Pretend You Love Me

by Stacia Wolf

  A dance contest? Her mother was conducting a dance contest?

  She stepped into the room, frowning and presenting, she hoped, a sobering influence to her mother and this male crowd obviously high on testosterone.

  "Mother...” she began loudly.

  Lucia's eyes widened as she faced Cassie. “Cassandra! What on earth are you doing here?” She climbed down from the table, then looked Cassie up and down. “Oh, my, don't you look sexy!"

  Damn, the outfit she'd slipped into in a bid to tweak Mike. Not her usual look, although she did love to wear sexy, edgy and flirty clothes. This outfit was very bold, even for her. She'd been wanting to raise a certain male's blood pressure.

  From the way a dozen pair of hungry males eyes riveted on her, her attire accomplished that exact same reaction in them.

  "Whoa! Baby!” Kyle let out a loud whistle that the others echoed, along with ear-shattering whoops. “Lucy, honey, is this the daughter you're talking about?"

  Lucy? Her mom hated that nickname, but apparently Lucia was in too good of spirits to take offense.

  "This is her,” her mother proclaimed with obvious pride. “My daughter, Cassandra."

  All male eyes traveled over Cassie, making her feel like a piece of meat. She stopped herself from jerking on the skirt hem to cover more of her bare legs. The sensation escalated when Kyle placed one extremely muscled arm about her waist.

  "I'm the leader so far, baby. Want to try me out?” He blatantly stared down the deep V between her breasts.

  Curling her lip, she shoved him hard on the chest. The rest of the men whooped, but Kyle didn't budge.

  "Aw, baby, don't be like that. Your mama tells us that you've been without a man for a long time. So don't play hard to get, okay?” His hot breath fanned her bare shoulders. Swallowing her distaste, she pushed against him again. This time, he let her go. Now free, Cassie rounded on her mother.

  "What's going on here? How on earth did my private life—” she refrained from using the term love life, “—become a public forum?"

  Lucia shrugged, looking far from repentant. “It's been forever since you've gone out. After all, the divorce was over a year ago, and you still haven't started seeing anyone. So I thought maybe if I set you up on a date—"

  Cassie sputtered. “A date? You're looking for a date for me?” She glanced at all the faces leering at her and regretted the impulse that had resulted in this outfit. “Is that what this is about, your attempt to hook me up?"

  The men laughed, and one of them, a burly dark-haired man who made Kyle look small, reached out and grasped Cassie's wrist. “You don't need to look any further, baby. Let's dance."

  At the same time, Ernie arrived.

  "Let her go!” he demanded.

  The man flashed crooked teeth. “Relax, man. I'm just going to dance with her.” The lack of music not stopping him, he began to sway, with Cassie held firmly against his protruding belly. Cassie struggled, but with his buddies’ cheers egging him on, the man didn't get the hint.

  "Let her go!” Lucia demanded. Apparently her mother recognized that look in Cassie's eyes.

  "Let go,” Cassie warned. “Or I'll be forced to hurt you!"

  "Cassandra, don't you dare!"

  She heard the horror in Lucia's voice, but that didn't deter her. Neither did her captor's laughter or his reply. “And what could a tiny thing like you do?"

  I'll show you, pal. She could easily protect herself. Not only could she handle guns, thanks to her mom's obsession with firearms, but years of attending martial arts classes had earned her a black belt. With great skill and a healthy amount of disgust, she brought one sharp heel down on his foot.

  "Ow!” His grip on her loosened, and Cassie grabbed his thumb, jerking it backwards and down while she twisted away from him.

  How easily the mighty fall, she thought with satisfaction as he crumpled to his knees. She let him go as an arm encircled her from behind, tugging her up against a hard male body. She gave a token struggle, but her body knew that touch, her eyes knew that hand splayed across her belly.

  Mike.

  "Cassie, stop it. Hold still.” His breath whispered over her cheek, sizzling her blood in her veins.

  Masculine heat seared her backside, seducing her. Mike's unique scent of sandalwood and Lava soap reached deep into her, sending her hormones racing. She held still, soaking in the sensations. Yummy.

  "Hey, man, you can't just show up and take the prize. We've been working hard here to get to do just that.” Kyle snickered as he spoke, but from the way Mike's body stiffened against her, she could tell he didn't see the humor.

  "This isn't an auction house and Cassie isn't a contest prize.” Damn, but his voice sounded almost possessive. If only it was true, she could die now with a smile on her face.

  Her assailant stood, rubbed his hand and glared at Cassie with what looked like homicidal intent. Mike swung his body around, putting himself between her and the angry behemoth.

  Cassie gritted her teeth. “Mike, let me go. I don't need your protection."

  His only answer was a snort.

  "Mike."

  "You're a menace, you know that, Cassie? Some things never change. You're always getting into trouble. You show up in an outfit like that, then beat up the first guy who reacts to it."

  "First of all, he was the second guy,” she snapped. “And second, this isn't my fault! I have the right to dress any way I see fit."

  "If you used some common sense—"

  "Both of you, shut up!"

  Ernie's words slapped like a whip and Cassie clamped her mouth closed. Even the angry hulk thought better and stalked out of the room while the others made themselves scarce. Lucia, however, showed no such restraint.

  "Cassandra! Was that the only solution you could think of? A man shows you a little interest and you attack him. You're not going find someone with that kind of attitude!"

  Any other time, Cassie would've barked out her disbelief, but with Mike's arm still circling her waist—did his thumb just caress her bare tummy?—all she could think of was sex, more sex and hey, just for good measure, let's toss some more mind-curling sex in there!

  Sucking in a moan of frustration, Cassie pulled at his hand, and he let her go. Now she could breathe again. She ignored the bereft feeling that invaded her. Instead, she reminded herself of the stark truth.

  Kissing you is like kissing my sister. Mike's words at their one and only close encounter shot through her. She couldn't bear that humiliation again. Stepping away from him, she instead faced her current mortification—her mother.

  "I don't need you finding me a man. When, or if, I decide I need someone, I'll do the finding and the judging and whatever else. I can take care of myself."

  "Cassie's pretty...self-sufficient in that regard, Lucia,” Mike said.

  Her face boiled at Mike's innuendo concerning her ‘self-service,’ but clamped down on herself. Kicking him in the shin would gain her nothing.

  "Darling,” Lucia said, crossing her arms and clicking her tongue in exasperation. “I've left you alone for months, and you've done nothing but sit at home and redecorate. That's getting you nowhere. You need to move on."

  Cass's fingers pressed to her temples. This argument, recycled from so many times before, grated on her last nerve. “You need to stay out of my life. It's not open for your conjecture, or your meddling."

  "What's going on here?"

  Cassie whipped around at the sound of her brother's voice. Unfortunately, Mike stood too close, and her breast brushed against him, zapping her with awareness. Every sex-deprived cell in her body stood at attention at the contact. Damn the man.

  "Cal! What are you doing here?” She turned on Mike. “Don't you have a bar to run? Who's watching the front?"

  "Damn!” With a few choice words concerning troublesome women, Ernie wheeled about and headed back to the bar. Drat. Wrong man left. Mike's mocking smile told her he'd read her mind.

  "Mike left a messag
e on my phone. So I came down here to see what ol’ Mom was up to.” Cal grinned at Cassie. They were so alike in looks, although her twin made the auburn hair and sea-green eyes look very macho. Towering over her at over six feet tall, with wide shoulders and a narrow waist that should show the abuse he gave it with his love for sweets, Cal Prescott was definitely all male. A protective, brotherly male who'd made her love life non-existent as a teenager. Oh, she'd dated, but any guy she'd gone out with soon withered under Cal's disapproving glare. He'd been formidable as a teen guardian.

  And as a young adult. Drat it, they'd even gone to law school together, which made sex there almost non-existent.

  Except for Ken Travers, her ex-husband. Smooth, handsome, he'd said and done all the right things. She'd thought she'd found the perfect man. Fat lot she'd known.

  Just went to show that Cassie was no better at relationships than her mother, who refused to marry her father, despite his asking her every year on the anniversary of their first date.

  Of course, the fact that the date happened to be April Fool's Day should tell them something.

  "Mom's trying to fix me up,” she said through gritted teeth. “She's holding a dance contest, of all things! Cal, could you talk some sense to her, make her understand I don't need a man?” Okay, she didn't need simply any man, just one and only for a short while until she got over this ridiculous crush. Only he saw her as an extra sibling, for heaven's sake!

  "A dance contest? I don't understand. To find you a date?” Cal stared at their mother for a long moment, then burst out laughing. “Mom, that's got to be the lamest. You think dancing skills are what Cassie needs?"

  Lucia didn't seem the least bit fazed by her son's reaction. “It's a start. Besides, Cassandra needs to loosen up, to remember what it's like to have fun. And dancing is fun."

  "Mom, I don't want to dance. Please let it go. And have you forgotten the Delistraty curse? Why should I try again?"

  Lucia rolled her eyes. Despite her failure in the relationship department, she didn't believe in the ‘curse.’ But Cassie did. She was living proof.

  "You have a point, Mom. She does need some loosening up.” Arms across his chest, Cal's eyes swept over Cassie. “Looks like you're trolling for a guy anyhow, sister mine. Maybe having someone else check out men for you might keep you out of trouble. Why not let Mom help you? Her taste can't be any worse than yours."

  "What?” Cassie stared in disbelief at her brother. Didn't he remember all the guys traipsing through their lives when they were growing up? “I can't believe you said that!"

  "Face it, Cass. You've retreated from the world. Mom's methods might be a bit off, but she's got the right idea."

  "I haven't retreated from anything."

  "What do you mean, off?” Lucia glared at Cal.

  Cal raised his hands up. “Listen. All I'm trying to say is that maybe you should look at rejoining the real world, sis. Find someone. Date him. Use him if you have to, but start living again.” Cal looked over the men as if debating on which one to choose. “This isn't such a sorry lot. One of them might do."

  Of all the nerve! Cassie wanted to smack him, to knock some sense into him. What happened to her over-protective brother?

  "You're acting like this so Mom won't try to fix you up."

  Cal's mouth twitched. “I wish. Mom's got enough energy to meddle in both our lives at the same time. Besides, most women don't want a guy who threw away a prominent law career to open up a free clinic. You, however, are beautiful, smart and sometimes even fun to be with. You should find someone.” He frowned. “Maybe I know somebody. There's this one guy—"

  Oh, God, she did not need one of his uber-liberal, pro-bono buddies or—worse—some ex-con-with-a-sob-story. “Look, I don't need you or Mom to fix me up! I'm perfectly—"

  "Cal, don't be silly,” Lucia said. “All you know are homeless people and hippies. I'm trying to help her find a man with substance. Now, take Kyle here, for instance."

  Kyle looked up from the pool table, grinning at Cassie with promise in his eyes. Only Cassie couldn't promise that she wouldn't hurt him if he tried anything. Then he winked at her, his ‘come-try-me’ look very apparent.

  She couldn't stand it any longer. Burying her fingers into her hair, she growled in frustration. “Both of you! Stop! I don't need you to fix me up!"

  "Cassandra, just once why don't you try things our way? What would it hurt?"

  Her head pounded from the relentless onslaught. They were never going to give up, not until she agreed to their hair-brained ideas. “Mom."

  "Darling, you'll not regret it. We'll find the perfect man."

  Whatever Cassie planned on saying or doing next fled, because a familiar male arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close. “Cass, this has gone too far,” Mike said, and why was he holding her again? She hadn't lunged at anyone in attack. Okay, sure, she felt like strangling Lucia, but she'd managed to restrain herself to date. So why the sudden bear hug? And was it her imagination, or was there more hug than bear in it this time? “It's time to tell your mother the truth."

  The truth? She looked over her shoulder at him, at a loss. What the hell is he talking about

  "You can't let her fix you up with another guy,” he said. “Or doesn't the fact that we've been seeing each other matter to you?"

  Cassie shook her head. I think my brain just exploded. Did Mike say we're dating?

  * * * *

  Did I just say we're dating?

  Mike couldn't help himself. Poor Cassie was no match for her ex-socialite mother who cut her teeth on manipulation, and her savvy, courtroom-honed brother. He couldn't stand by and let them railroad her into anything. Especially when anything was that creep Kyle, who hadn't raised his eyes from Cassie's breasts since Mike had walked into the room.

  But Cassie's expression didn't give him hope that his charade would work. He pulled her closer, pressed a kiss to that mop of curls, then smiled at Lucia, who stared at them with suspicion.

  Nope, the pretense wasn't working.

  Mike already regretted his impulsive nature, and his instinct to rescue Cassie, which had been honed to perfection with almost twenty years of practice.

  "When did this happen?” Lucia demanded.

  "Uh... a few weeks ago, right, honey?” He glanced down at his ‘sweetheart,’ who seemed to be in a sudden catatonic state. “Cass. Right, honey?” He shook her slightly, hoping maybe she'd say something, anything, to salvage this.

  She stared at him, her beautiful eyes wide as if in shock. He jiggled her again, which finally seemed to do the trick.

  "Oh, yes, right. That's right, Mom,” she said, smiling at her mother. “I'm sorry, Mike just surprised me by telling you like this, after we'd decided to keep it secret."

  "Why didn't you tell us before?” Cal's eyes narrowed. Was he angry? Mike had as much experience reading his friend as he did his sister, but tonight he didn't understand. Cassie had dated a lot while a teenager and in college, and although Cal had been protective, he'd never reacted in anger before.

  "Because we wanted to see if it'd work out before we shared it. You know, just in case it tanked.” There, that was good.

  "I don't believe you,” Lucia said. “If you two are a couple, why didn't I pick up on any body language between you? And why are you two never together?"

  Mike thought fast. “Well, because... Well, we hid it from you, and as for body language... Well, we hid that, too."

  "Right.” Lucia crossed her arms. “You two have as much chemistry as a pair of dead clams."

  Chemistry? She wanted chemistry? He twirled Cassie around, and ignoring her stunned expression and her sputtered “Mike, what are you doing?” he planted his mouth squarely on hers.

  Just as he'd expected, the world exploded.

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  Chapter Two

  Cassie's body sang as she sank into Mike's kiss. Heaven, pure heaven seeped into her soul. Molten need overwhelmed her. Her lips p
arted and melted into his. A rubbery sensation attacked her bones; if Mike's arm hadn't held her upright, she'd have been a puddle at his feet.

  Oh, this was better, so much better than that kiss she'd stolen from him on her graduation day. Then he'd been stiff, barely reacting to her. This time she felt his desire for her, his passion, and her heart leapt at such knowledge.

  Only the loud clearing of a feminine throat reminded Cassie that they weren't alone; her mother and brother were watching. With a gasp, she pulled away from Mike, from their kiss.

  From pure, unadulterated bliss.

  Wow—who'd have known that reality could be so much better than my fantasies

  Cal glared at them both, obviously not liking the thought of his best friend with his sister. Cassie couldn't quite read her mother's look. She seemed to be smirking, as if she enjoyed all of this. Then she crossed her arms and glowered. “Very nice, Mike. But you've yet to convince me."

  How did he think they'd pull this off? What did he plan to do, pretend to be a couple until her family gave up this bizarre idea of fixing her up? Knowing Lucia, that could be years!

  No, this was a bad idea. She'd never been good at lying to her family, although she'd pulled a doozy off. She'd never told anyone about catching Ken entangled with another woman. How could she admit that she couldn't satisfy her husband and that he'd looked elsewhere for sexual satisfaction? That he'd loved her for her name only? How pathetic was that?

  Cassie jerked her thoughts away from her failures. Focus, Cass. Right now, she needed to get herself out of this mess.

  She pulled back, but Mike captured one of her hands in his and held it firmly against his chest. She became aware of his heart thundering beneath her fingers. Oh, my. Despite his claim that he felt nothing but brotherly affection for her, could she be affecting him that much?

  Or would any guy's heart race after telling such a whopper?

  "Listen,” Mike said, “I have to get back to the bar, and Cassie needs to finish painting her toenails. We have a date tomorrow and you know how she likes to look her best.” He smiled at her mom. “Lucia, no more contests, hear? You gave Ernie a coronary.” With a grin, he dragged Cassie out of the room, whether she wanted to go or not.