Fake Fiancé for Christmas

by Emily Bow

  “Do you really think a spouse can tame someone?” Chance stepped aside for a stumbling couple coming through the door. The female half of the duo gave him a long look. He moved a little farther into the bar, taking my jacket-clad arm so I remained with him. He now stood under the blue glow of a neon beer sign topped with an askew Christmas wreath. The dark suited him. Of course, so had the bright lights of the convention center. Not much didn’t suit the guy.

  Back to his question. “I think if you hang out with people who love you and expect more of you, yeah. You don’t want to disappoint them. You aim higher.”

  “And are you promised?” His voice deepened.

  I shook my head. “I’ve programmed myself to resist love until after I take my last final next May.”

  “School comes first?”

  I nodded.

  Three girls came in next all dressed as Christmas presents. Green stockings, square dresses, bows in the middle.

  “Evidently, there’s some thought that a Christmas wedding is pretty special,” Chance said. “I don’t get the rush.”

  “I agree. Big mistake.”

  He shrugged out of his jacket, revealing his intention to stay. “Why?”

  I shut up.

  “Tell me.”

  “Oh, you know, if they don’t make it.” I reached up and made the bells on the Christmas wreath jingle. “You really don’t want to mess up a lifetime of holiday memories.”

  “Dark.” He nodded. “Half of all marriages end in divorce.”

  “Yikes. Are we at fifty percent now?”

  Chance nodded.

  Daniel, the handsome guy I’d been dancing with, strode toward the door. He stopped when he saw me. “I thought you were leaving.”

  “I am.” I had been, and I was getting really warm inside with my jacket on, but I didn’t want handsy, dancing guy to walk me out either.

  Chance gave the guy a look, slightly territorial, a little challenging.

  I liked it.

  “Yeah, whatever. Hey, see you in chemistry.”

  I waved. “Yeah.”

  He left.

  Enough people had come in that the word had to be out that Chance was here. “Are your other brothers coming?”

  “Why?”

  “Seems like a logical question.” I enjoyed talking with him and wanted to keep the conversation going. I liked the shape of him standing beside me, and his deep voice, and his attentive nature. “To show their support.”

  “It’ll take more than an engagement to pry Logan from his lab. Easton’s visiting some friends. Nathan may come later. You never know with him.”

  “Lab, huh?” I grinned. “I’m pre-med. Logan sounds like my type.”

  Chance took my wrist, slipped his fingers under the cuff of my jacket, and slid his thumb under the edge of my glove against my bare skin. My pulse jumped, and I hoped he couldn’t feel my adrenaline. The rush was excitement over the holidays, not his touch.

  We stared at each other and I wanted to place my hand over his heart. Was Chance as affected by me as I was by him?

  Regan, a petite ginger in a buttoned up white frosty the snowman sweater, squeezed into the small space where we stood apart from the bar crowd. “So warm over here.” She unbuttoned her cardigan down to Frosty’s carrot. “Chance, I thought I heard you’d arrived. I’ll take you to your brother.” She turned to me with a smile but kept her body angled toward Chance so he could see her cleavage. “Holly, I thought you were leaving.”

  She was checking on me? To see if I needed an out? No. This was something else. I wasn’t hitting on Chance. We were only talking. Regan could see that and still hadn’t left. That kind of toe-stepping had not happened to me within our sorority, not when I was a freshman, sophomore, or junior. Of course, I’d never talked to one of the billionaire Kentwell brothers before. Her pushiness stirred up a competitive streak in me. I could take her. I blinked. What was I doing? I should already be back at the house proofing Monday’s paper on the pharmaceutical costs. An A was a prize. A guy was a distraction.

  Regan tugged my arm so I’d bend. She whispered in my ear, “You’re not in this. Demerit. Remember?”

  Regan was the one on academic probation. My memory worked fine. I grinned, and whispered in her ear, “Shall I toss him back?”

  “That seems fair,” Regan said.

  Chance looked between us. “What?”

  A second sorority sister, Ursula, shoved into our space, forcing me to move closer to Chance or get pushed out. “Come on guys, we have an engagement to celebrate.” She wiggled her hips clad in black jeans and made the jingle bells on her red Christmas sweater shake.

  Chance moved his fingers from my wrist and linked his fingers with mine. “I’ll catch Tyler later,” Chance said. “I’m walking Holly out.” He arched his eyebrows at me in question.

  Chapter 7.

  Heck yes, Chance could walk me home. I nodded coolly.

  Ursula and Regan’s gazes both went to our interlocked hands. My gaze went to our clinging fingers too. My hand looked petite against his.

  Chance drew me toward the door.

  I followed.

  “Bye, Holly,” my sorority sisters echoed.

  I flipped them off behind my back, and they giggled.

  A cold blast of wind hit me as soon as we reached the outdoor porch. “Brr.”

  Chance wrapped his tartan scarf around my neck. “Where’s your car?”

  “Our house is a block over.”

  “You shouldn’t go back by yourself.”

  I agreed; I’d arranged to leave with Bitsie, who went without me. I said nothing.

  “I’ll walk you back. If you like?”

  “Okay. Thanks.” I pointed across the street toward the pink glow that marked our large house.

  We stopped at the intersection and Chance hit the button for the crosswalk. “Straight up question. Are you one of the girls aiming for me?” The question was so cocky it was not attractive. On the other hand, I appreciated the honesty but not enough to answer him.

  I strode on, passing two sorority houses before reaching ours. The GUM letters lit in pink highlighted the fact that I’d reached my destination. I held out his scarf. “See ya.”

  Chance took it but climbed the steps as if we’d been on a date. “I had a reason for asking.” He pointed to the porch swing under the heat lamp. “Can you sit a second?”

  Chance intrigued me and interested me enough that I joined him.

  He gave a push, gently rocking us. “I need a favor.”

  I curled my knees up between us on the cushion and leaned against the armrest so I was facing him. “I’m out of favors this month.”

  Chance pulled my legs over his lap and braced his arms on them.

  Forward. Kind of hot.

  “I have to be at all these events leading up to my brother’s wedding. I’m going to be there for him, but I don’t want to dodge Madison’s sorority sisters every time I walk into a room.”

  “Regan and Ursula weren’t that bad.” Jeez, all they’d done was shake some cleavage and welcome him to the bar. A guy should be so lucky.

  “The Spot was nothing. All of a sudden, each of my classes has a GUM girl in front of me, behind me, and on either side. I can’t leave my building without a girl striding up to me on some pretense.”

  That was the A for Available stage of the matchmaking. A strategy I’d never reveal to him. Guys didn’t need to know all our secrets.

  “Why does your mom want you tied down so badly?” We’d been interrupted at the bar before he’d answered.

  “Gold diggers.”

  “Well, you are a billionaire, right? Unless you date within the one percent, your money’s going to be attractive.”

  Chance’s hand tightened on my calf. “She needs to want me for me.”

  Huge problem there. I threw out my palms. “Are you kidding me? Look at yourself. She’s going to want you.”


  Chance grinned and rubbed his palm on my calf. Way too forward, but the stroke felt nice, warming, and like we were connected. I shifted on the seat and let him keep going.

  “This is a family wedding. A big deal. If I take a date, she’s going to get the wrong impression.” He shrugged. “Weddings put ideas in women’s heads.”

  “Poor you.” Though I did appreciate that he gave their feelings some thought, sort of.

  “I also don’t want girls after me all night.”

  “Because you have to be the hunter, and they can’t?”

  Zoe and Karma came up the walk, rushing due to the cold. “Whoo hoo.” Karma skirted the blooming red-gold Christmas azaleas and climbed the steps a little unsteadily. “You benched a cute one, Holly,” Karma said. She worked to give me two thumbs up.

  Zoe elbowed her, making her wobble, and whispered something I couldn’t hear. They both giggled. When they got to the top, they lingered to chat with us. Fifteen minutes passed before they went inside.

  Chance tapped his fingers on my calf as if he didn’t have my attention. “See what I mean?”

  I totally did.

  “I don’t need my family to pick my dates.” Chance looked out into the darkness. Other coeds were walking to their houses and a fair number were heading this way. “I was thinking you could pose as my girlfriend.”

  Chapter 8.

  Chance Kentwell just asked me to be his girlfriend. My heart did a weird leap as if I were running for the edge of a cliff. I halted at the edge and watched the dust and pebbles fly over because my heart couldn’t soar as I re-processed his words. Pose as his girlfriend.

  Chance wasn’t even asking me out for coffee. The bare minimum dating activity. He was asking me for something fake. Unless I’d misheard. My hormones bounced in an inappropriate jig, saying, Get you some. My head hosed my hormones and shut them down. “You want me to pose as your fake girlfriend? Why would you think I would do something like that?” My hormones rallied. Because his big hand felt warm and wonderful and his strokes were just right. Do it. I needed more. So much more. Okay, just a little more.

  “You posed as a champagne girl wearing a candy cane dress.”

  “I was helping a friend.”

  “How?”

  I couldn’t tell him because I had been helping Bitsie hit on his brother. My cheeks heated. The color probably matched our porch lighting. I should learn from that. Tyler had stomped on Bitsie’s heart without even trying. The Kentwell brothers had reputations. I didn’t need my heart under their billion-dollar boots.

  Chance gave my leg a shake as if I’d fallen asleep on him. “I’m not asking for forever. I’m just asking for December.”

  We already had a pact going. I needed him to keep his pinky promise about not revealing that I’d spilled the beans about his being a matchmaking target. Though I’m sure my sorority sisters would understand once they heard how he’d eavesdropped in that hallway.

  On the other hand, they’d possibly be quite pissed that I had gotten between them and their Christmas prize and not understand at all.

  They knew me, they’d be on my side…or maybe not. Grr.

  What Chance was asking was a date to a few events. I would likely be invited to all those same events. I enjoyed talking to him. I liked the weight of his hand on my lower legs.

  No.

  This wasn’t about attraction. This was about helping a charming man and benefitting in return with some dating time, which did not interfere with my schedule, my med school plans, or my heart. I would be his protector. I’d defend him from all the gorgeous women throwing themselves at him all month long. I could do this. I held out my palm. “I’ll do it. I accept your non-existent rose.”

  Chance slapped my hand and granted me one of his slow grins. The kind of grin that said he loved getting his own way. The kind of grin that would make a girl pull her clothes off faster just to see him smile quicker.

  Whew.

  Later the hour, naughtier the thoughts. I needed to remember that while my mind went to clothes on a bedroom floor, his was on convenience.

  I pulled up my contact on my phone and pointed the screen toward him. “Here’s my number.”

  Chance snapped a picture. “Now you’re mine.” He showed me his digits.

  The primitive part of my brain agreed. I was his. Would he want to seal the deal with a kiss? He had nice lips. They’d be so warm on this chilly night. My own parted and tingled. All he had to do was lean my way and press. His lips. And then slide his hands up from my calves and over my thighs. Dreamy.

  Fake. Fake. Fake.

  He wanted fake. “I need to go in.”

  Chance frowned, and his expression eased. “Should I join you? You know, to keep up appearances?”

  “Nope.” I slipped away before I could change my mind. I reached the door and looked back.

  Chance rose and ambled to the column that led down the steps. “Next time.”

  Nope.

  No.

  Maybe.

  Crap, this might be dangerous.

  ***

  I was going down the steps of our sorority house’s attic stairwell while staring into the eyes of the large blush pink reindeer. “This feels like the midway point in a horror film.”

  “I can’t believe we’re doing this freshman chore.’” Bitsie held the tail and one hind leg. I could imagine what she was staring at.

  She was right. We’d done this job three years ago. “That’s what happens when you dress up as a champagne girl and hit on the president’s boyfriend.”

  Bitsie switched her hold to the back hooves. Most of pink Rudolph’s weight landed against me, pushing me backwards.

  “Ugg. Umph.” I adjusted my grip on an antler. “Too soon?”

  “It’s not funny,” Bitsie said. A new determination hit her voice. Not a tone I’d ever heard from her before.

  We were on the attic stairs. No one else could have heard me. I reached the landing, which put me on the freshman level. I waited until Bitsie got off the last step. “You’re not thinking of doing anything else, are you?”

  Bitsie didn’t answer, and we went down the hallway that held the row of photographs of GUM girls past and present. I stopped under our annual photo. “I need a second.” I put my end of Rudolph down, forcing Bitsie to stop.

  She let the butt end drop, and the bells on the reindeer’s collar jingled.

  A freshman ran by in her blush towel and green face mask. Wearing a face mask once a week was mandatory to clarify and hydrate our skin.

  I lowered my voice. “Because things have changed.”

  “Have they?”

  I could hear other girls in this residential hallway. So I simply pointed to my ring finger. “Yeah. Tyler drew a golden boundary around you know who.”

  Bitsie looked away.

  She couldn’t still be thinking of going after him. That was not cool.

  I’d intended to tell her about my secret fake boyfriend situation while we decorated. But now, even as close as we were, looking at her stubborn expression I became hesitant. Something inside me said wait. I don’t think I’d have hesitated last week and didn’t know why Chance had my loyalty over my bestie. He didn’t. He was only asking for December. I’d give her a head’s up but downplay our dating. “I’m going out with Chance.”

  Bitsie laughed. “Thanks. I needed that.”

  “No, really. I saw him at the bar. He asked me out.”

  Bitsie gaped at me. “He’s not in your plan.” She lowered her voice. “He’s a player. He likes them temporary. That’s not your thing. And we don’t even know why he switched schools. Who does that?”

  There was some reason all four brothers switched, but I didn’t know Chance well enough to ask. I guess I could ask now that I was his girlfriend. Fake girlfriend. Still, I should know the basics. Besides, I didn’t like Bitsie telling me who I could or couldn’t date. Which was of course what I
was doing to her when I told her she could no longer go after Tyler. Man, having a bogus love life was already challenging, and Chance hadn’t even pretend kissed me yet.

  “Chance Kentwell. Billionaire senior with a big portfolio and a different hook up on his arm every week. No offense. But sounds like bad news to me. You need to rethink that decision.”

  “Yeah?” I pointed to my ring finger again. “Well, you need to rethink yours as well.” I picked up my end of the reindeer and looked away from her.

  Bitsie hoisted her half, and we continued on silently down two more floors to the main room. Ten freshman girls were already there hanging ribbon-festooned wreaths and giggling over strategic mistletoe placement.

  Three ran up and took the reindeer from us. “We’ve got this.” Valentina, my “little” freshman sorority sister grinned, showing off her braces. She had one more week with them on and had put on green and red rubber bands to celebrate. The green color almost matched the apple green of her eyes; it was a cute effect.

  “Thanks.” I backed away. “I’ll go study.”

  ***

  I flipped the page on my lab paper, bent, and released my fingers. Our professor demanded hand-written notes so he’d know we’d done the work ourselves. All he had to do was check for crooked, overworked fingers. I placed the papers in a folder, grabbed my backpack, and lay them inside.

  My cell phone chirped.

  “Available for coffee?” Chance texted the address of a coffee shop on the edge of campus.

  Chapter 9.

  Chance was asking me for coffee, and he was uber confident given that he’d texted the address of the venue. Coffee, the signature liquid for an initial date. My blood rushed as if I were already loaded up on caffeine, but I made myself calm down and type a response. “Sure.”

  The coffee shop was a fifteen-minute walk. So I joined up with some girls going in that direction.

  I couldn’t deny I was happy at the thought of seeing Chance again. What girl wouldn’t be? Handsome, witty guy totally focused on me. Quite the Christmas treat.

  When I got inside, the heat from the room warmed my chilled face, and the Christmas tunes lent a cheerful vibe to the shop, further buoying my mood. I took off my coat, gloves, and hat, smoothed my hair, and got in line while looking for Chance.