If Blake was offended by her brush-off, he didn’t show it. “I’m sorry for interrupting.” He continued to smile, studying her. “I just can’t believe you’re...”
“All grown up,” she finished for him, her stomach tightening. She needed to get away from him before she did something truly embarrassing. Like cram a stapler down his throat.
“Yeah.” He shifted on his feet nervously. His gaze landed on the photo on her desk, then to her left hand. “You’re married?”
“No,” Mia said at the same time Sidney said, “Yes.”
Blake cocked his head.
Sidney shot a death glare at Mia. It would have been simpler to say yes and make him leave. Now she was stuck. “I mean, no, but I will be. I’m engaged.” She pointed to the photo. “To Ted.”
Was it her imagination, or did his smile falter? “Congratulations.”
There was an awkward pause when no one said anything, and Mia did a little dance behind Blake, trying to tell Sidney something but she had no clue what she was mouthing. When Blake turned his head she went back to fiddling with the wall vinyl.
“Um, well, nice to see you again, Blake.” She thought about shoving him toward the door, but stuck her hands behind her back instead.
To her dismay, instead of leaving, Blake took a step closer. “So, how does this service work? You keep a database or something?”
“It’s much more personal than that,” Mia said, answering for her.
How long would this torture last? She didn’t want to think about Blake, her insane crush on him, and the most embarrassing moment of her life. But she also didn’t want him to think her business was stupid. “I get to know each client, and I personally seek out the perfect person for them.”
Blake scratched his chin, studying her. “Are you taking on new clients?”
Before Sidney could say no, Mia blurted out, “Yes. She is.” She took his arm and led him to the desk. “Have a seat. Sidney will work her magic.”
Great.
“And in fact, I have to run.” Mia looked at her wrist, even though she had no watch. “Gotta go get that thing done. But you’re in good hands with Sidney.” Mia flashed a wide smile before backing out the door.
The room was suddenly too hot. Sidney waved her hand in front of her face and sat down. “Okay, then.”
Blake settled back in his seat and got comfortable, like he didn’t have a care in the world. Figures. He probably enjoyed her humiliation.
She opened her new client form and started rattling off the usual questions. After typing in his name, address, phone and email, she clicked to the more important part of the interview. “What are you looking for in a woman?”
Like she didn’t know the answer to that. She might as well type Natalie in bold letters and be done with it. He’d always had eyes for her older sister. Why was he even in here?
“I want a woman who can think for herself. Someone not afraid to get her hands dirty. I love the outdoors so ideally she should too.”
Ha. So Natalie was out. Sidney had always suspected his infatuation with her was all surface, no substance.
Blake continued. “She must make me laugh. And not be afraid to try new things. Snorkeling, hiking, canoeing, swimming...I’d like to do all of these with her.”
Sidney typed everything he said. As kids, they’d done all those things together. He knew she loved them. She tried not to read anything into it.
“And do you have any physical preferences?”
His mouth twitched like it always did when he was trying not to smile. “No. I don’t care what she looks like. I mean, pretty would be nice, but that’s not important to me.”
Sure. That’s why he always drooled after Natalie. She swallowed the snort that was threatening to come up and typed, ‘Must be shallow and drop-dead gorgeous.’
“Okay. Well, I think I have enough to go on.” She stood. “I’ll contact you soon with some options.” She forced a smile.
He sat up straight and his mouth popped open. “That’s it? I thought you said you get to know each client.”
Blast. She had said that, hadn’t she? Sidney cleared her throat while trying to decide what to say. “I...um...I already know you. So, no need.”
Blake frowned. “We haven’t spoken in ten years.”
Guilt crept up, and she knew she couldn’t treat him differently than her other clients. Just because she was embarrassed about the past didn’t mean it was fair to take his money and push him off to the first woman who agreed to meet him. She shook her head. “Of course. This is just the beginning. I’ll need to schedule another meeting with you. Usually I take my clients out to coffee and we chat for a while. Does next week work for you?”
“I’m free tonight. Why don’t I take you to dinner?”
Dinner? Like a date? Was he daft? “No, I couldn’t.” She pointedly flashed him her ring.
He glanced at her hand. “Just to talk. Complete my profile.”
She normally didn’t balk at taking a client out to dinner, but this was Blake. It had taken ten years to get over her crush on him. It was best to find him a match as quickly as possible and get far away from him.
Her hesitation must have given him courage. “I’m sure it will help you find my match.” He gave her one of those devastatingly handsome smiles that made her heart pound.
She turned her gaze. Maybe going out tonight would give her the details she needed to find him a girl. Maybe the Band-Aid rip method was best. “Okay.”
“Great. I’ll go home and change. Where should I pick you up?”
She gave him her address. He stood and shook her hand. The instant their skin touched, electricity snaked up her arm and made her knees weak. She jerked her hand back and wiped it on her slacks. She must not allow herself to fall for Blake Wellington again.
Not if she wanted to keep her heart in one piece.
Chapter 3
As soon as Blake left, Sidney started to hyperventilate. Why had she agreed to take him on as a client? It was a bad idea. Just being around Blake brought up all those old feelings of hurt and embarrassment. The memory of that day, ten years ago, washed over her. It was the last time she’d seen Blake.
It had all started with a stupid, stupid dare.
SIDNEY PLOPPED DOWN on her bed and picked up her phone. Excitement shot through her as she dialed Leena’s number. She turned up the radio, her favorite Savage Garden song playing. Leena answered on the first ring.
“You’re never going to believe who’s back in town.”
“Blake?” Leena’s voice shrieked over the line.
“Yes!” Sidney rolled over and hugged her pillow to her chest. “He’s coming over for dinner tonight.”
Leena screamed into the phone and Sidney pulled it away from her ear. “I know. I can hardly stay in my skin.”
“This is it, Sidney. You have to tell him how you feel about him.”
Sidney wrinkled her nose. “Are you crazy?” Sharing her secret crush with Leena was one thing. Telling Blake she’d been crushing on him for years was another. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not? How awesome would it be to have a boyfriend in college?” Leena squealed over the line and Sidney couldn’t help but smile.
“I can’t, Leena. I couldn’t tell him.”
“Then don’t tell him. Show him.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re sixteen now. You need to show him you’re an adult. You’re no longer that little girl that used to tag along after your brother.”
Sidney’s heart pounded. Leena was right. She was maturing. Blake always treated her like a little kid, but she wasn’t a kid anymore. “How do I do that?”
“I’m coming over.” The click told her Leena had hung up.
Fifteen minutes later, Leena arrived with a bag slung over her shoulder.
“What’s that?” Sidney stepped back to let Leena into her room.
Leena unzipped the bag and pulled out a black dress and pair of high
heels. “This is your secret weapon.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
Sidney looked at the dress like it was a rattlesnake. “Uh, I don’t think so.”
“Come on. You never dress up. You’ve got to show him you’re no longer the little Tom girl, climbing trees and skinning your knees and following after Grayson. You’re a woman now.” Leena held the dress up to Sidney’s chest and whistled. “This will look great on you.”
Sidney was hesitant. She liked her jeans and comfortable T-shirts. She could be a woman wearing her normal clothes, couldn’t she? “I don’t know.”
Leena made a face. “You coward.”
“I am not!”
“I bet you’re too scared to wear this dress.”
Sidney grabbed the hanger. “I’m not scared.”
“Then I dare you. I double dog dare you to wear this dress and some makeup.”
The words rang in Sidney’s mind. Maybe this was what she needed to do. Nothing else had worked. Blake was always nice to her, but never saw her as anything other than Grayson’s little sister. Getting a makeover might be the thing to wake him up. “Okay.”
Leena gloated, her smile wide. “Hurry, put this on. We’ve got a lot of work to do before Blake gets here.”
A half hour later Sidney stared at herself in the mirror, her knees wobbling. She couldn’t believe it was her. The transformation was amazing. She’d never worn makeup like this before. Leena had made up her eyes like someone in the movies, pretty blues and purples gracing her eyelids. Mascara helped her eyelashes pop, and cherry red lipstick made her lips full and inviting.
This was it. This was the day Blake would wake up and notice her. She felt empowered. She felt beautiful. Turning to Leena, she grinned. “I think I’m ready.”
“You are gorgeous. He’s going to fall all over himself. Just don’t be afraid to flirt with him. Remember, you’re showing him how you feel.”
“Flirt?” A sudden unease washed over her. How was she going to flirt with him?
“You know, giggle at what he says. Look him in the eye, and maybe wink at him. Flip your hair over your shoulder. Stuff like that.” Leena did the perfect hair flip and then smiled, blinking her eyes.
Flirt. She could do that, right? How hard could it be? Sidney squared her shoulders. “Sure.” She shrugged. “I can flirt.”
“And if all else fails, kiss him.” Leena bounced up and down.
Sidney shook her head. “No, that’s insane.”
“I dare you.”
Those words echoed in Sidney’s head as she wobbled down the stairs in the ridiculous high heels Leena had made her wear. Kiss Blake? She mentally shook her head. No way. She’d just flirt with him and show him how she felt. That should work.
When she got to the dinner table, Blake was already seated next to Natalie, her older sister. Natalie was nineteen—a year younger than Blake—and attending the community college across town. Sidney slid into the seat across from Blake and smiled at him. She couldn’t quite get up the nerve to bat her eyelashes.
Blake raised his eyebrows at her, but gave her a polite smile before turning back to Natalie. “How’s school been so far?”
“Oh, you know.” Natalie giggled and put her hand on Blake’s arm. “Same old, same old.”
Sidney stared at her sister. The viper was stealing her moves. Flirting. Heat crept up her neck and she sat up straighter in her chair. She wouldn’t let Natalie ruin this night. “Yeah, Natalie’s life is boring. If you want excitement, you should go to high school.” She wiggled her eyebrows up and down in what she hoped was a sexy manner.
Both Blake and Grayson turned to stare at her, neither one speaking.
Her mother glanced at Sidney and gave her a funny look. She set a salad bowl on the table and sat down. “I think we’re about ready to say grace.”
As they ate, Grayson and Blake chatted about college life, and Natalie did her best to steal the show, giggling and flipping her hair just like Leena had done. Anger surged in Sidney, and she decided that two could play at this game. She let it all loose, flirting as hard as she could. She laughed louder than Natalie, batted her eyelashes more, and said whatever flirtatious things came into her head.
But no matter what she did, Blake always seemed to be looking at Natalie, a goofy smile on his face. She was being upstaged by her own sister.
When dinner ended, Sidney bolted up the stairs to her bedroom and sank down on her bed, not bothering to turn on the light. It hadn’t worked. She’d gotten all dressed up, and Blake hadn’t even noticed. She was wearing beautiful makeup, and still, Blake had barely even looked at her. What did she have to do?
Leena’s words came back to her. “If all else fails, kiss him.”
Footsteps sounded up the wooden staircase. Sidney flew to the doorway and peeked out. Blake was coming! Her heart pounded hard against her rib cage.
Kiss him.
Blake got to the top of the stairs and started down the hallway toward Grayson’s room.
Kiss him. It echoed in her mind, over and over.
This was it. It was now or never. Sidney reached out and grabbed Blake’s shirt and yanked him into her darkened bedroom. She threw her arms around his neck and drew his lips to hers.
At first he didn’t respond. She’d probably stunned the poor guy. But she wasn’t going to give up. She brushed her lips across his, reveling in the sweet and tender feeling. It didn’t take long before he started to kiss her back. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer. He took command of the kiss, his lips sending tingles through her.
She hadn’t known exactly what to expect, this being her first kiss, and she wasn’t prepared for the feelings Blake stirred in her. His lips were like velvet, softly caressing her skin. And then the kiss intensified. She ran her hands through his hair and he pressed her up against the wall.
Kissing Blake was like breathing fire, hot and dangerous, and yet she didn’t want to stop. Her heart beat against his chest and her lungs ached for air, and yet she loved each and every sensation washing over her.
Blake pulled back, allowing her to gulp in air. He put his forehead against hers and moaned softly. “Oh, Natalie.”
Sidney froze.
All the blood drained from her face, and she pushed Blake away. She flicked on the light, her knees about to give way. “What do you mean, Natalie?” She tried to catch her breath.
Blake stared at her, blinking, and slowly backing up. “Sidney?” His voice cracked.
Finally, Blake saw her for what she was. A woman. She gave him a tentative smile and smoothed her dress. “Yes?”
Blake ran a hand through his hair and swallowed. “What are you doing?”
That wasn’t the reaction she had hoped for. A frown tugged her mouth down. “What do you think I’m doing?”
“I don’t know, but you...” Blake took another step back. “You’re just a little girl.”
The words stung like a slap across her face, and she blinked back tears. It hadn’t worked. He still saw her as a child.
Blake’s face contorted into something she could only describe as disgust and he wiped his mouth. “You—I can’t...”
“Stop.” Sidney couldn’t stand the humiliation any more. She turned her back on him and covered her face with her hands.
“Sidney.” His voice had taken on a pleading tone.
He touched her shoulder but she shook him off. “Just go.”
He hesitated for a minute before his footsteps echoed into the hall and down the stairs...and out of her life.
Sidney sank to her knees. What had she done?
Chapter 4
Blake flicked on his turn signal and changed lanes. Sidney Reed. He hadn’t expected to see her still in Bishop Falls. And he hadn’t expected her to be so...wow. He chastised himself for his thoughts. She was engaged. Off limits.
He slowed as he approached his turn. He hadn’t thought of Sidney—of that kiss—for a long time. She’d been so young. He’d felt guilty for the way
he’d kissed her. Thinking it was Natalie, he hadn’t held back. It had been an amazing kiss. He hadn’t realized a kiss could bring forth such strong feelings. But he never should have been kissing Sidney like that. He had been twenty years old, for Pete’s sake. She was still in high school at the time. He’d been horrified when he found out he was lip locked with Grayson’s kid sister.
Now she was an adult, and engaged. Why he’d signed up for her matchmaking service was beyond him. He’d had this insane urge to stick around, and just standing there would have been stupid. So he’d signed up. Dumb. But maybe some good would come from it. He did need to get out and find another woman. Stop licking his wounds from Melody and start on a new path.
He pulled into his driveway and clicked his garage door opener. He’d gone ahead and purchased a home in Bishop Falls. His mother’s health had taken a turn for the worse, and he wanted to be close. This one-story bungalow was perfect for him.
The summer sun had spent the greater part of the day warming up his garage, and he was grateful for the air conditioning as he stepped into his kitchen. He was looking forward to tearing out all the old 70’s laminate and putting in tile flooring and granite countertops. A good project was what he needed.
He tossed his keys on the counter and slipped out of his shoes. Thoughts of Sidney crept back into his mind. He’d better shower before their date tonight.
No, he couldn’t think of it as a date. He had to place her firmly in the friend zone.
Bohemian Rhapsody played and he pulled his cell from his pocket and swiped the screen. “Hey, Ma.”
His mother’s soft voice came through the line. “Are you all settled in, hon?”
“Just about.” He glanced at the pile of boxes still to be unpacked. “How have you been today?”
“I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Do you need anything?” Now that he was closer, he could run something over to her if she needed it.
[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 51