Fake Engagement, Nashville Style

by Jules Bennett

  “Regrets? No.” She chose a cracker and took a bite before finishing her thoughts. “I was fighting the inevitable. I guess my only concern is what now? I like plans, you know, and I like to know what’s going to happen. This is out of my comfort zone.”

  Luke chuckled. “You seemed pretty damn comfortable a few minutes ago.”

  Cassandra couldn’t help but smile. Oh, she’d been quite comfortable, but that was all physical. Mentally she was a hot mess. For someone who made a career out of planning every single detail down to the minute, not knowing what was going to happen between her and Luke was rather unsettling.

  But there was no way she could regret the sex. Intimacy with Luke had always been the best, and the eight years between them had only made it even better.

  Her heart fisted. Maybe part of her wished she hadn’t let down her guard, but common sense prevailed...barely. They’d had sex. Amazing, outdoor sex, complete with a picturesque background and a romantic picnic.

  Luke claimed he hadn’t planned for this to happen, and she believed him, but the day couldn’t have been any more romantic. Even if she hadn’t been in the business of love and happily-ever-afters, she would still have found this moment to be one of the sweetest, most tender, most passionate in all her life.

  So how was she just going to leave when the time came? Luke had reopened that spot in her heart she’d thought she’d sealed off. Cassandra hadn’t expected her heart to open up, or those deeper emotions to rise to the surface, but they were. And now there was no way to protect herself. He would still never give her the marriage and commitment she wanted. There was no reason for her to allow herself to think otherwise.

  So while her heart would be aching when she left town, at least she’d had this physical connection with him one last time. That was something, right?

  “I’m not sorry we did this,” she told him. “Given our past and the close bond we’ve always shared, I am comfortable with you. It’s strange, even after all this time, that I still trust you with my body.”

  Luke shifted to lie on his side and propped himself up on his elbow. He’d still not put on his shirt, which was certainly not helping Cassandra’s mental state. He’d left his jeans unbuttoned and now he was just lying there with all of that excellent muscle tone on display. Between the naked chest and the scruffy beard and her still tingling body, Cassandra’s clothes nearly melted right back off.

  “There was a time you trusted me with more than your body,” he reminded her.

  Cassandra stilled, then set down her food on a napkin. She wasn’t sure what to say to that statement, but she needed to defend herself. Bringing up the past again wasn’t something she wanted to do, but considering what had just happened, she supposed there was no other choice. Their past was what had brought them here today.

  “I trusted you with everything.” Cassandra swallowed the lump in her throat and shifted to cross her legs in front of her. “I would’ve done anything for you.”

  “Except stay.”

  “You know why I didn’t.”

  Now he rose up and rested on his hand, his eyes holding hers in place. “Yeah, I do. I wasn’t ready to marry, Cass. I had too many things going on, too much I wanted to do with my career, and I wasn’t in the same place you were. I thought we were both chasing our own dreams first.”

  “We were,” she agreed. “Until your dream became all you could see. I became invisible and what I wanted wasn’t on your agenda.”

  That muscle ticked in his jaw as he continued to stare at her. Maybe her comment sounded selfish, but she couldn’t just negate how she’d felt at that time.

  “Never once did I think you were invisible,” he insisted.

  Hearing him say that now didn’t help. She’d wanted those words then, she’d wanted him to fight for them, for what they’d planned together. But he’d been stubborn or preoccupied or something, because when she’d walked out, he’d let her go.

  “You were so worried about your bars and everything going along with that, I was getting pushed farther and farther away from your priorities. And when I asked you what was more important, you said nothing. That’s all the answer I needed to know. I didn’t compare.”

  He leaned in closer as his lips thinned. “Did you ever think that I was trying to build a solid foundation for our lives? So that way when I was emotionally ready, I could give you everything you ever wanted?”

  Cassandra listened and couldn’t deny the passion, the frustration in his tone. Why hadn’t he told her that back then? Why did he have to be so damn stubborn?

  With a sigh, Cassandra reached for her stemless glass of wine and swirled the contents.

  “Rehashing everything now won’t change the people we were or are,” she told him. “And if that’s really what you were thinking back then, you should have said as much instead of letting me walk out.”

  “I didn’t say anything because if you were hell-bent on leaving, then nothing I did or said would have stopped you,” he countered. “I shouldn’t have had to beg you to stay.”

  “No, but I deserved more than silence.”

  Cassandra’s heart tightened again at the flashback of that moment as she recalled the ache. She wanted out of this conversation and off this topic. Because no matter what was said now, it wouldn’t erase the years of pain they’d endured, or the outcome of their relationship.

  “My mom says everything happens for a reason.”

  The reminder that she’d left his family as well as him just layered on more pain.

  Cassandra smiled despite her inner turmoil. “How are your parents? I can’t believe I haven’t seen them yet.”

  “Oh, they’re dying to see you,” he laughed. “And, just a heads-up, they aren’t convinced that our engagement is fake.”

  Cassandra glanced to her ring, then back to Luke. “Why is that?”

  “Probably because my parents have always loved you, but I told them this isn’t going anywhere.”

  Before she could comment, his cell chimed. Part of her hoped he would ignore it, but he shifted to pull the phone from the pocket of his jeans.

  Luke stared at the screen and sighed before setting his phone to the side. Cassandra couldn’t help but look at the screen, and she saw the name Emma.

  “Friend of yours?” she asked.

  He shrugged and didn’t say a word. Irritation now had Cassandra sitting up a little straighter.

  “Are you still getting many calls since we started this charade?” she asked.

  “Not as many, but still more than I’d like,” he replied.

  Luke searched through the basket of food, then pulled out a small plate of brownies and placed them on the blanket between them. Cassandra had suddenly lost her appetite.

  “How about at the bar when I’m not around?”

  Cassandra couldn’t help but ask. She really had no right to probe and no claim to him because all of this was only a farce. But moments ago, when they’d been as close as ever, that had felt too damn real.

  “The attention at the bar has definitely not slacked off,” he chuckled.

  That low, sultry laugh of his pissed her off even more.

  Again, though, she knew she had no right. They were doing each other favors, and apparently, he rather enjoyed having the extra attention. Maybe, in spite of what he’d said when he’d asked her to become his fake fiancée, he liked living with his new title of Most Eligible Bachelor.

  If that’s what he wanted, then Cassandra had no place to say a word.

  “Does this bother you?” he finally asked, looking back to her.

  “What?”

  He cocked his head, looked toward the phone and raised his eyebrows.

  “Fine,” she conceded. “It bothers me.”

  There, she’d said it. But she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. She wasn’t about to admit
any more of her feelings. She was done being vulnerable for the day.

  “If we’re supposed to be engaged, then you should respect me enough to play the part.”

  “You think I don’t respect you or is that jealousy talking?”

  Cassandra tipped her chin. “I’m not jealous,” she insisted.

  “No? Then why do you care who wants to be with me or who I talk to?”

  Why indeed?

  “I rarely date because I spend all my time with my family or with my businesses,” he went on. “I sure as hell am not advocating for the attention of these women. I run successful bars and restaurants, I make music careers, so chatting and being overly friendly are part of my job.”

  Cassandra listened to him and let out a sigh as she shook her head. “Maybe I am jealous, but I know I have no right or reason to be.”

  Luke met her gaze and she saw that hunger she’d seen countless other times. Every time he looked at her beneath those heavy lids, she wondered how they hadn’t worked out the first time. How they couldn’t have just lived on their attraction. She thought about how damn well they got along when they only let their bodies do all of the communicating.

  He reached across and swiped his thumb along her bottom lip.

  “What would you say if I told you I love the idea that you’re jealous?”

  Instinctively, the tip of her tongue flicked at the pad of his thumb. That fire in his eyes burned even brighter and arousal nearly consumed her.

  “Luke,” she murmured.

  He blinked and eased his hand away, pulling them both from the moment.

  “We both know this can’t go anywhere.” His words seemed to ground out through gritted teeth. “No matter how much I want more of you, no matter if you’re jealous or not. We’re still in different places in our lives.”

  He was right and they both knew what was at stake here.

  “So what do you suggest?” she asked.

  He gestured toward the brownies. “Chocolate.”

  Cassandra eyed the plate and couldn’t help but chuckle at the switch from desire to dessert. “Are these your mother’s?”

  Luke let out a bark of laughter. “They’re her recipe, but I made them.”

  “You made them?” Her focus snapped back to Luke. “When we were together before you didn’t know how to do much in the kitchen.”

  His face sobered. “A great deal has changed since you left.”

  On the contrary. Cassandra feared not much had changed at all because she was starting to feel too much while Luke was still not ready for anything real.

  Nothing had changed after all.

  Twelve

  With the wedding now only days away, Cassandra had officially hit panic mode. Every wedding she worked on had her nervous, but those nerves were always the giddy kind, filled with anticipation.

  This was the first time she’d been a bundle of unidentifiable energy. Maybe that was because she was doing the wedding of someone with Hannah Banks’s stature, or maybe it was because she was back in Beaumont Bay once again.

  Or perhaps it was because she still couldn’t get that romantic, sexy man out of her head.

  Cassandra hadn’t seen Luke in person for a couple of days, since he’d surprised her with the picnic. He’d texted a few times, but she kept telling him she was too busy to come up to the bar.

  In truth, she was not only too busy, but she was also forcing herself to put some distance between them.

  With the wedding happening in less than a week, that also meant Cassandra would be going back to Lexington soon. And once she was back home, working on building Be My Guest, she would have to put Beaumont Bay and Luke Sutherland out of her life for good.

  Cassandra glanced to the piano and vowed that she would play later with a glass of wine once she could unwind and relax. For now, though, she had to get to the lake to meet with the florist and finalize plans. Then after that she had to follow up with the security detail because this wedding could not be crashed by unwanted paparazzi.

  As she closed her computer, Cassandra checked her cell and calculated how much time she had before she had to get down to the gazebo by the north end of the lake. Not for another hour, which would be just enough time for—

  The penthouse alarm echoed and had Cassandra jerking her attention toward the door. The only visitor she ever had was Luke. Her heart pounded and she pulled in a shaky breath. She couldn’t dodge him forever, she just had to remember to keep her clothes on this time.

  Cassandra crossed the spacious room and flicked the two locks before opening the door.

  “Dana,” she exclaimed.

  “Oh, my darling.”

  Dana Sutherland barely got the words out before she threw her arms wide and pulled Cassandra in for an embrace. Thrilled to see Luke’s mother after all this time, Cassandra returned the hug.

  After a moment, Dana eased back and smiled.

  “You are even more beautiful than the last time I saw you,” she declared. “I hope this isn’t a bad time, but I kept asking Luke to bring you to the house and he clearly has ignored me.”

  Cassandra stepped back and gestured. “Come on in. I have an hour to spare.”

  “Working on the big wedding, I assume.”

  Cassandra led Dana into the sitting area and took a seat on the sofa. “Are you ready for this?”

  “I can’t wait to finally gain a daughter,” Dana replied. “Hannah is so perfect for Will. Then again, I thought you were perfect for Luke at one time.”

  Is that why Dana had stopped by? To prod at the current status of Cassandra and Luke’s relationship?

  “That wasn’t meant to be,” Cassandra told her. “But Hannah is so lovely. You’re all very lucky to have her join your family.”

  “Presley is an amazing woman, too. I can’t believe I’m gaining two daughters in such a short time.” Dana crossed her legs and rested her arm on the edge of the sofa. “So tell me all about your life in Lexington. Luke tells me you’ve branched out on your own and started a wedding business.”

  “I did, which is why Hannah and Will’s wedding is so important. This will not only be my first high-society event, this will be the first for Be My Guest.”

  Dana smiled. “What an adorable name. I love it. Now, tell me if I’m overstepping, but do you plan on sticking around the Bay or are you set on going back to Lexington?”

  Cassandra couldn’t help but laugh. “I built a life for myself in Kentucky. I have friends, and when I get back I have interviews set up so I can start adding employees because I’m hoping this wedding blows up my new business.”

  “I’m quite confident it will,” Dana assured her. “Hannah has told me what a dream you have been to work with. She will most certainly give you a glowing recommendation to anyone who seeks your assistance.”

  That’s what Cassandra was counting on. The possibilities were endless. This was everything she had ever wanted. A reputable wedding company of her own and a solid foundation that would lead to growth. When she’d left Beaumont Bay years ago, she’d struggled both emotionally and financially. But over time, she had gotten stronger in both areas and now she had every intention of pushing forward. Looking back on any aspect would only put a dark cloud of doubt over her dreams.

  Dana gasped and pulled Cassandra from her thoughts.

  “That ring...”

  Cassandra glanced to her hand and back to Dana, who was still staring with the oddest look on her face.

  “Are you all right?” Cassandra asked.

  Dana blinked and shifted her focus. “What? Oh, um, yes. I just... That ring is beautiful.”

  That vise squeezed tighter around Cassandra’s heart. She’d worn this ring for a couple of weeks, and as foreign as it had felt before, now she was getting more and more used to the band. Luke had really outdone himself on a ring that wasn
’t supposed to mean anything.

  “It’s quite something,” Cassandra agreed. “I’ve seen so many different rings in my line of work, but there’s something so simple and elegant about this one that really makes a statement.”

  Dana still seemed stunned, as if the ring in question had shifted something within her. Cassandra had no clue what was going on in her mind.

  “It’s really great to see you again,” Cassandra stated. “Do you want something to drink or anything?”

  Dana shook her head. “Oh, no, no. I just stopped in to see you. I don’t want to take up too much of your time. But I would kick myself if I didn’t speak my mind while I had the chance.”

  Cassandra braced herself. She knew what was coming, but she loved and respected Dana enough to listen.

  “I don’t think you coming back to the Bay is a coincidence,” she began. “I know you wanted this job, I know my son propositioned you into some ridiculous fake engagement, but I’ve always believed everything happens for a reason.”

  “I would agree with that to some extent,” Cassandra replied.

  Dana eased forward on the sofa and turned to face Cassandra even more. She reached over and patted her knee, while offering that motherly smile that was a precursor to advice.

  “I can’t help but think you two have been given a second chance,” Dana said with utter conviction. Cassandra almost wanted to believe the words. “What if this is where you are supposed to be? What if Luke never got over you?”

  She couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. “Luke is getting along just fine without me. All he ever wanted was those bars and to make a name for himself. He’s done all of that.”

  “But at what cost?” Dana countered. “He’s still got a void in his life, and as his mother, I can tell you that he was a disaster when you left.”

  “That would make two of us,” Cassandra said, defending her actions. “But I couldn’t stay.”

  Dana nodded. “I understand and nobody blamed you. In fact, we all pretty much told him to go after you and get his priorities straight.”

  Clearly that hadn’t happened and Cassandra had actually waited for exactly that. Not to mention he’d pretty much refused to marry her.