My Fake Fiancé : Navy SEAL Romance, Standalone, Book 3 of Guilty Series (The Guilty Series )

by Odette Stone

  He held out his hand, and I placed mine in his. His hand was huge, big and warm, and his handshake was firm. A spark jolted up my arm, that had me tugging my hand out of his grip.

  “We do.”

  “Fine.”

  “Good.”

  We stood there sipping our coffee in silence. Had he felt that spark too? His hand was as warm as I imagined it to be. Were we really going to meet my parents for dinner - as a fake couple?

  It dawned on me that going forward, I could still pretend we were dating long after he was gone. I could tell everyone he was deployed overseas. Technically, I could keep Yates and Mom off my back for months by pretending I was dating Porter. It was almost too good to be true. I could enjoy months of freedom and peace from the relentless pressure to get a husband and start producing heirs.

  “How would you do it?” Porter’s question cut through my thoughts.

  “Do what?”

  “Get rid of the body?”

  I thought for a moment. “We’d wash the body in bleach in the tub, to get rid of all DNA and evidence. And then I’d drive the body in his or her car to some really remote location, and I’d burn the entire thing to the ground.”

  “You’ve really thought this through.”

  I shrugged. “I’ve watched all 12 season of Bones. But you should know, if we got caught, I’d take the fall.”

  “Honorable. Why?”

  “Emily wouldn’t survive in prison, and she has Theo to think of.”

  “And you would fare well behind bars?”

  I thought about that for a moment, remembering what the detective said about prison. “I think it’d be a dark time in my life.”

  His lips twitched slightly.

  Would my parents buy that we were even dating? I barely knew anything about Porter. Maybe we needed to talk about this. Share some details. “So. Now what? Do we do the whole green card, cue card thing, like Andy McDowell and Gerard Depardieu?”

  “I have no idea what you just said.”

  “The Green Card. It’s a movie. This guy from France wants a green card, so he strikes a deal with some chick to marry him. But the government comes after them, so they lock themselves in her apartment for the weekend and study cue cards about each other to beat the test.”

  “What happens?”

  They fall in love.

  “Nothing. That was a stupid example.”

  “Did he get a green card?”

  “No. He got deported.”

  I deserved the slow blink he gave me.

  I shrugged. “We’ll be fine. We can wing it.”

  “I need to go get my truck.”

  A long beat passed between us. He stood there looking at me. Oh. Did he want me to drive him to his truck?

  “I can drive you.”

  “You took your time on that one.”

  “You’re finding your sarcasm. I applaud that.”

  “There’s something about you that inspires it in me.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  We both smiled into our coffee mugs. I didn’t know what this was, but it felt right.

  Chapter 7

  After the fastest shower of my life, I drove Porter to his truck. The second he got out of my vehicle, I called Emily on speaker.

  “Beth! Are you okay?”

  Weird. Last night felt like a hundred years ago.

  “Emily, I’m so sorry about last night.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. The charges got dropped.”

  “Yeah, Porter texted us last night and told us that.”

  It burned me that he had thought to do that and I hadn’t.

  “I promised to text you!”

  “Don’t even worry about that. You’re okay, and that’s what matters.”

  “It gets worse.”

  “What!”

  I confessed everything. From pretending with Porter in front of Yates to Mom’s surprise dinner invitation. When I finished, there was nothing but silence on the end of the line. “Say something,” I begged.

  She didn’t hold back her laughter. “I’m not sure what to say.”

  “Well, you and Jackson have been nothing but kind to me, and you sent me your friend to help me, and if he attends dinner with my parents, he won’t come out of that as the same person he was going in. I’m about to break your friend.”

  She was full-blown laughing now. “Beth.”

  “I shouldn’t let him do it. It’s too cruel, even for me. And I’ve done some cruel things in my life.”

  “You haven’t.”

  “Have so.”

  “Like what?”

  “Remember when Cindy Morrison’s locker had a garter snake in it? And she fainted?”

  “Yes.”

  “That was me.”

  “Beth!”

  “She was such a bitch to you. And I might or might not have catfished her with a certain quarterback.”

  “That was you?”

  “I told you I was cruel.”

  Beth laughed until she snorted. “She blamed me.”

  “I know. I felt awful about that.”

  “I didn’t. It was worth it.”

  “I don’t want to break Porter. He’s your friend, and he seems like a decent guy. No one deserves to go up against my mother.”

  “Porter can handle himself.”

  “Remember when I started dating Yates? Mom hated him for the first year, and he was the golden boy.”

  “What’s the favor you have to do for Porter?”

  I paused. “I don’t know. He’s very secretive about it. What’s his story anyway?”

  Silence.

  Which meant only one thing. There was something big there. “Emily, tell me.”

  “There’s nothing to tell.” Her voice was prim.

  “You’re holding out on me?”

  “It’s not my story to tell, otherwise you know I’d tell you.”

  “But you’re admitting there’s a story.”

  Emily floundered like only she could. “I really like Porter. He’s a very good person.”

  “What else?”

  “I’m glad he’s helping you.”

  “That’s what you’re going with?”

  “Yeah.”

  “If tonight is a massacre, his blood is going to be on your hands too. Last chance for me to bail out of this dinner.”

  “I think it’ll be good.”

  I snorted. “For who?”

  “For your mom.”

  Huh. I hadn’t expected her to say that.

  “Stop freaking.”

  I perused Porter. He was wearing a black suit and, this time, a white shirt that actually fit around his neck. He looked really handsome.

  “I’m not,” I lied, as my racing heart flutter in my chest.

  “You haven’t stopped jiggling your foot since we started driving.”

  I worked to calm my leg. Tonight was going to be a nightmare. I was used to Mom. Few people knew how to manage her. I needed to be the strong one tonight. “I’m totally fine.”

  “Do your cue card thing.”

  “My what?”

  “Give me some intel.”

  My mind swirled. Where to start? Mom was the biggest control freak I knew. She made it her life mission to make everyone in her world do her bidding. “About my mom?”

  “Tell me about Yates.”

  My tone soured, “We dated for three years. He’s part of my parents’ world. Dad recently hired him as his campaign manager.”

  “What campaign?”

  “Mayor of New York.”

  “You ended the relationship?”

  A memory flashed through my mind of letting myself into our apartment. I’d moved into Yates’ penthouse condo a year after we’d started dating. One afternoon, I had left work early due to a migraine.

  When I entered the penthouse, the place was silent. I poured myself a glass of water in the kitchen, took my meds,
and headed to our bedroom.

  When I pushed open the door, Yates was vigorously fucking someone. My glass of water slipped out of my hand. I remember watching the glass bounce. Water splashed everywhere, but the glass didn’t shatter. It bounced and then rolled away from my feet.

  It’s weird what you remember when life thrusts you into a life-changing moment.

  And then Yates pulled out of the woman and stood with his hands held up in front of him, his hard, traitorous dick bobbing stupidly in the air. “I can explain.”

  Couldn’t they always?

  The shock had muted me. I didn’t say a word when Traci, my boss, the woman who’d made my life a living hell for two entire years, sat up.

  That was who he'd chosen to fuck.

  Out of everyone he could have cheated on me with, he picked a woman that had routinely and systematically bullied me. He knew how she tortured me, stole my ideas and took credit for my projects. He held me when I cried over the way she treated me, yet he chose her to fuck.

  That, even more than the cheating, had been the ultimate betrayal for me.

  I had disappeared to a hotel for three days, devastated and broken, while everyone I knew tried to get in touch. The only person I called was Emily. It took me another two weeks to find an apartment and get a job working at a temp agency.

  Only then did I return to his apartment.

  To end it and pack my stuff.

  “I ended the relationship,” I said to Porter, my voice cold.

  “Why?”

  “Because I deserved better.”

  “Remember that,” he said, as he pulled his truck into the parking lot of Bayswater.

  And for the first time in a long time, I remembered what healing felt like, and damn, if Porter didn’t have a hand in that.

  Chapter 8

  “This was such a mistake,” I whispered to Porter under my breath as we stood at the entrance of Bayswater’s grand dining room.

  My parents waited at their usual table. They were far away, but it wasn’t nearly far enough.

  He placed his hand on the small of my back and looked down at me. “It’ll be fine.”

  “What’s your last name?” An inordinate amount of panic surged through my body as we walked toward my parents.

  “Lyons.”

  Porter Lyons. The name suited him.

  Dad stood as we approached.

  “Hi, Dad.” I kissed him on the cheek and stepped back. “I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Porter Lyons.”

  My father was a big man, but he was dwarfed by Porter’s stature. They shook hands, and Dad’s hands seemed so small in Porter’s.

  “Pleased to meet you, sir,” Porter said.

  “Call me Rich,” my father said gruffly.

  “Thank you.” Porter nodded at Mom. “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Stirling.”

  She sniffed, her expression borderline sullen as we sat.

  “Well,” Dad held the wine list towards Porter, “would you like to order us a bottle of wine?”

  Dad had pulled this same shit on Yates, who had valiantly tried his best to order wine he thought my parents would like. The rest of the meal, Mom pulled a face every time she took a sip of her wine.

  Porter shook his head. “I don’t drink wine. You’re better off ordering what you like.”

  Dad didn’t know how to respond to that piece of honesty. He made a noise in his throat, and without looking at the menu, ordered a bottle of his favorite red. I ordered a double G&T, which I knew I’d need, and Porter stuck with water. After we ordered our meals, silence descended on the table.

  “So, Porter, what kind of job do you have?”

  “I’m in the Navy.”

  A huge smile broke over my father’s face. “Really. That’s fantastic.”

  What? No, wait. What?

  Dad continued, “Everyone’s so proud of the men and women that serve. Myself included.”

  “Did you go to college?” Mom asked.

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Do you plan on attending college?”

  “Mom,” I tried to interrupt, but she was only getting warmed up.

  Porter reached beneath the table and gave my hand a big squeeze. “Not at the moment.”

  Mom pinned Porter with another look. “Why not?”

  “I’m very satisfied with my current line of work.”

  Dad regaled us with a long story about an old army buddy he used to know and what a great guy he was while Porter and I listened politely. Mom had that look on her face. The one where she looked like she wanted to kick Dad under the table. Our food arrived, and for a blessed minute, everyone was silent as they ate.

  “So, Porter, where have you traveled?” Mom was the first to break the silence. At least she was trying.

  “For work or for pleasure?”

  “Either.”

  Porter looked over at me and laughed. “Well, I’ve been to Mexico for a vacation.”

  Dad nodded. “We love Mexico. We’ve been there a number of times.”

  “I’m sure your travel stories are more interesting.”

  “Where else have you been?” Mom pushed.

  Porter paused, thinking. “I’ve been to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria…”

  OMG. I picked up my glass and drained it.

  Mom couldn’t keep the shock off her face. “I see. Any other places?”

  “Those are the only places I can tell you about. The rest is classified.”

  Mom hated secrets unless she was in on them. “So, your work is dangerous.”

  Porter shrugged. “I guess. I don’t really think of it in those terms.”

  “Lyons isn’t a common name. Did you grow up in New York?”

  “Montana.”

  “Oh.” Her eyes widened. “That’s unusual.” As if a million people didn’t live there.

  I stole Dad’s wine and took a long gulp.

  “It’s beautiful country out there.”

  “Do you own your own house, Porter?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “How long have you been dating Beth?”

  “Sweetie, let the poor guy eat his steak. You can interrogate him over dessert.” Dad gave us an apologetic smile.

  “We’ve been dating since Emily’s shower,” I volunteered. “That’s how we met.”

  My mom sniffed the air like it had a bad smell. “So, you’re not too serious then.”

  Porter gave me a long look, and without taking his eyes off my face, he said, “I’m serious enough to make Beth’s well-being my priority.”

  This guy deserved a freaking Oscar.

  Our plates were cleared, and the finish line was in sight. Dad stood and placed his hand on Porter’s shoulder. “Why don’t we let the women enjoy their dessert while we retire to the billiards room for a drink,” he suggested, in a tone that told me he was more than suggesting it.

  I was thinking of any reason why we needed to leave when Porter stood up. “That sounds like a great idea,” he said with an easy smile towards me.

  Fear pricked my skin as I watched them walk towards the men’s-only billiards room.

  “I don’t like him.”

  I glanced over at my mom. “Why not?”

  “He’s of questionable pedigree.” This was Mom. This was how she saw the world.

  “I think that’s rude.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Mom, Porter is a really great person,” I barely knew Porter, but his actions to date warranted my defense.

  “Yates comes from a better home, and his degree and MBA are Ivy League. He also knows how to dress and can work a room better than anyone.”

  “Yates is a liar and a cheat.”

  Astonishment rippled through her features. “When are you going to get over his indiscretions, Beth? Honestly, can’t a guy make one mistake in his life?”

  I leaned over the table and hissed, “He was sleeping with my boss. For months. It wasn’t a drunken mistake after some ba
chelor party. He was having an affair with someone I knew.”

  Her eyes fluttered. “He said he was sorry.”

  “I know he’s sorry, Mom. And I forgive him. I harbor no ill will towards him, but you need to realize I’m not interested in getting back together with Yates.”

  “For now.”

  “Mom!”

  “You remember Lori McDavis?”

  “What about her?”

  “She was dating Mitch her junior year of college, and she broke up with him over one of his indiscretions.”

  “He was caught sleeping with her aunt.”

  “My point is, what is Mitch doing?”

  I shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “He works at a Fortune 500 company. His mom told me that not long ago, he bought a home in the Hamptons, and he bought his young, beautiful fiancé an Aston Martin.”

  “Good for him.”

  “What is Lori doing?”

  “I have no idea.”

  She leaned forward. “Lori let herself get long in the tooth.”

  I laughed. “Does anyone even say that anymore? Long in the tooth?”

  “My point is, Lori recently had her thirtieth birthday. She’s still working, and I heard that she’s dating a cop.”

  “Mom! That’s perfectly respectable.”

  “Beth, there is nothing acceptable about dating a cop.”

  “Is this cop a nice guy? Does he care about Lori? Is he faithful to her? These are the important questions, Mom. You need to be worried about how big his heart is, not how big his bank account is.”

  “A man can have both,” she argued.

  “What’s your point?”

  “My point is, there’s no room for someone like Porter in your future. He’s a common soldier, who lives a military life.”

  “So?”

  “Beth, be sensible.”

  This conversation was making me crazy. Every time Mom and I came together we had the exact same fight. Her view of the world was terrifyingly narrow. And it seemed the harder I fought to get out of her world, the harder she worked to pull me back. My path was unknown, and it scared her. Hell, it scared me. But the tug-pull between us promised to, one day, permanently ruin our relationship.

  Sadness made my throat so tight. Why couldn’t we just get along?

  “Mom, I think I need some fresh air. Will you excuse me?”