Liar (a FAUX-MANCE novel)

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  For all he knew, she could’ve thought she was snuggling with the dog. He’d take it, though. She felt good, nuzzled into his side. She fit, like she was meant to be there. He hoped she felt the same when she woke up. Maybe, if he was lucky enough, this would be more than a ruse when all was said and done.

  Nick was falling — already had, really. He needed to win her over — get her to feel it too. It was obvious she had her guard up — who wouldn’t after all she had been through? Everyone who was supposed to have loved her either left or hurt her. Her parents died, her aunt and uncle stole from her, and her fiancé cheated on her with her best friend.

  Those were hard obstacles to overcome, but he could convince her he was neither an obstacle or someone who could ever hurt her. His work was cut out for him, but he was up for the challenge. She could count on him always. He just needed her to come to that conclusion on her own. He needed her to because after the San Juan Islands, he didn’t want to say goodbye.

  Nick woke up the next morning after finally giving in to sleep — he had spent the night enjoying the feel of her next to him. The only problem was, he liked the feeling a little too much because not only did he wake up spooning her, an arm draped over her, but he had a handful of her left breast. To make matters worse, his chronic morning hard-on was currently resting firmly against her ass.

  The morning wood wasn’t a new thing — hell, just the thought of her gave him all-day wood — but at least she hadn’t been aware, until now, when her cute little ass gave it a place to rest. She was still asleep, thankfully, and he needed to get out of that bed quickly and quietly because the good morning, happy to see you he was sporting might not have gone over so well.

  When she heard the bathroom door close, she took a deep breath and could finally open her eyes. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could have laid so still and breathed so slow and shallow. Much longer, and she would have passed out from oxygen deprivation.

  His large, strong hand cupping her breast woke her lady parts long before his happy to see you stiffy became a thing and had her nearly crying out. If she bit her lip any harder, it was sure to bleed, just as her tongue had when she held it between her teeth to distract from the libidinous desire he was stirring low in her belly.

  Now that he was gone, she missed him — all of him — behind her. His generous length shouldn’t have surprised her. There was nothing small about that man — everything about him was larger than life and generous. His strong hands too. They may have stirred dirty emotions, but they also made her feel safe, something she didn’t know she craved.

  The bathroom door opening had her attention, followed by the front door. He must’ve gone for a run. She turned on her back, relieved to have a minute to get herself together. How on earth was she going to face him when he got back? How was she going to keep his cock out of her mind all day?

  When James suggested packing her battery-operated friend, she was mortified, thinking it would be inappropriate. Now, she was thinking better of it. This was going to be a long, hot-and-bothered month.

  Their ride to work was quiet as they each dove right into work on their smart phones. It was just another ruse, however; neither was really working as they each had the other on their minds. Coffees first, then a parting kiss in the lobby, they followed their routine to a T. He asked her to lunch, but she needed to work through, especially since she hadn’t the day before as planned.

  Understanding as he was, there had to be a compromise because he wanted time with her. Living together wasn’t enough – he would spend every waking moment with her, if he could. He was getting greedy and felt no shame. Nick suggested dinner out and a plan to meet in the lobby at five — this was becoming their new routine anyway. Before she could say one way or the other, he was gone. Decision made, she giggled to herself. Though Nick was displaying a bit of a chest beating dominance trait, she looked forward to five just the same…and the rest of the evening.

  Her morning flew by, full of meetings and brainstorming sessions with various members of her team. It was hard to stay on task and focused, but she managed. When noon rolled around, Nick exited the elevator with a sandwich in hand, surprising her. He didn’t say but a mere hello, kissed her head, and left, telling her to have a good afternoon and not to forget to eat her sandwich.

  Her first thought was it was for show, to keep the ruse up, but there was nobody there to impress but her. He was just thoughtful that way. She was starting to wish it was all real.

  The rest of their first week together flowed just as smoothly. They were good together, read each other well, and enjoyed each other thoroughly. Living together was brilliant.

  Aching morning throbs from close contact as they slept side by side started their days. If they didn’t have lunch together, he had it delivered for her — clearly paying attention to detail because it was always one of her favorite foods. Late evenings at the office meant dinner out, but one night, he cooked. It was like they were a real couple who had been together forever.

  Friday was no different from the rest of the week until they arrived at the office. He had a working lunch meeting and something to do after work, so he wouldn’t be riding home with her. She was disappointed, would have to think about why later, but understood there was still work to do, and it couldn’t all be about them and the ruse.

  He did tell her not to make any plans for the evening and he would meet her at home. She was to dress casual but warm. She supposed that was his way of telling her they had plans after all. She wasn’t sure what affected her more — going all day without seeing him, that he planned a surprise evening, or that he called it home.

  CHAPTER 16

  Five came and went — there had been no sign of Nick all day. Not even in the lobby when she went to leave for the day, but the car was waiting for her as per usual. It felt different leaving without him. Lonely. When she arrived home, he wasn’t there either, but why would he be? She was greeted by the dogs and glad to see their little faces, at least.

  The building dog walker — that was a thing when you lived in a place like this — had already taken them out a few times for the day, but she decided to leash up and go for a little walk, herself, to kill time. While out, she texted Nick, trying to gauge when she should be ready and where they might be going. Instead of texting back, he called her.

  “What are you doing?” he asked in a low, sultry voice.

  “I’m on dog duty across the street. You?”

  “Just wrapped things up for the day. I’m headed your way now.”

  Excitement brewed. Though she’d seen him earlier that day, it had felt like longer. “Perfect. What should I wear? Define…comfortable.”

  “I don’t know. Jeans, a shirt…maybe a light jacket. It’s going to be cool this evening. Just don’t wear those sticks you walk on.”

  “Sticks? Most men like a woman in heels.”

  “Oh, I do love the sight of you in those things — this is just me being completely selfless. I’m thinking solely of you and your comfort. Back to the heels tomorrow,” he teased.

  “How thoughtful of you.”

  “I’m a thoughtful guy,” he laughed. “I’m almost home. See you in fifteen minutes.”

  Fifteen minutes! She hustled the dogs back across the street and up to the apartment to change. Opting for jeans with plenty of stretch for comfort, she paired them with a lightweight, off-the-shoulder sweater and a pair of stylish slip-on sneakers. Some red lipstick later, she was ready. If she couldn’t get his attention with her sticks, she would with ass hugging jeans and a little skin. Bam and bam!

  Peonies in hand, Cori was surprised to see Nick had already changed before arriving home. He was in low, hip-slinging jeans that hugged his ass and thighs in all the right places, and a plain t-shirt, ball cap, and rich brown leather bomber jacket. If he didn’t look good enough to eat, he certainly smelled it. His signature rich handsome scent co-mingling with the smell of buttery leather had her tingling — also in all the
right places.

  He kissed her forehead and left her to put her flowers in a vase while he greeted the dogs. Her poor flowers were a little mangled because she wasn’t paying much attention to them, or the water she spilled trying to arrange them. Her eyes were glued on the hot guy in the living room rolling around with the dogs.

  They were out the door and on their way to who knew where, killing the time with safe and easy conversation about the day they each had, both ready for the weekend. The car ride was shorter than Cori had expected, and she was a little surprised to see where they were.

  “The office? Why are we at Thorne? Did you forget something?”

  “Nope,” he said with a big, enthusiastic smile as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the car. “Trust me. C’mon.”

  He practically ran to the elevator — the one that led to the executive floors. Odd, she thought. When the doors closed and he hit the button for the roof, she was even more confused and a bit uneasy. The roof?

  “You aren’t taking me to the roof so you can toss me over the edge, are you?”

  First, he chuckled, then his face straightened. “Wait, you aren’t afraid of heights, are you?”

  “That depends…am I plummeting to my death, or…?”

  “No, you aren’t plummeting to your death.”

  “Then no, Blackthorne, not afraid of heights.”

  “Good,” he said, just as the doors opened, revealing the last thing she thought they were there for.

  “It’s a helicopter,” she said, awestruck. “A big one.”

  Nick couldn’t help but laugh at her surprise. “Yes, Cori. A helicopter.”

  She smacked his arm at the condescending, yet teasing remark. “Smartass. So, this is why you couldn’t ride home with me?”

  “I had a few details to work out for the evening to go as planned — called in a few favors. Are you surprised?”

  “Are we going in it?”

  “Well, we aren’t just going to look at it all night.”

  “Can we? I mean, can we go in it?”

  “Cori, it’s my helicopter. Yes, we can.”

  He held out his arm for her to hold as he escorted her to their ride for the evening. “Of course you have a helicopter. So what favors…?”

  “You’ll see.”

  The pilot opened the rear door for the couple and Nick helped her in, holding her waist and giving her a lift, though he didn’t need to. She didn’t mind, however. Climbing in behind her, he scooted close and helped her buckle in before buckling himself and tossing an arm around her shoulders.

  They flew over the city, taking in all of the sights like they had before, only this time from the air. It was another adventure.

  “I can’t believe I’ve lived here as long as I have, and it all seems so new each time we go on an adventure. I think I work too much,” she admitted.

  “Having fun then?”

  She tossed her head back and giggled. “The time of my life!”

  After circling the city, they flew west, or so she thought, given the sun’s location. When land eventually disappeared and they were over water, specifically the ocean, she became nervous, until they eventually veered east some time later and were above land once again. Between the two front pilot seats, she could see a familiar skyline. Excitement coursed through her as they passed over the Space Needle. Seattle. But when there was nothing but water below again, the excitement dwindled. Where the hell were they going?

  After circling an island, just beyond Seattle boundaries, they started to descend on the front side, or north, she assumed, if she was following along correctly. The island held a small town with several homes spread toward its outer edges. The farther out, the larger the properties it seemed. Their slow landing revealed a compound-like estate that screamed old money, which sat on the ocean, with sprawling lawns and a grand white and brick home displaying at least two American flags she could see. This place screamed Americana. It also screamed rich.

  She was officially trapped on an island, and not a good swimmer. She trusted Nick, but not knowing where they were and having to rely solely on him and his helicopter felt a little claustrophobic and left her insecure. The ocean was to her back, with the unmistakable Seattle skyline to the east, and the cape cod looking home directly in front of her — it looked every bit Blackthorne. Even the large cement pad they’d landed on had a giant mosaic design and built in cement benches bordering it with gobs of red, white, and blue flowers filling in.

  “Welcome to Bainbridge,” the pilot said, opening the door for Nick and Cori.

  “Brain what?” she shot back, unable to hear just yet with the propeller still slowing.

  The pilot smiled. “Bainbridge, miss. Bainbridge Island.”

  “Oh, wow,” she said in a low voice. “I didn’t know this was…a place. I mean, I knew it was a place, just not…this. I just thought hoity toity…and insanely…rich…oh — and I can’t believe I just said that out loud. Whose place is this anyway?”

  “It’s my home…well…estate,” Nick answered.

  “Of course it is. I mean your helicopter and your estate. The helicopter even has its own driveway thing.” Cori looked around, taking in the breathtaking views and lovely home, which was more a mansion than anything.

  A large tanker drove their way on the paved drive that led to the helicopter pad.

  “Oh, good. After you fuel up, why don’t you take a few hours off, Lyle. We’ll be ready to go sometime after sunset.”

  “You’ve got it, mate,” he said in an interesting accent Cori was just picking up. “I’ll probably just visit with mum in the main house. It’s been a spell.”

  Nick nodded before leading Cori on a tour of the main house, telling her about its history and that of the island.

  “I like to come here to get away from it all. I turn everything off and just relax. No better place to do it.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” she replied, taking it all in.

  They walked through a narrow, enclosed corridor that had windows on both sides, to a building just off the house, opening the door to a collection of cars.

  “Wow.”

  “It’s a little overkill, but I like to have transportation for guests when they stay.”

  “That’s very generous of you.”

  Nick shrugged. “The property and all that was here came with a big acquisition. I dismantled the company and redistributed most assets, but kept this place.”

  He opened the passenger side door of a classic, root beer brown Studebaker that not only shined, it sparkled. It suited him — as did the house and the island. Not many people were suited to the enormity of this lifestyle, but it fit Nick like a glove and somehow didn’t feel overly abundant.

  They went for a tour of the town, seeing the sights as they did, enjoying each other’s company. There was something different about him here. Nick wasn’t particularly high strung — he was actually a pretty laid-back guy — but here, more so. She liked this side of him. Who was she kidding? She liked every side of him.

  An old home, or what looked like a home, sitting at the water’s edge on the south side of the island came into view. As they approached, it appeared to be a small restaurant that was once, perhaps, a home. It was light blue in color, severely weathered, quite the hole in the wall. Not a place she would expect Nick to dine at. The old, paint-chipped, wooden sign said Crab Shack.

  “Want crabs? We can share them.”

  “Uh, this certainly looks like the place to get them. Or…what, you already have…?”

  “From the ocean, Cori.”

  “You got crabs from…the ocean?”

  “That’s where they live,” he teased.

  “Oh…OH! You’re being serious…real crabs. You want to eat crabs…from the…ocean.” “We flew all the way here for…dinner?”

  Nick shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

  “Nick, I would have been fine with Guido’s or a pizza,” she told him, overwhelmed by the extent he went to ju
st to take her to dinner.

  “Which is why I brought you here.” He nodded to the semi-rundown building. “You deserve this.”

  “I deserve…Crab Shack?” she laughed.

  “People come from all over the world for Crab Shack. Reservations are booked a year out, holidays two to three years out, with a minimum deposit to hold said reservation,” Nick explained.

  “Here?” Looking at it again, she didn’t see the appeal. It lived up to part of its name — it was a small shack.

  “Don’t be fooled by its simple, low-key appearance,” he teased, opening the door for her to enter.

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking, simple.” He was selling the place hard, and she was actually buying it, but enjoyed giving him a hard time.

  “Anyone who’s anyone dines here.”

  “Ooh,” she said, looking at pictures on the wall as they passed through the entry. “It’s the big white bibs with the angry crab on them, isn’t it?” Looking closer, she let out a snort. “The bib says I got crabs at Crab Shack. Now I want one of those.”

  “They also cater, so to speak. They only do the most exclusive events, and again, book out years in advance.”

  “I feel like I know where this is going. Let me guess.” Tossing him a side-eye glance, she teased, “You know a guy — owes you a favor — you booked him for our fake wedding?”

  “Wrong. You forgot to say ‘of course you do’ or ‘of course you did,’” he said in a high-pitched voice before the shake of his head and look of disappointment he tossed her. “I know a guy — yes, a favor — didn’t book him…yet. I wanted you to try it first — what if you don’t like it?”

  “Nick. I don’t sound like that, and it doesn’t matter if I don’t like it.” She laughed, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “It isn’t a real wedding. Shhh.”

  “I know that. But still, how are you going to tell Winnie how great it is if you haven’t even tried it? This one will really piss her off. She was talking about it at the cake tasting.”