Counterfeit Date: Echo Ridge Romance

by Checketts, Cami

  “Lolly.” His voice was so tender, she almost caved.

  She held up a hand. “Don’t. I’m not messing up this date you’ve been waiting for. It’s great because you and I could never work. Kaitlyn will always be between us and it would just be awkward and … Yeah. I’m out.” She turned and ran away from him.

  * * *

  Mason watched Lolly run away. He wanted to sprint after her, kiss her until she knew she was the only one he’d been waiting for, but her last sentence chilled him. She thought Kaitlyn would come between them? He knew how close she and Kaitlyn were, but he was more than over Kaitlyn and she was definitely over him.

  How did he convince Lolly that things wouldn’t be awkward with Kaitlyn and Axel? Of course she wanted to stay close to her friend, and he wanted no part in coming between them, but he and Kaitlyn and Axel were all past the awkwardness.

  He paced next to the lake for a while, then dug his phone out of his pocket and dialed Kaitlyn’s number.

  “So, how did it go?” she asked.

  “Well, it was fabulous … up until I kissed her.”

  “What do you mean? What was wrong with the kiss?” Kaitlyn’s voice was full of alarm.

  Mason chuckled, but then he sobered as he remembered. “Nothing. It was the best kiss I’ve ever had.”

  “Ouch.” Kaitlyn laughed. “Just kidding. So it was good?” She squealed. “Yay! So what’s wrong? Why aren’t you still with her?”

  “She said something about how she couldn’t mess up my date tomorrow, and then how she thought you would come between us.”

  “What? That’s so dumb. Does she not have any clue how chill you are?”

  “Apparently not.”

  “Crap. I can see her car on the cameras. I’ll chat with her.”

  “No, don’t say anything.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. She’ll know tomorrow and it’ll all be awesome.”

  Mason pushed a hand through his hair. “Kait. What if she can’t get over you and I having history?”

  “She will. Gotta go.”

  The line went dead. Mason shoved his phone into his pocket and walked slowly back to his truck. One more day. Then he’d know if Lolly could fall for him like he’d already fallen for her, or if he had to let go of her like he had her best friend. But being with Kaitlyn had never felt like this. It was a high school and college romance. They’d had fun and enjoyed being together and he thought Kaitlyn was great, but she wasn’t Lolly. Nobody could be like Lolly for him.

  He pushed out a long breath, saying a quick prayer. Tomorrow night couldn’t come fast enough.

  Chapter Ten

  Lolly was jumpy as she walked into the Outlook with Kaitlyn and Axel. She wasn’t nervous about her blind date, didn’t really care about it one way or another, but she dreaded seeing Mason all spiffy in his suit waiting for another woman. She touched her lips. Ooh, that kiss. How would she ever move on from that one?

  “I don’t want to run into Mason,” she whispered harshly to Kaitlyn so Axel wouldn’t hear. Why did they have to come here? Fay’s would’ve been perfect for her blind date, but then she would’ve remembered eating there with Mason. Dang him!

  “I know. You’ve told me five times already.” Her friend squeezed her hand. “It’s going to be great, Loll. We have a private room.”

  “Excuse me, I need to find the restroom.” Lolly rushed away before either of them could protest or Kaitlyn could follow her. Luckily the bathroom was empty. She studied her face in the mirror and gave herself a pep talk. “Mason deserves to be happy. Maybe Faceless Chick will bore him to death and he’ll come searching for you.” She grinned and flipped her hair, straightening her floral, off-the-shoulder dress, but her stomach was tumbling. She just had to get through tonight, and if Mason was meant to be with Lily, she’d have to deal with that somehow.

  She returned to Kaitlyn and Axel. The hostess was waiting and took them through the restaurant and into a back room. It wasn’t the large banquet room that Lolly had been in for Kaitlyn and Axel’s pre-wedding dinner, but rather a small, intimate room. Lolly walked slowly into the room, dreading this date, but she’d promised herself she’d make it fun for her friends, and for the man who’d wasted his time coming to meet her when she didn’t know that she’d ever see another man besides Mason.

  She cleared the doorway first, and there, standing next to a table, was Mason. He held a spring bouquet in one hand and had a nervous smile on his lips. He looked so fabulous in his blue suit coat and those white pants that fit him just right. She loved that he’d worn the white pants even though he obviously thought they weren’t manly enough. They were perfectly manly, on him. He’d left a few buttons undone on the light-blue shirt, and Lolly fantasized about running her hand along the muscles she could glimpse.

  Then she remembered he was meeting his dream girl, not her. “Wrong room, wrong room!” she cried out. Retreating, she backed into Axel, stumbled around him, and tried to run in heels. Axel caught her, gently grasped her elbows, and whirled her back to face Mason.

  Mason took a few steps their direction, his slow smile appearing. “It’s the right room, Loll.”

  Lolly’s head whirled in confusion. Her hands trembled and her gut twisted as she looked from his beautiful face to Axel’s amused expression to Kaitlyn’s sweet one.

  “You’re the girl Mason wanted to date all along,” Kaitlyn explained.

  She looked to Mason for confirmation, and he nodded. “There is no Lily. There was never anyone but you.”

  The air whooshed out of her as light and joy rushed in. Mason wanted her. Mason wanted her! She wanted to go scream it to the world, right after she kissed him for a few hours. But then she remembered Kaitlyn, and she peeled her eyes from Mason to face her friend. “But …” She lowered her voice. “I don’t want to make things awkward for you.”

  Kaitlyn laughed. “Mason and I are great friends, Loll. Nothing would make me happier than my two favorite people getting together.” She glanced at Axel with a worshipful gaze. “Nothing besides my husband.”

  Axel wrapped his arm around Kaitlyn’s waist. “And we’ll be leaving now.” He jerked his chin toward Mason in approval. “Nice pants, man.”

  Mason pumped his eyebrows. “Gotta be confident to rock this look.”

  “Keep telling yourself that.” Axel smirked and saluted him.

  Lolly recognized that the men had to tease each other, and it confirmed that Axel and Kaitlyn were comfortable with Mason. Mason definitely rocked those pants and the entire outfit. Lolly felt a little faint as she stared at him. Mason wanted her.

  “Love you!” Kaitlyn blew Lolly a kiss.

  They disappeared out the door, and Lolly’s eyes were drawn back to Mason. He looked as exquisite and irresistible in the suit as she remembered from the day he’d tried it on.

  He sauntered her direction, and her heart picked up its pace. He walked right up into her space and gently extended the flowers. Lolly’s brain was trying to process the fabulous news that she had been the one Mason wanted all along. There was no Lily. Lily? He couldn’t have come up with a better fictitious girl name?

  She took the flowers and inhaled. “Thank you,” she whispered, “They’re beautiful.”

  Mason tilted her chin up, his fingers were warm and soft against her skin. “You’re beautiful, Lolly.”

  “Why?” she asked, losing her mind in his blue, blue eyes.

  “Why are you beautiful?” His brow lowered.

  She smiled. “Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to date me?”

  He dropped his hand from her face. “Well, that first day I was teasing, thinking you’d get it that I wanted you, and—okay, a little intimidated by you and afraid to just outright ask you on a date. Then Jessica came up with the plan to have you fall for me while you helped me get ready for my supposed date, and Kaitlyn got on board quick.”

  Lolly shook her head. “But I don’t get it. Why trick me?”

  Mason shrugged. “You’v
e dated a lot of guys. They both felt like I had no clue how to play hard to get, which would be true with you, and you’d just move on.”

  “Ah,” she gasped. “So you went along with those two idiots?”

  He nodded. “It was tough, and I’m sorry I tricked you. I just wanted you.”

  “Those two are stupid.”

  Mason chuckled. “Why’s that?”

  She let herself touch the exposed part of his chest where his buttons were undone with her right hand, clutching the flowers with her left. Mason’s sharp intake of breath made her even bolder, and she stepped closer. “Because I would’ve fallen for you no matter what you did.”

  “You would?” Mason’s slow grin materialized and he wrapped both hands around her hips, tugging her in tight to his body.

  “I would. I think I love you, Mace.”

  “I know I love you, Lolly.” He picked her clean off the ground and pressed his lips to hers.

  Lolly dropped the flowers and clung to his neck with both hands. The kiss was even better than last night’s: there were no regrets, no worries if she was the one he wanted. Mason was hers. Lolly returned each kiss. Mason set her feet on the ground and trailed kisses down her neck. Lolly was flushed from the joy of knowing he’d wanted her all along. He was perfect for her.

  He straightened and stared down at her. “I’m sorry I didn’t just tell you.”

  “I bet you are.”

  “I could’ve been kissing you every day and not wasting the past week.”

  Lolly laughed and rubbed her hands along his suit coat. “But then you wouldn’t have gotten this fabulous outfit.”

  “White pants? Really, Lolly?”

  She glanced down, then back up to his face. “You look fabulous. You’re going to have to trust me on the fashion stuff.”

  “I can do that.” He grinned.

  “And you’re never going to listen to Kaitlyn and Jessica about any schemes.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve learned my lesson.”

  “Hey,” Kaitlyn protested.

  They whirled together to face her and Axel in the doorway. Jessica and Gentry were just behind them. “Get out of here!” Lolly yelled at her friends. “You’re interrupting a private party.”

  They all laughed. “We thought we could have dinner with you two,” Axel said.

  “No.” Mason shook his head, and the warning look he threw at their friends should’ve sent them running for cover. “No way.”

  Lolly flung her hand at them, gesturing them away. “It will be hours before we stop kissing and eat.”

  Mason pumped his eyebrows, his face softening as he stared down at her.

  “All right.” Jessica tugged Gentry back. “We can respect that.”

  “Love you, sis,” Kaitlyn called.

  “I’m still mad at you,” Lolly said. “But I love you too.”

  Kaitlyn giggled. She and Axel turned and walked away arm in arm.

  Mason whirled Lolly back to face him. “So that was hours of kissing before dinner?” He arched an eyebrow.

  “Yes, sir.”

  He cupped her face with both hands. “What about after dinner?”

  “Many more hours of kissing.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  She grinned and wrapped her hands around his biceps. “Now that my stomach isn’t so sick thinking about you with another woman, I might actually be hungry.”

  “Let’s get started on the kissing, and then I’ll think about feeding you.”

  She smiled and stood on tiptoes, clinging to his biceps. Mason’s lips descended on hers, and all thoughts of food were pushed far away. He took control of her mouth, her mind, and her world. There couldn’t be room for anyone else, because Mason was all the man she’d ever need.

  About the Author

  Cami is a part-time author, part-time exercise consultant, part-time housekeeper, full-time wife, and overtime mother of four adorable boys. Sleep and relaxation are fond memories. She’s never been happier.

  Sign up for Cami’s newsletter to receive a free ebook copy of The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance and information about new releases, discounts, and promotions here.

  If you enjoyed Counterfeit Date please read on for an excerpt of Cami’s recent release, The Beastly Groom.

  www.camichecketts.com

  cami@camichecketts.com

  The Beastly Groom - Excerpt

  Ema Kahue straightened the satin overlay of her blue dress. She had no reason to be nervous—she was on television every week—but something about bidding on a date with the hunky Knox Sherman at this charity auction had her stomach pitching.

  “Excuse me,” she murmured to Mike, her camera guy. He was always by her side, but he didn’t have the camera this Friday night; she’d just brought him for moral support. “I’m going to find a toilet to puke in.”

  Mike grinned at her, brushing his longish blond hair back. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. The Beast is mortal.”

  The Beast was an army hero, a billionaire, a world-renowned defensive end, and the most handsome face she’d ever seen, all while raising his best friend’s daughter. No way was he a mere mortal.

  “So his parents claim.” Ema tossed Mike a brave smile and made her way out of the banquet room and into the wide convention center hallway, where she could breathe a little better. It wasn’t just bidding on Knox Sherman, the most private celebrity she’d ever encountered, that had her uneasy. If she didn’t play her part carefully, Knox would never allow her and Mike to invade his sanctuary and get the footage they needed for her show, Live Like a Celeb. She spent two to three days of each week in different celebrities’ homes, and then production edited and aired her show. Everyone loved the quick turnaround and personalization of her show. The stars could tout their latest product, movie release, or whatever was pertinent to them marketing-wise, and the public got an inside look into their lives.

  Live Like a Celeb had climbed from an Amazon original to VH1, but her agent was in negotiations with ABC currently. Winning the Miss Hawaii pageant in college had been a huge help to her dreams of succeeding in broadcast journalism. Her whole family was proud. Her mom was from Alabama and had been a successful model before her marriage to Ema’s huge Hawaiian father. She’d always told Ema she was going to do great things, but nobody else from Kauai would’ve dreamed their little Ema would have her own reality show on ABC someday.

  Thinking of agents, she wished Knox Sherman’s agent could’ve simply secured Ema a two- or three-day in-home interview. No other movie star or professional athlete had refused them entry in the past six months since they gained popularity and moved to VH1, but apparently not even Knox’s agent, Claire, had much sway with him. Claire said he only agreed to the charity auction tonight because it was benefiting military vets. He had graduated from Army West Point and served in the military for four years after graduation before being recruited to the Patriots for two years and transferring to the Titans last year.

  Ema found the restroom and ran her hands under cold water, eyeing herself in the mirror. Her dark brown hair hung in loose spiral curls down her back, and luckily her bronzed skin didn’t show how flushed and stressed she was. She blotted a bit of shine from her nose, applied another layer of cinnamint gloss, took a deep breath for confidence, and flung the bathroom door open.

  She heard a whack, a loud grunt, and the door sprang back at her.

  “Oh, no! Did I bust you up?” She peeked around the door.

  Knox Sherman of all people stood there with a noticeable red mark on his forehead and a frown marring his perfect face. He looked better than any movie star she’d met, with his dark beard and hair perfectly trimmed and his signature lips—the top like Cupid’s bow and the bottom just full enough to make you want to taste it. His dark eyes were lined by thick lashes and even darker brows. His skin was the most beautiful olive tone she’d ever seen; women would pay any amount of money to have skin that flawless, even with the few s
cars he’d probably earned overseas. He wore a tailored navy-blue suit, which couldn’t hide the muscles on his six-five frame. Mere mortal? Nope.

  He touched his forehead and a wry smile curved those perfect lips. “You tried,” he said.

  Ema laughed and stepped out of the bathroom and next to the drinking fountain where he stood. Maybe this guy didn’t deserve his grumpy label. “I’m sorry. I was swinging that door to prove I could take on the world.”

  “I’m sure you could.” His eyes roved over her face and his smile grew. Gesturing past himself, he stepped back and said, “Don’t let me stand in the way of world-taking-on.”

  Ema’s palms stopped sweating and her dress didn’t feel so constrictive. The Beast was nothing to be intimidated about. True, he was built like a tank, but he was nice and kind of funny. She was tempted to simply ask him about hosting the show at his ranch and avoid having to spend VH1’s sponsor money on the auction. They’d given her a green light, though. She guessed they needed write-offs as much as the next guy, and it was for a great cause.

  “If you decided to stand in my way, I’d be sunk,” she said.

  Knox folded his arms across his chest, making his biceps and the large muscles in his shoulders bulge under his suit coat. “Are you suggesting you want me in your way?”

  Ema’s face went hot and she praised her Polynesian ancestors for her dark skin that didn’t show a blush. “Maybe … but I’d rather talk with you about staying at your house.”

  His brows drew together and he clenched his arms tightly, making his muscles stiffen. All traces of a smile had left the building.

  Oh, shoot, that hadn’t come out right.

  “Mr. Sherman, it’s time, sir.” A beautiful dark-haired lady with blue eyes touched his arm and pointed toward the banquet room.

  “Thank you, Maggie.” He followed the woman without another word to Ema, who stood there with her mouth hanging open. Her devoted followers loved her show because she said exactly what she thought, so she didn’t always have the filter between her mouth and her brain turned on. It made for great footage, but she was humiliated that Knox Sherman probably thought she’d just propositioned him. Especially since it was common knowledge he didn’t invite anyone to his estate and horse ranch outside of Dallas. Her stupid line made it all that much more horrible.