She glared at him, but he didn’t have time to waste. “Sorry. I can’t stand out here arguing with you.” Gage grabbed his suitcase and strode past her, entering the house. She remained at the front door, in disbelief.
He turned to her. “It’s either this or you move into my bedroom with me at the main house. There’s only one bed in my room—granted, it’s pretty big,” he said, the innuendo clear. Oddly, he visualized Gianna naked in his bed waiting for him, her hair spilling down her shoulders and caressing her soft skin, her eyes filled with yearning.
Get a grip, Gage.
Oh, man, after having that conversation with his mother, he should be struck down by lightning for giving any credence to that notion.
“Not on your life.” Right on cue, Gianna set him straight.
“So, I’ll take the far bedroom,” he said.
Gianna shut the front door, her mouth in a pout. “Fine.”
His shoulders slumped. The Gianna he knew never made things easy for him, and if this was how it was going to be from now on, he was in for a mighty long summer.
“Just don’t make it a habit of surprising me with this kind of thing,” she said.
“You know when we go on the road, we’ll be staying in a hotel room together, right?”
“I’m aware,” she said, her chin pointed up. “But you promised me a suite with two rooms.”
“You’ll have that, Gianna.”
“Okay, then. I’ve really got to get back to work.”
That was Gianna. Always with her nose in a book or her head in the computer.
That didn’t seem to bother him right now. But what did was that her appearance in shapeless clothes and uncombed hair no longer turned him off.
Because he knew what was hidden underneath all those less-than-appealing trappings.
And he wasn’t just talking about her sexy-as-sin body. Some might say her brilliant mind was a big turn-on. Not him, of course. But suddenly he was grateful she didn’t like him all that much. Suddenly, he was glad she looked upon him with disdain at times.
“Go, Gianna,” he told her. “Get back to what you were doing. You won’t even know I’m here.”
“No more interruptions?”
“None. We’ll head over to the house about four o’clock. How’s that?”
She sighed. “I’ll be ready.”
He stared into Gianna’s pretty green eyes as they shared a moment of deep acknowledgment. Their little charade was about to begin.
And very soon, they’d be under the spotlight together.
Everything from here on out would be one big, fat lie.
Four
Gianna walked out of her bedroom, fully dressed for the Fourth of July barbecue, and found Gage standing in the front room, gazing out the window. From the back, he looked pretty stellar in black jeans and a matching Western shirt embroidered along the shoulders with a swirling pattern that ran down his sleeves. He wore a Stetson that he usually called his “John B.” Sensing she was in the room, he turned to face her, and the full impact of his appeal hit her smack between the eyes.
Masculine, rugged and handsome. She knew why women fawned over him, aside from the deep tones of his voice. He was the picture of pure country male.
He gave her outfit a look, and a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Wow,” he said, “you look—”
“Patriotic?”
Gage shook his head. “Very pretty, Gianna.”
“Thanks. Lily’s doing again.” Gianna didn’t want to overdress for the occasion. To everyone else in attendance, it was simply an Independence Day celebration, so she’d wanted to keep with the theme instead of going too fancy. Her off-the-shoulder white dress was tiered with lace on its bell sleeves and also at the hem just above her knees. The scoop neck had a drawstring pull that Lily insisted she tie loosely, allowing for a deep dip at the chest. Gianna thought the look too bold, but there was no arguing with Lily. She knew fashion. A wide silver belt decorated with turquoise stones and a choker of the same design completed the outfit, along with a red cowgirl hat and matching leather boots. “I never would’ve put this together,” she said honestly.
“Oh, so you’ve never been line dancing?” Gage grinned.
Horrified, she blinked. “Is that what I look like?”
“Only ten times better. And just right for the party tonight. The hat’s a nice touch.”
She touched the brim, sliding her fingers along the edge. “It’s not me. I’m not a hat person.”
“I’d say you are. Hats make a statement. Takes a confident woman to wear one. And that’s you.”
She wasn’t entirely sure of that, but she could pretend. This whole night was about faking it, so what was one more thing to fake? “Well, you look nice, too.”
He shrugged. “Not my Sunday best, but something fittin’ for a party.”
Or one of his concerts. She’d seen him wear flashy clothes like that onstage.
He glanced at his watch. “It’s just about time to go.”
She put her head down, regrouping. This was it. Her nerves rattling, her heart pounding, she prayed she could pull off the deception. She’d given her word and she couldn’t back out, so she lifted her lids to Gage and nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Gage studied her a minute, his gaze sharp and steady. Then the dark hue of his eyes softened, and in a true honest moment, he said, “Thank you.”
He put out his hand and entwined their fingers. They exited the guesthouse together, strolling up the road to where the backyard grounds were transformed with patriotic balloons, streamers and bunting. There was a dance floor set up, and tables and chairs. Music was piped in, and Gage explained that his band wasn’t scheduled to play, but they might put together a few songs later on in the evening. Barbecues and smokers sent a spicy, delectable aroma throughout the property.
Rose was the first to greet them. She gave Gianna a hug and kiss on the cheek and then did the same to Gage. Cade and Harper were busy speaking with a bartender at the backyard bar. Lily was there chatting with Nathan, the Tremaine horse wrangler. Guests were starting to arrive. Gianna recognized a few of them, having been to many of the Tremaines’ parties in the past.
Toby, Leo and Paolo walked up. Gianna had met them before, but she couldn’t recall who was who. One of them slapped their lead singer on the back, wearing a big smile. “Hey, Gage. You’re holding out on us. Who’s this pretty lady?”
“This is Gianna Marino. You’ve met before,” Gage said, “at least once or twice backstage.”
Gage put his arm around Gianna’s waist and drew her close. The move surprised her, and she forced a big smile. Gage held her possessively and their bodies meshing together created goose bumps on her arms. “Gianna, this is Leo. He’s our lead guitarist. And Paolo over here, with the rat’s nest beard, is the best drummer Nashville has ever produced.” He turned toward a young man with long blond hair. “This is Toby. He plays the fiddle.”
“Hi, guys,” she said. “Nice seeing you again.”
Each one appeared puzzled, as if they couldn’t place her. Had her appearance changed that much? “Same here,” Toby said. “I do remember you now. You’re a family friend, right? You came backstage one night with Rose and your mother.”
“Yes, that’s right. My mother, Tonette, was with us that night.”
She felt Gage’s muscles tense up. He shifted a bit. “Gianna lost her mother a short time ago,” he said, as if warning them to drop the subject.
“Sorry to hear that,” Toby said, and the others muttered their condolences as well.
“Gianna is more than a family friend,” Gage said, looking at her with adoring eyes. “We’re together now.”
Gage’s band members hid their reactions well. If they’d seen anything about them on social media, they didn’t acknowledge it.
�
�Cool,” Leo said, and the others politely agreed. She felt them assessing her, and she wasn’t sure if they were buying it. They’d toured with Gage for years, knew him pretty well and knew his taste in women. To her knowledge, Gage had never had a serious relationship. He must hate lying to his band members, but they’d agreed that only those who absolutely had to know the truth would be told. The lie was too much of a burden for their friends to carry.
Gage motioned toward the bar. “You boys ready for a drink? The bartender is making some sort of Independence Day explosion up at the bar.”
“As long as they have whiskey straight up, I’m good,” Paolo said.
“Well, an explosion sounds pretty dang good to me.” Toby grinned. “Think I’ll try one.”
“You boys go on, and we’ll see you in a bit. I’m glad you all made it tonight.” He winked. “Gonna be a special night all the way around.”
The three took off, and just as Gage was steering her toward Cade and Harper, a female voice called out from behind them. “Gage.”
Gage and Gianna turned in unison. “Regan? You made it,” he said, puzzled. “I thought you got held up in Nashville.”
Gage’s manager’s face was flushed as she approached, her blond hair falling from the pins that held it up. She wore a gorgeous sapphire-blue dress that hit just above the knees, a stunning ruby necklace draping her throat and white designer slingbacks. “I did—almost didn’t make the flight.”
Gage released Gianna to give his fortysomething manager a big hug. He seemed genuinely pleased to see her. “Well, I appreciate the effort. Sorry about the trouble you went through.”
“It’s okay. It’s my job...anything for you,” she said, her eyes sparkling. She turned to Gianna. “I almost didn’t recognize you.” She looked Gianna up and down, her mouth in a bit of pout as if she were measuring her up, making sure she was fit to be the country superstar’s fiancée. Then, as if she passed inspection, Regan smiled. “Are you all set for this, Gianna?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
“Gage and I appreciate you doing this.”
There was something in the way she spoke, rather possessively, that Gianna thought odd. But then, the woman had been Gage’s manager and mentor for most of his career. If anyone had the right to look out for Gage, it would be her. “I need a private moment with Gage, if you don’t mind,” his manager told her. “It’s business.”
Gianna stiffened. The last thing she wanted was to face the crowd alone.
“Can we do it later, Regan?” Gage asked.
“Not really. We need to nail a few things down regarding your schedule. You know how hard I’ve worked on setting it up.” She looked at Gianna. “It’s boring stuff, and I promise it’ll only take a few minutes. You understand, right?”
Gage was nodding his head, encouraging her, so she took his cue. “Of course.”
“Thanks. Maybe you could go talk with Lily,” he said, relieved. “This shouldn’t take too long.”
“Sure. You go on. I’ll be fine.” Suddenly, she was fully aware where she placed in Gage’s pecking order. His career came first, that was a given, but she hadn’t expected him to abandon her tonight. They were to portray a unified front. At least while in the public eye.
Luckily, Lily was heading her way, and the two joined up over by the pool area, where red, white and blue candles floated in the water, ready to be lit as soon as the sun went down.
“Wow, you look fantastic, Gianna,” Lily said. “That outfit really works for you.”
“That’s only because you do excellent exterior work. And I love your dress, too.” It was an off-the-shoulder cherry-red dress that flounced when she walked and suited Lily’s personality perfectly.
“I bet my brother flipped when he saw you. Where is he, anyway?” Lily scanned the grounds for him. “I thought I saw you two together a few minutes ago.”
“You did. We were just joining the party, but Regan had some important business to discuss with him.”
“Tonight?” Lily sighed. “I swear, that woman never lets up. She shouldn’t have dragged him away tonight of all nights.”
That’s what Gianna thought, too. “But she’s helping him repair his reputation, so she has a vested interest in him.”
“That, or some other interest, but let’s not go there. How about we go grab a drink? You have to try the Explosion. I hear it’s amazing.”
Gianna didn’t question her cryptic comment. Gage’s relationship with Regan was none of her business, and she wanted to keep it that way. “How about I have a sip of yours? I need to keep my wits about me tonight.”
“Sure.” Then Lily linked their arms and led her toward the bar.
Gianna was too much of a lightweight to master a drink blended with several types of liquor. The last time she had too much wine, according to Gage, she’d thrown herself at him. Asked him not to leave her bedside.
But when she called bullshit on him, he’d given in too easily. Which made her wonder about his motives. About her innermost desires.
When all her inhibitions were gone, did she secretly have a thing for her soon-to-be fake fiancé?
* * *
As the sun began to set, Gianna found her place at the Tremaine table along with Gage, Rose, Cade, Harper and the band members. Brisket was a given at a Texas barbecue, and Gianna watched Gage eat up heartily. He had a heaping plate filled with beans and coleslaw and hush puppies. Laughter filled the air, everyone having a good time eating and conversing. There were at least eighty people here, maybe more. Harper had told her the guest list topped one hundred, and guests were still strolling in, finding the bar and buffet line easily enough.
Gianna had been to these Tremaine parties before and had always felt a bit left out. She wasn’t one for big crowds—unless they were her students in a lecture hall—or making small talk to people she’d just met. There were politicians here, the mayor of Juliet, as well as CEOs of big oil companies. Ranchers and rodeo riders, people who defined Texas high society, were dressed accordingly in big hats and belt buckles and thousand-dollar leather boots. According to Regan, news reporters were here under direct orders to steer clear of all the guests, use discretion and photograph the party from a distance. She’d promised them an interview with Gage after the celebration was over.
Gianna never felt comfortable at these kinds of shindigs. She wasn’t a snob, but rather a misfit, a girl who’d rather have her nose in a book than be the life of the party. A Texan who loved to learn and loved to teach. She must’ve appeared a little befuddled, her dinner plate barely touched, because Gage covered her hand with his and gave her a smile. It was a heart-melter, one he was practiced at, but it did manage to calm her quivering nerves. He leaned in and spoke into her ear. “I’ll make our announcement right after supper,” he said.
She nodded and pulled back to gaze into his eyes. He winked, as if this was all some sort of carefree game. Sure, his life wasn’t going to change. His life would stay the same, while she was tasked with going along for the ride—his ride.
Her mama’s image popped into her mind. She had been a gentle lady with nothing but love in her heart. Oh, how Gianna missed her. It had been the two of them against the world, it seemed, for the longest time. But Rose had been there, too, always a friend, always with a kind word to ease her mother’s burden. Her mama had loved all the Tremaines, and she would have wanted her to help Gage. She’d be proud of the sacrifice Gianna was making to help out a friend. The thought brought comfort and made sense of this whole thing.
Thirty minutes later, dinner was winding down, and the dishes were being cleared. “I’m ready,” she told Gage. She gazed down at the engagement ring she’d just put on her finger. She hadn’t wanted to wear it, until absolutely necessary. It sorta made the lie she was living a little easier to take.
Gage squeezed her hand, and an electric jolt seiz
ed her for a second. She stared at Gage’s smiling face and smiled back.
Gage pulled her along, past the dance floor and up onto a little stage they had set up. The party was in full swing.
Harper and Regan made sure everyone had a flute of champagne in their hand as Gage assessed the group, gave the cue to shut down the music and then picked up the microphone. “Hey, everyone. On behalf of my mother, Rose, and all the Tremaines, I want to thank you for celebrating this special night with us.”
At the sound of Gage’s voice, everyone dropped what they were doing and turned toward the stage to listen. Gianna felt all eyes shift from him to her as guests curiously wondered what she was doing onstage with him.
“It’s the birth of our nation. The good ole US of A. Our Independence Day. And that’s certainly something great to celebrate.”
Cheers went up all the way around.
“But it’s also the day I’m happily losing my independence.” He turned to Gianna, his blue eyes arrowed straight at her. “Everyone, this beautiful woman beside me is Professor Gianna Marino. We’ve known each other since forever. And...well, I’m crazy about her. Lucky for me, Gianna feels the same way. I’ve asked Gianna to marry me, and she said yes, so I’m here to announce that Gianna and I are engaged.”
Gasps of surprise filled the yard. Many cheered and some applauded. Gianna smiled, but she was afraid she came off as too timid. Gage laced a possessive arm around her waist, drawing her extremely close. Then he turned to face her, his eyes heated and darkened to midnight blue. The pounding in her chest escalated. He leaned forward, tilting her head up, alerting her of his intent. She braced herself, her heart hammering, racing so darn fast. He was going to kiss her right here onstage in front of a hundred pairs of eyes.
And at the first touch of his delicious mouth on hers, she stilled. Breath froze in her throat. She couldn’t seem to form a rational thought. But Gage had mastered the art of seduction, and the shock ebbed quickly, replaced by a slow, hot burn, rocking her, tossing her off balance. It was crazy how his lips, meshed with hers, could elicit such instant heat. She fell deeply into the kiss, fully absorbing his power, his desire. Sensations swept over her body, unleashing uncanny abandon. She wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging him closer, and he deepened the kiss, claiming her mouth with what seemed like very little effort. A little moan of pleasure escaped her throat, and she could feel Gage smile, his lips curling up as he continued to possess her. His hand around her waist lowered to just above the curve of her buttocks, a place somewhere between decency and too far. It was as if he’d ignited something fiery in her. Everything below her waist burned. Lusty notions she’d never entertained before rushed forth with alarming speed.
The Fake Engagement Favor Page 5