by Anders Grey
I chuckled at his enthusiasm. “I don’t have any. But Mom has this little chihuahua named Noodles.”
Alec’s eyes went wide. “Pictures. Now.”
“No comments about chihuahuas not being real dogs?” I teased, fishing out my phone.
He rolled his eyes. “Every dog is a real dog. They’re all the same damn species.”
I found the last picture I took of Noodles when Mom brought him over during her last boyfriend-finding attempt. Mom had put on his fancy new collar and his tongue was poking out. “Here.”
I handed over the phone and watched Alec’s expression melt, which was super endearing. “Oh, he’s adorable. Please tell me your mom is bringing him on this trip.”
I found myself smiling at Alec’s reaction. “Probably. She brings him everywhere she’s allowed to. What about you? I’m guessing you must have a pet, too, since you’re so enthusiastic about them.”
Alec deflated. “Can’t have one.”
“Why?” I narrowed my eyes. “You’re not on some watch-list, are you?”
The wry humor returned to his face. “No. The fact is, I’m on the road too much. My job involves too much travel to take care of a pet, unless it’s a rock. And even TSA won’t let me bring it on a plane.”
I was so wrapped up in learning more about him that I'd forgotten about his work. “Oh, right. Photographers travel a lot, huh?”
“Yeah. I go where the boss orders me too.” He sighed. “It suits me just fine, though. I like the adventure. I get fidgety if I’m in one place for too long, you know?”
I shrugged, unsure of how to respond. Constant travel wasn’t my idea of a good time when staying close to home was safe and easy.
“Ah, well,” Alec said. “It’s good we’re not settling down together, isn’t it?”
“Right.”
But as I spoke, I felt a flash of disappointment, like a prize was dangling just out of my reach. I had to get over it. It was impossible for Alec and me to have a future together, and I needed to burn that into my mind now before I got any more attached to him.
Alec is strictly off-limits. Don’t forget that, Rowan.
4
Alec
Rowan Grady was an enigma. He was instantly charming and likable, yet he didn’t sound confident in himself. Despite his cool demeanor at the café, I sensed the tension crackling around him like there a storm brewing beneath the surface of his skin. What was he so afraid of?
I prided myself on being good at reading people, and Rowan was a book that refused to open. But I was determined to get under his cover. That would make this week infinitely more exciting.
Of course, it helped that his mom’s dog was the cutest damn thing I’d ever seen.
The days leading up to the getaway rapidly came and went, and now I was outside the motel waiting for Kaitlyn and Rowan to pick me up. Rowan and his mother decided to take the trip together to save gas, which meant I was joining them in the SUV too.
I glanced over my shoulder at the motel building and winced. It wasn’t terribly decrepit, but it was shoddy compared to the luxury hotel we’d be staying in for the wedding trip. I cursed myself for not choosing to meet somewhere else.
Rowan doesn’t need to know about—
The loud honking of a horn made me jump. The woman who was clearly Rowan’s mother was waving an entire arm out the window at me. Beside her was Rowan, who shrunk in his seat with an inaudible groan.
She parked the car by the curb and ran out to greet me in a flying hug. “You must be Alec! Come here, you!”
I chuckled. “Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Grady.”
“No need for that,” she said, clicking her tongue. “Just Kaitlyn is fine.”
“Sorry, I should have warned you,” Rowan mumbled, getting out of the car. “She’s a hugger.”
As I lifted one heavy piece of luggage, Rowan eyed the other one. “Here, let me—”
“No, no, it’s all right,” I said. But when I reached for the handle, Rowan’s hand brushed against mine. His eyes widened and his cheeks tinged. Before I could grab the handle, Rowan snatched the luggage and scurried to toss it in the back of the SUV.
He’s acting more like a virgin than a fake boyfriend, I thought. Maybe we should work on our cover more when Kaitlyn’s not around.
When everything was packed up, we piled into the SUV. Rowan sat shotgun, and I sat in the backseat. I gasped when I saw the little fawn chihuahua.
“You brought Noodles!”
Noodles licked his lips and approached me warily. I let him sniff my hand before giving him a little scratch under the chin. I noticed there was a worn blue dog bed on the opposite side of the seat and assumed it belonged to him.
“Noodles wouldn’t miss this wedding for the world,” Kaitlyn joked. She turned to Rowan. “Honey, what are you doing sitting up here? Go sit in the back with your man!”
Rowan blinked. He looked like he wanted to argue, but arguing meant blowing our cover. Without a word, he slunk out of the front seat and I shuffled over to give him space. But with Noodles’ dog bed taking up so much room, we ended up squashed together. Rowan gave the dog bed such a dirty look that I almost laughed. He must have known that putting it between us would look awkward to Kaitlyn, so he was stuck next to me. Not that I had a problem with sitting flush with a man as hot as Rowan.
“So, what’s with the motel?” Kaitlyn asked, taking off from the curb. “You know Rowan lives alone, right? I figured I’d be picking you up from his place. I mean, obviously you’ve been there, for—”
Rowan cut her off with a loud groan. “Mom!”
Kaitlyn didn’t sound embarrassed at all. “We’re all adults here, honey.”
Shit. That’s right. If Rowan and I are supposed to be dating, he obviously wouldn’t make me sleep at a motel. Need an excuse, fast.
“I was taking some photos of the exterior,” I said, surprised at the smoothness of my own lie. “I saw this motel in passing the other day and wanted to take some photos in the early morning light. This particular type of brick has an interesting texture that really pops in close-up shots.”
I saw Rowan raise a brow from the corner of my eye, but if he knew I was making shit up, he didn’t say anything. It wasn’t the first lie I told Kaitlyn and wouldn’t be the last. Still, I didn't want Rowan to know the real reason I was stuck at the motel. If I was lucky, he'd take my lie to Kaitlyn as a half-truth—I looked like a guy obsessed with brick texture, right? Right.
I went on. “I left Rowan’s place earlier to take some shots with the sunrise then decided it would be too much effort to lug my things back there.”
“Interesting,” Kaitlyn said, nodding. “I never thought of it like that before. Brick texture, huh?”
I swallowed a sigh of relief. But Rowan clearly wasn’t as eager to believe my story as his mother. Still, he had no reason to call me out on my white lie since we were both already intertwined in our own big, off-color lie.
“Thank goodness we have a nice long road trip so I can get to know you, Alec,” Kaitlyn remarked. “Ooh, you boys should tell me how you met!”
I felt Rowan flinch. He looked uncomfortable, and I couldn’t blame him. Not only was he pressed up against me, but neither of us had remembered to come up with this story. His eyes were glazed, and I noticed the quickening of his breath and stiffness of his frame.
He was obviously anxious. I needed to take the heat off him ASAP. I opened my mouth and hoped the lie that spilled out would be just as smooth as the other one.
“Rowan and I—”
“I was the one who reached out to him first. When I found out Alec Walker was doing some work near Rosecreek, I was dying to meet him. Mom, did you know he’s the Alec Walker?”
I turned in surprise to Rowan, who had spoken firmly. His eyes were clear again. Whatever flash of anxiety had gripped him, it seemed to have passed.
“Alec Walker,” Kaitlyn said, testing out my name. “Nope, doesn’t ring a bell.”
&n
bsp; “He’s a photographer for Nature Galaxy.”
Kaitlyn snapped her fingers. “Is that the magazine you always used to get delivered before you moved out? I’d check the mail expecting my Cosmopolitan, and it was always your little tree magazine instead! Oh, no offense, Alec.”
“None taken.”
So, he’s telling a half-truth this time? Maybe he feels guilty about layering the lies, especially to his mother.
“Well, I’m glad you boys hit it off,” Kaitlyn said with a sigh that was both contented and relieved. “I’ve been trying to find Rowan a boyfriend for ages, but I’m happier he did it on his own. I was worried about him finding a partner, you know, with the way he is. Always so shy! I was starting to think it’d never happen again.”
Rowan winced when Kaitlyn said again, and I was the only person to see it. His expression turned distant and stormy again as he sank against the seat. I felt a flash of sympathy for him. I clearly didn’t know the whole story here, but seeing Rowan’s obvious hurt made me want to cheer him up.
“Dog?” I offered, holding Noodles towards him.
Rowan looked at me, then to Noodles. With a gentle upward tug of his lips he took Noodles into his lap where the chihuahua curled around three times and settled down with a huff. Rowan stroked his back.
As Kaitlyn hit the freeway, the car turned silent except for the pleasant drone of soft-rock radio in the background. I gazed out the window beyond Rowan’s head and watched the landscape fly by. The blue sky and green trees turned to blurs as Kaitlyn rocketed us towards our destination.
It wasn’t until I felt a soft exhalation of breath against my arm that I realized Rowan had fallen asleep on me.
I looked down at him in surprise. Had I not noticed his head slumping against my shoulder because we were already pressed so close together? My heart rate quickened. His warmth seeped into me, and he was close enough that I smelled the soft floral scent of his shampoo—or perhaps it was just his natural scent from working with flowers all day long. His hair fell in dark strands against me, so silky and smooth that I wanted nothing more than to reach out and run my fingers through it. His lips were slightly parted, and his breath came out in warm puffs against my skin.
Fuck. I swallowed thickly. The closeness wasn’t helping my physical attraction to him. I willed myself not to get hard.
The last thing I wanted was for Rowan to wake, so I didn’t dare move. I grew hyper-aware of every twitch and muscle in my own body. I sat as perfectly still as a living human being can stay and closed my eyes, committing this moment to memory.
After Rowan and I inevitably parted ways, this was something I wanted to remember.
Don’t get attached like he’s a stray puppy, Alec, I warned myself. You’re leaving when this is all said and done. Do not lead him on.
I promised myself I wasn’t going to lead him on, but hell if I wasn’t going to enjoy being Rowan’s fake boyfriend to the fullest for an entire week.
5
Rowan
I roused as the car bumbled over uneven gravel and came to a stop. I didn’t know how long I’d been out.
“Give me ten minutes, boys,” Mom announced. “Uh oh. Actually, make it twenty. The line is huge.”
I mumbled and rubbed my eyes with the hand that hadn’t fallen asleep. But when I went to shake the numbness from the other one, I found it trapped beneath something heavy.
That was when I realized the something heavy was Alec.
I bit back a yelp of surprise as I shot back then hit the back of my head against the window. “Ow.”
“You okay?” Alec asked.
“Yeah.” I hissed. Now pins-and-needles were attacking my arm and my head was throbbing. “Where are we?”
“Pit stop. Your mom ran into the bathroom.”
“Of course she did.”
Noodles stood on the tips of his toes, watching her go from the window like a sad orphan. He let out a soft whine.
I noticed Alec was staring at me, which made me flustered. “What?”
He chuckled. “Nothing. I’m just learning a lot about you.”
“Huh?”
Alec grinned, flashing his perfect white teeth. “Here’s what I learned in the past hour you’ve been asleep on me,” he began, counting on his fingers. “One, you mumble in your sleep. Two, you’re a heavy sleeper. There were at least three instances where your mom swore at her fellow drivers and gave a couple of fingers, and you just slept right through it. And third, you’re cranky when you wake up.” He grinned. “All very good completely-real-boyfriend knowledge to have.”
I felt my ears heat up from embarrassment. “Oh my god.” I dropped my face into the back of the leather seat in front of me. “Fuck me. I’m sorry, I always fall asleep in the car, but I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”
He raised another finger to join the others. “Four—you apparently always sleep in the car.”
I scowled and swatted his hand down. “Five—I’m gonna abandon you at this pit stop if you keep counting.”
Alec laughed. Despite my mortifying embarrassment, my spirits lightened. Did he have to be so stupidly charming?
Noodles glanced over his shoulder at me with the biggest, saddest eyes I’d ever seen a dog make.
“I’m gonna take Noodles out to pee,” I announced.
Alec nodded. “Good idea. I want to stretch my legs before we get back on the road in the Kaitlynmobile.”
The rest stop loomed ahead. The parking lot was full of other travelers, and the smell of fast food wafted in the air as people sat on the outdoor benches and quickly devoured their burgers and fries.
I took Noodles to a grassy patch close to the car and watched as he fussily picked around, trying to choose the perfect blade of grass to piss on.
Alec shuffled beside me and watched Noodles with great interest. I noticed how close he stood to me. With any other stranger, that proximity would have freaked me out, and I would’ve skulked off by now. But despite not being close with Alec, his close presence didn’t particularly offend me. In fact, it was actually kind of nice.
I guess I did spend the last hour asleep on the guy, too.
The memory made me blush. Falling asleep on a guy I barely knew was mortifying, but then again, we were supposed to be boyfriends. Wasn’t that a thing couples did? Sleeping on each other? At least it was a good way to prove to my mom Alec and I were dating, even if it was by accident.
“So, what happened in the car?” Alec asked suddenly.
“A lot of things happened in the car,” I mumbled, still blushing about the sleeping-on-his-shoulder incident. “You’re gonna have to be more specific.”
I expected to see a grin on his face, but his expression had softened. “When your mom asked about how we met, I noticed you got stiff and nervous. Like you were really uncomfortable.”
I grimaced and stared at the grass so I wouldn’t have to make eye contact. “I don’t like lying. It’s hard for me.”
“I was going to make something up, but you ended up telling the truth. Or at least, a version of it.”
I nodded. “Figured it was easier than making up another story to keep track of. But honestly? The main reason is that I was scared.”
“Scared?” Alec asked.
I rubbed my arm. “I felt cornered, so I got anxious. It happens a lot.” I shot him a mirthless smile. “You’re probably gonna see me freeze up and get nervous during the week. Sorry. I know it’s not a quality anyone wants in a boyfriend.”
Alec furrowed his brow. “Why are you apologizing?”
I didn’t meet his eyes and instead watched Noodles sniff a bush. The weight of his attention on me suddenly felt heavy, like I might buckle beneath it. “I dunno,” I said reflexively. “It’s just the way I am.”
With my gaze on the grass, I didn’t notice Alec’s approach until his hand landed on my shoulder. I froze. His touch was warm. My eyes snapped to his, but I couldn’t speak. His kind gesture had caught me off guard.
“You don’t have to apologize for the way you are,” Alec said firmly. “All right?”
My mouth hung open stupidly. I shut it and pulled out of his grip, mostly out of habit. As soon as his hand fell away, I found myself missing his touch, but I wasn’t about to go seeking it on purpose.
“Thanks,” I said. I cleared my throat then added, “So, your turn. Why’d you get all flighty about the motel?”
Alec hesitated. “You noticed? I thought I hid my reaction quite well.”
“Maybe to my mom,” I said, “but not me.”
Alec seemed surprised. He crossed his arms, an amused look on his face. “How did you know I was lying?”
I snorted. “The brick had an ‘interesting texture’? Please.”
Alec laughed out loud, and I found myself grinning alongside him. Something about his joy was contagious. I usually never smiled so much with someone I barely knew. But I wasn’t sure if I considered Alec a stranger anymore. Maybe a close acquaintance.
“Fine, you got me,” Alec admitted. “I didn’t give a shit about the bricks.”
I fake-gasped. “You dirty liar.”
He put his hand to his chest dramatically. “Sir, you wound me. Lest we forget that you, too, are a liar, as our entire relationship is built on a lie.”
I smiled along because I knew he meant it as a joke, but inside I felt a pang of sadness. Our relationship was a lie, sure, but did that mean the happiness I felt around him was fake? No, I knew the easy comfort I experienced around Alec was real. But he was right, and I reminded myself of the reality of the situation. This fake relationship was all an act to get my mom off my back. As soon as this week was over, Alec would be gone from my life, which was all for the best because our personalities and lifestyles clashed.
The corners of Alec’s mouth turned down slightly. “Sorry, I was only joking. I don’t think you’re a liar. Not for anything important, anyway.”
Not for anything important. Yeah. This was a whim for Alec, just a way to get a free vacation and a few classy photos. I was right to keep my expectations down.
