“Nice try, by the way, but don’t change the subject. You owe me. Explain.”
She walked into the kitchen and he followed. “I’m sorry! I was only trying to help. Mrs. Lane recognized me. I thought it was kind of ironic that you had so many of the products we’d recommended on the website. Now it makes sense.”
“But how did it get from that to us being engaged?”
Carly picked up one of Grace’s empty bottles and turned to the sink to rinse it, her back to Levi. It might be easier to get the facts out while keeping her hands busy. And without facing him. “She talked about you. Not good things. You’re a playboy pilot. You and Sandy were a one-night stand. And then...”
“Then what?”
“She saw my lucky ring and assumed we were engaged. I didn’t correct her.” The words came out in a rush. “Levi, she seemed very happy about you being engaged and settling down.”
He made a very frustrated male sound, and she cringed.
“Why the hell is it that no one believes I’m capable of raising my own child?”
“I’m sorry! I can’t change society for you.”
“You could have told her you’re the nanny.”
The truth? Who told the truth anymore? Being a nanny wasn’t sexy or exciting and, frankly, sounded like she needed the extra work to pay her bills. Not far from the raw and honest truth. And in her case, honesty wouldn’t sell her company for top dollar. She had few true-blue fans, those who hadn’t deserted after her mother’s death. Mrs. Lane was one of them.
She didn’t say anything for a beat.
“Carly,” Levi pressed.
She whirled around, soap suds flying from both of her hands. “My company is in trouble!”
His eyes narrowed. “What kind of trouble?”
“The kind of trouble that happens when the founder of your company suddenly dies.” She reached for a dish towel to dry her hands. “Think what would happen if Martha Stewart or Rachael Ray died. That kind of trouble.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ve been trying. Really trying to fix this mess and I’m extremely close. The last thing I want is for a fan like Mrs. Lane to get wind that I’m someone’s nanny. How would that look? We’ve been trying to sell, so I can’t afford for anything to go wrong right now.”
“And I thought I hired a baby expert.” He rocked back on his heels. “I didn’t know you were selling the company. Might have said something.”
“Why? There’s nothing you can do to help. Look, I need to sell. For a lot of reasons. After my mother died, my father broke his hip when he was in Maine visiting my older brother. He had a total hip replacement, and the physical therapy bills have been through the roof.”
“Jesus, Carly.”
“It’s all right. He’ll get better. And I’ve learned so much from watching Grace. Actually raising a baby is a lot tougher than it looks. It’s helped us both, in a way.”
She threw the dish towel and it landed on the stove. Her hands shook with fear and nerves and a whole lot of other sensations that she couldn’t quite name. This was only partly because Levi studied her, his blue eyes edgy and deep. Unreadable. She had no idea if he was about to kiss her or kill her. He calmly removed the towel from the stove, then stepped into her personal space.
“I wish I’d known about your dad. That’s rough, I know.”
“You should be mad at me. Furious. Please don’t be nice to me right now.” She bit back tears.
“One thing you should know about me. I’m not a nice man. I will disappoint you every time.” He wiped away an errant tear with his thumb.
“I don’t believe that.”
“Believe it. What if Grace’s grandparents are right about me? Did you think of that?” He cupped her chin with one hand.
“If that’s true, then you need me to repair your image.”
He chuckled. “I probably do.”
She managed to crack a smile and bat her wet lashes at him.
“But I don’t like lying. You should know that about me. From now on, we’re going to have to be completely honest with each other. Get that?” Both hands slid down her arms and tightened. “Even if we’re not honest with anyone else.”
She nodded, somewhat shaky, but this time because he stood so close. His sensual lips were inches away from hers. They would be warm on her mouth. “I promise. No more lies.”
“Now, what do you want to do about this fake engagement you got me into?”
“No one else has to know.”
“A secret fake engagement?”
“The Lanes are only here for a month. How hard can it be to keep it under wraps for a few weeks?”
“So they’re the only people we’re lying to? The Lanes?”
She nodded slowly. “I think it could work.”
“This is a small town.”
“If we’re careful, no one else has to know. Or find out.”
“I don’t know.” Levi’s heated gaze lowered to her lips. “I still don’t like it. I’m not looking for a relationship right now, and suddenly I’m engaged.”
“Well, what makes you think I want a relationship? Maybe you haven’t thought about how hard this is going to be for me.”
“Yeah?”
Her palms flattened against his hard chest. “You’re not exactly the easiest person in the world to get along with.”
He stepped back, lips twitching, and hooked a thumb to his chest. “Me? Why? What’s wrong with me?”
“First, you’re irritatingly punctual. Second, you throw Grace up in the air too high. I haven’t wanted to say anything before today, and I’m sorry, but it’s true. Third, you’re way too bossy.” She folded her arms across her breasts while she tried to think of more items to add to her list.
But the facts were she didn’t know him well enough to list all of his faults, of which she felt certain there were many. And another thing: I can never tell what you’re thinking. Or feeling. Or whether you feel anything at all.
“First, I was in the military, so sue me if it’s still important to be on time. A hard habit to break. Second, Grace likes the throwing and I’m not going to drop her. Ever. Third, yes, I’m bossy, and I think you might like it sometimes.”
She drew in a sharp breath and went all marshmallow melty inside. “I...I don’t think so.”
He tugged her in so that her whole body went flush against his. Breasts brushed up against rock-hard pecs. Liquid legs met his longer ones. His hand on her ass.
“I do. You might like it when I order you to come.”
“Ha! Sorry, but I like to handle that sort of thing myself.” Too late, she realized what that sounded like. As if she drove solo all the time.
He grinned. “Give me a minute while I picture that.”
Her face flushed, and she cleared her throat. “I mean, I will decide how, where and when I...you know.”
“Who’s bossy now?”
Hot damn, she was kind of bossy around him. She didn’t know why or how, but she kind of liked it. “When it comes to my body.”
“Now, would you like to know what’s wrong with you?” he asked, a too-wicked glint in his gaze.
“Not really,” she managed to squeak out. She had a rather long list of her own and didn’t particularly want to add to it.
“First, you’re afraid of me.” He tugged on a lock of her hair. “Second, you’re too emotional. Someone is going to take advantage of that. It won’t be me. Third, you’re a liar.”
She froze. This wasn’t who she wanted to be. His honest words cut so deeply that she wrenched away from him and stomped out of the kitchen.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LEVI HAD HIT a raw nerve, because Carly’s eyes flashed with anger. She twisted out of his arms and walked awa
y without another word. But someone so adept at lying shouldn’t be shocked at being called out for it.
He understood little white lies. Not quite an angel, he’d told plenty of them in his not-so-distant past. Baby, you’re sexy. No, your tits are the perfect size. You’re the only one for me. I think I love you. All in his past. He no longer had room in his life for any kind of deceit. For years now, he’d been nothing but up-front and direct about what he wanted and needed from a woman. It was ugly but real. He found that women could stomach real better than he’d ever believed possible.
She’d stomped into her bedroom, and he followed, stopping to brace one arm in the doorway.
She turned and pointed to him. “I’m not afraid of you!”
It was difficult not to laugh. “That’s what you’re upset about? Not that I called you a liar?”
“First, I’m not afraid. Second, I’m not too emotional. I’m a girl. Anyway, it’s better than keeping feelings locked up tight. That’s going to give you an ulcer one day. And third, lying is new to me. A hazard of my trade.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were in politics.”
“No, but close.” She plopped onto her bed.
He waited patiently for more, assuming she would give it to him once the silence stretched between them. She probably didn’t want to be alone with him in her bedroom and run out of things to talk about. Not here. Because that would be scary. For her. When that happened, they might both have to face the sizzling chemistry between them. Clearly, she didn’t want any of this. And he got that. He wasn’t sure he liked this deal, either, so she could join his club.
“You don’t really want to hear this,” she finally said.
He met her eyes. “Actually, I do.”
“It’s...a long story. You have to understand that I’ve spent most of my life hiding the truth. Every time a teacher asked me to stand up and read, I developed a bad case of laryngitis. Every single time. I listened to books on tape and I learned to memorize parts so I wouldn’t have to read them. I had my coping skills. Either way, it was a long time before anyone realized I had dyslexia.”
Levi’s stomach dropped. He’d had a buddy in high school with dyslexia. Really bright kid who had a difficult time with reading comprehension. Not only had he had a tough time in school, but kids made fun of him. It was ugly, because kids could be so damn mean. Levi had gotten in trouble more than a few times for sticking up for his friend.
The discarded instructions to the crib took on a different light. “Did you get any help?”
“It took a long time, but yes. I was well behaved, so they said I was capable, just wouldn’t apply myself. They didn’t even want to test me for a long time. But finally my parents fought the school and got me help in my junior year.”
He was no expert on the matter, but that seemed a little late. “So you graduated.”
“Barely. And after a few years, I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.”
“Been there many times. Great city.” The city buzzed with an excitement and energy that was contagious. Not the place he wanted to live, but he understood the draw.
“You know how the song says something like being able to make it anywhere if you can make it there? Well, I didn’t make it there.”
“I’m not much for Broadway show tunes.” He moved to her bed, where he sat beside her, like he would stay awhile. “What happened?”
“Nothing. That’s exactly what happened.”
More waiting, then. He let the silence fill the room while he studied her. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t so much an icicle as a patient man. Learned the hard way.
“I screwed everything up because I didn’t believe in myself. Or maybe the lying caught up with me.” She picked up a pillow and hit it once. “Look, there’s a lot of selling that has to go on in any career. On a job interview, for instance. But when it comes to a competitive edge, I wasn’t all that good at selling myself. Or my work.”
“So with RockYourBaby you’ve chosen to lie your way to success.”
“Not lie, exactly.” She squirmed next to him. “Create an illusion that the real baby expert simply passed the torch on to her daughter. And because my illusion is all done behind a computer monitor, maybe it’s a bit easier for someone like me. I didn’t mean to drag you into this. But I also helped you. Irene likes me, and it can’t hurt for her to think that we’re together.”
And he’d dragged her into his issues by asking her to bring Grace to the park. By letting her know about Sandy’s parents when he might have kept it to himself. Because it wasn’t like him to overshare. Maybe he’d done so because she’d helped him in a pinch, or maybe because he noticed how she truly cared about Grace, but either way, he’d shared more with Carly than was his custom. His fault.
“Is it that crazy an idea? For us to be a couple?”
“You were the one who called us stupid. We wouldn’t make a good fit.”
He and Grace needed calm and quiet in their lives. Not all this chaos and emotion that surrounded Carly. All the lies. She was going through a tough time. Frankly, she worried him as much as she frustrated him. He already had Grace to take care of, and it had been a cold night in Texas the last time he’d tried his hand at being a woman’s white knight. Hadn’t worked out so well then, either.
“I would have to agree.” She took a breath. “Except for, you know, the kissing and...stuff.”
“You mean the orgasm. We’re engaged. I think you can just say it.”
“Yes. The orgasm.”
He tugged her in tight. “So we’re in this together until the Lanes go back home. But between you and me? No more lies.”
“No...more...lies.”
Damn. Her eyes. They drew him in every time. Made him want things. Complicated things. But if he did this, if he went along with this little game, he’d put some parameters of his own into place. Not just for her. For himself. He didn’t want to be sucked in by the likes of Carly Gilmore. Definitely, one hundred percent not ready for this.
“And we both need to remember this thing between us isn’t real.”
Yeah. Just keep telling yourself that, buddy.
She nodded. “I’m not likely to forget, since I’m the one who made it up. And after they’re gone, we go back to how things were before.”
“And no one gets hurt.” He squeezed her hand.
He’d been in this place too many times to count. Temporary relationships. Hell, even his permanent ones had a temporary feel to them. And wasn’t he sick of all that? Because he’d learned that even temporary had risks. Even temporary carried with it lifetime consequences.
Carly was staring at his lips. He should tell her that wasn’t helpful. But because no one had ever called him wise when it came to women, he kissed her, taking the kiss deeper when she opened up to him.
“Wait.” She suddenly pulled back. “What are we doing?”
“Practicing. Because it should look like we’re comfortable around each other. If we’re going to keep lying, anyway, and make it look good.”
“Oh, right.”
And also, because she tasted so sweet, too good. He knew she’d swallow him up whole if he let her. She was dangerous to his peace of mind, meaning he’d be playing with fire for the next month. This would be different, playing at a real relationship while knowing he’d easily walk away at the end. No harm, no foul. He’d make sure not to hurt her, or that she could ever get close enough to hurt him.
Game on.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ON SATURDAY, LEVI got ready for the pet wash. He gathered Grace’s and Digger’s assorted crap. For someone who could live for a week in the woods with the contents of one backpack to sustain him, carrying along this much stuff for the day felt unnatural. But he did it, because all the boo
ks said he should do it. All the so-called baby blogs, of which he was trying to read more since learning about Carly’s.
He shook his head, reminded himself he was an idiot, then got busy packing a change of clothes for Grace. Several diapers, baby wipes, a pacifier—which she hated, but hey, maybe he’d get lucky one day—a bag of Cheerios, a teething ring, two bibs and some tissues. Of course, he also had to carry the fold-up stroller with him and the car seat. He briefly considered bringing the fold-up playpen his parents had shipped to him, but there would be so many women there today, Grace would probably get passed around for a while. For Digger, he simply brought his leash, some dog treats and plastic bags.
Man.
“It’s a damned good thing you’re so cute.”
This he said to Grace, though technically it applied to both of them. Digger was cute, but not what he wanted in a dog. Levi preferred big, bad or at least somewhat threatening. But this was what he got, thanks to Emily. Once he’d snapped the leash on Digger’s collar, all three of them were out the door.
A few minutes later, he pulled into the airport parking lot, where Cassie, Emily, Zoey and Sarah were already setting up. Signs were set at strategic locations, and three long hoses lay on the ground near big tubs with the Pimp Your Pet logo proudly displayed. Matt and Stone were nowhere in sight. Probably hiding inside, the cowards.
“Let me have Grace.” Cassie reached Levi first, just as he opened the rear passenger door.
His experience the few times he’d had Grace around Cassie, Emily and Sarah was that they’d pass Grace around to get what they called their baby fix. Fortunately, Grace wasn’t fussing at the moment, because when she did, they tended to hand her back. She was always his problem then.
He lifted her out of her car seat and handed her to Cassie.
Levi pulled out the stroller, then attached the car seat to it and rolled it toward Cassie. “Here, take this, too.”
Cassie gave him a long look. “I see you brought the house again.”
He would never again be caught without enough diapers. That one time had been a disaster. “And this.” He set the diaper bag in the empty car seat.
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