The rehearsal dinner is at Meghan’s parents’ house. When we get there, Meghan is tense. I squeeze her hand in mine as we walk up the pathway toward the big house. My eyebrows raise as I see the huge columns and vast gardens around the property. She hadn’t mentioned anything about coming from a wealthy family.
But then again, why would she?
“Everything is going to be fine,” I whisper into her ear. “It’s only family.”
She nods, and swallows. “I know. Thank you for coming.”
“My pleasure.” Literally. I wonder if she heard me earlier, when I was in the bathroom. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t hold eye contact when I came back out?
Before I can delve too deeply into paranoia, we walk through the big double doors and are immediately greeted with screams and hugs. Meg’s sister is the first to wrap her arms around us. She looks me up and down with a discerning eye and then looks at Meg with her eyebrow raised.
“Is this one of your clients?”
I open my mouth to answer when Meg stiffens.
“No!” She says a little too forcefully. “God, Nadine, please. That was ten years ago.”
“Well, you never know.”
Even as a stranger, I can hear the venom in her sister’s voice. What did she mean by client? I glance at Meg, but she pointedly ignores my stare. Instead, she paints a smile on her face.
“Nadine, this is Andrew. He plays for the NFL. Andrew, this is my sister Nadine.”
“Congratulations on your wedding,” I say. She purses her lips at me and inclines her head in an attempt to be gracious. Her garish makeup and three-foot-tall hairdo somewhat spoil the illusion. She kind of looks like a less classy, less refined version of Meghan. I can see the same curve of her nose, and her eyes look a bit like Meg’s.
“Thank you, Andy. Can I call you Andy?”
“I’d really rather you not—”
“Come through this way. Andy, your seat is just here.” She gives me a sickly-sweet smile and I incline my head.
Meg sits down in the chair next to mine. “Sorry,” she says into my ear.
“Never apologize for someone else.”
“You still glad you agreed to do this?”
“If it means seeing you in that dress, then yes.”
That beautiful blush covers her cheeks again and I see the first smile on her face since we left the hotel. I put my hand on her thigh and squeeze gently. Meg threads her fingers through mine just as someone taps a glass with a piece of cutlery.
We all turn toward the sound when the delicate tinkling changes to shattered glass.
A man—the groom, I assume—is standing at the head of the table holding a wine stem. His chubby face is shocked as he looks at the broken glass in his hand. Nadine hurls abuse at him in a not-so-hushed voice as she tries to clean up the broken glass.
Meg stifles a giggle beside me and glances my way.
“Welcome to your first Ainsworth family event,” she grins. “Expect more of the same from here on in. It’ll be a shitshow.”
14
Meghan
The nerves that I’d felt for the past month leading up to my sister’s wedding have disappeared. Now the whole ordeal actually seems—dare I say it—fun. With Andrew by my side, I’m getting lots of shocked, impressed looks from my family. I think after they threw me out, they expected me to fail at everything—especially at love.
Not that I’ve succeeded. Andrew isn’t exactly my boyfriend or anything, but they don’t need to know that.
The rehearsal dinner drags on for a little longer than necessary, with insincere speeches, lots of name-dropping and unnecessary peacocking from family members who have nothing better to do than show off their wealth and status.
Andrew throws me a few grins that seem to say, ‘I’m going to ask you about this later.’ For the first time in a long, long time, I don’t mind the thought of answering questions about my family.
Dessert is served on gold-rimmed china plates. The army of waiters drop small dessert spoons beside each dinner guest, taking the time to smooth our napkins over our laps once more. I sit stiffly. I’d forgotten that dinner parties at my parents’ house were a total rigmarole.
My father stands up at the head of the table, putting his meaty hands on his generous belly. The tip of his nose is red and his cheeks have a glow that says he’s had three or four cognacs already. He extends his hands toward the other end of the table, where my sister and her husband-to-be are sitting.
“My dear Nadine,” he booms. She smiles that familiar self-satisfied smile of hers. “This is the happiest day of my life. To see you marry such a handsome, accomplished man—”
My father drones on for a few more minutes, and then my stomach drops when he turns to me. “If only our little Meggy could find someone as perfect as Dale, then I would be a happy father. We could all move on from the difficulties of the past and come together to celebrate a happy, godly union.
I resist the urge to groan as my father stares at me. I force a smile and my father ends his speech and sits down.
Andrew leans over to me. “I think that’s a hint. I’m supposed to marry you now.”
“Subtle, isn’t it?”
“I’m not sure I’m handsome enough. Dale might have the edge in that department.”
I glance at Nadine’s future husband and I stifle a giggle. Between the receding hairline and the toad-like eyes, he’s not exactly GQ material.
That’s mean. He seems like a nice guy. It helps that he’s fabulously rich—my family certainly appreciate a fat check book more than they do a thick head of hair.
Andrew’s eyes gleam as he slides his hand over my thigh. I lean into him, trying to ignore the spark of heat between my legs. He grins. I bite my lip.
I haven’t had this much fun at a family function since the time Nadine fell in the lake at my parents’ vow ceremony fifteen years ago.
After dinner, we’re ushered into the back gardens for drinks. The trees are draped with fairy lights, and there’s a DJ set up in the corner. The lake at the back of the estate has hundreds of paper lanterns floating on it. The guests make a collective ‘ooh’ noise as we walk outside.
Despite my best efforts to hate everything about the evening, I’m impressed. Nadine would have been a nightmare to be around while she was planning all this, but I have to admit she did a good job. Andrew and I gravitate toward the bar and we order a couple drinks. He has a beer, and I get a vodka soda.
“Watching my calories,” I grin, holding up the glass.
“You don’t have to.” His eyes darken, and his hand slides over my hip. Once again, head blazes through me as I lose myself in his eyes.
When I hear my mother’s shrill voice, I jump away from him.
“Who is this handsome devil?” My mother says as she comes waltzing toward us. She has her arms extended out in front of her and her hands hanging limp as if she expects us to kiss them.
“This is Andrew,” I say.
My mother’s eyebrows inch up her forehead. And…? She seems to say. Who is Andrew to you?
I don’t answer the unsaid question.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Ainsworth.”
“Please,” she titters, running her hand over his bicep. “Call me Bunny. I’m surprised Meghan has found someone who will look beyond her past. You’re a brave man, Andrew. Very open-minded.”
I freeze. This was a terrible idea. I can deal with my family’s attacks on my character when I’m on my own, but having them poison Andrew’s thoughts hurts much more. Maybe I should have prepared him or warned him. Maybe I should have told him about the sugar baby stuff.
Andrew looks at me with a confused expression on his face.
“Right,” he says. “Well, yes, I’m very open minded… Mrs.… Bunny.” There’s a slight question at the end of his sentence, as if he can’t believe that’s actually her name.
It isn’t, obviously. She just decided she wanted to be called Bunny a couple years ago
and wouldn’t answer to anything else. The rest of us were forced to go along with her new nickname and surprisingly, it stuck.
All of a sudden, I’m reminded why I don’t bring anyone around my family.
“I thought you’d be staying with us, Meggy,” she says, her eyes wide as she looks at me.
Not a chance.
“We got a room at the Waldorf instead,” I say, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Her eyebrows drift up and she glances at Andrew, sizing him up. That’ll give her something to think about.
I thread my fingers into Andrew’s and drag him away.
“I’ll show you the lake,” I say. “Talk to you later, Mom!”
I ignore her protests and drag Andrew away. He chuckles, letting himself be dragged by me. When we’re out of earshot, I let out a huge sigh.
“You okay?” His hand slides around my back. I take a sip of my drink and nod.
“Yeah. Just haven’t seen them in a few years. Nothing has changed and it’s… disturbing, I guess. Not that I thought anything would change. I don’t know. I’m rambling.” My heart is racing, and I don’t know if it’s because of Andrew’s hand drifting down to the cleft of my ass, or if it’s the couple drinks I’ve had, or if it’s the stress of being around my family.
“It’s fine, I get it,” Andrew says, and my heart beat slows down. “You’ll be meeting my family soon, and that will be an experience in and of itself.”
I grin. “Are they anything like mine?”
Andrew just laughs and shakes his head. “No,” he says. “They’re not.” He pauses, taking a sip of beer as he stares out toward the lake. “Did I hear correctly? Your mom wants me to call her Bunny?”
I laugh. “Yeah.”
I choose not to explain any further. What else can I say? She even had a pale pink velour sweat suit made with the word ‘bunny’ embroidered on the backside. Hopefully she doesn’t wear it this weekend.
He turns toward me, and my stomach falls out of my body. My heart beats in a hollow chest as his eyes darken, staring into mine. His hand drifts to my waist and he squeezes gently.
“You’re beautiful, Meg.”
I want to tell him about my past. I want to tell him why it’s so hard to be around my family, and why they look down on me so much. It’s not that bad—Ariana and Naomi didn’t even blink when I told them.
I guess being disowned by your whole family and being thrown out on your own makes you a bit hesitant, though.
But here, under the stars, with the cool summer breeze making my dress float against my legs, I want to tell him. It scares me and excites me at the same time, and I don’t know how to handle it.
Andrew tucks his fingers under my chin and tilts it up toward him. I glance at his lips as his tongue slides out to moisten them, and the desire floods between my legs.
I don’t even care anymore. To hell with keeping things professional! It was a stupid rule anyway!
I close my eyes and part my lips. My heart thumps. I’ll finally get to taste his kiss.
“Meggy! Oh! There you are!” Nadine stumbles toward us as we pull apart. She’s holding another glass of champagne, and her eyes look hazy. “Am I interrupting anything?”
Yes. “No. What’s up?”
“Dad wanted to have a chat with your new sugar daddy here,” she says, winking at him. She slides her arm under his and a current of jealousy zings through me. I swallow, forcing a smile on my face.
“Guess we’d better head back, then.”
I think I hear Andrew sigh in frustration, but then he smiles at Nadine and nods to me.
“Duty calls.”
15
Andrew
Meg’s family members certainly have a gift for interrupting at the most inopportune times. I let Nadine drag me back toward the party. Her fingernails dig into my arm. She’s wearing what smells like an entire bottle of perfume. I try to keep my breath shallow so as to not choke on her scent.
When I look at her big makeup, big hair, big outfit, big everything, I don’t recognize Meg. How did they come from the same family? What did Bunny—I still can’t believe she seriously wants people to call her that—what did she mean when she said I was open-minded?
I glance at Meg, who shuffles along beside us. Her chin dips low as she walks, and her shoulders hunch forward. It looks like they’re slowly wearing her down as the night goes on. With Nadine having a death grip on my arm, I extend my other hand toward her. She glances up at me and her face relaxes into a smile.
Every time her hand touches mine, it feels like that’s where it belongs. Our bodies know each other, and immediately feel more comfortable when we’re together. It’s the strangest and most wonderful feeling I’ve ever experienced. Even with Hannah, who I thought I would marry, I never had a connection like this.
I glance at her face, her lips, the curve of her neck, and I wish we were still alone by the lake. I want her so badly it hurts.
When we get back to the party, the lights seem too bright, the music too loud. I squeeze Meg’s hand as we’re dragged along deep into the throng of party guests.
Finally, we get to Mr. Ainsworth. His glass is full of amber liquid, and his eyes are glazed. He looks me up and down and then flicks his gaze to Meg.
“He’s not paying you, is he?”
“Dad, don’t—”
“I hope you’re not whoring yourself out again.”
Meg freezes beside me. The blood drains from her face and she pointedly ignores my look. I clear my throat.
“You… have a lovely house, Mr. Ainsworth.”
His eyes swing to me as if he’s seeing me for the first time.
“Thank you, Andrew. So, tell me, how are you preparing for next season?”
Ah, football. A safe topic.
“Well, I’m training hard. Meg and I met at her clinic, I’ve been doing some routine physio to prepare for the season. I’m hoping it’ll be my breakout season. I feel strong and fast, and our new quarterback is very focused.”
“Mmm. I heard about that Elijah Matthews thing. Very unfortunate. You can’t trust women at all.” His gaze flicks to Meg, and she sighs. I frown.
“I think you can trust women,” I say slowly. “They’re just like men. There are some good ones and some bad ones. From what I heard, Elijah wasn’t treating Farrah very well.”
“But his own brother! That would be like you going after our beautiful Nadine.”
“Don’t worry,” I laugh. Mr. Ainsworth’s eyes narrow.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh! Nothing. I mean. I would. I just… I like Meg a lot. And… I…” I cringe.
Meg’s father stares at me for a few moments and then drains his glass. He makes another cryptic comment toward Meg, and she stiffens beside me.
Her lower lip trembles, and for an instant, I see the depth of pain in her eyes.
Gently, I lead her away from him.
“You want to get out of here?”
She nods. “I’d love that. We have to be at the ceremony early tomorrow, anyway.”
“Should we say goodbye to Nadine?”
Meg shakes her head. “They won’t even notice I’m gone.”
Her voice trembles, and in her eyes I see a hurt little girl. How did she come from a family like this? She’s a considerate, funny, smart woman, but her family is so… cruel. I want to ask her what happened. I want to ask her what they mean. I want to know what all this is about.
But at the end of the day, I don’t really know her. She’s my physio, and whatever is going on between us isn’t on that level. I’m here to be her plus-one, and then she’ll come to my family’s ranch and be mine. Even though it feels like we’re close, and I want her more and more with every second that goes by, we’re not that intimate.
I text our limo driver, who comes around the front of the huge house. Meg climbs in the back and snuggles into my chest as we start driving back to the hotel. Within minutes, she’s asleep.
&n
bsp; I stroke her hair, staring out the window. Her fingers curl into my shirt as she sleeps, and she nuzzles into me.
I don’t want to move. I want this drive to last forever, because I want to stay here with her like this. I want to have her in my arms and listen to her breathing as she sleeps. I could stroke her hair and kiss her temple from now until the end of time.
But like all things, the drive comes to an end. We pull up outside the Waldorf Astoria and our driver opens the back door for us. Gently, I wake Meg up. Her eyes flutter open and she has a moment of confusion before nodding.
“We’re here.”
She smiles at me. “Thank you for saving me.”
“From what?”
“From them.”
I laugh. “You’ll be doing the same for me soon.”
She smiles, and then climbs out of the limo. I thread my fingers into hers and we walk up to our room together. I can see the tiredness in her face from the travel and the stress of being around her family, so I just lead her to the bedroom and wrap my arms around her.
“I’ll sleep on the couch,” I say. “You get some rest. You look exhausted.”
She nods, and then looks up at me.
“Do you think…” she bites her lip. “Do you think you could just… hold me? I don’t want to do anything—I don’t want to have sex—but I just,” she sighs. “Never mind.”
I take her chin in mine and run my fingers through her hair. “I’ll just put a tee shirt on,” I say. “I’ll hold you all night if you let me.”
She smiles.
When I climb into bed beside her, she sighs contentedly. My body reacts to her closeness with a wave of arousal, but I ignore it.
I know she needs me right now, and not like that. So, I just pull her close to me and let her put her head on my chest. I stroke her hair and hold her close until we both drift off to sleep.
16
Meghan
When I wake up, Andrew’s arm is holding me close. His body contours my back, and I sigh. I don’t know if I’ve ever been this comfortable. I shift slightly, and I feel his hard length against my ass. A shot of energy passes through me, and my heart starts thumping.
Mr. Right: The Complete Fake Engagement Series Page 40
