The Bodyguard's Fake Marriage

by Bree Livingston

  “What a creep. Are you sure you believe his brother, though? Maybe he just got cold feet.”

  Peyton flopped back. “Oh, I believe him. Plus, there’s the picture of Frank in Paris, kissing someone.”

  “Already?”

  “Yep. I sure know how to pick ’em, huh?”

  This was her third engagement. And the third one to end almost as soon as it began. She could hear her baby sister ribbing her already. She loved Lori, but, man, there were times when Peyton just wanted to sock her.

  Was it really her fault that she picked guys who seemed great and then turned out to be horrible? It wasn’t like she had a flag flying that said, Welcome, losers.

  Was it really so bad to want to be loved?

  Her bottom lip trembled, and a tear ran down her cheek. Grabbing a tissue, she blew her nose for the umpteenth time. “Ouch. I should have gotten the tissues with lotion in them.” She sniffed. “I can’t stop crying. It’s so unlike me.”

  “You should call Gus.”

  Normally, she would’ve called her best friend, Gustaf Grant. If she called him, she knew he’d make her feel better. He’d fly in from his New York penthouse to her sardine-sized apartment in Alaska and veg on the couch with her, watching horribly sappy movies while telling her what an idiot Frank was. That was what he always did when she had a bad breakup.

  “I can’t, Tracey. He’s opening his resort in Hawaii on Christmas Eve. That’s just two days away.”

  When he started his matchmaking app four years ago, Peyton never would have expected it to be as wildly successful as it was. Not that she didn’t have faith in him or that it wouldn’t be a hit. She just didn’t imagine an unbelievably wealthy kind of successful. Who knew the lanky boy who moved in next door to her childhood home in Juneau would grow up to be Mr. Matchmaker and own a resort?

  “Yeah, but that’s why you call him your best friend.” Tracey paused. “See, now, he’s the guy you should be engaged to—tall, handsome, and wealthy.”

  Peyton rolled her eyes. “He’s my best friend. That’s all. He made it clear a long time ago that all he wanted was to be friends.”

  Tracey exhaled heavily. “The way he looks at you says he doesn’t think that anymore.”

  “No, that’s just Gus. He’s wonderful. And only my best friend. I wouldn’t want to do anything that could ruin that. He means too much to me.” Which is why she’d kept Paris from him. She was waiting for the right time to tell him.

  Her phone vibrated with an incoming call, and she pulled it back to check the screen. Gus? They talked almost every day but usually before bed. It was three in the afternoon. Why would he be calling this early?

  “Oh, hey, speak of the devil. That’s Gus,” Peyton said.

  “Okay, well, call me if you need anything, girl. You know I’ve got your back.”

  “Thanks, Trace. Talk to you later.” Peyton switched calls. “Hey, Gus-G―Hey.” She’d stopped calling him Gus-Gus in high school after he wouldn’t speak to her for a week. The only way to get him to talk to her was to promise never to use it again. She still had to catch herself once in a while.

  “Hey! How’s my favorite girl?” His voice was cheery, making her smile.

  “I’m great. How’s my favorite guy?” This had been the way they’d answered the phone since the Bambi Bumgardner incident in fifth grade. Bambi had been mean to Gus because his name was goofy. She said no girl would ever want to date him because he was a weirdo.

  Back then, Gus had worn baggy slacks and button-ups, and the kids made fun of him, mostly because his clothes looked as if they belonged to someone fifty years older. But Peyton had liked him from the moment she met him. She told him that what Bambi said wasn’t true and he was her favorite boy. From there, it just stuck.

  He laughed. “I can’t be your favorite guy anymore. I believe that job was taken by Frank.”

  Ouch. Bon Jovi was right. Shot through the heart. “You’ll always be my favorite guy. There’s just a tie now.” Not. Frank could go skydiving without a parachute. No, it was wrong to even think something such as that. Just because he was awful didn’t mean she was going to stoop to his level.

  “Oh, thanks.” He laughed. “I bet you’re wondering why I called.”

  “You’re psychic. Do you charge by the hour? Should I get my credit card?”

  Gus snorted. “I wish. No, I’m calling because I’m flying in, and I was hoping we could hang out before I leave for Hawaii tomorrow. I have a Christmas present for you.”

  Flying into Juneau? What? Oh no. How was she going to hide her miserable week from him? Crud.

  “Oh, Gus, you didn’t have to do that.” Of course he’d get her a present. The day after tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and by then, he’d be in Hawaii. “But I didn’t get you anything yet. I didn’t know what to get, and I didn’t know you’d be in town.”

  “I know, but I wanted to. And I don’t care about a present or I’d have warned you I was coming. That new promotion of yours deserves some celebration too. I’m taking you out to dinner. After, we’ll rent a movie and hang out on the couch. I need some down time before I put my game face on.”

  Seriously, he didn’t know he was shooting arrows, but, man, it didn’t keep them from hurting. She covered the receiver with her hand and took a deep breath to keep from crying. She refused to put a damper on his big opening day.

  “Are you there?” The phone shuffled. “Hello? Aw, I got cut off.” It sounded like he was about to hang up.

  “No! I’m here. Just overwhelmed by how sweet you are. This is why you’re my favorite guy and why I don’t understand how you’re still single.” She’d tried to set him up so many times over the years, but either he wouldn’t be interested or he’d have to cancel at the last minute.

  “I’m too busy for a relationship, and I enjoy being a bachelor. I don’t have to worry about anything but me and my company. Besides, I’m not single. I have my best friend.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Yes, I know, but stop worrying. I’m okay.”

  Peyton shook her head. “All right, fine. When are you supposed to be here?”

  He made a little humming noise, the kind that said I’m looking at the clock. “In about forty-five minutes.”

  Holy cow. She looked around her apartment, and her eyes went wide. It was the scene straight out of You’ve Got Mail. Used tissues, scattered clothes, and half-eaten bowls of ice cream were everywhere. She did a sniff test and wondered if Gus could smell her from his plane. “Why didn’t you call sooner?”

  “I told you I wanted to surprise you.” He sucked in a sharp breath. “Unless Frank is there. Am I interrupting something?”

  “Oh, no, I just…I need to go so I can get ready. The last time you took me out to dinner, I had on jeans when I should have been wearing a runway dress.”

  “Peyton, you always look great, and that restaurant was full of snobs. Dress how you want.” He was being nice. She’d practically been dressed for a hoedown, and he’d taken her to a restaurant that didn’t have prices on the menu. He’d acted like nothing was off and that people weren’t staring at her and wondering what bridge she lived under.

  “Okay, I need to go so I can be ready when you get here.”

  “All right. I’ll be there shortly. I’ve got a car rented, so I’ll pick you up.”

  She smiled. “Okay, I’ll see you then.”

  “Bye, favorite girl.”

  “Bye, favorite guy.”

  She ended the call and hit the nitrous button. Her apartment was always immaculate. If Gus arrived and saw it was trashed, he’d know immediately that something was wrong, and there’d be no way for her to hide it. Good thing her place was small; otherwise, she’d never get it clean in time.

  As she zipped around, it struck her as funny that, once again, Gus was rescuing her without even knowing it. His coming into town was what she needed. Good food, his humor, and time spent with her best friend. Yeah, she’d keep her misery to he
rself until he got back after New Year’s. She pushed down the thoughts of gloom and concentrated on her apartment.

  Once she was finished with her cleaning, she put her hands on her hips and let her gaze sweep the space. She pulled out her phone, and her eyes widened. Ten minutes? Great. With a speed she didn’t know she had, she ran to the bathroom and began getting ready.

  Her dark hair was a rat’s nest, her nose could’ve been sandblasted, and her eyes were so puffy they looked like they’d been injected with collagen. She was an absolute mess. Why had she allowed herself to get in this shape? This wasn’t her usual. Sitting in a funk wasn’t her style, and she’d been doing it for the last week.

  She was done feeling sorry for herself. It never helped anyone anyway. Nope, she was finding her bootstraps and pulling them up—starting with her best foundation and brightest lipstick. After today, she was getting herself back out there and living her life. No more whining.

  Sneak Peek! The Matchmaker’s Fake Marriage Chapter 2

  Setting the phone down, Gus Grant smiled. In no time at all, he’d be seeing his best friend, Peyton. They never went more than a few days without talking, but it had been almost four months since he’d seen her, and he was nervous. He didn’t know why. He’d given up any hope of them being together long ago.

  During the summer between ninth and tenth grade, something had changed in him…changed in the way he saw her. Right before school started, he’d kissed her in the middle of his backyard. Instead of saying anything, she’d looked at him wide-eyed and walked away.

  A few days passed before she spoke to him again, and she acted like it never happened. Then a few months later, Gus overheard her tell her friend Leslie that she’d never see him as more than a brother. Sure, that was their sophomore year of high school, but more than once, she’d referred to him as the brotherly type. He’d since packed away his feelings for her and was happy with the way things were.

  Of course, she’d look as good as always. Her dark hair would be perfectly curled and sitting just atop her shoulders with the bangs sideswept, accenting her cute little nose and perfectly pink Cupid’s bow lips. She’d wear a dress that showed off her soft, creamy skin and, more than likely, her delicate collarbone and slender neck. And she’d have no idea the effect she had on him.

  Just a friend. Three of the worst words ever strung together, followed closely by their evil twin, like a brother. He hated both of those, but that’s what he was…and it would never change.

  He couldn’t understand what she saw in any of the guys she fell for. The first engagement ended when the doofus cheated on her, and the second one ended when the guy decided he wasn’t ready to commit—which he should have known before he asked her. And now Frank? Gus couldn’t stand the man. One face-to-face with the guy when he and Peyton first started dating, and Gus was not impressed.

  His phone rang, and he answered it.

  “Hey, Gus, how’s the flight?” asked Tyrone Reid, his business partner and friend.

  When Gus had first arrived in New York, it’d been overwhelming. He’d just graduated from college, left Juneau and Peyton, and he was homesick. It was just coincidence that he met Ty. An acquaintance had invited him to a party, and he and Ty both hated it. They’d left the flashing lights and loud music for the quiet of a coffee shop. Since then, they’d become tight.

  “It’s all right. What’s up?” Ty didn’t typically call without a reason.

  “I have some news.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

  Ty cleared his throat. “You know that journalist for the Forever in Love magazine? Justine Pruitt?”

  Oh yeah, Gus remembered her. Anytime she got the chance, she’d hound him about his bachelor status. How is it that Mr. Matchmaker can’t find his own match? “Uh, yeah. You wanted her to do an article about the resort.”

  “It would be good for us. A positive piece from her, and the resort will be booked until forever.”

  “I know, and I’m cool with that,” Gus said. “But she wasn’t going to be able to make it to the grand opening.”

  “I got a call from her assistant today. Her schedule opened up, and she’ll be flying in for it.”

  Great. That was the last thing he needed. “She’s not trying to stay the week, is she? Because the bungalows are booked solid, and the rooms in the main house aren’t exactly the same atmosphere if we are trying to get a good review.”

  “No, she’s just coming in for the night and taking a tour, and then she has some other engagement in Honolulu. Are you cool with her doing a piece on the resort?”

  Gus raked his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll just avoid her. I don’t want to be dealing with her nagging me about being a bachelor.”

  “She’s a journalist for a romance magazine, and you’re a single twenty-eight-year-old self-made billionaire. Of course she’s going to want to know about your relationship status and why you aren’t using your own service. And maybe she’s interested for personal reasons.” He laughed.

  “Stop. She doesn’t know anything about me. I like being a bachelor. Why is that so hard to understand? I’m free to do what I want. Plus, I did use the service, remember?” What a disaster. He’d used his real name, and women had changed their profiles to match his. There were hundreds who matched him, and maybe even a handful that truly matched—if he’d actually been interested.

  Ty laughed. “I’m sorry, man. I just wanted you to find someone and be happy. When I suggested you put your profile up, never in a million years did I think anyone would try to manipulate the system.”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t either, but at least I was able to fix it before it happened to someone else.”

  “And that torch you’re carrying for Peyton has nothing to do with it?”

  Tyrone had met Peyton when they’d first become partners, and he knew instantly how Gus felt about her. Since then, Ty had been needling Gus to tell her how he felt. But he didn’t get it. He hadn’t seen the shocked look on her face when Gus kissed her. Ty hadn’t heard how she said “brother” to her friend Leslie. It had almost seemed as though she was disgusted by the idea that they could be more than friends. No, Gus was better off accepting reality.

  “I’ve told you. She thinks of me as a friend. That hasn’t changed.”

  Ty grunted. “Man, you kissed her out of the blue in the middle of your yard in the beginning of tenth grade. Of course the girl was going to be shocked.”

  “Sure, I understand shocked, but it doesn’t change what she said to her friend. She thinks of me as a brother.”

  “That was years ago. You’re both different.”

  “She’s engaged, Ty. For the third time. What more of a statement do you need?”

  “Because she doesn’t know you’re interested.”

  Gus dropped his head back against the seat. “Seriously, can you just let this go?”

  Ty exhaled sharply. “Fine, but you’re an idiot.”

  “Can we change the subject?”

  “All right. How’s this for a change of subject? Have you looked at the website? People are already trying to find out when the next event will be held.”

  “Yeah, this is a hit. People like the idea of being able to meet somewhere safe and neutral. I knew it’d pay off.”

  “Having the resort in Hawaii was brilliant. Still tropical and beautiful but affordable too. It gives normal everyday people a chance.”

  Gus nodded. “Buying it cheap helped too.”

  That’s why he’d picked the place. Eddie, his real estate agent, flippantly showed it to him for an investment property, thinking Gus would laugh it off. Instead, it had given Gus his best idea yet. To take his matchmaking app to a new level. He’d even made sure all the participants were crossmatched so that everyone there was compatible. It was going to be amazing.

  The place had been in such disrepair that Gus almost changed his mind when he saw it in person, but after he and Ty discussed it, they went for it. They took t
he rundown resort and turned it into a beautiful spot. Once their contractors and designers were finished with it, it was more than Gus could have imagined.

  “Keeping the costs down was the smartest thing we did. I mean, I know we’re making money at this, but I also feel like we’re really helping people.” Gus had wanted regular people who were lonely to be able to afford it. People such as his mom, who had spent much of her life alone and sad after his dad left her.

  A lump formed in his throat. She’d been gone two years, and thinking about her still choked him up. They’d been a team from the moment his dad left. When his mom found a seamstress job in Juneau, they’d moved from South Dakota. The job almost didn’t work out, but then she was offered a promotion, sparing them another move that would’ve taken him away from his best friend. They never had much money, but they always had what they needed.

  “Well, yeah. Good thing Eddie showed it to you.”

  “Yeah, it was.”

  Ty sighed. “Thinking about your mom?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’d be proud of you,” Ty said. He’d met Gus’s mother when they first decided to be business partners. She’d loved Ty, and because Ty lost his own mom when he was in his teens, he understood the loss better than most.

  “Thanks.”

  “No, I mean it. You thought about Regular Joes when we bought the place. People like your mom. She’s smiling down on you, man.”

  The lump Gus thought he’d swallowed doubled in size. “You think so?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  Before Gus could respond, a ding in the cabin signaled the plane was starting its landing procedures. “Oh, hey, gotta go. I’ll see you at the resort, right?”

  “See you there.”

  “And Ty?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks.”

  Gus ended the call and put his phone away. Justine Pruitt. A weird feeling settled into the pit of his stomach. She’d been hounding him for an interview, and now she was going to be at the resort. He hoped her persistence was simply business related.