He crossed the room and dropped down beside her on the couch, handing her the roses. She took them automatically, manners drummed into her since childhood finally overriding her shock, and appreciatively sniffed their delicate scent. “Thank you.”
“So…” He searched her face with an intensity which had her heart pounding in response. One arm on the back of the couch behind her, caging her in, he leaned closer. Was he going to kiss her? Every cell in her body pleaded for him to lay his lips over hers.
“Want to explain why Taylor impersonated you in the grocery store today?”
Ashely came down from anticipation with an almighty thump and disappointment twisted inside her. “You knew it was her?” No use denying it.
“Let’s just say the difference between you is pretty obvious to me.”
Now why did that give her a giddy sensation in her stomach? “Oh. I’m surprised you didn’t decide to mess with me for a while.” She wouldn’t have blamed him if he had.
Ryan’s easy grin flashed. “I planned to, but I’m done playing games with you.”
“Oh.” She winced at her broken record impersonation.
“So tell me why she did it, and we’ll go from there.”
Ashley scrunched up her face. How to even begin? “Taylor noticed how late I got home. This morning she wanted all the details, and…” Nerves did a can-can dance inside her stomach, and she set the bouquet of roses behind her on the couch.
Holy hell, this was awkward.
“And?” he prompted.
“Based on the way she was acting, I realized exactly how right I was that she’s still worried about my being unhappy about her marrying Eric.”
He listened quietly, and didn’t say anything to that—not even a snide remark—so she continued. “I’ve told her a thousand times, I’m happy for them, and the field was clear for her. But I think she finds it easier to believe if I…”
“If you’re involved with someone else.”
She winced at the grim undertones to his words, the way his jaw hardened. “Yes.”
“So you slept with me just to make your sister feel better? I already agreed to fake the boyfriend thing. You didn’t need to take it that far.” Pissed didn’t begin to describe Ryan’s reaction if his glowering expression and the harshness in his voice were anything to go by.
Denial had her reaching for his arm, strong and warm under her fingertips. “No!” She glanced at the doorway and lowered her voice. “No,” she repeated. “Sleeping with you just…happened. I didn’t realize how much Taylor needed me to be happily taken until this morning.” Honesty insisted she amend that. “I mean, I obviously suspected, or I wouldn’t have asked you to help me. But I didn’t see how big a deal it could be until now.”
He didn’t move a muscle, not even a twitch. Simply sat there and studied her face, his expression unrelenting. “Let’s say I believe you. That still doesn’t explain why she tried to patch things up between us.”
She shifted in her seat. “I didn’t want to lie to her face, so I told her we had sex and then you misunderstood me when I left and concluded I still love Eric. She insisted I try to reconcile things. I figured by promising I would. I’d get her through the wedding. Then I could “end” things with you, so to speak, after they are happily married.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Did I misunderstand you? When you left?”
Her breath locked up in her throat. “I’m not in love with Eric.” The words felt true to her soul, and a lightness accompanied the affirmation of what she’d slowly come to realize. Maybe what she’d known for a while now. “And I wasn’t using you.”
Admitting more was not an option, because her emotions where Ryan was concerned were a jumbled up, confused mess.
Ryan ran a hand over his face. “I’m not sure I believe you. About your feelings for Eric.”
“Why?”
“Because you were with him for years and followed him around like a puppy dog. Then you ran away to lick your wounds after you broke it off.”
“That was true a year ago. Maybe. Even then I’d started to have doubts, if I’m frank. It’s certainly not true anymore.”
He lowered his hand, disbelief patent in the questioningly lifted eyebrow. “Yeah? What changed?”
Ashley flopped back against the couch, spent and tired of trying to convince people. “You’re not going to believe me anyway.”
“I promise to try.”
She glanced his way to find him watching her, an earnest expression in those dark eyes. She discovered she wanted Ryan to believe her, to know the truth. “I realized I’m as happy on my own in Dallas as I was at any point in my relationship with Eric. I didn’t miss him as much as I didn’t want to deal with the dating scene. I also missed working on the ranch and being with my family. Then, coming home, I waited to see if I felt more. Felt anything other than friendship.” She twitched a shoulder. “I don’t. I think I was comfortable with him after such a long time together, but my heart wasn’t in it. Not like Taylor. The way they look at each other…”
Suddenly a mental image of Ryan looking at her that way—as if he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it, as if she made his day better purely by being part of it—popped into her head and settled in her heart. A crazy thought, totally out of her reach.
“So what do you want to do now?”
She sighed and stood up. “I guess it’s time to go confess things to Taylor.”
He stood too, and she had the strangest urge to wrap around him and be surrounded by him in a hug, lay her head against his chest and listen to his steady heartbeat.
“Or I could still help you out,” he suggested.
She was halfway through planning her explanation to Taylor as his offer sank in. She blinked up at him. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “I agreed to play along, and I’ll still do it. Be your date to the wedding. Appear suitably smitten by you. As you said, after Christmas you go back to Dallas. I don’t mind pretending a while after the holidays if that helps, and then you can break things off. If you want.”
Ashley opened and closed her mouth like a fish gasping for water once it landed in the boat. “Why would you do that?”
He flashed his cockiest grin. “Because I’m a nice guy. You just never noticed, Hughes.”
She pursed her lips. Was that really it? He was being nice? Or did he have some humiliation or retribution planned for her? Because it couldn’t be this easy. However, Ryan had never publicly shamed her, keeping his comments for her ears only in the past. So that didn’t make sense at all either.
“Hughes, the DMV doesn’t take this long. What do you say?”
Could she do this? Fool her family with a guy she’d thought hated her, with whom she slept yesterday, for whom her body still lit up? She pushed that bit aside and instead focused on how relieved Taylor had been this morning and how bubbly and happy all day today. Could she do this?
“Dinner!” Taylor called. By the sound of her voice, she was heading their way.
“Answer quickly, Hughes.”
She glanced over his shoulder and back up at him. “Okay.”
Before she could blink, he reached out and yanked her body against his, bringing his lips down on hers. Ashley melted into him instantly, opening her mouth to his kiss, as desire, which had been waiting in the wings since he showed up, slammed through her at his taste, his touch, the warmth of his body against hers, all now familiar.
A discreet cough had him pulling back, and Ashley blinked dazedly, her body still all tingly after what actually amounted to a brief kiss. She followed Ryan’s lead as he turned to glance at Taylor, who stood in the doorway grinning, with Eric, whose gaze held more, not annoyance-- skepticism, maybe-- at her side. Seriousness, certainly.
“I hate to break things up, but dinner’s ready,” Taylor said.
Ryan’s arm tightened around Ashley. “We’ll be right there.”
Taylor practically skipped out of the room, dragging Eric with her, and Ryan
waited a beat before turning his gaze to her. “I think that’s a good start.”
Reality smacked her in the head like that baseball in third grade P.E. that gave her a black eye. All of this was for show only. Right. She stepped back and refused to allow herself to miss his warmth as he let his arms fall way. “A good start. Yeah.”
What had she signed up for? Again. Sisterly love had a lot to answer for.
14
“Might as well. Can’t dance, never could sing, and it’s too wet to plow.”
--Southern Expression
Ryan had had every intention of watching Ashley squirm when he showed up at her parents’ place last night, but one look at her face—a smorgasbord of emotions, including shock, panic, and regret—and he couldn’t do it. Besides, her reasons had been jumbled but honest and rooted in a love for her sister, which he could forgive. He still wasn’t sure of her feelings for Eric. He got the impression she didn’t really know herself. However, he found himself suggesting they play things out. Because his particular brand of stupid apparently knew no limits.
To top it all off, he kissed her—all a show for Taylor, of course. But Ashley kissed him back, responding in his arms like every secret fantasy he’d ever had about her. No way could she react like that to him and not feel something. Even if her feelings toward him were rooted in lust, that was a start.
So he’d come to a decision. He would use this time as Ashley’s fake boyfriend to mount a full on assault on the woman’s heart. The plan was to show her what things could be like if they were truly together and pray she recognized the potential for them that he’d seen ten years ago when he’d been too young to act on it appropriately. Now he had to convince her.
Starting tonight.
Impatience had the day looming long ahead of him.
No. Starting right now.
Shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth, he whipped out his cell phone while he chewed and rattled off a quick text.
—Morning, gorgeous. I woke up thinking about you.—
Completely true. He chuckled as he imagined Ashley’s face when she read that one.
A short pause preceded her answer. —This is Ashley, you doofus. And it’s 6am.—
Ryan snorted out his coffee as he read her reply. —I know whom I texted, angel. What if your sister reads your texts? Shouldn’t we have some? And you’ve gotten soft in Dallas. 6am is almost lunch time around here.—
—So you’re going to send me fake texts on the off chance Taylor checks my phone?—
—Or reads over your shoulder. Just go along. All about the details.—
—I should’ve known you’d be a practiced liar.—
—I won’t ever lie to you, baby.—
Another long pause. —Whatever. No calling me things like baby, or angel, or gorgeous.—
—I’m a romantic guy. I’d call my girl a special name.—
Was she rolling her eyes or grinding her teeth now? Probably both.
—Fine. You get one term of endearment. Only one. Nothing that’ll make me gag, please.—
He already knew what to pick. He’d been calling her by one name for years. —Hughes it is.—
—I should’ve guessed. You’re real romantic, McAdams.—
Ryan grinned as he put down the phone and cleared his breakfast things. Would Ashley ever figure out that when he called her Hughes, he actually meant every possible endearment? He’d started the little game when she first started dating Eric. At the time he’d assumed she and Eric wouldn’t last that long. Wrong.
Five hours later, he and Cody were wrapping up repairing the fences along the southern border, while Blake and Dad worked on the northern border, when his cell phone buzzed in his back pocket, alerting him to an incoming text.
Ashley probably. She was at a last fitting for dresses for the wedding, and he insisted she send a picture of her in the dress as part of their pretense at dating.
After Cody secured the barbed wire around the t-post, Ryan put the coil down, yanked off his thick leather gloves, and fished his phone out. “Give me a second.”
Cody tipped his chin at the phone. “Ashley?”
Ryan shrugged.
“Is it about the fraud stuff?”
“No. Our lawyer’s dealing with it for now. I haven’t heard much back since it’s the holidays.”
“Makes sense. I hear you’re dating now?”
Ryan pretended to misunderstand. “Our lawyer? Larry’s a fifty-five-year-old man.”
Cody snorted. “You know I meant Ashley.”
Another shrug. “It’s still early.”
“Don’t let her break your heart.”
Ryan hitched up onto the tailgate of the truck. “First you practically push me into bidding on her, and now I’m supposed to be careful?”
Cody hopped up beside him. “She’s always managed to get you twisted up.”
His younger brother had always been an observant bugger. No one, including Ashley, realized that about Ryan, but Cody did.
“That said, if you can work it out, go for it.”
“I’m working on it.”
Cody nodded and took a swig of coffee from his insulated travel mug. Ryan huddled in his jacket and turned to his phone. Sure enough, he found a picture of Ashley wearing a fancy white dress. Her expression could only be described as less than thrilled. Knowing Hughes, trying on bridesmaid’s dresses wasn’t the problem.
—White? Isn’t that the bride’s color?—
—Taylor’s doing a Christmas theme. Different, but cool. You’ll see.—
—Okay. You look beautiful, Hughes. Why the long face?—
—Unending questions about you.— She included an eye-rolling emoticon.
—Really? Like what?—
—The girl equivalent of locker room talk.—
—I hope you’re being kind to me.—
—A lady doesn’t kiss and tell. I’m letting their imaginations do the work.—
—Shall we mess with them?—
—Already on it.—
—How?—
—I told them you wanted to try a threesome.—
Ryan dropped his phone. It hit the rocky ground with an unfortunate clatter. “Damn.” He hopped down and grabbed it, checking that it survived the fall. He got lucky, no cracks.
—Dropped the phone. You can’t spring something like that on a guy.—
—LOL. Where’s the fun in that?—
—Tease. Any takers?—
—You wish.—
—Actually, you’re the only woman I want in my bed.—
If she could play with him, he could use the truth to do the same.
—No one is reading over my shoulder, McAdams.—
He was supposed to be wooing her, but he just couldn’t resist the urge to be a little bad.
—Good. Then I can tell you I wouldn’t mind hearing your sexy moans again. Or watch your face as I make you…—
—STOP!—
He chuckled, able to picture her exactly. Ashley Hughes needed more fun in her life. He intended to bring it to her.
—What?—
—You’re unbelievable.—
—Finally, you figured it out.—
—And impossible.—
—You know you love it, Hughes. BTW. What time should I pick you up tonight?—
—Huh?—
—Your mom told me you don’t have anything planned tonight. I figured an official date might be a good idea.—
—I’m going to have an early night, and wake up when it’s next year.—
—Come on, Hughes. We’ll do something low key. Dinner? Rent a movie, maybe?—
A long pause greeted his suggestion, and he waited, impatient. What was taking so long?
—This is Taylor. She’ll be ready by 6pm. Can Eric and I come?—
Ryan barked a laugh. Once again, thank goodness for meddling sisters. He hadn’t planned on a double date, but having them there meant more opportunities to touch her and play it up.
He could work with that. —Sure. Put Ashley back on.—
—It’s me again. I’ve been ambushed.—
—We’ll have fun. I promise.—
—Get back to work McAdams. CU at 6.—
That night, showered and dressed in casual jeans, boots, and a red button-down shirt with a thick leather jacket—he’d been doing a lot of dressing up lately—Ryan knocked at the Hughes’ door. Ashley opened it almost immediately and stepped outside. She, too, was dressed casually in jeans, though her boots were the fancy girly kind that went over her pants and up to her knees. She wore a black jacket over the top.
He was on a date with Ashley Hughes, even though they had company. Giddy wasn’t a manly emotion he’d ever cop to, but Ryan couldn’t deny his excitement. Granted, she was under the impression this was a simple ruse for her family. However, he was determined she’d enjoy it.
Ashley raised her eyebrows. “Something wrong?”
He held back a laugh at the simple and yet utterly complicated question. Rather than answer, he leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to her lips. Lips which clung to his as he pulled back, parting in a soft gasp. Her strawberry shampoo scent surrounded him, and Ryan suddenly needed to adjust the hard bulge in his jeans.
“What was that for?” she asked. Not angry, just…curious. Progress perhaps? A few weeks ago, she would’ve slapped his face.
“All part of the plan, Hughes.”
A frown pleated her brow, and he reached up to smooth it away for her. “Stop worrying so much. You might find you enjoy tonight.”
She grimaced. “You’re sure you don’t mind. About Eric and Taylor? I figured we could put on a bit of a show. I think Eric suspects we’re lying.”
“No problem.”
Relief filled her gaze. “You’re the best.”
He threw up his hands. “Finally, she gets it.”
She crooked a smile. “Let’s go, then. I’ll text them where, and they’ll follow.”
If Ashley thought she’d find safety in numbers, she had another think coming.
15
“Bless your heart.”
–Southern Expression (which sometimes means “Bless your heart.” And sometimes means, “Are you really that stupid?”)
Home for the Holidays: A Contemporary Romance Anthology Page 60