Her Stand-In Fake Fiancé

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  Snapping the lid closed, Kade locked the ring back in the glove box and got out of his SUV, making his way to the condo Presley shared with her brother. The door swung open before he had a chance to knock.

  Travis greeted him with a quick embrace that involved a firm pat to his shoulder. “Come on in,” Travis said, stepping out of the way for Kade to come inside. “Presley is almost ready.”

  “Are these all hers?” Kade asked, sidestepping a rolling suitcase and two large duffle bags sitting in the entryway.

  “Just the roll-on and red duffle,” Travis said. “The black duffle is mine. Brynlee and I are heading out as soon as you and Presley take off.” His friend glanced at his watch. “We need to leave soon before afternoon traffic gets too bad.”

  “Traffic is always bad,” Kade said with a chuckle. “You nervous about meeting Brynlee’s parents?”

  “No, I’ve video chatted with them a few times, and they love me. It’ll just be weird not having Presley with us.” A funny looked crossed Travis’s features as he held Kade’s gaze for a few uncomfortable seconds. “You’ll take good care of her, won’t you?”

  “Yeah, man,” Kade said, not liking the critical look on Travis’s face. Whatever his friend was about to say, Kade had a feeling he wouldn’t like it. “You know I will.”

  Travis nodded his head, but the intensity of his stare didn’t lessen any. “I was thinking that maybe we should establish a few rules.”

  “Rules?” Kade asked in a tight voice. He wanted to remind Travis that this whole fake fiancé thing wasn’t his idea. “Like what?”

  “No handsy stuff.”

  “Give me some credit,” Kade said irritably. “Looking out for your sister means I’m not going to get all handsy with her.”

  “Okay.” Travis’s jaw tightened as he shifted on his feet. “But I don’t think you need to kiss Presley.”

  “Travis!” a chorus of female voices said from behind him. Kade glanced up and saw both Brynlee and Presley standing at the top of the stairs. Neither one of them looked happy.

  “What?” Travis said defensively. “You can still be engaged without kissing.”

  First of all, Kade hadn’t consciously considered the benefits being engaged would give him, but he had to admit that kissing Presley was something he wouldn’t mind experiencing. Second, he wanted to remind Travis about how often he and his fiancée kissed. It was like their lips were magnetized and it was impossible not to touch their mouths together whenever they were in close proximity.

  “Honey,” Brynlee said as she descended the stairs to stand next to Travis. “We want this to be believable, right?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Travis said, still not looking like he agreed when he met Kade’s gaze again. “Okay, so kissing but no tongue.”

  Kade wasn’t violent by nature, but his fingers curled into a fist as he considered slugging his best friend for the first time since he’d met him. Travis knew Kade didn’t mess around with girls for fun, so why was his friend acting like he was some kind of womanizer?

  “I cannot believe you just said that,” Presley said, punching Travis in the arm with a closed fist. Kade grinned when Travis winced and rubbed his arm. He hoped it hurt.

  “Hey, I’m just looking out for you,” Travis said, still rubbing his arm.

  “Just shut up,” Presley said, barreling past her brother and heading toward the kitchen. Her voice cracked, making it sound like she was on the verge of tears. Kade wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Presley cry. She was as tough as she was beautiful.

  “Travis!” Brynlee said, pinning him with a glare she probably used on her students. It wasn’t that scary, but it was apparent she was irritated with her fiancé. “What has gotten into you?” She shot Kade an apologetic look. “Just ignore him. He’s kind of being an idiot right now.”

  “Hey,” Travis said with a chuckle. Brynlee put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes, daring him to protest further. “Okay,” he said, holding up his hands in surrender, “I’m an idiot.”

  “Yeah, you are!” Presley shouted from the kitchen. Then they heard the backdoor slam shut.

  “Apologize to your friend.” Brynlee pointed to Kade. “Then load Presley’s luggage while I go and talk to her.”

  “Sorry,” Travis said to Brynlee. Her lips thinned, and she pointed to Kade again before whirling around to go and find Presley.

  Kade’s pulse ticked at a steady rate as he reigned in his anger. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this irked at Travis. The two men had bonded from the first day they’d met at the fire academy. They’d even started a deck-building business on the side to supplement their incomes and had never once had any kind of conflict.

  “Dude, I’m really sorry,” Travis said, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. “It just seems wrong for my best friend and my little sister to be making out.”

  “Who said anything about making out?” Kade growled, feeling his anger ratchet up a notch. “Look, Travis, I get that you’re protective of Presley, but if you want her focus segment to be real and appealing to the audience, then you’ll have to trust me with your little sister.”

  “You’re right.” Travis sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, and I do trust you.” He held out his hand for Kade to shake.

  Setting aside his anger, Kade nodded his head and took his hand, gripping it just tight enough to let Travis know he could take him if he wanted.

  “Truce?” Travis asked with a half grin.

  “Truce.” Kade started to let go, but Travis pulled him in for a man-hug.

  “Thanks for not taking my head off,” Travis said as he let go and stepped back. “Don’t think I’ve seen you that ticked off before.”

  “Don’t think I’ve ever been that ticked off before, either,” Kade said.

  They both turned when they heard Brynlee call out for Presley before hearing the click of the door close. “Let me load these,” Kade said, picking up the duffle and grabbing the roll-on with his other hand. “You better go make amends with the women in your life or your Christmas is going to totally suck.”

  Travis laughed and opened the door for Kade. “Yeah, I don’t think Brynlee has ever been that mad at me.” He wiggled his eyes eyebrows up and down. “It was kind of hot.”

  Kade just shook his head and made his way to his SUV. If he ever fell in love, he promised himself he wouldn’t go all stupid like Travis. After loading Presley’s luggage into the back, he leaned against the side of the car and waited to see if Presley was still coming home with him.

  He thought he heard Travis and Presley arguing, but there was too much noise coming from the group of kids unloading a Christmas tree from the back of a truck parked nearby. After several minutes had passed, Kade debated about heading around back to see what was going on.

  He made it to the sidewalk when Brynlee and Travis rounded the corner, holding hands and looking like they’d made up from their fight. “Everything good?” he asked, looking beyond them for any sign of Presley.

  “Yeah, Presley will be out in a second,” Brynlee said. “She went inside to grab her purse.”

  The front door of the condo opened, and Presley stepped out. Kade’s breath hitched when he got a good look at her. With Travis’s stupid dating stipulations, he hadn’t noticed how she was dressed. Kade was used to seeing her in workout clothes, but for some reason, the fitted long-sleeve tee accentuated her curves in a way that had him glad Travis couldn’t read his mind. The dark wash jeans were strategically ripped, exposing hints of her smooth skin, and the half-boots had enough heel that it made her legs look even longer. Basically, she looked hot, and Kade knew he was in trouble.

  Maybe those rules weren’t such a stupid idea after all.

  Chapter 5

  Still reeling with embarrassment from Travis’s ground rules, Presley avoided direct eye contact with Kade as she came outside. Quite frankly, she was shocked he was still here and willing to go through with this.

  “Hey,” Travis said whe
n she attempted to walk past him. She hadn’t quite forgiven him and needed time. But his hand on her arm made her pause. “Don’t be mad,” he said, his eyes pleading with her to forgive him. They didn’t argue often, and she usually didn’t hold a grudge. This time, it was harder to let go of her anger. She knew the reason why had everything to do with crushing on Kade and knowing that this really was just a big favor to her brother, and he was just looking out for her.

  “I’m trying not to,” she said in a low voice.

  Travis let out a long breath and glanced at Kade. “Things are cool with Kade and me, but I can’t say goodbye if you’re still mad.”

  Several beats of silence passed as Presley tried to muster up the words. Why couldn’t she just let it go? Again, it all came back to Kade, and how he hadn’t given any indication that he viewed her as anything more than a sister. She’d hoped that he might have told Travis that he was attracted to her and then ask permission to see if this fake relationship could turn into something more. But no. He’d made it clear that he would take care of her in Travis’s absence. Like a brother.

  The tension broke when Brynlee started singing the song from the animated show Frozen. She sounded just like Elsa as she belted out the lyrics to “Let it Go” with perfect pitch. Singing wasn’t one of Presley’s talents, but Brynlee sang and played the piano. She was pretty much the perfect woman because she could cook too.

  “All right,” Presley said with a giggle. “I forgive you.”

  Travis wrapped her up in his arms and held her close. “I love you, little sister.”

  “I love you too.” She squeezed him hard before releasing him to hug Brynlee. “I love you so much and can’t wait until you’re officially my sister.”

  “Ditto.” Brynlee held on for a moment later, waiting as Travis meandered over to stand by Kade. Once he was out of earshot, she whispered in Presley’s ear. “I hope you get to break Travis’s rule for kissing. I’d bet my meager teacher’s salary that Kade Hunter knows how to kiss a woman thoroughly.”

  Presley wanted to smack the back of Brynlee’s head for putting such ideas into her head. She was having a hard enough time trying not to let her imagination run wild, and now she wanted to test Brynlee’s theory about Kade’s kissing skills.

  “Thanks for the visual,” Presley said dryly. She darted a quick look at Travis and Kade. They were crouched down, inspecting the front tire on Kade’s Forerunner. “You,” she said, looking back at Brynlee, “are officially on Santa’s naughty list.”

  “I already got what I want for Christmas,” Brynlee said, wiggling the ring finger on her left hand. The half-carat diamond Travis bought his future bride winked in the sunlight.

  Presley looked down at the ring on her finger. It was her mother’s wedding ring, and the diamond wasn’t very big, nor was the clarity that good. But it had belonged to her mother, and it made Presley feel close to her.

  “Maybe someday I will too,” Presley said, tucking the tips of her fingers into her jeans pocket. Seeing the shocked look on Brynlee’s face, Presley quickly added, “Someday like in five or ten years.”

  “Right,” Brynlee said, sneaking a look toward the men.

  “He’s my plus one,” Presley reminded Brynlee.

  “Uh, huh,” Brynlee said, patting Presley lightly on the back. “You just keep telling yourself that.”

  Travis and Kade stood up and looked their way, preventing Presley from coming up with a snarky reply. It was just as well since her mind went blank the second her eyes locked with Kade’s baby blue’s. Oh boy, why did the man have to be so beautiful?

  “We better hit the road,” he said, his mouth edging up into a crooked smile. “I got a weather alert that Big Bear might get snow this afternoon, and I’d like to get to the cabin before it hits.”

  “Do you need me to drive?” Presley teased. She was a horrible driver when it came to snow and ice. The two times she’d wrecked, Kade was one of the first responders.

  “Hard pass,” Kade said with a low chuckle. “I’ve seen your driving skills.”

  Feeling like things were back to their normal banter, she hugged Brynlee and Travis one more time before climbing into the passenger seat. She inhaled the scent of Kade’s cologne and sighed heavily as she watched him cross in front of the SUV.

  Dang. He smelled so good. How was she supposed to survive a three-hour drive without drooling all over him?

  Kade got in behind the wheel and started the engine. The radio blasted a rock song from the ‘70s. “Sorry,” Kade said, turning the volume way down. “I forgot you hate my music.”

  “I don’t hate it.” Presley reached out and changed the station to country. “I just like this better.”

  “Hey,” he said, changing the station back. “Road-tripping rule number one. The driver is in control of the music.”

  Presley couldn’t believe he was bringing up rules after Travis’s demented rules about kissing and keeping his hands to himself. She pressed her lips together, keeping her sarcastic reply inside. “What about a compromise?” Presley asked as Kade pulled out of the parking lot.

  “I’m listening,” he said, looking at her briefly when he checked to see if the road was clear.

  “Since Christmas is only a few days away, let’s listen to Christmas music.”

  “That sounds fair.” He pressed on the accelerator and pulled out onto the road. “I have a great playlist on my phone.”

  “So do I,” Presley said, feeling extra sassy. It wasn’t that time of the month, but her hormones were all whacky because of Kade and his yummy scented cologne. “And it’s not all country music so you can relax.”

  “Road-tripping rule number two. I reserve the right to veto your choice of music at any time.”

  “What’s up with all the rules?” she asked, feeling more and more defiant. “First Travis and now you.”

  That shut him up. Presley suppressed a giggle as she watched the tips of Kade’s ears turn red. When he remained quiet, she considered toning the snark down a little. He was doing her a favor, as well as her brother.

  Before she spoke up, Kade cut a quick look her way. “I guess we need to talk about a few things.”

  If he asked her how she preferred to be kissed, she was making him take her home right now. “Like what?” she asked, feeling her heartbeat reach optimal cardio without any exercise.

  “Our story.” He came to a stoplight and turned to look at her. “Like how long we’ve been dating. That kind of thing.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Her mouth went dry when Kade’s eyes dropped to her lips and lingered there for a few seconds. “That’s a good idea,” she said in a hoarse voice when he looked at her again.

  She’d read a few of Brynlee’s romance novels and had always scoffed when the author referred to smoldering eyes. But Kade’s eyes were smoldering. And it was making Presley want to lean across the center console and press her mouth to his.

  The car behind them honked their horn, breaking the moment that should’ve been awkward but wasn’t. Kade lifted a hand and waved at the impatient driver before proceeding through the intersection. Simmering tension filled the atmosphere, making it difficult to draw in a full breath as Kade navigated through traffic and merged onto the freeway, heading northbound for Big Bear Lake.

  A Christmas classic rock song played on the stereo, easing some of the tension. “So about our story,” Presley said after a few minutes had passed. “We need to stick as close to the truth as possible.”

  “Like I’m your brother’s best friend.” Kade looked at her briefly before glancing over his right shoulder to merge in the fast lane. “And we just kind of fell in love?”

  Presley was glad he wasn’t looking at her. It gave her time to school her emotions. As far as she was concerned, that was pretty darn close to the truth. Kade was her brother’s best friend, and she had fallen in love with him. “Right,” she said when he took another quick look at her. “Sounds good to me.”

  “What was our first d
ate?” Kade asked as he returned his attention back on the road.

  Since Presley rarely dated, she blurted out one of the few activities she’d ever done. “We went to a movie?”

  “Really? That was our first date?” Kade asked with a low chuckle. “I’m usually more creative than that.”

  An unwelcome feeling of jealousy pinched at Presley’s heart at the idea of Kade’s dating prowess. “Okay, then what did we do on our first date?”

  “Hmm,” Kade said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, “I usually like to plan the date around the girl’s interests. Like if she’s into music, then I’d take her to a concert. Or if she likes to cook, then maybe sign up for a cooking class together.”

  Envy shot through her like an arrow piercing the bullseye. He put that much effort into a first date? It took every ounce of control not to ask him for more details. At least she could ask him one of her burning questions since they were trying to make their relationship as legit as possible.

  “What about me?” she asked, looking down at the small diamond on her left hand. “What kind of date would you plan if you were taking me out for the first time?”

  “Axe throwing,” he said, without thinking about it too long.

  Presley’s head shot up, and she stared at him with disbelief. “Axe throwing?” she asked, wondering if Brynlee or Travis had ever said anything to Kade about her wanting to try out the sport.

  “Yeah, that or maybe going to an archery range for target practice.”

  Swallowing hard, Presley licked her lips and nodded her head. She loved archery too. Dang, Kade was even better than she’d dreamed. How on earth was she going to stop herself from falling more in love with than she already was? He turned and caught her watching him and knew she needed to knock it off if she didn’t want to give away her feelings for him.