“Risk, if I’m so horrible, why would you want to spend more time with me than necessary? Because I certainly think you—”
“April, I’m hungry, and it’ll only take a few minutes to get the food and eat it. We don’t even have to talk to each other.”
She folded her arms across her middle. “Fine then.”
Risk wasn’t fooling; the Thai Temple was indeed just a few minutes away. He drove up to a take-out window and ordered two meals. They were cooked fresh, the scent of sizzling meats making her tummy grumble when Risk was handed the food in two white bags. “You like Thai?” he asked.
She nodded, though she hadn’t tried this place. It was relatively new, she assumed, since this part of town, including Creek Point Elementary, had been recently developed.
He drove out of the drive-through heading in the opposite direction of her office. “Where are you going?”
“You’ll see. There’s a park on the edge of town. We’re almost there.”
It did no good arguing with Risk. He was determined to have his lunch on his terms, so she clamped her mouth shut as he turned into a dirt driveway and parked the car. He turned to her. “Walnut shrimp or glazed chicken?”
She stared at the two bags and took the walnut shrimp. “This one is fine.”
He nodded, grabbed the other bag and got out of the car. He walked around to her side and pointed. “There’s a table over there, looks out to the creek. That’s where I’ll be,” he said, sauntering away. As an afterthought, he turned to look her square in the eyes. “You comin’?”
Then he headed over to a table set under a stand of trees. She stubbornly sat in the car and watched Risk take a seat at a wooden picnic table. She looked out at the annoyingly lovely view. The sun blazed over the ridge as waters from the recent storms rushed along. It was a far better place to have a meal than in the car. She hated that good sense won over her stubbornness. She opened the door, bag in hand, and walked over to the table.
Risk didn’t say a word. He was busy eating and enjoying the view of the rocky bed and bubbling waters.
She opened her bag, stirred the shrimp, rice and veggies together, and began eating. The food was spicy and delicious, and she dug in with gusto.
Risk glanced at her. “You’re a noisy eater.”
“Am I disturbing your peace?”
“Always,” he said. “As I recall, you’re noisy about other things, too.”
Heat rose up her neck. Was he deliberately taunting her and trying to humiliate her? She’d been hijacked into this lunch, but she didn’t need to be insulted as well. She rose from her seat. “This wasn’t a good idea.”
“Hell, April. Why are you being so sensitive?”
“Because you’re bringing up something I want to forget.”
“You know darn well it wasn’t meant as a put-down.”
“I know no such thing.” Because if it wasn’t a put-down, then what was it? He had good memories of the night at the lodge? He liked the sounds she’d made while he was making love to her? None of it mattered; none of it was real. She hated the deception and didn’t want to spend any more time with Risk than she had to. “I’m done here.”
She marched off, heading toward his car. When she was halfway there, Risk sidled up next to her, took her hand and twirled her to face him. He came nose to nose with her and whispered, “Don’t look now, but we were followed.”
“What? Where?”
He touched her cheek with the flat of his palm. “Over by the side of the road. They’re taking pictures.”
“Oh. Who are they?”
“Reporters, no doubt. It looks like we’re fighting.”
“We are.”
“Not anymore,” he said softly, bringing his head down, touching his lips to hers. The kiss startled her, but he held her tight around the waist, keeping her in his embrace. Her pulse jumped, and her body shivered. “April,” he murmured, “this is important to both of us.”
Of course, this was the deal they’d made. “Right.”
She put her arms around his neck and fell into the role of fiancée, kissing him back, kissing him as if he was her whole world. Let them take all the pictures they needed to. This charade would be over soon and she’d be able to go on with her life.
Risk made a good show of it, kissing her longer than she expected, and when he finally broke off the kiss, he was as breathless as she was. They’d always had chemistry, and she wouldn’t give it any real credence that his eyes nearly smoked like hot coals. It was all for show.
“I think we’ve convinced them,” she whispered, her lips tingling.
“Yep,” he said, his gaze roaming over her face. “Good job.”
Good job? She’d laid her best kisses on him.
It had been an extraordinary job, at the very least.
Eight
The next day April and Jenna drove down the highway heading back from Willow Springs, a sapphire-blue ball gown hanging in a garment bag from a hook in the back seat. “Jenna, I can’t thank you enough for taking the morning off from the salon to shop with me.”
“You’re welcome. You’re going to look great at the big Founder’s Day dinner.”
“Thank you. How about we go to lunch? My treat this time. Where do you want to go? I’ll take you anywhere except the Farmhouse Grill.”
Jenna’s eyes rounded, her mouth dropped open and as their eyes met, both of them burst out laughing. “Okay, how about Italian then?”
“Sounds delish.”
A short time later, they entered Italia Ristorante, and April immediately wanted to make a dash for it. “Oh man. Do you see what I see?”
Shannon was sitting with Risk in a corner booth with a handful of reporters and cameramen hovering nearby. She was all in black, from the bomber jacket and sequined top to her jeans and knee-high boots. Her ruby-red lips matched her fingernails, and the whole package screamed well put together. April would look silly in clothes like that, but on Shannon, it worked.
She’d had no idea Risk was having lunch here, apparently with Shannon.
“Is it too late to run?” Jenna asked.
“I’m afraid so...we’ve been spotted.”
A cameraman rushed over and snapped their picture, and a reporter stuck a microphone close to her face. “Are you here to have lunch with Shannon and your fiancé? Did you know he was dining with Shannon Wilkes today?”
Risk glanced her way, and she caught his quick frown before he transformed it into a charming smile. He rose from his seat and made his way over. “Sweetheart,” he said, brushing his lips over hers as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Her ears burned from all the attention, and the kiss to ward off the suspicious press simply pissed her off. “It’s so good to see you,” he said. “Hello, Jenna.”
“Hello,” Jenna answered.
Risk made sure to keep his attention on April, his dark eyes soft on her. He’d had practice being the focus of attention. She wasn’t as smooth or polished, and a gnawing ache began to grow in her belly. She’d seen the look on Shannon’s face when she had Risk all to herself, well...all to herself and her adoring press.
“I ran into Shannon here today, and she sat down and joined me for a few minutes while I wait for my meeting with the mayor,” he explained as photos were being snapped.
“Were you checking up on your fiancé, Miss Adams?” a reporter asked.
She smiled at the reporter, then gave Risk an adoring look. “Risk and I happen to love this restaurant and each other. My friend and I came by to pick up something to eat. It’s an added bonus that I get to see him for a few minutes during the day.”
By now, all eyes in the restaurant were on them. She couldn’t blame anyone. It was a juicy story—Risk appearing to be caught with his ex by his present fiancée.
Optics were important. She was sure the headl
ines in the morning would inflame more than flatter.
Antonio, the owner of the restaurant, came over and apologized for the disturbance. Then he tactfully told the paparazzi they were bothering his customers and they would be effectively tossed out if they didn’t leave quietly.
Shannon sauntered over, standing directly beside Risk, close enough to rub shoulders. To his credit he moved slightly away, but Shannon wasn’t to be ignored. “Hello again, April.”
“Hello, Shannon. I’d like you to meet my dear friend Jenna. Jenna, this is Shannon Wilkes.”
The women nodded in greeting.
“I hope you don’t mind me sitting with Risk for a while. We bumped into each other quite by accident.” She smiled, her eyes lighting on Risk. “We were killing time, reminiscing. Lord knows, we have stories that could fill up a whole book. Don’t we, Risk?” She gave him a classic Shannon Wilkes smile.
“We were talking about Shannon’s mom,” he explained. “She was a great baker.”
“They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. And Mom always made Risk his favorite desserts.”
“You mean she baked caramel peach pie?” April asked.
“Why, yes, she did. And butter cookies with—”
“Fresh-crushed walnuts on top.”
Shannon’s smug expression faltered a bit. “Yes, yes, that’s right.”
Risk darted his gaze April’s way, their eyes meeting ever so briefly, before he granted Shannon a smile. Apparently their life-story-in-an-hour training session had paid off. “I always appreciated Mary’s baking for me.”
“She loved you very much,” Shannon said softly.
“She was a special lady.”
Risk’s phone buzzed. “Sorry, I have to take this. It’s from Mayor Addison,” he said, stepping away from the three of them.
Shannon eyed April. “Do you have any news for me about the house?” Her voice was sugary sweet, yet calculation entered her sage eyes.
“Oh, uh, yes, I do. That’s one of the things I was going to do this afternoon, call you. I’m afraid the Russo family isn’t interested in your offer.”
Shannon’s gaze moved to where Risk was standing in the back of the restaurant, speaking into his phone. “Offer them twenty thousand more.”
April gulped, and Jenna stared at Shannon like she’d lost her mind. The original offer, along with this added bonus, was outrageously generous. Shannon really wanted this place. “I can certainly do that, but why, uh, does it have to be that particular farmhouse? I have several listings that are equally as nice.”
Shannon’s eyes sparkled as a faraway expression stole over her face. “It’s personal.”
She got it. It was personal between her and Risk.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Risk returned to join them, looking none too happy. “The mayor had to cancel our meeting. How about I take all three of you out to lunch today?”
“I’m in,” Shannon announced immediately.
Risk gave April a pointed look, as if he’d strangle her if she refused.
“You know what? I have to get back to the salon, so thanks anyway,” Jenna said. “But don’t hesitate to stay, April. Have a good lunch, everyone!”
Jenna, the rat, abandoned her. Some friend she turned out to be. Weren’t besties supposed to stick together? Now, she was stuck having lunch with Risk and his very flirty, very flamboyant ex-love, Shannon Wilkes.
* * *
The next night Risk stood outside April’s apartment door. She wasn’t going to like this, but he had no choice, so he knocked hard and hoped she would answer. It’d be easier to explain in person why he had to add to their list of appearances. He’d argue his case face-to-face rather than try to reason with her over the phone. He’d tried calling her today, and they’d gotten disconnected. Or she’d hung up on him. He wasn’t sure which.
He knocked a second time and heard her call out, “Who is it?”
“It’s Risk. I need to speak with you.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Let me in and I’ll explain.”
“Hold on a sec. I just got out of the tub.”
Visions of her naked body, all wet and round and beautiful, filled his head. She had curves in all the right places, and all too often lately he caught himself thinking about the two nights of mind-blowing sex he’d had with her. He wished he didn’t remember. He wasn’t as immune to her as he let on. Pretending to be her fiancé meant caresses and kisses that weren’t all that benign, that stirred his blood and racked his body.
He wasn’t forgetting her lies or how she’d made a fool out of him. That was the one thing keeping him in check.
The door opened, and there she stood, wearing some sort of silky kimono robe wrapped tightly at her waist. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her face was washed clean of makeup. Makeup she didn’t need, not with those big blue eyes and rosy lips. The subtle scent of fresh flowers immediately perfumed the air around her. They stared at each other a moment.
“Risk? Why are you here?” she asked.
“Please let me in. It’ll look weird if you don’t.” He played the fake fiancée card and slid a glance around the building grounds, pretty darn sure he hadn’t been followed tonight.
She opened the door wider, making room for him to come in, a frown on her face. Okay, maybe he should’ve called first and warned her he’d be coming over. But that meant risking she wouldn’t hear him out.
The moment he stepped inside, he immediately noticed the starkness of the place. Things seemed different than the first time he’d been here. All the touches that made this apartment warm and homey seemed to be gone.
“Where were you today when we got disconnected?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
She sighed. “At the lodge.”
“I tried you several times. Couldn’t get through.”
“I’ve been overseeing some work. The cell service out there is temperamental.”
He nodded and glanced around again. “Why does this place look so different?”
“Let’s just say I’ve been doing some...spring-cleaning.”
“In the winter?”
“Well, it’ll be spring in a few months.” She folded her arms across her middle. “Risk, I’m tired. I’ve had a busy day. What do you need from me?”
“Why don’t we sit down? You look like you could use a drink...to relax. How about we open a bottle of wine?” Her lips parted in feigned outrage, and he grinned. April was getting to be a pretty good actress, but tonight he wasn’t buying it. His suggestion brought temptation to her eyes.
“Why don’t you tell me why you want to ply me with alcohol?”
“You mean, aside from the obvious reason?”
“Which is?”
“You look hot in that getup.”
She grabbed her robe at the lapels and pulled it tighter around her, her face flaming a bit. “This from the guy who can’t stand me.”
“I never said that.” Well, not those exact words, but he had reamed her out pretty badly when he’d gotten his memory back. Still, he had blood in his veins, and it surprised him how attracted he was to her, even after all she’d done. “You’re a beautiful woman, April,” he said quietly. “It’d be hard not to notice.”
She slumped onto the sofa, and he took a seat at the opposite end.
“Why are you buttering me up?” Suspicion darkened her eyes.
He chose not to answer.
“Speak.”
He laughed. “You know, you’re a worthy contender, April.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Go on.”
He sighed, ready for the stuffing to hit the fan. “Okay, I know we agreed on an agenda, but some things have come up recently, and we need to make adjustments. Believe me, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t
important. You see, since the mayor had to cancel our appointment, he called to invite both of us to dinner at his home tomorrow night. His wife would like to meet you. Apparently she went to school with your mother.”
“No.”
“April, be reasonable.”
“I’m not going to dinner at the mayor’s house and pretending...pretending we’re in love. That’s too intimate a setting for me. Sorry. Just tell him I’ve got the flu, was bitten by a rabid dog, broke my ankle. I don’t care what excuse you make. I’m behind on my work, and I can only take so much at a time.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “All right, that was a long shot,” he said, giving in. “I’ll make an excuse for you. None of the ones you suggested, but I’ll come up with something.”
“Good.” Her nod brought his gaze up to her messy bun, bopping up and down. He liked her look tonight: cute and sexy. Even though she had a perpetual frown on her face, or maybe because of it, he was drawn to her. “But this next item on the agenda I hope you’ll consider. It’s for our aunt Lottie. With Founder’s Day coming up in just five days, she probably thinks we’ve forgotten her sixty-second birthday. She’s rarely at Rising Springs on her birthday, so Drea had this idea to give her a surprise party day after tomorrow. It’s family and a few close friends. Naturally, you should attend.”
“But I barely know her.”
“She’s a good woman, April. And to the world, you’re my fiancée.”
“I know she’s a good woman. She’s treated me like family, which I find very sweet.”
“I really think she’d like you to join us. You’ll be with my family mostly, so very little pretending.”
“That’s a plus,” she said all too quickly. “Will Shannon be attending?”
“Shannon?” That question came out of left field. “No, she’s not invited. Why?”
April gave her shoulder a shrug. “Sometimes I think she’s onto us. Whenever I see her or talk to her over the phone, she seems to be...testing me.”
“How so?”
“Well, for instance she’s been interested in buying the Russo property, and today I had to call her about it. Somehow she always finds a way to bring the subject back to you. She asks pointed questions and, well, it makes me uncomfortable. And then there’s photos of us—you and me, or Shannon and me, or you and Shannon—plastered all over the news. It’s a bit much.”
Stranded And Seduced (Boone Brothers 0f Texas Book 2) Page 11