From Friend to Fake Fiancé

by Jules Bennett

  Whatever he was doing felt absolutely amazing. For right now, she didn’t care if someone was watching, she didn’t care if she was sitting here in only her plain, old, black, one-piece suit. What she did care about was how Mac made her feel beautiful with his touch, with words that were from his heart.

  When he slid his hand from her leg, up over her stomach, she stiffened slightly until he kept going. Continuing his trail over her breast, her collarbone and finally her jaw, Mac turned her face toward his and captured her mouth.

  Jenna would never get used to this. Each time he kissed her, all three times now, seemed like the first. Nerves swirled around in her stomach, excitement and arousal kicked into high gear and she completely lost all touch with reality. Mac knew what he was doing and he knew he could kiss her anytime he wanted.

  No, she didn’t want to get hurt at the end of all of this, but she couldn’t tell him no right now, either. Call her a masochist, she didn’t care. How could she care about anything when Mac’s hand slid into her hair, his other hand wrapping around her waist as he shifted his body and leaned into her?

  Jenna laid a hand on his chest to steady herself. That hard muscle beneath her palm had her curling her fingertips into him, wanting more, greedily trying to take it.

  Mac’s lips slid over hers. There was so much power, so much dominance radiating from him. The complete and utter control on his part was a turn-on...something she never thought she’d be attracted to.

  “Let me take you back to the bungalow,” he muttered against her lips. “Let’s finish what we started the other night.”

  He tipped her head back, kissing a path along her jawline, then back toward her ear. That warm breath sent shivers racing all over her body.

  “My word. You two are heating up the beach.”

  Jenna jerked away from Mac, but he kept his hold around her waist and threw a smile over her shoulder. Her mother’s elated tone had Jenna cringing.

  “Good morning, Mary.”

  Seriously? Did this not faze him at all? They’d been caught making out by her mother and he was acting as if they’d run into each other in the milk aisle at the grocery store.

  Jenna twisted, eyed her cover-up mere feet away and glanced at her mother. “Morning, Mom.”

  Her mother’s crooked grin spoke volumes.

  “You two may want to head back to your bungalow,” she said with a wink. “Young love can be a bit spontaneous, can’t it?”

  “That it can,” Mac agreed.

  He stood and extended a hand to help Jenna up. She grabbed her cover-up and let Mac pull her to her feet. Jenna held the material in front of her as she stared back at her still-smiling mother.

  “I didn’t get to see you yesterday,” Jenna said, hoping this encounter wasn’t as awkward as it was feeling.

  “I heard you went to dinner with Amy and Nathan. I love that my girls have found two wonderful men who clearly make them so happy.”

  Jenna swallowed the lump of guilt as Mac slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side. The support he silently gave her was humbling. He was always giving, especially a few moments ago when he’d been ready to give her himself.

  But that was not a thought she could entertain right now.

  “Well, don’t let me keep you two,” Mary went on, waving her hand. “I need to finish my morning walk and then head to my massage. I may never leave this place.”

  Jenna instantly found herself wrapped in her mother’s arms. “You look so happy, darling,” her mom whispered in her ear before pulling away. Mary squeezed Jenna’s shoulders and blinked back tears. “This is exactly the life I wanted for you. A strong man who will treat you right. Both of my girls are settling down.”

  Quickly, Jenna pasted a smile on her face, keeping up with the farce that had snowballed out of control.

  After one more quick hug, Mary pulled away and patted Mac on the shoulder. “You’re perfect for her.”

  As her mother made her way down the beach, Jenna wrestled into her cover-up, keeping her back to Mac who hadn’t said a word. She suddenly felt awful. This wasn’t right. None of it.

  But as soon as she turned, that desire in Mac’s eyes was still evident and she couldn’t be strong enough for both of them because if he so much as touched her again, she didn’t know that she could say no. She’d nearly proven that point moments ago.

  Would she have gone back to the bungalow if her mother hadn’t shown up? Would she and Mac be making love right now?

  No. Because they weren’t in love. He loved women in general and she refused to be just another proverbial notch.

  “I need to get back to work,” she said, skirting around him. Making a quick, classy getaway on sand wasn’t the easiest of moves, but Jenna forced herself to keep going.

  As she made her way to the dock that led to the walkways to various bungalows, Jenna sensed Mac right behind her. She didn’t slow down, couldn’t turn and look at him right now. Honestly, she wanted to be left alone, but no doubt Mac would march right in behind her and make some argument for why they should give into their now-obvious desire for each other. Something about acting on emotions and consenting adults and such.

  But his heart wasn’t on the line. Jenna couldn’t keep letting herself get close to Mac or she would find herself crushed at the end of the week, when they returned to Miami as friends.

  As she entered the bungalow, she knew she had to put to the brakes on this. Just as she was able to catch her breath, Mac stepped through the door. Only a few feet from him, Jenna concentrated on his face and not the bare chest still exposed, still casting out too much temptation.

  “This has to stop,” she stated. “I can’t do it anymore.”

  Mac crossed his arms, shifting his stance. “Don’t be afraid of what happened, Jenna. I’m trying to keep my promise to you and play this part, but damn it, I’m having a difficult time keeping things G-rated.”

  Said the man who rotated women with the slightest shift in the wind’s direction. To Jenna what they’d just shared was...special.

  He’d gotten her out of her cover-up; he’d shown her how beautiful she was with very few words. She knew he wasn’t just trying to seduce her. Mac cared for her and wouldn’t hurt her like that, but he had no clue how fast she was falling for him. If he did, he would be on his jet before she could say “best friend.”

  “This isn’t a game,” she cried. “I thought I could distance myself from all of this emotionally. I thought I could pretend, but I can’t. It’s too much.”

  The muscle in his jaw clenched. “If you want me to leave, say the word.”

  His eyes held hers and Jenna saw a flash of hurt there. Jenna didn’t want to think she had the power to hurt him. Mac was a force of nature, he was strong, much stronger than she was when it came to personal matters.

  But he stared at her, waiting for her reply, and she only had one option.

  “You should go.”

  Nine

  “Honey, you’re late.”

  Because I didn’t want to come.

  Jenna pasted on a smile and shrugged. “Sorry, Mom. I got caught up in the flower arrangements taking over my kitchen.”

  Mary glanced around and Jenna knew what was coming next. Cringing, she waited.

  “Where’s Mac?”

  “He wasn’t feeling well.” The lie slid easily off her tongue. And it was that ease of lying to her mother’s face that had Jenna needing this farce to come to an end. “Let’s join the others.”

  Jenna slid her arm through her mother’s and steered her toward the bonfire already in full swing. A beach party with music, laughter and what appeared to be enough food for a small village was exactly the distraction Jenna needed.

  Spotting her, Martin immediately pulled one of the bridesmaids off to the
side, no doubt to feed her some line of BS...poor girl. But if that meant he was leaving Jenna alone, who was she to complain?

  It was a perfect evening. The warm breeze from the ocean felt amazing and a small band was playing some tropical tunes that blended romance and fun. Her sister had definitely gone all out with her budget, but Amy’s defense had been that she only planned on marrying once so she was going big.

  “The fresh pineapple is heaven,” her mother commented. “You have to get a plate of food. Those kabobs with glazed chicken... I have no clue what the chef did, but I need that recipe.”

  Jenna half listened as her mother discussed the varieties of food available. She really wasn’t in the mood to eat, wasn’t in the mood to party. She’d been hoping that once she got here she would perk up, but all she kept seeing was Mac’s face as he’d walked out of the bungalow. She’d hurt him. Knowing she even had that ability was crippling because she loved him. Loved the friend he always was, and was starting to love the man.

  The shaky ground she walked on could crumble at any moment and where would that leave her? Falling face-first into a sea of humiliation and heartache.

  “I’m actually not that hungry,” she told her mother as she took a step back. “If you’ll excuse me a minute, I want to find Amy and ask about the arrangements.”

  “Of course, dear. She was talking with Nathan and the caterer right before you got here, but I don’t see her now.”

  Jenna patted her mother’s arm. “I’ll find her. Go dance and have fun. You look beautiful tonight.”

  Mary’s smile widened. “You’re sweet. Please, don’t feel you have to stay all evening. If Mac isn’t feeling well, go back to him.”

  Go back to him. If he were actually hers, she never would have left his side.

  “He’ll be fine,” Jenna assured her mom as she turned and headed in the other direction. At least she’d told her mom the truth. Mac would be fine. He was always fine.

  But Jenna wondered where he’d gone. When he left he hadn’t taken his stuff, but she hadn’t seen him for several hours. Maybe he was waiting until she was gone to come get his things? She had no idea, but as soon as she got back, she was going to text him. She’d tried a few minutes ago and he hadn’t responded yet. She couldn’t handle this tension, the conflict she’d single-handedly placed between them.

  Jenna smiled and said her hellos as she passed by the familiar faces from the wedding party. Amy’s best friend from college, her best friend from grade school and her husband. Everyone was here for a good time and Jenna wasn’t about to put a damper on her sister’s big moment. The pity party could come later, when Jenna was back in her bungalow alone with the pint of ice cream she’d requested from the kitchen.

  Jenna didn’t care if sobbing into ice cream made her a cliché. She’d made her best friend pretend to be her lover and it had gone horribly wrong, so bring on the clichés and bring on the spoon because she was ready to dive into that container of Rocky Road.

  “You look stunning tonight.”

  Jenna jerked around to see Martin standing way too close for her comfort. How had he sneaked up on her? Oh, yeah, she’d been busy plotting her evening of gluttony.

  She resisted the urge to adjust her halter-style dress. “I’m looking for Amy.”

  Just as she turned to leave, Martin grabbed her arm. He didn’t squeeze or use force, but she didn’t want his hands on her.

  Her eyes dropped to where he held her, then up to meet his gaze. “Let go.”

  “I just want a minute to talk now that your goon isn’t around.” He let his hand fall back to his side. “Can you give me two minutes?”

  Jenna let out a laugh as she squared her shoulders and crossed her arms. “Two minutes? You think that will be enough time to undo the damage? Because I could give you two months to grovel and I still wouldn’t forgive you or take you back.”

  Martin shook his head as he ran a hand through his blond hair. “I’m human, Jenna. I made a mistake.”

  “I’m human, too, but I wouldn’t purposely hurt someone I care about.”

  And the second the words left her mouth, she realized she’d just told one more lie. What kind of person had she turned into? All to get Martin to stay away. How was that working out for her? Because Mac was gone and Martin was less than a foot away.

  “Let me make it up to you,” he pleaded. “You don’t want to marry an O’Shea. You know what they say about that family. I put up with you being his friend, but I can’t stand by and let you marry him.”

  Martin’s eyes darted over her shoulder, then widened. Immediately Jenna knew who stood behind her. She tensed because Martin was still sporting the evidence of Mac’s rage.

  “Oh, don’t let me stop you,” Mac stated. Did he sound...amused? “I’d like to hear more of these rumors regarding my family and how you can’t let Jenna marry me.”

  Standing directly between them, Jenna kept her back to Mac. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to become the human shield between these two.

  “We’re having a private conversation,” Martin stated.

  Mac’s hands curled around Jenna’s bare shoulders. “When you’re talking to my girl, you’re not allowed privacy. So, please, don’t let me stop this speech because I’m sure you rehearsed it.”

  Tension seemed to envelop them, blocking them off from the cheerful party, the upbeat music and the laughter. It was more than Jenna could handle.

  “Go, Martin. Before this gets worse. Just...go.”

  His eyes held hers, he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but finally wised up and turned away. Jenna remained still, waiting for Mac to say something, to remove his hands or...she didn’t know what, but she didn’t want to make the first move.

  When he seemed content to stay just as he was, Jenna sighed. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

  “I told you I’d be here for you this week.” He brushed her hair aside. Seconds later his lips grazed her ear. “I never go back on a promise, Jenna.”

  At the contact, chills covered her body. “I’m not sure I can keep this up.”

  “Are you saying I won the bet?” he asked, a hint of humor to his voice. “Because I’m ready to call in my favor.”

  Jenna shook her head and turned. “No. I’m not saying you won the bet. There’s more to this than some silly bet we placed.”

  The humor vanished from his face. “For the next few minutes, we’re in love. Whatever else we need to discuss can wait until we’re alone. Deal?”

  Jenna nodded and blew out a breath. “Deal.”

  Mac wrapped his arms around her, pulling her directly into his warm embrace. “I was never going to walk away,” he whispered in her ear. “I only left to give you the space you needed. I would never desert you.”

  Tears pricked her eyes, emotions clogged her throat. Jenna nodded against his chest because words were not coming to her.

  “Oh, you’re feeling better.”

  Her mother’s elated voice cut into the moment and Jenna cringed. Would Mac grasp the fact that Jenna had lied to cover for him?

  “I wouldn’t miss this party,” he replied easily, sliding Jenna around to the crook of his side. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Mary waved a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just so glad you could join us. Jenna looks happier than she did when I first saw her.”

  Mac threw Jenna a heavy-lidded glance. “I’ll make sure she’s always happy.”

  The promise in his eyes, the conviction in those words gave Jenna a false sense of hope. Once again. He couldn’t possibly know what she was battling within. He couldn’t have any idea how much she wanted him to be serious, to be saying these things as a man who was falling in love.

  But Mac O’Shea didn’t fall—in business or in love. He remained in charge, f
litting from one moment to the next without a care in the world.

  As if to solidify his statement, Mac kissed her. Nothing too intimate, just his lips to hers. A soft promise. A gentle understanding that he was a man of his word.

  Yet, as plain and simple as his kiss was, Jenna felt as if she was twisted even tighter in his web. Despite her telling him to leave, he’d come back for her. He had nothing to gain by being here. Everything he’d done in the past three days was for her.

  How could she not fall in love with a man who made her feel so special, put her first in his life and made her toes curl with the simplest of touches?

  Those were some very good questions. Too bad she had none of the answers.

  Ten

  Mac stood on the edge of the dock, staring out at the inky water. They’d stayed at the bonfire well past midnight. For the requisite toast, Jenna had opted to have a glass of wine. He’d never seen her drink because of her mother’s past alcoholism. Mary had been clean for several years now and she’d not batted an eyelash when the wine was brought out. She was a strong woman; she’d raised strong daughters.

  But the glass of wine on Jenna’s empty stomach had made her woozy and she’d clung to him all the way home.

  Home. Ridiculous to think of this little structure on stilts in the water as home. Even more ridiculous to think of living with Jenna as home.

  Once they’d returned, Mac had showered quickly to rid himself of the bonfire’s smoky scent. When he’d come out, Jenna had been pouring a glass of juice.

  She’d downed that glass and headed to the shower. Mac had waited outside the bathroom door until she was done. The last thing he needed was her falling and hitting her head because she wasn’t used to alcohol.

  Now he stood out on the deck, as far away from temptation as he could handle. Jenna was proving to be more of a problem than he’d originally thought. Well, she wasn’t necessarily the problem, but his unwanted emotions were. Over and over he told himself to leave her alone, to stop all the touching and kissing, but then he got near her and all of that logic vanished, quickly replaced by hormones.