Sawyer rolled his eyes as he replied: Separate rooms. One thing at a time, my friend.
Ryan: Yeah, yeah. Sounds thrilling. 2 grand says you don’t even get past 2nd base.
“Jerk,” Sawyer said through a laugh. Ryan had his mind made up that Betzy would be a prude. Not that it was any of his business.
Sawyer stared at the text for a blink, wondering if he should clue his uncle in on the whole scheme. No. That’d be a bad idea. The guy was trustworthy enough, but he tended to toe the line when keeping secrets.
But he should probably hint to how close he and Betzy were getting since Sawyer would propose to her before Christmas. A grin pulled at his lips as an idea came to mind.
Sawyer: 10 grand says she agrees to marry me by Christmas.
He hesitated to hit send, but only for a moment. Heck, Ryan knew Sawyer had a one-track brain with Betzy’s name on it. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Ryan: Sounds like she’s more of a prude than I thought if you have to put a ring on it first.
Sawyer shook his head and tapped out a reply. You’re a jerk, you know that? Only this time he didn’t hit send. Instead, he set the phone down, sank into the lounge chair beneath the lamplight, and pondered his uncle’s aversion to the traditional life of love and marriage.
Sawyer didn’t relate. From a young age, he’d gotten a rare glimpse into a family that—despite having all the money they could ever need—loved and depended on each other.
The Bentons were generous and kind. They laughed together, played together, and yesterday, Sawyer got to be a part of it in an entirely new way. Of course, he wanted to be with Betzy above all else—her closeness, her touch, her kiss…
Heat stirred low in his belly at the mere thought. Betzy was worried about convincing her grandma their relationship was real. Sawyer knew his feelings were real; there’d be no problem there. But would Betzy be able to let her guard down and get close to him, or did her purpose start and end with getting revenge?
Yesterday hadn’t been too much of a challenge, with the activities of the day. Today could be a different story. He’d seen the agenda. It entailed a movie in the cabin’s theater and a candy cane making lesson, courtesy of James’ wife, Camila. Boy, were Lilly and Link excited about that. Then they’d finish off the day by decorating the tree.
Sawyer wandered out to the kitchen, surprised to be greeted with the tempting aroma of a rich, morning brew. He strode over to the coffee maker, glad to see there was a full pot, and reached for a mug.
“Good morning,” Betzy’s voice came from behind.
Sawyer glanced over his shoulder, scanned over the empty couches and lounge chairs, and furrowed his brow. “Where are you?”
A soft little giggle sounded next. “On the floor by the fireplace.”
Sawyer took a few steps to see past the corner lounge chair and caught sight of a pair of feet propped up on the mantel. The gas fireplace was on, he realized.
“Oh, hi there.” He abandoned his mug and stepped into the room. “How’d you sleep?”
“I slept alright.” She grinned at him as he approached, that gorgeous smile causing those dimples to shine.
Betzy looked beautiful, of course. A short, pajama-style pair of shorts with an oversized sweatshirt. It reminded him of the way she looked back in high school after playing soccer. Cheeks flushed, hair pulled back in a ponytail, and that flirtatious grin making his heart melt.
His gaze traveled down the length of her slender legs, all the way to her bare feet, complete with red polish. Already the distant sound of Christmas music played softly from the speakers.
Sawyer almost took a seat on the nearby chair, until he remembered himself. He’d given Betzy crap for not sitting next to him on the couch, hadn’t he? Besides, more than anyone, he hoped to convince Betzy that the two had something real. Even if she hadn’t realized it over the years.
He took a seat on the mantel beside her feet, then stretched his legs out alongside hers.
She looked up at him for a blink, her expression caught between surprise and intrigue. “How did you sleep?” she asked. “Was the bed comfortable?”
He nodded. “Yes, very. Thank you.” Several times over the years, Sawyer had seen Mr. Benton rubbing Claudia’s feet while they lounged together in the front room. Sawyer considered doing the same.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he wrapped a hand around Betzy’s slender ankle and cupped her heel.
“Foot rub?” he asked.
Betzy hedged, but Sawyer pressed a thumb into the side of her heel—once, and then twice.
“That feels nice,” she admitted.
Satisfaction shot through him as he took hold of her foot with both hands now, working his way up the center. “You know, that rug is probably thick enough that you can make something similar to snow angels.”
“Rug angels?” she said with a giggle. At once she extended her arms out to either side and flapped them up and down, matting the rug with her movement.
“Hey, it actually works,” he said.
Those dimples sank into her cheeks once more. “All I need is my halo.”
Sawyer gulped. “I’m pretty sure you were born with one.”
He hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but the truth was, Betzy had always been like a living angel to him.
“Yeah, right,” she said with a laugh.
“No, it’s true. If I play along, I’ll have to be a snow devil to match the horns I’ve earned over the years. I am no angel.”
Betzy held his gaze, a wistful look in her eyes. “Well, then you’ve had me fooled.”
He cleared his throat, dropped his gaze back to the massage, where he pressed circles along the balls of her foot. “I really like being here with you,” he admitted. When she didn’t reply right away he added to it. “And your whole family too. You’ve got a pretty incredible group.”
Betzy sighed. “I think so too. I’m really glad Matthew’s daughter brought the kids up. They’re adorable, aren’t they?”
“Oh, yeah. I always knew I’d have kids of my own, but I pictured being an uncle too. You know, where I get to goof off with the kid, show him a good time, then send him home with their mom or dad. Kind of like my Uncle Ryan was with me.”
“I’d love to be an aunt,” Betzy said. “With those guys, it feels like I already am in a way. I wonder how long Camila and James will wait to have kids.”
“It’s lucky that you have such a large family,” Sawyer said. “I always wanted that.” He switched feet and repeated the motion on her other foot. It grew quiet, save Betzy’s occasional whine of approval as Sawyer moved from the bottom to the top of her foot.
“You’re very good at this,” she praised. “Want me to do yours next?”
Sawyer shook his head.
“Then maybe you can join me down here,” she suggested, giving the rug a pat.
What was this? She was trying to step out of her comfort zone, was she?
“Okay,” he agreed. Sawyer moved from the mantel to his knees and made his way to her side. He grunted as he lay flat on the plush rug beside her. “Let’s spoon,” he said, matching the bend in her knees, the curve of her back. A stack of decorative pillows lay nearby. He snatched a thin looking one, propped it beneath his head and hers, and wrapped an arm around her waist.
She felt more delicate than he’d imagined, and oh, so warm. The heat from the fireplace had warmed his back well, but the sensation that ran through Sawyer at the feel of Betzy in his arms was in a class of its own.
That sweet but subtle scent of her toyed with him as he pulled in a breath. May as well drink it in.
With that thought, Sawyer tucked his face into the nook of her neck and sighed. “This feels good,” he said. And it did. Having her close, wrapped snug in his arms, he couldn’t imagine anything better. Here, she was safe. Protected. Loved.
An ache tore through him at the near desperation he felt to play that role. To be that man in her life.
Sawyer lifted a brow. Then moved in so that his lips were grazing her warm, silky skin. “It does, does it?” he crooned in a low voice.
“Yes, mmm.” The seductive sound, caught between a sigh and whimper, put fire in his belly once more. “Say something else,” she urged.
The energy shifted from playful to passionate in a hot blink. How many times had he imagined pressing kisses to her throat? Moving his way up to those pouty lips?
Ever so softly, Sawyer barely grazed the silky slope of her neck with his lips. “Like this?” he asked, hoping she felt even a fraction of the sensations rushing through him.
Betzy didn’t answer with words this time. Instead, she reached up, fisted the auburn hair draped over her shoulder, and moved it behind her back; an action that exposed the full, delicate curve of her neck.
Sawyer wasted no time moving in once more. With his lips slightly parted, just a millimeter from her skin, he trailed a slow path up toward her earlobe, his heated breath teasing along the way.
“Betzy,” he said, voice low and raspy, his mouth barely grazing her skin.
The action seemed to spark something in her, because suddenly she shrugged onto her back and moved until they were face to face.
Warm, colorful firelight lit her expression as she looked at him, breath jagged, before dropping her gaze to his mouth.
With the urgency of ten years pushing him on, Sawyer closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers in a long, fervent kiss.
So good.
He took the next one slower, lingering as he savored each sensation.
The blessed heat of her breath.
The silky pull of her lips.
The tempting taste of her mouth.
A sense of triumph rushed through him—after all this time, he was finally kissing Betzy Benton.
He tipped his head, desperate for more, when a distinct clank sounded from the kitchen.
Betzy was the first to respond. At once, she pushed away from him and sprung up like a jack-in-the-box. “Who’s in here?” she called. If guilty had a tone of its own, Betzy had found it.
“Me,” one of her brothers mumbled. The clank came again. “I need coffee.”
Betzy shot from the floor to the mantle, where Sawyer had been sitting moments ago.
Duke, it turned out, shuffled into the living area in a zombie-like state. Until he caught sight of Sawyer on the floor. At once he froze in place, gaze ping-ponging between Betzy, him, then back to Betzy once more.
“What were you two doing in here?”
Sawyer shot a look at Betzy as she blurted a response.
“Nothing. Just talking.”
Duke performed a slow, insinuative nod. “Uh huh. Yeah, right.”
“No, really,” Betzy persisted. Only Sawyer couldn’t understand why. Why would she try to hide the fact that they’d been kissing? Was she ashamed of him after all? Worried about what her family might think if she did, in fact, have feelings for him?
He considered making some sort of joke to ease the tension, but he was too bothered by the situation to even try. Instead, Sawyer hoisted himself off the ground, put the throw pillow back in place, and made his way to the patio.
“Busted…” He heard Duke say as he closed the door behind him.
Who knew how Betzy would respond to that. All Sawyer knew was that he hadn’t anticipated this type of reaction. He didn’t want to be someone she was ashamed of.
Beyond that, he hadn’t expected things to move as quickly as they had. One minute he’d been rubbing her feet, the next they were well on their way to a make-out session.
Residual heat pulsed through him at the recollection of that kiss. And call him crazy, but he was pretty sure she’d been the one to start it by turning to face him. Sure, he’d teased her a little first, but she’d encouraged him by moving her hair out of the way.
Sawyer shook his head, unable to make sense of it. Apparently, he was good enough for the public to think they might marry, since it would help her save face in a pinch. But heaven forbid her family actually think it was real. Heck, if she wasn’t so worried that her grandma would expose the ruse for what it was, Betzy probably wouldn’t have invited him to the cabin at all.
Sawyer suddenly felt like nothing more than a stage prop in Betzy’s little show. Men like Marcus Creighton, as slimy and selfish as he was, landed among the elite with their name and family alone. Forget the fact that he squandered his daddy’s money and bankrupted the business.
Somehow it was Sawyer who’d never measure up. Money or no, he was still Sawyer Kingsley.
Good enough for stepping up in a pinch.
Good enough to play the temporary lover.
But not good enough for her.
That cruel, inner voice of Sawyer’s was kicking up once again.
Only this time, he had to admit that it wasn’t as convincing as it’d been before. Perhaps Betzy really did have feelings for him. Feelings she wouldn’t allow herself to give in to.
Their time in front of the fireplace said it all, didn’t it?
Yes. And as he mused back on the way her lips met his, the passion and need he’d felt in that kiss, one thing was very clear: there’d been nothing fake about it.
Chapter 14
Betzy smiled up at the camera as Grandma counted down for a picture. Inwardly, she was reliving a play-by-play of the incredible kiss she and Sawyer shared earlier that day.
“One.”
The feel of Sawyer’s lips on her skin.
“Two.”
Betzy, turning to face him.
“Three.”
Sawyer moving in, pressing his masterful lips to hers, and giving her a kiss that outshone the unforgettable kiss they shared over ten years ago.
She blinked after the camera flashed, and forced herself to come back to the present. The kitchen, bright compared to the dark evening outside, had transformed into a candy factory fit for the North Pole. Now was the time for making candy canes. Or, candy shapes, since the pliable vines could be shaped into whatever the mind could imagine. Until the candy solidified, that is.
Camila and James were heading the project. The couple demonstrated a whole lot of team work while one kneaded the massive ball of mint flavored candy while the other smoothed pieces at a time into one long vine, only to cut and distribute them to the waiting crowd.
When she wasn’t distracted by thoughts of Sawyer’s kiss, Betzy was admiring the way the newlywed couple complimented one another so well. James really was the perfect one to get married first. She hoped the example would help Zander relax about the idea of getting serious with someone, and that Duke might shed his undying need to be, as he put it, shackle-free.
She glanced over at Sawyer, who was sandwiched between Lilly and Link. They’d taken a real liking to him, and Zander too.
“Hold up your candy this time,” Grandma prompted. Betzy glanced at the selection among them. Mom and Matthew had shaped their latest candy strips into wreaths. Duke had simply wrapped his around his finger, while Betzy had opted for a traditional cane.
She couldn’t help but grin as Lilly proudly lifted the golf putter and ball for the camera. Something Sawyer had helped her with.
Zander and Link held up what looked like footballs, wide grins aimed right at the camera while the flash went off once more.
At the other side of the counter, James reached for the scissors. “Who’s ready for more?” he asked.
“I am,” cheered the kids as they jumped up and down.
“Will you help me do a race car this time?” Lilly asked Sawyer through a set of dark lashes.
“I’ll sure try,” he said.
“And will you help me do a basketball this time?” Link asked Zander.
Dang, they were cute. Emmy had snuck off to take what Betzy assumed was a much-needed nap. She could only imagine how much they all missed having Dad around.<
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Betzy was glad the men could step in and take part in the activity with them, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to getting Sawyer alone once more.
The thing was, that kiss had led Betzy to one very important conclusion: she was bound to get hurt no matter how this thing went. She’d been in love with him for all these years. And now, she had the chance to be close to him, spend family time with him like she’d always dreamed of, and if she was lucky, she’d even get to steal a few more kisses along the way.
Maybe he was, like Grandma warned, just being a guy—willing to take what he could get from her. But maybe, just maybe he secretly felt the same. But would Betzy ever find out if she was set on keeping him at arms’ length?
No. So it was decided. She’d let that seed in her heart grow into a massive, thriving tree—Sawyer’s tree—and she’d worry about how to prune it when the time came.
Betzy stared at her candy vine as she shaped the top part into a shepherd’s hook. Already it was starting to harden. Just like her resolve. Firm and unmovable—that was her.
“Why doesn’t anyone ask me to make something?” Duke asked over her shoulder. He tugged the hardened spiral candy off his finger, inspected it for a blink, then clanked it against the counter where it broke into pieces.
“Cuz you’ll break ours,” Link accused.
Duke rolled his eyes. “Kids hate me.”
“Oh, I bet I know who you’re doing that for,” Betzy heard Lilly say next.
“Shh,” Sawyer said. “We don’t want her to see it yet. We need two more. Get two more.”
“Go ahead and make your next ones,” Grandma instructed, “then I’m going to get another picture.”
Betzy nudged Duke with her arm and whispered conspiratorially. “What shape should we do this time?”
Duke shrugged. “How about question marks since no one knows what’s real or fake around here?”
James flung the warm ropes of candy one by one. “Duke, Betzy, Zander,” he mumbled as he went.
Betzy toyed with the warm candy while glancing at the kids clustered up to the guys.
“Okay,” Lilly hissed. “It’s ready. Go give it to her.”
Her Best Friend Fake Fiancé Page 10