And that worked great until she had to stand next to him at the register and smell his fresh, masculine scent. She bit her bottom lip and folded her arms tight. This was going to be one long year.
They paid for their purchases and she climbed into the jeep. Rick gripped the top of the steering wheel with one hand and looked over at her. “Do you want to see more of the island?”
She leaned her head back on the headrest. “Maybe later. Right now I’m thinking a nap in your hammock sounds like heaven.”
He cocked his head at her, a slight smile on his face. “Sure.”
She closed her eyes as they drove to the cabin. The smell of the ocean was relaxing. After they took their things into the house, Rick opened the back door and motioned for her to go.
He followed her outside. She peered at him, wondering why he was following her, but didn’t want to be rude. They walked down the path toward the hammock. “This is lovely,” she said as they approached the beach.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I love how quiet it is here. L.A. is great, but here I can rejuvenate.”
The hammock stretched between two palm trees right before the grass turned to sand. Tara shielded her eyes and looked out at the ocean. “I can see why.”
“The beaches in L.A. are always so crowded. When I come here, I can clear my head and think.”
Tara nodded, then looked down at the hammock. “How do I get in this?”
Rick slid his hands over her hips. “Move closer.”
She stepped toward the suspended fabric, ignoring how his hands made electricity shoot through her. “Okay.”
“Straddle the hammock, then slowly sit down.”
She did as he said, but wobbled. “Whoa, I feel like I’m going to fall out.”
“Steady. Just don’t lean too far one way or the other. You kind of have to balance in it for a second, then lean back and lift your feet in.”
She looked up at him skeptically. “Sure, easy for you to say. You’re standing on solid ground. This thing doesn’t feel too steady.”
He chuckled and took her hand. “Come on. Lean back.”
“Alright, alright.” She sank into the hammock. “You’re right, it’s better when I’m farther in.”
“Now just pick up your feet and put them in.”
She tested the waters with one foot, then lifted the second one. “Ha, I did it.”
He let go of her hand and sat on the ground next to her. “Perfect.”
She peeked over at him, careful not to lean too much and spill out. “What are you going to do? Nap in the grass?”
“Do you mind?” He stretched out and crossed his ankles. His muscles flexed as he adjusted his hat so the bill covered his face.
She didn’t want to tell him she doubted she could rest with him so close. His smell wafted up in the breeze and solidified her thoughts. Her insides tied up in knots. She exhaled and closed her eyes. “I don’t mind.”
He didn’t say anything else, and she tried to listen to the sound of the waves on the beach instead of imagining snuggling with Rick in the hammock. She could do this. She could get over her—whatever it was she had for Rick—and behave like a normal person around him. And she should be able to fall asleep, because she was definitely tired.
Birds chirped while the breeze gently rocked her, and her brain ticked off all the reasons she and Rick would be good together. They had plenty of attraction. Her skin sizzled, even now, and he wasn’t even touching her. Just lying on the grass near her. He made her smile. He was kind. And why was she listing out all of his good qualities instead of sleeping? She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Can I ask you something?”
His deep voice startled her. She thought he’d fallen asleep. “Sure.”
“You said you wanted to move to Iowa to raise Kylee. Is it really because the values and the people there are so different? Or is it because you want to take her far away from Bobby?”
Ouch. What a question. She wrestled with how to answer it. Was she really taking Kylee to Iowa to hide from her ex?
“Sorry,” he said. “That kind of came out wrong. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“No, you didn’t offend. I really thought I was doing it for the values, but you make a good point. Maybe part of me is trying to shield her from her father.”
“I don’t blame you. He’s a jerk.”
“He is.”
“If he weren’t in the picture, would you consider living in L.A.?”
Why was he asking this? She couldn’t imagine staying in a city that only reminded her of her own folly. “No.” Unless he was asking because he wanted her to stay . . .
“Not that I’m trying to persuade you or anything. Just trying to understand your motivations.”
Sure. Of course. She shouldn’t be thinking about them as a couple anyway. They were no such thing. “Right.”
They were silent for a few moments before Tara got up the courage to speak. “I guess my motivations are complicated. I want Kylee to be loved by those around her. Growing up in Iowa, I always felt like I had a community of people who I could turn to if I were in trouble.”
“That’s nice. I kind of had the same thing, only with the theater people we traveled with. We were a close-knit group.”
“Yes. Right now I feel like it’s just me and Kylee against the world. I want to go somewhere where she can have that feeling of family.”
“Where in Iowa would you move?” He threaded his fingers behind his head and looked at her.
“I’ve always liked Ames.”
“Is that where your parents live?”
“No. They live in Iowa Falls.” She stared up at the wispy clouds, hoping he wouldn’t ask.
“Why wouldn’t you want to move to Iowa Falls, then?”
He asked. She sighed and shifted to get more comfortable. “My father disowned me when I married Bobby.” The words brought up all the pain and suffering from the past. The yelling. Her father telling her never to speak to him again.
“Why?”
“He thought we were too young. The ironic thing is, his attitude just pushed me to marry faster, instead of making me come to my senses. He was right. We were too young.” She swallowed back the hurt. She’d made the best of the situation.
“What about your mom?”
More pain swelled in her chest. “We haven’t spoken since that day. Casualty of war I suppose.”
Rick adjusted his cap and looked at her. “How can a parent disown a child for making a choice? That’s just going to push them away.”
“My thoughts exactly. I may not always like what Kylee wants to do, but I will never shove her away. I know how that feels.”
“My father never disowned me, but I had a similar experience when I decided to go into screen acting.”
“Why did he have a problem with that?”
“He said it was beneath me. Stage acting is art, at least in his eyes. Making movies is selling out.”
Tara looked over at him. “That’s hogwash. I’ve seen what you can do. It takes a lot of talent.”
He grinned at her. “Are you calling me talented?”
“Don’t get all egotistical on me.” She rolled her eyes.
He squinted. “You’ve got something on your face.” He motioned to her cheek.
She swiped her hand over her skin. “Did I get it?”
“No, it’s still there.” He reached up, as if to wipe it off, but his hand wasn’t close enough. “I can’t reach.”
She leaned closer and suddenly the hammock twisted and threw her off balance. It flipped and she landed on top of Rick. “Oh!”
His laugh echoed through the palm trees. She tried to roll off him but his arms held her tight. She shoved his shoulder. “You did that on purpose.”
“Of course I did.” His smile crinkled the skin around his eyes.
A few strands of hair had come loose, and they hung down as she stared at him. He slowly reached up and remov
ed the clip that held her hair up. It spilled down over her shoulders.
“There,” he said quietly. “I’ve been wanting to do that.”
She slid off and lay in the grass beside him, gazing up, her heart beating wildly. “Why did you want to do that?”
“Don’t know. Just did.” He rolled onto his side and leaned on his elbow.
She self-consciously touched her hair. “It’s easier to get work done when it’s up and out of the way.”
He picked up a strand of her hair and fingered it. “I think it looks nice down. Not everything you do has to be practical.”
She drew in her courage and gazed into his mesmerizing blue eyes. “Marrying you wasn’t practical.”
His grin widened. “Now, we’ve been over this. It was very practical. That’s how I convinced you to do it.”
He was right. Him and his stupid logic. She was pretty sure he’d somehow charmed her or tricked her in some way. When she was in her right mind, she knew their plan was insane. But when she was around Rick, he did something to her. Messed with her head. “That, and the healthy sum you’re paying me.”
As soon as the words were out, she regretted them. His smile faded and he nodded, inching away from her. “Yes.” He laid back down and put his cap over his eyes. She could feel him withdrawing from her. “The money.”
She climbed back into the hammock, careful not to tip it, feeling terrible. Why had she brought up the money? Was it to disguise the fact that she had a crazy crush on him? She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it anymore. Sleep came to her then, and when she awoke, Rick was gone.
Chapter 17
Rick shoveled rice into his mouth, trying to get through the dinner as fast as he could. He’d taken Tara out to a local restaurant, but things had turned quite awkward since she spelled out to him her motivations for being with him. Money. Why had he thought she might actually like him? Maybe because his attraction for her had grown, and he thought she might feel something similar?
Stupid. Why was he doing this to himself? He should know better. He and Scarlett dated before he grew famous. He had known she didn’t have ulterior motivations. But after that, he hadn’t met anyone simply interested in him. His money or fame was what attracted them now. And he was fine with that, right? It’s the life he chose. He just needed to remember: no falling in love. He had flings. He didn’t have real relationships.
Tara pushed her food around with her fork.
“Not hungry?” he asked.
“Just worried. I hope Kylee isn’t frightened by the plane ride.”
Rick glanced at his watch. “They should be arriving in an hour. Would you like me to text the staff to see how things went while we were gone?”
“I’d like that,” she said, her shoulders lowering.
“Will do.” He reached into his pocket and brought out his phone.
Her gaze softened and she reached across the table to touch his hand. “Thanks.”
He pulled away from her touch. “Sure.”
She leaned back and studied him. She looked like she was going to speak but changed her mind and lifted her fork to her mouth.
His phone chimed right away. Everything went smoothly. Kylee was excited to get on the airplane.
Rick showed the text to Tara, who smiled. “I’m glad she wasn’t upset. Thank you for texting.”
“No problem.”
The waitress stopped by. “How was everything tonight?”
“It was perfect.” Tara’s smile seemed forced.
The waitress set the check on the table. “You can pay whenever you’re ready.”
Rick took care of the bill and they left. The night air felt good, the breeze blowing as they bounced along the dirt roads in his car. Tara inhaled. “The air smells so amazing.”
“We filmed part of Extra Curricular here. I fell in love with it.”
“I can see why.”
Rick parked the car at the airport. Tara turned to him. “I think I owe you an apology.”
He raised his hand. He didn’t want any sympathy from her. “No need.”
“Yes, I messed things up between us. I didn’t mean to imply the only reason I married you was for the money.”
A slow anger burned in his gut. “That is why you married me, though. Isn’t it?”
“It’s true, I originally said yes for the money.” Her gaze dipped. “But I’ve gotten to know you since then.”
“And now you’re in it for my winning personality?” He laughed, but it came out harsh. “Don’t try to flatter me. I’m paying you to help my career. Let’s not try to pretend it’s anything else.”
He gripped the steering wheel and scanned the skyline for his jet. Tara pressed her lips together tight. The air between them grew heavy. The seconds ticked by as neither of them spoke.
A few minutes later he spotted the plane. Soon it landed and taxied to their area. The crew pulled the steps down.
Tara got out of the car and waited by the bottom of the stairs. Kylee appeared and Tara’s countenance transformed. She smiled and Kylee squealed. “Mommy!”
Amanda held the little girl’s hand as she clamored down the steps clutching her Winnie the Pooh bear. Tara crouched down and hugged her daughter.
“I was above the clouds!” Kylee shouted.
“You were? Did it scare you?”
Kylee’s nose wrinkled. “It was fun! It made my tummy feel funny. Can I do it again?”
Rick chuckled. “Sure, when we go back to L.A.”
“Rick!” Kylee ran to him. He crouched down like he’d seen Tara do. Kylee threw her arms around his neck, so he picked her up. She weighed almost nothing. He felt an urge to protect her, for some strange reason. He held her tight. “Are you my new Daddy?”
He looked at Amanda, who blushed. “Sorry, it was all over the news. She kept asking about it, so I told her you guys got married.”
Tara didn’t look amused, but she stayed silent. Rick patted Kylee on the back. “Sure, Ladybug. You can call me Daddy if you want to.”
Tara’s frown deepened, and Rick hoped she wouldn’t argue with him in front of Amanda. One of the crew brought Kylee’s booster seat out of the plane and Rick buckled it into the back seat. He put the luggage in the back, then climbed in the driver’s seat.
“Can you sit by me?” Kylee asked, her large eyes trained on him.
“Rick needs to drive, honey,” Tara said climbing in back. “I’ll sit beside you.” She leaned over and kissed Kylee’s forehead.
Amanda took the front passenger seat. After they arrived at the cabin Rick gave Amanda the quick tour.
“Are you guys in the master bedroom on the main floor then?” Amanda asked, picking up her suitcase.
Rick shot a look at Tara, who was frozen, her eyes wide. “Um . . .” She cast him a helpless look.
“Yes, we’re in the master bedroom.”
Tara’s face drained of color. “I actually thought Kylee might need me to sleep with her. Upstairs.”
“Nonsense. This is your honeymoon. Kylee and I can have a sleepover. Right, squirt?”
Kylee clapped her hands and ran toward Amanda. “Yay! Can I, Mom? Please?”
Tara stared at him, one last pleading look in her eyes.
“I think that’s a great idea,” he said.
As soon as Amanda and Kylee disappeared upstairs with their suitcases, Tara rounded on him. “What are you doing?” she hissed.
“Acting like a married couple. We should be more careful now that Vikki’s trying to spread rumors. What if she digs around and starts talking to people? Can you imagine what Amanda would tell her if we didn’t spend our honeymoon in the same bedroom?”
“This wasn’t part of the plan,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take the floor.”
“You bet you will.” She stormed past him into the bedroom.
Rick dressed in his lounge pants and T-shirt and brushed his teeth. He cautiously entered the bedroom in case Tara wasn’t
done dressing. She was sitting on the bed in a nightgown, brushing her hair. He loved the way it cascaded down her shoulders and fell to the middle of her back. Wait, why was he thinking about her hair? He needed to stop thinking about her at all.
He turned his back on her and grabbed a blanket from the small closet. “Toss one of those pillows to me, would you?”
She picked up the nearest pillow and launched it at his head. He caught it before it hit him. “Testy, aren’t you?”
“You do realize you’ve created a real problem. Once we go back to L.A. I’ll have to move into your bedroom or it will look really odd.”
He waggled his eyebrows at her. “I don’t mind, babe.”
She glared at him. “Well, I do.”
He exhaled and plopped down on the floor with his blanket. “Fine. I’ll think of something.”
“Good. Because this is unacceptable.”
Unacceptable? Really? He was the one sleeping on the hard floor. He spread the blanket on top of his legs. “Come on. I haven’t once tried to get you in my bed.”
“And you think I should be thanking you for that?”
He let out a frustrated grunt and laid down. He decided not to answer her, or he might dig himself in deeper. He scrunched the pillow up until it was at least semi-comfortable and closed his eyes.
The lamp clicked off and the room enveloped in darkness. His side began hurting from the pressure of the hard floor so he turned to lay on his back. After a few minutes his back hurt, and he rolled to his other side. This was going to be a long night.
Tara sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad.”
What should he say to that? For some reason, he couldn’t think of anything that might not get him into further trouble, so he stayed silent.
The bed rustled. “Rick?” she whispered. “You awake?”
“Yes.”
“You still upset with me?”
He was surprised to find all his anger had fizzled. How did she do that? “No.”
A Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 76
