Mr. Man Candy: A Fake Boyfriend Romance

by Alessandra Hart

  My forehead puckered. “Did you try writing him a letter? He wouldn’t be able to ignore that.”

  “No. I thought of doing it, but I didn’t know what to write, and I wanted to say it all to his face. But he didn’t let me, and after a while… I gave up. I knew I’d lost him, and that was that.” He bit the inside of his cheek. “What could I even say, anyway? How can a person apologize for something like that?”

  “Just saying you’re sorry is a start.”

  “I guess. But I doubt things would ever be the same.” He gazed out at the azure waters of Clare Bay again, his cheeks turning slightly red. “That’s the real reason I eventually started planning to leave and start my own business. Also why I stopped telling people he was my brother. Not because I was ashamed of his rep. I was more ashamed of myself. Figured I should distance myself for good. Let him live his life without me clouding it.”

  I nodded. “Right. I guess that makes sense.”

  “Then this shit happened a few months ago. The theft.” He gave me a hard look. “I’ve done some pretty bad shit in my life, but I didn’t do that.”

  “But Nate thinks otherwise.” I twisted my lips.

  “Yep. And you know what?” I lifted my brows, and he went on. “At first, I was so fucking angry at him for accusing me. Even though it all pointed straight to me, it seemed so obvious it was a set-up. Like, how dumb would I have to be? I was so furious over the whole thing that I almost forgot it was my own fault our relationship was fucked. That’s how pissed he got me.”

  I stayed silent, waiting for him to go on. I wasn’t entirely sure where he was going with the story now.

  “He created all this red tape and drama for my startup, all because he was convinced I was guilty. Like I said a while ago, I’ve had the feds breathing down my neck for months, because he kept telling them to dig into me as the prime suspect.”

  “Uh-huh....”

  “So yeah, I was mad. But at the same time, I felt like I kinda deserved it after what I did to him. Like it was my penance. So in the end, I didn’t say jack-shit to anyone, no matter how angry I was over the whole shit-storm. I could have, you know. Could’ve refused to sign that NDA and told all the investors that a major theft occurred there. They would’ve pulled out in droves.”

  “That’s true.”

  “So why would I do that, Georgie?” Bobby’s eyes were narrowed now. “If I actually wanted to ruin him like he’s so hell-bent on ‘proving’ to everyone, why did I keep quiet?”

  I held up a hand. “I know. I’ve thought of that myself.” I chewed on my lower lip for a second, my eyebrows furrowing. “But if you don’t blame him for thinking so poorly of you, why were you such a douche to him when we got here? You got up and started shouting as soon as you saw him. You said some pretty nasty stuff.”

  “I’m not proud of that either,” Bobby said with a sigh, picking at a fingernail. “I guess I just snapped. I know I did him wrong all those years ago, but I didn’t take his money. He’s done nothing but accuse me of doing it, though, so when he showed up, I immediately jumped to the worst possible scenario in my mind. I assumed he’d come here on a mission to destroy my wedding as part of his supposed retribution, and I saw red. It’s one thing to hate me and try and stop my business from taking off, because maybe I deserve that. But to mess with my relationship is another thing entirely. I couldn’t take it.”

  “Oh.” I nodded slowly, then pursed my lips. “You know we didn’t come here to ruin anything, right? It really was a coincidence.”

  “I know that now. You guys are clearly together for real. So that’s why I wanted to talk to you about all this. I wanted to tell you my side of things before I married your sister, and I wanted to apologize to you for how shitty and awkward it’s been. I feel responsible.”

  I smiled gently. “It hasn’t been shitty. The island is amazing, and we’ve had a good time.”

  He returned my smile. “Well, thanks for saying that. It really is a great place, huh?”

  “Yeah.” I hesitated for a moment, picking at a nail. Then I looked back over at Bobby. “Sorry if you don’t want to talk about this anymore, but… did you get help?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine now. Just have a lot of regrets. Guess that’ll never change.”

  I patted his shoulder. “I get it. But I’m glad you got help. I have a friend who suffered from depression a while ago. I know how much it can mess a person up.”

  “Yeah, and it’s not what people assume it is. It’s not like I sat around crying all day, or anything like that. It was more like numbness and exhaustion. Brain and body. I just had no motivation to do anything, and my usual personality was just… gone.”

  “Yup.” I nodded slowly. “My friend couldn’t get out of bed a lot of days.”

  His forehead wrinkled. “She okay now?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine.”

  “Good.”

  We lapsed into a comfortable silence as we looked out across the sparkling ocean, taking in the spectacular view as a sudden sea breeze whipped up some bigger waves. They crashed onto the shore, splattering white foam over the uniquely-pink sand.

  I turned back to Bobby a few minutes later. “Hey, look, for what it’s worth, I don’t think you stole all that money.”

  His forehead crinkled. “Seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  “Huh, I kinda assumed you were with Nate on that issue.”

  I shook my head. “I’ll be honest, I’ve flip-flopped over it. I was convinced you did it for a while. But my sister is smart. I don’t think she’d marry a guy who was truly shady. All other things considered, I think you’re right—someone probably set you up.”

  He raised a brow. “Does Nate know you think that?”

  I looked down at my sandy feet as guilt pricked at my insides. “We haven’t talked about it since he told me how you lashed out at him after your mom passed, but it’s bound to come up soon. So I guess we’ll discuss it then. I’d rather wait till we’re back home, though.” I hesitated and picked up a handful of sand, letting it fall through my fingers as I spread them out. “Maybe I can convince him. I know Libby wants nothing more than for everyone to get along, and I want the same.”

  “Yeah, me too. I’ve gotta say, I’m glad I have you on my side in this. Can’t tell you what a relief that is to hear.” Bobby’s shoulders sagged, and he patted my arm.

  “Well, isn’t this just lovely?”

  I jumped at the sarcastic voice and turned around. Nate was standing on the sand behind us, his face dark. Something tightened and twisted inside me, like the wringing of a wet rag.

  “How long have you been there?” Bobby asked, eyes widening.

  Nate’s lips were set in a grim line. “Long enough. It’s nice to know where you stand, Georgie.”

  Before I could say a word, he turned and strode away.

  30

  Nate

  I strode away from the beach, hands bunched up by my sides. My pulse had doubled, my stomach was in knots, and my face burned as livid heat flashed through my body. I was angry at myself for letting my defenses fall, and angry at Georgie for waltzing through them.

  I fell for her. I trusted her. I told her everything, and in the end, she didn’t even believe me. She wasn’t on my side.

  My nostrils flared as I considered the irony. This whole time, I’d been worried about getting her to trust me. It hadn’t even occurred to me that maybe I shouldn’t trust her. Evidently, I couldn’t. My feelings for her obviously ran deeper than hers did for me, seeing as she was so willing to betray me and choose my brother’s bullshit over me.

  Did she ever really listen to a single thing I told her about him? Or was all that support she gave me after I opened up to her just as fake as our relationship once was?

  Sure as fuck seemed like it.

  “Nate! Stop!”

  I heard her calling out behind me, but I didn’t turn around. I picked up my pace and headed into the resort lobby, quickly making my
way toward the elevators. Footsteps pounded on the tiles behind me.

  Georgie finally caught up to me and grabbed my shirt sleeve. “Nate, please. Can we talk?”

  I stopped and finally turned to face her. Her cheeks were red, and her chest was rising and falling fast as she panted. “I don’t want to talk right now,” I said stiffly. “I’d like to be alone.”

  “But I want to explain what you just overheard. I—”

  I held up a hand. “You don’t need to explain. I get it. I dunno why I took this so seriously, or why I ever expected you to pick my side.” I snorted. “Why would you? It’s not real, is it?”

  Her eyes clouded. “What are you talking about?”

  I scoffed. “I’m talking about how you wanted a fake boyfriend, and you got one. Sure, something ended up happening between us, but obviously you didn’t take it all that seriously. I’ve just been deluding myself this entire time, thinking you did.”

  Georgie’s mouth dropped open, and she stood there gaping at me like a fish out of water. “I…” She faltered, unable to form a coherent response. No wonder.

  I took a step closer, narrowing my eyes. “You should know, I was never faking it. Never. I always had feelings for you. I wasn’t even going to take your fucking money. I only agreed to come on this trip to get to know you because I felt something when we met. Guess I fooled myself into thinking you felt the same along the way. My bad.”

  Georgie’s eyes widened, and she finally bit out a response. “Are you freaking serious right now?” She spoke so loud that several people in the lobby turned and stared. Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red, and she lowered her voice. “My feelings for you are real. They always have been, just like yours. Even when I didn’t want to admit it. You know that!”

  “Oh, really? Because I just heard my brother thanking you for being, quote ‘On his side in this’, unquote.” I sniffed derisively. “The dude practically blamed me for my mother’s death, stole a shit-ton of money from me and tried to ruin my life, but who cares, right?” I threw my hands up.

  Georgie tilted her head to the side. “Oh, for god’s sake, that’s not what Bobby meant. He didn’t mean I’m on his side as if I’m totally against you and plotting your murder. It was a figure of speech.”

  “Meaning?”

  “That I agreed with him about one thing. One thing.” She held up an index finger. “That’s all. I’m still with you, Nate! Of course I care!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, you sure showed me that before.”

  She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Look, I get why you’re mad, but we can talk about this. Just let me explain it properly.”

  “I already said I don’t want to hear it.”

  “Nate, come on… please?”

  “Nope, I’m good.”

  “Really?”

  “Yup.”

  She planted her hands firmly on her hips. Steel daggers seemed to shoot from her eyes as she regarded me. “You’re behaving like a child.”

  I scoffed again. “Sure.”

  “You are. You’re refusing to even listen to me.” She took a step closer.

  I did the same. “That’s rich coming from you. I don’t think you’ve ever listened to me.” I shook my head slowly and drew my arms close to my body. “I really thought I could trust you after everything I told you.”

  “You can.” Step.

  “So what the hell was that with my brother?” Step.

  We were almost nose to nose now. Georgie was still breathing hard from chasing me all the way up here, and a beat of sweat was slowly trickling its way down her face. As fucking mad as I was, I was overwhelmed with an urge to kiss her. Christ, this woman made me crazy. Always had. Probably always would.

  “People are staring. Let’s go to your room, and we’ll talk about this like adults. You made me do it when I acted like an idiot the other day, so you owe me that much,” she said in a low voice.

  I hated that she had a point. “Fine.”

  I refused to look at her on the elevator ride to the third floor. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to get sucked in by those perfect green eyes, because if I did, I might not be able to make it out again.

  I swiped my keycard in my door two minutes later. Georgie followed me inside and watched as I poured myself a drink from the minibar.

  “I think you have the wrong end of the stick, Nate,” she said as I gulped down a mouthful. “You didn’t hear everything that was said.”

  I turned to her and shook my head, refusing to be gaslighted. “No. Don’t do that shit. This isn’t some misunderstanding where I overheard something and totally misinterpreted. I clearly heard you say you don’t believe me when it comes to my brother and the missing money. That’s the one thing I’d expect you to support me with, and you don’t. You know how shitty that feels?”

  She sighed. “Just because we don’t agree on something doesn’t mean I don’t support you.”

  I grimaced. “I think it does. You don’t believe me! That’s a pretty big deal.”

  Her eyes widened in a pleading expression. “I do. I believe that you believe Bobby stole that money. I get your point of view, really.”

  “What a fucking copout, Georgie. I need you to believe me all the way. My brother did it, end of story.”

  She nervously licked at her bottom lip. I tried to ignore how it reminded me of her mouth on my cock, tongue sliding all around the head. Now wasn’t the time, and at this point, I wasn’t sure it ever would be again. “I’m sorry, but I’m not so sure about that,” she said softly.

  “How can you seriously think that after everything I’ve told you?”

  She tilted her chin up and looked me right in the eye. “I know you have your reasons for thinking he did it, and I understand that. Bobby understands it too. He knows the damage he did all those years ago. So if you don’t want to speak to him or include him in your life, then I’ll support you with that. But….” She trailed off, then shrugged. “I think you’re wrong.”

  I threw my hands up. “Great. That’s wonderful support.”

  She folded her arms. “Nate, we’re allowed to have different opinions. It’s a relationship, not a dictatorship.”

  I snorted. “Oh, don’t give me that shit. I’m not saying you can’t have opinions. I just can’t believe your opinion on this exact matter. You know how I feel about him.”

  Her chin began to tremble. “I’m sorry. I can’t help what I feel. And if you’d overheard our entire conversation, I think you might start to feel differently as well.”

  I put my glass down and crossed my arms. “Yeah? Why?”

  She rubbed the back of her neck and sighed again. “Bobby feels terrible about what he said to you all those years ago. That’s why he approached me, to talk about it. He said he’s wanted to beg for your forgiveness since he said it, but you cut him off. You wouldn’t let him.”

  I arched a brow. “He said that?”

  I couldn’t even remember my brother trying to apologize to me, but like Georgie just said, I’d frozen him out over the years. I never let myself be alone with him, and I only ever spoke to him about work-related matters when others were present. Other than that, I’d severely limited our contact. Hell, even the majority of our work communication was done via email despite the fact that his office was right next to mine when he still worked at CryptX.

  Georgie nodded. “It’s not like I brought it up, by the way. He came to me of his own accord.”

  “Why?”

  “He wanted to tell me all this stuff before he married my sister, just so I would at least have an idea of what’s gone on from his perspective.”

  “How noble.”

  She ignored my dig and kept going. “He fully expected me to be on your side, and he took full responsibility for how awfully he treated you. He was genuinely shocked when I told him I believed him about the money. He didn’t think I would, and it seemed like he’d accepted that. He just wanted to explain himself to me, even though i
t made him look bad. That’s all. And the things he said….” She trailed off again, her eyes shimmering with the threat of tears. “I believe him. I do. He wasn’t in a good place after your mom died. He regrets how he treated you, and I really think you should go and talk to him. Sort this out.”

  I crossed my arms. “He was probably lying to you, trying to make you feel bad for him. Looks like it worked.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “No, it didn’t. I’m not stupid. I still think what he said to you all those years ago about your mother is absolutely dreadful, and I told him that much! You would’ve heard that if you arrived on the beach about two minutes earlier. So I’m not on his side. I’m on yours,” she said, her nostrils flaring. “I just think you’re wrong about the money, that’s all, and I think you’ve pinned it on him because of all that resentment you’re holding onto over the things he said in the past. Because of that, you refuse to even consider the fact that he could be innocent.”

  “Well, how can I consider it? Every shred of evidence points to him. I don’t know how many fucking times I have to say it.” I gritted my teeth.

  “I know, but listen.” Her eyes flashed with determination. “Pretend that you’re a different person and hear it from my point of view. Please?”

  I sighed and sat down on the end of my bed. She obviously wasn’t giving up anytime soon. “Fine. Whatever.”

  Georgie spent the next five minutes outlining her reasoning—why she agreed with me and thought my brother was guilty at first, and why she eventually swung over to an opposing view. I sat back and listened, trying to pretend I was a completely objective bystander. I had to admit, a lot of what she said made a disturbing amount of sense.

  My features softened, but only a little. “If it wasn’t him, then who could it realistically be? Who had access to all his passwords, along with the ability to hack our office security system and wipe everything? That’s the big question. I can’t think of anyone aside from him.”