Chapter 4
Claire found herself clutching her phone much like a teenager in love. She realized she might be getting absorbed in the facade, but tried to assure herself that there was no harm in wanting to spend time with her handsome friend. They had arranged a date of some sort, a casual walk in the park where they could be seen together. She cared less about being seen and more about being at his side, but she couldn’t allow herself to get swept up in that thought. She allowed her thoughts to slip away, texting a swift message to acknowledge Matthew that she was on her way to the park. He replied with a smiling emoticon, claiming that he was all too eager to see her. It was nice to feel appreciated, even if it was all part of some big game. She exhaled a sigh, slipping her phone back into her pocket and focusing on her surroundings. The city park was not far from her apartment, though she rarely found herself with the time to waste there. It wasn’t that she disliked the great outdoors, it was simply that she preferred to save the more romantic scenery until she had someone to share it with.
She chuckled under her breath, wondering how she had forced herself into this situation. She could admit to herself that she’d always found Matt rather handsome, though it had been from an objective point of view. It was rather clear that he only used women for one purpose, but perhaps he was shaking that habit. It seemed that he cared enough to pursue this whole act with her, with no apparent benefit for himself. Unless he was planning to get her in bed, but… God, he couldn’t be interested in her.
“Claire,” a warm voice called, and she glanced up as she stepped through the front entrance to the city park. She perked up upon seeing Matthew, noting that he seemed to be hiding something behind his back. She jogged towards him, eyes widening as he produced a bottle of wine from behind his back. He chuckled. “The best vintage for my best girl, I thought you may appreciate this gesture a bit more than flowers.” She nearly jumped out of her skin in her rush to get closer, taking the wine bottle in her hand and realizing just how expensive the selection must have been.
“Public drunkenness, Matt?” She teased, and he quirked his lips in a small smile.
“I doubt we’ll have too much trouble,” he assured her, taking her by her arm and leading her to the water fountain. She was surprised to see a small picnic basket placed on a bench near the fountain, and Matthew gestured for her to follow him towards. He sat beside her on the bench, producing two wine glasses as well as some rather tasty looking dessert items. She fought not to salivate, considering him with a quirked brow.
“This doesn’t seem to be the path to an aesthetic physique, at least, nothing close to the health drinks we had at the gym,” she chuckled, accepting a plate as he offered it to her.
“You’re perfect the way you are, darling,” he offered her a charming, playful grin. She felt her cheeks grow warm, forgetting for a moment that this was all for a show. He loaded up her plate with a large slice of chocolate cake, humming to himself as he prepared himself a much smaller portion. She watched him for a moment before turning to watch the rhythmic pulsing of the fountains water jets. It was a beautiful scene, and there were very few people lingering in the area they were occupying. She couldn’t deny the romantic nature of the scene, and mused somewhat sadly that anyone would fall for Matthew’s acting. “Aren’t you going to eat?” He inquired, taking a forkful of cake and holding it out for her. She examined the proffered portion with a quirked brow, leaning in to take the offered bite. As she drew away, she watched with some surprise, as Matthew continued eating with the fork as if her lips hadn’t just been wrapped around it. It was almost as intimate as kissing, but she supposed she shouldn’t allow herself to get all flustered by that thought either. There was no question that for their act to be believable, the two would have to swap spit. As if reading her mind, Matthew set his fork aside and cupped her cheek in his hand.
“You’re so sweet to me, darling,” Claire managed, and he rumbled a warm laugh before leaning in to ghost his lips to her ear.
“You’re a rather sweet morsel yourself, Claire,” he murmured, shifting to ghost his lips to hers. She stiffened, drawing her lip between her teeth as he edged away. Before he could put too much distance between them, she lurched forward to grab him by the shirt collar. Their lips mashed together in perfect synchrony, and she could taste the chocolate on his lips as she thoroughly kissed the man. His tongue flicked against her lip, and her mouth parted slightly before she even realized what she was doing. As their tongues met, electricity felt as if it were jolting through her entire body. She drew away, touching her lips hesitantly. Her face felt pleasantly flushed, and Matthew looked all too pleased with himself. “We do have to look authentic, after all,” he murmured, brushing his thumb against her lip. She shivered beneath his touch, all too aware of the hungry gaze he leveled upon her. It seemed that the act was the last thing on his mind for the moment, but truthfully, she wasn’t too captivated the falsified relationship for the time being. She wanted to kiss him again, and he looked entirely receptive as she leaned in to meet his lips again. She stopped short, considering his intense gaze with her heart pounding in her chest.
“Maybe we should… stick to the plan,” she muttered, drawing away and exhaling shakily. She wanted to believe the man held some sort of feelings for her, or at least respected her. It was growing increasingly apparent that he seemed intent upon treating her like the other women in his life. Though she had been the one to suggest they spend more time together, she was beginning to regret the notion. He looked taken aback, narrowing his eyes at her before speaking.
“Are we not sticking to the plan? Your plan, as it were,” he bit out, and she could almost believe he felt rejected. That was ridiculous, however, and she could only reason that he knew that she’d caught on to his intent.
“I just think the kissing is unnecessary. Especially when no one important is watching,” she offered defensively, wrapping her arms around herself. He laughed humorlessly, tossing back his entire glass of wine.
“That didn’t exactly seem like part of the plan. Finding yourself a bit swept up, Claire?” He smirked. Her face burned with embarrassment, and she stood from the bench, shoving her plate in the picnic basket.
“Of course not. I know how you are, Matthew. A woman is just a means to an end. I would never allow myself to get swept up in this farce,” her eyes appeared dead cold. He glared, and her heart sank at his obvious distaste.
“Alright. I simply thought I was playing my role exceptionally. I’m beginning to wonder if this is even worth my time,” he spat, rising and gathering his things. Her eyes widened in fear and she fought to swallow a gasp. “When you’ve decided on whether you’d rather be hot or cold, I’m sure you’ll know where to find me,” he hissed, turning his back on her and stalking away. She watched him go, fury broiling in her breast. This only cemented her idea that he was using her to get into her pants, though if he had simply been up front she might not have minded that as much. She watched him stalk to the exit of the park, sinking onto the park bench and burying her head in her hands. She should have been comforted by the idea that she had done the right thing, but something inside of her ached. Something cried for her to follow the man out of the park, to plead her case… whatever her case may have been. She felt a tear slip down her cheeks, and she roughly rubbed her eyes before rising up from the bench. She wouldn’t be so desperate as to chase him down. She would text him when they had time to cool off, consider things from each other’s point of view.
She hardly thought she could decipher what was going through the man’s head, but she realized a bit belatedly that his words hadn’t been far off the mark. She had been shifting between hot and cold, undecided if she should fully devote herself to this plan. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t want to commit to the plan, she was afraid of getting lost in his charms. She cursed herself for lacking the willpower, feeling very much the average bimbo at that moment. She heaved a sigh, walking towards the exit of the park that he had slipped through mere moments prior. She glanced towards the parking lot, surprised to see his red sports car parked towards the back.
Swallowing her pride, she walked toward the car, only to see Matthew sunbathing on the hood, his shirt lying at his side. He seemed lost in thought, staring blankly at the bright skies above them. If he sensed her presence, he gave no indication. She inhaled shakily, slipping into his line of sight. He narrowed his eyes at her, sitting up to offer his full attention.
“I… I’m sorry, Matthew,” she began, wringing her hands together as he simply watched her. She didn’t know how to voice what she was feeling, knew she couldn’t reveal how deeply she had come to care for him. Though it wasn’t a real relationship, she found herself clinging to the warmth he had shown her in the time they’d spent together. The fact that he had even prepared this whole date showed that he was taking her plight seriously. Truly, she realized, he was going further than he ever had before, at least when it came to women. “I just… heh, you’re an amazing kisser. I guess it kinda scrambled my brains,” she tried, attempting to dismiss the situation entirely. He quirked a well-manicured brow, seeming to consider her words.
“You’re not so bad, yourself,” he allowed, patting the hood beside him. She edged onto the warm metal, and the two lay side by side. They simply basked in the sun, and she wondered if he would have anything else to say in regard to her odd reaction to his kiss. “You’re a rather good kisser, yourself. I guess I let myself get too worked up. Maybe you’re right about taking things back a notch. Maybe we should just see each other when strictly necessary-,” he began, cutting himself off as she squeaked in distress.
“No, no. I’m enjoying the time we’re spending together… I know it’s all for the show, but it’s nice feeling like I have a friend to spend time with. Someone to confide in, someone I can trust. I’d never really thought you cared much about women… I suppose I thought you were more of a scumbag than you really are. No offense,” she blurted. He quirked his lips in a smile, turning on his side to watch her.
“Well, you wouldn’t have been wrong. I’ve never been friends with a woman before. You’re the exception to the rule. I just…,” he trailed off, eyes falling upon her lips. The action did not go unnoticed by Claire, but she simply reddened until he met her gaze once more. “I’ve never respected a woman. But you’ve given me reasons to respect you. You’re not just some bimbo thirsty for cash and a big cock, pardon my French. You’re full of personality, full of life. I guess we both have to adjust to being actual friends, between this whole… fake relationship thing,” he chuckled. She smiled to herself, parting her lips to speak but cutting herself short as he abruptly pressed his lips to hers. When he pulled away, she offered him a dazed reaction. He gestured vaguely to the park, where Courtney and a man she recognized as her sister’s fiancé were standing. Taking the cue, she wrapped her arms around Matthew’s neck, drawing him in for another passionate embrace. Though the flick of her tongue wasn’t strictly necessary, Matthew didn’t seem to hold it against her.
“Hey, Claire! Matthew! What are you two lovebirds doing here?” Courtney announced loudly as she approached the two.
“Oh, you know… just hanging out,” Claire dismissed, much to the amusement of Courtney’s fiancée.
“Looks like the hanging out I’d like to get into,” the other man said with a sly quirk of his lips. Matthew met his gaze and held it, wrapping a protective arm around Claire’s shoulder. “Aw, take it easy, buddy. I’m spoken for. I’m not after my fiancée’s kid sister,” the man rumbled. He offered his hand for Matthew to shake, and Matt hesitated for a moment before reaching out to grasp his hand. “I’m Marco. Nice to meet you,” the apparent fiancée smiled.
“Matthew. Sorry, I just get a little nuts when I see any other guy lookin’ at my best girl,” Matthew grinned, leaning in to kiss Claire on the temple. She pressed happily against him.
“Best girl? Or only girl? Claire, do you have something to tell us?” Marco teased, and Claire stiffened against Matt’s side. The alpha male narrowed his eyes at the other man once more, not hesitating before belting out a response.
“Is that even a question? Would you risk your girl for some stupid fling?” Matthew retorted, looking between the other couple.
“Yeah, Marco. What are you thinking, eh?” Courtney griped, nudging his arm. The older man breathed a sigh, and Matthew quirked his lips victoriously as the other couple retreated to the park. “See you later, Claire. You kids be good,” Courtney called as they retreated.
“Of course,” Claire called out, remaining at Matt’s side even as the others walked away. She hesitated for a moment, turning to consider his tense expression. “I had something I wanted to discuss with you, in any case. Can we go back to your place?” She inquired softly. He looked vaguely taken aback, but nodded his consent. He shifted off the hood of the car before helping her to her feet as well. She was hesitant, but she knew the issue she had in mind needed to be addressed. She smiled to herself as Matthew opened her car door, pushing it closed once she was safely tucked inside. As he stepped around before getting into the driver’s seat, she mused that perhaps a friends-with-benefits arrangement wouldn’t be so bad. She couldn’t allow herself to entertain that thought, however. They still had a wedding to fake their way through.