Her friend sauntered up to her then and noticed him checking her out.
Uh-oh, busted.
Luke tried to appear interested in the food once again, as the hot brunette’s friend elbowed her and then whispered something. He pretended to study the large bowl of spinach artichoke dip while he strained to overhear the women’s conversation, which seemed to be a bit of an argument. The only words he caught were hot guy, over there, give me, and he thought glasses. Then he was absolutely positive he heard one of them say The Golden Girls.
But before he could process that, the hot brunette spun around. It seemed like she may have been pushed. He didn’t care, though, when he took in her gorgeous face. Pouty lips painted a vibrant pink, high cheekbones, and flawless skin. Plus, he was a sucker for women who had those bangs. There was something intriguing and mysterious about it.
She eyed him shyly, a blush coloring her cheeks. “Um, hi,” she said, taking a step toward him.
He grinned. “Hey there.”
Now that she was closer, he couldn’t miss the crystal blue hue of her eyes. Beautiful. Luke had been around his share of gorgeous women over the years, but there was something different about this one. Something…genuine, he decided. At the same time as she was approaching him, she seemed nervous, as if this wasn’t something she did often.
He had a thought. Maybe he knew her. Maybe they’d gone out in high school? Surely not. He’d remember someone who looked like this.
“Can you believe we’re already having our ten-year reunion?” he asked.
“What? Oh, right. Yeah. I mean, no.” She laughed. “I mean, no, I can’t believe it’s been ten whole years.” She quickly averted her eyes.
She was adorable.
He stuck out a hand. “I’m Luke Erickson.”
She shook his hand. “I’m Lo…” She glanced down at her nametag as if she needed a reminder. “I’m Kelli Martingale. Nice to meet you.”
“I see you’re interested in that basket over there.”
She smiled, and the gesture lit up her whole face brighter than the overhead fluorescents that used to illuminate the hallways. Her eyes sparkled, and Luke sucked in a breath. If he thought she was hot before, he didn’t even know a word to describe what he was seeing before him now.
At the mention of the raffle basket, Kelli became animated, her arms gesturing wildly. “Oh yes, I would give anything to win that. I know, it’s probably dorky, but I’m totally—”
Her words were cut off when she stepped forward, hit the side of the table, shaking all the contents on it. Luke jumped to save a particularly wobbly red Jell-O dessert. He picked up the plate holding the dessert and turned to Kelli.
“Phew, that was a close one.”
The words had just left his mouth when Kelli took another step, ran into him, causing most of the Jell-O mold to mold right onto his favorite white shirt.
Kelli gasped. “Ohmigod. I’m so sorry.”
While he wanted to offer a huge fuckkkkk, he could tell that she felt horrible. So he shrugged as she quickly tried to help him clean up. Together, they got as much of the Jell-O off his shirt as they could. Then she grabbed a mound of napkins and began running them over his chest.
He shivered. Actually fucking shivered. What the hell? This Jell-O must be extra cold. Kelli must have felt it, too, because she paused, hands plastered against his chest, as she met his gaze. Her mouth fell open and formed an O.
Suddenly, it wasn’t his shirt he was worried about; his pants began to feel a tad too snug. He wrapped his hands around her wrists and tried to offer a smile. Although, with the new, um, pain he was experiencing in his lower half, it probably came out as more of a grimace.
“I think I have it from here.”
A red blush tinted her cheeks. “Of course. But I really am so sorry.” She swore under her breath. Somehow, he could tell that she wasn’t a big curser because as soon as the word left her lips, she scrunched up her nose and seemed surprised with herself. “I’ll totally pay for dry cleaning.”
“No worries.”
Then she dug in her purse and pulled out a pair of thick black glasses.
“I’m not usually a klutzy person,” she explained as she put the glasses on. “My roommate thought I looked sexier without my glasses, so she forced me to take them off. But I’m blind as a bat without them.”
He took her in, and if he thought his pants were feeling tight before, he was pretty sure that all oxygen was leaving his body now. All he could say about the glasses was…holy fuck.
Her roommate thought she was sexier without them? Hells to the no. Definitely wrong on that one. The bombshell dress plus the thick sex kitten hair plus the gorgeous face plus the most seductive glasses in the history of eyewear equaled a speechless, hard Luke.
See, if Kennedy High taught him one thing, it was how to do math. Another equation was already becoming clear.
Kelli plus Luke was going to equal one hell of a reunion.
Chapter Two
“I hate to admit it, but he melts my Haagen-Dazs.”
-Rose Nylund
“Welcome to Kennedy’s ten-year class reunion.” The crowd applauded and whistled.
Luke and Kelli both turned toward the stage. As the emcee was welcoming everyone, Luke tried to get his overactive libido in check. Hard to do when such a beautiful woman was standing close to him. Again, he thought about how he should remember someone who looked like her. He racked his brain trying to think of all the girls from his class.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t quite place you.” Something was niggling at the back of his mind. “What kind of stuff did you do in high school? Cheerleading? Soccer? Field hockey? Yearbook?”
She stared at a spot over his shoulder rather than meet his eyes. He also noticed she wrung her hands together like she was nervous. “Um, you know, like the usual stuff people did in high school.”
Before he could follow up on that, the emcee caught his attention again.
“We’re so excited that so many of you could come out tonight. We hope to see just as many, if not more, of you at our fifteen-year reunion. That’s why we’re already raising funds for it. Please continue to purchase raffle tickets, and we’ll be doing drawings for the donated baskets throughout the night. Starting with our first one, the Jane Austen basket.”
Next to him, Kelli gasped.
As the emcee explained the contents of the basket, his phone went off. He looked down to see a text message from his mother.
Don’t forget about our family reunion next weekend.
Like his mom or sisters would let him forget about it. Still, it was fun to play with them. What family reunion? He wrote back.
Luke Cameron Erickson don’t make me come find you. You know very well about the family reunion.
He chuckled silently. Chill, Ma. Just kidding. I’ll be there.
With a date?
Ma!
What? Can’t a mother be curious?
He rolled his eyes, but suddenly the gym was clapping again.
“I can’t believe it. I won!” Kelli shrieked.
“Hey, congrats. That’s awesome.” Although, he still wasn’t sure why she was so excited about some Jane Austen books. Couldn’t she go on Amazon and download them?
While she walked to the stage to claim her prize, a thought popped into his head, and he snapped his fingers. He did know Kelli Martindale. She’d moved to Arlington at the end of their junior year and had gone on three dates with Luke before she decided to date the head of the swim team.
He’d been moderately upset because Kelli had moved from Alabama and had the most adorable Southern accent that had turned him on to no end. She’d also stood about five-ten, five-eleven with platinum blond hair. Which meant that the woman he’d been talking to wasn’t Kelli Martindale. So who exactly was she? And why was she pretending to be someone else?
Oliver sauntered over to him then. “Hey, dude, who’s the hottie?”
“Interesting question,”
Luke said. Oliver cocked his head in question. “I’m not sure yet.”
Oliver waved his cell phone before pocketing it. “Before I forget, your sister keeps texting me.”
“Which one?”
“Gwen. Keeps going on about some family reunion. Wanted me to remind you about it. There. Consider yourself officially reminded.”
Luke groaned and offered Oliver a pained expression.
“What’s your problem?” Oliver tipped back his beer. “I’ll be there.”
Luke stifled a laugh. “You’ll be at my family reunion?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Shouldn’t you stick to your own family?” He punched Oliver in the arm. His friend simply grinned.
Oliver had been part of his family since they were five years old, and he knew it. He was as welcome, if not more welcome, in the Erickson household than Luke. In fact, Luke knew that while he’d been living in other states, Oliver had kept an eye on his mom and sisters. He couldn’t be more grateful to him.
“Hey, if my abuela wanted to have a reunion, I’d be there with bells on. Of course, it would only be the two of us so probably a pretty boring party. Unlike your crazy familia.”
Oliver’s mom had found out she was pregnant in high school. When she told the father, he’d broken up with her. Shortly after Oliver was born, his mom left for greener pastures, too, and his grandmother raised him.
“And they are crazy. Especially my sisters. They all keep bugging me about this stupid reunion.”
“They all want you to bring a date. What’s up with that? I thought I was your date.” Oliver blew him a kiss.
Luke punched him again. “Apparently, I’m ‘of a certain age,’ according to my mom. I wish they’d let me do my own thing.”
“Like that smokin’ hot brunette over there?” Oliver gestured toward the stage. Kelli was picking up her raffle basket. “Gonna tell me about her yet?”
“Her name’s Kelli Martindale. Do you remember her?”
Oliver narrowed his eyes and peered in Kelli’s direction. “Yes,” he said, drawing out the word. “Kind of. I don’t remember her looking like that. Of course, I was cute in high school but nothing like the fine specimen I am now.” He flexed for effect.
“You’re dreaming. So you don’t think that’s Kelli?”
“I dunno. Didn’t you hook up with Kelli?”
Bingo. Luke grinned at the idea surfacing in his mind, but he had to be sure he was right. He decided to test “Kelli” on her Kennedy High School knowledge when she returned. When she began walking toward him again, Luke rushed Oliver off.
Carrying her basket, Kelli wore a huge smile.
“Congratulations,” he said.
“Thank you. I adore Jane Austen. I can’t believe someone donated these. They’re really old editions and worth so much money.”
That explained why she wanted the books so much. “You seem to know a lot about them.”
“I’m a librarian, and I studied literature in college.”
She kept talking, but all Luke could think about was the fact that the arousing woman in front of him with the bangin’ body and alluring glasses was also a librarian. He’d never put much into stereotypes, but the sexy librarian image was too good to pass up.
“And that’s why I can’t believe I won this basket.”
Luke frowned. A basket that was raising money for their next reunion—a reunion he wasn’t sure this woman should be at. He had to go back to his original plan.
“Bet you loved the Jane Austen class junior year?”
“You had a Jane Austen class?” She caught herself. “I mean, yeah, it was the best.”
“I knew some people in that class. They held it in the west building, right?”
“Um, yep. That’s right.”
“Who taught that class?” Luke asked.
“Oh, it was, um, Mrs., that is, Mrs…”
“Stark,” he supplied. “Catelyn Stark, right?”
“That’s right.”
Luke grabbed her elbow and steered her away from the crowd.
“What’s going on?” she asked, still holding onto her prized Jane Austen basket.
“Who are you really?” Luke asked, his eyes narrowing.
Her eyes widened. “I’m Kelli. Kelli Martindale.”
“Oh really. That’s interesting, considering that I’ve made out with Kelli Martindale before. And that teacher of the Jane Austen class I just made up? She’s a character from Game of Thrones.”
She looked like a deer in headlights. “Oh. There was no Jane Austen class?”
“Hell if I know. I was more into math.”
“Oh.”
“If you’re not Kelli Martindale, who exactly are you? And why lie?”
Then the whole story came tumbling out.
“The thing is, my boyfriend broke up with me last week, and I’ve been kinda bummed about it. So my roommate Frankie had this idea, this crazy, stupid idea. See, she watches The Golden Girls and…anyway, that doesn’t matter. Basically, she thought I should have some fun by coming here and crashing the reunion. It was either this or online dating. Not that I have anything against online dating. I know a lot of people who’ve met significant others that way. But I just couldn’t see any more penises.”
Luke blinked, unsure which comment to jump on first. He decided to go with the easiest. “You didn’t graduate with me?”
“Um, not unless you also didn’t go to Kennedy High School.”
“You didn’t go to this school at all?”
“No, not technically.”
“Are you even a librarian?”
“Yes, that’s one hundred percent true. I’m a librarian here in Arlington. Frankie and I live in Shirlington. You know, the neighborhood in South Arlington.”
“I know where Shirlington is. Cool area.”
“Oh God, are you going to tell on us?”
“Depends. I have one more question for you.” He’d made his voice as serious as he could. She waited, her eyes growing wide as apprehension spread across her face. “What’s your real name?”
Her shoulders dropped in relief. “Lola. Lola McBride.”
“Anything else I should know?”
“I’m twenty-six. I don’t usually do things like this. I’m totally blind without my glasses, as you witnessed earlier.” She took a deep breath. “I’m clean, neat, and I can bake a pretty good chocolate cake. I say I’m going to a body pump class at the gym sometimes, but really, I go to Target and buy a bunch of useless stuff from the dollar bins.
“I love to read, like seriously, more than anything in the world. My favorite book is Wuthering Heights, although I read every genre of fiction. Especially romance novels.” She blushed. “I mean, not the super dirty ones.” A wrinkle formed on her forehead. “Okay, I read the super dirty ones, too. I love them. Don’t judge me. But I also donate to the local animal shelter. And I’m afraid of colonial people. I’m totally boring, really.”
Luke didn’t have the answers to the universe but he did know that boring was something that Lola McBride wasn’t.
“Colonial people? Why are you afraid of them?”
“I don’t know. They just freak me out. When you go to Mount Vernon, they talk to you. It wigs me out. Something about the buckles on their shoes.”
He couldn’t help it. He threw his head back and laughed.
She bit her lip. “And I’m still so, so sorry that I spilled Jell-O on you.”
“It’s just a shirt.”
“Still. You must think I’m insane.”
Quite the opposite. He hadn’t met many women like her, and he was curious as hell. He was about to say so when his phone started vibrating again. He saw another text message. This one was from his sister, Gwen.
Mom said you are bringing a date to our reunion. True? False?
False. I’m not bringing anyone.
Oh well. I have this friend I’d love to fix you up with…
“Sorry. It’s my craz
y family. See we have this…”
Yet another text message popped up. This time it was from his third sister Winnie.
Hey, Gwen said she’s setting you up with someone. But I have a coworker that would be perfect for you.
It was official—his family was driving him mad. Why couldn’t they just back off? It was bad enough that he was going to have to go to his family reunion next weekend, but to have this kind of pressure about a date…
That’s when an idea started to form.
He eyed Lola. She was clutching her basket of Jane Austen books against her chest, looking nervous. Did she really think he cared that she’d lied and crashed his high school reunion? He actually thought it was pretty funny.
“I’m really sorry I lied to you,” she said. She glanced down at the basket. “I know I’m taking this basket away from someone who actually went to school here and…”
“Here’s the deal, Lola,” he said, interrupting her. “I won’t reveal your identity tonight. You can keep your Jane Austen basket and no one will be the wiser.”
She blew out a sigh of relief. “Really? Ohmigod, you’re amazing.”
“But you have to do me a favor in return.”
“Anything.”
He flipped his phone over in his hands. “Come to my family reunion next weekend and be my pretend girlfriend.”
…
Lola wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.
Had the super-hot guy she’d been talking to just ask her to pretend to be his girlfriend? She must have misheard him. Not surprising, really. The whole night was a blur. From dressing up in this ridiculous outfit to practically being forced to talk to Luke to spilling Jell-O all over him, she was more than ready to say adios to her fake high school and hightail it back to her very real apartment where her comfy clothes lived.
But it was kinda hard when Luke’s enticing chocolate-brown eyes were boring into hers. The guy really was some kind of Adonis. He was tall with an amazing body. Not to mention that cowboy-like face. He had strong cheekbones and a square jaw, complimented with just a touch of a light beard. His sandy blond hair was cut short and neat. He looked like a real-life Scott Eastwood, and that comparison was yum.
What in the world did he see in her?
Her Super-Secret Rebound Boyfriend Page 2