by Shayla Black
“That’s not true, but the fact you think so says a lot.”
She makes me sound like some sort of saint. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“Is the music too loud?” she asks as she folds the covers down to my hips.
“Actually, it’s nice.” I’m usually a hip-hop and R&B guy, so not hating the instrumentals is a surprise. As one song flows into the next, I ask, “What is it?”
“The song that just ended is ‘The Approaching Night’ by Philip Wesley. The next is ‘Embraced’ by Paul Cardall.” Then she laughs. “You’ve never heard of either, I’m sure.”
“No.”
“I work for two octogenarians. If you want to know anything about Big Bands or easy listening, just ask me.”
“I don’t know whether to give you my sympathy or congratulations.”
She laughs. “Maybe both. Do you want your pain meds before we start?”
Right now, I don’t want anything that will make me loopy. I’d rather talk to Skye. “No thanks. Maybe before bed.”
“Sure. Do you have any problem areas you’d like me to focus on? What kind of pressure do you prefer?”
We talk back and forth, and she agrees to give me a deep-tissue massage, focused on my neck, shoulders, and lower back. Since I visit one of Manhattan’s most exclusive spas every two weeks for ninety minutes of expert stress relief under some of the deftest hands in the city, I’m not expecting Skye to do me much good. To my surprise, she’s firm without being harsh. She seems to intuitively know where my knots are and how to alleviate them without causing discomfort.
When her palm covers my nape and her fingers massage my seemingly concrete neck, I melt onto the table with a groan. “You’re fabulous at this.”
“Thank you.”
“You sure I can’t pay you?”
“Positive.”
This argument isn’t worth having, so I’m going to move on to something more important—or that’s my plan until her nimble thumbs manipulate under my shoulder blades, relieving a shitload of tension.
As she slides her digits down the line of my aching spine, I groan. “Yes, right there. Oh…”
Dutifully, she digs in and wrests another moan from me. If I’m honest, it’s not the reason I’d like to be groaning with her, but hopefully I’ll be capable of more than flirtation tomorrow.
“You carry a lot of tension in your neck and mid-back.”
“High-stress job.”
“What do you do, Mr. Lund?”
“Just Stephen.”
Skye fans her knuckles under my shoulder blades, eliciting another raw sound of pleasure. “Okay, what do you do, just Stephen?”
Isn’t that a good question? I don’t know the answer anymore.
“Do you want the short or long version?”
“Whatever you want to share. But we’ve got an hour…and I’m curious.”
“I work with my dad. We have a global acquisitions and investments business. Any chance you’ve heard of Colossus Investment Corporation?”
“No. Sorry.”
It’s a venerable Wall Street institution, but it’s been very private and reserved for the uber wealthy—until now. “Don’t be. Not everyone has. We’re set to launch our IPO this summer and we need all hands on deck, but I recently met my dad’s illegitimate daughter, whom he refuses to recognize. I have my suspicions about his reasons for that and I hope I’m wrong, but he’s being a raging asshole, so I’m deciding now whether I want to continue growing the business with him or branch out on my own. On the one hand, this has been my livelihood for years. I’ve helped expand this operation and planned a lot of this initial stock offering. Helming Colossus has been my dream. On the other, I’ve lost a lot of respect for my father. So I’m here, trying to decide where my future lies. Aren’t you sorry you asked?”
“No, but I’m sorry to hear all that.”
“It is what it is. But I figure that, since I know some of your business, I’d level the playing field by telling you some of mine.” And maybe I’m a little subversive in hoping that if we hit it off now, she’ll be open to things happening between us once my head doesn’t feel as if it might split open.
“Thanks. Weirdly, knowing your life isn’t perfect either makes me feel less self-conscious.”
“Oh, my life is an utter shit show. One-hundred-percent. So…” I glance at her over my shoulder as she digs her dainty elbow into the small of my back, wrenching another throaty groan from me. “God, if you keep that up the neighbors are going to think we’re back here getting freaky.”
Her melodic laugh buoys me. “You’re in luck. Our long-term renters are away for the holidays.” Then she drops her voice to a whisper. “But between you and me, they’re not quiet about the fact they’re pretty freaky themselves.”
“Good to know. But you’re so amazing at this, I’m going to need you to massage me again. A whole lot. I’m happy to pay you outright, but if you’re helping me with my problem, I feel like I should help you with yours. Why don’t you let me take you to Finn’s wedding?”
She freezes. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why not? You need a date, and I can make that happen. C’mon… I’ll be the best fake fiancé you’ve ever had, baby. What do you say?”
* * * *
“I must be crazy,” Skye murmurs as we sit facing each other on the stools at the breakfast bar the following morning.
Since she agreed to let me be her fake fiancé for the weekend and my head no longer throbs, we’re going to spend the next two days getting to know each other. Score for me.
I probably shouldn’t pursue her…but I’m not inclined to stop myself, especially when she looks totally edible. Today, she’s wearing another pair of sexy cutoffs and a crop top that clings low on her breasts, hugs her ribs, and flashes me her flat belly.
I try not to stare…but I fail miserably. “Not crazy, crafty. We’ll convince Finn’s parents that you’re off the market, and hopefully they’ll start accepting Dana. Then you and your ex can both move on. Everyone is happy.”
“I sure hope so. Finn and I have always been friends, but we broke up months ago, and his mother especially won’t give up on the notion that if she gives us the right nudge we’ll get back together. It’s never going to happen.”
“Why don’t Finn’s parents like Dana?”
“Wait until you meet her.”
So she either doesn’t want to color my opinion or talk bad about her ex’s new squeeze. I respect that.
“We have roughly seventy-two hours between now and the wedding to give each other a crash course about our lives.” It’s the only way we’ll convince people we’re engaged.
“I’m nervous.”
I take her hand. To reassure her, yes. But it’s also hard to resist touching her. “We’ve got this. I searched the Internet for things prospective spouses should know about each other, so we’ll cover those. I emailed you the names and bios of my family members, as well as some bits about my childhood, schooling, and background.”
“I got it, Stephen Montgomery Lund. How cool that you were born in Paris and have visited six of the seven continents. I’ve only been off Hawaii twice.” She sighs wistfully as she leans in to prop her chin on her fist.
Holy cleavage.
I struggle to keep my tongue in my mouth and my thoughts on track. “You’re actually from here?”
She nods. “My dad was stationed on Oahu when I was born. I was a later-in-life baby, but when I was four the military made noise about relocating us to El Paso. He got out for my mom because staying in Hawaii meant the world to her.”
Wow. The man switched careers to make his wife happy. While it sounds impractical, the wistful expression on Skye’s face tells me she respects the hell out of her dad for his decision.
“And also because that place is nicknamed Hell Paso for a reason.”
That makes me laugh. “So what brought you all to Maui?”
“It was quieter here.
And Dad could make a good living giving tourists helicopter tours.”
“Too bad he moved. I would have liked seeing the island from the air.”
“I miss my parents, but my grandmother isn’t well and couldn’t leave her home, so they went to take care of her.”
Family looking out for family. That’s something else I’ve never experienced. As far as I know, my dad stuck his own mother in a home and never visited. That seems cold since the woman gave birth to him.
“I’m curious… Since you’ve lived here your whole life, can you hula?”
She scoffs. “Any self-respecting girl from the islands can.”
Oh, I’d love to see that. “Show me?”
She rolls her eyes. “Maybe later.”
I’m going to turn that maybe into a yes. “All right. Since you’ve only been off Hawaii twice, tell me one place you’re dying to go.”
“Vegas.” Her eyes light up. “It looks so cool on the internet. I want to take a gondola ride at the Venetian, watch the water fountain show at the Bellagio, walk the Strip, catch some shows, and…oh, eat at one of those celebrity chef restaurants.”
I’ve done all those things, but I’d do them again to see that wide-eyed look of wonder on her face. “Don’t blame you.”
She gives me a self-deprecating grimace. “I probably sound ridiculous. And touristy. Sorry. I’m focusing now. I’ll put together my background information and send it to you as soon as we’re done here.”
“Perfect.” I’m not worried about the simple facts. It’s the other things that can trip us up that concern me. “Do we have a song? Something we can ask the deejay at the wedding to play for us?”
“No.” She shakes her head with a hint of contempt. “I’m not that kind of girl.”
I raise a brow. “What kind is that?”
“Sentimental. I live in the moment. I can’t fix yesterday and I can’t control tomorrow.” She shrugs.
“You don’t plan?”
“Not a lot. It’s as exciting as a dental appointment and as pointless as a concrete parachute.” She shrugs. “It almost never works.”
Her attitude blows my mind since I’ve made a very good living in helping people plan for the future. “Interesting perspective.”
“You think I’m wrong.”
“Yep.” I’m not going to argue…but I’m also not going to lie.
“You wouldn’t be the first person. How did we meet?”
“At a bar?”
Skye wrinkles her nose. “I don’t do bars—or random hookups.”
“Fair enough.” I respect her for that. “Where could I have met you?”
“Most likely? At Honolua Bay, surfing.”
“I don’t know how to surf.” It’s one of the few sports I haven’t tried, but I wouldn’t mind. “At least not yet.”
“I can teach you.”
“I’d love that.” It sounds interesting, sure. I’d also kill to see her in a bikini.
“Maybe tomorrow. If that’s our cover story, you should know a little bit about it before the wedding.”
“You’re on.”
“Since you’re a novice, we’ll have to tell everyone we met at Kihei Cove. I don’t go there often, but enough that no one will question the story.”
“All right. When did we meet? How long have we been dating? Have we intentionally been keeping it a secret?”
She looks a tad worried, as if she’s realizing that creating a convincing narrative is going to be harder than she first thought. “It has to be fast. I dropped into a birthday bash Finn’s parents threw for him back in September. They asked me then if I was dating anyone. I wasn’t, so I said no.”
“Maybe you didn’t want to tell them your personal business.”
She shakes her head. “They’ve known me since I was five. And they’d know I was lying. Apparently, I’m terrible at it. I can’t keep a straight face.”
And we have to fool almost everyone she knows?
“Good thing we’re going to a wedding. People are typically happy, so smiling won’t seem weird. But maybe you should let me talk.”
“Are you a good liar?” She grins as if the notion of getting some dirt on me is appealing.
“I was one hell of a teenage rebel. It’s a miracle I never got caught or arrested…and we’ll leave it there.”
She laughs, the sound so light and melodious it makes me weirdly happy, too. In fact, I love knowing I put that grin on her face.
“Then you should definitely talk. I’ll smile and nod.”
“Perfect. How about we say we met in October while I was here for a client meeting and that we’ve continued dating whenever I visited the island?”
“That works. I started seeing less of Finn’s parents around that time since they got tied up with the wedding after he suddenly proposed to Dana.”
I nod. “So where was our first date?”
“You seem like an upscale sort of guy. You probably would have taken me to someplace like Merriman’s, not knowing it’s not my thing.”
I shake my head. “I would have made it a point to learn something about you before I asked you out. Besides, I don’t live here, so I would have asked for your recommendation. What would you have said?”
“There’s this hole-in-the-wall barbecue place in Kihei that’s to die for. It’s my favorite.”
“Okay, so I took you there after you tried to teach me to surf.”
“That’s plausible, but how did we get serious enough to get engaged if you don’t actually live here?”
Good point. “Let’s say I’ve been here off and on for business most of the fall, but stayed over the holidays to be with family who lives nearby. And with you, of course.” It’s not a perfect story. If anyone looks too deep, they’ll be able to punch holes in it. But if this only has to float for a couple of hours, it will hold.
“You said your half-sister lives around here?”
“Yeah, Nia. Until recently, I tried to get a deal done with her boss—now husband—Evan Cook. The brilliant bastard decided not to sell at the last minute.”
Skye nibbles her lip. “When I’m nervous, I won’t remember all this.”
“Another reason for you to let me talk. I’m good on my feet. Years of making boring business presentations and having to answer questions on the fly.”
“That works for me. Um…what’s our engagement story? How did you propose?”
“Are you saying you’re not the liberated sort of woman who would pop the question to her man?” When she cocks her head as if she’s actually considering it, I step in. “Please don’t say yes.”
“You’re old fashioned?”
“When it comes to who should do the proposing, totally.”
That makes her laugh again. “All right. So you proposed. I obviously said yes.”
“Obviously,” I drawl. “Speaking of which…”
When I pull out a ring from my pocket, she gasps. “Where did you get that?”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t actually go ring shopping,” I assure her. “Last night, I called a friend of a friend who deals in high-quality simulations. He overnighted this loaner to me. It’s two carats of cushion-cut moissanite, a diamond alternative.”
“It looks so real,” she breathes.
“That’s the point. I didn’t think you’d want anything too big or elaborate…”
She shakes her head. “Anything more would seem gaudy to me. This is perfect.”
It shouldn’t matter what Skye thinks since she’s only going to wear this for the weekend, but I’m ridiculously relieved that I guessed her style right.
“Glad you like it.” When she reaches for the ring, I curl it into my fist. “Hang on. We have to do this properly.”
She raises a brow. “What do you mean?”
I hop off my barstool, turn her to face me, drop down to one knee—and get a great glimpse up her sleek, sun-kissed thighs. “Skye…what the hell is your last name?”
“Ingram.”
“Middle name?”
“Nicole.” She giggles. “Your mockposal is off to a great start.”
“Shh,” I admonish with a grin. “Skye Nicole Ingram, we’ve known each other for a whole twenty-four hours. In that time, you’ve made me smile, made me think, and—I admit—made me want to kiss you breathless. You’ve amused, befuddled, and intrigued me. Most of all, you’ve made me glad we’ve chosen this weekend together. If you say yes, I’ll be the best fake fiancé ever—listening, laughing, and loving you—from now until Sunday morning. Will you do me the honor of fake marrying me?”
Her giggles dissolve into outright laughter. “Yes.”
“Excellent.” I stand and wrap my fingers around her wrist, carefully guiding the simulated diamond onto her ring finger, where it winks and sparkles, looking as if it was made just for her.
“You’ve got a goofy side.”
“Me?” I act shocked…but she’s right. I kind of do. Not that I’d ever show my father. Bethany and a few others know, but it feels nice to be myself around Skye. Despite how hot I am to touch her, I’m surprisingly comfortable around her, too. “Maybe a little.”
She rolls her eyes. “Now that the corny proposal is over, when should we say our engagement actually happened? Where? And why?”
“December? We would have been dating for two months by then.”
She pauses, thinks. “That’s fast, but… We have to say it was late in the month. I ran into Finn’s parents on Christmas Eve while I was out shopping. They would have noticed an engagement ring.”
“How about we say I proposed on New Year’s Eve?”
“That works. I was at home alone, but no one knows that except my parents. The good news is, Finn’s folks haven’t talked to mine since before the holidays. I’ll call Mom and Dad and tell them to play along with our engagement. They’ll back me up.”
“Good. The where we got engaged… Why not here?”
“Sure. The people who had rented this place for the week had to cancel at the last minute, due to a family emergency. So you could have swooped in and come to ring in the New Year. The view is great, as you know. And it’s totally romantic…”
Her wistful sigh gets me thinking. “Is romance important to you?”