by Erika Wilde
His slow, sexy smile gave her a glimpse of the dimple in his cheek, and he leaned toward her, putting his lips near her ear so she could hear him without him having to raise his voice to be heard.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” he said, then pulled back enough to look at her again.
She bit her bottom lip and nodded. “A few times, but it never gets old,” she teased him. “And you look so freaking hot in a suit. If we weren’t at a wedding, I’d be all over you right now.”
He laughed huskily as his fingers trailed a little higher on her thigh, causing her body to react in ways that no longer surprised her. “Mmm, I like the thought of having you all over me, which is exactly where I want you when we get back to the house.”
His eyes were hot, and she caught his wandering hand before he did something to make her moan loudly. “You are being a very bad boy, Honey Bear,” she said, drawling out the affectionate endearment she’d given him while keeping her voice low. “As good as I know you can make me feel, I’d rather not have an orgasm while sitting right next to my parents.”
“Fair enough,” he said on a wicked chuckle. “How about we go and dance instead?”
Now that dinner was over, other reception festivities were taking place, and the band picking up its tempo and inviting guests out onto the parquet floor was one of them. “You like to dance?” she asked in shock, since she’d yet to have dated a man who did enjoy letting loose that way. Most of the time when there was a dance floor somewhere, she was out on it with her girlfriends and guys sat on the sidelines and watched.
He shrugged. “Occasionally. Depends on who I’m dancing with.”
She grinned enthusiastically. “Then let’s do it!” Before he could change his mind, she stood up, waited for him to remove his jacket and adjust it onto the back of his chair, then grabbed his hand and they joined the already crowded area in front of the band.
It didn’t take long to see that Leo had great rhythm, which shouldn’t have surprised her considering what fluid hip action he had when he was thrusting inside of her. Her cheeks flushed as that erotic image filled her head, and she forced her eyes from his undulating hips back up to his face.
He arched a brow as he reached out and curled a hand around the back of her neck and drew her closer so he could speak into her ear, his thumb running sensually along her jawline. “Do not look at me like you want me to hike up your dress and do dirty things to you right here and now, because I just might consider it.”
His threat was a playful one, but it definitely turned her on and made her bolder and more brazen, just because she knew there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about her turning around and shimmying her ass against his groin in time to the music. But she did hear his tortured groans, could feel the bite of his fingers as they grasped her waist to keep her in place while he added his own bump and grind to their seductive choreography.
The next few hours passed quickly as they indulged in fun, flirtatious banter and tempting touches. Between music sets, they watched the bride and groom cut their cake, and joined in on the garter toss and the bouquet throw because her mother encouraged them to do so. But even as the flowers sailed Peyton’s way, she deliberately let the woman next to her catch the bouquet because she knew her mother would have declared it “a sign,” and Peyton didn’t want to ruin what had become a memorable and romantic evening with Leo with him being pressured to put a ring on her finger.
By the very end of the evening, about an hour after the bride and groom had snuck out of the reception, the ballroom thinned out as guests started to leave, too. The band announced its final song of the night, and when a slow ballad played, Leo took her back out onto the dance floor and drew her against his chest, which was her favorite place to be. Peyton twined her arms around his neck, deliriously happy and content in that moment, and as she looked into Leo’s eyes as he stared down at her, she could have sworn she saw something intimate and emotional glimmering in their depths.
When he dipped his head and kissed her, his lips soft and warm on hers, she sighed and invited him in. She reveled in the decadent sweep of his tongue against hers and catalogued each and every sensation he evoked, just in case this was the last chance she had to do so. There was no telling what would happen or how he’d react once she said those three little words, so she savored the enticing taste of him. Imprinted the masculine scent of his cologne in her mind. Luxuriated in the possessive way his arm tightened around her waist and pulled her closer and the heat and hard strength of his body against hers that made her feel so delicate, desired, and cherished.
After a while, he lifted his head again, his expression etched with the same need and desire that was thrumming through her. “I think I’m ready to take you home and finish these kisses in private.”
“I’m ready, too,” she said. For everything.
They met back up with her parents, who were preparing to leave, as well, so they all headed toward the main entrance to the ballroom as some of the brighter lights started coming on in the room to signal the end to the reception. Leo’s hand slid into hers just as someone called out his name.
“Leo?” a male voice asked, as if he wasn’t certain he was addressing the right guy. “Leo Stone?”
Leo turned at the mention of his name, and as he watched a man in his mid-thirties approach the four of them, Peyton felt his entire body stiffen. An intuitive sense of dread filled her, and Leo’s oh, shit expression didn’t bode well, either.
“I saw you a few times across the room, but I wasn’t sure it was really you,” the guy said with a laugh as the two of them shook hands.
“Hey, Chad,” Leo greeted the other man. “It’s good to see you.”
“Are you here for the bride or for the groom?” Chad asked.
“The bride, who’s my girlfriend’s cousin,” Leo said, keeping his response as simple and straightforward as possible while still keeping up the charade in front of her parents.
“Ahhh. Groom side for me,” Chad said, oblivious to any of the underlying tension right in front of him. “It was a fantastic wedding and reception.”
“Yes, it was,” Leo agreed, not inviting further conversation, though his tone was pleasant, belying the unease Peyton could feel radiating off him.
“Well, I know it’s late so I’ll let you go. I just wanted to say hello,” Chad said amicably. “I’ll see you at our meeting next week Thursday at my La Jolla office. I’m looking forward to discussing the details and itinerary for the driver we need to chauffer the VP of the company around while he’s in San Diego for two weeks.”
Leo hesitated for a moment, and Peyton imagined his internal struggle was not an easy one since this was directly related to his business. Brushing the man off or feigning ignorance wouldn’t help his own company’s image, and the truth would raise all kinds of red flags to her parents, who were listening in on the conversation.
“I’ll be there,” Leo finally said, making the only choice he could.
“Next week?” Peyton’s mother asked from beside them, clearly bewildered by Leo’s reply. “Won’t you two be back in New York by then?”
“New York?” Chad cut in, his voice just as confused as Tawny’s as he frowned at Leo. “Are you going to New York for a business trip?”
Peyton’s stomach roiled as she watched the clusterfuck happening right in front of her eyes, and judging by the apprehension etching Leo’s handsome features, he was also well aware that their fake relationship was about to be exposed.
“He lives in New York,” Tawny insisted, supplying the answer before Leo could speak.
“When did you move to New York?” The guy looked totally perplexed by the information coming his way. “I had lunch with Eric a few days ago and he didn’t say anything about you relocating. Was it fairly recent?”
Leo shook his head, and he squeezed Peyton’s hand as if to say he was sorry for what he was about to do. “No, I didn’t move to New York, and I’ll see you at the me
eting next week.”
“Okay.” Chad still appeared a little unsure about the odd conversation that had just taken place. “I guess I’ll see you then. You all have a good night.”
“You, too,” Peyton said, and as the other man walked away, she could feel her parents’ eyes on her even before she and Leo turned around to face them.
“Peyton?” her mother asked, clearly trying to make sense of everything. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“I do.” Her father finally spoke, his gaze much too enlightened, and not very happy, either. “If I followed the conversation correctly, Leo doesn’t live in New York. He lives right here in San Diego, where his business is located. Have I got that right, son?”
Leo looked Carson straight in the eyes, despite her father’s brusque tone. “Yes, sir.”
Tawny gasped and pressed a hand to her chest as everything finally came together in her mind.
Carson shifted his gaze to Peyton, and she felt the weight of the disappointment she saw in her father’s eyes. “Which begs the question, Peyton . . . have the two of you really been dating for the past nine months, or has all that been a lie?”
She swallowed the hard knot in her throat. A lie. She hated the way that betrayal sounded, and the only way to alleviate the guilt sitting so heavily on her chest was to tell the truth. “No, Dad, we haven’t.”
The disbelief and hurt she saw in both her mother’s and father’s gaze were crushing, because over the past week, they’d gotten to know Leo, had grown to like him, and had made him a part of her small family. This wasn’t how she’d planned for things to play out, but her own regrets changed nothing because she had gone to great lengths to deceive her parents.
“I don’t know why you lied to us,” her father said, his brows furrowed over eyes that were filled with disappointment, “but I think you have some explaining to do when we get back to the house.”
An explanation and an apology were the least Peyton could do. She only hoped that when she revealed her reasons she’d fabricated her fake relationship with Leo, it didn’t hurt them even more.
Chapter Twelve
Peyton was quiet on the drive home from the wedding reception. Knowing that she was about to face her parents with the truth—in person rather than over the phone from New York like she’d originally planned—Leo remained silent, too, giving her the time she needed to gather her thoughts for the difficult conversation ahead.
Reaching her parents’ place, he parked in front of the house and cut the engine. Sitting in the passenger seat, Peyton twisted and wrung her fingers anxiously in her lap, and he reached out and grabbed one of her hands to stop her stressful fidgeting.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said softly, trying to calm her nerves. “Bottom line, no matter what you’ve done, your parents love you, and this situation isn’t going to change that. You just need to tell them the truth about why you fabricated the relationship in the first place, and hopefully they’ll be much easier on you going forward.”
It was dark in his vehicle, but he saw the wealth of uncertainties shimmering in her eyes. “I know this is a little too late, but I’m really sorry for dragging you into this, too.”
He smiled gently. “Pixie, you didn’t drag me into anything. I agreed to this pretense, so I’m just as much at fault.” Except, he never expected it to feel like more than a fun, make-believe relationship. He never expected to fall so hard for her, and that knowledge made his heart hammer in his chest.
“Hardly,” she said on a dry laugh. “But I appreciate everything you’ve done for me this past week.” She exhaled a deep breath. “I’ll send you a text later and let you know how it all goes.”
He jerked back slightly and narrowed his gaze. “What do you mean that you’ll let me know how everything went later?”
“Leo, I don’t expect you to sit through this embarrassing conversation and be privy to my mother’s and father’s disappointment. You can pack up your things from the guesthouse and avoid this whole awkward, uncomfortable discussion with my parents. It’s not your problem. It’s mine.”
Not his problem? After a week together, did she really think he’d bail on her now? “I’m not leaving you to do this alone.” His tone was adamant. “I’m coming in with you, even if it’s to support you while you tell your parents the whole story, because no matter what you say or think, I am a part of this situation. The damage is done, but this is your opportunity to be open and honest, to tell them that you’re an independent woman and you’re making it on your own just fine in New York, without a boyfriend.”
She snorted. “Making it on my own? I’m still jobless, remember?”
“Not for long, I’m sure.”
She let her head fall against the back of the seat, looking a bit defeated. “There is no guarantee that I’ll get that job I interviewed for.”
“If you don’t, then you’ll apply for more jobs until someone realizes what an asset you’ll be to their company and hires you,” he said confidently. “It’ll happen, because you’re strong and determined and amazing.”
That prompted a smile from her and she lifted her hand and cupped his cheek. “You are such a great guy, Leo Stone,” she said, her voice almost wistful. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
He followed her into her parents’ house, where they were waiting in the living room, her father sitting in his recliner and her mother on the loveseat, leaving Leo and Peyton to take the couch. He placed his hand on her knee as a sign of support and didn’t miss the way her father noted the intimate gesture. Still, Leo kept his hand in place.
Peyton rubbed her forehead, looking weary. “I’m not sure where to start.”
“How about at the beginning, Peyty,” her mother said, and the use of her nickname at least softened the fact that Tawny was still upset with her daughter. “Why would you deceive your father and me like this?”
For the next half hour, Peyton told her parents the entire story, about how they knew each other in college, and how she’d used his photos on social media without his knowledge to make her mother and father believe she had a great guy to take care of her, and finally, how she’d asked him to play the part of her boyfriend for the week while she was in San Diego for the sole purpose of making her parents believe that she was in a committed relationship.
When it came to her explaining why she’d staged the entire ruse, she was honest with her answers, even knowing the reasons would hurt her parents . . .that at her age, they were still too overprotective and worried too much, and she just wanted to live her life in New York without their constant concern and well-meaning interference.
Yes, her parents were shocked to learn how she felt, but they listened to her explanation, and Leo could tell that they were quietly processing everything she had to say. Would they magically become less protective parents based on this one conversation? Probably not, but Leo knew it was a start, that the doors of communication had been opened, and in the future it would be much easier for Peyton to establish and reinforce those boundaries with her mother and father.
She exhaled a deep breath before revealing her other secret. “And now that I’m getting all this out in the open, I want you both to know that I lost my job because the company went under, but I’m filling out applications and I even had a Skype interview yesterday and I’m hopeful I’ll be getting the position.”
“Oh, my God,” Tawny said in a panic, her knee-jerk response automatic and based on years of overreacting on her only daughter’s behalf. “Do you need money? Do you have food? Can you pay your rent?”
“No, I don’t need money or anything else, Mom,” Peyton said with a patient smile. “I have a decent savings and I’m going to be okay. I didn’t tell you about losing my job because it happened shortly after Dad’s quadruple bypass, and I knew that you’d both worry constantly, and neither one of you needed that added stress while he was recovering from his surgery. And I just wanted to handle this on my own.”
&nbs
p; Now that Peyton was done and there was a lull in the conversation, where her mother and father were processing what they’d just learned, Leo cleared his throat, which shifted her parents’ attention to him. It was his turn to say a few things.
“I owe you both an apology,” he said sincerely, surprised when Peyton turned the tables and took his hand in hers to encourage him and to let him know she was there for him. “You welcomed me into your home and treated me like more than just a guest, and that means a lot to me. I’ve also had the chance to get to know the two of you and have grown very fond of you both, which has made this situation even more difficult. So, I’m very sorry for deceiving you.”
Carson nodded, his expression almost empathetic. “We appreciate that.”
“You have an amazing, wonderful daughter,” Leo added, wanting them to also know that despite how everything might have played out, he genuinely cared for Peyton. That much hadn’t been a lie. “She’s strong and independent and has a good head on her shoulders.” She was also sweet and kind and quirky, and God, he was going to miss her when she was gone.
He glanced at Peyton, who met his gaze with an undeniable emotion in her eyes. The kind that had the ability to bring him to his knees and made him want to give her the world . . . except her world was in New York. As much as it pained him, he knew without a doubt that’s what he was going to ultimately give her . . . an easy goodbye that allowed her to follow the dreams she’d created for herself.
“It’s been a long night,” Tawny said, sounding tired and weary. “And I think your father and I have a lot to sleep on and think about.”
Peyton nodded in understanding and stood up, then went and gave her mother, then her father, a hug. “I really am sorry. I love you both very much.”