Her breath uneven, Presley glanced around the room and wanted to disappear at the varying degrees of shock written on the spectator’s faces. Well, they weren’t the only ones shocked. Presley was still trying to process what had just happened because that was one heck of a first kiss.
Daring to look at Kade, he wore an expression she wasn’t sure how to interpret. Whatever it was, it had stunned him speechless. An awkward silence filled the room. Someone needed to say something.
“What a fun tradition,” Presley said as if she and Kade had simply exchanged gifts instead of swapping DNA while kissing each other senseless.
“I’ll say,” Stacie said with a snicker.
Her snarky comeback made most everyone else laugh. All except for Marilyn and Jillian. Kade’s mother looked confused, and Jillian looked determined.
“Okay,” Kade said, snapping out of his trancelike state. “I’m going to give Presley a tour of the house now.”
“Right,” Greg said with a chuckle. “You two enjoy yourself.”
“Just not too much,” Stacie added with a wink. “Wouldn’t want you getting on the naughty list with only a couple of days left until Christmas.”
“Ha ha,” Kade said, threading his fingers with Presley’s. “We’ll be back for hot cocoa and games.”
“Don’t forget to check on the kids,” his sister called out as Kade led Presley out of the kitchen.
She heard a few more snarky comments about avoiding any more mistletoe as if Presley needed another reminder of that kiss. Oh boy, was she in trouble. Kissing Kade Hunter was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. What’s more, she wanted to do it again.
“So, um, that was interesting,” she said once she and Kade were out of earshot of his family.
“Very,” he said, leading her down the stairs to the lower level. “We probably need to talk about what just happened.”
“Do we?” she asked, worried about what he might say. “We could just pretend like that never happened.”
Kade stopped so abruptly, Presley nearly tripped over him. The serious look on his face was intimidating and kind of scary. “Pretend it never happened?” he asked as his heavy gaze dropped to her mouth, then slowly traveled back to her eyes. “That’s not going to work for me.”
Presley’s skin felt tight, her throat and mouth suddenly dry. “No?” she asked, her voice coming out raspy and low.
“No,” he said, walking her back until she was pressed against the wall. In a swift, hungry move, Kade kissed her with an explosion of passion that was completely consuming. Presley melted against him, letting her hands drift over the hard muscles of his chest. She gripped the front of his shirt again, this time to draw him closer. Her stomach felt bottomless as Kade eased the pressure on her mouth, giving her a series of slow, shivery kisses. His spicy warm scent flooded her senses and wrapped around her in a cocoon of pleasure that was making her brain fuzzy.
She made a small noise of protest when his lips drifted from her mouth, leaving a trail of heat as he migrated to place a kiss against her throat. Her knees threatened to buckle when his lips traveled back to her mouth to kiss her deeply, and she tightened her grip on his shirt. He tasted like chocolate and peppermint, a delicious combination that made her crave more.
Someone cleared their throat, ending the delicious kiss so abruptly it felt like Presley’s oxygen supply was cut off. She sucked in a gulping breath and looked over Kade’s shoulders to see his brother-in-law standing there with a grin. “Don’t mind me,” Greg said, barely holding back a laugh. “My wife needs her phone charger.”
He passed by them and opened the door down the hall. Kade still had Presley backed up against the wall, glowering at his sister’s husband. She should move, but his nearness was intoxicating, making her feel unsteady on her feet. She took in a shallow breath, catching the masculine scent of his cologne, tempting her to bury her face in the hollow of his neck for a better whiff.
Greg came back out a second later, carrying a charging cord and battery power bank. “Carry on with that tour,” he said, this time not holding back a deep chuckle.
“I plan on it,” Kade mumbled. He returned his attention on Presley and started to move back but then he paused, allowing his eyes to drop to her lips. “Right after I finish what I started.”
Lowering his mouth to hers, he took his time, kissing her long and slow as if this was the first time he’d kissed her and wanted to memorize the way her lips moved under his. Presley wasn’t sure how long the kiss lasted, but Kade was the one to have enough sense to end it before they got caught again. “We have to stop,” he said in a low voice that rumbled through her.
“Okay,” she said, totally not committed as she pressed another lingering kiss on his lips.
“You’re making me crazy,” Kade said with a groan. His mouth descended on hers in a fast, hard kiss before he edged back to see her face. “Your brother is going to kill me.”
“No he won’t.” She let go of his shirt and flattened her palms against his solid chest. She could feel his heart pounding in a rhythm that matched her own. “You’re probably the only guy he trusts me to be with.”
That was the wrong thing to say. “Oh man,” he said, stepping back so her hands dropped to her side. “He trusted me, and I just broke every rule he gave me.”
“First,” Presley said, pointing a finger at him, “I’m a grown woman and don’t need my brother telling me how I can or can’t kiss someone.” She narrowed her gaze when she saw humor flicker in Kade’s blue eyes. “Second, his comments were more like guidelines rather than actual rules.”
A small smile lifted the corner of Kade’s mouth. “Are you quoting Pirates of the Caribbean to me?”
“Aye, mate,” she said in a British accent and a whole lot of sass.
Kade laughed and pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. “I like the way you kiss,” he said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “A lot,” he added, tightening his hold.
“I like the way you kiss too,” she said with a contented sigh. She’d dreamed about a moment like this for so long that it almost didn’t seem real. She never wanted it to end, which prompted her to ask a question she may not like the answer to. “What’s going to happen to us when we go home?”
He stilled for a moment as if he needed to collect his thoughts. “I don’t know.” He set her back from him, sliding his palms down her arms to hold her hands. “We need to finish this week here and then decide what to do.”
Anxiety took hold of her, its icy fingers squeezing her throat until she couldn't draw a breath. Maybe this wasn’t as real as she’d believed. Maybe what had happened between them was all part of this fake relationship scheme. “Okay,” she said, hoping he didn’t notice the quiver of emotion in her voice.
A slight frown creased his brow as he tightened his grip on her hands, pinching her skin beneath her mother’s wedding ring. It reminded her about his mother’s comment concerning his grandmother’s ring.
“Who is Grandma Hunter, and what ring was your mother talking about?”
Kade pulled in a hard breath and let go of her hands. “That was random,” he said, sounding a little put out by the question.
“No it isn’t,” she said, feeling a little annoyed herself. “Your mother asked about it, and you looked like you needed an emesis bag.” Or like he was about to get an enema, but she kept that part to herself.
“I was just surprised she remembered it,” Kade said with a shrug.
“Really?” Presley asked, not buying what he was trying to sell to her.
Kade avoided looking her directly in the eyes and shifted on his feet as if contemplating if he should make a run for it. Presley should drop it, but she wanted to know now more than ever.
“Just before my grandma Hunter died a few years earlier, she gave me a diamond ring that belonged to her mother and her grandmother before that.” He looked at her briefly before rubbing his thumb under his lower lip. “My mom
knows that Grandma wanted me to give it my future bride.”
Right, and Presley was only his pretend future bride. Now she felt stupid for pushing him. “That’s really sweet.” It also helped her to focus on the whole reason she was engaged to Kade in the first place. Just because they liked kissing each other didn’t mean they were getting married. “Wearing my mom’s ring makes me feel close to her.”
A look of relief crossed Kade’s features. Clearly, he was done with this conversation. “Ready to see the rest of the house?”
“Yes.” She took his hand, knowing that it was highly unlikely there would be any more passionate kissing tonight.
Presley was awed by the large house. It even had a gym with free weights, a treadmill, elliptical, and a fancy cycle with a computer monitor to enhance the workout. She almost cried when Kade showed her the vast Christmas village his mother had set up in the large family room in the basement.
“Which is your favorite?” she asked Kade, already planning to sneak back downstairs sometime later so she could take it all in. “I think I like the yellow house with the couple dancing in the window.”
“I’ve never thought about it,” Kade said. “They all look the same.”
“They do not,” Presley argued. “Each one has a story. Wouldn’t it be fun if you could shrink down and visit each house?”
When he didn’t reply, Presley wondered if he’d ditched her. She glanced up and found him watching her with the same expression someone had when they were trying to figure out where they knew a person from but couldn’t recall. “You think I’m weird.”
“Not weird.” He cracked a lopsided grin. “I just never pegged you as the magical Christmas kind of girl.”
“I love Christmas,” she said, gazing back at the yellow house. The young couple dancing were dressed in old-fashioned clothes and looking at each other with so much love. She bet they were newlyweds and this was their first Christmas together. “It is magical.”
Kade let her look a few minutes longer before he dragged her away to finish the tour with the craft room. Calling it a room was a joke. It was more like walking into a Hobby Lobby.
“Do I really have to do something for the talent show?” she asked, fingering a bolt of silky fabric. “Because I’m talentless.”
Kade snorted a laugh. “You are extremely talented.”
Presley noticed he looked at her mouth when he said this, but she wasn’t about to go down that road again. “I don’t sing, dance, or play the piano,” she said. “I’m a Ninja Champion athlete, which comes from training and discipline, not talent.” She held up her hand. “Even if it does take talent, it’s not something I can do for your family’s talent show.”
He didn’t argue with her but pressed her about her vocal abilities. “We can sing a simple Christmas song together, and I’ll play the guitar.”
“Kade, I’m serious when I say I don’t sing.” She remembered Jillian’s gorgeous voice. “Are you and Jillian singing a duet again?”
Kade’s eyes narrowed, and the muscle in his jaw ticked. “No, Jillian and I are not singing a duet together.” He took a few steps forward until he stood in front of her. “I’m not interested in her like that,” he said, looking all the world like he wanted to kiss Presley again.
As much as she yearned for his mouth to be on hers, she had to limit their physical contact, so she didn’t fall for him more than she already had. “Maybe I’ll be too sick for the talent show.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Princess Warrior. She would never walk away from a challenge.”
He was right, but sometimes a girl had to do whatever it took to survive. And right now she had to move away from him. He was far too tempting to resist. Walking around, she looked in some of the bins on one side of the room. That’s when she saw her answer for the talent show. The adults may not be impressed, but she knew the little kids would love it.
Chapter 12
Kade was anxious for the talent show this evening so he could find out what Presley was going to do. She wouldn’t tell him, and it bothered him more than it should. He felt like she was shutting him out. Not that he blamed her. He’d totally screwed things up last night when she’d asked about his grandmother’s ring. In his defense, his brain wasn’t really fully functional. Her kisses were more potent than Kentucky bourbon and just as addicting. He avoided alcohol because he never wanted to be like his old man. He should’ve avoided kissing Presley too, but it was too late. He’d tasted her lips, and he was hooked.
Leaning against the doorjamb, he watched her as she played a board game with Lucas, Jenny, and Laura. Brooklyn sat on her lap, helping Presley again. The little girl had bonded with her, and Kade felt guilty because his sister Allison had commented on what a wonderful aunt Presley was going to be to her kids.
“Yes!” Lucas said, jumping up and down. “I win! I win!”
Presley laughed, the sound lighting Kade up inside like the town’s Christmas light display. “Good job, buddy,” she said, holding out her knuckles for a fist bump.
“That’s not fair,” Laura said. “It was my turn next.”
“I know, sweetie,” Presley said. “But you won the last game.”
“I didn’t win any games,” Jenny said. “Can we play one more time, Presley?”
“Jenny, Presley might not want to play another round,” Jamie said. She was knitting a baby blanket for Stacie. Kade noticed that Jamie was warming to Presley just like Allie.
“Let’s play one more round,” Presley said, smoothing her hand down Jenny’s long hair. “Then it’s time for lunch.”
Kade was tempted to play the last round with them, but Jillian appeared at his side. “Hi,” he said, wishing she wasn’t standing so close to him. Jillian wasn’t ready to concede to Presley and was determined to win him over. His mom hadn’t conceded either, but more than once this morning, he’d seen approval in his mom’s eyes as she observed Presley interacting with the family.
“Hello there.” Jillian glanced at Presley and the kids, a slight frown creasing her brow. She was smiling again when she looked back at him. “I wanted to ask you a favor.”
“What is it?” Kade asked, feeling like this was a setup.
“I was going to play the piano and sing for the talent show, but I think it will sound so much better with an acoustic guitar, and I wanted to know if you would accompany me?”
Jillian had come to his room late last night, asking if he wanted to sing a duet with her. Kade’s answer wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear, but she hadn’t pressed him. He figured playing the guitar was okay and maybe a chance to set boundaries as friends.
“I’ll understand if it will make your girlfriend feel threatened,” Jillian said, running a finger lightly over his forearm. “She hasn’t ever had a boyfriend before so she may not feel secure in your relationship.”
“How do you know that?” Kade asked, moving his arm so she wasn’t touching him anymore.
“Relax, it’s all over social media.” She smiled like she knew a secret. “I guess that’s why her fans are so obsessed with knowing who this mystery Prince Charming is.” Jillian held out her phone with the picture of Presley and Travis at the jewelry store. “Funny, that doesn’t look like you.”
Kade didn’t comment on the photo since there wasn’t much he could say. “Presley, and I have been friends long before it turned into anything else.” He swallowed at the partial lie. It was getting harder and harder to separate what was real and what was part of the act. But the thing was that he’d been fighting his attraction to her for a while now. He had no idea how Travis would feel about him really dating his little sister. It was risky because if it didn’t work out, then things could get weird between them, especially at the fire department where a good working relationship was critical.
“Kind of like us?” Jillian asked smugly.
He didn’t want to engage in this conversation but needed to be clear about his feelings. At least with Jillian. His feelings for P
resley were still unfolding. “You and I are friends, Jillian. Only friends.”
“I know that.”
Blake toddled over to them and held up his arms. “Hold you,” he said in that raspy little voice of his.
Kade was about to comply, but Jillian moved in and picked up the little boy. “Come see Aunty Jillian,” she said as if that was supposed to change Kade’s mind about her. He caught a whiff of a dirty diaper about the same time Jillian did. “Eww, gross,” she said, making a retching sound that had Kade jumping back before she puked all over his bare feet.
“Take.” Jillian retched. “Him.” She retched again and held Blake out like she was about to drop him. “From me,” she said retching several times in a row. It wasn’t very flattering because every time she did it, her eyes kind of rolled back in her head.
“Come here, little guy,” Kade said. As a first responder, he’d smelled a lot worse than this. “Let’s get you changed, pal.”
Blake’s big brown eyes filled with tears. Kade wanted to cuddle him close, but he really was ripe.
“I’ve got him,” Jamie said, taking her son and holding him close. It must be a mother thing, which impressed the heck out of Kade. “His tummy has been bothering him,” she said, shooting a glare at Jillian who was holding her nose.
Kade patted the kid on the head, noticing a brown stain leaking through his pants. Jillian saw it too. Then she looked down and noticed some of the stain on the front of her white shirt. Kade swore her face turned green as she gagged and raced for the trash can, barely making it in time.
“Jillian, darling,” his mom said, coming in just in time to see Jillian hurl into the trash can. “What can I do?”
Jillian couldn’t answer. She was throwing up again. Kade felt bad and was pretty sure he had Zofran in his first-aid kit in the car. However, the anti-nausea medication wouldn’t do much good if she couldn’t hold anything down.
His mother kindly managed to get Jillian into the bathroom to shower while she went and got clean clothes for her. Jamie waited until they were gone before she told Kade that he would be stuck with dirty-diaper duty for the rest of his life if he married Jillian.
Her Stand-In Fake Fiancé Page 10