by Laura Pavlov
“I get that,” Laney Mae said. “I imagine it takes a lot of discipline. You and Jack actually have that in common. As goofy as he is, he was the most disciplined athlete I’ve ever known.”
Atta girl. Laney Mae loved to pump me up, and damn if I didn’t love it.
I winked. “Thanks. It wasn’t hard to be disciplined because I loved it.”
“And I loved watching you play. But I will admit I was relieved that you didn’t pursue going pro. It was hard to watch you take a beating out on the field over and over again,” Mom said, tilting her head and smiling at me.
“Thanks, Mama,” I said around a mouth full of food.
“Was it hard for you to walk away?” Monroe asked, studying me like she genuinely wanted to know the answer.
“Oddly… no. I knew that my family needed me, and I knew that’s where I wanted to be.” It was the truth. Everyone thought I would regret it. Hell, I wondered if I’d have a change of heart after I walked away from football. But I never did. I’d enjoyed it for the years that I played, but I was where I wanted to be now. “Do you ever regret walking away?”
“Nope. I’m happy that I get to run for myself now. Not against a clock or another person. No expectations or disappointments about how far or how fast I run. It’s just for fun. Just for me.”
I nodded. I understood it. Competitive sports were great and rewarding, and they could become a huge part of your identity. But I was more than football, and obviously, Monroe was more than a runner. And it wasn’t always easy to separate.
“Good for you. Maybe we can go for a run sometime. I’m sure we’d push one another,” I said, my gaze locking with her deep blues. I still trained every day like I had in college. I needed the outlet.
“We could give it a try. You know, you’re not so bad for a fake boyfriend, Montgomery.” She smiled and my stomach did some sort of bullshit flip.
What the actual fuck? Maybe it was the pasta?
“Ah, you two make the perfect fake couple, if I do say so myself,” Laney Mae said before scooping salad onto her plate.
The rest of the night was spent laughing and talking, and Monroe fit in just perfectly with my family. She and Laney Mae were fast friends. And Monroe and I were forming a friendship as well, even if she didn’t want to admit it.
I dropped in the chair in Ford’s office and he sat behind his desk.
“So, what’s the plan? Those babies going to come out anytime soon? Seems like they’ve set up permanent residence in Harl’s belly.” How long was she supposed to carry them around like that? It was ridiculous. Her stomach was far too large for her small frame, and she waddled around trying to balance her own body.
He rolled his eyes. “That’s not how this works. They stay in as long as possible. Thank god she finally decided to stay home and rest a little. Not that she had a choice. Once the doctor said she shouldn’t be working, she had zero chance of fighting me on it.”
“Such a barbarian,” I said, popping a cookie in my mouth. “Thankfully, she baked enough ahead of time to be gone for a while. I wouldn’t survive without her pastries.”
He smirked. “Yeah. She sure is talented, huh?”
“Yep. She’s the best.”
“How are things going with Monroe? The press is really eating it up. How do you want to play this?” he asked.
“Play what?”
“You’ll need to keep it going for a few weeks, and then we can release a statement that you broke up, or something. We’ll let Harrison come up with the wording for it.”
“Yeah. There’s no hurry. I needed a break from going out anyway.”
“Is that so?”
“Did I stutter?” I asked.
He smiled. A rare occurrence in my brother when his wife or our mother wasn’t around. “What does Buck think of this?”
“He’s the reason we’re even in this situation. He apologized, but he also warned me that if I touched her, he would kill me.” I chuckled. But Buck wasn’t kidding, and I knew that. Not a line I’d ever cross. Not that she would want to anyway. The girl could barely tolerate me. It bothered me because I actually liked her. Liked being around her. And she didn’t seem to be warming up to me in any way, shape, or form.
“Don’t fuck it up, brother.”
“No one is fucking anything up,” I said, pushing to my feet slowly.
“What’s with you? Why are you walking so slow?”
“I ran six miles this morning with Blue Jay. Quite possibly the toughest workout I’ve ever done.” I hobbled to the door.
He barked out a laugh. “She kicked your ass, didn’t she?”
“Nope. I held my own. I may have vomited in my mouth twice, but I kept up with her. She talked the whole fucking time too, and I was gasping for every breath.”
He shook his head. “You’re ridiculous. Don’t forget you have the Simon Reynolds charity event this weekend. Take Monroe. There will be lots of press.”
“Sometimes I feel like you’re just using me for my good looks. You know there’s more to me than just this strikingly handsome face and chiseled body.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He waved me out the door as his phone rang.
I limped back to my office and found Monroe sitting in the chair behind my desk. I shut the door behind me and studied her.
“Nice to see you, darling,” she said through her laughter.
“What are you doing?” I rubbed my lower back before stumbling to a chair and dropping to sit.
“Ah, a little sore, are we? Mr. Badass Football Player.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine. Why are you behind my desk, and what’s with the evil smirk? What are you up to?”
She pushed to her feet and came around the desk. “I just thought I’d sit here with the door open, because I assume if we were actually dating, I would do that, right?”
“Good thinking, ole wise one.”
“This is why I get paid the mediocre bucks.” She used her pointer finger to tap her temple and smiled. “Don’t forget, it’s Tuesday. We’re going back to The Dark Temptress tonight. Operation Dirty Reynolds is on.”
I nodded. I had a private investigator following Simon, but I wouldn’t tell her that just yet. I knew she wanted to do this on her own, and I didn’t want to ruin all the fun. No one liked a buzzkill.
“Don’t forget, we have the fundraiser at his house this weekend. You’ll go as my date.”
“No duh. We’re dating. I have no choice.” She rolled her eyes.
“As if you aren’t dying to go,” I said, trying to stand and wincing because my muscles were screaming like little bitches.
She patted me on the back, just enough to make me flinch. “Buck up, buttercup. You’ve got a couple more weeks with me if you’re lucky.”
She waltzed out the door, and I stood frozen in my office. Partly because I had physically taken an ass-kicking this morning—but also because she was right.
I was lucky.
And I was in no hurry for my luck to end.
Chapter Ten
Monroe
“Listen, there’s something I should tell you,” Jack said when he arrived at my door.
I put my finger to his lips to silence him, but also because I’d been staring at his plump lips for days and just wanted to touch them any way I could.
I’d never felt that way about Thyme when we dated. Like I wanted to touch him or press my lips to his just because I could. Obviously, I’d already dated a crappy herb… so it was only fair for me to be physically attracted to the best looking guy I’d ever laid eyes on, who was also pretending to be my boyfriend. It didn’t hurt that he was attentive and thoughtful—not at all what I’d expected. But his smooth talking was not going to deter me from my investigation. I knew he was sore from our run this morning. I’d poured it on and ran harder than I’d run in a lo
ng time, but he’d bragged so much about his training he left me no other choice. But sore or not—we were doing this.
“If you are going to come up with a reason not to go—save it. We’re going. Take some ibuprofen and suck it up.” I walked out ahead of him and we made our way to his waiting car.
“You’re a real peach sometimes, Blue Jay.” He held the door open and slid in behind me.
“I’ve been called worse. Hey Big Tony,” I called out to his driver.
“Look how friendly you’re being to Big T. Why the hell are you always so irritated with me?”
“Fair question.” I looked up at the ceiling as my fingers drummed along my jaw as I thought it over. “I think you annoy me more than most.”
“I annoy you?”
“Yes. Is it that hard to comprehend?”
“Nobody’s annoyed by me. People love me,” he insisted, and it took all I had not to laugh. The truth was, he didn’t annoy me. I actually liked him, maybe even too much—and that annoyed me.
“Then you have nothing to worry about. Okay, we’re here. Focus. We’ll see you in a little bit, Big Tony. Stay close.” I hopped out of the car as Jack slipped on his sunglasses and baseball cap.
I wore my same get-up, the wig, the hot pants, the whole nine yards. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t dying from this morning’s run. I’d killed myself to prove a point, and I was feeling it in these sky-high heels.
I knocked three times and the door swung open. The woman on the other side had a lavender, blunt cut bob that rested on her shoulders. She wore a black leather catsuit, and she was strikingly beautiful. Her gaze perused Jack from head to toe, and she barely gave me the time of day. Jealousy crept in and I reached for his hand.
“Come on, baby,” I purred, surprised that those words left my mouth.
He chuckled and pulled me close, tucking me beside him. “I’m right here, Blue Jay. Let’s go.”
The lady appeared miffed, but she walked us to our room.
“We’re going to need a little alone time, so hold off on sending anyone in,” Jack said, reaching his hand to hers and sliding her something.
“Mmmm, you sure you don’t want company?” she purred.
“Not now. We’ll let you know.”
She left the room and he turned to face me. “Was that jealousy back there, Little Bird?”
“What? Don’t be annoying, you pompous ass.” I placed my hands on my hips before storming toward the door.
“You sure seemed jealous,” he said from behind me, his lips grazing my ear as he spoke. “And I love that you’re wearing the earrings I gave you.”
I turned around fast. My chest slamming into his. I did wear the earrings that he gave me. So what? It didn’t mean anything. He had good taste in jewelry. “What did you give her anyway?”
“A hundred bucks.”
“Pfft. Focus, moneybags. We’ve got a senator to find.” I yanked the door open, desperate for some freaking space from this man. My breaths were labored. His nearness was making me crazy.
I hurried to the first door, and he pressed his chest to my back as he attempted to listen as well before whisper-shouting in my ear, “Sounds like some girl-on-girl action going down in there. No pun intended.”
I turned around and slapped his chest. “You’re disgusting. Let me guess, you’d like to go in there and join them.”
He was the ultimate playboy. I’d be wise to remember that.
“Believe it or not—I have no desire to go in there. I’m completely content out here with you abusing me, even if we’re wasting our time.” He towered over me now, his whiskey gaze locked with mine.
“Well, lucky me. My fake boyfriend wants to spend time with me. Throw me a ticker-tape parade. And how exactly are we wasting our time? We’re here for a job, remember?”
He brushed a piece of hair from my wig away from my face, and his fingers grazed my cheek, sending chills down my spine.
Damn you, Jack Montgomery.
“Reynolds is not here.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, whipping my head around to make sure no one was coming. A few moans came from the room we were standing by, and I tugged his arm to pull him into the corner.
“I have an investigator following him. He went to his kid’s school function.”
“What? When did you find that out?” I huffed, folding my arms over my chest.
“On my way to pick you up.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why the hell are we here?”
“Because you told me not to speak, remember?” A wide grin spread across his handsome face.
“I told you not to speak if you were going to try to talk me out of coming. Not if you were going to tell me he wasn’t here. I could be soaking in a tub with a hot tea, but I’m at this creepy sex den because you didn’t speak up.”
“You told me not to speak,” he repeated, cocking his head to the side as he studied me.
My stomach flipped, and I sucked in a long breath to pull myself together. Why did he have to be so damn good-looking?
“You should have insisted. I think you wanted to come here, you big perv,” I said, poking my finger into his hard muscled chest.
He caught my finger in his hand and smiled as he held it there. “Is that what you think?”
My breath caught in my throat, and I froze until a voice startled me from my Jack Montgomery trance.
“What are you two doing out here?” a woman I’d never seen asked. Her black hair was slicked into an oversized bun on top of her head, and her lacy dress clung to her voluptuous body.
“My girl’s got a jealous streak. We need to leave. I don’t think she’s cut out for this,” Jack said, grasping my hand in his and tucking me behind him.
“What a shame. Well, don’t be a stranger. I’m sure she’d understand if you came back by yourself. I think we could have some fun.” She ran her fingers up his torso and my hand fisted at my side. She moved closer, grazing his lips with hers. “Think about it.”
“He doesn’t need to think about it. Back off,” I hissed before moving beside him and staring her down.
The other woman chuckled. “So salty. I like it. That’s good—protect what’s yours. If he were mine, I’d do the same thing.”
I tugged at his hand. “Let’s go.”
He followed me out the door and broke out in a fit of laughter once we were outside. “You go, girl. That was badass. Turned me on a bit, if I’m being honest. The way you staked your claim.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hardly. Just playing the part.”
“You sure? You seemed a little bit jealous back there.”
“You wish.”
I’d been unsettled all night. There was a force that drew me to him, and I fought it every chance I got. The last time we’d been here, he’d kissed me. It was a kiss that I couldn’t seem to wipe from my mind. It stayed with me. Consumed me. I liked it, which horrified me. Being near Jack was not easy. He was a touchy guy, and I found myself longing for the contact. Maybe I’d hoped he’d have to kiss me again tonight as part of our undercover operation. What was wrong with me? Why was I attracted to the most unattainable man?
I was relieved when I spotted Big Tony up ahead and I pushed away my crazy thoughts.
The drive to my apartment was silent until we pulled in front of my building. “Next time tell me that he isn’t going to be there, please. And since when do you have an investigator following him?”
“Since our last visit to The Dark Temptress. He’s just looking for anything out of the ordinary. Although I think he stopped going there, because according to my guy, he hasn’t been back once since he’s been trailing him.”
“Damn it. He’s probably aware that he’s being followed,” I huffed.
“Very doubtful. My guy is a pro. He’s a retired Navy SEAL. Slic
k as fuck. No way Simon saw him.”
I thought it over. “Fine. He did just announce his intention to run for president. He is probably being more careful now. I’ll reach out to my contact and ask her if she’s seen him.”
“Your brother’s, uncle’s, mechanic’s, dentist?”
I chuckled and rolled my eyes. “Whatever, Montgomery. I’ll see you tomorrow. We have the fundraiser coming up. We can keep our eye on him there.”
“Sounds like a plan, Blue Jay.”
I jumped out of the car when Big Tony opened my door and held my hand up when Jack tried to follow me out. “I can walk myself to the door, remember?”
He nodded, and I turned on my heels. I needed a break from the guy. We were working together and spending too much time outside of work trying to keep up appearances for our fake relationship.
I needed to cleanse myself of all things Jack Montgomery.
Chapter Eleven
Jack
Work had been crazy, and Ford was on edge as Harley was scheduled to give birth to the twins in a week. Tonight, we had the fundraiser at Simon Reynolds’ home, and I was looking forward to taking Monroe. I hadn’t seen much of her the past few days. She appeared to be avoiding me, which wasn’t a great idea seeing as we’re supposed to be dating. But I understood it. Lines were getting a bit blurred with all the time we spent together. And I had a wicked case of blue balls, as it had been too long since I’d been laid. It had to be some kind of record.
I popped in the bakery for my morning pastry and was surprised to see my very pregnant sister-in-law behind the counter.
“I thought you were on bed rest?” I said, coming around the counter and giving her a hug. I loved everything about Harley Montgomery, and all the ways she’d changed my broody brother’s life for the good. I couldn’t wait to meet the babies, and I knew she’d be an amazing mother.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “The doctor never said bed rest or that I couldn’t go to work. He said for me to take it easy. I’m nesting, so I just came in to check the count in the freezer and snatch a few cookies.”