The Wedding Hoax

by Heather Thurmeier

  But he wasn’t here as a guest. He was the man of honor alongside Daisy—her fiancé.

  Damn. He never thought he’d use that word to describe himself, yet here he was, engaged. Fake engaged.

  His brother slapped him on the shoulder. “What’s this I hear about you settling down? And with Daisy, no less. I don’t believe it.”

  Well, he better start believing it quickly, because neither he nor Daisy could afford to have this deal fall apart now that they’d agreed to it.

  “That’s right, Troy. It’s official. I’m off the market,” he said, forcing himself to smile at Daisy.

  “Nice to see you again, Troy,” Daisy said, leaning in to kiss his brother on the cheek. He suddenly had the overwhelming and unreasonable urge to deck his brother.

  “You too, Daisy. You’re not knocked up, are you?”

  She laughed. “I’m not sure if I should hug you for thinking that Cole would allow himself to knock me up, or to hit you for saying I look pregnant in this dress.”

  “Smooth, bro. Real smooth.” Cole hugged Daisy closer, stroking his fingers across her lower abdomen where she’d placed his hand earlier. There was no way a tiny belly like this one was knocked up or looked pregnant. “Don’t mind my idiot brother. He never has been good with the ladies.”

  “Hey now. It was a legitimate question given your sudden marital change of heart. And I wasn’t implying you looked anything other than completely gorgeous tonight.”

  “Thanks for clearing that up,” Daisy said and took a big sip of her champagne. The fact that she was drinking tonight should have been a dead giveaway that they weren’t getting married because of some baby. How many other people were thinking that very same thing? A fake wedding was one thing, but a fake pregnancy would definitely be pushing it too far.

  “What’s this I hear about someone getting knocked up?” Cole’s father William said, joining them.

  Cole scoffed. “No one’s pregnant. Can we stop staying it before anyone else overhears?”

  “Good. A baby’s the last thing you can handle right now.” William laughed a deep belly-shaking rumble as if he’d heard the funniest joke of the century. “Can you imagine, him with a baby? Hell, a wife is bad enough. You’ve barely got your head above water at work as it is and now you think you have what it takes to add a relationship to the mix. That’s naïveté at its best.”

  “Dad. Now’s really not the time to discuss the magazine, which is fine, I might point out.”

  “Fine? Really? Are your standards so low the last quarter numbers are good to you?”

  He swallowed nervously. His father wasn’t supposed to check in on him like this. He was supposed to let him run the magazine on his own without meddling. “I didn’t realize you were privy to those figures. I assure you, I’ve got big plans for this next quarter.”

  “I’m sure you do. I just hope you’re able to implement them with this new ball and chain demanding your attention for this silly wedding.” Without awaiting a reply, William wandered off in search of his next victim.

  Cole took a deep breath through his nose and clenched his teeth together. He would not rise to his father’s bait. He wouldn’t. Not here.

  Even if he was right.

  How the hell was he supposed to accomplish everything he needed to and still pay attention to every aspect of his magazine when he was busy planning a wedding?

  Thank God it wasn’t a real one and he didn’t give a shit how it turned out. If there was one thing he’d learned from his father over the years, it was that Benton men could only focus on one thing at a time, which is why they made lousy husbands but great businessmen.

  Troy wore a smug expression. “So how did you guys hook up again? I thought the big breakup was final.”

  “We ran into each other again and sort of hit it off,” he said, being as vague but realistic sounding as he could.

  “Where did you see each other? New York is a pretty big city to run into ex-girlfriends out of the blue.”

  “At a party,” Cole said at the same time as Daisy said, “At a restaurant.”

  Troy’s gaze shifted from one to the other, suspiciously questioning them without uttering a single word.

  “A party at a restaurant,” Cole clarified, then took a gulp of his scotch. The liquid burned on the way down but instantly calmed his nerves.

  “For a mutual friend,” Daisy added seamlessly.

  See, they could pull this off. No problem. No one would ever find out that they weren’t really together until they chose to reveal the truth. Or that they weren’t really going to mean it when they said “I do” at the end of the aisle.

  He involuntarily shivered at the thought of the upcoming fake wedding day. He’d need a lot of scotch to get through it. He suddenly understood why flasks were still sold.

  “I suppose I should let you get to your other guests and not monopolize all of the happy couple’s time. Cole, the guys and I are grabbing a beer Tuesday after work at the Brew House. You joining us?”

  He nodded, thankful for the change of subject and the thought of hanging out with his buddies for a night. Something he was used to. Something that would feel normal again since he hadn’t felt exactly normal since his meeting with Mason a few days ago. “Great. I’ll see you there.”

  He held his smile on his face while he watched his brother disappear into the crowd. “That was close,” he said, leaning in to whisper in Daisy’s ear so no one would be able to overhear his words. “We need to be more careful.”

  “We have to work out a backstory before our next function, or we’ll out ourselves not knowing simple answers to things. What else have you told people tonight that I should know?”

  He didn’t like the look of concern in her eyes. “Nothing. I’ve been at your side most of the night, and when I was on my own, no one asked anything like Troy did. I think we’ll be okay if we stick together.”

  “Done. Don’t leave me alone with them tonight, or I’ll find some way to say something suspicious.”

  They spent the next couple of hours winding their way through the crowd of friends and family that had gathered to celebrate. They’d even worked out a system for when someone asked them a question they hadn’t discussed an answer for yet. To make sure they didn’t make the same mistake as they had answering Troy’s questions, one or the other would tap their fingers or squeeze their hand subtly to let the other know they were going to answer. It worked flawlessly.

  Until someone asked a question that neither had expected.

  “So when are you moving in together?”

  Cole hadn’t even seen who’d asked the question since a large group had formed around them and the room had gotten quite noisy. But it didn’t matter who it was. Someone had asked, and it wasn’t a question he had any idea how to answer.

  Would Daisy want to move in with her fiancé under normal circumstances? He’d never really given it much thought. He wasn’t a move-in-with-the-girlfriend kind of dater. But he wasn’t dating Daisy. He was supposed to be marrying her.

  He tapped his fingers on Daisy’s hip. “We’re not,” he said before thinking about it too long.

  “Soon, I hope,” she said at the same time as she squeezed his side.

  She would want to move in with him? For real, or was she just saying that because she thought that was what everyone expected of them? He had to find out, but here wasn’t the right venue.

  “Uh-oh, looks like we may have caused our first lover’s quarrel,” someone called, a teasing tone to his voice.

  “No quarrel,” Cole said, trying to diffuse the situation before it became one. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk about our living arrangements much yet, given how quickly we fell in love and got engaged. I’d love for Daisy to move in with me. If she wants to, that is.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “You assume I’m going to move into your place? Why don’t you move into mine?”

  “I think we better give these two lovebirds a moment t
o sort out their affairs,” Mason said, coming to the rescue and shooing their guests away. When the last person had wandered off, he turned on them. “What the hell did you guys do in the last few days? Did you think about what you would tell your guests at all? Didn’t you do any prep work? Damn it. If you can’t convince your closest friends and family that you love each other, how the hell do you expect to convince the suspicious media and public?”

  “We got caught off guard by that question. I hadn’t thought our living arrangements would have to change with this deal.” Cole dropped his hand from around Daisy’s waist and folded his arms across his chest instead. He might have agreed to a fake marriage with Daisy, but he hadn’t agreed to live with her.

  “Why can’t we continue to live apart while we’re engaged?” she asked.

  Mason rubbed his thumbs into his eyes as if he had a headache. “Because you just told your family, friends, and the press that you were going to move in together. Don’t you think before you speak?”

  “Not every engaged couple lives together before marriage, and no one says we have to, either.” Cole tried to sound reasonable, but he couldn’t keep the annoyance out of his voice. This was getting carried away. He couldn’t live with Daisy. They hadn’t even lived together when they’d dated for real. Now they had a fake relationship, and he was supposed to share his space with her?

  “Well, I would have agreed with you until five seconds ago when you invited Daisy to live at your place.”

  “Can’t we change our minds?” she asked, sounding desperate.

  “Will people start wondering if you’re going to change your minds about other things, too, like the wedding?” he asked with a shrug.

  Cole and Daisy shared a look before he sighed, reluctantly agreeing. “They might.”

  Mason waved over a group of photographers who had been lingering around the room all evening, snapping pictures of the happy couple celebrating with their guests. “Now you’re going to put all this living-arrangement nonsense aside for the rest of the night and smile for the cameras like you actually mean it. Make it good, because these pictures are the start of our ad campaign.”

  Mason stepped aside as the photographers made a semicircle in front of Cole and Daisy.

  She slid both arms around Cole’s waist and snuggled in, peering up at him with a very convincing impression of adoring crystal-blue eyes. For a second, his breath caught in his throat. Damn. She was stunning. The way her eyelids fluttered half closed with a look of lust that had always pulled him in, taking them directly to his bed… The gentle slope of her nose leading to the two rounded arches of her top lip—every little part of her made him remember why he’d been happy dating her for so long. She was the only woman who’d ever captured his interest enough to make him stick around longer than a few weeks. She’d gotten a full year, and it would have been longer if she hadn’t asked for more than he could give.

  She bit her bottom lip, giving away her nervousness to anyone who knew her as well as he did. What he wouldn’t give to be the one nibbling on her bottom lip right now. His memory had dampened her beauty since they’d broken up. But tonight there was no denying how gorgeous she really was.

  He lowered his lips to her ear. “You are so beautiful, Dee,” he whispered. She sucked in a breath at his words. He couldn’t resist brushing his lips gently across her cheek before standing straight for the cameras again.

  “Can we get a shot of both of you turned toward us?” a photographer asked.

  They played along, following directions as they were called out, turning one way and then the other so each photographer could get the perfect angle. They moved from one requested pose to another, first in a casual embrace, then standing side by side, and finally with her head resting on his chest. He liked that last one the best. It felt natural to hold her that way.

  “All we need now is a kiss, and we’ll be done for the night,” a photographer said while pressing buttons on his camera. “Can you turn to the side so we get both of you in profile?”

  A kiss.

  She bit her lower lip, her brow creasing. He smiled in a way he hoped would be reassuring.

  It was just a kiss. They could pull this off. It wasn’t as if they’d never kissed before. Easy peasy, as she’d said earlier.

  She licked her lips, and his mouth went dry. Enjoying a kiss from Daisy wouldn’t be much of an act. The twinkle in her eyes as she gazed up at him, the glistening of moisture on her slightly parted lips, the way her hips pressed into him at just the right spot—his body suddenly feeling hot and hard and paying attention—all combined, making him long to do more than just feel her lips on his.

  He ran his hands up her spine, eager to get to the kissing part of the evening. He cupped her jaw in one hand and tangled his other in the soft hair at the nape of her neck. She tilted her chin upward, offering her mouth to him.

  Well, he wasn’t about to turn down that offer.

  Slowly, he brought his lips to hers, savoring the tiny gasp he heard when her lips parted, inviting him inside. His tongue met hers with the familiarity of two reunited lovers…his body instantly remembering the feel of her nakedness moving in time with his. He felt the overwhelming urge to be with her that way again. That was one thing they’d always done well together.

  That was one thing they could definitely do well again. For the next few months.

  Her fingers scratched against his chest as she gripped his shirt, pulling him closer. He responded to her, kissing her deeper, his tongue exploring her mouth while his mind went to the places he wanted to take her—starting with his king-size bed. Oh yes, he’d take her there, then the kitchen table, and he’d definitely take her on the long mahogany desk in his study. Maybe living with Daisy would have a few perks he hadn’t considered.

  A throat cleared from somewhere nearby, shattering the fantasy his brain was currently enjoying.

  “Save something for the honeymoon,” Troy cheered. Laughter and catcalls filled the room.

  Cole pulled back from Daisy, leaving her with heavy-lidded, lust-filled eyes. He could only imagine his face must be a mirror image of hers. His gaze slipped down to her lips, pink and plumped from his kiss. He already couldn’t wait to taste her on his tongue again.

  Chapter Five

  Cole took a swig of his rum and Coke, enjoying the warmth of the smooth liquor. He needed this—a night out, drinking with the boys, away from everything that reminded him about his commitment to Daisy.

  “Getting hitched.” Austin grinned over his beer. “I still don’t believe it.”

  “Me, either,” Parker chimed in. “Seems we’ve lost our spokesperson for bachelorhood. Guess I’ll have to step up and into his shoes. I know it will be challenging sleeping with a new woman every other weekend, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to undergo for the good of our bachelor-kind.”

  “You can try to fill my shoes, but you’ve never had a way with ladies like I’ve had.” Cole shrugged. “Best to get used to the idea of me being off the market.” He forced himself not to cringe at the idea.

  “I think you’re the one who needs to get used to things being different. No more coming out for drinks, trips to Vegas, or random hot girls in your bed. And all because you decided to put a ring on some girl’s finger.” Troy laughed. The sound instantly annoyed Cole.

  “Just because I’m getting married doesn’t mean I can’t still have a life.” Does it?

  “That’s what they all say,” Troy said. “Until the new wife insists they miss a night out to stay in and watch TV. Pathetic. I can’t believe you’re falling into this trap. And with Daisy no less.”

  Cole gripped his drink tighter, focusing his energy into the glass and not into punching his brother like he really wanted to after that backhanded comment toward his fiancée. “And what’s wrong with her?”

  “Nothing,” Parker said, elbowing Troy to shut up.

  Troy looked down and his beer, his eyes narrowed and obviously angry as he held something b
ack.

  “No, it’s okay. If my brother has something he wants to say, then he should get it off his chest.”

  “I think you’re making a mistake. But hey, maybe I should shut my mouth and let you screw up the magazine because of a doomed-to-fail marriage. Just helps me out in the long run.”

  Cole polished off the last of his drink. The liquor didn’t do nearly enough to calm the annoyance he felt for Troy. Somehow his brother had always managed to get under his skin growing up, and it was even worse now that they were adults and both competing to get their piece of the family business. At least what was left of it. Their mother had taken a good chunk in the divorce, but their father was determined and had been building back his empire ever since.

  Just another good example of how marriage and business didn’t mix.

  But Troy only cared that he hadn’t been given the magazine. He’d resented Cole ever since. But he also conveniently forgot he’d barely managed to graduate college after six years for a bachelor’s degree. Cole had graduated top of his class. Was there really a question about who was the better son to pass on the business to?

  “I’m not about to change my mind about marrying Daisy because you don’t like it or her.” He ordered another drink from a passing cocktail waitress. He’d had the same view of marriage as Troy and his buddies did up until a week ago when Daisy wandered back into his life and into his arms. Along with three hundred grand.

  “Why didn’t we hear about you starting to date Daisy again before this whole engagement thing?” Parker asked.

  “Seems a little sudden and out of the blue, if you ask me,” Troy said.

  Cole leaned back, forcing the tension he’d been feeling all week out of his shoulders. If he was going to convince his closest friends and family that he was getting married because of love, then he needed to get his act together and start acting like he loved Daisy. The thought sent a chill down his spine.