“Well, it’s not Mr. Wrong for me. He’s Mr. Mistake,” I pointed out.
Winter waved her hands in the air. “Same difference.”
“And he looks like Mr. Wrong to me. The guy even drives a motorcycle.” Samantha had a smug look on her face. “I bet he has tattoos too.” She eyed me closely. “Does he?’
I suppose I should know that since we’d hypothetically slept together.
I resorted to a shrug and enjoyed the macaroon.
“You’re impossible.” Arie chuckled.
“All I know is that the man’s kisses make me think I’ve found heaven.” I smiled, perfectly content with my explanation. “And the way he touches me…” My voice trailed off.
Arie’s and Samantha’s expressions turned sappy.
“But I don’t want to get my hopes up. We’ve only known each other—”
“Almost a week,” Winter chipped in.
“Not quite.” I laughed. “But it feels like we’ve known each other for a lifetime.”
Arie pointed her finger at me. “I knew it.” She grinned. “That’s how true love is supposed to feel.”
A knot formed in my stomach. Partially because it was true and somewhat because I was giving false hope.
“This time next year, I bet you’re married to Maddox.” Winter’s expression was hard to place. “Which means we’d better get on with it for ourselves. We can’t have Tessa outdo us.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Yes. God forbid I find true love before you.”
“You know what I meant.” Winter giggled.
“Have you thought about where you might look for a straitlaced guy?” I asked.
“I figured you could just point me in the right direction.” She chuckled, and I nodded in agreement.
“I have to confess that I’ve never felt what I’m feeling from anyone else I’ve ever dated. Even my ex-fiancé. I don’t think I ever loved him.”
“You loved the idea of him.” Arie toyed with the napkin near her plate. “He seemed safe. Like the guy you’re supposed to spend your life with who won’t cause you any problems. Good on paper.”
“Now, you’re confronting risk. For the first time, you’re actually letting yourself fall for someone you might be interested in.” Winter drew a breath. “All the others made it easy for you to dump them. You didn’t really care.”
I eyed her and cocked my head slightly. “Maddox and I had a similar conversation.”
“Really?” She seemed surprised. “Already?”
I nodded. “Conversation just flows. It’s like he can read my mind. He knows what I’m thinking and acts on it before I even have to part my lips.” And it was true. He knew how much this rushed dating experience was driving me nuts, so he acted.
“Your brother seems to like him too.” Samantha didn’t seem to realize what came out of her mouth until it was too late.
My brows arched, and I folded my arms across my chest. “Which brother?”
Samantha’s cheeks reddened. “Brendan,” she mumbled, but we all caught it.
“So, you and he are talking a lot these days?” My face scrunched with confusion.
“We always have. You know that.” She laughed nervously.
I shook my head. “Not really. And I don’t mind at all, but in light of what you revealed…”
“I’d never.” She shivered. “He’s like my older brother.”
“But you have an older brother,” I pointed out.
“Which is why I know what it’s like, and to answer your question, no. He’s not the brother.” She glanced at her empty plate.
“I’m not sure I believe her.” Winter grinned.
“Me neither,” I confessed.
“Listen, we’re all single.” Samantha glanced at me.
“Being single isn’t bad.” Arie smiled. “But finding the right someone is even better. I think Tessa can confirm that.”
I was absolutely shocked that with as little as I said about Maddox, my friends were jumping to these incredibly frightening ideas about my love life.
For all we knew, Maddox was a father of four in Seattle with three mistresses on the side. Enough time to explore hadn’t occurred yet to find out about the real Maddox, yet my friends were ready to ship me off as his bride. It was illogical at best.
“I solemnly swear to never look at, date, sleep with, or marry a—” Winter stopped when my hand flipped up.
“Whoa.” I waved my hand in front of my best friend and shook my head. “Not so loud. It’s already embarrassing enough that we four know about our teenage vows.”
“Well, and Maddox,” Winter piped up. “So, five.”
“You’re so obnoxiously lovable.” I shook my head.
“You’re lying through your teeth right now.” She grinned.
I smiled, refusing to let my friend know that I was entirely beginning to think that the pact did more than define my entire relationship career. It ended it.
“Okay, guys…” Winter looked at her three childhood friends. “Something has been haunting me for a while.”
“And that is?” Winter asked.
“What if Morgan McKenzie is even better than Maddox?”
I laughed and shook my head frantically. “Not a chance.”
“How do you know?” Winter asked. “Seems like a fair question.”
“I met him.”
“You’ve already met Maddox’s brother?” Arie’s eyes widened. “You’re meeting family?”
I nodded. “And he is our worst nightmares combined.”
“Really?” Arie didn’t look as if she believed me.
“For sure. Hundred percent positive. He’s stuck in high school.” I shivered. “And that’s the good part about him. Did you know that wasn’t even his motorcycle he was rumored to have? It was Maddox’s.”
Winter giggled. “Sounds about right.” Her eyes twinkled with this information.
“Why do I feel like you’re up to something?” I asked, watching Winter shift in her seat.
“Me? Never.” She shook her head right when Samantha and Arie traded glances.
“I think it’s time we face facts.” Winter eyed each one of us. “We are all going to be turning thirty in the blink of an eye.”
“And might I add that thirty is not that big of a deal?” I rolled my eyes. “You’re obsessed with this age thing.”
I’d always looked forward to my thirtieth birthday until my friends made it something it shouldn’t have been. In fact, I’m excited for my fortieth birthday.
“What?” I asked, following her line of sight, and my stomach flipped. “I wonder what he’s doing here?”
“Maybe he couldn’t live without you?” Winter touched her chest and patted her heart.
I giggled as I tried to tamp down the flip and the flop of my heart when I saw Maddox take off his helmet. His eyes immediately connected with mine through the window, and he grinned.
I turned away and tried to get my bearings.
“Here he comes,” Winter whispered, elbowing me as he walked into the bakery as if I didn’t know.
The barista greeted him, and he strolled over to the counter to place an order before making his way to the table.
“This is awesome. Maybe we can ask him some questions.” Winter’s expression softened as she watched Maddox walk over with an espresso and a coconut macaroon.
“Hey, babe.” He smiled, his eyes connecting with mine as I stood from the chair.
Maddox kissed my cheek, and all I could think about was our last kiss as he handed me the cookie.
“Really?” I asked, taking the cookie. “For me?”
“It’s your favorite, right?”
“Anything coconut is.” I moved my empty plate that had a couple strands of coconut on it from earlier.
“That is so sweet,” Winter gushed, holding her head and staring at us as I happily ate my second cookie for the day.
He shrugged. “It’s the least I can do for driving away with her bag and schoolwork.”
/>
I slapped my head and laughed. “I totally forgot you had all that. So, you had to come back from the ferry line?”
Maddox leaned over and kissed me again and laughed. “We’ve been a little out of it.”
“I bet.” Winter’s dopey expression made me groan internally. “You two have been pretty inseparable, from what I’ve heard.”
“Actually, you didn’t hear much from me at all, if you recall. You three just fabricated your own versions of the last several days’ events,” I teased.
“Well, you didn’t correct us,” Winter countered, and I chuckled.
“Not much to tell.” Maddox put his hand on my shoulder and gently squeezed, working his way down my spine. It was nearly impossible to concentrate as his hand moved lower. “She’s perfect.”
I laughed. “Hardly.”
“Perfect for me.”
My gaze snapped to his, and I realized that he really should give up his PR firm and try out acting.
“And I feel the same,” I added, realizing how awful I was at pretending.
“You two are so cute.” Arie smiled, grabbing my hand.
She traded glances with Samantha and Winter. “We were thinking about heading back on the earlier ferry. Then you two could have a little bit more time.”
Maddox shook his head. “You don’t have to do that. Why not come over to Tessa’s? I can whip up some dinner.”
“…And he cooks?” Winter’s pupils were nearly heart-shaped as she stared at me.
“Apparently.” I glanced at him sideways to see him grinning. He was really getting into this part.
“I took the day off tomorrow, so what better way than to spend the night cooking for my girlfriend’s best friends?” He looked at me and smiled. “That okay with you?”
If I didn’t know better, I’d be falling all over myself.
“Absolutely. I actually have a pack of steaks in the fridge.” I smiled, feeling his hand rest along the base of my spine.
His simple gestures reminded me of how nice it was to have affection from the opposite sex. But with Maddox, it was different. I knew we were putting on a show, but the way his touch felt was unlike anything I’d experienced before.
“So, should we go? I’m starving, and I want to quiz our Mr. Mistake.” Samantha laughed, and Arie nodded.
“Our Mr. Mistake?” I cringed, thinking how awful it would be if my friends were doing this to anyone but Maddox.
“I’m sure it can’t get any worse than Winter’s voicemail.” Maddox grinned, and Winter blushed.
“You’d be surprised.” I glanced at Maddox. “Do you mind driving me home? I’ll just leave the car at the school. I can walk in the morning.”
“Sure.”
As my friends filed out, there was an exciting buzz surrounding them, and I could literally feel them planning my bachelorette party.
When Maddox and I got to the bike, we chuckled.
“Nice work. You’re certainly full of surprises.” I eyed him suspiciously.
“You’re not the greatest actor, so if I told you my plans to woo you, I don’t think it would work out so well.”
I swatted at him and laughed. “Probably true.”
We climbed onto the bike, and he took off toward my home. As I held on tightly, I wondered if what Winter said was right about his ability on the bike correlating to sex.
Maddox turned into my driveway, and I shook that thought out of my head.
By the time my friends got through with him tonight, he probably wouldn’t even want to finish the prank. Winter waved as she pulled in behind us. Arie had ridden with her, but Samantha brought her own car, which she’d parked along the street.
“Here goes nothing,” I whispered to Maddox, and his smile only widened as he put the helmets away and grabbed my things out of the bike’s container.
Once we piled through the entry of my house, it felt like a sorority house went wild with Winter talking nonstop, Arie laughing, and Samantha looking around the house as if she’d never been inside.
“It doesn’t look like there’s been anyone else here,” Samantha whispered to me before taking a sip of her mocha, but just as she brought it to her lips, Arie bumped into her and chocolate went down Samantha’s front.
“Crap,” Arie said, looking at Samantha’s white top that was no longer in pristine condition.
“Come on. We’ll get it out.” I grabbed Samantha’s hand and pulled her to the laundry room, where she spotted my brother’s clothes.
“Oh, so it looks like Maddox really has been here all weekend.” She flashed a wry grin as she wiggled out of her top, and I didn’t bother to correct her.
After all, sometimes, mistakes worked out perfectly.
Chapter Ten
“One time, Tessa decided she wanted to do some soul-searching and went on a hike along Mount Rainier.” Winter chuckled, pouring herself some white wine. “She had a tiny one-man tent that barely covered her toes, dehydrated pellets for food, and a bucket. Her sleeping bag was one of those thin ones that’s supposed to keep you warm in freezing temps.”
I stared at my friend in disbelief, and Maddox brushed seasoning on the steaks as he listened intently.
“And everything was fine for the first twenty-four hours,” Winter continued, and I quickly grabbed a pillow to toss at her. “But then, she caught the—”
The pillow hit her in the head in the nick of time, and I didn’t even care that she spilled wine all over. Maddox didn’t need to know about me catching the flu in a national forest. No one needed to hear about that.
“The point is.” I turned to Maddox. “I like camping.”
“Good to know.” He winked, and Winter looked guilty.
“I’m sorry.” Winter laughed. “He’s just so easy to talk to. I get carried away.”
“He does seem to fit in pretty well, doesn’t he?” Arie nodded as she glanced at him.
“And he’s super cute.” Samantha grinned as Winter stood to wipe up the mess we’d made.
Maddox laughed and shook his head. “I’m only a few feet away. I can hear you.”
“It’s not like you don’t know you’re attractive.” Arie stretched and let out a sigh. “And by the looks of it, a good cook. I mean, what man can whip up homemade scalloped potatoes as a side dish on a moment’s notice?”
I chuckled. “A man who doesn’t want to starve to death.”
Maddox took the tray of steaks, and before heading outside, he swung by my chair and kissed my cheek. Before I realized what I was doing, I touched my skin where his lips had been seconds before.
“You are so cute,” Arie whispered to me, and I whipped my fingers away from my face. “I’ve never seen you this happy.”
I laughed. “We’ve only been dating a few days. There hasn’t really been time for things to go wrong.”
Winter stood up with the kitchen towel looped through her fingers and pointed at me. “Maybe that’s the key. Become committed before real life hits and there’s an opportunity for problems to arise.”
“You think I should just get married real quick like and see?” I teased, and Winter shrugged, which only made me giggle.
This was going to be fun.
I glanced out the window and watched Maddox hovering over the grill as smoke wafted into the sky and thought how easy all of this was with him. Granted, we were both trying to put on a good show, but it was surprisingly comfortable.
His eyes connected with mine and the familiar smile that had become such a part of him resurfaced. I tried to concentrate on what my friends were talking about, but all I could think about was Maddox McKenzie and how far this was going to go.
We were both all in. My parents and brothers seemed to be eating up the prank, and the more my friends spoke, the more I was one hundred percent sure I needed to go through with this.
Not to mention his smile.
The thought of not being around it made my insides tighten, and I’d never been like that before. I was the kind o
f person who enjoyed being by myself. I didn’t mind trekking off in the mountains for a day hike or eating by myself at a café. I enjoyed being me, but with Maddox part of my orbit now, I enjoyed having him in it.
“So, what do you think, Tessa?” Arie asked.
I whipped my head in her direction as Maddox brought the steaks back inside and set them on the dining table next to the potatoes and salad he’d made.
“I’m sorry. About what?” I scrunched my face apologetically.
“Going on a girls’ trip this weekend?” Arie repeated with a huff. “Did you not hear a word we were saying?”
My eyes widened. “I guess I didn’t. Sorry.”
“What in the world were you—” Arie broke off and glanced at Maddox. “Oh, never mind.”
“We were just saying how this was the first year we didn’t plan something to celebrate your end of school year celebration.”
I froze. “You’ve done enough. Believe me. One surprise party is enough. Let’s just count that toward it.”
“Nooo,” Arie whined. “We always go somewhere.”
“Dinner’s ready,” Maddox said, interrupting the rising tension.
I let out a silent sigh and made my way to the table. Things had been so busy with school, my friends and their shenanigans, and Maddox and my plan that I’d totally forgotten about our little tradition.
It was never anything huge, but it had always been a fun little getaway, but if we were supposed to be engaged by my birthday, I wasn’t sure how that would work.
“Well, usually, my birthday doesn’t fall on the same weekend that school is out,” I pointed out, taking a seat next to Maddox.
“True.” Arie scowled and sat down next to me. “Was it the snow days?”
I nodded as I took a steak from the platter. The smell was intoxicating, and besides this morning’s sweets and the two coconut macaroons, I hadn’t eaten much at all.
“Actually…” Maddox cleared his throat and casually looked in my direction. “It’s kind of good you brought that up.”
“Really?” I asked.
He dabbed his mouth and put the napkin back in his lap before taking a deep breath.
“There’s a cabin up in the mountains. I thought it would be fun for the weekend. For her birthday weekend. I’ve already arranged it with her parents and brothers, and we’d love to have you as well.”
Mr. Mistake: A Fake Marriage Romance (Mr. Mistake Series Book 1) Page 10
