My class spread out under the oak, and Tori turned to wave at me with a big smile. In fact, she looked like a redheaded Cheshire cat, which made me suspicious. It wasn’t until I glanced toward the parking lot that I saw why she was smiling so widely.
Maddox was sitting on his motorcycle. He’d taken off his leathers and had his helmet resting on his knee. He looked insanely gorgeous, and it took everything I had not to act like one of my high school students and start running down the hill toward him with open arms.
There honestly wasn’t anyone else I’d rather have as a fake boyfriend, and he played his part well. Exceptionally well.
I cocked my head and scowled.
So, what was this part, though? We hadn’t arranged this meeting.
Or did he actually want to see me?
“Wow. Who’s that hottie in the parking lot?” Becky asked, pointing in Maddox’s direction.
Emma whistled and shook her head. “I’d love to take a ride on his bike.”
“Okay, ladies.” I placed my hands on my hips and shook my head. “Men aren’t meat.”
“Then they shouldn’t treat women like we are.” Becky huffed, and Gordan rolled his eyes.
Obviously, I’d hit a nerve, and there was some kind of drama going on between these three.
“Nevertheless, if we can’t stay focused, we’ll have to go inside.”
The students groaned and glared in Becky and Emma’s direction as they turned around so their backs faced Maddox.
I glanced his way and noticed he was still watching me, which gave me a thrill, and it shouldn’t.
We’d agreed to pull off a prank to teach my friends a lesson.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Granted, Maddox made it easy to act the part of a utterly obsessed fiancée, but I knew nothing else was going to come of this little charade. I think we both realized nothing serious was meant between us, which was why he’d volunteered to play the part.
Right?
He knew I wanted to stay on Fireweed. He had no plans to move from Seattle. Made sense to me. We could indulge in a little adult activity, have some fun, and teach my best friends a lesson.
My heart squeezed a bit when I thought about Winter, Arie, and Samantha. I loved them to death, and I knew they were trying to set me up with someone out of the goodness of their hearts, but talking babies and not considering that maybe I was okay with life as it was told me I’d have to hear about being single for the rest of time.
I gave a quick wave, and he nodded in return.
“Okay, who would like to present first?”
Selma’s hand shot in the air, which wasn’t surprising. She was an A student who put her all into any assignment or project and genuinely seemed like she was excited to share whatever it was she learned.
“Selma, the lawn is yours.” I smiled, and the class giggled as she stood up and walked in front of the students.
“Since the 1920s, when our society began devouring salacious scandals and clamored to peel back the pages of tabloid magazines to reveal vices and an inside look at how the elite lives, loves, and fails, it was the first sign that people enjoyed seeing how other people existed. Basically, we’ve been primed to welcome reality television for decades. Whether it’s Wife Swap, Gold Rush, or Housewives, we get to peel back the veil on other people and possibly even allow ourselves to indulge and pretend that we are like them or are completely unlike the people depicted….”
I watched Selma walk through the crowd of students, smiling and engaging with each one as she continued to present. She was made for public speaking, and it was fun to watch and listen to her ideas on reality television.
In fact, when her time was up, I hated to even stop her because I knew how much she loved talking about her subject, but that in itself was part of the project. The students had to learn how to condense what they wanted to say in a set amount of time.
The next student to present was Max, and he had the exact opposite problem when performing. He finished summing up his entire project in less than two minutes.
I looked over at Maddox, who looked genuinely interested in my class, and I felt a blush crawl up my cheeks as I called on the next student.
“Are you blushing?” Becky asked.
I laughed and shook my head. “It’s just hot out here.”
Becky looked behind her. “Especially with him staring at you all afternoon.”
I loved my students.
I really did.
They were just so observant.
“Do you have eyes in the back of your head?” I teased, and Becky giggled as Emma took another look at Maddox.
“Maybe you won’t be ‘Tessa’, and we’ll start to call you Mrs. Whatever His Name Is soon.” She wiggled her brows, and I shook my head, ignoring her. My students were as bad as my friends. The difference was that my students were teenagers.
“Okay, Tim. Let’s hear it.”
Tim laughed and began his presentation, and I forced myself to stay focused on my students even though I had a hottie waiting for me in the parking lot.
It wasn’t like he was totally my hottie.
The moment Rachel, the final presenter, finished her speech, the class grabbed their backpacks and tore off toward the buses and parking lot. Just as I was about to shout reminders after them, Tori hiked over to me.
“So, you have a visitor?” Tori’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Are you two officially dating?”
“We’ve been inseparable since we met.” I hated fibbing to Tori, but it wasn’t actually a lie.
We’d been constant companions over the weekend, whether in person or over text. It took a lot of time, energy, and planning to stage a relationship.
Maddox started up the hill toward me, and my heart skipped a beat as if this were a real encounter.
I hadn’t expected him to show up today, but I liked that he had, regardless.
“Hey, babe,” Maddox said, smiling as he slid a quick kiss across my cheek.
I smiled back and felt the familiar flutter. “I wasn’t expecting you here today. I thought you had a business meeting in downtown Seattle.”
“I moved it up so I could take you out for drinks.” His smile only deepened, and I realized how good he was at playing the dutiful boyfriend.
If only men like this existed when it counted!
I pushed away my snide thought and grinned.
“Tori, this is Maddox. I think you briefly met at the surprise party.”
“We did.” She giggled and shook his hand. “Boy, your friends are going to be impossible now.”
“How so?” I asked.
“Their heads are going to be twice the size, thinking they made a match.”
“Well, we’ll see.” I glanced at Maddox, and his gaze stayed on mine.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say the look was real.
“I’ll let you two be. Have fun.”
“We will.” Maddox slid his arm around my waist and turned to face me.
The students had already filed onto buses or fled in the cars, leaving a near-empty parking lot.
“So, this really was a surprise,” I whispered.
He shrugged. “I thought if I made an appearance or two here at the school, the word might get back to your friends.”
I chuckled. “I’m sure it will.”
“Good.” He brushed a piece of hair from my cheek, and my breath caught, so I cleared my throat to camouflage what his touch did to me.
“I feel kind of guilty.”
He laughed and shook his head, letting out a sigh. “Of course, you do.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re a good friend, and you don’t want to deceive your best friends, even if their plan is to mortify you into dating submission or—”
“Good point.” I nodded and glanced at my phone. “I’m actually supposed to meet my friends over at Gabby’s Goodies for coffee.”
His brows shot up in surpris
e. “It doesn’t get much more perfect than that. I’ll be there when they show up, and then I’ll take off.”
“Really? You don’t mind?” I felt terrible that he’d spent the money on the ferry, and if I were candid with myself, I’d confess to wanting to spend time with him.
But this entire situation wasn’t based on honesty.
“Sounds great. Let me go grab my bag.”
“You want to ride on my bike? I have an extra helmet.”
I glanced at the black motorcycle, and my belly flipped at the thought of straddling him on the way to the bakery.
“That sounds fun.” I nodded, bounding off to grab my things.
When I had a second alone in my classroom, I glanced out the window and watched Maddox wander back toward his bike. Even the way he walked made me imagine spending a night with him. He had a cool and confident way about him. So many of the men I’d dated were shufflers. My ex was a shuffler. I shoved him out of my head and organized my desk. No need to think about shufflers.
While we’d talked out all the logistics of the engagement and marriage, we’d never touched on whether or not we might dabble a little or how real things might be allowed to get.
I grabbed my bag, sucked in a deep breath, and made my way outside to see a grinning Maddox hand me a helmet. I guess only time would tell.
“Get ready for some power.” He helped adjust my helmet and put my bag in a small box attached to his bike.
“I’ve never ridden.”
He spun around, looking surprised. “You’ve never driven, or you’ve never ridden?”
“Both.”
His lip curled slightly as he fastened his own helmet on. “What time are your friends going to be there?”
I glanced at my phone. “Forty minutes.”
“Then I’ve got a treat for you.” He climbed on his bike.
“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling my body light up with anticipation.
I climbed on behind him, and the engine roared to life. All the earlier excitement turned to near knee-shaking fear as he revved the throttle and we began moving.
My chest tightened, and my belly flopped as I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist.
He stiffened slightly, and I squeezed tighter, feeling his body shaking.
“Are you laughing at me?” I yelled, and I was pretty sure he nodded in reply.
Instead of taking a right out of the parking lot to go to Gabby’s Goodies, he took a left and a jolt of exhilaration shot through me as we wound our way along the coastal highway.
Fields of hot pink fireweed blanketed the pastures along the road to my left while the beautiful water sparkled before crashing against the rugged cliffs to my right.
As Maddox hugged the turns and our bodies melded into one, I couldn’t imagine anything more sensual than feeling the prickle of cold air against my cheeks and being nestled against his hard body with the grinding of the machine underneath.
Everything seemed more visceral.
I felt the sea breeze.
I tasted the sea breeze.
I smelled the sea breeze.
The fireweed was glowing and at an arm’s reach. The ocean crashed along as the motorcycle changed gears. Everything was in harmony.
I laughed, realizing he might not be a rocker but he still had an edge. An edge I’d loved and craved since I was a little girl, and now, days from my thirtieth birthday, I was finally indulging.
Maddox pulled the bike onto a lookout point and shut off the engine.
“You doing okay?” he asked.
“Completely,” I responded, squeezing him unexpectedly.
“Good. I hoped you’d be into it.”
“How could I not love this?” I climbed off and unfastened my helmet, shaking my hair free. “It’s like everything is so pleasurable on the back of the bike. The turns of the machine, the colors we’re zipping by, the sounds that surround us…”
Maddox was standing in front of me. He removed his helmet and took a deep breath before his eyes caught mine. A ripple of longing ran through me as he took a step closer.
“I’m glad to hear it.” His lip curled slightly.
“Are you?” I asked, wondering where reality and fantasy blurred.
He ran his fingers along my cheek. “So, want me to pull up when we’re sure your friends can see us and rev the engine a little after you climb off?” Maddox asked, jolting me right back to reality.
This romance wasn’t based in reality. It served a purpose. Nothing more.
As I nodded, Maddox gently cupped my chin between his hands and smiled as my lips parted to respond. Heat rolled through me as he closed the gap between us. His eyes darkened as his gaze fell to my mouth, and within a heartbeat, his lips fell to mine.
His kiss was the kind that made me forget about everything in my universe. Feeling his lips pressed against mine as his hands slipped down my back, resting on my hips to pull me closer, made my knees weaken with longing.
The sweetness was a taste I’d never forget as our lips parted and his kisses deepened. My breath hitched as his tongue swept mine, dancing seductively and making every part of my body ache for more.
And as quickly as it started, it ended.
Maddox’s lips broke from mine, and he smiled, darkness and desire resting behind his gaze as he took a step back.
“I thought we should really play the part. You don’t mind, do you?” His smile only widened as he turned and walked to the bike, leaving me to regain the strength in my legs.
Every part of that kiss left me fantasizing about spending a night with him.
My brows shot up. “So, you’re working on your improv?”
He climbed on the bike and started the engine.
“I can hold back, if you’d like,” he nearly shouted, but I could hear the smile in his voice.
He had me rattled. My kiss gave everything away.
“No point in holding back. We should go where the roles take us.” I marched over to the bike and secured my helmet, climbing on behind him and holding him tightly.
“Good. I’m glad we both agree. No point in not having a little fun with things.”
“Exactly.”
And with that, he drove me to meet my best friends, and true to his words, he revved the engine on his way out of the parking lot.
I was sorry to see him go.
Chapter Nine
My three best friends sat staring at me with eyes as wide as saucers and mouths gaping open as I walked into Gabby’s Goodies. A sudden pang of guilt nearly zapped me into submission, but I held steady as I made my way to their table.
I would not confess.
Winter closed her mouth, opened it, and closed it again when no words would come.
I glanced at Arie, who shook her head and laughed.
“Well, well. Looks like the skeptic might have come to the dark side.” Samantha giggled and looked particularly pleased with herself.
“And here I thought I’d ruined your chances with Maddox McKenzie.” Winter wiggled her brows and tightened her ponytail as if she was readying for a hardcore Q&A session.
I shrugged and sat down in front of a mocha my friends already had waiting for me. I noticed a coconut macaroon next to it.
“So, have you two—” Winter made an inappropriate gesture, and I froze.
Had we? With the timeline Maddox and I set, I suppose that we already had.
“Oh, my gosh. You did.” Samantha took a bite of her chocolate chip cookie.
“I didn’t say a word.” I scowled and took a sip of my mocha.
“Was it good? When a guy can ride that smooth, he’s totally insane in the sack.” She looked at each one of us with a knowing look. “I bet you two went all night. Night after night.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with my friend?” I asked, laughing.
I suddenly felt not so guilty about my plan.
“What’s important is the connection.” Samantha nodded as she spoke. “You do ha
ve that connection, I’m assuming?”
“Of course, she does. He dropped her off,” Arie answered. “He’s probably been at her house since the weekend. Am I right?”
I opened my mouth to answer, and Winter chipped back in. “I bet he even drove her to school.”
“That’s so sweet.” Arie sighed. “I bet you love having a man around the house.”
“So true,” Winter agreed. “Just to be able to roll over and see someone that sexy staring back at you. It must be wonderful.”
“Or there to change a lightbulb in the ceiling without a ladder.” Arie nodded.
I stared in disbelief at my friends. It was as if aliens had possessed them since they’d brought up our pact from so many years ago. Every little morsel of guilt I’d been carrying around since the weekend zapped itself into oblivion. They needed to get a grip.
There hadn’t been one question they’d let me answer. They’d conjured up an entire fantasy based on my nonexistent love life.
“Well, I just wonder who is going to be Tessa’s maid of honor?” Winter glanced at Arie and then Samantha. “I mean, I did come up with this idea.”
Samantha shook her head. “We came up with the idea, and you shouldn’t put that kind of pressure on Tessa. Besides, she won’t have one. We’ll all just be bridesmaids, but give her a break.”
“Thank you.” I smiled at Samantha.
“…Until she’s got a ring on her finger, she doesn’t have to make that kind of decision.” Samantha took a sip of her latte. “Do you think he’s the one? When do you think he’ll pop the question?”
“I’m sure he is.” Arie grinned.
A few seconds of silence lingered before Winter smacked the table. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Because you three wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise.” I chuckled, realizing that while I loved my friends, this plan had to be executed flawlessly. “From what I can tell, he’s a keeper.”
“A keeper?” Arie’s brows shot up. “That’s all you have for us? He’s a keeper?”
“How are you supposed to give us hope about finding someone by our thirtieth if you’re not fully invested?” Winter frowned. “You need to be completely devoted to this concept of Mr. Wrong or this won’t work.”
Mr. Mistake: A Fake Marriage Romance (Mr. Mistake Series Book 1) Page 9