“Or what about that time she was supposed to help with my surprise party?” Colton said.
The stories kept coming, and Gina tapped her foot, nodding and blushing. “Yeah, okay. I think he gets the point.”
Trent was having too much fun, though. “She tries,” he said to Aston.
Colton came over and smushed her face between his palms. “But just look at this face,” he teased, using baby talk that had her smacking his arms until he dropped his hands. “Seriously, her face gives her away every time.”
“It’s her eyes,” Trent added.
Gina could feel her cheeks burning, but she turned to Aston with a shrug. “See?”
“Why?” Colton was looking back and forth between them. “What’s this about?”
Colton fixed his gaze on her and she caved. “Aston wants me to go along with this misunderstanding.”
Aston arched a brow and she shrugged. “Told you, I can’t lie.”
“Try me,” he said. “Say something that’s patently untrue.”
She met his gaze head on. “I really want to pretend to be your girlfriend.”
He flinched.
“See?” Trent said. “It’s the eyes.”
“It is the eyes,” Aston murmured as he squinted at her in disbelief. He straightened and reached into his pocket. “But that’s easy enough to fix.”
Before she could move away, he was settling his sunglasses on her nose.
They were too big for her face and all three men gave her a considering look.
She whipped the glasses off. “Even if you cover my eyes, this is a bad idea,” she said.
No one argued with her.
Colton turned on Aston with that patented big brother look. “How long til you leave town?”
Gina’s shoulders relaxed slightly at the reminder that this was a temporary situation.
“A few weeks,” he said, his brows lowered in thought. “Maybe a month.”
“A month?” she echoed in disbelief. “You plan on being in Cyrano for a month?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Well, I hadn’t planned on it, but…” He flashed her that aw-shucks smile as his eyes twinkled, and her pulse fluttered wildly in response. “There were a lot of things I hadn’t counted on.”
Her heart fell flat at the subtle-but-there ring of insincerity. “Stop that,” she said.
He arched his brows.
Even her brother and Trent looked at her in confusion.
She jabbed a finger in Aston’s direction. “The charming thing. I don’t like it. And it’s not gonna work.”
He exhaled loudly, all twinkling gone from his eyes and the humble smile erased. “I need to stick around. So the way I see it, you have two options. You could go along with this and let Billy believe you screwed him over rather than the other way around. Or…” He smirked again but this time it was cold. No twinkles in sight. “Or you could help me out and…” His jaw ticked. “I’ll owe you.”
Her stomach churned. She really should have eaten something this morning because it was currently a toxic pit of acid and coffee.
I’ll owe you.
She opened her mouth to say ‘I don’t want anything from you,’ but Trent beat her to it.
“We have another problem,” he said.
All eyes turned to him, but he was watching Aston warily. “If you really mean to stay, our department is going to have its hands full keeping the crowds and crazies at bay.”
Gina flinched at the reminder. Her house was currently being swarmed by reporters and fans. Her bedroom with its cozy bed and welcoming pillows was behind a barricade of people.
The urge to cry was real.
“The festival organizers hired extra security to come into town for the event, but they’re set to leave today.” His gaze narrowed on Aston. “Like you were.”
“Trust me, I’m not happy about it either,” Aston said.
It was absolutely ridiculous that Gina felt that like a blow. Of course he didn’t want to stay here. Of course being stuck in a town like Cyrano was his idea of a nightmare.
Of course being linked to a small-town girl like her wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time.
But he was stuck. And so was she.
As her brother, Trent, and Aston discussed the logistics of him staying in town, Gina finally faced this new reality head on.
He was staying. Whether she went along with this lie or not, he was staying. For a month.
And she was still unemployed.
And Billy had still cheated on her.
In short, her situation still sucked. Whether he stayed or not, it sucked. But if he stayed and she went along with it…
Yup, still sucked. But maybe it sucked a little less?
She winced. Was she actually considering this?
Taking a deep breath, she tuned out the men’s voices around her. She truly did have two choices. Go along with a lie that was already out there. Or set the record straight—and look like even more of a pathetic loser than she already did.
She let out a shaky exhale. Was this really her life?
At least if she went along with the lie, she could salvage some remnants of her pride. News of Billy’s cheating would be lost in the bigger story that the-little-townie-who-could had wooed a real life rock star.
She choked on a hysterical laugh, because...yeah. She was actually considering this. And yes, it sounded even more ludicrous in her head.
Gina Parker, girlfriend of a world-famous rock musician.
Her next choked laugh had Aston glancing her way.
He was dangerous. She knew that like she knew her own name. This could very well lead to yet another heartbreak, and would almost definitely lead to more humiliation.
She wasn’t sure how yet, but if embarrassment was in the cards, she’d be the one suffering from it. That was how her luck rolled.
But even so…
The thought of going outside those doors and facing the pity-filled stares as word spread about her and Billy still felt like the more horrifying option.
Her head fell back and she found herself staring at the popcorn ceiling. “I’ll do it,” she muttered.
I’ll take the lesser of two evils for a hundred, Alex.
Everyone went silent.
“You will?” Aston asked. His voice was far too eager and way, way too smug.
She lifted her head and held up a finger. “Just until you leave town.”
“Of course,” he said quickly. “And thank you, Gina.” His smile widened to something almost...real. And it was aimed right at her. “You’re not going to regret it.”
She would. She was almost certain she would regret this.
But even so, his genuine, triumphant grin made her heart glow, and her inner fangirl would not be denied one second longer.
Aston Rogue is smiling at me!
She groaned.
Her stupid inner fangirl really had to go.
Eight
This was proving to be the longest day of Aston’s life.
Which was saying something considering he’d once been on an international tour where they’d been chasing the sun, making the day feel interminably long. But that had nothing on this.
“You okay?” Gina was watching him as they headed toward the front doors.
Everyone was watching him. The old receptionist at the front desk, the deputies hovering around the water cooler.
But Gina? She was actually seeing him.
He looked straight ahead and tugged on the brim of his cap out of habit. “Fine,” he said.
His tone was a little too curt, especially since he was the one who’d messed up her life and drawn her into his chaos. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Just need some coffee, that’s all.”
She glanced up at him and gasped. Like, a legit gasp of horror.
“Do I look that bad?” he joked.
“No, I just…” She tsked. “Oh, you poor thing. You came into Java Lava’s to get a coffee and you never got y
our fix.”
He chuckled at her terminology. She wasn’t wrong. He was a coffee junkie, and his head was currently pounding without the necessary caffeine that kept him human. “Yeah, well, the barista was a little busy.”
Her laughter was soft and light. It was the most normal exchange they’d shared since she’d agreed to be his pretend girlfriend.
No, since before that. Since she’d yelled at him.
A smile tugged at his lips at the memory, even though his pride still stung. No one had ever seen through his act before. And he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been scolded.
Well, except by Toby, but that didn’t really count because they both know that Toby’s income depended on Aston, which meant he was all bark and no bite. At the end of the day, Toby had no real power over Aston.
Speaking of… He fished his phone out of back pocket so he could text his manager.
He sent off two words. It’s done.
He frowned at the text after he hit send. Sounded kinda ominous. And it did nothing to help this feeling that he was the world’s largest packet of instant coffee.
Which was to say, garbage. He hadn’t been able to shake this gross, toxic feeling in his gut ever since Gina had blinked up at him with wide, hurt, vulnerable eyes back at the coffee shop.
He might not have been responsible for her ex cheating on her, or even her getting fired, but this current disaster? Yeah, that was all him. And he meant to fix it...as much as he was able, at least.
“I can fix you a cup when you get home,” she said when they paused by the front doors.
Her cheeks instantly turned pink.
“To my home,” she said. “That’s what I meant.”
He smiled. “I knew what you meant.”
Yup. She was back to being weird again. Not that he could blame her. He’d gathered from the hissed conversations between Gina and her brother that she’d never lived with a guy before.
Not that this was a real living together situation. Just a logistical move to help the sheriff and his men with their limited resources.
It was either he move in with her or she move into the hotel. She’d been vehemently against leaving her house, and so...voila. It seemed he had himself an adorable, sheltered, sweetheart of a roommate.
A shout from outside had her glancing over, and he tugged her back so she was out of view.
Her mouth gaped as she continued to stare. “There are so many people out there.”
He winced. A full-fledged crowd had descended on the front steps of the sheriff’s office.
“Your brother and the sheriff will make a path for us,” he assured her.
She nodded, but she was gnawing on her lower lip.
He couldn’t look away.
His chest grew tight and his muscles tensed. Did she have any idea that she was turning him on right now?
“Why are there so many phones?” she whispered.
Nope. She was completely unaware of her effect on him.
“Everyone’s a photographer these days,” he mused as he followed her gaze through the glass doors where there were, indeed, a good amount of phones held up ready to catch his walk of shame out of the sheriff’s office.
He’d have to make sure Toby was ready to spin this story before rumors started that he’d been arrested. That was the last thing his reputation needed right now.
“Okay. Sounds good.” The tall dark-haired hottie who’d arrived earlier to help craft Gina’s new story was walking toward them. The sheriff had scored himself one beautiful woman. One beautiful, mildly terrifying woman.
She narrowed her eyes into a glare as she approached. She’d made it abundantly clear just how much she disliked him and his PR guy when she’d arrived.
Not that he could blame her. She, along with the sheriff and deputy, were clearly overprotective of Gina.
“You’re ready,” Vanessa said as she reached Gina’s side. “Colton’s in the car ready to drive you home.”
Gina nodded and Vanessa’s expression softened as she addressed her friend. “Keep your head down, head straight to the car, and don’t stop for anything.”
Gina nodded. “Got it.”
Despite her words, Gina looked terrified.
Aston’s stomach lurched. There was that guilt again. A decade of not worrying about who he stepped on in his rise to the top, and not even caring when he was someone else’s stepstool, and now this.
Guilt. All because he’d messed up the perfectly ordinary—and let’s face it, completely mundane—life of some barista.
He scrubbed the back of his neck as Vanessa rehashed the game plan.
Lies, lies, and more lies. All about how they’d first met, how it had been love at first sight… Blah, blah, blah.
Gina was nodding, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.
“Most important rule,” he interjected. “You don’t talk. I’ll do the talking.”
She wrinkled her nose, no doubt at his commanding tone, but she relented with a nod.
Her brother and the sheriff had not been kidding about her inability to lie. She was a freakin’ open book, her every emotion and thought spelled out across her features and in her eyes.
He tilted his head to consider her. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. If she was wearing makeup, he couldn’t tell. The fact that she’d cried herself to sleep the night before was painfully obvious.
And yet she was still pretty, in that fresh-faced, girl-next-door kind of way that some guys liked.
Not him, obviously. But some guys.
“Aston’s right,” Vanessa said. “If lying is called for, let him do it. All you have to do is nod and smile. It’ll be easier when this ends if we don’t have to keep track of all the lies you told. Less is always better.”
Her brows furrowed like she was concentrating hard on Vanessa’s words. He imagined she was taking mental notes on how best to lie, which had his lips tugging up at the corners.
Man, this girl. She was like a foreign species. So honest and good.
Not sanctimonious and smug like some people he’d met who thought they were morally superior to celebrities. No, this woman didn’t act good. She was good.
A shout from a fan outside made her flinch.
Gina was a sweet girl, and she deserved a heck of a lot better than this.
She dipped her head, her chest rising and falling with a deep breath. She was stealing her courage.
He snatched the cap off and stuck it on top of her head. She looked up with a start. “What are you doing?”
“You need it more than I do,” he said.
She frowned as she tentatively touched the brim. “What for?”
He shrugged. “It’s a disguise.”
She was still frowning, but her lips twitched with amusement. “It’s a hat.”
He chuckled. “It’s how I go undercover. In public.”
Her lips quivered now, and her eyes danced with laughter. “Undercover? Is that what you call it?”
He stuck the sunglasses on her and leaned back to eye the result. She looked...ridiculous. And kind of adorable. The glasses and hat were way too big on her.
Vanessa tried to adjust the glasses and they slipped down Gina’s nose making them both laugh.
“You were wearing this at the coffee shop earlier, but I didn’t realize it was a disguise,” Gina said, feigning awe. She turned to Vanessa. “What do you think? Do I look like an undercover cop?”
“A spy,” Vanessa said with certainty.
Gina fidgeted with the oversized glasses. “Ooh, I’ve always wanted to play spy.” She turned to him with an impish grin that made his heart give a solid thump against his ribcage. “Is that what you do when you go out in public? Pretend to be a spy?”
He shook his head in exasperation, but he gave a rueful chuckle at her teasing. She was smiling, at least, and she no longer looked like she was going to hurl from nerves.
“What is this disguise supposed to be?” Vanessa ask
ed.
“A soccer dad?” Gina asked.
They were both laughing. At him. Wonderful.
“I don’t know.” He sighed. “A normal man?”
Gina’s brows arched behind the glasses. “So you’re not really a man?”
Vanessa snickered.
He leaned in close to Gina, so close he could smell the fresh scent of her shampoo and something else. Like sugar and cinnamon. Sweet and homey.
He was so close he heard her breath catch as he gave her his best sexy smile and lowered his voice. “Baby, I’m better than a man.” He winked. “I’m a rockstar.”
She wrinkled her nose in feigned disgust, but she clearly got that he was kidding because she let out a laugh that made his heart do jumping jacks.
He wanted to touch her. For a second, he imagined tugging her into his arms and putting an end to her laughter with a kiss.
But he knew better.
This Vanessa chick would knee him in the nuts if he made a move right now. He settled for reaching out and tweaking the brim of the cap. “Never underestimate the power of a hat.”
Vanessa shifted to move past them. “If you guys are ready, I’ll lead the way.”
He looked to Gina and she nodded.
Vanessa lifted her phone. “Trent and some of the deputies are already out there. Let me just tell them we’re coming out.”
Gina nodded. She looked more confident now, but even behind the oversized cap and glasses, he caught the fear in her features.
There was that guilt again.
Crap. He rubbed at his chest. This was not the time for a sudden crisis of conscience. He had a future to think about. A career to save.
And besides, he’d make sure she got something out of this too.
The thought helped to ease the flare of guilt.
He leaned into her again as Vanessa talked to Trent. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten that I owe you.”
Her head tipped back so she could look up at him. “You don’t—”
“Everyone wants something. I’ll find out what you want and I’ll make sure you have it.”
She wrinkled her nose again, and he couldn’t tell what that meant. Did she not believe him?
“That’s a promise, Gina.”
“Really?” she said, her voice high. “Because it sounded more like a threat.”
Fake Dating My Rockstar Roommate: A Sweet Standalone Romance (Fake Dates Book 3) Page 7
