False Pretenses

by Tressie Lockwood

  “That was more like it,” he commented, amusement in his tone.

  She glared at him. “It was more than necessary. I doubt you’ll need to put your tongue down my throat while your family’s around.”

  “Would be convincing.”

  “Not on your life, pal.”

  He grinned and stuffed his hands in his pockets, but not before she spotted the tent there. She turned her back on him and rubbed a hand over her mouth. When she bent to get her sandals, he beat her to them, stooping way too close. He took his time straightening, and to keep from looking like the scaredy-cat she felt, she held her stance, refusing to be intimidated. Nathan’s suppressed grin and raised eyebrows said he recognized the act for what it was.

  “You said you just ended a relationship?” His gaze steadied on her face.

  “You’re insinuating I’m inexperienced?” She tilted her head to the side and placed a hand on her hip, challenging him. The sexy eyes crinkled at the ends.

  “I would never.” He reached out to grasp a lock of her hair and twirled it around his finger. “From that kiss, I think it’s safe to say you’re not new to the game.”

  “Oh, it’s a game, huh?”

  “It can be.”

  Alyssa began walking, and Nathan fell into step beside her. She kept her attention on putting one foot in front of the other because just as he had insinuated, that kiss had lit her on fire. All she could do was fight to keep her hands to herself and not suggest to him that they go back to his room. She wasn’t into jumping into bed with men she had just met, and while Nathan wasn’t exactly new, he was Trinity’s boss. That could make things awkward for her cousin, and Trinity didn’t deserve it.

  “Why did you agree to come with me, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  She stumbled, and his hand shot out to catch her before she fell. Yes, she did mind him asking. Stalling, she pushed her hair back from her face when a breeze stirred it. “I told you I grew up with Trinity. Doing this favor for you meant a lot to her, and for her it meant a lot to me. She’s been there for me when I needed her. I wanted to give back in a way that I could.”

  He listened in attentiveness to her explanation, and while he nodded when she finished, she wondered if he believed it. Then she decided she didn’t care if he did or didn’t. Her money issues were her problem, and a man like him couldn’t understand anyway. After some moments, he reached out and threaded his fingers with hers. She tried pulling away, but he held on.

  “There will be times we walk along the beach with my family present. A couple in love wants to touch each other often.” He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it. She shivered, and he frowned in concern. “Are you cold?”

  “Um, no. I’m good, thanks.”

  He tugged her to his side and wrapped an arm about her shoulders. This time she didn’t flinch or pull away. Deciding she wanted this to work, she nuzzled in under his arm and laid her head against his shoulder. They moved as one, taking slow steps. I bet to anyone looking we seem like a couple. She peered up at his face. What would it be like to love a man like him?

  “Shouldn’t I know more about you, like your routine?” she asked.

  He snapped his fingers. “You’re right. Come. We’ll sit down here and study.”

  They found beach chairs, and Nathan brushed the seats free of sand. For the next few hours, they sat together sharing some intimate and some boring details of their everyday lives.

  “I own a bookstore,” Alyssa confessed, “and I never thought we’d have anything in common, but I guess we’re both workaholics.”

  Nathan agreed. “We don’t get a lot of time to spend together, so we cherish what we can.”

  She ducked her head. He spoke as if they really were a couple. The man had the acting thing down pat. “I text you just to say I love you at various times of the day.”

  He fingered her palm. That was the kind of thing she dreamed of having with someone, a closeness that reached across space and time, trust and loyalty that didn’t waver. Would Nathan be faithful to the woman he dated, or would he tell her up front she would never be the only one?

  “I’m not into open relationships,” she blurted, and he started in surprise.

  “Neither am I. I do not share my woman.” Switching directions, he added, “My favorite food is French fries.”

  She laughed. “Seriously?”

  “Does that seem weird?”

  “I don’t know. You don’t look like the French fry type.”

  “Meaning?”

  He didn’t appear to be offended, so she told him the truth. “The corporate kind of man who knows which of the fancy forks to use when at a formal dinner.”

  His boyish smile took her breath away. “Ah, but that’s the appeal of the French fry. You can’t enjoy it unless you eat it with your fingers.”

  “And it’s not good if it’s not a little greasy.”

  “Agreed!”

  After another hour or so of getting to know each other, Alyssa began nodding off, and Nathan rose and dragged her to her feet. By now his arms around her had started to feel normal and comfortable.

  “Time for bed,” he announced.

  She yawned, leaning on his chest, and they strolled back to the room. “Good night,” Alyssa murmured and stumbled into her room. She shut and locked the door and then leaned on it. Even the chilly panel didn’t cool her hot body. Everything about him excited her, from his smile, to his voice, to his eyes, and his touch…

  She didn’t know how she would bear the coming week. At least if she revealed her attraction, she could put it down to great acting. If nothing else, she needed to guard her heart and know, in the end, it would all benefit her business.

  * * * *

  In the late afternoon, Alyssa and Nathan checked out of the hotel and were driven to another location. When Alyssa stepped into the lobby of the new place, she wrinkled her nose in confusion and turned to Nathan. “I thought we were going to your parents’ house? What’s the name of this hotel?”

  He grinned, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “This is our family estate here in the islands.”

  Embarrassment and wonder washed over her at the same time. The ground floor where they stood spread out so open and big, it rivaled the best and most expensive of hotels. Just past the front door, an arrangement of real palm trees stretched up from the first floor almost to the third. Double dark oak doors lined the walls on the first and second floor, while windows lined those of the third. One side of the third led off into some other part of the house. The very fact that she saw all of this from where she stood blew her mind.

  While she wanted to continue to gawk at the house that must be worth millions, a maid glided down the stairs and approached them. Her straight back and serviceable uniform impressed Alyssa all the more. “Mr. Corde, welcome home, sir.”

  “Talia, thank you,” Nathan responded. “This is my girlfriend, Alyssa. Can you show her to her room?”

  The woman didn’t bat an eyelash at the fact that Alyssa’s skin was as brown as hers. She smiled and nodded her greeting. Alyssa found her voice and answered in kind.

  “Mrs. Corde gave instructions for Ms. Alyssa to be placed in your room, sir. Aziz has already taken the luggage up. Ms. Alyssa, I’ll show you the way.”

  “Wait, in Nathan’s room?” Alyssa squeaked.

  Nathan cleared his throat. Before either of them could speak further, a woman called out from behind them, and Alyssa and Nathan turned. The woman hurrying up the few steps to the doorway appeared to be an older female version of Nathan. Alyssa knew this must be his mother.

  “Nathan, darling,” she cooed and raised her cheek for Nathan to kiss. He did so and drew his mother in for a warm hug. She didn’t reach beyond his shoulder, but her fiery spirit made her seem taller. “Dad and I have missed you. I wish you would visit more often.”

  “I promise I will,” he assured her and drew Alyssa to his side. “Mom, this is Alyssa. Alyssa, my mom.”

  �
��You can call me Lydia, dear,” his mother said.

  She offered a cheek to Alyssa too, and Alyssa gave her a brief hug and a sort of half-cheek, half-air kiss. The fact that real people greeted each other this way surprised her, but she did her best to recover quickly so she wouldn’t embarrass Nathan or look like a poor gawking tourist.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs.…um…Lydia. Thank you for inviting me to your home.”

  Lydia waved a hand and turned back toward the door. “When Dad gets his second wind, he’ll come in. Of course, he only likes Aziz to help him. Oh, here is Aziz. Aziz, help Mr. Corde in, will you?”

  “Of course, ma’am.” The young man, about thirty or so, who had Talia’s eyes and nose, swept out the door in brisk efficiency.

  Lydia had them all seated in a living room off the main area and Talia away for refreshments in a heartbeat. Alyssa soon crossed her legs with a glass of iced tea, having declined the hot equivalent on a day like today. Nathan took her free hand and laced his fingers with hers.

  “Mom, I think Talia made a mistake and put us in the same room,” Nathan began.

  “Oh pish.” His mother rolled her eyes. “I may not be young, but I’m not stupid, Nathan. I know what you young people get up to these days before marriage. I will have you know I’m not completely old-fashioned. I told Talia to put you two together so you don’t have to sneak about at night. Everything is out in the open.”

  Alyssa blinked at the older woman while fighting panic. Nathan’s mother fully expected them to have sex under her roof. The prospect both appealed and repulsed her at the same time. She waited for Nathan to protest the arrangement, but he had the nerve to thank her for understanding and then kissed Alyssa’s hand. Alyssa, thinking he’d lost his damn mind, dug her nails into his palm until he winced, but he didn’t release his hold.

  At last, Nathan’s father entered the sitting room, a proud glint in his eyes despite the stoop to his shoulders and the obvious frailty of his overall frame. Nathan popped to his feet, and Alyssa stood as well. Her heart went out to the little old man, who must have had Lydia by at least ten years. He had to be pushing seventy, or it could be the sickness that took it out of him.

  “Nathan.” The older man greeted Nathan with an echo of the voice of his son. “You’ve finally arrived. Sorry we weren’t here. I forgot another doctor’s appointment.”

  “Dad, don’t worry about it.” Nathan hugged his father, and Alyssa found her chest tightening. She knew the pain of losing parents without warning. Was it worse for Nathan having his dad all his life and then knowing he would go soon? Or was it easier given he could mentally prepare for the inevitable?

  When the two men turned to her, she hurried over to them and allowed herself to be drawn into another hug. Whatever she had expected, it was not this warm welcome and the complete lack of reaction to her appearance. Maybe as Nathan believed, his parents just wanted to know he was happy and settling down.

  “Young lady, you can call me Dad,” Nathan’s father insisted.

  Guilt washed over Alyssa, and she stuttered.

  “Dad, don’t be ridiculous. They’re not married or engaged!”

  Alyssa turned at the voice of another person joining them. She met the caustic gaze of a woman who appeared to be a few years younger, and identified her right away as Nathan’s sister. The medium-length blonde hair and blue eyes matched those of her father, a sharp contrast to Nathan’s and his mother’s darker looks. Her slender figure and plain clothes offered less of an impact than her mother made with obvious designer brands.

  “You can call him Mr. Corde, or Leo if you don’t have any respect,” the woman ordered.

  Here we go. Alyssa’s hand crept to her hip almost without her guiding it there. She gave as much as she got, scraping her gaze over the woman’s figure, and let it be clearly written on her face that she was not impressed with what she saw. Red stained the woman’s cheeks, giving Alyssa the satisfaction she sought. “And who are you?”

  “Piper Corde,” was the harsh reply. “I’m Nathan’s younger sister, and I can spot a gold digger from a mile away.”

  “Oh, is that right?” Alyssa shot back and took a step toward her. Nathan cut her off and drew her back to his side.

  “Watch your mouth, Piper,” he growled. “I won’t allow you to talk to Alyssa that way.”

  “We all know it, Nathan, even if you don’t. Dad and Mom were saying—”

  “Piper Corde, you be quiet this instant,” Lydia snapped.

  A chill raised goose bumps on Alyssa’s arms. So they weren’t all as accepting as she’d thought. Now she remembered people loved to smile in one’s face while talking behind one’s back. She imagined as soon as she wasn’t around, Nathan’s parents would say the same thing to him that his sister wasn’t too afraid to point out. She didn’t doubt she would soon find herself back on a plane to the United States and the deal off. That wasn’t a bad thing if Trinity held up her side of the bargain. At least she could avoid temptation in the form of Nathan Corde.

  “Come on, Mom,” Piper insisted, not backing down for a second. “There’s only one thing someone like her wants.”

  Nathan opened his mouth to speak, but Alyssa held up an open palm in his face and shoved in front of him. “You know nothing about me, bitch!” She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “Please excuse my language, Mr. and Mrs. Corde, but I’m not going to stand here and let this girl think she can talk to me any kind of a way and accuse me of ensnaring Nathan for his money. You don’t know my background or where I come from.”

  Piper looked her up and down. “Where did you buy those clothes, Wal-Mart?”

  Alyssa was done talking. She sprang at Piper, who had the sense to fear for her life. Paling, she fell back a step, but before Alyssa could smack her, the barked command halted them both.

  “Enough!”

  The two of them turned toward Leo, and his high color and trembling hand on the top of his cane had Alyssa kicking herself for letting Piper rile her.

  “I will not have this bickering in my home,” Leo snapped. “My own daughter, whom I raised to be a well-mannered young woman, will not disrespect my guest. Is that clear, Piper?”

  Piper’s gaze lowered to the floor. “Sorry, Dad.”

  The argument fizzled faster than it had started, and when he’d made his point, Leo’s knees gave. In the blink of an eye, both Nathan and Aziz were at his sides to catch him. Alyssa clapped a hand over her mouth. She’d vowed not to let the man suffer more than he already was, and here she stood, exacerbating his ailment.

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Corde.” She followed the procession to get him seated. “Are you okay?”

  The older man huffed and puffed in exhaustion. If the blood hadn’t drained from his face and the bony hands didn’t shake so hard, she might have thought he played up his sickness to gain control of his family. Something told her Leo Corde had commanded respect from those around him by his strength of character, not his weakness.

  “I’m fine, just fine,” he said, a tinge of impatience in his tone. “Call me Leo.”

  So he had given in to his daughter’s suggestion either way. None of it mattered. She would not be here for long or in Nathan’s scope after they returned to the United States. “Of course, Leo. Again, I’m sorry. If everyone will excuse me, I’d like to go to my room for a little while and get settled.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Nathan offered.

  She wanted to deny him, not ready to face the fact that they would share a bed, but she couldn’t do so in front of everyone else. Instead, she nodded and thanked his parents for having her once more. Nathan’s touch at her lower back gave her fantasies of much more, and he led her out of the room and up the stairs. A week will be over before I know it, and then I’m back to my own life, enjoying the success of my business. No biggie. The time could not pass fast enough.

  Chapter Four

  Alyssa made to sit down on the queen-size bed but thought better of it. Somehow that
seemed to make the room smaller, bringing Nathan into proximity. As it was, she stood watching him hang a couple business suits in the closet. Didn’t he ever dress down, or did he expect to work while on the island?

  “I would think you’d have a maid hang up your clothes,” she commented, just to have something to say.

  He turned from the closet with a slight frown of concern. “I apologize. Did you need Talia to come in and help you unpack? I thought we might like some alone time to acclimate to the arrangements.”

  Her eyebrows went up. “Me? No, of course not. I’ve never been waited on in my life, aside from a waitress or whatever.” When she remained silent, he decided to answer her question.

  “Yes, normally, I have someone put away my things.”

  “Even at home?”

  He smiled, and her heart skipped a beat. Idiot heart.

  “I don’t have a lot of personal time. I make the best use of it.”

  “That sucks.” She strolled over to his suitcase and peered inside. “Tell me you have some shorts in there and a few T-shirts, maybe even some flip-flops.”

  “Flip-flops!” The cringe had her bursting out laughing.

  “We’re a couple, right, and if I’m going to pull this off realistically, I have to be myself.” She stabbed his chest with a finger. “I would have bullied you into getting out of the suits. So, if you don’t have anything good in there, we’re going shopping, mister.”

  Narrowed eyes and curled lips brought her to a light pant.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He stepped forward, and she backed to the bed, trapped. “Don’t worry. I do have shorts and T-shirts. What I’m more concerned about is if you’re okay with sharing the room.”

  He had to go there.

  “It’s not what we expected, but I think we can work it out.”

  His gaze lit on her face. “Trust me. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do, Alyssa.”

  She shivered hearing her name on his lips. Trust him? From what she knew of the man, he liked to keep things on the up-and-up. She had no problem trusting he wouldn’t violate her. Nathan wasn’t the problem. She’d been fine looking whenever in his presence, but since the beginning of this arrangement, that contentment had ebbed. His hands at her waist, his lips on hers, and the two of them writhing in bed was what filled her mind. Ridding her head of the thoughts proved impossible. Who knew if having sex with Nathan would be disgusting or unbelievably satisfying.