“Are they going to fall out?” His gaze zeroes in on my chest once more, and I want to slap him. Or kiss him. Maybe grab hold of his cheeks and bring his face right into my cleavage. What would happen if I did that? Would he shove me away? Or tug the fabric down and run his lips all over my newly exposed skin…
OMG, I need to stop. Clearly, I have a problem.
“No, they won’t. And I will make extra sure they won’t fall out when you’re introducing me to your parents, okay?” I turn away from him so I can’t feel his gaze on my bare skin anymore. Glancing down at my chest, I can see that my skin has turned red.
Ugh. The man is infuriating.
“My parents…” His voice drifts and he clears his throat. Clears it again. “My mother. She, uh, she died.”
Oh. That’s right. His mother is gone. I knew this already. But I have to pretend like it’s news to me. Slowly I turn to find him standing there with his hands in his pants’ pockets, looking a little lost. A lot…sad.
It’s in his eyes. They find mine and I can see so much emotion swirling there. Emotion I’ve never noticed before.
But then he blinks and it’s gone and I take a step toward him, like I can’t help myself.
“I’m sorry,” I say solemnly.
He shrugs. “It happened a long time ago.”
I work my jaw, ready to confess my sob story, but then it’s his turn to shift away from me and I stare at his broad back as he tilts his head back and gazes up at the ceiling. “You have to understand, Sarah. Sometimes when I’m tired or feeling impatient I act like…”
“An asshole?” I supply for him.
Jared glances over his shoulder, giving me the faintest smile. “Yeah. That.”
He remains quiet for a while and I’m ready to choke on the words I want to say to him, so I just let it all spill out. “If you want my help, then you need to treat me with respect at the very least, Jared. You keep acting like a total asshole all the time, and I don’t want to have anything to do with you,” I tell his broad back.
“Yeah. I get that.” He drops his head, staring at the floor now, and he kicks at one of the discarded dresses lying on the floor. “That is hideous.”
“I know.” I wince when he kicks the dress again, feeling bad. When you work in retail, you’ve seen it all, and you’re sympathetic to every other retail establishment you go into. Like this one.
He lifts his head, examining all of the dresses that remain in the room. And there are still a lot of them. “I hate every single dress I see in here.”
“Thanks for your honesty,” I say, heavy on the sarcasm.
“Hey, I don’t want to lie.” He turns so now he’s fully facing me. “Was it Candice’s idea? The flowers?”
“No, actually that was my idea. She’s the one who brought me this.” I pull my hand out of my pocket to indicate the jumpsuit I’m still wearing. “I think she made the right call.”
“Definitely.” He moves closer, so close I can feel him exhale when he breathes. “I really am sorry, Sarah. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
I lift my chin, my gaze meeting his. I can’t tell him I forgive him. I’m not ready for that yet. “I accept your apology.”
He extends his hand, like he wants me to shake it. “So we’re good?”
“I suppose so.” I let him take my hand and he pulls me into him, making me gasp. I reach out, bracing my hands flat on his solid wall of a chest, and just like that, my heart starts to race. “What are you doing?” I ask, my voice shaky.
“Checking to see just how indecent this jumpsuit is,” he admits, his gaze directed down the front of my top.
I should be mad. I’m about to call him out for being a jerk yet again but then…
But then.
He touches me there, his index finger tracing the edge of the fabric, right across my chest, the top of my breasts. His barely there caress causes tingles to sweep all over my body, leaving me breathless. Making my heart beat uncontrollably.
“Maybe you can get away without wearing a bra,” he tells me.
“Okay.” I swallow hard, surprised I could choke that one word out.
“I can feel your heart racing,” he whispers.
My lips part, but no words form. The man renders me stupid every chance he can get. One minute he makes me want to smack him, and the next I want to kiss him.
He makes no sense. Us together, we make no sense.
Jared hooks his finger, sinking it beneath the fabric, and I close my eyes, anticipation making my blood run hot. I lick my lips, waiting for the moment when he touches me with real purpose when suddenly there’s a rapid knock on the door.
“Are you ready to make your purchase now, miss?”
We spring away from each other, my eyes popping open to find he has his back to me once more, and he’s fumbling with one of the dresses on the hanger. Like he’s trying to help me put this stuff away, I guess?
Silly man.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” I call, swallowing hard. I wish I had something to drink. My mouth is suddenly so dry. “I’ll be out in just a minute.”
“Please don’t take long. The registers will go offline in fifteen minutes.”
“What the hell? I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Jared growls once the sales associate walks away. He’s facing me once more, giving up the pretense of trying to help hang up the dresses we’re leaving behind.
I grab my bag and glance at my phone for the time. “It’s nine-fifteen, so I’m guessing the system shuts down at nine-thirty?”
“Ridiculous,” he mutters under his breath.
“Or they say that as an excuse to get us out of here,” I say.
“That’s more like it.” He sends me one of those I-can’t-read-him looks, reaching for the door handle. “I’ll get out of here so you can get changed.”
“Wait!” I practically scream before he opens the door. He turns to look at me, his brows lowered in question. “Um, could you help me?” I turn so my back is to him. “I need you to unzip this.”
He says nothing. Not a word. He merely steps forward, his hand going to the spot directly between my shoulder blades. Slowly, he undoes the zipper, the fabric parting, revealing my bare back, maybe even the top of the panties I’m wearing.
The panties he bought for me.
“There,” he says when he’s done. He pauses for a moment, and then he asks, “Are you wearing the stars?”
Nodding, I remain where I’m at, my head bent, my stomach fluttering with nerves. He touches me there, his fingers drifting across the waistband of my panties for the quickest moment. “Too bad I have to go,” he murmurs.
And with that, he leaves the dressing room.
Twenty
The week flies by, and the next thing I know, it’s Friday afternoon and I’m waiting for Jared to pick me up at my house so we can finally head to San Francisco.
Yes, can you believe it? I’m letting him come to my house, but the only reason that’s happening is because Brent is at work and Andie’s at school. Neither of my annoying siblings are around to ask endless questions.
Well, my siblings aren’t annoying, but the questions they’d ask Jared would be. And I can’t deal with that right now. I’m already freaking out enough. I don’t need Brent and Andie to make everything worse.
Glancing around, I take in the worn-out couch, the dated look of the room in general. Am I little embarrassed by the shabby condition of our house? Maybe. I’ve never seen Jared’s giant mansion by the ocean, but I’m sure it’s freaking amazing. I’d guess our house looks like a shack compared to his. But it’s all ours and I can’t imagine not living here, so it’ll have to do. I’m not here to impress him.
Not really.
I packed for this weekend trip all week long, and it stressed me the hell out. All I had on hand were duffel bags of various sizes, and I knew none of them would work. I had to borrow one of Stella’s suitcases, a blush pink hard-cased number that rolls so smoothly I can tell she s
pent a lot of money on it. And since it was so large, I filled it with a variety of outfits, more than I would’ve brought if I were stuck with one of my bags. That made things easier, considering how unsure I was about what to bring. I don’t know exactly what we’re doing or what’s been planned beyond the party.
I’m going into this trip mostly clueless, but so incredibly grateful I’ll have at least one ally by my side.
That would be Candice.
We’ve kept in constant contact since our Friday night shopping date. More so than Jared and I have, which is kind of wild, though he warned me he’d be busy with work all week so he could take the extended weekend off.
Candice, on the other hand, has texted me every day and we chat nonstop. We even met for drinks Thursday night at a cute little bar in downtown Monterey, far from where my friends like to hang out.
It’s not that I don’t want Candice to meet my friends, it’s just that…there would be so much to explain. Like how I work at Bliss, and my parents are gone and I’m raising my teenaged sister pretty much on my own, with my brother’s help. That I’m not some spoiled rich girl like all of Jared’s other women.
I am the furthest thing from that.
Plus, how do I introduce Candice to my friends? They all know about Jared, but the majority of them think he’s some sort of twisted pervert with a panty fetish. I can’t bring his little sister around and expect them to not ask any questions.
For now, I figured it was best to avoid them. Really, I’m avoiding everyone, and that’s probably not a good thing, but I’ll worry about that later.
We had the best time, Candice and I, drinking wine and eating happy hour appetizers for half price. She told me all sorts of stories about the family, about Jared specifically, and about their mother. How she left Candice a secret trust fund that ensured she would never want for anything for the rest of her life, and how Candice is trying her best to live up to her mother’s legacy by giving so much of her time to charitable organizations.
“My mother died of breast cancer,” Candice admitted near the end of the evening. “And I want so badly to help with the various breast cancer charities we have in the area. Do you know we have three? Three. And I can’t make myself go to any of them.” Her voice lowered, her eyes full of fear. “They scare me. Every single one of them. I’m scared I’ll get it. And I’ll end up dying young just like my mom.”
Her confession had broken my heart, and all I could do was squeeze her hand in sympathy. I wanted to tell her about my parents, how devastated we were when we lost them, how angry Brent had become and my sister had been so young still, and so confused. It was a tough time, but I didn’t share. I couldn’t.
Sitting there, squeezing Candice’s hand and murmuring words of comfort to her, I still felt like a liar.
I shove the memory from my brain and focus on the here and now, pacing the length of the living room as I wait for Jared to show up. I’m nervous. Scared out of my mind, actually. The party is tomorrow night, so I’m a little unsure as to why we need to get there this evening. Plus, I forgot to ask if Candice had an itinerary for the weekend, which was my bad.
Maybe I can text her. Yeah, that’s a good idea. I grab my phone and I’m about to send her a quick text asking if there was a schedule, when there’s a knock on my door.
My stomach twisting and my text forgotten, I go to the door and open it to find Jared Gaines standing on our front porch.
His expression is serious, his dark hair a mess, and there’s a hint of stubble already lining his jaw, which is totally unlike him. He’s wearing dark jeans and a gray hoodie sweatshirt, and he looks so unexpectedly and deliciously casual that I want to throw myself at him.
But I don’t.
“Hey.” His voice is devoid of emotion and I frown at him. “Are you ready?”
“I am.” I try to smile, but he doesn’t return it, so I end up watching as he grabs my suitcase and takes it to his car. I follow after him once I shut and lock my front door, making my way to his Tesla. It’s a gorgeous vehicle, white and sleek and modern. I’m excited to finally be riding in it.
I still can’t believe we’re doing this. It’s mind blowing.
“You’re just bringing this?” he asks as he shoves Stella’s beautiful pink suitcase in the trunk. “Is there anything else you need to grab before we go?”
“Nope.” I shake my head, pat the bag slung over my shoulder. “I’m ready to go.”
With a nod, he slams the trunk shut and then heads to the right side of the vehicle to open the passenger-side door for me. I slip inside, smiling my thanks at him before he shuts the door. I study him as he rounds the front of the car and opens the driver’s side door, slipping into the seat and slamming the door with a muffled thud. He starts the car, sending me a curious look when he discovers I haven’t taken my gaze off of him.
“What?” he asks when I don’t say anything.
“You’re quiet,” I tell him. “You also seem—tense.”
And we know this is a bad sign, am I right?
He laughs, though there’s no humor in the sound. “Tense. That about describes it.”
“Why? What’s wrong? Is your family really that bad?” I start to envision all sorts of horrible, abusive scenarios, though honestly that makes no sense, what with how sweet Candice is. Though Jared does act like a control freak. What if his father is ten times worse than he is?
Oh God, what if I’m walking into some sort of horror situation and I’ll need to call my friends on the downlow and beg them to come save me. I can take an Uber from San Francisco to Seaside, right?
Reaching out, Jared clutches the steering wheel with both hands, staring straight ahead, even though we’re not moving. “They’re not bad people. They’re actually—pretty great. My father is a good man. My stepmother is…okay. We’ve never been particularly close, but that’s my fault. My brother is a nice guy. He’s a lawyer, and he’s going to be a great success, I know he is. And you’ve already met Candice.”
No red flags, family-wise. At least according to Jared. Though if he had anything to hide, he’d do exactly that. Hide it. “Then what is it? Clearly something is bothering you.”
“It’s nothing.” He shakes his head, his jaw tight. “I just…I always get this way before I go see my family. It’s my own weird thing.”
He’s being very real with me right now, and I appreciate it more than he could ever know. “Do they all live in San Francisco?”
“No, my father and his wife live here. Well, in Pacific Grove.” He pulls away from the curb and drives through the city streets, headed for the northbound Highway One on ramp. I hate how silent we are. There’s not even any music playing, and I’m twisting my hands together like a Nervous Nellie.
“Go ahead and ask more questions,” he finally says, amusement tingeing his voice. “I can tell you’re dying to say more.”
I breathe a sigh of relief at his permission. I didn’t want to pry but… “Do you work with your father?”
“I do, though he works mostly out of his home office now. He’s semi-retired. I’m the one who’s handling most of the day-to-day business,” he says as he merges onto the highway.
“And, um, what is it exactly that you do?” I’m trying to make conversation, but I’m also trying to get him to tell him me stuff. About himself.
I want to know more.
He chuckles. “I buy and sell companies in the hopes of turning a profit.”
“And do you usually turn a profit?”
“Definitely. Though there’s been the occasional purchase that hasn’t turned out exactly how I wanted.” He shrugs. “Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.”
“Why didn’t your brother go into the family business?” This is so awesome. He is my captive, and I plan on asking him as many questions as he’ll allow me to during our two hour-plus drive.
“He’s always wanted to help people, ever since he was a kid. I was the one buying bulk candy at the store and selling it for
twice what I paid for it at school. Kevin was the one offering free advice and defending kids from bullies. It makes sense that he became a lawyer. Though he originally wanted to be a doctor.”
And he goes on like this for over an hour. It is so great. I’m storing all of the information he’s revealing for later, when I can lie in bed before I go to sleep and go over everything he’s told me. About his father, his sister, his brother, his mother. She sounds like she was a lovely person. Sweet and gentle and kind. A little overprotective. The classroom mom, the one who was there for every field trip and every holiday party.
Kind of like my mom.
“I’m tired of talking about myself,” he finally says, shooting me a quick glance. “I think it’s your turn.”
“Maybe we should listen to some music,” I suggest hopefully.
“Nope. Now I get to ask twenty questions.”
“Oh, did you play that game too when you were a kid?” I ask, trying my best to distract him.
“I just played it right now with you, Sarah. Now spill. Brothers and sisters?”
Great. I guess I’m going to spill all of my sordid (not) secrets. “One of each.” I slump in my seat.
“Like me.”
He’s right. I guess that’s the other thing we have in common.
“What’s the birth order?”
“I’m the oldest, then my brother Brent and my sister Andie.”
“Again, like me.” His expression is thoughtful as he studies the road ahead. Traffic is getting heavier, which tells me we must be getting closer to the city. “What about your parents?”
My heart clenches and I rub a hand against my suddenly aching chest. “What about them?”
“Are they still together or are they divorced?”
“They’re, um…” I swallow hard. May as well just say it. “They’re dead.”
His head swivels hard to the right, his eyes wide as he stares at me. “What? Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious.” I wave a hand at the windshield. “Maybe you should keep your eyes on the road, Jared.”
Fake Date Page 14