“You’re not going to talk about it?”
“I don’t know if there’s much to talk about, Mother.”
Her mother snarled, just a slight one before she put her face back to its resting position. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that Guy should be here at any moment.”
“Guy?” Madison asked, confused.
“Guy. The man you’re going to marry. Not Aaron Montgomery.”
“What? No. You’re not going to set me up, Mother. I appreciate that you want to find me someone that will make me happy,” she lied. “But I’ve already found someone.”
That was also a lie. But what was she supposed to say?
“Guy is handsome, comes from a good family, and has money. You won’t want for anything. It’s about time you step up, take care of your responsibilities, and stop acting like a spoiled child.”
“I have a job. A business that I own. I don’t take anything from you. How on earth is that me acting spoiled?”
“I put a roof over your head, young lady. You need to listen to me.”
“I’m grateful that you did the bare minimum to raise me, but I’m sorry. I’m not going to marry someone I don’t know.”
“So you’re going to keep up the charade about Aaron Montgomery? He might be a catch, but you’ll never be good enough for him.”
Madison ignored the verbal slap and the pain that slid through her. “And yet you think I’m good enough for Guy?”
“Oh, you’re not. But he understands his place, just like you will.”
“I just...you need to go.” Madison ignored the hurt filling her, the rage that mixed with it. She was just so tired. But her mother never let up. And her dad didn’t care. Why did she keep putting herself in this situation? Oh, yes, because somehow, she still loved them despite everything.
Why couldn’t she just make it stop or let go?
“Please go. My shop is not the place for this. There is no place for this, honestly. Just go.”
“Why don’t you understand that I’m just trying to help?”
Madison didn’t know why her mom kept doing this. It didn’t make any sense, yet nothing her mother said these days did.
“Hey, Brynn said you were back here,” Aaron said from the doorway. Madison froze for the barest instant before relief flooded her. She hated herself a little bit that she felt the weight lift. She had been standing up to her mother, had been trying to do her best. But in the end, her mom wouldn’t listen. Yet with one sentence from Aaron Montgomery, relief filled her. Her mother turned, her focus on him now rather than Madison.
Why couldn’t she just fix what was going on with her family?
Or maybe there was nothing to fix. Nothing left to put back together.
That wasn’t a happy thought at all.
Aaron came to her side, nodded at her mother, and then kissed Madison square on the lips, running his hand down her back. She tried not to lean into him, crave a better taste, or do anything but hold back the moan that threatened to escape.
Why was that little action, something that seemed as if they had done it a thousand times before, making her feel as if she could swoon? She was not someone who swooned.
“Hi,” Aaron said, his voice low and husky.
“Hi,” she said and then cleared her throat as she moved away. Aaron slid his hand over hers and squeezed her fingers. “As I said, Brynn said you were back here, so I made my way over. Hello there, Mrs. McClard. How are you doing?”
“Aaron.”
“You guys having fun back here? Have you tried the double chocolate sin cupcakes that Madison has up there? I might have to take half a dozen home, just for myself. I’m in the middle of a project, but I could use a sugar rush.”
“Those are decadent,” Madison said, smiling. Warmth filled her at Aaron’s compliment, and for some reason, she knew that he was serious. Aaron did not lie; that was who he was. The fact that he was lying about this whole charade of theirs worried her. He didn’t exaggerate anything when it came to the details in his life.
She figured he must really love her cupcakes.
She really shouldn’t feel so much joy about that.
“I don’t eat cupcakes,” her mother said, her tone icy. “I see you’re going to keep up this little deception.”
“Deception?” Aaron asked. “Oh, I get it. You don’t believe the news of our engagement. Understandable. We were keeping it a secret for so long that it does seem a little out of the blue. I’m sorry for that. However, that does remind me of something.” Aaron turned and pulled something out of his pocket. Madison’s eyes widened as she looked down at the velvet box in his hand.
“What?” she breathed.
“I know you don’t wear jewelry when you bake, but I figured you could at least wear it around your neck. Maybe next time you won’t leave it on my nightstand.” He winked at that, and she felt her face heat from the blush.
Aaron Montgomery had just insinuated, in front of her mother, that she had slept over at his house.
Where was a hole so she could crawl in and bury herself?
“Aaron,” she whispered.
“No, no. If I’m going to give you a chain with this ring, I should do it right.” And then he went down on one knee in front of her. She blinked down at him, wondering what the hell was happening.
A gasp sounded from the doorway, and Madison looked over to see Brynn and some of her other staff members and a few regulars standing there. Their gazes were filled with wonder and tears. A few people had their phones out.
Dear God. So this was going to be a thing. Something she couldn’t take back.
But she had seen the nearly hopeful and perhaps a bit confused look on her mother’s face, so Madison wouldn’t walk away from this. Because maybe her mom would back off just a bit and they could find a happy medium with their relationship.
That was why she and Aaron were doing this, after all. She turned back to Aaron, her hands clasped in front of her as if afraid to touch anything. When he lifted the lid, she sucked in a breath.
It was gorgeous. A beautiful diamond with small pink stones surrounding it in an antique setting. It looked as if it had been made just for her, and it seemed...real.
“Aaron,” she whispered.
“I work with glass every day, and I create art, but I couldn’t get this ring just right for you, not with the stones involved. However, when I saw it, I thought of you. Maybe one day you’ll let me design something else special. But for now, will you marry me, Madison McClard?”
Someone gasped, and she knew it had to be Brynn.
How would she explain to them that this was fake?
Or should she?
How had she let this get so complicated?
“What do you say?” Aaron asked. “I mean, I’ve already asked you before, but…” he whispered.
The lie.
The deception.
None of this was real.
What she felt blossoming in her heart for this man on one knee wasn’t real either.
Was it?
“Yes, of course. Of course, I’ll marry you.”
He grinned and then stood up, pulling the ring out of the box. That’s when she realized that it was indeed on a chain. He smiled and slid it over her head so the ring landed against her chest, nestled between her breasts.
Aaron gave her a grin that told her he knew exactly where the ring had landed, and she could’ve pinched him just then. Instead, she just looked up at him and wondered what the hell was happening.
She was shell-shocked, couldn’t even focus, but people were cheering and laughing and crying. Her mother was silent, staring at the two of them as if she were seeing them for the first time.
Madison felt like she was seeing Aaron for the first time.
No, no, no, no.
This couldn’t be happening. She could not be falling for her fiancé. That was against the rules. It had to be.
“Well, then. You’ll come to dinner. Tomorrow. No excuses.”
And on that pronouncement, her mother made her way out of the room, people giving her a wide berth. Madison stood there, turning her head to stare at Aaron, who just grinned.
Aaron.
Her fiancé.
Her lie.
And the man she couldn’t let herself fall for.
Chapter 6
Aaron hoped he wasn’t supposed to wear a tie for this. He wasn’t sure there was a dress code for an uppity, most likely horrendous family dinner for your fake fiancée.
There was no manual for this, even if Aaron had read a few books where the idea had been introduced. In those, no one cared what you wore because you were too busy being stressed out about what to say and where to sit. You were too worried about the feelings you had for the person at your side, rather than whether you should have tied a piece of fabric around your neck.
Somehow, Aaron was able to worry about it all.
Even if it made him feel a bit like he was losing his mind.
He looked at himself in the mirror, smoothed his shirt, and slid his jacket over his shoulders.
Why was he doing this again?
Oh, yes. To make sure that Madison knew that she was cared for, and to give her time to breathe after an insanely horrible interaction with her mother.
So why then did he feel like he was making a horrible mistake?
It had to be the idea of the tie. That was why Aaron had all of these oddly confusing thoughts.
No other reason.
He ran his hand over his newly clean-shaven face and grimaced. He usually liked having a full beard, or at least a bit of scruff, but he’d shaved for her. He wasn’t even sure what Madison preferred. Not that it mattered. Because they wouldn’t be doing anything with each other.
They were only friends. This whole thing was just them being friendly.
And if he kept telling himself that, he might actually believe it.
No, it was the truth. It couldn’t be anything else. It wasn’t safe for it to be anything else.
He was doing this for Madison.
He made his way to his car after picking up flowers for Maeve and then steeled himself for the evening. This was not going to be fun. It would probably be horrible. But at least he’d have something to talk about later with his family.
That wasn’t a good enough reason to do this tonight, but Madison needed him. So, he would make it work.
Ten minutes later, he pulled up in front of Madison’s house, grateful that she lived close to him. Her parents lived on the other side of the city in a gated community and had a larger house than even Liam.
He shook his head. He was letting his thoughts trail because he didn’t want to do what he needed to do tonight. He just wanted to go home and read a book or turn on a movie and let his mind go in a direction where he could focus on his work later. But that wasn’t what Madison needed. Though he wasn’t sure either of them knew what she needed. Not really. Regardless, he would be by her side to try and help.
And he’d try not to think about her naked. Yes, that was an essential part of his plan tonight.
To not think about Madison naked.
His cock filled at the thought, and he looked down at it, cursing.
“Nope. We are not doing that today. Got it?”
Now he was scolding his dick. There was something seriously wrong with him.
Aaron pushed those weird thoughts from his mind, got out of his car, and made his way to Madison’s front door. He knocked quietly, almost as if afraid she’d answer. When she opened the door, she smiled at him, and he saw that her eyes were wide with the same kind of panic he felt.
He should probably stop swallowing his tongue and say something.
She looked gorgeous.
Absolutely stunning.
Even if it was a conservative dress that went past her knees and capped her shoulders without even a hint of cleavage. It still showcased her curves to the point that he had trouble thinking.
“Hi,” Madison said, and Aaron swallowed hard.
“Hey. You look great.”
She rolled her eyes. “I look like a secretary from the fifties, but that’s fine. It’s the best dress I have that my mother would approve of.”
He raised a brow.
“I don’t usually care what I wear, but considering that we’re going over as a couple to this thing, I didn’t want to add more fuel to the fire by wearing something I actually like.”
“And here I was, thinking that you looked fucking fantastic. I apologize for being wrong.”
Her cheeks flamed, and he wanted to reach out and brush his knuckles across her skin to see if he could cool her down.
Instead, he made sure his hands were at his sides and nodded.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
“Yes, I am. You look great too, by the way.”
Aaron just shook his head. “I spent forever trying to decide if I needed a tie. This is like the weirdest prom ever.”
She gave him a look and then threw her head back and laughed.
“Where’s my corsage, then?”
Aaron snapped his fingers and shook his head. “I knew I forgot something. I almost brought you flowers, but then I thought that was weird. I do have flowers in the car, but they’re for your mom. And now I feel even weirder.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet. And you were right to not get me flowers. Mostly because I’d have no idea what to do with them because I don’t think I have a vase right now.”
“We’re bad at this, aren’t we?”
“Considering I don’t know what this is and there’s no path? Maybe we’re doing okay.”
Aaron smiled and held out a hand. When she took it, he did his best not to cheer. They were just friends, one doing a favor for the other. That was all they needed to be.
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
“We can run away and never deal with my family again if you’d like?” she said quickly. Aaron froze, giving her hand a squeeze as he shook himself out of his reverie.
“Is that what you want to do? We can go elope right now if you want.” He was only joking, but given the way her eyes widened, he was afraid that she didn’t get the joke. Hell, he wasn’t sure he got it.
“What do you want to do, Madison? I’m in. No matter what.”
“I just want to get this over with so my mother can lord the fact that she thinks we’re lying over me. Which we are. But maybe they’ll give me space so I can breathe and not have to deal with them. Because, Aaron? If I walk away right now… If I never talk to them again? It won’t matter. They’ll still find me and judge me. This way, hopefully, it will get them off my back.”
“That’s why we’re doing this. I’m here for you. That’s what friends are for.” He helped her into the car and tried not to think about why his chest constricted at that statement. They were friends. That’s why they were doing this. They didn’t need to be anything more than that. Sure, they were engaged, but it wasn’t real.
They were silent during the car ride. It was completely awkward, and he didn’t know what to say.
“They’re going to ask questions.”
“They are,” he said. “And we can tell them the truth as we have been. Our version of it anyway. That we’re friends and met because of Lincoln—a person they know.”
“And don’t necessarily like,” Madison added.
“Their loss. They’re just assholes.” Aaron ground out the words and sighed. “That’s probably not the best way to start this thing. They know how we met. They know that we hang out. Because we do. Just because your mom doesn’t believe this as of yet—which sort of makes sense considering it was out of the blue—that doesn’t mean we can’t try to pull it off. It’s why we’re here. We’re going to make it believable. Which means you need to stop freezing every time I touch you.”
She gave him a look as they pulled up to the gate. “I do not flinch.”
“You do. Then again, I freeze every time you reach out and touch me, too. It’s something
we’re going to have to get over.”
He reached through the window and punched in the code that Lincoln had given him. The gate started to pull back, and he looked over at Madison, noticing that her eyes were wide. “Maybe we should’ve talked about this before. They’re going to know. More than they already know.”
“I know.” He smiled at that. “And that was a whole lot of knowing just now.”
“Should I say I know, or should I just keep going over the fact that we’re going to get caught? They’re going to hate me even more than they already do.”
Aaron slowed to a crawl on their way to the house. “If they hate you so much, and you truly believe that, then why are we doing this?”
That was honest. Yes, the idea of a fake fiancée and all the stuff that came with it sounded fun and was an interesting way to get out of the typical day-to-day gloom, but it was a lie. And Aaron hated lying.
“I don’t want to lose them forever. And I know that makes me sound a little bit sad—the fact that I can’t just walk away. But they used to be so sweet and amazing. I figured maybe if they saw that I was happy, finally, they’d go back to the way things were.”
Aaron was silent for enough time that Madison started to squirm in her seat.
“I hope that’s true. I hope this gives you some form of peace. And you know what? I’m going to make sure that happens. Because, fuck this.”
That startled a laugh out of her.
“Fuck this?” she asked, still laughing.
“Yes. Fuck this. We’re going to make this work. We’re going to be the best fake engaged couple ever. And I’m going to hold your hand and hold the door for you. And then I’m going to pull your chair out for you. I’m going to be amazing. The world will be jealous that I am not their fake fiancé.”
“I’m pretty sure some are already jealous,” Madison said dryly.
Aaron pulled into the circular driveway and gave her a startled look. “What?”
She waved him off. “Brynn and the girls at the café already chitter and get all swoony over you. The fact that I’m the one who ‘tagged’ you?” She used air quotes on the word tagged, and Aaron barked out a laugh.
The two of them laughing was the first thing Madison’s family heard from the front steps. The McClard valet—yes, they had a valet for the evening—had opened the doors to Aaron’s car, and their laughter was clear for all to hear.
Seduced in Ink: A Montgomery Ink: Boulder Novel Page 6
