“Hey, Christine.” The man she’d been standing with at the bar earlier, Bobby, waved from where he stood in front of the concierge desk. “A few of us are going to bail on the dancing and head to an Irish pub around the corner. Want to—”
“Oh, no,” Christine whispered, her lips barely moving.
“She’s busy,” Gavin called and headed for the elevators along the far wall. She followed him in without protest but tugged her hand away as he hit the button for the fifth floor.
“Are you staying here, too?” he asked, not sure how to broach the subject of what had just happened between them. His wildly successful legal career had made Gavin believe he could talk his way out of any situation. Not so, apparently.
She shook her head, a lock of fiery hair falling forward to cover her cheek. Had he run his hands through her hair, loosening the elegant chignon? He couldn’t remember but suddenly he wanted nothing more than to see the bright strands cascading over her shoulders. He’d told his sister he was dating a woman with blue eyes and auburn hair. Maybe he’d been unconsciously thinking of Christine after their dance.
“Gavin, I—”
The door opened, cutting off whatever she was going to say to him. An older couple got in.
“Going down?” the man asked.
Gavin shook his head. “Up.”
“We’ll ride along,” the woman offered. “You two look fancy.”
“Wedding reception,” Christine said quietly.
“I love weddings.” The woman sighed. “Always so romantic.”
Her husband snorted. “Except when your brother got sloshed and threw up on the dance floor at ours.”
“He had food poisoning,” the wife said, her tone clipped.
“Forty years.” The man lifted his hands. “She still can’t admit that her no-good brother’s a drunk.”
“At least he still shows up for holidays,” the woman shot back. “Unlike your rude sister and her—”
“Our floor,” Gavin interrupted when the elevator dinged. The door slid open, and he placed a hand on Christine’s back. “I’m at the end of the hall,” he told her when the door closed behind them with a snick.
His hand stilled as he realized her shoulders were shaking. Oh, God. Not tears. He could handle an angry jury or a recalcitrant witness. But tears killed him, especially the thought that he’d caused them.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered. “It will be—”
A sob broke from her throat. No, not a sob. Laughter.
She lifted her face, and he realized her tears weren’t from anxiety, but amusement. “I know our relationship is five minutes long and a complete lie,” she said, wiping her cheeks as she laughed, “but promise we’ll never fight about your drunk brother.”
He grinned and looped an arm around her shoulder as they started down the hall. “Fortunados can handle their liquor,” he promised. “Do you have a sibling? I don’t even know.”
“A sister. Aimee is a year younger than me and perfect in every way.”
“Perfection must run in the family.”
As lines went, Gavin thought it was a pretty good one. Both subtle and charming. Christine only burst into another round of laughter. He was definitely losing his touch, although it was somewhat refreshing to be with a woman who didn’t melt in a puddle at his feet. Gavin liked a challenge.
He wouldn’t have pegged Christine as one, but this woman surprised him at every turn.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, clasping a hand over her mouth when a snort escaped.
He unlocked the hotel room door and gestured for her to enter.
“I hate to be indelicate,” he said when they were both inside, “but are you drunk?”
She shook her head and drew in a shuddery breath. “It’s just been a crazy night, you know?”
“I do. Would you like a drink now? I have a bottle of Mendoza red that was left in the welcome bag for wedding guests. Or water?”
“No, thanks.” Now that her laughter had stopped, Gavin could almost see the wheels turning in Christine’s brain as she became aware that she was alone with him in his hotel room.
“Would you feel more comfortable if I propped open the door?” He shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it onto the edge of the bed.
“I trust you,” she whispered.
He blew out a breath, surprised at how happy the simple statement made him. He loosened his bow tie then undid the top button of his tailored shirt.
“Christine, I want to—”
“I’m sorry,” she blurted. All the amusement from minutes ago had vanished from her features. “I shouldn’t have butted into your conversation with Schuyler. You don’t need my help to handle your sister and—”
“On the contrary. I want to thank you. You rescued me.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist, and he could see her knuckles turning white from pressing her fingers against her rib cage. “I’m not sure what possessed me to get involved,” she admitted. “I guess because you helped me with Bobby earlier.”
“Bobby is a putz.”
One side of her mouth curved, not a true smile but a step in the right direction. “That’s true, which makes our situations different. Schuyler is your sister and she cares about you.”
“She’s also relentless.” He took a step toward her, slowly, like he was approaching an animal that might spook at any moment. He didn’t want to spook her. “Would you like to sit down?” He inclined his head toward the couch positioned in front of the room’s large window. “We can talk about next steps.”
Her cornflower-blue eyes widened. “Next steps. Okay.”
He grabbed two bottles of water from the mini-fridge and set them both on the coffee table before taking a seat next to her. “In case you get thirsty.”
“You’re really not mad?” She leaned forward and slipped off the heels she wore, revealing the most adorable painted pink toes Gavin had ever seen.
Hell, when was the last time he’d been with a woman? Granted, he’d been busy with work so his personal life had taken a back seat. But he was too far gone if a glimpse of toenail polish could mess with him like this.
“Christine, I’m grateful. I’d already made up a girlfriend. You made her a reality.”
She tucked her legs underneath her. “And the kiss?”
“You’ll never hear me complain about a beautiful woman kissing me.”
She rolled her eyes. “I took it too far.”
“You were convincing.”
Color stained her cheeks. “Maybe I missed my calling. I should have been an actress.”
“Hmm.” Gavin didn’t like the sound of that. It bothered him more than it should to think she’d been faking the kiss, even though that was what this whole thing was. A fake. He forced a smile, unwilling to let her see his reaction. Best to keep things light and casual, and he could do that better than almost anyone he knew. “I’m hoping you’ll be interested in a repeat performance.”
Christine made a sound that was somewhere between a yelp and whimper. “Of the kiss?”
Hell, yes.
“Actually, I was talking about you acting as my girlfriend.” He ran a hand through his hair. “While I’m in Austin for the next few weeks.”
“Weeks?” She uncurled her legs and dropped her feet to the thick carpet. For a moment he thought she was going to bolt. Then she placed her elbows on her legs and rested her head in her hands. “Weeks,” she repeated on a slow exhalation.
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
Her head snapped up. “Like I’m a hooker?”
“Of course not.” He shifted closer. “What I meant to say was it will be easy for you.”
“You think I’m easy?”
“No. God, no.” He leaned back, raised his gaze to the ceiling, hoping for some way to salvage
this conversation. When he found no inspiration from above, he looked at Christine again, only to find her grinning at him. “That was a joke?”
She nodded. “You’re different than I thought you’d be,” she said quietly. “Not quite as perfect as you look at first glance.”
“Is that a compliment or a criticism?”
She bit down on that full lower lip, and his insides clenched. “A compliment. It’s good to know you’re human.”
“I don’t usually like it when people tease me,” he admitted.
“Oh.”
“I like it with you.”
“I’m glad.” Another smile, this one almost shy. “I know you don’t think I’m an easy hooker. You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend so your family leaves you alone. We’d have a fake relationship. That sounds simple.”
Did it? Gavin wasn’t sure what to make of his feelings for Christine, but they definitely weren’t simple.
“Right,” he agreed anyway. “One of the law firm’s larger clients is based in Austin and we’re finalizing a merger with another financial institution. Everything should be complete by the end of the month. It makes sense that we’d be together now, and then when I go back to Denver, you can break up with me.”
“Like anyone is going to believe that,” she said with a harsh laugh.
“Long distance relationships are tough. I don’t think it will come as a huge surprise.”
“The part where I break up with you is going to be the surprise.” She sat back on the sofa, so close that he could feel the warmth of her body. “Your family knows you’re a bit of a playboy.”
“Am not.”
She rolled her eyes. “How many women have you dated?”
He thought about that, grimaced. “Since when?”
“I rest my case,” she told him.
“But this is different.” He took her hand, laced their fingers together and looked directly into her eyes. “You’ve changed me.”
Chapter Three
Christine felt her mouth go dry at his words. She’d changed him?
“At least that’s what my family needs to believe,” he clarified.
“Schuyler agreed not to tell anyone,” Christine argued, although the thought of how she’d go about convincing people that she and Gavin were really a thing made goose bumps dance along her skin. Talk about the adventure of a lifetime.
“We told her not to tell anyone.” He traced his thumb in circles against the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist. “But there’s no way she’s going to be able to resist.”
“So we’ll need to convince your family this is real,” she whispered. “Your parents will be upset they didn’t know.”
“They’ll understand,” he assured her. “I’ll make sure they do.”
“I hate lying to your father...to anyone in your family. They’ve been so good to me.”
“This isn’t going to change anything,” he promised.
But Christine knew nothing would ever be the same. She should stop this charade right now, march downstairs and explain to Schuyler that it was all a big misunderstanding. Although she was sober, maybe she could pretend to be drunk. Blaming her crazy behavior on alcohol might give her a decent excuse.
Gavin’s jacket began to ring. He stood and moved toward the bed, pulling his phone out of the pocket of the discarded tuxedo coat.
“Hey, sis,” he said into the device. “No, I’m not coming back down.” Pause. “Yes, she’s with me.” Pause. “I don’t think she’s going to care about the bouquet.” Pause with an added eye roll. “Don’t go there, Schuyler. I told you this is special. She’s special. Let me enjoy it, okay?” Pause. “I understand and appreciate it. I love you, too.” Pause. “Okay, I’ll see you at the brunch in the morning.”
He punched the screen to end the call then tossed the phone on the bed again.
“You missed the bouquet.”
Christine stood. “I’m okay with that. You shouldn’t be annoyed with Schuyler for calling. I don’t want this to complicate things with you and your family.”
He moved toward her. “My family is always complicated, especially now that the Fortunes are involved. My only concern is you. As much as I appreciate what you did earlier, if you aren’t okay with this arrangement, we’ll end it.”
Here was her chance. A dance, a few kisses and she’d go back to her normal life before the clock struck midnight, like some sort of Fortune-inspired Cinderella.
But she couldn’t force her mouth to form the words. Despite this whole thing being fake, she wasn’t going to miss her chance at getting to know Gavin. Under what other circumstances would a man like him choose to date someone like her?
Not that she was down on herself. Christine liked her life and felt comfortable with who she was. Usually. But she wasn’t the type of woman who could catch Gavin Fortunado’s attention. Until now.
“I don’t want it to end,” she said, embarrassed that she sounded breathless.
Gavin didn’t seem to notice. He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “Me neither,” he whispered and kissed her. Once again it felt like fireworks exploding through her body. The kiss was sweet and passionate at the same time. He seemed in no hurry to speed things along, content to take his time as he explored her lips.
Then his mouth trailed over her jaw and along her throat, her skin igniting from the touch. He tugged on the strap of her dress, and it fell down her shoulder. He kissed his way from the base of her neck to her collarbone. Her body was all heat and need. She wanted so much from this moment that she couldn’t even put it all into words.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
The compliment was like a bucket of ice water dumped over her head. She wrenched away, yanking her dress strap back into place.
“Don’t say that,” she told him, shaking her head. “You don’t have to say that.”
Confusion clouded his vivid green eyes. “In my experience, women like to hear those words.”
She swallowed. How was she supposed to respond without sounding like she was fishing for something more? That wasn’t the case at all. In fact, she felt the opposite. She didn’t want or need him to tell her she was beautiful because it simply wasn’t true.
Christine prided herself on being pragmatic about her appearance. Growing up, she’d been a chubby girl with thick glasses and bright red hair that was more frizz than curls. Her mom had forced her to keep it in frizzy Annie-style curls that were anything but flattering. Christine had spent years enduring teasing, much of it led by her younger sister, until she’d become an expert at not being seen.
Aimee, with her larger-than-life personality and classic beauty, had been happy to step into the spotlight. She went to parties and on dates, while Christine spent most of her high school years in her room reading or listening to music. No one in her family seemed to notice or care as she slipped further into the periphery of their lives.
She’d decided to change things when she went away to college. She’d gotten contacts and started running, shedding the excess pounds that had plagued her for years. A bevy of expensive hair products helped her tame her wild mane, and the color had mellowed from the bright orange of her childhood. Her dad had called her “baby carrot” as a kid, and her sister had amended the nickname to “jumbo carrot” due to Christine’s size. Even though she thankfully hadn’t heard the nickname in years, it was how she still thought of herself.
She took pains with her appearance and she knew she wasn’t ugly. She was decent-looking, in fact. But beautiful? No, not to someone like Gavin.
“This is not real,” she said, both for his sake and to remind herself.
Gavin’s thick brows furrowed. “That doesn’t mean—”
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Um...blue.”
“Mine’s purple.” She
crossed her arms over her chest, aware he was still staring at her like he couldn’t quite follow the direction of her thoughts. Join the club. Her mind and heart felt like they’d survived an emotional tornado, hurricane and maybe a tsunami thrown in for good measure, all in one night. “Favorite food?”
“Pizza.”
“I like burgers and fries.”
His mouth quirked. “That’s kind of cute.”
“Burgers aren’t cute.”
“You’re admitting you like them as opposed to giving me some line about loving salmon and kale. That’s cute.”
“I take yoga classes and run before work. What do you do to work out?”
One brow arched. “So you’re flexible?”
With a groan, she stepped around him toward the hotel room desk. “Do you want me to write all this down?” She picked up a pen and the small pad of paper with the hotel’s logo.
“The ways you’re flexible?”
“Gavin, be serious. You were the one who said your family would find out about us. We need to have our stories straight.” Christine clutched the pen and paper to her chest and fought the urge to whimper as Gavin ran a hand through his hair. She could see the muscles of his arm flexing under his white shirt. “When did we meet?”
“We’ve known each other for years.”
“Right. I mean when did we—”
“It was Thanksgiving break my senior year of college. I was getting ready to retake the LSAT after my not-so-stellar performance the first time around.”
Christine inclined her head, surprised and charmed he’d remember the very first time they met. “You were studying in the conference room at the Fortunado Real Estate office. It was quiet because of the holiday.”
“And I was bitter because my buddies had flown to Aspen for the weekend.” He started undoing the buttons of his shirt, casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal for him to be undressing in front of her. Of course, he wore a white T-shirt under the formal shirt, so it wasn’t a true striptease.
Christine’s heart stammered just the same.
A Deal Made in Texas Page 3