

It makes me disentangle my hand, suddenly uncomfortable at the thoughts racing through my mind. The last thing I can afford to do is think about this like a real relationship. I need to remember that it’s business; nothing more. Xander made that perfectly clear when he “proposed.”

I reach for my coffee as an excuse and wrap both hands around the hot cup.