Gage put his hand up to his neck, carefully touching the wound that was still visible from the barroom brawl where a broken bottle slashed his throat. “Don’t remind me. I learned my lesson on that one.”
“Don’t try to rescue a damsel in distress?”
“Don’t butt in when a girl is arguing with her boyfriend. But, in my own defense, what I saw at the bar was a drunken cowboy manhandling a woman against her wishes.”
The way Gage told it, once the police arrived, he was bleeding at the throat from a broken bottle, his band members were all banged up and the bar was a total mess. To top it off, the girl had stuck up for her abusive boyfriend instead of siding with Gage. He wound up getting blamed for starting the fight and had paid for all the damages. His photo was splashed across the covers of all the tabloids, taking down his reputation one more notch.
The other two scandals weren’t violent yet had dragged his name through the mud. Cheating on his girlfriend—and pushing a news reporter to the ground when asked about it—wasn’t a way to win friends and gain influence. Gage claimed his innocence on both, but it didn’t matter. The paparazzi ate it all up.
Rose walked outside carrying a tray of Texas sun tea and cookies. Gianna’s mind flashed to another time, a happier time. Mom and Rose having their sun tea on this very deck.
A knot formed in her stomach. It was still so new to her, losing her mother. The pain never went away. She couldn’t stop thinking about her.
“Have some iced tea, Gianna. Gage, will you pour it?” She set the tray down on a side table.
“Sure, Mom.” He rose and looked up from the tray. “There’s only two glasses here.”
“Yes, I’m going to let you two talk some more. I came out here to tell you, Gianna, that there’s no pressure if you refuse Gage’s request.” Rose put a hand on her arm and squeezed. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you, sweetheart.”
“Look, when we travel, I promise we’ll always get a suite with two rooms. And you’ll have plenty of time to do your research,” Gage said.
“And it would only be for a month, right?”
“Six or seven weeks,” he said. “Long enough for me to make some scheduled appearances and nail down that role.”
That would be most of the summer. “What happens after that?”
“Well, we haven’t quite figured that out yet. But once summer is over, you’d have to go back to teaching, right?” he asked.
She nodded.
“And hopefully, our story would fade into the background if there are no more rumors or scandals. We could have a quiet breakup sometime in the future.”
“The future? As in how long?”
Gage shrugged. “Not sure. Does it matter?”
Rose shot her son a hard look. “Of course it matters. Gianna can’t put her life on hold indefinitely.”
His assumption that she had no life, or love life, outside of teaching rattled her. She dated once in a while. Okay, but only when her friend Brooke set her up on blind dates. She did have a keen affection for Timothy Bellamy, a history professor at the university. But so far, all they’d had were a few coffee dates. No sparks yet, but she was mourning her mother and focused on her career—she wasn’t exactly in the market for sparks.
“Sorry, right.” He scrubbed at his stubbled jaw.
Rose looked her in the eye and smiled sweetly. “Remember, if you decide you can’t do this, everyone will understand. You’re always going to be a part of this family.”
“Thanks, Rose. That means a lot.”
Rose kissed her cheek and left the patio.
She turned to Gage. “Your mom always makes me feel so welcome.”
“She loves you, Gianna.”
“She misses Mom almost as much as I do.”
“Yeah, your mother was pretty awesome.”
“She was a fan of yours, too, even before your fame.” Though, for the life of her, Gianna couldn’t understand why. She released a deep sigh. “I still can’t believe she’s gone.”
Gage nodded. He was quiet for a while, staring out to the landscape before him. He wasn’t always cocky and smug. Sometimes he was nice, and she couldn’t imagine turning down his request. She owed the Tremaine family her loyalty, and this would be one way to repay their kindness. Her heart hurt every day, and maybe helping Gage would take her mind off her grief for a little bit.
“I’m a terrible liar,” she blurted. “I’m in a committed relationship with the truth.”
Gage blinked, his head jerking back, and he took a few moments to process her blunt declaration. “Most of what we say will be the truth. We’re childhood friends, and we became reacquainted this summer. And we realized our feelings for each other…”
“After you were injured in that brawl?”
“That works. You’re not such a bad liar after all.”
“I’m a problem solver, Gage. Not a liar. We need to puzzle this out before the public sees us together.”
“So, then, you’re sure?”
She nodded, totally unsure, but she wasn’t going to refuse to help a Tremaine. Even if it meant going against all her well-honed instincts. “When do we get engaged?”
Gage grinned, his teeth flashing in a bright smile. He was good-looking to a fault, and talented, a golden boy who somehow had to pretend to be in love with her.
It would put his acting chops to the test. He could probably pull it off.
But could she?
“You know the last person who lived in this guesthouse ended up falling in love with my brother Cade,” Gage’s sister, Lily, told Gianna.
Gianna flopped onto the sofa next to Lily, grabbed a pillow and tucked it under her arms. Over the years she’d stayed on the property many times, sometimes at the main house, sometimes here in this cottage guesthouse. She enjoyed the privacy afforded her here, where she could pull her thoughts together without interference. “I’ve met Harper. She’s perfectly suited for Cade. And vice versa.”
“I know. I’m happy I had a hand in getting them together. Though not purposely. But it all worked out. Who knows what will happen between you and Gage?” Lily grinned at her, and Gianna’s mouth dropped open.
“Lily, whatever you’re thinking, don’t. Nothing like that’s going to happen between me and Gage. He’s…he’s…not my type.”
“You have a type?”
“No. Yes. I suppose I do. Someone who’s into fine art, history and philosophy.”
“Ah, so you mean, not someone who sings for his supper and has women dropping at his feet?”
Gianna rolled her eyes. “I’m not impressed by those things.”
Lily didn’t appear convinced. “I’m just saying, Gage can be charming. He may just surprise you.”
“I’m fully prepared to deal with Gage. When the time comes.” She could go head to head with him in mental battles all day long. It was the other part of the deal that worried her. She’d always been true to herself and honest in her feelings. So this pretense didn’t come naturally to her. Like she’d told Gage, she was committed to telling the truth. And she’d meant it.
“That time may be coming sooner than you think. We have one week before the family’s big Fourth of July celebration. That’s where Gage plans to announce your engagement.”
This was all becoming very real. In a week’s time, their little charade would begin, and a part of her welcomed the distraction. It would keep her grief at bay, but a larger part of her felt uncertain and wary. Gianna rose from the sofa and walked over to the beveled glass window, catching her reflection through the pane. She saw a grieving woman with pale olive skin, plain clothes and thick-rimmed glasses. Her shoulders drooped, and she turned to Lily. “Do you think anyone’s going to believe that Gage and I are in love?”
“Gage will convince them.”
But Gianna needed more than that.
She needed to feel confident that she could pull this off. “Lily? I think I need your help.”
“With?”
“You’re an interior designer and quite talented at what you do. But have you ever worked with exteriors?”
“Yes, sometimes. I’ve reworked and renovated outdoor patios and verandas and such. In fact, I just finished revamping a pool and lounge exterior for the Goldens’ estate down the road.”
“I meant, human exteriors?”
Lily caught her meaning and gave her a look. “You want a makeover?”
“No, I don’t want a makeover, but I think I need one. It’s not going to be easy pretending, especially since I don’t fit into Gage’s world. At all. But if I looked the part, it might make it easier for me.”
Lily gave her an assessing once-over. Gianna removed her eyeglasses and immediately began to squint.
“Have you ever tried contacts?”
“Yes, but they irritate my eyes.”
“Actually, your face is well suited for glasses. You don’t need contacts. And honestly, you’re quite lovely, Gianna. You just need to highlight your best features. Just a little. And maybe have a wardrobe renovation.” Lily smiled.
“So, you’ll do it?”
“Of course. It’s not going to be a drastic change, but you’d be surprised what a little makeup and a new hairstyle can do for a woman. Here, let me show you what I mean with your wardrobe.”
She followed Lily to the foyer mirror.
“Some things need to be tweaked,” Lily said. “Like this boxy white blouse you’re wearing. It’s long and gives you no shape at all. But watch this,” Lily said, rolling up the sleeves above her elbows and unbuttoning the bottom three buttons of the blouse. Next, she took the tails of the blouse, pulled them taut and tied a knot right at her waistline. “There. Take a look at the difference. From baggy to stylish, with just a little ingenuity.”
Gianna studied herself in the mirror. She still had a long way to go, but in just under a minute, Lily had really made a big difference.
“Tomorrow we’ll go to the salon, give that thick hair of yours some pretty highlights and a fresh cut. And then we’ll go shopping.”
“Thanks, Lily.”
“You’re welcome. But you know, Gage doesn’t expect you to do all this.”
“I’m not doing it for him, Lil. I kinda need to do this for myself.”
“I get it. You’re such a good friend, Gianna.” Lily squeezed her tight, and the affection brought warmth to her heart.
If she was going to play the part, it only made sense to go all in.
Gianna never did anything halfway.
Gage stood at the guesthouse door, ready to knock. He wasn’t ready for this date, a trip to the town ice cream shop. He’d thought he’d have at least a few more days before the charade would begin. In his opinion it wasn’t necessary, but his manager, Regan, had other ideas. You need to be seen in public a few times before you actually get engaged. It’ll make it look more realistic.
He didn’t agree, but Regan knew how to get him out of a bind—she was an expert at it—and he’d finally learned to listen to her.
So now, here he was trapped into going on a first date with Gianna. He should be glad he’d convinced her while on the phone. She was doing him a big favor. But she didn’t like this idea any more than he did, so he wouldn’t feel guilty about it. Neither of them wanted to do this. And in typical Gianna form, she’d overanalyzed the situation, making her arguments why they shouldn’t be going out until the big engagement announcement. It would have less impact on the press. It was too soon. Neither of them was ready.
Gianna wasn’t wrong about any of these things, but Regan had a point. It had to look like their relationship was evolving naturally.
He knocked on the door, trying to adjust his frown into some semblance of a smile. He waited almost a minute, then knocked again.
Finally, the door opened and Gianna appeared.
At least he thought it was Gianna. Well, damn. It was her, all right. For a second, his throat closed up. What the hell? Her hair was cut to just past her shoulders, glossed to a deep chestnut brown and parted on the side. Thin-rimmed glasses kept hair from falling onto her cheeks and amplified her gorgeous light green eyes through the lenses. She wore a halter-top denim dress that exposed a hint of eye-popping cleavage. Gianna had cleavage? She’d always worn super-baggy clothes that hid her female shape.
There was a blush to her complexion, and he wasn’t sure if it was due to his immediate reaction to her. The slight rosy color blended with her smooth olive skin. He scanned her up and down, catching the strappy sandals encasing her feet, her toenails painted a pale pink.
“You’re staring,” she said.
He was. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, and that wasn’t good. He didn’t like the jolts of electricity shooting through his system. He didn’t like the attraction that immediately caused his breath to catch. Gianna was…stunning.
He hadn’t signed up for this. He hadn’t reacted this way to a woman in years; the instant magnetism shifted his perspective into something he didn’t recognize. Gianna was forbidden fruit, and he’d have to remember that. She was like family, a girl he’d known for years and the daughter of his mother’s best friend. To top it off, she was in mourning and very vulnerable right now.
“What did you do to yourself?” It was his knee-jerk response to her hot appearance. Emphasis on jerk. It pissed him off that she’d made this transformation, giving him a bit of a shock and throwing him off balance.
Her chin went up. “Nothing,” she said sharply.
“Brainiac, you’ve done something.”
“Brickhead, I thought you were taking me for ice cream?”
His mouth twitched, but he held back a smile. Using their childhood nicknames for each other oddly put him at ease. When they were kids, he’d played with her unless there’d been something better to do. Admittedly, he’d sorta tormented her, but Gianna never cowered. She’d held her ground and dished out equal justice. He’d always admired that about her. She didn’t back down. Nope, she was too quick, too clever to let him get the best of her. “I am. Ready to go?”
Taking her to the best ice cream shop in Juliet, Triple Scoop, was the only way he could coax her into going out tonight. If memory served, she could devour a Triple Decker without batting an eyelash.
She nodded. “Let’s get this over with.”
He couldn’t agree more, but somehow hearing her say it stung.
In the driveway, he opened the passenger side door for her and caught a glimpse of her tanned legs as she flounced into the seat. She caught him looking, and he pretended not to notice. He climbed in, started the engine of his midnight-blue Aston Martin and sped off.
Halfway to town, Gage glanced over at Gianna. “I’m not complaining, but why’d you do it?”
She turned her face away to stare out the window. “Seems like you are complaining.”
“Are you gonna answer my question?”
She pushed air out of her lungs. The sigh was dramatic and real. “It only makes sense, Gage. I weighed the options and came to the conclusion that if we’re to have people believe we’re together, I need to look the part. Lily gave me some help.”
“Lily did a good job.”
“Is that a backhanded compliment?”
His lips twitched again. She’d made it clear—she hadn’t dressed to impress, or at least to impress him. It was a calculated move on her part to ensure their little scheme worked. Gianna wasn’t the type to fish for compliments, but he owed her this one. “You look very pretty, Gianna.”
It was the understatement of the year.
“Thank you,” she replied.
Once in town, he parked the car two blocks from the ice cream shop, and Gianna glanced at him curiously. “Why are we parking here?
”
“A little walk will do us good.”
“Let me guess, Regan’s idea? So more people will see us together?”
He didn’t give her the satisfaction of an answer, because she was right and he hated to admit it. “Usually the townsfolk don’t pester me too much, but, just a warning, that all might change when I’m spotted with you on my arm.”
He got out of the car, opened the car door for her and offered his hand.
She slipped her hand in his, and the delicate softness of her skin pummeled through him as he helped her step out. He closed the door and set the car alarm. It beeped and off they went, strolling down the street hand in hand.
A bright sunset was making its descent, the summer air heavy and thick. Beads of sweat circled his neck and made his jeans stick to his legs. Gianna seemed unaffected by the heat. She walked along the street, her chin up, her cool demeanor unmarred. A few women came out of a lingerie store and stopped to gape. Quickly, they took out their phones and snapped pictures of Gage and Gianna. One lady approached and asked for a selfie.
“Sure, let’s get Gianna in on this, too,” he told her.
The woman didn’t hesitate. “Okay.”
She snapped a picture of the three of them and then thanked them, giving Gianna a puzzled look. Her wheels must’ve been turning as she wondered who his date was. Soon, hopefully, everyone would know. Gage took Gianna’s hand again and ventured on.
He was stopped two more times by fans who wanted photos before they entered the crowded ice cream shop. “No doubt those photos will be all over the internet in less than an hour,” Gianna whispered. “I guess Regan knows what she’s talking about.”
“Yep, she usually does.”
She’d been his manager for going on nine years now. She hadn’t steered him wrong on any of the decisions they’d made. Any trouble he’d been involved in wasn’t a result of bad managing. He’d gotten into that trouble all on his own, but lucky for him, Regan knew how to prevent his image from tanking. He just had to keep his nose clean for the next six weeks or so and he could move on with his life.
Blind Date with the Spare Heir Page 19