“How did you end up here?”
“When your dad saw me, we got to talking. I told him everything in hopes he could help me get in touch with you, but when we couldn’t, they invited me to stay for dinner. They are very nice people.”
“Nice people who now know I lied to them,” I growled. “When you didn’t see me, why didn't you just leave?”
“I’m sorry, but I had no idea you would have someone pretending to be me.”
I ran my fingers through my hair as I paced the short length of the kitchen. “That's just the thing. He's not pretending to be you. He's been himself all this time.”
“But I don't understand.”
“It started off as a pretense,” I admitted. “But it's developed into so much more.”
He stared at me in surprise as he got my meaning. “You can't be serious. We've known each other for months. We both wanted this. How long have you known him? Three days?”
“That's beside the point.” I spun to face him, still finding it difficult to believe that he was actually here. "Fact is, when you didn't show up despite me sending you money for the tickets, you forfeited everything. I got to know Ainsley, and I've fallen in love with him. I'm sorry you wasted this trip for nothing.”
He deflated and finally accepted my offer for him to sit. He sat hard in the chair, his body slumped.
“If I had shown up, it wouldn't have made much of a difference, would it?” he asked.
I sat across from him. “To be honest, I'm not sure. Maybe, but I don't think it would have made either of us truly satisfied.”
He groaned, covering his face with his hands. “This is all so embarrassing. What am I going to do now? My flight back isn't for a couple days.”
I felt bad for him too, so bad I did something Ainsley would probably have my head for. “You can stay with us until we sort out your flight. I can get you another ticket home.”
He shook his head and stood. “That would make everyone more uncomfortable than they already are. I should go. Your-your boyfriend seems quite possessive.”
“Damn right he is,” Ainsley muttered, and I rolled my eyes, stifling my laugh.
“Eavesdropping again, Ainsley?”
He showed himself and walked into the kitchen. “It was your mother's idea this time,” he remarked, not stopping until he plopped his ass in my lap. He smacked both his palms to my cheek and kissed me hard.
Mama entered the kitchen, followed by my dad. “I'm not going to apologize for it. Apparently, eavesdropping is the only way to get the truth around here.”
I groaned, and Sheldon rose to his feet. “I should go find a cheap hotel where I can stay a couple of days.”
“Hotel on Christmas day?” Mama asked. “I think you should have dinner with us. It's all we can do for all the trouble of you coming here in vain.”
Mama had a point since I also felt bad for him. As much as I couldn’t see a future with him now that I had Ainsley, it would be sad for him to stay in a hotel by himself on Christmas. I nudged Ainsley. “What do you say? Can we show a bit of hospitality or would it make you uncomfortable?”
Ainsley frowned at Sheldon. “As long he understands you're mine, I'm okay with it.”
Sheldon gave a nervous laugh. “Trust me, I got that message loud and clear.”
“Now back to you two,” Mama said pointing at me and Ainsley. “Don't think I'm letting you off the hook because you've somehow managed to fall in love through your deception. Although it does make this a little easier to handle.”
I groaned. “I'm sorry, Mama, but I could not endure your matchmaking efforts this Christmas. Last year was downright embarrassing.”
Dad wrapped an arm around Mama's waist. “Well, what do you know? I told you not to interfere. It all comes right back to you, darling, and your meddling.”
“See!” I seized the opportunity of having Dad on my side. “Even Dad agrees with me.”
Mama flushed. “Well, if not for me, you wouldn't have found Ainsley, so if I’m going to take the blame for you having to get a fake boyfriend, I'll take credit for that too.”
I smiled at Ainsley, relieved our lie had gone over so well. “Think we can give her credit for this?”
“We can let her have all the glory,” he said, still eyeing Sheldon suspiciously, but relaxing against me. “As long as I have you.”
Gazing at him, seeing the vulnerability in his expression, and the budding love showing there, there was no question about whether or not he had me.
“You do,” I told him. “For this Christmas and all others to come.”
Before everyone who was with us in the kitchen, Ainsley didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around my neck and kiss me. I didn’t mind my family seeing how crazy I was about him. I didn’t mind anyone knowing. Ainsley had brought something new to my life, and although I had been skeptical at first, I was never more positive than I was currently that this was what I wanted. He was what I wanted.
“Can we unwrap the gifts now?” Aiden called to us from the living room.
I groaned, thinking of the gift Ainsley had bought me. I was in no particular hurry to unwrap it especially since I believed I had already unwrapped the most precious gift this Christmas. Ainsley.
Epilogue
Ainsley
“Ainsley!”
I told myself I wasn’t going to run into his arms this time. I should have been used to this by now— the leaving and returning. I had it all planned out how I was going to be mature about seeing him again. Last time we had been together, I had made a scene at the airport when he’d visited me for a weekend in New York just before I left for my London shoot. I was determined to behave better this time.
Turning to face Willy, he spoiled everything by grinning at me with his arms held wide. I stood rooted to the spot for a second as I thought about how I looked like hell on heels, with messed up chestnut curls all over the place. It had been my intention to quickly duck into the bathroom to repair my makeup and run a comb through my curls. The summer heat was having a field day with my natural curls. Not exactly how I planned to greet my man, but it couldn’t be helped.
After walking the catwalk in Berlin, I’d barely socialized after the fashion show, turning down a few not-so-gentlemanly offers before I caught a red-eye flight to Birmingham. The fifteen-hour flight hadn’t really given me much opportunity to make myself presentable for him. I’d changed into the plaid romper during the final stopover, but I’d accumulated a few wrinkles in my clothes. Wearing heels probably hadn’t been the smartest decision I had ever made either. I’d been wearing them a lot lately for the different fashion shows I had been in. I should have shucked them on the flight for my high tops.
As exhausted as I was from the journey, Willy’s happy face managed to cheer me up. And because I could never disappoint him, I ran into his waiting arms. A few inches away from him, he hauled me up against him in a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist and sighed into him. He smelled nice. Like a man who could talk me into sex before I fell into the chasm of sleep.
“Oh baby, I missed you,” he murmured, pressing his lips to my untidy curls.
“Not as much as I missed you,” I replied, still clinging to him. “Thank God I’ve nothing booked for the next four months. I worked my ass off so I could get all this time with you.”
He tangled his hands into my hair, pushing back the long curls over my shoulders. “You look fucking hot in plaid. I thought you said plaid was dead.”
I leaned forward to kiss the tip of his nose. “I’m not wearing just any plaid, boo. This is designer plaid. Plus, I thought I convinced you I made anything look good after I rocked the hell out of that plaid shirt you got me Christmas.”
We grinned at each other as we remembered returning home from his parents last Christmas, to me wearing nothing but the plaid shirt he had gifted me. I’d tied the two ends of the shirt in a knot around my waist, knelt on the sofa and offered him my ass. That night I had convinced both him and
myself that plaid was in fact not dead.
“I don’t really give a damn what you’re wearing now,” Willy remarked, his eyes zeroing in on my lips. “The same way I don’t give a damn who turns away at this, but I’m going to kiss you senseless right now.”
I moaned, taking his hands and guiding them to my ass which was usually his target. He already knew that I didn’t give a flying fuck who we offended by displaying our affection for each other in public. “Kiss me already!”
His lips crashed into mine, and it felt like all the tension of my flight and the past seven months just melted away. I got lost in the familiarity of his lips and the comfort of his body pressed to mine. I hadn’t been sure when I told Thomas not to book me for any more shows right now, but being in Willy’s arms reminded me why I had done it. I wasn’t giving up my career by a long stretch. Willy had supported me and my crazy schedule over the past seven months. I wanted to give back this time to him before I took on any more shows. I wanted the time for us to grow.
To our surprise, a cheer erupted around us, startling us and interrupting our kiss. I was just about to pout when I heard the catcalls and wolf whistles, laughter and teasing.
“That’s the way you kiss your man!”
“Don’t stop on our account!”
“My god, that looks hot!”
I grinned against Willy’s lips before he completely pulled away. Despite his earlier words that he didn’t care who disliked our kissing, he didn’t seem to know quite what to do with the approval.
“Unfortunately, the rest of the show would cost,” I remarked, soaking up the attention.
Willy tugged at my arm. “You’re incorrigible. Do you have a bag? We need to get the hell out of here before these people start offering us money.”
I shook my head and laughed. “I didn’t take a bag. I have everything I need at your place anyway. I left high-fashion Ainsley back in New York. I’m happy never seeing heels again for the next four months!”
“Such a shame,” Willy answered, as we weaved our way to the doors. “You do look hot in them. And that romper…really sexy. Come on. Lean on me if your feet hurt that bad. When you get into the truck, you can kick them off and put your feet up.”
I leaned into him gratefully. Since dating me, he had come to understand more of what I needed, given my hectic profession. He still continued to dote on me which I would never get tired of. He understood that I had stressful days, and all I needed from him was his words of love when I felt inadequate. He asked so little of me which was all the more reason to give him all this exclusive time together. Alone. Except for days when we visited his parents or mine.
Willy helped me into his truck, and I kicked off the heels gratefully. I liked that he kept my seat adjusted the way I preferred it.
“Feet in my lap,” he said as he got behind the wheel. I didn’t argue. I turned with my back to the door, ensuring my seatbelt was locked in, though it was an awkward fit, as I lifted my legs to find home in his lap. He gave the best damn foot rubs ever, and I was looking forward to one when we got home. With one hand on the steering wheel, he rubbed my feet with the other. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.
I woke up to Willy tickling my feet lightly. I frowned at him and pulled my feet quickly away because I was ticklish.
“Don’t be mad,” he said. “We’re home, and I’ve got a surprise for you.”
I groaned and reached for the heels, eyeing this distance from his truck to his front door.
“Here, let me help.”
I smiled at him gratefully as he came around to my side of the truck and opened the door.
“Sorry I fell asleep on you,” I murmured snuggling to his chest when he lifted me in his arms. He slammed the door shut and headed for the front door like I didn’t weigh more than a baby. I wrapped my arms around his neck, loving how he made carrying me seem so effortless.
“It’s okay. I know you’re tired. No sex for you until you’ve had a decent night’s sleep.”
“But sex helps me sleep,” I argued, nibbling on his chin. “Especially when you’re rocking into me all slow and steady.”
He let us inside the house and closed the door. He barely took a step when a blur of white streaked toward him, running around his feet and barking.
“Cotton?” I gasped in disbelief. It couldn’t be. I’d never forgotten that puppy. As soon as he had improved, Willy’s friends from the shelter had taken him. I used to visit him until he was adopted.
“The worst mistake I made was in not adopting this puppy for you the minute I realized how much you cared for him,” he said. “A week ago the woman who adopted him brought him back to the shelter. Apparently, he copped an attitude from you, so now you have to deal with him.”
“You did this for me?” I asked, my throat constricted with the emotions overwhelming me.
“Yes, because it meant a lot to you.”
I made no attempt to stop the ugly tears that came. Even as he lowered me to the floor and the puppy wedged himself between us, I clung to him, crying and kissing him at the same time. “I love you. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Ainsley.”
I kissed him hard on the mouth again before settling on the floor. “Hey, my sweet, Cotton. You’ve gotten so big.” As though he remembered me and all the times I fed him a bottle, Cotton jumped into my lap, his tongue swiping at me. I laughed and held him to me, not minding being licked silly. I was happier than I’d ever been in my life, and it was all because of this wonderful man I had found the courage to ask to be my fake boyfriend.
“You’ve turned out to be the best fake boyfriend ever,” I told him before digging into the right pocket of my romper. “I planned to wait before I asked, but I don’t care if it’s not been a year yet. I don’t just want to be your man anymore, Will. I want to be your husband. I want to be Ainsley Hicks. Will you marry me?”
I opened my palm to show him the engagement ring I had picked out for him when I was in London. It was a simple band I thought he would like. Nothing fancy or flashy for him.
He stared at the ring on my palm, stunned. I figured he would be, but I also planned to talk him into it like I’d talked him into being my pretend boyfriend last Christmas.
“You called me Will.”
I stroked Cotton to calm down his excitement. “Seriously? That’s all you heard in everything I said?”
He grinned as he lowered himself to the floor beside me. “Sorry. It’s just the first time I’ve heard you call me Will.”
“I’ll call you anything you want if you just say yes.”
He cupped my chin. “How about you continue calling me Willy, and I’ll let you put that pretty ring on my finger?”
“Deal.”
I reached for his hand, and he chuckled as I eagerly shoved it on and over his knuckle. “There was never a doubt that I’d say yes,” he remarked. “In fact, I was gearing up to asking you, but figured since you like being the one to proposition me, I’d wait for you to do it.”
I was too happy to even properly scowl at him. I leaned forward to kiss him on his cheek. “Anything to keep you in my life.”
The End
Thanks for reading Ainsley and Will’s story. Do you wonder what ever happened to Sheldon? A short story of Sheldon’s discovery of love in Alabama will be sent out in my newsletter on Christmas day. You can sign up here if you haven’t already.
Author’s Note
If you’ve been following me in my group, Gianni’s Gems, you would already know how much fun I had writing Will and Ainsley’s story. Ainsley was such a character from the very beginning when he revealed himself to me. Yup, he chose that name. I’ve laughed about that f*cking Ainsley who wouldn’t let me change his name even though I hated it. Well, what do you know? By the end of this book, not only had it grown on me, but it suited my boy so well.
I hope you had fun reading this story as much as it was fun for me to write. If you’ve not done so already, please consider l
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Wishing you and your family and loved ones a happy holiday!
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Unwrapping Ainsley Page 16