by Brooks, Abby
What the fuck? Why did she get so bent out of shape about the whole thing? What was so bad about spending some time with him? Letting him pay for some drinks? Some dinners? Take her dancing? What was so offensive about pretending to be in love? It’s not like she had anything better to do. Wasn’t she alone the night she’d driven him home? She had to be. He couldn’t see her ditching a date to go make out with some other guy.
That night had been coming back to him in little blips of memory. The smell of her hair as he held her tight, swaying in time to the music as they danced. The feel of her lips on his. The look in her eyes.
The fact of the matter was that she seriously disappointed him by turning down his offer. He’d been looking forward to spending some time with her. Getting to know her a little better. And the kissing and hand holding and relationshipy stuff they’d be doing to keep up the pretense? Well, all that sounded pretty damn good, too.
James took another drink of his whiskey and welcomed the numbness it bought along with it. His knuckles stung. Bruised and scabbed from his time on the punching bag today. And his body ached, sore from the gym and the hard falls he took with his sparring partner. All of it was good. All of it kept his mind from the inevitable pain he would feel when he returned to his house that was no longer a home.
A familiar voice startled him out of his thoughts. He spun in his seat at the bar and leaned his elbows back on the counter. Erin was here. He scanned the growing crowd, hating how eager he was to see her blonde hair shining in the dim light and her blue eyes flashing with the smile he heard in her voice. He should have known better than to look, because when he found her, she wasn’t alone. She had her arm around some other guy’s shoulders.
No. Not just some other guy. That was Logan. The guy she’d been cheating on him with. The guy she left him for. And her smile was for him. And her laughter was for him. And she was for him and that cut James to the quick.
He watched her for a while, leaning back on the bar, drink in his hand. An unobserved participant in all the longing gazes and meaningful touches. The graze of her fingertips across his hand and the brush of his thumb across her cheeks. He waited for the pain to flare in his chest, to radiate outwards and transform him into one big, raw nerve, but the pain never came. He watched Logan lean over and press a kiss to Erin’s hand and watched as she ducked her chin in a move he knew meant she was happy.
Interesting. What could that mean? The fact that he could watch this without shattering? Was he healing? Or just drunk enough not to care?
Erin glanced towards the bar and her eyes locked on his. Her jaw tightened and her lips turned down in a frown. Logan followed her gaze and shook his head, eyebrows pursed together like a furry little caterpillar meandering across his forehead. They had a quick whispered conversation, the words sharpened by tense jaws. James watched it all with detached interest and took another drink, curious about the interaction and surprised by his own lack of gut-wrenching, visceral grief.
Erin held up her hands and sat back from Logan and he sighed deeply, unhappy about whatever it was she had to say to him. And then, to James’s complete and utter surprise, Erin stood up from her table and made her way to the where he sat at the bar. With his eyes locked on hers and hers locked on his, he brought his glass to his lips and finished the whiskey in one long drink.
“What are you doing, James?” Erin crossed her arms over her chest and sat back on a heel.
“I’m having a drink.” He held up the empty glass for her to see and twisted in his seat to put it back on the bar, indicating to the bartender that he’d like another. “How about you? What are you doing?”
“Don’t be cute.” Erin tightened the grip she had on her arms and leaned forward. “Are you following me?”
James laughed. “You sure do have a high opinion of yourself.”
“Or maybe I have a low opinion about you.” She arched an eyebrow and lifted her chin, blue eyes flashing defiantly.
“I’m not the one who cheated, sweetheart.”
Erin’s nostrils flared. “Yeah, well I’m not the one who fell to pieces. Drinking myself into oblivion. Hanging out with jerks. And fighting? MMA? Really? It’s like you’re bound and determined to hurt me by hurting yourself.”
James just shrugged. Nothing pissed Erin off more than when she picked a fight and he didn’t engage. The bartender put his drink down behind him with a thunk of glass on wood and James turned around in his stool, turning his back on Erin. Her sharp intake of breath validated him. He had officially infuriated her.
“You don’t get to treat me this way,” she said.
James craned his neck to look at her over his shoulder. “The way I see it, I was sitting here enjoying my drink when you came over and started harassing me about my life choices.” He swirled the whiskey in his glass again and took a sip. Erin didn’t say another word and that was fine with him. He leaned his elbows into the bar and couldn’t help but smile. The last time he ran into her had gutted him and the days following the encounter were a blurry mess of women and booze and at least one set of bloody knuckles.
He listened to the now familiar sounds of the bar, the band setting up on the small stage in the back of the room, the ebb and flow of whispered conversation punctuated by random laughter and exclamations. The practiced flirtations of the waitresses angling for bigger and better tips. This place had become more of a home to him than his own house over the last few months. He laughed to himself. Too many grown up thoughts, man. Why don’t you focus on finding some entertainment for the evening?
James spun in his seat again and studied the crowd. Erin and Logan still occupied a table, and everything about them seemed forced. Their movements tight, their smiles stretched too wide, Erin’s eyes flickering back to see if James was watching. And that was just fine with him. He wouldn’t let her catch him looking. Hell, he didn’t even feel the urge to look anymore and that was a huge weight lifted off his soul. Like he’d been dragging an anchor around since July and finally figured out all he had to do was put the damn thing down.
And so, tonight, he would celebrate. He’d find some beautiful woman and spend the night drinking and fucking. It didn’t take long for his gaze to settle on a table near the band with two women laughing and joking and having so much fun it made him smile just watching them. They were alive. Bursting with energy and happiness and this undeniable urge to be part of that planted itself in his belly. He drowned the thought with a drink and watched them, trying to decide which one he was most interested in.
It was hard to make out features in the dim light of the bar, but his gaze fell on the brunette with the head of curls. He kept catching glimpses of her profile, her soft cheeks pulled up in laughter, her long eyelashes fluttering as she talked. The curve of her magnificent breasts pushing against the thin fabric of her T-shirt. That was the one. Her friend could join in if she wanted, but James wanted the brunette.
She tossed her hair and looked over her shoulder and James froze. And then he shook his head and laughed and settled himself back into his seat. Because the gorgeous brunette with the contagious smile? That was none other than Ellie Charles.
6
The band was on fire tonight and Ellie’s toes were tapping and she had her head bopping in time to the music. With a toss of her hair and a smile on her face, she picked up her margarita and finished what was left in one long drink. Margaritas held a special place in her heart. She always drank more than her fair share. They were just too tasty!
“This was such a good idea!” Ellie refilled her glass with the pitcher and threw a smile at Tessa.
“Of course it was a good idea. Who could say no to margaritas at Fantastic Sam’s on a Tuesday?”
“Well, I should say no to margaritas at Fantastic Sam’s on a Tuesday. Four a.m. comes very early.” Ellie shook her head and tried to look sad.
“Oh, come on. You work every day. Every. Damn. Day. And you’re only twenty-three! You can’t expect yourself to stay home e
very night just because you were responsible enough to start your own business. You gotta live, my friend. Be free!”
Tessa had a point. Ever since she’d finally gathered enough self-confidence to kick Parasite Steve out of the apartment, Ellie had let her life narrow down until it was just work, worry about the bills, go to bed early and work some more. Her failed online dating adventures had been an attempt to break out of that rut, but clearly, they weren’t getting her anywhere. Maybe she needed more nights out with Tessa. Let down her hair and remember what it means to have fun.
“So, I’ve been thinking.” Tessa scooted her chair closer to Ellie’s and leaned forward. “What if you actually did take James Moore up on his offer?” She scrunched up her eyebrows, shrugged, and bit her lip, looking as if she were trying to apologize for what she’d just said.
“What? Why? What happened to me being worth the real deal? Not letting someone else take advantage of me?” Ellie took a sip of her drink and laughed, the drink going to her head. She would have to slow down because rut or not, four thirty did come really early.
“Well, that’s what I’ve been thinking about. Maybe it’s the other way around.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe he wouldn’t be taking advantage of you. Maybe you’d be taking advantage of him.”
That didn't make any sense and Ellie had no qualms about letting Tessa know what she thought. “So, pretending I'm in love with him and getting all tangled up in a relationship would be me taking advantage of him? I don’t see it.”
“Think about it. You’d get to go out. Have some fun. Get to make out with the guy you’ve had the hots for since eighth grade.”
Ellie raised her eyebrows. “I have not!” She totally did. She had fawned over him for years.
“Don’t even try to lie to me.” Tessa raised her glass and then took a drink. “I know all your secrets.”
Ellie considered what Tess suggested for a few moments. “He is really hot.”
“And he’s got lots of money to take you all kinds of fun places.”
“And I don’t have to get involved emotionally. Just enjoy the ride.”
Tessa grinned. “Plus, now that he’s all dark and broody, he’s got that whole dangerous vibe going for him. Motorcycles and muscles and MMA?” Tessa licked the salt from the rim of her glass.
Ellie was about to agree, her minding tracing all over those delicious tattoos on his arms, wondering if they connected on his sure to be magnificent chest and back, when a deep voice came from behind her. “It’s all true, you know.”
Both Tessa and Ellie whirled, and damned if James wasn’t standing right behind them, a glass of whiskey in his hand, his jeans hugging his slim hips, and his chest and shoulders straining against the cotton of his shirt. Heat rushed up into Ellie’s cheeks and her mouth fell open. Of course, the moment they started talking about him, he’d end up right behind her.
“How long have you been there?” she asked, sitting back in her seat and tossing her hair.
“Since around the time you started talking about using me for my money and good looks.” James indicated an empty chair at their table. “May I?”
Tessa snorted and her wild eyes bounced between James and Ellie.
“By all means.” Ellie gestured to the chair. “Have a seat. Join us. Maybe actually participate in the conversation instead of just eavesdropping.”
Tessa giggled again and took a nervous drink of her margarita. Her sweet friend would be useless now. Tess was great when it was just the two of them, but she fell to pieces as soon as anyone else entered the mix.
James didn’t seem too steady on his feet and his descent into the chair was a little less than graceful. Ellie wondered how many drinks he’d had.
“I take it you’re considering my proposition?” James leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. His eyes met Ellie’s and sent a jolt of electricity through her entire body.
She swallowed hard. “I’m considering it. Weighing the pros and cons.” She made a serious face and shrugged, hoping she could pull off nonchalant while her heart was busy trying to leap out of her chest and tap dance on the table.
“Pros and cons, huh? And how’s that going?”
Ellie caught Tessa’s eye, tried to send her a question through eye contact alone. Should I do it?
Tessa widened her eyes and shrugged, nodding slightly. Message received and returned. Yes. Do it.
Ellie’s mouth went dry and she took a drink before answering. “Well, I think you heard a good portion of the pros.”
“I’m hot. I’m rich. A little dangerous.” James let his gaze smolder into Ellie’s and she had to take a drink to cover up yet another flare of heat across her cheeks.
“Yep. All great reasons to pretend to date you.” She pretended to consider some more. “But is it enough?”
James looked surprised. “Wow. Who’d have thought getting propositioned by your eighth grade crush would be such a hard sell.” He gave her a wicked smile.
Ellie could have just about died right then and there. She dropped her head to the table and groaned while Tessa shrieked and then covered her mouth, giggling into her hand.
Ellie turned her head, forehead still pressed to the table and peeked up at him. “You heard that, huh?” She sat up and chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, I’m not sure if that goes in the pros or cons column, but there it is. Out in the open.”
“I say put it in the pros column.”
“Of course you do. I say we take this to a third party. Tess? Is this a pro or con?”
“Me? You want me to decide?” Tess dissolved into a mess of embarrassed blushing and hit Ellie with her best please don’t put me on the spot look. “You know what I think,” she finally murmured and then excused herself and bolted for the restroom, leaving Ellie alone with Ian, the traitor.
James watched her leave. “And what does she think?”
“It doesn’t matter what she thinks. It matters what I think.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think you need to do a little more convincing.” Ellie leaned forward and tried not to lose herself in James's dark eyes. How was it even close to fair that he had such luscious eyelashes?
“Ask me how many times I’ve had to convince girls to go out with me in the last few months.”
“The first thing you’re going to learn is that I’m not like most girls.”
James smiled and gave her a wry smile. “No. I think that’s growing more and more clear.”
He sat back in his chair and broke eye contact with her. Took a drink and licked his lips. Ellie’s stomach did a couple back handsprings while her head exploded with worry. Had she played too hard to get? Did it matter? Did she even want to get got? She stared into her margarita and picked a piece of salt off the rim and crunched it between her teeth. When she looked up, James was watching her, a smile playing across his face and lust burning in his eyes.
“I’d get to kiss you again,” he said.
“Well that’s definitely a pro,” she answered without thinking.
His smile blazed into a wide grin. “Yeah? You think so?”
Ellie nodded, even though she wasn’t sure if that was a pro or a con. She liked kissing him too much. Way too much. So much that she would end up attached and that sounded like nothing but a whole lot of trouble. She studied him. His handsome face. His sexy mouth. The bulge of his muscles and the fine lines of his tattoos. The whole predatory, razor-sharp focus he had trained right on her.
“What do you have in mind?” she asked, thinking of how tired she was of working and sleeping and doing nothing but worrying about money in between.
James smiled triumphantly. “I thought we’d go out a couple times a week. Make sure we hit all the public places. Let people see us being all lovey-dovey together. Hold hands. Kiss. Whisper sweet nothings. All that stuff.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad.”
“It won’t be. I promise.”
“Easy, tiger. A little ego goes a long way.”
“I like that about you. You just say what’s in your head, don’t you?”
“Gets me into more trouble than you’d think.” Ellie watched James drain the rest of his whiskey and worried about the unfocused look in his eyes. Please don’t tell me he drove his bike here, she thought. “What else? How long will our relationship last?”
“Long enough for me to bring you as a date to my brother’s wedding.”
“And when is that?”
“December second.”
Ellie was shocked. “Wow. They’re really moving fast.”
Disdain twisted James’s lips. “They’re so sure they’ve found true love.”
“And you don’t think they have?”
James snorted and stared into his empty glass. “Love is a lie.”
“Okay, then. We’ll just drop bitter in the con column.” When James looked up, she instantly regretted her joke. She saw his soul in his eyes and it was burning with pain. “See,” she said, and flared her hands. “There goes my mouth, getting me into trouble.”
James gave her a weak smile and then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Nope. Like I said. I like it. There aren’t many people in my life who call it like they see it around me.”
“Well, that’s one thing I can promise you. I’ll be honest, most of the times before I’ve even finished deciding if that’s the right way to go about it or not.”
James put his empty glass to his lips and tilted his head back, waited for one more drop to roll into his mouth before he set the glass down and slid it away from him. “I take it we have a deal?”
“For better or for worse, we have a deal. I will pretend to date you and fall in love with you until after Ian’s wedding, at which time we can stage a breakup of your choice.”