by Taylor Hart
“Um, wow.” Colt found his voice before she did. “I’m honored, Mrs. Jensen.”
“Call me, Emma.” She waved a hand. “I assume you’re married. Won’t this be fun, Brikelle? You can decorate the room you and your handsome husband will stay in next weekend.”
Brikelle was sure she was going to have heart failure. Married? Oh, no stinking way. She opened her mouth to clear things up, but Joshua beat her to it.
“What a great opportunity this will be for you.” He eyed her sternly. “Tell your husband you’ll see him later, and let’s take a tour and share your ideas with Emma.”
Brikelle swallowed and pivoted to face Colt. Her heart was thundering in her ears, and she had no clue how she’d just become involved in this confusing mess. The other cabinet workers had quietly returned to their work.
Colt studied her with his too-blue eyes. “See you later, sweetheart.” He stumbled over the word, and if Emma wasn’t watching she would’ve stomped on his foot or something.
“Work hard, honey.” She almost choked on the term too.
Colt bent down close and she was struck by a clean, manly scent with just a hint of wood shavings. He brushed his lips across her cheek, and Brikelle jumped. This was too much.
“Oh, come now,” Emma said from behind them when Brikelle pulled away. “We’re not in that big of a hurry. Give her a real kiss.”
Brikelle’s eyes widened and her body started trembling again. She’d traded her nerves over working for Emmaline Jensen for nerves about being forced to kiss a good-looking man who she didn’t like, not at all.
Colt studied her and his mouth quirked in a sarcastic smile. “Always time for a real kiss.”
He wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her tight against him, taking his time as he leaned closer. His eyes were full of challenge: she could back away if she wanted, but he wasn’t going to. Brikelle jutted her chin out and rose onto tiptoes. Colt cocked an eyebrow and grinned before claiming her lips with his own like they were married and did this move multiple times a day.
It took Brikelle’s body less than a second to respond. Her eyes fluttered closed, her hands found their way around his broad back, and before she could stop herself she was returning kiss for kiss. It was almost another battle between them, but the sparks now were sizzling and delicious. Brikelle finally conceded defeat, mentally bowing to him as the kissing champion, and broke away from his grasp. They were both breathing heavy. He squeezed her waist, then dropped his hands.
“See you soon,” he murmured, his eyes searching hers. Now his blue gaze was soft and beseeching. She couldn’t win against that battle either, and instead swung her gaze back to Joshua and Emma, both watching with their mouths slightly open.
“Well, then. That was definitely a real kiss.” Emma smiled sweetly. “Let’s start in the entry, shall we?”
Brikelle hurried away from Colt’s side, feeling his eyes on her until she escaped the great room. What in the world had she gotten herself into?
* * *
Colt worked steadily, but his mind was a mess. Married? To the dog-hater? What was her name? It was driving him crazy that he couldn’t remember. Joshua had said it, but he’d been so distracted by his gorgeous new wife he hadn’t locked the name in. Bri-something, Brianne, Brilynn, no. What was it? And why in the world had he kissed her like that? He’d initiated the lip-lock to prove that he wouldn’t back down to a demanding woman, but it had turned into something amazing quick. His mind whirled from wanting to try that kiss again, to wondering how he’d gotten into this mess, to trying to focus on work and failing. Yes, the woman looked even better in that pencil skirt and heels than she had in running gear, but that didn’t mean he needed to act like some caveman and grab her and kiss her, or lie to Emma about the two of them being married.
He knew what the promise of work from Emma meant. After this huge job, he didn’t have any new builds lined out until next month, only a few re-facing jobs that would barely keep him and one or two of his guys busy. He’d just hired his foreman, Tyler’s, little brother, Mike. The kid had a six-month-old baby and had been out of work for over a year. He was doing a good job and picking up the work quick. Colt hated the thought of letting him go when they finished Emma’s house, but unless some solid jobs dropped into his lap in the next week or two, he’d have to let Mike and maybe one or two others on his crew go unless he scrambled to win some bids quick or dipped into his work slush funds.
Emma was also great in that she trusted her workers and she didn’t waste time with competitive bids. He always gave customers a fair price, but it was common to spend hours bidding out a job and then get nickeled and dimed until he wasn’t sure he wanted the work anymore. To not have to waste all that time and energy and just be able to design jobs and build them would be a dream. He’d be very grateful to simply do the work for a fair price. He loved working like that.
He heard footsteps and then the trio entered the kitchen. He flashed them a smile, wishing he had a name to pin on the beautiful face of the interior designer. He returned his focus to hanging doors while they talked over design schemes. At least the kitchen was massive enough to keep him busy for a while. He liked the sound of his fake wife’s voice when she wasn’t screeching at him; she had a low, melodic tone.
“Well, I’m off,” Emma said from behind him. “Need to be in Park City tonight for a party at Luke Freestone’s.”
Colt pivoted and lifted a hand, forcing his eyes not to stray to the dog-hater. How pathetic was he that he couldn’t remember his wife’s name. “Great to see you, Emma.”
“You as well. Thank you for the beautiful work. I’ll see both of you next weekend.” She winked, and Colt saw an amused glint in her eyes that concerned him. Did she know they were lying? Had she tricked them into this? He couldn’t resist glancing at the interior designer. How ironic this woman had the same career as Cally.
She was gnawing at her lip nervously, reminding him of that kiss. He wiped at the sweat beading on his forehead.
Emma turned. Colt’s new wife and Joshua walked with her to the front door. They were back within a few minutes and Colt whipped around to face Joshua, realizing that this disaster wasn’t the dog-hater’s fault.
“What was that?” Colt pinned the man with a stare that would’ve kept his rowdy brothers in line.
Joshua raised his hands, palms up. “You do understand what she just insinuated workwise for the both of you?”
“And she wouldn’t want us working for her if we weren’t married?” Dog-Hater spoke up.
“Good point.” He nodded his approval of the question. “What is your name?”
“Brikelle.”
“You kissed a woman without even knowing her name,” Tyler quipped. The guys on his crew were going to have fun with that one.
Colt ignored him. “Thank you,” he said to Brikelle. It was a beautiful name for a beautiful lady. Too bad she was also a dog-hater. “You think she won’t give us the work if we aren’t married?” he asked Joshua.
“Who knows?” Joshua shook his head. “She’s great to work with, but she’s an eccentric old lady, and it’s only gotten worse since Scott died this winter. Maybe she’d give you her work, maybe not. She definitely wouldn’t invite you to the party.”
“Why not?” Brikelle asked, her smooth brow furrowing.
“Because she didn’t invite me and she told me it was because I was single. If I come up with a date I can come for the day, but we can’t stay the night. She’s very moral, and like I said, eccentric.” Joshua didn’t seem put off or surprised that as the general contractor he was only invited to a portion of the party.
Stay the night? Colt’s stomach plummeted. Brikelle glanced up at him. Her eyes filled with concern and … was he imagining a touch of interest there? His mind replayed that kiss for the twentieth time and heat crept into his neck. He could not stay the night with her.
“This is a mess.” Colt looked away from the brunette and rubbed at his beard
.
Joshua splayed his hands again. “I don’t make her rules. I told you she’s quirky and she’s definitely lonely, but imagine all the real estate projects she has planned. Plus, connections with the likes of Luke Freestone.” He whistled. “She told me that working and expanding the empire she and Scott began forty-five years ago are the only ways she beats the loneliness.”
Colt felt bad for the lady, but still, pretending to be married to Dog-Hater … er, Brikelle, might be too high of a price to pay.
“That’s so sad.” Brikelle shook her head. “I can’t lie to her.”
“Look at it this way,” Joshua said. “You’re helping an old woman find enjoyment. She was so thrilled about you two being married. She’s a romantic. Loved her husband completely. Do you want to break an old lady’s heart?”
“What’s in this for you?” Colt liked Joshua—he was no-nonsense, effective, and easy to work with—but this entire situation felt off.
“I like to handpick my team, and I really want to keep working with both of you. You’re both easy to work with, and you do quality work.”
Colt was surprised. So Brikelle only gave him grief? He knew Joshua wouldn’t put up with the drama she’d shown Colt so far. Maybe Joshua had missed their conversation and her insults from earlier.
“You have no idea how many people are beating down Emma’s door for her business,” Joshua said. “They’d sell their own mother to have an exclusive with her, like you two have just been offered. All you have to do is pretend you’re married for a few weeks. Then, once we’re in with Emma, we can sort it all out.”
Colt met Brikelle’s gaze. Her deep brown eyes were uncertain, and honestly quite appealing. “I’m sorry this is such a mess,” he found himself saying.
“You should be,” she shot back at him. “If you hadn’t grabbed me, she never would’ve thought we were a couple.”
Wow. Maybe he wasn’t sorry. “You were the one trying to intimidate me and get in my space.”
“Only because I knew if I didn’t stand up for myself, you’d walk all over me like the barbarian you are.”
Colt ran his fingers through his short hair. “Never been married before, and now I get a wife who doesn’t like me or my dog.” Why did those facts sting so much? “Thanks, Joshua.”
Joshua backed away a few steps. “You two figure this out. Emma probably thought you were married because you have sparks leaping between you.” He smirked. “I’d suggest you get your work done and think about what play you want to make. Yes, it’s misleading, but it would make an old woman happy and assure both of your careers. You’ll hardly see her the next week and a half; then it’s just that one party next weekend. Think about it.” With that, he marched to the front door and they both winced as it slammed behind him.
Colt looked at Brikelle, who was shifting from foot to foot, her arms clenched tightly across her abdomen. “Can we talk somewhere, alone?” she asked quietly.
Colt startled. His crew were almost always with him, so he didn’t think much about having conversations they listened to, but this was a sensitive subject. “Um, sure. You guys good?”
“We got this, boss.” Tyler winked at him. “You go take care of your pretty wife.”
Brikelle’s back went ramrod straight, but she didn’t say anything as Colt put his hand on her lower back and escorted her out the rear patio door off the informal dining area.
As soon as they were outside, she whirled on him. “You don’t have to keep touching me.”
Colt yanked his hands back. “Sheesh. I was just trying to be a gentleman.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t throw around words you don’t understand the meaning of.”
Colt bristled. That was pushing too far. He always treated women with respect. This prickly woman definitely wasn’t the type he wanted to date, let alone be married to. “Look, I don’t like you any more than you like me.”
Her eyes filled with uncertainty and her shoulders drooped a little bit. Grabbing on to the back of a patio chair with her delicate hands, she looked so cute and vulnerable that Colt forgot his train of thought for a few seconds. “Thanks,” she said, her voice frosty. “I feel all warm and fuzzy toward my counterfeit husband now.”
That shot him back to reality. “Honestly, I don’t care for this charade, but I love to work for Joshua and Emma and I need the work right now. I hired a new kid because this job was so huge, and might have to let him and another guy go after we finish up here.”
Her lower lip jutted out and distracted him again. They’d been soft and tasted like cinnamon and mint. Why did she have to have lips like that? “I do too,” she whispered.
“Excuse me?” He took a step closer to hear her better and was struck by the light scent emanating from her. It smelled intoxicating, like peaches and cream in the summertime.
“I need the work too. I graduated college in June. This would be a dream come true for me, and the company I work for.”
“What company is that?” He needed to distract himself from how good she smelled and the compassion he was feeling for her. She’d barely graduated college. She had to been seven or eight years younger than him. He shouldn’t be so attracted to her.
“Maison Design out of Cache Valley.”
He nodded. “Good company.”
She smiled tremulously up at him. “Look at us. We’re having a semi-civil conversation.”
Colt smiled back at her. She was gorgeous, when she wasn’t snipping at him. “This would be a big in for you?”
“Huge.” She gnawed at that darn lower lip again. What was it with her and all the things she could do with those lips? Maybe if they faked the marriage, he’d get the chance to kiss her a few more times. Just to prove they were married. He’d actually liked her when they were kissing and she wasn’t talking. “But I don’t want to lie,” she admitted.
“Neither do I.” He paced the patio for a few seconds, mostly to give himself some distance from her. “You know, this is definitely justifying, but neither of us have lied. Emma assumed we were married, and Joshua was the one who confirmed it. Maybe we go to her party next weekend and then we somehow tell her that we aren’t married, but we’re a … couple.” She let out a little squeak, but he held up a hand, hurrying to finish. “But then within a few weeks we could let it slip that we broke up or something.”
“Then we have to actually act like a couple.” She jutted out her chin.
“Okay. If you stop hating on my best friend, we can be a couple.”
Her eyes widened and then narrowed. “If we’re going to be a couple, you need to keep that dog far, far away from me.”
“Guess you won’t see much of me, then. If I’m choosing between you and Ike, Ike wins every day.” Ike had pulled him through a few depressing years after he’d lost Cally. He would never desert his dog.
“That’s your choice.” She scrunched up her nose, turned on her heel, and stormed away. Dang, that pencil skirt did good things for her.
“Wait.” He leapt into action, rushed in front of her, and placed a hand on the door before she could go inside. “Are we doing this or not?”
She took a long breath and glanced up at him from beneath long, dark lashes. Were those things even real? “I really do need this.”
He nodded and, before he could stop himself, ran his fingers through the long, dark hair that had spilled over her shoulder. Wow, her hair actually felt like silk. Instead of flinching away from him, she leaned a bit closer. He thought about how that hair would feel if it covered his cheek as she leaned over him, maybe while he was sitting on his couch or something, and then she bent down to kiss him. Stop with the kissing thoughts!
“The work with Emma would be a great thing for me too. I’d late to let any of my guys go,” he managed to say, pulling his hands away from her and hoping to keep them under control. “We’ve got some time to figure it out. Think about it, and I’m sure I’ll see you around the house.”
She tilted her chin up. �
��Or maybe running up the canyon if your dog chases me again.”
He laughed. “Smart dog. He knows a pretty lady to chase when he sees one.”
Her face lit up in a conflicted smile that made her look soft and approachable. That dang smile took her from beautiful to angelic. “Thanks,” she murmured, slipping into the house. He stood there, watching her go to the front entry. She turned once and that curtain of dark hair swung over her shoulders as she gave him one more uncertain smile. Colt realized he’d gone from ticked to attracted in sixty seconds.
“Hey, boss,” Tyler shouted at him. “You ready to work yet, or you gonna stand there and drool all day?”
The front door closed and Colt forced himself to close his mouth. He wasn’t drooling, but who could blame him if he was?
Read more or buy How to Love a Dog’s Best Friend here.
Also by Taylor Hart
The Last Play Series
Last Play (Free for a limited time!)
The Rookie
Just Play
A Player for Christmas
Second String
Bachelor Billionaire Series
Almost Everything
The Unfinished Groom
The Barefoot Groom
The Masquerading Groom
The Christmas Groom
Snow Valley Series
A Christmas in Snow Valley: The Christmas Eve Kiss
Summer in Snow Valley: First Love
Spring in Snow Valley: The Bet