Fake-Dating The Single Dad (Gems 0f Love Book 3)

by Agnes Canestri

  “And what about after the hearing? Did you offend her after that?”

  “Offend her? No! I practically didn’t even speak to her because Heather got hold of me and said she wanted to speak so—”

  He stopped as the possibility dawned on him. All of Ginny’s hints about his ex being there for Jacob before she left. That bitter ‘it figures’ when he announced to her that Heather had drawn back her claim on Jacob.

  It all made sense now.

  Ginny must’ve seen him kissing Heather. Well, technically it was Heather who had jumped on him, but Ginny might not know that or care. If what Ginny had witnessed made her act the way she did then…if she was jealous then…

  Marcia stared at him with narrowed eyes. “What did your ex do?”

  Before Nick could tell her, the bell rang.

  Nick didn’t even glance up, his head was so preoccupied with his new discovery and the various scenarios in which he could approach Ginny.

  Marcia threw her hands in the air. “Sure, I’ll get that. But we aren’t finished yet, Sir.”

  She whirled around and left. The echo of her shoes died off as she hurried to the entrance.

  Good, Marcia was handling whoever came. Nick didn’t feel like chatting with anyone. His mind was too wrapped up with his realization. His heart drummed fast, and a slight hope simmered through his exhausted limbs.

  Maybe it wasn’t all lost. He would need to speak to Ginny. He had to find out if his ideas were baseless, once in his life, he’d been right about a woman’s feelings.

  The sound of his study door shutting made him flinch.

  His gaze flicked to the noise. “Marcia, is everything o—” His heart nearly stopped.

  Ginny stood at the door, looking more ravishing than she had ever had. Her long hair was in a half-updo, and she wore a purple dress with a heart-shaped neckline.

  He rubbed his eyes, thinking whether it was a hallucination. Could it be that his strong desire to see Ginny made her materialize in front of him?

  Then his vision spoke in Ginny’s quiet, melodious soprano. “May I come in?”

  Chapter 27

  A cold feeling twisted Ginny’s gut as she stood in front of Nick’s house. It was ten in the morning. She knew Nick would be in his study writing.

  Just like on the day she’d first met him.

  Her thoughts traveled back to the sense of anticipation raging through her that afternoon. Her plan for getting into Riversmith was about to be set in motion. Only she’d never imagined that her stroke of genius was going to lead to this.

  She adjusted the straps of her dress and rang the bell.

  Was it Marcia who was going to open?

  Surely, Nick rarely interrupted his writing sprints. Was he able to work like he used to after what happened? Fear swirled through Ginny that he might. What if it was just her whose life had been put on hold as if somebody had pushed the pause button on a recorder?

  Maybe Nick went on with his life without any problems.

  Suddenly all the discussion and reasoning with Giada about why it made perfect sense for Ginny to come here and bare her soul to the man who’d sent her away with a day’s notice didn’t seem convincing anymore.

  She clutched her bag closer to her hips and turned. Yes, best to quit this crazy idea before any further damage was done. Perhaps if she was quick enough to get into her car, she could be gone before the housekeeper made it out of the kitchen.

  But after only two rushed steps toward the car, the entrance door creaked.

  “Miss Ginny?”

  Marcia’s voice wasn’t startled. No, it was thrilled. Was she happy to see Ginny? And was that a good sign?

  Ginny pivoted around and raised her hand to wave. “Uh, hi, Marcia.”

  Marcia rushed to her, cupping Ginny’s face in her palms. “Ah, graças a Deus, you’re here. Come, c’mon in. You need to speak to Sir.”

  Her affectionate gesture and eager voice caught Ginny off guard, so instead of continuing her unladylike escape toward the car, she let herself be dragged inside the house.

  The familiar smell of sweet apricots made Ginny’s nostrils twitch as Marcia pushed her toward Nick’s study, rushing back a stream of memories.

  The hide and seek game she used to play with Jacob and Nick before the boy’s bedtime.

  The night she stumbled hungrily to the kitchen only to find the dinner for two Nick had organized.

  The moment they told Jacob their relationship had been a fake all along. Ginny’s stomach knotted as she remembered the pain in the boy’s eyes. It almost matched the one she’d hid under her calm mask.

  The housekeeper whispered into her ear. “Miss Ginny, you need to forgive Sir for whatever he’s done. He’s just a man, and men are flawed. It’s God’s way of forging strong women.”

  Ginny listened to her excited words with only one ear, because the pounding of her heart was too distracting.

  The study’s door stood half-open, and Nick’s silhouette appeared against the light of the large window. He was staring at the ceiling, rubbing his chin with one hand.

  Marcia shoved Ginny inside and yanked the door shut.

  The loud click drew Nick’s attention. “Marcia, is everything o—” He stopped, and his jaw dropped. As though he’d seen a ghost, his eyes grew wide and his cheeks paled.

  This wasn’t exactly the reaction Ginny was going for. Preferably a gleam of excitement or a smile. Maybe even a raised brow and a questioning glance could have been more encouraging. But Nick looked only shocked.

  Ginny swallowed hard, hoping to ease the lump constricting her throat. Words! She had come here to speak, instead of gazing at him like a nitwit.

  Nick rubbed his eyes as if he was checking whether he was dreaming.

  She had to break this awkwardness fast. If there was ever a wrong moment for her to lose her usual grit, this was it. She pressed her hands to her thighs so they couldn’t start to tremble, and drew in a breath.

  Okay, something to show that she’d come here in good faith to clear things up. Something friendly or witty. Something…uh, anything.

  Her lips parted, and finally, a tiny sound made its way through. “May I come in?”

  Oh, great. Bright strike, for sure. With the study door firmly shut, it didn’t make sense to inquire whether she was allowed to enter.

  But somehow her words broke the spell because Nick shifted his weight and closed his mouth. He lifted a hand, moving it in a tiny circle. “Sure, come right in. I was just thinking about you.”

  Thinking about her?

  A delicate breeze of hope blew through Ginny’s chest, sending each of her cells into a buzz. Nick didn’t forget about her.

  Her eyes widened. “Ah, really?”

  Nick’s face remained impassive, not a hint of smile or warmth. “Yes, really.”

  Her neck tensed. He said he was thinking of her, he didn’t say what kind of thoughts. Maybe they were nasty or annoyed ones. Or perhaps he was just wondering whether she’d received the bank wire for her salary. She shouldn’t jump to conclusions that were bound to bite her.

  Nick cocked his head to the side. “Ginny, do you want to tell me why you’re here? I get the impression that you’ve got something to say. Am I wrong?”

  Remember what Giada said. You’re here to make sure he knows the truth. What he does with it, you can’t influence.

  But it was easy for her sister to say. She was somehow convinced that Nick was in love with Ginny, just as much as she was with him. However, looking at Nick’s unruffled expression, Ginny couldn’t believe any of Giada’s arguments.

  Should she reveal her emotions even if they might not mean anything to him?

  She sighed. Yes, she had to. If she didn’t, she probably could not live with the uncertainty of never knowing whether her confession could’ve made a difference.

  She squared her back and blinked at Nick. “Well, yes. I did come here to say something.”

  A tiny smile tugged on Nick’s lowe
r lip. “I’m listening.”

  Was he amused by her embarrassment? Whatever the reason for this feeble sign of interest, it lifted Ginny’s spirit. At least he would listen to her without that stoic grimace.

  She fumbled with her earlobe and caught a long strand of hair. She twisted it around her fingers while lowering her gaze. If she kept staring into Nick’s eyes, she wouldn’t be able to keep her thoughts aligned. “I wanted to tell you that the other night, you know at my sister’s house, I…well, I haven’t been honest with you. Not one bit.”

  Nick sucked in a loud breath, and Ginny couldn’t help it, her eyes were drawn to him immediately.

  Did he realize what she was referring to?

  The muscles on his cheeks danced slightly as if he was clenching his teeth with all his force to prevent himself from speaking.

  Right, he was probably waiting for her to continue. “Yes, so as I said, I didn’t really tell you the truth. The reason I didn’t is because I wasn’t sure whether it made a difference…given that I saw you and Heather…” She hadn’t planned to mention that she’d spied on them, but somehow the words came out of nowhere.

  It was a lame move, testing his reaction to the fact that she saw him and Heather kiss. She swore to Giada that she’d leave it up to Nick whether to tell her about what happened between him and his ex. But Ginny wasn’t as strong and noble as her sister assumed.

  Nick’s brows furrowed. “You saw Heather and me?”

  Ginny nodded.

  Why wasn’t he saying that he had nothing to do with it? That it was Heather jumping on him?

  Nick nodded. “I see. So is this what you wanted to tell me?”

  Ginny gulped and dropped her chin to her chest. It was now or never. She had to take the plunge or die trying. “I lied when I said that all was fake. It wasn’t. At least not from my side.”

  Her voice sounded as if it belonged to someone else. As if she had disappeared to the furthest, most hidden corner of her soul, leaving her body and mouth on autopilot. She didn’t want to be there when Nick said it didn’t make a difference what she felt, and that for him, it was all make-believe. A means to an end. Nothing more.

  No, she had said what she had to say. But nobody could obligate her to stay emotionally engaged in the rest of their conversation. She hugged herself to build some external protection from Nick’s reaction.

  By the way, why wasn’t he reacting?

  The silence after her words was definitely stretching too long. What was going on? Ginny peeked up slowly to catch a glimpse of what he was doing.

  Nick stood there, his mouth in a small circle of disbelief. When their gazes crossed, he asked, “Ginny, are you saying that it isn’t just because you’re flesh and blood that you seemed to enjoy when I kissed you?”

  Ginny’s cheeks heated as Nick referred back to her flimsy choice of words. “Yes. It wasn’t just that.”

  A smile spread on Nick’s lips, and he stepped closer. He kept her gaze captured in his. “Then what was it, sweet Ginny?”

  Did he really want her to spell it out? And why was he only an inch away from her, beaming? Not once in their conversation did he overbalance and hint at what he thought of her words.

  Was his sudden closeness a sign that he felt the same as she did?

  She had to know. “I’ll tell you, if you’ll tell me why you were in such a hurry for me to leave.” She didn’t want her tone to come out quite so accusing and husky, but his warmth was distracting and made her skin prickle.

  Nick’s smile faltered, and a gleam of pain flashed in his eyes. “I invited you to speak in private that night because of what you said about my heart being like a diamond in front of your family. That hurt me more than you could imagine. I wanted to prove that you were wrong with your assumption and that I wasn’t…that I could…that I did…” He lifted his hand, and his thumb brushed on Ginny’s lower lip.

  Ginny’s pulse raced, and the tingles from his touch shot through her body, reaching even her toes. “That you did…” she murmured, gazing into his dilating pupils.

  “That I did love you. And I still do, with all my heart.”

  Nick loved her?

  Nick loved her!

  The realization radiated through her chest with pleasure so unexpected that her breath caught.

  Nick’s other hand moved to her waist, taking a firm grip above her hip bone. “Now, would you tell me what you felt when I kissed you?”

  Ginny drew closer to him, tilting her chin higher so her lips were almost brushing Nick’s. “I felt our souls touching. I love you, Nick. Somewhere in the middle of the pretending, I dove into the cloud of real emotions, and I came out of it head over heels for you.”

  His eyes became rounder, and he grabbed her nape. “I told you it was dangerous to fly into clouds. But I couldn’t be more happy that you didn’t listen.”

  His lips closed on Ginny’s.

  The world dimmed around the edges; only Nick’s eyes remained in focus. His pupils were fathomless, filled with yearning and tenderness. A feeling of weightlessness settled in her as if she was truly flying. His fingers knotted in her hair, sending delicious shivers through her spine.

  His kiss was soft, then hard, then sweet again, as if he was feeling the same sensations as she was. Their breaths mingled in an intimate confession of emotions that now they were free to show. There was no more pretending, or games, or holding back. She and Nick loved each other.

  Nick’s lips traveled down and up her neckline, covering it in soft, featherlike kisses. When he reached her ears, he whispered. “I can’t wait to tell Jacob. He’ll be so happy. We’re going to stay together like a real family now.”

  Joy welled up in Ginny’s heart at his words. Yes, a family. She’d be able to care for Jacob like a mother, and Nick would be at her side. She used to think she knew what she wanted most in life, but it turned out she didn’t. Nick and Jacob were what she most desired, and now all her dreams were going to come true.

  She pulled back so she could glance up at Nick’s face. “You want me to move back in?”

  Nick winked. “Only if you can get used to the air conditioning in my room. Because,” his arms drifted to her back, his fingers grazing it temptingly, “I can’t allow you to sleep anywhere else.”

  Ginny giggled. “Oh, I think we can arrange that.” She peered down at her watch. “What do you say, shall we go and pick up Jacob instead of Chuck? I’m itching to hug him. I even have a Jeeg Robot poster in my purse that Giordano gave me.”

  Nick nodded, his face glowing. “He won’t believe his good luck. I know I still don’t.”

  He bent down and gave a soft peck to Ginny’s lips.

  Her mouth immediately opened to welcome him, but then she shook herself. There was no hurry. They had all the time in the world now, because they were going to stay together.

  Ginny picked up her bag that had fallen to the ground, and as she straightened, Nick slung his arm around her. They walked to the door together.

  As Nick put his hand on the doorknob, the study door slammed open.

  Marcia stood there, her face moist from tears. “I can’t believe this, Sir. This is so romantic. Amor puro.” She flashed an accusing glance at Nick. “Didn’t I tell you, Sir, that you were being a fool? I did, didn’t I?”

  Nick chuckled. “Yes, Marcia, you did. Could I ask you to let Chuck know that he shouldn’t get the big car out of the garage? We’re taking my Aston Martin to go for Jacob.”

  Marcia wiggled her eyebrows, then nodded. “I’m going.” But instead, she stood there staring at them, a wide grin stretching on her face.

  Nick cleared his throat. “Marcia?”

  The housekeeper clapped her hands. “Oh, yes. Of course.” She walked toward the kitchen while humming a popular wedding song.

  Her soft whistle reminded Ginny that Nick still didn’t tell her about Heather. Not that it was important now that Ginny knew he loved her and not his ex.

  But she was curious, so she t
urned to him. “Nick, what were you and Heather doing on the corridor?”

  Nick snorted amusedly. “I was wondering how long you could go without asking. She wanted to convince me that she and I should get back together.”

  Despite her best efforts, Ginny’s chest stuttered. She grabbed Nick’s hand resting on her waist.

  Nick gave a kiss to the top of her head. “Don’t worry, I never contemplated her proposal. That kiss you saw, that was all Heather’s desperation. But I think I helped her see that there’s another way for her to find what she needs. She’s now busy trying to be a good wife to Benny.”

  Ginny released the breath she was holding. “I’m glad. Benny is a bit of a bulldog, but he seems nice. Maybe him and Heather will be happy.”

  Nick nodded. “Yes, I hope so too. But I doubt anyone will ever be as happy as I am right now. You know, when you appeared in my study, I was just weighing the best option to come find you to confess my love for you.”

  Ginny whacked him in the chest gently. “You were? And you still put up that cold face and let me mutter my confession without cracking up?”

  Nick smiled. “It was cruel, I’m sorry. But I just needed to hear from you that, when you said it all was fake, you lied.”

  Ginny reached up and pulled Nick’s head toward her. “Yes, I did. But I’ll never lie to you again. I promise.”

  Nick’s gaze dipped to her lips, and his voice became throaty as he whispered, “Good.”

  Then his mouth captured hers, and they melted into the world’s most toe-curling, soul-shaking kiss, which made Ginny drift to the clouds.

  Epilogue

  Jacob clutched his box protectively to his chest as he walked beside his father along the corridor of Riversmith.

  Nick threw a side-glance at his son. “You’re sure you don’t need help, buddy?”

  Jacob shook his head, keeping his glance fixed on the carton. “No, I want to be the one to carry it. Is Ginny already there? Why didn’t she drive with us this morning?”