Counterfeit Kisses

by Cora York

  “More like wasted talents,” Tessa said, strolling into the kitchen.

  She didn’t look at me. Guilt pummeled my conscience. Running out of the bedroom like the bed was on fire was a shite move. I’d fucked up again. Big time. She was pissed and had every right to be.

  I’d explain myself and make my too-fast exit up to her later in one of the best ways I knew how. That was if she didn’t kick me out of the room for being a jackass and if she didn’t find out about my involvement with Shane. I wouldn’t put it past the lowlife to tell Tessa the real reason I was here.

  The best and honest thing to do would be to fess up and tell her the truth before he did. But part of me wondered—hoped—that if she didn’t find out about my lies that maybe we could continue to explore the connection between us.

  My head didn’t want to think about a relationship with her, but my heart did. We had something good that in time could be something great.

  Avoiding eye contact with me, she went straight to the stove and ladled herself a bowl of soup.

  “You know,” Tessa said, tearing off a chunk of bread. “I asked him to make the food for Violet’s wedding, but he refused.”

  Brendan shrugged. “I’m too rusty. There’s a difference between some soup and a gourmet feast for famous people. And besides, I haven’t managed a kitchen or designed a menu in years.”

  I set down my spoon and used more bread to mop up the soup at the bottom of my bowl. “Muscle memory would’ve kicked in.”

  Tessa cast a quick glance my way, and I couldn’t decipher if she was annoyed or indifferent. If my shoulders didn’t still ache with the scratches from her nails, no way would I have thought the standoffish woman in front of me was the same one who’d begged me not to stop less than thirty minutes ago.

  “So, Tessa.” Barb smacked her lips together. “What have you done to fix this mess?”

  “Is there a mess? I wasn’t aware there was one.” Tessa clasped her fingers together and gave Barb a smile worthy of a saint.

  The urge to come to her defense swelled inside me, but I bit my tongue. Tessa wouldn’t thank me for interfering.

  “You think I don’t know what’s been going on around here?” The slur in Barb’s voice lessened by the second. Perhaps she wasn’t as drunk as she seemed.

  I caught the startled look on Tessa’s face and was about to say something when Brendan spoke up.

  “Don’t you worry, Barb dear, we have everything under control. The airport’ll be open by Friday, and doesn’t Violet have her own private plane to fly her here?”

  Barb meandered over to the fire and stood by Brendan. Max scampered after her. “I suppose.” She bent down and picked the drooling dog up. “The rooms?”

  “Keegan and I organized most of the rooms today,” Tessa said. “The kitchen will be well-stocked for the guests, and I think I’m right in saying the plumbing and heating in the entire castle are in working order. Right, Brendan?”

  “They are,” he replied. “Gary and the lads sorted everything today.” He picked up a few pieces of peat and threw them onto the fire. “So, no problems there.”

  Barb rocked back and forth on her icepick heels. “The food? Wasn’t the chef supposed to come here today?”

  “The weather…” Tessa reached into a cupboard and secured four wine stems between her fingers. “I promise the food will be perfect. Why don’t we all have a glass of wine, sit by the fire, and go over the rest of the itinerary?”

  I wanted to laugh. Trust Tessa to come up with a way to pacify Barb.

  “I guess you could persuade me,” Barb said with a sniff.

  “And,” Tessa continued, “we can FaceTime with Violet to keep her in the loop.”

  “She’s at a Christmas charity ball in New York.” Barb nuzzled her nose into Max’s neck. “Violet’s lost interest. She just wants to turn up, put on her dress, say ‘I do,’ and wait for her picture to appear on every magazine cover in the world.”

  “Be that as it may, we still have lots to do.” Tessa uncorked a vintage bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. “Let’s make this the best wedding the media’s ever seen.”

  For hours, we sat around the fire and figured out what jobs needed to be finished before the guests arrived, and whose responsibility it was to finish those jobs. By the time Brendan and I wrestled a half bottle of Shiraz from Barb’s hand and lugged her to bed, it was after midnight.

  All evening, Tessa had thrown daggers my way, but I deserved her anger. I had to show her how sorry I was. And I intended to do that by taking her to bed and kissing her from head to toe.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tessa

  I sat and warmed my hands by the blazing fire in our bedroom. The sound of Keegan’s whistles echoed from the bathroom. Had I ever survived on less than three hours of sleep before? I couldn’t remember.

  Almost three days. That’s how long he’d been in my life. Seventy-two hours wasn’t long enough to fall in love with someone, but it was long enough to decide you wanted that someone to stay in your life for a whole lot longer.

  Not that I would ever admit that to Keegan. What was the point? When the wedding was over, he’d go back to his life in New York, and I’d focus on building my career again. I didn’t need the distraction of a relationship.

  His apology for running out of the tower room yesterday was a good one, and every orgasm-filled minute was worth the tiredness. If every night was as deliciously draining, I wouldn’t complain about the lack of sleep—I’d welcome it. As for today, on top of everything else, I was sure I could find plenty of other rooms and closets that needed cleaning.

  My phone beeped, and immediately rocks dropped to the bottom of my stomach. I knew who it was before looking. Shane hadn’t texted since yesterday, but that didn’t mean he was done with me.

  Find that wolf yet? S

  My fingers hovered over the keyboard to type a reply that told him to get lost, but before I could, the bedroom door opened a crack.

  “You awake in there?” Barb didn’t wait for me to answer before she pushed the door open and leaned against the doorjamb. Max peeked out from an oversized handbag and watched his adopted owner with loving puppy eyes. He had it bad. I knew how he felt.

  Barb smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly smile; it was how a wolf might smile after devouring a deer. “Have you checked your emails?”

  “Not in the last ten minutes.”

  “You’re in for a surprise. I’ll meet you in the banquet room in ten so we can discuss Violet’s latest requests.” Barb disappeared before I could question her.

  Apprehension settled in the pit of my stomach along with the rocks. Whatever news was waiting in my inbox wouldn’t be good.

  I refreshed the emails on my iPad. Three from Violet all sent within a minute of each other. None with a subject line. This didn’t bode well. Violet rarely contacted me directly.

  My bridesmaids can’t be as thin as me on my wedding day. When they arrive, serve them nothing but carbs. The tighter their dresses, the better I’ll look. I want their stomachs bloated in the pictures. If you have to, steal their Spanx. Especially from Sierra Winters. That bitch beat my box office record last week. She needs to look as if she’s four months pregnant.

  Every girl needed a friend like Violet. I opened the next email.

  All bridesmaids must be the same height. I want to be the tallest. Since I’m five-four, you need to make sure they all wear heels that make them at least three inches shorter than me. I’m wearing four-inch heels. Make sure they’re all five-five. I will measure their height.

  Not at all demanding. I clicked on the third email.

  I don’t want to pay for anything. Make sure I don’t have to. That includes you. Your payment will be the publicity you get from your name being in every magazine in the world. You’re welcome.

  The words distorted in front of my eyes and blurred until they were nothing but black blobs on the screen. No payment? Free? No way could I work for free. No one could.
Too many people depended on the revenue this wedding would bring in. I sagged into the chair. Violet’s demands were ridiculous. How nice to live in a world where you earned a fortune and still expected people to give you freebies.

  Keegan sauntered out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of water sticking to his skin. If Violet’s emails hadn’t stomped all over my good mood, I would have whipped the towel off and licked him dry.

  “Something wrong?” he asked, warming his back by the fire. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, which wouldn’t surprise me in this place.”

  “The grim reaper paid a visit.” I handed Keegan my iPad. “Read my emails.”

  His brows lifted higher by the second. “I’ve worked with some shites in my day, but this… Jesus. Does Barb know?”

  I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded. “She practically flew away and cackled when she asked if I’d read my emails.” I held my head in my hands. “I can’t work for free. I know this job will bring in lots of publicity, but that won’t pay my current bills or pay the contractors’ bills. I can probably negotiate a lower fee, but I’m already at rock bottom.”

  Anxiety hopped between my synapses. If I had money in the bank, I’d consider doing what I could for free, because, yes, a job as prestigious as Violet’s would bring in hundreds of thousands in revenue for years to come. But most of those jobs were months away, and I needed money now.

  I stood and paced around the room, tapping my fingertips against my lips. “I’m meeting Barb in a few. Maybe she knows how to change Violet’s mind. I’m worried about Brendan as much as anything. Getting him to agree to this wedding in the first place wasn’t easy. There’s no way his bank account will cover all the repairs done to the castle.”

  Keegan placed himself in front of me and caught my hands in his. The softness in his eyes soothed some of my jangled nerves. His sweet, dimpled smile almost made my problems disappear.

  “Let me talk to Barb.” He smoothed his hands over my shoulders. “I’ve been through negotiations with tougher people than her.”

  “Thanks, but I need to handle this by myself.” I stared over his shoulder at the snapping flames.

  He clasped my chin between his fingers and turned my face until our eyes met. “I’m not the enemy. Not anymore. They’re going to take advantage of you.”

  I blew out a breath and met his eyes. “I’m not a weak little woman who needs rescuing, Keegan. Let me take care of this.”

  He firmed his lips, then nodded. “I’ll try to keep my mouth shut, but I can’t promise.”

  I lowered my gaze and focused on a droplet of water above his taut nipple. “So last night was—”

  He grinned. “Yes, it was.”

  “How do you know what I was going to say? Maybe I was going to say it was the worst night of my life. That I faked every orgasm.”

  He pulled me to him, his still damp chest pressing against my blouse. His towel slipped and fell to the floor, revealing a very impressive and mouthwatering erection. If only there was time to enjoy it.

  “You’re a bad liar.”

  “It was the worst night of my life.” I ran my fingers over the curve of his tight butt and around the crease at the top of his thighs. “I’ll need a repeat performance, but this time, try… harder.”

  “Harder?” He clasped a hand around mine and guided it between his legs.

  “Much.” I laughed and curled my fingers around his width.

  He touched his lips off mine, and I all but melted into a pile of goo. But I had to remember this was purely physical—nothing more.

  ****

  Brendan sat at a mahogany table big enough to feed an army, laughing at something Barb had said. Max sat between them, scratching his ear. The stoic and pinched-faced paintings lining the paneled walls mirrored my feelings. As did the fire roaring in the hearth.

  Now was the time to show Barb I meant business. I wouldn’t give in, I wouldn’t back down, and I wouldn’t beg.

  Brendan reached over and patted Barb’s hand fondly. I raised an eyebrow. What exactly was going on between them?

  “You’re a hoot and a half, you really are,” Brendan said, still laughing.

  When Barb noticed Keegan and me standing at the threshold, a scowl replaced all previous signs of happiness. “You’ve read the emails?”

  “I have.” I strode into the room and placed my briefcase and laptop on top of the table. “You know how many people are depending on the money this wedding will bring. I won’t agree to her childish requests.” Keegan pulled out an antique chair for me. I thanked him and sat. “Violet’s demands are ridiculous.”

  “She said she doesn’t want to pay.” Barb shrugged. “I look after her public relations, not her decisions.”

  Keegan, who sat opposite me, opened his mouth to speak, but I flicked him a look, warning him not to say a word. The thin line of his lips showed his annoyance, but he took the hint and said nothing.

  “For someone who looks after her public relations,” I said, “you should know how disastrous this could turn out. She’s already gaining a reputation as a diva. Do you want to add more fuel to the fire?”

  Brendan stretched for a crystal decanter in the middle of the table and poured a drop of whiskey into Barb’s coffee. “Here’s something that’ll warm your cockles.”

  “You spoil me.” Barb beamed at Brendan, and I half expected her to curl up on his lap and purr.

  “A sweet lady such as yourself is worth spoiling.” Was I hearing things, or had Brendan called Barb sweet? If by sweet he meant sarcastic, snarling, and sharp, then I’d more than agree.

  Barb gave him a low and husky laugh and patted his hand before turning her attention back to me. “Hundreds of others would cut your throat for this kind of opportunity.”

  “Perhaps.” I pushed a manila envelope toward Barb. “She signed a contract agreeing to my terms. People who have worked and will work on her wedding will get paid. Let’s not make this ugly.”

  Barb set down her cup but didn’t reach for the envelope. “Ugly? Oh, you poor deluded girl. Violet’s lawyers will shred the clothes off your back. The men and women who work for Violet—me included—have degrees in skinning people alive. Our client is number one no matter her demands. And it’s our job to make sure she gets what she wants.”

  Walking away from this event could cost me everything, but rolling over and playing dead on Violet’s command wouldn’t happen. I gripped my pen, willing myself not to lose my nerve.

  “Even if her actions will put people on the street? Even if it puts people on the verge of bankruptcy? How do you expect Brendan to pay his bills once it’s over? The contractors to pay their staff for Christmas? Too many people depend on this. Families depend on this.”

  Barb’s eyes flickered toward Brendan. “Tell someone who gives a damn.” She stood and walked toward an oil painting depicting a garden in full bloom and ran her fingers over the peeling paint.

  I released the grip on my pen and set it on the table. “You’re an intelligent woman. Surely you can see how unacceptable it is.” I pushed away from the table, my chair scraping over the hardwoods, and stood tall. “If she refuses to pay, I’ll take everyone with me. Good luck finding someone who’ll organize her wedding with just over two days to go. She’s already getting my expertise and this castle for a pittance.”

  “Barb, dear,” Brendan said, joining her by the painting. “Tessa’s right. Too many people need the money this wedding will bring. With the economy being banjaxed, there’s no way they can afford to give things for free. I can throw in a few guest rooms, but other than that, she’ll have to pay for the castle hire.”

  My heart palpitated and shifted from my chest to my throat and back again.

  Barb sniffed and eyeballed Keegan. “You’re awfully quiet.”

  Keegan leaned back in the chair. “Nothing to add. If you let Violet get away with this, you should be fired for enabling a brat. What kind of woman, or girl, is she?
”

  “She’s the kind of woman who can demand twenty million per movie,” Barb said. “The kind of woman who has an opening weekend of over a hundred million.”

  I made my way to the head of the table and pressed my palms onto the polished surface. “Then she’s the kind of woman who can afford a few hundred thousand to cover the cost of her wedding. What does Archer have to say about this?”

  “Archer?” Barb laughed and wheezed so hard she sounded like she might have an asthma attack. “He’s so out of it, he probably doesn’t know he’s getting married.”

  “I mean it, Barb,” I warned. “If she doesn’t agree to pay—as in there’d better be money in my account by midday tomorrow—I’ll walk.”

  Barb sneered. “Empty threats don’t work with me. You signed a contract, too.”

  “There’s nothing empty about my threats.” I mentally crossed my fingers. Russian roulette wasn’t a game I’d ever played, or ever wanted to play, but Violet had forced my hand. “Another thing, I won’t fatten her bridesmaids up like sacrificial lambs.”

  “And I didn’t think you had a backbone.” Barb picked some flaking red paint off the painting and rubbed it between her fingers. “I’ll talk to her. Don’t expect miracles.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do what you can. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.” Holding my head high, I strode from the room and pleaded with my feet not to trip over themselves. My dramatic exit wouldn’t be as effective if I ended up on the floor.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Keegan

  Keeping my mouth shut was tough, but Tessa had done a cracking job without my interference. I was impressed, and I wasn’t impressed easily. Barb was right; she had a backbone—one forged from steel.

  When I found her, she was in the kitchen leaning against a wall with her eyes closed.

  “Nice work.”

  “Did it seem as if I was nervous? Because I was shaking in my boots.”

  “You didn’t look or sound nervous.”

  “Good.” The constant worry line between her eyebrows creased. “Let’s hope she makes Violet see some sense.”