Fake Engagement, Nashville Style

by Jules Bennett

  As much as Cassandra loved getting advice from Hannah, and this was solid, sound advice, things just weren’t going to magically turn from pretend to real. They’d had their chance once and now they were both happy in their lives and their careers. They’d made their own paths and just because they’d been thrust into a situation that kept bringing up their past didn’t mean they had to pick up where they’d left off.

  Besides, he’d had his opportunity and he’d blown it. Luke had chosen his business ventures over her. Why shouldn’t she chase her own dreams and be successful? She’d taken time to build and grow her career, create a foundation for herself in the wedding industry, and she wasn’t about to let Luke derail her now that she was branching out on her own and making a name for herself.

  “I think you’ve got too much wedding and floating hearts on your mind,” Cassandra joked. “Let’s focus on your love life. It’s less complicated.”

  “Love doesn’t have to be complicated,” Hannah replied, then laughed. “I think that’s in one of my songs.”

  Yeah, well, songs and real life didn’t always go hand-in-hand. Cassandra was truly happy with where she was on her journey. She didn’t need love or a man to complete her. Fulfilling other people’s happily-ever-after dreams was more than enough for her.

  So why did she have a yawning ache in her chest that told her she was only lying to herself?

  Seven

  Luke glanced again at the headline on the social-media page and he still couldn’t pinpoint his emotions.

  Another Sutherland Brother to be Married

  He leaned back in his leather desk chair and sighed. Luke didn’t want to be married, not now or ever. At one time, back when Cass was in his life the first time, he’d been working toward asking her. He’d been laying a firm foundation for their lives, but she’d seen that as him pushing her aside and putting his work first. She’d crushed his soul when she’d left without seeing that everything he did was for her.

  He’d never let himself get that attached to anyone ever again and he wasn’t in any need for such nonsense now, either.

  The glaring headline was like a sucker punch to the gut. This particular article had a photo of him and Cassandra, one that she’d posted on her social-media account just this morning. She’d taken the selfie a few days ago when she’d popped into the bar. It was a quick picture of him kissing her on the cheek, her smile wide and quite convincing. No sooner had the photo been taken than she’d rushed back out the door to do more wedding planning.

  And maybe that’s what irked him. The way this arrangement seemed like a business deal rather than... What? This was a business deal. They had nothing else between them other than this agreed-upon charade, which was precisely the way he wanted things.

  So why did he still get an unsettling ache inside each time he saw something new in the press?

  He clicked on another article about them and cringed at the headline on this one.

  Another Sutherland Engaged...but Where’s the Ring?

  The piece went on to joke that maybe he was giving Cassandra one of his bars instead of the gift of a rock on her hand. This wasn’t the first time a ring had been hinted at, and honestly, after a few weeks of this game he really should’ve gotten her one.

  But thinking of getting her a ring only brought back the memory of the time he actually had bought a ring. He’d scraped his own money together to buy something he thought she’d love. He’d been working on getting two of his bars up and open and he’d wanted to do it all on his own with the wise investments he’d made and a few loans.

  He still had that damn ring. When she’d left, he hadn’t been in the mindset to do anything with it, then when he’d attempted to get back to his life and start again without her, he hadn’t wanted to return it. When he’d asked his mother for help choosing the ring, Luke had no clue when he would eventually give it to Cassandra. He wasn’t ready then, but he assumed the day would come when they’d get married. The timing had never felt just right and then she was gone.

  For reasons he couldn’t explain, he’d hung on to the piece as some crazy symbol of what he’d let slip away. Every time he saw the velvet box in his safe, he was reminded of how far he’d come, that if he wanted something, to go for it.

  So many thoughts swirled around in his head and before he could talk himself out of this terrible idea, he opened his messages and sent one to Cassandra. He held his breath waiting for her reply, but once it arrived, Luke got to his feet. He’d put a plan into motion and now he would have to see how it all played out.

  * * *

  Cassandra stepped off the private elevator of The Cheshire and scanned the crowd. Another night with a packed house of VIP guests and many from the high society of Beaumont Bay. People were laughing, drinking and chatting, and the band was getting set up. Cassandra noted the band tonight was made up of two young women who looked nervous yet excited. They kept smiling at each other as they stood just off the stage. Luke came into view as he approached them. Cassandra eased a little closer and overheard him giving them a speech.

  “You guys will be fine,” he told them. “I wouldn’t have invited you here if I didn’t think you were awesome. You both need a boost of confidence and this is where you’ll get it. You know I only have the best artists on my stage.”

  “That’s why we’re so nervous,” one of the girls laughed. “But thank you. This has been one of our dreams, to play The Cheshire stage.”

  “Once people hear you, you guys will be booked solid and I’ll be begging to get back on your busy schedule,” Luke stated. “The crowd is ready. Are you guys?”

  The girls glanced at each other and nodded.

  “I’ll go introduce you,” he said.

  Cassandra moved to the bar as Luke took the stage. As always, the moment he grabbed the mic, the crowd started cheering. Luke Sutherland was a natural charmer and he could hold anyone captive...and she was no exception.

  He’d texted her earlier and asked her to come up this evening because there was another impressive new band and because he had something to show her. Intrigued by his message, she’d agreed. Then she’d had a hell of a time trying to get her focus back on Hannah’s wedding.

  Between Hannah being gushy with her ideas about love yesterday during their meeting and then Luke texting her tonight, Cassandra’s thoughts were all over the place. Not to mention that she had weddings she was working on remotely, and was planning ahead for the brides who had come to her looking to book for a year or more out. Cassandra’s stress level was higher than she’d ever let it get before.

  She wished she could just jump straight to the end of this journey and go back to her life in Lexington. Her new business would surely take off and she could focus on that and future brides instead of Luke.

  “Gin and tonic with extra lime?”

  Cassandra turned to the bartender—Miles, she believed his name was—and smiled.

  “You remembered.”

  “That’s part of the job,” he replied. “But I also couldn’t forget the future Mrs. Sutherland’s order.”

  Future Mrs. Sutherland...that would be her. Well, it would be her, if all of this was real.

  The lump in her throat stopped Cassandra from saying anything else. She hadn’t thought of herself as the future Mrs. Sutherland in a long, long time. Not since she’d had the naive notion that she might actually hold that title one day.

  “Here you go,” Miles stated as he slid her drink across the bar top on a leather coaster imprinted with the bar logo. “Let me know if I can get you anything else.”

  He moved on to the next customer as Cassandra nodded her thanks and picked up her tumbler.

  “Glad you could make it.”

  She jumped and turned to see Luke right behind her. The band started up, playing something fast and peppy, getting the crowd excited. The drumbeat seemed to match th
e rhythm of her heart.

  “You intrigued me,” she admitted, then took a sip of her drink.

  “Extra lime?” he asked, nodding to her glass.

  “You have a good memory.”

  His gaze ran over her face, and he seemed to be studying her or trying to gauge what to say next. The rooftop bar might be packed, but she didn’t notice anyone else except for Luke. He took a step closer and reached up to smooth a strand of hair away from her cheek. He took a little extra time in trailing a fingertip along her jaw.

  “Come to my office.”

  He hadn’t exactly whispered, since the area was too loud, but he didn’t shout, which made the command seem intimate. Cassandra nodded and when he reached for her, she held her breath.

  Luke’s arm slid around her waist as he led her behind the bar and to the private hallway to his office. The door slid open and then closed as they stepped in. Once they were alone, the music was drowned out, and Cassandra was glad she held her drink so her hands had something to do.

  Why was she so nervous? Or was it not nervousness, but...arousal?

  She was such a mess, she couldn’t even figure out her own thoughts right now. After a quick sip, she moved farther into the office and leaned against the edge of a leather club chair.

  “So what is this mystery you called me up here for?”

  Still standing across the room, Luke sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes remained locked on hers and a muscle ticked in his jaw.

  “It’s come to my attention that you still don’t have a ring,” he began. “We need to fix that.”

  Confused, Cassandra shook her head. “I thought we discussed just telling everyone we were going to choose one later.”

  “Considering we’ve been engaged for a few weeks now, I’d say that’s long enough.”

  Luke walked to his desk and opened the drawer. Cassandra turned to face him and watched as he pulled out a velvet box.

  “Luke, I don’t think—”

  His eyes met hers. “You will wear a ring. My ring.”

  He circled back around the desk and came to stand before her. When he lifted the lid, Cassandra gasped at the simple gold band with a pearl in the middle, encircled by tiny diamonds.

  “I remembered you used to always wear this little pair of pearl earrings so I wanted to get something that you’d like,” he told her. “I saw this and thought it suited you.”

  She stared at the stunning ring for another moment before looking back up to him. Had he actually gone somewhere and picked out this ring for her, or was this the original ring she’d heard about from his brothers? There was so much to interpret in this moment and Cassandra was terrified to delve deeper into all the questions she had. She was even more afraid of what the answers would be.

  “I can’t... This is... Luke...”

  “I’m glad you’re speechless,” he laughed. “That means you like it.”

  She continued to stare, unsure of what to say or what to do. She hadn’t wanted him to present her with a ring—that would make all of this a little too real. Even though years had passed since she’d dreamed of this moment with him, having him give her a ring now only thrust her mentally back to a time she’d tried to forget.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” she insisted.

  Luke reached for her drink and set it on his desk, then turned back and that damn ring glinted in the light. It was so beautiful, yet simple, and something she would have chosen herself. He’d done such a beautiful job and she still had those pearl earrings he’d mentioned.

  “When did you go get a ring, anyway?” she asked.

  “That’s not important and this is a good idea,” he countered. “We’re playing the role of being engaged and I don’t half-ass anything.”

  When he slid the ring from the slot in the box, she held her breath. Luke pocketed the box before reaching for her hand. Without a word, without getting down on one knee, without any fanfare or romantic gestures one should have with an engagement, he eased the ring onto her finger.

  Definitely not how she’d thought her engagement would go. The ring felt so foreign, nearly as much as this crazy gesture. There was something almost cold and sterile about this moment. A shiver crept through her and she couldn’t suppress it.

  “You okay?”

  Cassandra continued to stare at the ring on her finger and felt the burn in her throat. Emotions were welling up, yet she couldn’t afford to cry now. Never in her life had she thought she’d get upset when a man put a ring on her finger, but...well, this wasn’t exactly the moment she had dreamed of her whole life.

  She was in the business of romance and milestones, memorable moments. She rejoiced in happy couples and shared their wedding journeys with them. Yet she couldn’t even be excited about her own moment because nothing was real...except that shattered heart she’d thought she’d mended.

  “Fine,” she lied, taking her gaze off the ring and putting it back onto her official fake fiancé. “But at the end of all this you will get the ring back.”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  “It is,” she commanded. There was no way she wanted any type of souvenir from her time here in Beaumont Bay unless it was a favor from Will and Hannah’s wedding.

  “We really should have done this before now,” Luke told her. “We can play it off by saying that we didn’t want to overshadow Cash’s or Will’s engagements. We should definitely post more photos, but we shouldn’t be obvious about it. Let the media draw their own conclusions and keep the mystery behind the ring.”

  The ring. Something so small and simple, yet it held so much importance in her life right now. Why couldn’t he have gotten her something big and gaudy? Something flashy for the world to see from a distance?

  No, he’d gotten her something delicate and soft, something that truly summed up her style, a piece she would be sorry to give back. Because just like their arrangement, this engagement, and the ring, would all vanish in a short time.

  “Whatever you want,” she murmured.

  Luke stepped forward, closing the gap between them. He took her left hand in his and held it up, but his eyes remained on hers.

  “This is what we agreed on,” he murmured. “You’re mine.”

  “For now.”

  “For now,” he agreed.

  He tugged her gently until she fell against his chest and he released her hand to wrap his arm behind her back. Cassandra’s hands flattened against his chest. The warm scent of his cologne wafted around her. The strength of his body aroused her even more. The familiarity was present, but there was still something about him that was new, thrilling, exciting. She wanted more, even though she shouldn’t because he clearly still wasn’t ready for any commitment. Hell, he’d been voted the most eligible bachelor and had women flocking around him and he wasn’t interested. He was still just as married to his job as he’d ever been...possibly more.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What we both want. And I’m not apologizing.”

  He leaned in closer and Cassandra eased back her head slightly. “Is this a bad idea?”

  “Maybe,” he allowed. “But we still both want the same thing.”

  “We shouldn’t want more,” she murmured, but there was no conviction in her tone and she knew as well as he did that her words were in vain. “Desire isn’t something I can fight. It never has been with you.”

  And maybe having him put that damn ring on her finger had her thoughts a little more jumbled than usual, because she was actually considering letting him do whatever he wanted—what she wanted.

  “I don’t want to fight,” he told her. “I’m just tired of pretending I don’t want you.”

  He wanted her.

  She’d known, but hearing the words said aloud had even more knots forming in her stomach. Maybe coming back
here had been a mistake. Maybe she should’ve contacted Will directly and simply asked about being his wedding planner.

  But no. She’d come straight to the one man she should have kept her distance from. After all these years, though, she thought she’d be fine seeing him again. She thought they’d put enough of a gap between them that the past wouldn’t interfere with her future plans.

  She’d been wrong.

  “This isn’t a real relationship,” she explained. “We can’t complicate things with...”

  “Sex.”

  There it was. The word they’d danced around for a while, and now it was out in the open and hovering between them.

  “Why can’t we?” he asked, his mouth hovering just a breath from hers. “Are you going to tell me you don’t wonder if we’re even better than we were? Are you going to tell me you don’t want this just as much as I do?”

  She needed distance. She couldn’t think with him touching her, not with that strength he possessed and that heavy-lidded stare he owned.

  Cassandra eased from his embrace and took a few steps away, taking in a deep breath to calm her shaky nerves and get control over herself.

  “My wants are irrelevant,” she stated when she turned back to face him. “And so are yours for that matter.”

  Luke continued to stare at her, and it was the silence between them that had her questioning herself yet again. Why wasn’t she taking what he offered? He’d been right in saying they both wanted this. She couldn’t even lie to herself, let alone him, because she did want him. Part of her wondered if they’d be even better than before, while the other part wondered if she’d get lost in the lust and passion and forget that this was all a fake, temporary relationship.

  “I should go,” she told him.

  “You don’t want to.”

  Cassandra shrugged—there was reason not to be honest. “Like I said, that doesn’t matter. I didn’t come here for a fling and that’s all this would be. I have no room in my life for anything more.”