Audacious Fiancé: A Hero Club Novel

by Liz Lovelock

  I drift off to thoughts of Kane.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jolene

  I drop my bags just inside and kick the door shut behind me. It doesn’t click, and I turn again to find Kane standing in the hall, wearing his pilot uniform. I cock a brow. “What are you doing here?” He gifts me with one of his tummy-swirling smiles. Damn him.

  “I came to see if you’ve given much thought to what we spoke about the other day.”

  It’s all I’ve been thinking about for the past forty-eight hours, trying to work through all the reasons I shouldn’t do this, then considering the main reason I should.

  My mother.

  “Come in and shut the door behind you.” I grab my bags again and take them to my room. My senses are heightened. Kane being here in my personal space once again—it’s unnerving, yet it feels so damn good. I almost messaged him while I was away, just for the hell of it. I had to refrain—we aren’t a couple. We’re going to be pretending, and that’s all.

  A knock at the door draws my attention.

  I sense Kane’s eyes on me. I try to ignore him and pull the front door open.

  “Hey, bitch. We need to discuss this business opportunity. I’ve brought ice cream, chocolate, and Chinese from our favorite place. Oh, and a bottle or two of wine.” Adele pushes past me and pauses at the sight of Kane.

  Here we go.

  Adele’s posture changes; her back straightens, and when I come up beside her, her eyes are like slits, narrowing in on their target.

  “Hey.” He throws up his hand, giving a little wave. I almost laugh. He looks like a little kid in trouble.

  Adele’s hands come to her hips. “Hey.” She purses her lips and turns toward me. “I can leave if you want?”

  I shake my head. “No, you stay.”

  “Obviously, you told her.” Kane’s heated gazed lands on me, then moves back to Adele.

  If she could fire darts from her eyes, she’d be doing it now. This girl is hot and cold.

  I walk over to the little table. Hastily, I fold it up and take it to the kitchen while the staring contest continues.

  “She rang me after you left the other night. I have one question. How is this going to be believable? I don’t want her getting hurt at the end of all this.” Finally, she breaks eye contact and takes her bags to the kitchen where I’m standing.

  I help Adele set out her containers of food, and I grab two wine glasses from the cupboard. Turning around, I ask, “Do you want a wine and some food? Seems like you’re going to be here a while. I have no doubt she’s got a hundred questions.”

  He looks between us, then shrugs. “Sure, why not? What’s your name? I didn’t catch it the other night.” His question is directed at Adele.

  “I’m Adele, and I have a big scary brother who’ll kill you if you hurt her.”

  He chuckles.

  “I’m serious. He went to jail.”

  Now that shuts Kane up. I place the three glasses on the countertop. My focus on Kane intensifies. Perhaps he’s processing Adele’s words, or he’s reconsidering asking me for help.

  “Look, Adele, I’m not out to hurt her. I simply need her help. I don’t want to lose my family business. And to answer your question, my father adored Jolene when we were together in college. Imagine his surprise and happiness when she shows back up after all these years. He’s not going to question it.” Kane strides over to the kitchen countertop and places his hands flat on the countertop.

  “Listen here, hot stuff. When did your father tell you that you had to grow up?” Her words are firm and serious. This is her time—I’m not going to butt into this situation. I know she’s got my back.

  “Last week.”

  Adele scoffs. “You don’t think it’s going to look a little suspicious when you happen to rock up with your ex-girlfriend from college?”

  “I’m not about to walk her into his office and announce we’re engaged. I’m not stupid.”

  “Could’ve fooled me,” Adele responds dryly.

  I bite my lip to refrain from smiling. I slide a glass across to Kane, and Adele picks hers up and takes a mouthful. I follow suit. This is going to be a long night. The sun is almost set. I wish I hadn’t invited Adele over. How was I to know Kane was going to show up at my door?

  “Well, if you must know, it’s my birthday in a month, and I was planning to bring her to see the family. I’ll tell them that we reconnected recently, and we’re ‘getting married.’”

  It sounds like a solid plan. It could be believable.

  Adele is silent a moment as she lifts her wine to her lips and takes another smaller sip this time. “I think that sounds plausible.”

  I shrug, then turn and get some plates from another cupboard above the stove. “Here, eat, and you?” I point to Adele. “Take a chill pill. Then discuss this.”

  There’s a mumble of agreement from her, and the knot in my stomach loosens a little.

  The apartment fills with silence as we load up our plates. Kane waits until Adele and I have ours first, then gets his. What a gentleman. Wait, what am I thinking? I wonder what will happen in the month between now and the birthday party. Do we still keep in contact? What is our story going to be?

  Kane takes a seat in the single reclining chair while Adele and I take up residence on the bigger one. “So, what’s our meet-again story going to be?” I ask as I shove another mouthful of food in. I raise my eyebrows questioningly.

  Once he swallows what’s in his mouth, he says, “So, you’re going to do it?” I don’t miss the excitement in his words.

  “I’m considering it.” It’s all I say.

  Then he continues, “I think we could use the story of how we actually did connect again, and leave out the proposition part. What do you think?”

  “This is your lie, not mine.” I point my fork at him.

  “I know that. But this includes you as well, so I think we should work together. That way, we both know the story and won’t mess anything up.”

  He’s right. If we’re going to do this, we need to get our stories straight. “Okay, so we simply stick to the story that we met on the flight you took to come here and see your father. Easy.” I nod and lean over to pick my wine up and take a sip. It’s red—not my favorite—but still perfect with dinner.

  Adele chimes in, “So, tell me how often are you guys going to have to be together? Are you going to live together? When are you planning to get married? How did he propose?”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I raise my hand with the fork still in it, waving it in her direction. “Ease up.”

  “No, you don’t get it. These are the kinds of questions people are going to ask you. I suggest you get your details right before going ahead with this,” she snaps, exasperation in her tone.

  “Gee, Adele, you’re being a little too serious, don’t you think?”

  A flash of anger crosses her face, and then it smooths. “Jolene, I’m on your side. I’m only trying to get ya to see what other people are going to see.” She leans over and places her now-empty plate on the coffee table.

  I sigh. “You’re right. Kane? Care to weigh in here?”

  Clearing his throat, he starts, “Well, I’ve had time to think about this. We won’t get married for at least six to twelve months. We’ll tell them we haven’t decided and just give the timeframe. No, we aren’t living together, but when we find the right place for us, we will. And, as for the time spent together before we out ourselves, I don’t see any reason to see each other unless we need to go over some things. We can keep in contact.”

  I stare at him, slightly stunned. “You’ve really put some thought into this.”

  He nods before tipping back the last of his drink. His plate is empty as well. I glance down at mine, and it’s only half gone.

  “You always were a slow eater.”

  My head shoots up. “I’m surprised you remember.”

  He stretches back in the chair. His jacket is undone, and his white shirt
hugs his figure. “There’s a lot I remember about you.” He gives me one of those grins, the ones that cause girls to flock to him.

  “There’s actually a lot you don’t know as well.” I give him a side-eye as I refrain from spilling everything.

  He gives me a questioning glance, a bewildered look in his eyes. “Are you going to tell your mom?”

  I inhale sharply, then cough as a piece of rice catches in the back of my throat. My chest heaves as I cough again.

  “You all right?”

  My eyes blur with tears from coughing. I nod and pick up my drink and take a mouthful. After a moment, I clear my throat and finally answer his question. “Um . . . probably not right now or even at all.”

  He shuffles in his seat, his entire attention on me. “Oh, okay. How is she doing?”

  I take another sip. My throat feels like it’s swelling up. These questions about Mom are making me anxious. “Yep, she’s good.” My voice is a little too high. Stupid nerves.

  “That’s cool. I’d like to see her sometime?”

  Nope, not going to happen. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re just going to up and leave again after all this is done, so, yeah, I won’t be bringing you home to Mom. Sorry.” I sound like a bitch, but I don’t care. If this is all just a ploy, then there’s no reason for my family to be involved.

  Adele is silent during the exchange. She knows about my mom and how protective I am of her.

  “I agree.” Adele finally voices her opinion, and, as usual, she has my back. She tips her head to the side and then turns her attention toward Kane. “Are you sure you want to do this? Can’t you simply get any girl you want?”

  Blunt much? I wouldn’t expect anything less.

  Kane’s eyes peel off me, and I sense them shift as though a weight has moved. “It’s possible I could do it like that. The only problem there is, girls get attached and then want the real thing. When she doesn’t get it, it’ll turn ugly, and then she’ll probably tell my family, and I’ll have really lost my dad’s trust.”

  Adele’s lips pull down in understanding. “I see. So why my girl here?”

  “As I said, we have history, and I already know she hates me, so it won’t be a problem for her to keep doing that.”

  He has that right. I do hate him. My body wants him, though. There’s still something there, which I’m going to have to box away forever. As my first love, Kane carries my heart and doesn’t know it. He was my first serious boyfriend, the guy I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But he had other plans, and they didn’t include me.

  I stand abruptly and take the empty plates and glasses back to the kitchen and rinse them off, leaving my glass out. I’m going to need another soon. I need a moment of peace. Having Kane around is a little suffocating.

  Adele and Kane continue to talk while I try to wrap my head around what it is that I’m signing on for—to be stuck with Kane for longer than I’d wanted. I never intended to see him again. Ever. I never sought him out or tried to look for him, but then he happened to be on my flight, and all of a sudden, I’ve been thrust into this crazy idea of becoming his fake fiancée.

  I pour myself another wine to finish off one of the bottles. “Do either of you want another?” I hold up my glass, and they both answer no. Okay, it must just be me stressing the hell out. Give me all the wine. I’ll happily regret it tomorrow.

  I make my way back over and sit down, not really listening to their conversation. I’m doing this for Mom, I remind myself. I can do this.

  Adele suddenly stands.

  I tilt my head toward her. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to go. You two have much to discuss. I’m no help. I support you.” She gives me a wink.

  I get up and walk her to the door. Kane stays in his spot, and I feel those eyes trace my movement. The longing glances he throws my way don’t go unnoticed.

  Adele turns after she steps out the door. “If something doesn’t seem right, I want you to back the hell out of this. Don’t take the fall for something that was completely his idea.” She opens her arms and pulls me against her chest. I didn’t realize I needed this hug until now.

  I squeeze her back. “Thanks. So glad I have you.”

  We release each other, and she leaves. I shut the door and take a deep breath. I turn around, and Kane’s focus is on me. It takes the breath from my chest—it whooshes right out.

  I step back into the living area and say, “I guess we have everything figured out. And it all goes down in a month.” I’m aiming for casual, though I’m sure I’m coming across as nervous as hell. My chest is tight.

  “Yeah, I guess so.” He pauses a moment, then says. “As for money . . . I’ll pay you two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” My eyes go wide.

  “Excuse me? That’s too much.” My legs become like jelly. Is he serious?

  “No, it’s not. You deserve so much more for helping me out. You have no idea how much you mean to me.” I’m sure I heard that sentence wrong. His words are low and deep. He stands and comes toward me.

  I stop when he gets right in front of me.

  “There’s one thing we have left to discuss.” He takes a small step closer. His body is almost pressed against mine. What is he doing?

  “What’s that?” I ask breathlessly, looking up at his perfect face. He’s still every bit as delicious as he used to be.

  “This . . .”

  Before I get a chance to react, his arms slide around my waist as if that’s where they should have been my entire life, and his lips are on mine—hot, wanting, and full of desire. My body doesn’t fight while my head is screaming to push him away. Our mouths move in sync. He tastes like wine and lust.

  My hands snake around his neck. He pulls me tighter against him.

  A knock at the door separates us. My lips tingle and feel puffy. My head drops, and I turn.

  Adele stands there. “Sorry. I forgot my purse. I need that to get home, or I’ll be camping on your couch.” She laughs.

  I smile and move to the side.

  “Oh, are you heading out?” She calls to Kane at the end of the hall.

  He rubs his mouth with his hands that were just on me.

  “Not yet. We were just discussing things. Catching up, in a way.”

  Adele’s head swivels between us. “I’ve come back in the middle of something, haven’t I?”

  “It’s okay. It was a needed interruption.” I narrow my eyes in Kane’s direction. “I think you should go now. I’ll be in touch.”

  He nods and turns back toward the couch where his coat hangs. I hadn’t even realized he’d taken it off. He distracts me in so many ways.

  He stops in front of me. “I’ll talk to you later.” He leans over, and when I think he’s going to kiss me again, I turn my cheek. His kiss lands on my cheek. Was he going for my lips again?

  My hand whips out and grabs his perfectly pressed white button-up shirt. “Don’t do that again,” I grit between my teeth, even as I try to hide the small smile.

  He bounces his eyebrows up and down playfully.

  I roll my eyes and release him. “Just leave,” I say, deadpan.

  And he does, closing the door behind him.

  “What happened?” Adele gives me a questioning look.

  “He kissed me.”

  Her mouth drops open, forming an O. “Bet it was a good kiss, too.” She laughs and walks out, giggling to herself. I want to be mad at her, but I’m not. It did feel good. I wanted more. Gee, I’m like a yoyo. Yes, I like him—no, I don’t.

  Get your head together, Jolene.

  I’m not sure how I’m going to keep myself composed in the coming months. He could spank me with a damn stick, and I’d enjoy it.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jolene

  My phone rings, waking me. Without looking, I answer. “Go away,” I grumble.

  “And she’s such a lady.” My eyes spring open wide. Kane.

  “What do you want?” I
sigh.

  “Well, it occurred to me after I left last night that we didn’t talk about what happens over the next month. I figure we should spend some time together and, you know, reconnect.” He sounds hesitant.

  “Reconnect? Really? Isn’t this just supposed to be fake? Don’t we already know enough about each other to pull this off?” The lack of sleep has had an effect on my mood.

  He’s silent for a beat then says. “Jojo, there’s so much you don’t know about me now.”

  I laugh and run my hand through my knotted hair. “You sure about that? From what I heard, you’re still the ladies’ man, running through a string of women is what’s gotten you into this mess with your father, isn’t it?” I tease.

  Kane clears his throat. “Ah, yeah, but I really do want to spend some time with you to get to know you again. To talk about what’s been going on in your life.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. When old couples start to reminisce, things happen, and I don’t want that.” Even as I say it, the tightness in my chest tells me another story.

  “Jojo, I’m going to pick you up next weekend, and we’re going to spend some time together. Suck it up, princess. I’ll be at yours early Saturday morning. Dress casual.”

  Before I can respond, he hangs up on me. Removing the phone from my ear, I stare down at it. I must still be dreaming. This isn’t happening.

  Staring at my phone, I search for the one person who’ll give me perspective and hit call.

  “What’s up?” Adele answers.

  “I need your advice.”

  “Hit me.”

  “Kane has asked . . . actually no, he didn’t ask, he told me we’re going out this weekend to get to know each other again.”

  Adele whistles through the phone. “Damn, girl. Looks like you’re going on a date.”

  “I don’t want to. He’s a smooth talker, Adele. It spells trouble with a capital T.”