“Not yet,” Presley said, looking down at her clothing. She hated to wear another outfit just for making gingerbread houses. But she did want to brush her teeth and touch up her makeup. “Go ahead, and I’ll be down in a few.”
“You sure?” he asked, the tone of his voice sounding a little disappointed. “I can wait.”
The sincere tone tugged at Presley’s heart. She couldn’t stay mad at him forever. Tucking her phone into her pocket, she crossed the hardwood floor and grasped the doorknob. Shaking off her nerves, she rolled her shoulders back and opened the door. Whatever cute or sassy thing she was going to say got stuck in her throat as she stared at the sexy man standing in front of her. Kade was freshly showered, wearing well-worn jeans and an off-white button-down shirt with the cuffs rolled. She inhaled sharply and caught the yummy scent of his soap and deodorant.
“What?” he asked when she continued staring. “Do I have something on my face?” He rubbed a hand across his whiskered jaw. “Or do I need to shave?”
“Don’t shave,” Presley said, curling her fingers into her palms so she didn’t reach out and stroke his jawline. “I like it.”
“Yeah?” Kade’s blue eyes darkened as awareness arced between them like a live wire. His gaze drifted to her mouth and lingered there for several heartbeats. That hungry look was back in his eyes when he looked back up. Brynlee’s demand that Presley kiss him echoed in her mind as she slanted forward.
“You two ready to go downstairs?” an irritating voice said, ruining the moment.
Kade let out a big breath and ran a hand through his dampened hair before looking over at Jillian. “Yeah, we were just about to head down.”
His voice sounded husky and slightly irritated. Presley was feeling a tad annoyed as well. That was the third time they’d almost kissed and then been interrupted. It was like a clichéd scene from one of Brynlee’s romance books. Presley was tempted to go ahead and kiss Kade anyway. But a first kiss shouldn’t be rushed or have an audience. A first kiss should be slow and soft so the two people involved could explore and taste before deepening the kiss.
“Presley?” Kade asked, reaching out to touch her on the arm. “You doing okay?”
Startling at the touch, Presley nodded her head, hoping Kade wouldn’t ask her why her face was flushed and her breath was ragged.
Holy cow, if just thinking about kissing Kade did this to her, what would happen when they actually did kiss? And they would kiss. Presley wasn’t letting another opportunity pass by her. She was kissing Kade before the day was over.
“I’m fine.” She could feel Jillian’s cold glare and darted a quick look her way. Yep, Jillian’s eyes were like chips of ice. “You look nice,” Presley said as envy twined around her insides like a fast-growing vine twisted around the other plants to choke it out. Jillian had changed into a curve-hugging Christmas t-shirt she’d probably ordered from some cute shop on Etsy and paired it with black distressed skinny jeans with a raw hemline.
“Thank you,” Jillian said with an evil smile. Okay, so it wasn’t exactly evil, but that’s what if felt like to Presley. “I designed it myself.” Her eyes made a quick perusal over Presley. “You should check out my Etsy store.”
“Maybe I will,” Presley said, although there was no way she’d ever order one of Jillian’s shirts. It would be like wearing a Poison Ivy shirt to the first competition of American Ninja Champions. Looking back at Kade, Presley pushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “Let me change, and I’ll be right down.”
“You don’t have to change,” he said with an appreciative gleam in his eyes. “You look good.”
Jillian made a tiny noise that sounded like she might be choking on her tongue. Score one for Presley.
“Thank you,” she said, stepping out of her room and closing the door behind her. Then she did something brave and kissed Kade on his whiskered cheek. “You look good too,” she said, feeling like she’d just made a three-pointer.
Because this game was on, and Presley never stepped away from a competition she didn’t plan on winning.
Chapter 10
Kade pulled his phone from his pocket and took a few more pictures of Presley helping Brooklyn make her gingerbread house. It was sweet how she’d volunteered to let the little girl help her since she was too little to do it by herself. It freed up his sisters and their spouses to create their own masterpieces. His mom and Ben were the judges, and the prize was usually something nice. No one knew what it would be. Last year, it was a full day at a spa and a two-hundred-dollar gift card. The kids all won prizes, but the adults were in it to win it. Yeah, his family was slightly competitive, but it was a healthy competition. Mostly.
Presley glanced up and caught him watching her. It wasn’t the first time, but he couldn’t help watching her. She was gorgeous and as sweet as the frosting holding the gingerbread together. She smiled shyly, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. “How’s your house coming?” she asked from across the table.
“Meh,” he said, looking at the fire station he’d started building. His mom had purchased several three-paneled cardboard displays that kids used for the science fair and cut them lengthwise for each person to hide their house behind until it was time to judge them. His wasn’t too bad, but if he didn’t stop staring at Presley and get to work, it wouldn’t be done. “What about yours?”
“So cute, right?” she asked Brooklyn.
“Yesth,” his niece answered. “It’sth pretty.” Kade grinned. He loved the way Brooklyn talked. His mother was after Jamie to get her into a speech therapist, but Jamie wasn’t too worried. Lucas had the same lisp and outgrew it before starting kindergarten.
Kade glanced at Jillian, wishing she wasn’t acting so weird. They were friends. Or at least they had been friends, but the reminiscing was getting really old. At first, he’d thought it was just her way to make herself feel better since she’d been invited for Christmas with the express purpose of him being her Christmas present. But her claws were out, and she wasn’t going down without a fight.
Her gaze flickered up and caught him watching her. She flashed a white-tooth smile his way and leaned toward him. “No cheating,” she said in a flirtatious voice. It’s not like he could see over the cardboard from his vantage point. “I’m going to win this year, and all without your help, thank you very much.”
There she went again, reminding everyone present that they’d teamed up on more than one occasion.
“Sorry, Jillian,” Stacie said. “This year it’s all me, baby.” That started a new debate over who was going to win. Stacie winked at him, letting him know she had done that on purpose.
Kade was grateful for Stacie. More outspoken, even without being pregnant, she’d sided with Team Presley. Greg, Devon, and Cody were huge Ninja Champion fans so they were also Team Presley, although not as obvious as Stacie. It was a no shock his mother was Team Jillian or that Ben was siding with his wife, but his mom wasn’t entirely vexed with Kade and his new fiancée. He hoped his mom’s softening was because Presley was winning her over and not that his mom was excited about being on television. Presley had confirmed with her agent that the network wanted the family to sign waivers because they may include footage of them all together.
His gaze shifted to Jamie and Allie. Both of them were still Switzerland. He got the feeling they really wanted to declare Presley as their pick but didn’t like causing any waves with their mom.
“Fifteen minutes,” Ben called out from the recliner in the other room. His mom and stepdad stayed in the family room, so they didn’t see the houses until they were complete.
“Did you all get the time?” his mom said, sticking her head in the kitchen. She’d periodically looked in on them, mainly to see if the older grandkids needed help.
“Yes, ma’am,” Cody answered. “You’re gonna love mine, Mom,” he added with a wink.
“Do not try charming me, young man,” she said, wagging her finger in front of her. “You know it won’t
sway Ben or my decision.”
Kade saw his mom take a peek at Brooklyn and Presley’s creation. Her lips curved up as her gaze lingered on Presley and then her granddaughter. She quickly hid the smile when her attention shifted to Jillian. The two women held one another’s gaze as if telecommunicating. Kade was kind of proud of his mom when she gave no indication that Jillian would receive preferential treatment. At least that’s the way he’d interpreted the silent conversation.
Before finishing his gingerbread fire station, he met Presley’s gaze one more time. She gave him a shy smile, shooting his heart rate to an unhealthy rhythm. He was dying to kiss her and needed to come up with a plan, so no one interrupted them again. Maybe they could sneak out and go hot tubbing tonight.
She broke eye contact with him when Brooklyn stood up and whispered something in her ear. Kade had to force himself to look away and finish his fire station. As he added the final touches, he couldn’t help wondering what was going to happen when this was all over. He wasn’t sure he and Presley could go back to their former relationship. Not when his feelings for her grew stronger and stronger with every passing second.
Ben called out five minutes, and everyone worked furiously to finish up. Kade’s roof wasn’t straight but the two garage doors looked pretty legit. When it was time, Ben and his mom came into the kitchen and ordered them to stop working.
While they explained the judging process and what they were looking for, Kade saw Jillian try to sneak a look over Presley’s cardboard. Her eyes widened with either surprise at how good it was or how bad it was before she looked back at her construction. A prideful smile crept across her face, and Kade quickly averted his gaze before Jillian got the wrong idea. He hoped his design won on creativity rather than perfection. It would be fun to win the prize and then turn around and gift it to Presley for making the sacrifice to help his niece.
“All right,” his mom said. “It’s time to show us your houses.”
Everyone removed the cardboard barriers, revealing a diverse collection of gingerbread houses. Brooklyn clapped her hands, excited for everyone to see the pink monstrosity she’d helped create. Everyone oohed and awed over it, even though it was clear Presley had let Brooklyn do whatever she wanted.
Jillian’s house looked perfect. Almost too perfect when compared to the pink house Presley and Brooklyn made. Jillian was a graphic designer for multiple companies. She also had a lucrative online business, designing one-of-a-kind shirts, hats and aprons. Her gingerbread house reflected her flair for turning something simple into an elegant piece of artwork. She’d frosted the entire house with white frosting and then used silver sprinkles to cover the outside, so it sparkled like scattered diamonds under the lights. She’d embellished the edges, windows and door with gold and silver colored chocolate pearls.
Kade’s fire station didn’t win but it was a favorite with his nephew, Lucas. He gave it to the little boy with a promise to show him the new fire truck the next time his parents brought him for a visit. Jillian’s house won a prize for the most beautiful, but the grand prize went to Greg. He’d created a bachelor’s pad paradise complete with a large deck that featured a hot tub and a big screen TV he’d framed with pieces from a KitKat candy bar. The screen was white frosting with a football field drawn on it and stick figure football players he’d made with icing.
“Don’t go inviting any single girls over to your bachelor pad,” Stacie said, rubbing a hand across her baby bump. “I’ve watched enough crime television to know how to dispose of a body where nobody will ever find it.”
“Duly noted,” Greg said. Then he handed over his envelope containing a two-hundred and fifty dollar Visa gift card to his wife with the promise of a foot rub before bed. “My bachelor pad is yours, babe.” Then he kissed Stacie soundly, earning a few groans from Jenny, Laura and Lucas.
Kade captured the moment on camera, wishing someone could get a picture of him kissing his fiancée. The hot tub idea was sounding better and better.
Kade was proud of his mom when she awarded Brooklyn and Presley prizes for the best pink gingerbread house. It was a new category his mother had made up just for them. “Smile,” he said, taking several shots of his mom sandwiched between Presley and Brooklyn.
He started to get up to come over and congratulate the cute duo on their win when his mom handed Jillian her prize. “Kade, let’s get a picture of our first-runner up.” His mom slipped an arm around Jillian’s shoulders and moved in close, so their faces almost touched.
“Say cheese,” he said as he reluctantly framed Jillian and his mom’s smiling faces on the camera screen. He wished Jillian had somewhere else to go for Christmas. Three was definitely a crowd.
Before the clean-up started, his mom announced that the talent show was the next evening. “We expect everyone to participate,” she said, glancing at Presley when she said this. Kade felt bad at the look of terror on Presley’s face. He always played the guitar and sang every year, usually with one of his sisters and a few times with Jillian. He planned on doing a solo unless Presley wanted to sing with him. “You’re welcome to look in my craft room if you need any props.”
The noise level rose a few decibels as they cleaned up the kitchen and dining room. Kade could tell his nephew and nieces were ready for bed. Laura completely lost it when the roof of her house caved in.
Jillian was busy chatting with his mother while they did the dishes together. They were laughing like they were best friends, with Jillian occasionally casting furtive glances at Presley as if to make sure she was paying attention to her.
Cranky kids and an ex-girlfriend trying to gain more of his mom’s affection was getting to Kade. He wanted some alone time with Presley. So much had happened since their arrival. He wasn’t sure if he needed to explain about his grandmother’s ring or if he should wait and see if she brought it up. They also needed a game plan for when the camera crew showed up. Having Jillian here for the interview was awkward enough without having Presley’s fans speculate about why his ex-girlfriend was with his family for Christmas. Maybe word wouldn’t get out, but he wasn’t counting on it. If the media could blow up a simple picture of Presley trying on wedding rings for her brother, then there was no telling what they’d do if they discovered he and Jillian had a past.
Catching Presley’s eye, Kade smiled as he casually rounded the table and came up behind her. “Ready to get out of here?” he whispered in her ear.
“Yes,” she said with a tiny shiver.
It was tempting to push her hair aside and place a kiss at the spot just below her ear. Instead, he took her hand and threaded their fingers together. With his sisters busy trying to calm their children down, Kade led Presley out of the kitchen and ran into Cody.
“Where are you two sneaking off to?” he said, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.
“Thanks, man,” Kade murmured when all the attention was on them now. Then in a louder voice, he said, “I’m going to give Presley a tour of the house.”
Jillian lasered him with the same look Stacie had given the bag of chocolate covered cinnamon bears. If Jillian asked to come along, Kade was going to lose it like his niece had over the broken gingerbread house.
“Will you peek in on Blake when you go downstairs?” Jamie asked as she tried calming down her upset daughter.
“Sure.” Kade glanced at Stacie and Greg. “Want me to check on Maddie?”
“Yeah, thanks,” Greg said.
Nodding, Kade and Presley turned to leave when Stacie stopped them. “Hey, Kade.” She pointed to the beam above their heads. “Look at that,” she said with a conspiratorial grin, “you two are under the mistletoe.”
Chapter 11
Tipping her head back, Presley saw the green sprig with red ribbon hanging above them. She hadn’t noticed it there before and wondered who had moved it from the family room to here.
“Thanks for pointing it out,” Kade said with a playful gleam in his eyes that made Presley’s stomach swoop. “I gu
ess we have to kiss,” he said, sliding his hands up her arms and gripped her shoulders. “It’s tradition.”
He was teasing her and mimicking what Jillian had said to him right before she kissed him. Presley would’ve smiled if she wasn’t freaking out inside. Sure, she was determined to kiss Kade before the night ended, but her fantasies had not involved an audience.
“We wouldn’t want to go against tradition, right?” Kade asked.
“Yes.” Her voice squeaked with the one-word answer that was wrong. “I mean no,” she said with a nervous little giggle, which in turn made the others laugh.
Kade’s lips edged up into a sexy grin that only intensified Presley’s rapid pulse rate and messed with her breathing. She tried to relax while at the same time obsessed over kissing techniques. Of course, he might not even kiss her on the mouth. That made her feel a little more in control. “For tradition,” she said, proud of herself for sounding so chill.
It was all fun and games until Kade tugged her closer and slowly lowered his head. Everything around Presley blurred when his mouth came down on hers soft and slow, lingering there with a tenderness that stole her breath. Her head spun as she kissed him back with an intensity that took her by surprise. Liquid heat swept through her, making her body feel weightless. She gripped the front of Kade’s shirt, so she didn’t melt into a puddle of pure bliss. Breathless, she gasped for air, but it came out more like a whimper. Her response was like an accelerant, fueling the already heated exchange as Kade increased the pressure on her mouth.
“Whoa, we better get the kids out of here before it gets PG-13,” a voice said from far off.
"Oh my,” another voice said, only it sounded like it was right next to Presley’s ear.
As if someone had zapped her with a reality taser, Presley realized where she was and what she was doing in front of Kade’s parents, siblings and ex-girlfriend. She ripped her mouth away when she remembered there was also children present.
Her Stand-In Fake Fiancé Page 9