Sighing, she let her eyes drift over to Kade, sitting by the fireplace and strumming his guitar. She let her gaze linger on him, appreciating how handsome he looked with the shadow of dark whiskers covering his jaw. He’d have to shave when he went back to work, but she liked the rugged look on him. The wool sweater he had on made him look like a model for the cover of an outdoor magazine.
Before she looked away, Kade lifted his face and caught her staring at him. Their eyes connected and, even from this distance, the pull of attraction reached out and twined them together in a way she’d never experienced before.
Presley fingered her mother’s wedding ring as she finally acknowledged the truth. She’d done what she told herself not to do and was completely and wholeheartedly in love with Kade Hunter. She wanted to be his wife and have his babies. She wanted to compete in gingerbread house contests with him and then give him the winning prize because she adored him so much. She wanted to sing a duet with him, even though she had zero vocal talent. She wanted him, and it hurt that he didn’t feel the same way.
One more day and the camera crew was coming to film their proposal. But Presley didn’t know if she could go through with it. The innocent falsehood was morphing into something so much bigger because she’d also fallen in love with Kade’s family.
Dropping her gaze, she picked up Maddie, who was tugging on her shirt. “Hey, baby girl,” Presley said, scooping the little girl in her arms. Stacie had just bathed her, and the child smelled so good. Burying her face in the soft curls, she inhaled the sweet baby smell. Kade had asked her if she wanted kids, and, like an idiot, she’d immediately jumped to the conclusion that he was asking if she wanted to have kids with him. It was so embarrassing, but he’d let her off the hook and then surprised her by admitting he wanted kids too. Why was he telling her he wanted kids? She wanted to believe it was because he saw a real future with her, but he sure had a funny way of showing it if he did.
“Grammy,” Laura asked Marilyn. “When can Jenny and me do our dance?”
Marilyn glanced at the stairs with concern. She may be warming to Presley but it didn’t mean that she loved Jillian any less. “In a minute, sweetie,” Marilyn said. “Jillian will be here soon.” At least the red mark on her forehead was gone. Whatever stuff Jillian had done must work miracles. Marilyn’s skin looked flawless and beautiful.
Lucas raced across the floor, zooming the paper airplane Kade had made for him earlier. The kids were all getting restless, waiting for the talent show to start. Or rather for Jillian to make an appearance.
Movement caught her eye, and Presley glanced up at the stairs to see Jillian coming down. She looked beautiful, her dark hair contrasting with the off-white, mock turtleneck sweater paired with leather pants that hugged every perfect curve of her body.
Jillian’s cool eyes rested on Presley, her red lips parting in a smile that looked kind of like the Grinch when he got an awful idea. Animosity glittered in Jillian’s eyes before she averted her attention to where Kade sat.
Presley had tried to be a friend even though Jillian wasn’t making the same effort. Her attitude was making it really hard for Presley to feel sorry for her. Her comment a couple of hours earlier still stung when Jillian told her she really needed to try a little harder to look nice. Presley was wearing what she usually wore. Yoga pants with an oversized sweatshirt. She had just gotten out of the shower and hadn’t done her hair or makeup when Jillian informed her she needed a stylist to improve her image.
Presley’s image was something Zuri was always after her to change. This morning, she’d checked in with her and had a hissy fit with Presley’s wardrobe choice for the romantic proposal. Apparently, the soft gray cashmere sweater and black jeans Presley planned on wearing wasn’t camera worthy. Zuri was prepared to fly in with wardrobe choices of her own until Presley sent her a picture of the sexy red dress Brynlee had packed for her.
“You’re soft,” Maddie said, running her little hands over Presley’s sweater. Since she wasn’t wearing the cashmere sweater for the kick-off special, she decided to wear it for the talent show. She was glad she’d dressed up a little, and not because of Jillian. Presley was doing it for herself. And maybe Kade might take notice too.
“Jillian, I’m so glad you’re feeling better,” Marilyn said, wrapping her in a motherly embrace.
Presley had a perfect view of Jillian’s face. She gave Presley a haughty smile as if to say she’d won. The urge to stick out her tongue was too much, so Presley buried her face back in Maddie’s curls and spun the little girl around, making her giggle. Soon, she had Brooklyn at her side, begging for her to spin her around. Presley loved these little girls. She loved all of Kade’s nieces and nephews.
Hopefully, Brynlee and Travis wouldn’t wait too long to have kids. Thinking about it reminded her of Kade’s sisters and their advice on when they should have children. Presley wished with all her heart that her children could go up with cousins close to their age. She and Travis didn’t have any cousins, since both her parents were only children. After spending time with Kade’s large family, she knew she wanted to have at least three kids.
“Welcome to the annual Mile’s Family Talent Show,” Ben said. He went on to say how grateful he and Marilyn were to have such a wonderful family and that the talent show wasn’t a competition but a way to share in one another’s talents.
Jillian cut Presley a look that said this was all about a competition, and she intended to come out the winner. She was sitting next to Marilyn and made a show of whispering something to Kade’s mother that had Marilyn leaning in to give Jillian an affectionate one-armed hug.
Ignoring her, Presley snuggled up to Maddie and Brooklyn as the opening act started with Greg, Devon, and Cody in a lip-sync battle against their wives to Christmas songs. The girls won since most of the time the guys forgot the right lyrics. But the men’s dance moves made up for the poorly executed singing, making everyone laugh.
Next, Jenny and Laura performed a hip-hop dance that was so cute it should be illegal. Maddie and Brooklyn danced next. It was simple, and they forgot most of the steps but also very cute. Lucas was next with a magic show that wasn’t half bad for a six-year-old.
“Next,” Ben said, looking down at his program. “We have a special musical number from Jillian and Kade.”
Presley’s stomach lurched when she heard the name combination of Kade and Jillian like they were Britain’s William and Kate. Just yesterday, Kade had told her that he wasn’t singing with Jillian, but he’d obviously changed his mind. Unable to look at him, she was grateful that Brooklyn was now sitting on her lap.
Presley did her best to keep her emotions in check, but it felt like a large stone was lodged at the base of her throat as Kade took his guitar and sat on a stool next to Jillian. It was stupid to feel like Kade betrayed her, but that’s exactly what it felt like.
Jillian introduced the song “Where are you Christmas” by Faith Hill. It was one of Presley’s favorite songs. She had a feeling she’d never be able to listen to it again with the same feelings. Jillian the Grinch had stolen something else from her.
Even though she didn’t want to look, she couldn’t help lifting her head when Kade started picking the melody out on the guitar. Jillian was standing so close to him they were almost touching.
Jillian’s voice was even better out of the shower. It was perfect and clear, completely captivating the audience. Even the grandkids were mesmerized. Kade looked up frequently, and each time, Presley made sure she wasn’t staring at him. He never sang, which made her feel a little better. Singing a duet was so much more intimate.
When the song ended, Presley clapped along with the rest of the family. Kade started to stand up but Jillian placed her hand on his knee. “I know many of you remember the duet Kade and I sang a couple of years ago. We’d like to sing that for you now.”
Kade’s mouth pressed into a thin line, and he shook his head. Jillian was prepared. She tapped on the screen of her tabl
et and connected a video call to her parents. “Please,” she said, holding up the screen. “Mom and Dad are feeling lonely and requested we sing our song.”
Our song? The stone pressing against Presley’s throat dropped to her stomach with a thud. She wasn’t sure she could sit here much longer without crying.
Kade’s mother was delighted to see her best friend. She jumped up and took the tablet from Jillian. “We miss you both so much,” she said with tears in her eyes. Then she looked at Kade. “Please sing it with her, sweetheart. It would mean so much to Olivia and Peter.”
The muscle in Kade’s jaw tightened as he made eye contact with Presley. He seemed to be seeking her permission. She wasn’t sure why and couldn’t tell him no. Giving a slight nod of her head, she saw the lines in his face soften as he sat back down on the stool and picked up his guitar.
The song was torturous and wonderful at the same time, which really messed with Presley’s emotions. Kade and Jillian sang in perfect harmony and looked good together. She hated feeling so jealous but couldn’t help it. Her talent seemed so stupid now after listening to Jillian’s incredible voice blend with Kade’s.
Presley thought about faking a stomachache and going to her room. She wasn’t quick enough to execute her plan. Ben stood up and announced her as the final talent, inviting all of the children to come sit on the floor together as Presley had requested.
It wouldn’t have been so bad, but Jillian’s parents didn’t hang up. They wanted to see Kade’s fiancée since they’d heard so much about her. Presley could only guess what they’d heard from Jillian.
Ignoring the stern looking faces on the iPad, Presley started telling the kids a story about a lost balloon that didn’t know who it was or where it belonged. She hadn’t made balloon animals for a long time, but the simple ones were easy, which she stuck to. As predicted, the kids loved calling out what animal they wanted. Lucas wanted a dinosaur but settled for a giraffe since a dinosaur required more balloons than she had. As she twisted and tweaked the yellow balloon, she continued with her story, making it up as she went along.
Handing off the balloon creation to Lucas, Presley caught a glimpse of Kade sitting on the chair behind Jenny and Laura. Leaning forward with his hands clasped between his legs, he stared steadily at her, his blue eyes unreadable and a small smile playing at his lips.
Flustered, Presley avoided eye contact with him and continued with her story. Still, she could feel his gaze on her, and it made her feel as jittery as the kids after eating the bag of chocolate covered cinnamon bears. The twins wanted dogs, and Presley suggested a butterfly for Maddie. Brooklyn wanted a giraffe like her brother but was happy when Presley made her a monkey. Blake was asleep, which was good since Presley had run out of balloons.
Presley was bombarded with applause and whistles from the audience when she finished the story. Although she told herself not to look at Kade, her eyes drifted over the heads of the children and connected with his baby blues. Awareness crackled like the logs in the fireplace, heating her to the core.
“Kids,” Allison called out. “Let’s get a picture of you and your balloon animals with Presley.”
Presley blinked, and the connection broke as Kade’s nieces and nephews huddled in close around her. Presley’s lips quivered as she smiled for the camera. She loved these little people so much. She loved this family so much. Her eyes shifted slightly, meeting Kade’s gaze again. And she loved Kade so much it made her heart physically hurt.
“Can I hire you for the twin’s birthday?” Jamie asked when the photo op ended. “It’s in a couple of weeks and always so hard to do right after Christmas.”
“Yeah, and maybe give us a family discount too,” Devon added.
“I’d love to do it,” Presley said, wondering if she and Kade would still be together by then. They hadn’t really discussed when the breakup was going to happen. “And I won’t charge you anything.”
Allison and Stacie both hugged her and asked if she’d consider to birthday parties for their kids when it came time. Lucas and Brooklyn were summer babies, and Maddie’s birthday was in April. Presley didn’t have the heart to tell them no, even though she knew that she and Kade would have broken up long before that time.
Kade came up behind her and slipped his arm around Presley’s waist. He hadn’t touched her like this today, and the physical contact was almost too much. Every point of contact sent sparks of electricity through her body. She leaned into him in case her knees gave out and caught the tangy scent of his cologne. Why did he have to smell so good?
“Mind if I steal my fiancée for a minute?” Kade asked his sisters.
“Are you taking her on another tour of the house?” Stacie asked, using air quotes.
“As a matter of fact I am,” Kade said. “I forgot to show her the hot tub and sauna.”
“Ooh, hot tubbing without kids,” Jamie teased, wiggling her eyebrows up and down. “I remember those days fondly. We’ll keep everyone else away so you two can have some alone time together.”
“I didn’t bring a swimsuit,” Presley said, wondering what Kade was up to. He’d already showed her the hot tub and sauna. She’d regretted not listening to Brynlee to pack her bikini because she would’ve loved to sneak out of her room last night for a soak in the heated water.
“Check the room next to the sauna,” Allie said. “Mom keeps a lot of swimsuits there, and I’m sure one will fit you.”
“Good idea.” Kade took Presley by the hand and led her out of the family room. They passed Jillian and Marilyn who were still video chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Hastings. Knowing the kind of look Jillian would give her, Presley purposely didn’t look at the two women and was relieved when she and Kade made it out without Jillian inserting herself between them.
“You already showed me the hot tub,” Presley said, once they were away from his family.
“I know.” He opened the door to an office that doubled as a library. “But I needed a good excuse to get you alone.” Pulling her inside, he closed the door and locked it behind him.
“So you can do what?” she asked suspiciously when he didn’t turn the lights on. Maybe he was going to tell her that he and Jillian were getting back together, and he wanted it dark so he didn’t have to see her reaction.
“This.” Kade took her face in his palms and caught her mouth in a kiss that melted every bone in her body. As his lips moved over hers, Presley figured this wasn’t a prelude to a breakup or an announcement he and Jillian were an item again. She probably should end the kiss and find out what was going on in that handsome head of his, but she wasn’t thinking so clearly anymore.
Need and desire made her want to be closer. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she melted against him, returning his kiss with a recklessness she didn’t know she had inside her. It was a desperate kiss as if she knew that this might be her only chance to really kiss the man she loved. With a growl, Kade slid his hands into her hair, curving it around her neck and demanded more from her mouth, kissing her with a hunger that drugged her.
The door rattled behind them, followed by a swift knock. Kade groaned again as he ended the kiss and pressed his forehead to Presley’s. “Whoever is at the door better have a good excuse,” he said, his breathing as ragged as hers.
“Ben,” Marilyn called out. “The doors locked. Can you please come open it for me?”
Presley’s warm body flushed cold with foreboding. She was about to be caught in the dark with Kade. His mom may have forgiven her for throwing a snowball at her, but what would she think about a girl who willingly locked herself in the library for a make-out session during a family Christmas party?
“We need to hide,” Presley whispered, hearing the panic in her voice.
“Not sure we’ll both fit under the desk,” Kade said with a chuckle. “Because there isn’t anywhere else to hide but there.”
“Then let me hide, and you cover for me.” She gasped when she heard the doorknob rattle again. “They’ll kno
w what we’ve been doing,” Presley hissed.
“We’re engaged, so it’s kind of expected that we like to kiss,” Kade said.
“Ha, you’ve practically ignored me all day.” Presley squeezed her eyes shut, even though it was too dark for Kade to see. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” he said in a husky voice. “I—”
Whatever Kade was about to say was cut off when the door opened and light flooded the room.
Chapter 16
Kade blinked at the bright light, wishing his mom could’ve given him at least five more minutes alone with Presley so he could talk to her. He looked at Presley’s swollen lips, instantly craving another taste. Okay, so maybe thirty more minutes since he wasn’t done kissing her yet. But then they really needed to talk.
“Oh my,” his mother said, coving her heart with her hand. “I didn’t know anyone was in here.”
Presley made a noise of distress as she stepped away from him, not getting too far since Kade kept a hold of her hand. There was no use pretending they hadn’t been caught making out, but he had to try. “It’s okay,” Kade said. “We came in here to call Presley’s brother and must have locked the door.”
His mom stared at him steadily, and he knew she wasn’t buying it. Kade just hoped she didn’t revert back to giving Presley the cold shoulder after Jillian tricked him into singing with her while her parents watched. “I’m sorry to interrupt the phone call,” she said, giving them a tight smile.
“We didn’t actually call yet so it’s fine,” Kade said, sticking to the truth. Really, he and Presley were adults and didn’t need his mother’s permission to find a few moments of privacy together.
“The kids want a bedtime story,” his mom said, crossing the floor to pick up a children’s Christmas book from the desk. “And then Stacie and Greg have a new game for the adults.”
Her Stand-In Fake Fiancé Page 13
