“Do you not?”
“Oh, no. I do too.”
Whew. I would have been disappointed if I’d had to give that up.
Alexis slid off her stool. “Can you come over here?”
“Sure.”
I walked to her side of the counter, and she slid her arm in mine.
“Is this okay?”
“Yes.” I put my arm around her. “How about this?”
“Fine by me.”
“Okay if we keep going?” I asked to make sure she really was okay even if it had been her idea.
“Yep.”
Taking a step away, I put my hand on the small of her back. “Is this okay? I know some women don’t like it.”
She held up a finger. “A lot of women don’t like it when random men do it. But if you’re dating me or if you’re my husband, it’s perfectly acceptable.”
“Noted.” I moved close, slid my arm around her front, and drew her back to me. “Is this okay?”
Her answer was breathy and low.
“Can you repeat that?”
“Yes, it’s fine.” She relaxed in my hold.
I hadn’t realized she’d been stiff at first, so I squeezed her middle to let her know she was safe with me. I liked how she felt in my arms.
She moved impossibly closer, and my shaft immediately got the wrong idea.
I jerked back and quickly moved around to her front to face her. “Did we get everything?” I tried to make my voice as even as possible because I was feeling anything but calm.
She stepped toward me and wrapped her arms around me. She was warm and soft and felt too good. “Seems like hugging makes sense.”
“Right,” I said, trying to keep my pelvis from hitting hers.
She slid her arms up to my neck and smiled. “This is going to take some getting used to.”
She has no idea.
“For sure. Anything else?” I sure hoped she was done. I didn’t want to be rude, but my dick was starting to ache.
She laid her head on my chest. “Just the usual when couples are close like this. Are you doing okay?”
“Yep.” My voice sounded like an adolescent boy’s.
She slid her head up and ran her nose against my neck.
I was going to die.
Her breath fanned over my skin, and I was done.
Putting my hands on her upper arms, I gently pushed her back. “Okay, I think we’re good here. I need to go and take a shower.” A cold one.
“Oookay.” She drew out the word, sounding confused, and I felt bad, but I needed to get out of there.
“We’ll talk later.” I took off and bolted up the stairs and straight into my bathroom.
Even with the shower at near freezing temps, I still had to take my cock in my hand and finish myself off.
Chapter Ten
ALEXIS
I wiped the steam off the mirror in the bathroom and sighed.
Turning left and right, I studied my reflection. I knew I wasn’t the prettiest woman in the world, but I didn’t think I was repulsive enough to run away from either.
I had thought Trevor and I were having fun that morning, testing out how much affection we could show one another, until he suddenly bolted.
And since I knew he wasn’t a blushing virgin, it had to be because I’d made him uncomfortable. Was he worried I would get attached to him?
It had been years and years ago that I told Kevin I was interested in Trevor, and Kevin went to find out if Trevor felt the same. When he came back, he told me that Trevor didn’t like me like that. It had broken my teenage heart, and Kevin had promised he didn’t tell Trevor that I was the one asking, but knowing Kevin like I did now, there was a strong chance he had actually told Trevor I liked him. It had happened over a decade ago, and I had ended up dating and marrying Kevin, but there was a chance Trevor remembered what Kevin had said and was worried I’d develop feelings for him again.
I would hope he knew I was smarter than that nineteen-year-old girl, but maybe I needed to make it clear that I understood the marriage was fake and was going to stay that way.
One thing for sure was, this man had my head all twisted. This was why I had decided I wasn’t dating or planning to get married again, yet here I was.
I pulled on my clothes and combed through my hair. I needed a good reminder that I shouldn’t worry what this guy thought of me. I didn’t need to do all the right things to keep him. Which meant that I should march downstairs and tell him he didn’t need to worry.
I finished getting ready and headed downstairs to find Trevor. He was standing in front of the kitchen screen door, staring outside.
“Hey,” I said as I entered the room.
He glanced over his shoulder, a heavy look on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
“When I called my grandmother to invite her over for dinner this weekend to tell her about us, she insisted that we visit her instead. Apparently, Kevin has some big news, but we both know what that news is going to be.”
We do?
“That he’s going to tell your grandma before we can just to piss you off?” I asked as I came to stand beside him.
“Huh. I didn’t even think of that. Especially considering how Nana feels about your divorce.”
What? How does Nana feel? I wanted to ask but didn’t want to interrupt.
“But I think he’s going to tell us he’s getting married to your former exchange student.”
“You mean, your grandma doesn’t know yet? Candace looks like she’s ready to pop.” Leave it to my ex to wait until the last minute.
“Yeah, Kevin said it took some time to get her paperwork to get her back into the country.”
I snorted. “Seems like a shitty reason to not tell Grandma.”
“I agree. He could have told her last week.”
“Do you think he’s doing this because he knows you’re going to tell her about us?”
“Oh, I’m sure of it.” He sighed. “It will also give him a reason to observe us and try to catch us.”
“Yeah, about that.”
He spun toward me. “You’re not changing your mind, are you?”
“No. But I want you to know that you don’t have to be scared of me.”
His brow furrowed, and he chuckled as he looked down at himself and then me, clearly noting our size differences.
“Not like that. I mean, physically.”
He tilted his head to the side.
Ugh. I was messing this up.
“Again, not like that.” I stopped and took a deep breath. For not wanting to remind him of my teenage self, I wasn’t doing a very good job. “I mean, affectionately.”
He smiled. “Are you planning to take advantage of me?” he joked.
“No. And I want you to know, I’m not going to think any touching we do in the name of convincing people is actually real. I won’t get any ideas about you liking me as more than a friend, so please don’t be afraid of pretending we’re a couple in front of others.”
His smile turned into a frown. “I wasn’t worried.”
That was good to hear, but it still didn’t explain him running away from me.
“Where is this coming from?”
Yeah, right. I wasn’t going to point out he’d left me standing in the middle of the room like a fool.
“Nowhere. It was a thought that came to me while showering. Sometimes, I overthink in there.”
He furrowed his brow. “You’re sure that’s all?”
My phone beeped in my pocket before I could answer. It was my mother.
Mom: I’m making your favorite for dinner on Wednesday. Bring your appetites.
“It’s my mom. She said to bring your appetite on Wednesday.”
“You can tell her I always do.”
I sent my reply and rubbed my forehead. This was one more thing to be stressed about. This arrangement was beginning to feel like more work than it should be.
But there was one good thing abo
ut dinner with my parents.
“Wednesday will be a good way for us to practice before dinner with your grandma and Kevin. If my parents suspect something, it won’t matter because they’ll keep it a secret.”
“Yeah. Practice.”
I turned to leave, but Trevor stopped me with a hand on my wrist.
“I still think we should try our best,” he said, meeting my eyes.
I swallowed hard. “I do too.”
He rubbed his thumb over the inside of my arm. “And I promise to not worry about you falling for me.”
His touch felt good, and even if he wasn’t worried, I suddenly wasn’t so sure I shouldn’t be.
Chapter Eleven
TREVOR
“Nervous?” I asked.
Alexis had been shifting in the passenger seat since we’d gotten in the car to go to her parents’ for dinner.
“I’m not exactly excited about lying to my parents.”
On Sunday, she had seemed fine with keeping up our ruse in front of them. I wasn’t sure what had changed since then.
“We could tell them the truth.” I would be disappointed that we wouldn’t get to practice before dinner with Nana and Kevin on Saturday, but I didn’t want her to be uncomfortable all night.
I flipped on my left turn signal to switch lanes. As I did that, a black sedan behind me did the same. It was unusual since we were on the interstate, but a voice in my head told me to keep an eye out.
Alexis sighed. “I don’t think so. I can already see my mother’s disappointment. She would not approve of us getting married for this reason. She’s already excited that I have a chance at love again. I don’t want to ruin this for her. Let her have this—for now.”
I could understand that, and I didn’t blame her. “Tonight will be good practice for dinner with my brother and grandmother,” I reminded her. “And we have an appointment on Monday with the lawyer about your case. It will all be worth it.”
Her eyes shifted to me and then away. “Right.” Her voice was flat, and she seemed unhappy.
Her demeanor and the way she’d been so far this week had me second-guessing the PDA limits we had set with each other.
Last weekend, she’d told me that she was okay with them, but since then, she’d kept her distance from me. It was a polite distance but still a distance. I’d told myself it was because we hadn’t gone out in public, but I was beginning to think I was just making excuses. Even if we weren’t all over each other at home, she didn’t have to stay away from me.
“We could always cancel dinner,” I offered.
Her head flipped around incredibly fast. “We can’t do that. We’re supposed to be there in twenty minutes.”
I held up one hand. “It was just an offer. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I already told you I’m willing to lie.”
“I was more talking about me.” I slowed down to turn right, and the black sedan did also. I frowned.
“You? You’re uncomfortable with lying to my parents?”
I looked away from my rearview mirror. “I suppose I am, but I was referring to you being uncomfortable around me.”
“I’m not uncomfortable being—where are you going? You’re not supposed to turn there.”
“I think someone’s following us.”
Alexis gasped and started to turn around.
Quickly, I clamped my hand down on her leg. “Don’t turn around. He’ll know we know.”
She fell back against her seat. “Oh my God. Who would be following us?” She arched her back again just as fast. “Are you a criminal?”
“Really, Alexis? You’ve known me for a long time.”
She threw her hands up. “But it doesn’t mean I know you. All I know is that I’m not a criminal, so whoever is behind us isn’t following me.”
I shook my head. “You watch too many movies. I’m not a criminal.”
“Then, how do you explain the car? And where are we going to go now? We can’t lead them to my parents.”
“It’s only one person. A guy. And I have a pretty good idea why he’s following us.”
She gasped again. “So, you lied to me.”
“For fuck’s sake, I didn’t lie. I’d be willing to bet money that my brother hired someone to dig up information on us. Like a private investigator. And that’s why we’re being followed.”
Her mouth opened and closed. “Oh. That’s actually a really good theory.”
“Ya think?”
“No need to be rude.”
“You just called me a liar. And a criminal.”
“Sorry about that. I panicked.”
“I noticed.”
“Ooh, I know how I can get a look.” Alexis flipped down her visor and pulled out some lipstick. She pretended to put on her lipstick while her eyes shifted back and forth. “I can’t tell much.”
“I figured. Does your dad have binoculars?”
She pushed her visor up. “We’re still going there?”
“Yes. If I’m right, which I’m ninety-nine percent sure I am, he’s not dangerous. But I would like to get a look at him once we get to your parents’, see if he parks and watches us. Binoculars would really help.”
“I think my dad has a pair.”
“Can you find them without asking him? A private investigator might be hard to explain.”
“I’m sure I can manage.”
“So, if he is doing this for my brother, the best thing we can do is to let him think we haven’t noticed him. Which means we’re going to have to act like we’re in love with each other, even when we’re not in front of others.”
“That makes sense.” She shifted in her seat.
“It’s a good thing your parents don’t know the truth.”
“I agree.”
When we turned onto her parents’ street, the dark sedan kept going. I felt the tension leave my body and realized I’d been more on edge than I thought.
“The car’s gone.”
This time, I didn’t stop Alexis when she looked behind us. “Do you think it was a coincidence and the person was going the same way?”
I wanted to say yes to put her at ease, but I wasn’t sure. “Maybe. Or maybe he knew turning onto a residential street would make him more obvious. Either way, we don’t have to worry about him.”
I pulled into the driveway of her parents’ house and checked the rearview mirror one more time before getting out. I took Alexis’s hand, and we walked to the front door.
“We’re here,” Alexis called out when we entered, and the couple came out from the back of the house.
I had met Alexis’s parents a few times when she was married to my brother. They had always seemed nice, but I sensed their wariness as soon as they walked into the room.
I slid my arm around my wife as she said, “Mom, Dad, this is my husband, Trevor. Trevor, these are my parents, Pat and Angie.”
“Nice to meet you again,” I said, holding out my free hand.
Her parents accepted my gesture and shook my hand, but both of their smiles were only given out of politeness.
“Thanks for having me over for dinner,” I said. “It smells delicious in here.”
Pat crossed his arms over his chest. “Ang is making her famous pot roast.” He narrowed his eyes. “Your brother never liked her pot roast.”
I squeezed Alexis closer. “Well, my brother is famous for not knowing a good thing when he has it.”
Her dad didn’t move while I held my breath.
A few seconds later, he dropped his arms, but his face was still sullen. “Hopefully, you do.”
“I assure you, I do.”
“We’ll see about that.” Pat turned and walked away.
Chapter Twelve
ALEXIS
As my dad walked away, my mom met my eyes. “Come into the kitchen whenever you’re ready. I’ll get you two something to drink.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’m going to give Trevor a tour first.”
My mother followed my dad, and Trevor looked down at me.
“Your father isn’t a fan of Kevin, I take it?”
“He hates him.” I shrugged. “Not that I can blame him.”
He smiled tenderly. “I don’t.”
I realized that his arm was still around me, so I stepped away. “I think my dad will warm up. Just give him a few…” I trailed off as movement outside the front window caught my eye. I gasped. “Trevor, I think he’s back.”
Trevor spun around just as a black car parked across the street. “He’s not even trying to hide.” He looked back over at me. “I think it’s time to find those binoculars.”
“They’re probably in the basement.”
We headed downstairs to the spot where my dad kept his hunting gear and rummaged around.
“Your dad’s a hunter?”
“Yeah. He goes out a couple times a year during deer season.” I opened up a cabinet and found what I was looking for. “Aha. I found them.”
“Great.”
When we got back to the main floor, my dad was standing at the top of the stairs. His brow furrowed when he saw what I was holding. “What are you doing with my binoculars?”
“Uh…” I couldn’t tell my father someone had been following us. He’d freak out, so I came up with the first thing that popped into my head. “I’ve started bird-watching, and I wanted to show Trevor a bird outside.”
“You started bird-watching?” My father’s face was full of skepticism, for which I didn’t blame him.
“Uh-huh.” I couldn’t keep lying, so I stepped around him. “Come on, Trevor. Let’s go upstairs and look.” I felt my dad’s eyes on me until we were out of his sight.
“That was painful and difficult to watch.”
“Shut up.”
Trevor laughed from behind me.
I led him into the front bedroom. “I got you the binoculars, didn’t I?” I pointed out, pushing them against his chest.
“Oof.” He took a step back. “Yes, you did.”
“So, how do you want to do this?” The window in the bedroom had curtains and blinds that were open. “We probably shouldn’t pull the blinds up.”
Not Another Fake Marriage (Not Another Romance) Page 5