“No, you haven’t.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “Yeah, I have, and it shows how incredible you are to try to ease my guilt.”
He set the phone down and pulled her into a hug. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. You were there for me when I needed you the most. When my mom died, when the app went public, during the trials and errors and my dad being a flake, and now here for the resort opening.”
Peyton pulled back. “You are my best friend, Gus. Someone I cherish and hold dear, and from now on, I promise I’m listening.”
Gus avoided her gaze as he nodded. Like he was trying to keep from falling apart. Most of the time when he was emotional, he got quiet. Just like now.
Peyton took his face in her hands and kissed his forehead. He needed some time, and she didn’t want any of the focus on herself. Too many times that happened, and this Christmas, it was about him and how much she cared about him. “Can I open my gift tomorrow?”
He nodded, continuing to avoid her gaze, and cleared his throat. “Sure.”
He put his arm around her shoulders, and they quietly cuddled on the couch until they fell asleep. It had to be the best ending to a Christmas ever. At least, in Peyton’s mind it was, and she was going to keep her promise. Their friendship wasn’t going to be centered on her anymore. She would make sure he got as much of her attention as she could give him.
* * *
The next morning, Peyton woke up on the couch, covered with a blanket. The smell of coffee filled the air. For a second, she lay there, smiling as she recalled the night before. Was it possible she was jumping into something just because she hated being alone? Maybe that would be true if it was anyone but Gus. No, with him, it was about more than filling the loneliness.
She stretched, sat up, and pushed off the couch in search of Gus. “Hello?”
“Hey. Want some coffee?” he said as he stepped out of his room, dressed in board shorts and a shirt. How could he look so good in something so casual?
“Sure.” She smiled, not feeling any of the awkwardness she’d worried about, and followed him into the kitchen. “Are you dressed for something special?”
He shook his head. “No, just wanted to be comfortable.”
She poured herself a cup of coffee, dressed it up with some cream and sugar, and took a sip. “Oh, coffee. Now the day can start.” She tilted her head. “You’re not having any?”
“No, I’ve had a cup.” He leaned against the counter. “What would you like to do today?”
Peyton shrugged. “I don’t know. What do you want to do?”
He stepped into her space and held her gaze with such intensity that she gulped. Whoa.
“I want to spend the day with you.”
“I want to spend the day with you too.” Her words came out breathy.
Setting her cup down, she closed her eyes as his lips touched her forehead. As he pressed light kisses all over her face, his lips like whispers across her skin, she was in a trance. Wow. She could handle him doing that all day.
When he leaned back, she opened her eyes, and he smiled.
How had so much changed in just one night? Granted, it was a magical night filled with his kisses, but, still, so much was different. The way she saw him, felt for him, thought about him. Only, she did have to wonder if he was only playing his part. It was easier to remain in pretend mode if they kept it going. She pushed the thoughts away and hugged him around the neck.
“I guess we’ll just see where the day takes us,” he said, and then he nipped at her lip. “Why don’t you put on your swimming suit.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Where would the day take them? Would there be more kissing? More kisses like she’d just experienced? The kind that made her forget everything around her?
Suddenly, her coffee wasn’t nearly as important as brushing her teeth. She took another quick sip and grinned. “Okay, I’ll hurry.”
“You do that,” he said, his voice low and sultry, and then he winked.
Her pulse jumped again. Who was this man in her Gus-Gus’s body? When did he get so sexy and charming?
“I will,” she said, nearly tripping over herself as she left the kitchen.
She grabbed her clothes from her room and rushed to the bathroom, trying to calm her racing heart. He had a serious effect on her. When had a man produced that kind of heart-pounding response? She was drawing a blank. No one but Gus.
One night. It had taken one night for her entire thought process to be upended. What would spending the rest of the week with him do to her?
As she braced her hands on the sink and studied herself in the mirror, she realized two things. One, she was falling for Gus, and two, the week with him wasn’t going to be nearly long enough.
Did she tell him that, though? He’d said repeatedly that he didn’t want a relationship. She didn’t even know if she wanted a relationship either. Maybe she needed to slow down a little and make sure of what she wanted before she said anything. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him or have her heart broken—and she suspected that with Gus, the heartbreak would be catastrophic.
Chapter 14
The sun was hanging on the upper branches of the trees as Gus finished setting up a beachside table. After Kalani brought their dinner, he’d texted Peyton that he had a surprise for her and to meet him on the beach near the rocks they’d danced next to the night before, which meant she should be there any minute.
Gus let his thoughts wander as he positioned the food and plates. Peyton had kissed him the night before. It had been beyond words. The feel of her lips, the way she held onto him…it was like his dreams had come to life. Then again, Justine was there, and they were pretending.
Seeing his mom in that video had brought back so many memories, and it had been overwhelming. Not in a bad way, but in a way that had left him an emotional wreck. He loved his mom, and he’d been missing her, so Peyton’s gift had meant more than she would ever know.
Was Peyton a little selfish at times? Yes, she could be, but she was also kind and caring and thoughtful. She didn’t know who he dated because he didn’t talk about it with her. How did you talk about something you didn’t do? Or did so infrequently that it wasn’t worth talking about?
Besides, they were friends. Best friends, and he wasn’t keeping score. He’d never kept a tally of what they did for each other. He loved her. Even before he realized it had moved past a friendship kind of love, he loved her and liked doing things for her because he liked seeing her smile. She helped him more than she knew.
“Gus?” Peyton called his name as she walked toward him. “What’s this?”
They’d spent the day doing water sports and lounging on the beach, and he’d planned dinner on the beach for her. He knew she’d love it because that was one of those fantasy-type things she’d talked about when they were kids.
“You’ve always talked about dinner on the beach, and I thought ‘Hey, I own a resort. I can do that.’” He smiled and pulled her chair out for her.
The corners of her lips curved up as her mouth dropped open. “You did this for me?” She stopped at the table.
He shook his head. “Yes, I wanted to find a way to thank you for the video. I had no idea you had that. It never even occurred to me that you might, and seeing her healthy and happy was…” A lump formed in his throat, and he looked away.
“Oh, Gus,” she said and circled her arms around his neck. “You always did get quiet, and I knew that. I just didn’t think it would affect you that much.”
“It did,” he whispered. “So, we’re having dinner on the beach, and then you’re opening the gift I got for you.”
She leaned back. “I told you not to get me another gift. Christmas is over anyway. The bracelet is perfect, and this dinner is more than enough.”
“I know, but when you see what it is, you’ll understand why it’s not that big of a deal.”
For a moment, she held his gaze, and then she dropped her arms. “Okay, bu
t I open it under protest.”
He laughed as he held her chair. “Under protest, huh?”
“Yes,” she said and took her seat. “Under lots of protest.”
Through dinner, they chatted about everything from previous Christmases to what Peyton thought it might be like living in New York. When they finished, Gus pulled out a small wrapped ring box.
Peyton gasped. “Please tell me you didn’t get me another piece of jewelry.”
“Open it first, and then if you still want to protest, you can.” He smiled and handed it to her.
She eyed him as she took it and then unwrapped it. The second she tipped the lid up, she jerked her gaze to his. “We decided on just wedding bands. We were going to keep it simple. This…oh…this is the diamond I loved. Why did you do this?”
Nestled inside the box was a princess cut diamond sitting on a gold band, surrounded by ten smaller diamonds. A set of matching gold wedding bands hugged each side of it. It was the ring he would’ve bought for her had he really asked her to marry him. Simple and elegant, a perfect complement to her character.
He shrugged. “I thought that if we’re going to pretend to be married, you could at least wear the ring you loved.”
“I’m protesting. This is too much.”
“No, it’s not.”
Peyton stared at him, her eyebrows drawn. “Yes, it is.”
He stood, walked to her, and squatted down. “No, it isn’t. I’m not keeping score, Peyton. That’s not how a relationship works. If you keep score, it’s a game, and this isn’t a game. You are my closest and dearest friend. I’ve never kept a running list of things I’ve done for you or vice versa. You love that ring. Wear it while we’re pretending. Please.” He plucked the wedding band out, slipped it on her finger, and then did the same with the diamond. “See? It fits you perfectly.”
She placed his band on his ring finger and hugged him around the neck. “You have no idea how much you mean to me.”
“You too, Peyton. You are the best friend I could have ever asked for.”
Leaning back, she held his gaze a moment and then nodded. “Exactly. I feel the same way.” For a breath, it seemed like she was pained, and then she smiled. “Maybe we could go for a walk on the beach and talk awhile? Give your tablet a rest for the night.”
He nodded. “You bet.”
“I’d love that.”
And he loved her. Maybe he’d even have the courage to tell her one day.
* * *
Their time together was flying by, and the next day only emphasized that fact. Despite wanting to be at the resort as guests, there were things that, as part owner, were up to him to attend to. He and Peyton barely saw each other aside from eating a quick lunch together. He’d been so late getting in that Peyton was already asleep when he returned. The work wasn’t surprising, but he lost valuable time with her.
After finishing his coffee the next morning, Gus opened the front door and leaned his shoulder against the frame. He would never get used to the view. Hawaii really was paradise. Today he was going to take Peyton to the beach and make up for missing so much time with her.
“Hey,” Peyton said as she hugged him around the waist from behind.
As he turned in her arms, he said, “Hi.”
“What—” she began to say as her phone rang. She pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. “It’s Lori.” She answered and said, “Hey, Lori, you’re on speaker. I’m with Gus.”
“Gus?” Her sister’s voice rose an octave. “What are you doing with Gus? I thought you were at Frank’s parents’.”
Peyton groaned. She’d said this was why she didn’t immediately tell Lori what happened. The judgment was right there, sitting on the end of her sister’s tongue, just waiting to pour all over Peyton. “Frank dumped me.”
“What?”
“He was using me to get a promotion. When he got it, he didn’t need me anymore.” Peyton cast her gaze down.
Gus took a finger, tipped her chin up, and mouthed, Not worthy of you.
Lori grunted. “What a loser. Well, at least you found out what a real jerk he was before you married him.”
Peyton’s eyebrows rose. “You’re not going to judge me? Tell me, ‘You know how to pick ’em?’”
“Okay, yeah, you do, but that was low. He even had me charmed. Plus, you’re my sister, and, Peyton, I just want you to be happy. To find a good guy who’ll treat you like you’re special. He’s lucky he’s not within reaching distance or I’d pound him.”
At least Lori wasn’t giving her a hard time. Although, the idea that the creep had charmed Lori bugged Gus, but he’d keep that to himself. “I told her the same thing.”
“So, you guys are together? Isn’t this your opening weekend, Gus?”
“We are, and it is,” Gus said. “When I found out Peyton would be spending Christmas alone, I invited her. I’d wanted her with me anyway, so it seemed like a good idea.” He smiled.
Lori hummed. “Have you told Mom and Dad you broke up with Frank yet?”
“No, Mom said she’d try to call when she got in port near Jamaica.”
“Yeah, I haven’t heard from her either. I couldn’t remember when she would get there.” Her sister sounded wistful.
Peyton tilted her head as she looked at Gus. “Lori, is something wrong?”
“Actually, no. I wanted to talk to Mom and Dad first, but I can’t wait that long. Ted asked me to marry him.” Her sister squealed.
“What? That’s awesome. Although, I’m thinking it’s about time.”
“Hey! There are the newlyweds!” Justine yelled as she approached with Ty and stopped at the bottom of the steps. “I’m surprised you two are up this early.”
“Who is that? Newlyweds? What? Who’s a newlywed?” Peyton’s sister barked out questions as Peyton fumbled with the phone and dropped it. It clattered across the front deck.
“Peyton?” Lori called through the receiver. “What’s going on? What’s that weird noise?”
Gus dove for the phone and quickly took it off speaker before handing it to Peyton. “Her sister.”
Peyton grinned. “I’ll just take this inside,” she said, her cheeks looking like they’d been fried by the sun. “I’ll be right back.
Justine smiled and looked from Peyton’s retreating back to Gus. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I bet I ruined the news of your nuptials.”
“It’s okay.” Gus shut the door and stepped farther onto the deck. “What’s up?”
Ty, who was standing behind her, looked stricken. “She’s wondering if you and Peyton want to tour the island with her today. She’s wanting to get plenty of pictures of the two of you for the articles she’s writing about you.”
Gus nearly choked as his pulse skyrocketed. An article on him and Peyton? This was getting so out of hand. “I thought you were doing an article on the resort.”
“Oh, I am. This is a separate article.”
“What?”
Justine smiled. “I think it’s so sweet that the Matchmaker found his match. Our readers really love this sort of stuff, and I think it’ll compliment the article.”
His eyes widened. “Uh, well, I’d planned a picnic on the beach with her today.”
“Then perhaps tomorrow?”
“I’d really need to talk to Peyton about that. I’m not sure how she’d feel being featured in an article. We’ve just married, and this is all very new.” More than she realized.
Peyton walked back out and slipped her arm around his waist. She smiled up at him, but it looked forced, and he wondered if she’d overheard Justine. “I hate to do this, but I need to talk to my husband.”
Justine nodded. “Sure, and thank you so much for letting me stay. I’m loving it so far.” She waved as she and Ty walked away.
They smiled and waved back, and the moment she was out of sight, they stepped inside and shut the door.
“We’ve got a problem,” they both said at the same time.
Gus lifted an eye
brow, figuring Peyton had overheard Justine’s side article on them. “I know. I had no idea she’d decide to do an article on us.”
“She did?” Peyton tilted her head. “Wait, what article?”
“Isn’t that what you were talking about?”
She shook her head. “No, Lori thinks we’re married. I wanted to tell her, but—”
“Your sister thinks we’re married?” He raked his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “Oh, this is getting bigger by the minute.”
“I know. And what article?”
“Justine wants to do an article on us as a compliment to the other piece she’s writing about the resort.” This was not how he planned to start his day.
Her eyes widened. “An article? Like, an entire article?”
He nodded. “Uh-huh.”
Peyton pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. “You know what? We’ve already come up with an idea to fix that. Honestly, we could use the article as a reason why we decided to annul our marriage. It hit us after we read it that maybe we’d rushed into things.”
“What about Lori?” If Lori got to Peyton’s parents first, what would they think?
“I’d say we could set her straight when we saw her, but you know her. She’s not the best at keeping secrets. If she’s told my parents, I’ll tell them the truth because I think they can keep the secret. It’s my fault all of this is happening, so I’ll be the one to take the brunt of any backlash.” She dropped her hands from her hips. “It was all my idea, and I need to own up to it when the time comes.”
The Matchmaker's Fake Marriage (Sweet Fake Marriage Romance Book 4) Page 10