Her Fictional Fling: Scandals in Scotland Contemporary Romance Series Book 1

by Summers, Jo

  “Colin, I—” A hand flew to her heart and the room spun around them so that she could see only him, kneeling in front of her.

  He reached up and kissed her softly on the mouth, his head just below hers even with him on his knees. He lifted a hand, running fingers through her short hair, starting fires in her body that caused all thought to flee. With all she’d begun to feel for him, seeing Colin propose—false though it might have been—threw her off balance. Everything she’d felt that first night in the ballroom as a panic attack had threatened, flooded into her as she stood frozen in front of him.

  Maybe the champagne was stronger than it tasted.

  “Andi McKenna, my beautiful, sweet, sexy girl. I adore you. I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”

  She struggled to remind herself that his words weren’t true.

  “Andi?” Colin said, sounding nervous for the first time since they’d met.

  She looked into his eyes and told him the truth.

  “No, Colin. No, I can’t marry you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Colin had to get away before he exploded and did something he’d regret.

  The second Andi had answered him, something had broken inside him, split him in two, and he’d dropped her hands, rushing out of the ballroom as fast as he could move.

  The scene played over and over in his mind as he shoved through the crowds on his way out, waving a hand when people tried to speak to him to ask where he was going before the party even started.

  The valet brought his motorcycle around and Colin fired it up, not bothering with the helmet. He sped through the streets the few miles back to his condo. He thought he saw the blur of Andi’s blue dress behind him when he’d fled through the front doors, but nothing could stop him from leaving at that point.

  Why hadn’t she agreed to the fake proposal as they’d discussed? And, more importantly, why had she robbed him of the chance to tell her how he really felt? Hearing her say no had blindsided him completely.

  The worst bit of it was, he would still do anything for her. He would convince her that they were right for each other. He would show her that he no longer gave a shit about Nicole, that he wasn’t afraid of taking the risk of being with Andi. He would show her that he’d never again be the partying playboy he’d been when he first started out. He was ready to be with her, and only her. And he’d well and truly believed that she was ready to be with him. So what had changed her mind about their plan?

  Never mind that now. Now he had to figure out his next move. He had to get to a quiet place and sort his thoughts, and plan a way to get her to listen to him—to what he really wanted to say. The day before without her had been torture. He was used to being on his own, traveling alone, and spending time by himself, but everything was so much better with Andi. Her optimism and humor made him feel like a different man—a better man.

  In fact, he couldn’t do without a chance to have something real with her. Andi was leaving in two days, so he had to work fast. He would give her tonight and tomorrow to deal with whatever she was feeling, and then he would do his damnedest to convince her that even if he wasn’t worthy of her affection, he would earn it given half a chance.

  He pulled his bike into the condo parking garage and raced up the stairs to his rooms. He needed a hot shower, a beer, and time to think.

  “So, he just left?” Lily asked, rubbing Andi’s back as she lay on the hotel bed.

  “Mmm-hmm,” she answered, unable to speak through her tears. The previously white pillow was now a mess, soggy with tears and covered in red lipstick and mascara. Andi hadn’t cried this much since she’d left Jared, and then, she’d had the consolation of knowing that she was making the right decision, that there would be light on the other side of the tunnel. She’d foiled the plan she and Colin had discussed, yes, and she should have expected him to be irritated. But she hadn’t thought he would disappear without hearing what she had to say beyond refusing his proposal.

  “Well, honey. You rejected him in front of loads of people,” Lily said, stroking Andi’s disastrous hair. “I’m sure he was a bit wounded, don’t you think? Men have egos bigger than their junk, and he’s an actor accustomed to being fawned over.”

  Andi lifted her head to shoot her best friend with a death-ray glare.

  Lily ignored Andi and clicked her tongue. “Now, Andi, you know I’m always going to tell you the truth. And this is what you need to hear. If you want a liar you’ll have to look elsewhere.”

  Lily patted Andi’s back and got up from the bed, heading toward the mini-bar that Andi hadn’t dared open, lest the generous producer take a close look at the bill. But that was before. Now, she didn’t care. Lily could gorge herself on ten-dollar peanuts if she wanted. Andi’s heart was crushed, and outside of that, she was completely numb. She’d been through this before, but that time it had made sense. That time, it was because of Jared, and no one was surprised that he’d been capable of harm. But Colin…Colin was different. This pain had blindsided her. She’d gone into that ballroom full of confidence, ready to deny the proposal yes, but she hadn’t expected him to take it so hard.

  He’d rushed out of there without giving her a chance to explain, without letting her tell him how she truly felt.

  “Things don’t always turn out the exact way we plan, darling,” Lily said, as if reading Andi’s thoughts. Andi groaned and rolled over, propping herself against the row of pillows. She peered across the room at her best friend, who’d pulled two mini bottles of whiskey out of the little fridge.

  “Really?” Andi asked, sarcasm lacing her words. “You think I don’t know that?”

  Lily didn’t bat an eye. “Well, for someone who claims to know that, you seem awfully phased by such a silly situation.

  Andi sat up straight. “Silly? This is my life Lily, my whole future. How can you minimize it like that?”

  Lily pulled a chocolate bar from the fridge and tossed it at Andi, pelting her in the shoulder.

  “Great catch,” she said, grinning. “Eat some of that and then we’ll talk.”

  Why the hell not?

  Andi sighed and opened the paper and foil, busting off a large chunk of the dark deliciousness and stuffing it in her mouth. She passed the package to Lily in exchange for one of the bottles of whiskey.

  Lily joined Andi on the bed, crossing her legs. “Look, sweetheart. You know I love you, and you’re the only author I can stand. All the others are batshit crazy—the lot of them.”

  Andi laughed, snorting whiskey out of her nose, which burned like hell, causing her eyes to tear up for a different reason.

  “All I’m saying is…for someone who’s taken a few knocks in life, you’re letting this situation get the best of you.” Lily’s voice was soft. “You’re stronger than that.”

  “Am I, though?” Andi asked. The past week with Colin had made her feel like a new woman, full of verve and sass. She’d been ready to take on the world, until he’d pulled the rug out from underneath her and sent her crashing to the ground.

  “I’m not even going to entertain that question. It’s stupid. I know, I know, they say there are no stupid questions, but that, my dear, is a stupid question and I’m not going to grace it with a response.”

  “I’m serious,” Andi argued.

  “I’m serious too.” Lily paused, toying with the candy wrapper. “For someone who writes romance novels, that always have a dark spot before the light, you’re giving up too easily.” She met Andi’s eyes, not a hint of humor in her tone.

  “Do you want to be with this guy?”

  “Yeah, I do, Lily. I really do.”

  “Then go after him for shit’s sake. Tell him how you feel, or better yet, show him.” Lily wiggled her eyebrows up and down. Ridiculous.

  “Oh my god, Lily, stop that right now. Don’t ever do that again.” Andi pinched her best friend on the arm and then grabbed a pillow to defend herself. They fought like teenagers until they were both crying with laught
er.

  Lily finally sat up, grabbing one of the whiskey bottles and polishing it off. “So, what’s your plan?”

  “Well,” Andi said. “I have this crazy idea…”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Colin hadn’t even wanted to get out of bed that morning, much less go back to the set and don the Viking getup again.

  He’d had a little too much scotch last night, and, feeling bloody sorry for himself after hours of brooding and an unanswered phone call to Andi, had fallen into bed just as the sun came up. Making him look like a ruddy fresh-faced warrior had required the makeup woman to cover him in gunk, and now he stood in the middle of a moor on the sunniest damn day he’d ever met in Scotland, the cheery light burning his bloodshot eyes.

  “Cut! Take five.”

  Colin let his shoulders fall, relieved for a moment’s rest. It wasn’t like him to fatigue during work, even on the longest days. But then, it wasn’t like him to propose marriage, albeit fake, to the perfect woman and then have her refuse, now was it? So it was no surprise he wasn’t himself. He knew he’d promised himself that he would give Andi a little time, let her have a day to think, to come to terms with why she’d backed out of their agreement, but he was starting to regret that decision. He felt her absence hard when he woke that morning, wishing desperately that she’d heard him out and had been in his bed, tousled and stunning from a night of sex. Instead, he’d woken up alone, looking like hell, and had been late to work.

  Geoffrey, the director’s, voice cut through his thoughts. “Bjorn. We’re going to need a little more energy from you. Shake the lead out and come back with some pep in your step, bud.”

  Colin nodded and waved an arm at Geoffrey as he walked toward the craft services table to grab some water.

  He really needed to get it together. It was the last day of work and if he wanted to get out of there at a decent time, he’d have to do a lot better. Instead of waiting until tomorrow, he would head straight to Andi’s after this, and explain everything to her. He would do anything to get her back. Plus, he had some news he hoped would make her happy. He longed to see that smile again. If he could make her laugh, just once, the world might return to its axis and start spinning right again.

  Are you nervous?” Lily asked, her voice shrill with excitement.

  A smile lifted the corner of Andi’s mouth. “Actually no, I feel awesome.”

  “That’s because of the costume.”

  Andi cocked an eyebrow at her best friend.

  “Alright, alright, it’s also because you’re doing the right thing, and so on and so forth. I know,” Lily said, the huge smile on her face tempering her usual sarcasm.

  She wasn’t wrong—the costume was pretty freaking great. The book was set in the summer for the very important reason that the men could wear less clothing, and the designer had taken some liberties with the outfits to please what would likely be a mostly female audience. But Astrid’s dress was traditional and beautiful. There was a woven underdress covered by a smokkr, complete with replica tortoise brooches, a pouch, and feaux-leather slippers, exactly as she’d described in the book. She smoothed her hands over the fabric, feeling like she’d stepped into her imagination.

  But she knew that this could quickly go from dream to nightmare if Colin wasn’t willing to listen, or if she’d somehow been wrong and he wasn’t open to a real relationship. She hoped that what had happened last night wasn’t all part of the act. He’d never looked more sincere, and that was what she’d chosen to believe when she’d decided to surprise him on the set. He’d called her late the night before—well, it had been closer to the morning—but she hadn’t answered, which was for the best. She needed to do this face-to-face. She had one chance, and she intended to put everything she had into it; she wouldn’t screw this up.

  “Alright, we’re back in five…”

  Andi pulled in a deep breath. “That’s my cue,” she told Lily, who squealed like a little girl.

  “Shhh! You’re going to spoil it.”

  “…four, three…”

  Andi closed her eyes one last time and shoved open the trailer door, running over the moor until her lungs burned, until she reached Colin. He was with a group of other actors, all dressed in similar period clothing, but he stood out to her. She saw the outline of the bronze shield he held in front of his chest, his dark head facing down toward the ground, so he didn’t notice her approach.

  “Astrid, my love,” he recited to the girl who was supposed to be behind him in the scene. “I’ve searched far and wide for you, but I will search no more.” He turned around, seeing Andi for the first time, his eyes wide with astonishment, and—she was delighted to see—joy.

  “Nor will I,” Andi said, repeating the words she’d written years ago, when she had nothing else but stories to keep her going. “For I have found my true love, and never shall we be apart.”

  She stepped forward and he dropped the shield to his side, laughing as Andi ran forward and burrowed into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground, swinging her in a circle as the cast and crew cheered and whistled all around. Finally, he stopped spinning and set her on the ground where he kissed the words right out of her mouth.

  “Colin, I have so much I want to tell you. I’m so sorry about yesterday, but I just couldn’t do it like that, with the way I’m beginning to feel, and it felt wrong and I just—”

  “Andi, stop,” he said, looking down into her eyes as he held her. “You don’t owe me an apology. I was the one who was stupid. I should never have gone through with it after the afternoon we had the other day. I just didn’t know how else to tell you how I felt, how I feel, and I was afraid that if I didn’t stick to the plan, you’d walk away without knowing how serious I am. I was an idiot, Andi. I thought we could just make this about sex. I thought, when I met you, that you would just be a temporary diversion from the mess I’d wound up in, but I was so wrong. The second I touched you I knew something was different. I tried to deny it but…Andi, you’re unlike anyone else in the world, and I want you to be with me. I want you to be mine—” he winked at her—”even if you won’t marry me.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. “I would never hurt you intentionally.”

  “I know that,” he said. “But I need you to know that what I feel for you is real, and I believe you’re feeling the same way. I know we’ve both been broken before, and we’re kind of disasters when it comes to the opposite sex, but I want a chance to show you that I care about you more than you could possibly know. If you’ll let me, I think we can even learn to…love again.”

  Andi smiled, her heart overflowing with love so strong she could never find adequate words to describe it. “You’re so right. I do feel the same way.”

  He kissed her again, his mouth warm and light against hers. The crowd cheered louder and Colin waved them away, his eyes crinkling at the corner with a smile.

  “There’s one more thing, though, that’s bothering me,” she said.

  He held her out at arm’s length. “Don’t worry, Andi,” he said, his eyes reassuring. “The thing with the press is all taken care of. I’ve dealt with it. Don’t give the bastards another second’s consideration. Nothing like that will happen again.”

  She wasn’t so sure. “What if it does though, Colin? You’re a famous actor, and I am not going to get in the way of your career. I respect it and it makes you happy; therefore I’m good with it. But the thing is, there will always be people following you around, looking for a piece of you. It’s not something we’ll be able to avoid.”

  Something glimmered in his eyes. “Actually, that may not be the case. I’ve got some news that I think you’ll like.”

  He took her arm and led her away from the crowd. Andi glanced back around Colin’s shoulder and found Lily, waving at her from near the trailer. The rest of the cast and crew took the opportunity for an extended break. Andi knew Colin would hav
e to head back to work for the rest of the day, but she planned to enjoy the next few moments with him. It was incredible how much had changed in the course of only a week. Until then, she’d thought things like this happened only in romance novels.

  “What’s that?” she asked. “I can’t think of anything I like more than being with you like this. I can arrange to stay a few more weeks, and we can see what happens after that.”

  “That’s just it. What I’m about to tell you will mean that we’ll get to spend loads more time together. Without an audience.”

  “What do you mean?”

  They reached Colin’s trailer and sat across from each other in a couple of lawn chairs.

  “I know this might come as a bit of a surprise, but I’m leaving all of this.” He waved an arm around, indicating the set.

  “I’m not sure I understand,” Andi said. She knew he would leave Scotland when the film was complete, but she didn’t think that was it.

  “I mean I’m not going to be making any more movies for a while. At least until I’ve gotten this thing out of my system.”

  “Colin, I know the thing with the tabloids got out of hand, but it’s not anything we can’t deal with together. I don’t want you to feel like you have to take drastic measures or do anything crazy like quit acting.”

  He set his elbows on his thighs and leaned forward, grinning. “Andi, for someone so bloody smart, sometimes you miss things that are right there under your nose.” He reached out and touched her chin.

  She blinked at him, still unsure what he was implying.

  “I’m not quitting, love. I’m still very much an actor, only in a different medium. I got a call from a director yesterday. I auditioned in New York a while back for an upcoming Broadway play, and they’ve decided I’m good for the part.”

  “I live in the U.S.,” she said, and Colin laughed.

  “Yes, Andi. I’m well aware.”

  She jumped up from her seat and pounced on his lap. He braced himself and somehow kept them from toppling to the ground.