“I need you to sign this contract when we get there.” Allyson pulled out a document from the folder in her bag.
Dane kept his eyes on the road as he drove his luxury car up the highway heading to Greenville. They’d been driving for the better part of an hour now to Greenville Lodge. His brow furrowed. “What contract?”
She hesitated, nervous about talking about something so awkward. “It’s about what we’re doing. Our pretend relationship.”
He laughed. “Are you serious? What are the parameters?”
“This isn’t a laughing matter, Mr. Prescott; I’m trying to protect you.”
“Dane,” he reminded her.
Warmth spread across her cheeks. This was already impossible. She hardly got a wink of sleep last night after Dane dropped her off at her apartment. The guilt she felt over dragging him into her lie had her tossing and turning.
So far, her family sounded excited about Dane coming. Allyson made arrangements earlier this morning, and Dane had been right: The Greenville Lodge was more than happy to make accommodations for him. Her parents and brother had all contacted her during the day to let her know they were already at the Lodge.
She had no idea how they were going to pull this off, when she couldn’t even remember to call him by his name. Just being in the same car made her jumpy. How on earth were they going to pull off something like this? She was terrified that her family would see right through them.
She felt a hand on her knee, and she stared down to find Dane patting her gently.
He put his hand back on the wheel; the absence of his touch left her with a tiny ache inside. “It’ll be fine,” he said reassuringly. “Your parents will probably be so focused on your brother and the bride that they won’t even notice us.”
“You obviously don’t know my parents,” she said. “Anyway, the contract states that we’ll be keeping this up for this weekend. Neither of us will disclose the truth to anyone. Oh, and…”
“Yes?”
Her hands trembled, but she couldn’t find the words.
“Spit it out,” Dane said.
“No sex.”
The expression on his face didn’t change, but she could swear his knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Right.”
A deafening silence fell over them. Sweat formed on her brow. This had to be the most awkward, embarrassing moment of her entire life. If he didn’t fire her by the end of the weekend, she would consider it a miracle. “I told you this was a bad idea.”
“No, you have every right to protect yourself—”
“Actually, I wrote that clause with your safety in mind,” she said, giggling. “You’re doing me a favor, and I want to keep things professional.”
“Of course. Is there anything else?”
She glanced at the contract. “No gifts over five hundred dollars.”
“You know, Allyson, you’re usually the one who picks out gifts for clients, and you’ve never once tried to put a limit on the amount I spend.”
“That’s business. This is personal.”
“Right, well, I brought a gift to go along with your toaster,” he said smoothly.
She groaned. “Don’t tell me you packed a yacht somewhere back there.”
He laughed. “I brought along a nice bottle of wine. Very old. We can all drink it at the reception.”
“What kind of wine are we talking here?” She raised her eyebrow. “How much does a bottle cost?”
“I don’t know. Seven thousand dollars?”
Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “What?”
“I didn’t buy it,” he said. “It was a gift from one of those racehorse owners. You know the ones who switched to our stopwatches and did an ad for us?”
She sighed. “Fine. But no more gifts for the bride or groom, okay?”
“Does that contract say anything about gifts for you?”
She groaned. Damn it. “You really are the most impossible man,” she grumbled.
He grinned. “I aim to please.”
* * *
The Greenville Lodge truly was magnificent. As Dane helped her out of the car she took in the surroundings, the sprawling property bathed in the golden light of approaching dusk. The main building stood before them, a huge luxury log cabin surrounded by shrubs, trees, and blooming flowers. A stone walkway led from the driveway up to the front entrance.
Behind her a valet was already taking their luggage out of the car and heading inside, while another got behind the wheel to drive the car to the other side of the property.
Allyson spotted some of her family members at the landing of the steps that led to the main building. She groaned inwardly. Surrounding her mother were her sister-in-law-to-be, Holly and, worst of all, her sister, Monica.
Dane was instantly at her side and he took her shaking hand in his. She stiffened at his touch, surprised to find him touching her. She knew they were pretending, but somehow part of it felt a little too real. “I recognize your mom,” he whispered. “Who are the other two?”
“Holly is my brother’s fiancée, and the one in the sunglasses is my sister, Monica.”
“Not a fan of Monica, are you?”
She turned her head to look at him. “How could you tell?”
“You’re staring daggers at her, and you squeezed the hell out of my hand when you said her name.” He grinned and leaned in to kiss her forehead. She stiffened again. The sensation of his lips on his skin spread warmth across her skin, but trepidation made it impossible for her to enjoy it.
“Relax, Allyson, I’ve got you,” he said under his breath before he waved at her relatives. They waved back.
He tugged gently at her hand and she started to follow him up the stone walkway and then up the short flight of steps to the landing. Her heart hammered so loudly she was amazed he couldn’t hear it. She wished so desperately that she had his confidence and easy charm. Being around her family made her stomach knot up.
“You’re finally here,” he mother said, her arms outstretched. “It’s so great to see you two.”
Allyson slipped out of Dane’s grasp to give her mother an awkward hug. Then she turned to her relatives. The hug she gave Holly was genuine. Smart, sweet, and driven, Holly was the perfect match for her brother; Allyson was genuinely happy that James had found her.
When she was pulled into Monica’s cold embrace, her sister said, “I can’t believe you managed to pull this off. I was starting to wonder if this billionaire would ever show up at all.”
Her words stinging her, Allyson quickly pulled out of Monica’s grasp to reach for Dane’s hand. She didn’t stiffen this time, probably because she was so glad that there was at least someone on her side. Someone she could count on. She made introductions, and watched as Dane gave each woman a hug and a peck on the cheek.
“It’s so good to see you again, Mrs. Smith,” Dane said to her mother. They had met at a work event last year. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you. And thank you so much for inviting us to the Lodge,” Mrs. Smith said. “It’s so beautiful here.”
“You’re welcome. Honestly, you can all thank Allyson. It was her idea.” Dane turned to her and winked, then dazzled her with a smile.
Her heart warmed. She knew what he was trying to do: Make her look good in front of her family. Maybe, just maybe, things would go off without a hitch.
They headed into the lobby which was designed in a luxurious, but rustic, style. The entire place was decorated in wood and stone, the scent of cedar in the air. They approached the front desk.
“It’s so wonderful to see you again, Mr. Prescott,” the receptionist said with a warm smile. “You and Ms. Smith will be in the Rose Room this weekend.”
Allyson felt her face heat. She knew this moment was coming. When they’d be taken up to a room of their own. She had no idea if she dreaded it or was thrilled by it. An entire weekend sharing a room with her handsome boss.
After settling things with the receptionist, she and Dane started to make their way upstairs to their room.
“Meet us in the Great Room in an hour for the rehearsal dinner, you two,” Monica called. “We have so much to catch up on.”
Allyson squeezed Dane’s hand tightly and didn’t let go until they made it to their room. Rustic and cozy, their large room was fabulously decorated in wood and stone accents. From the glass door that led outside, she could see a fire pit and a hot tub, a stone path leading to a forest in the distance. A huge fireplace took up the far wall and a huge king-sized bed was on the opposite wall.
She stared at the bed, desire and apprehension racing through her. “We have to figure out the sleeping arrangements. I don’t mind taking the couch.”
Dane came up behind her and wrapped his powerful arms around her waist. The sensation of her back pressed up against his hard chest heated her. His lips brushed against her bare shoulder, and she’d never been so glad to have chosen a sleeveless blouse in her life. “You know, Allyson, you really need to relax,” he whispered.
“I do?”
“Yes. You’re tense. You jump fifty feet every time I touch you. And what the hell is the deal with your sister anyway?”
“My mother adores her. It’s like the meaner she gets, the more Mom loves her,” she replied bitterly.
“That’s terrible,” he said, his breath warm against the bare skin of her neck. “You seem much more relaxed now.”
“That’s probably because there’s nobody around gawking at us.” She pulled out of his embrace to turn and look at him. Being under her sister’s watchful eye filled her with anxiety.
“I don’t think your sister buys that we’re together.”
She bit her lip. “Maybe we need to practice.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Practice?”
She cringed. “Never mind. It’s probably a bad idea.”
“No, I want to hear your idea. What do you mean?”
“I was thinking maybe if we kissed a few times it might break the tension.” She tried to keep her tone causal, but her insides were turning to jelly. What an insane and ridiculous idea. Dane would obviously shoot it down.
He smiled, wrapping his arms around her again. “I’m game if you are.”
Damn.
Her pulse quickened and heat spread across every inch of her skin. This was so very wrong, but her body pressed up against his felt so right. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and stared deep into his brilliant blue eyes. If she wasn’t careful, she might lose herself in those eyes. Lose herself in this game they were playing. Allyson had to remind herself over and over that this wasn’t real.
She nodded. “Yes. I’m game.”
They stared at each other for a moment, the tension between them mounting, the very air filled with electricity.
“You can kiss me whenever you’re ready,” he said gently.
She realized that he was waiting for her. Would only do this if it was what she wanted. That touched her. Made her feel safe in his arms. Arching her back to propel herself forward, her mouth met his. He pulled her closer and she clung to him, using the strength of his body to make her brave in this moment.
His lips parted, welcoming her in. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, gently exploring. Before she could stop herself, a low moan escaped her throat. That spurred him on. He took over, his tongue colliding with hers as he kissed her deeply, expertly. The kiss turned from tender to bruising, his hot mouth making her his, his tongue possessing her. He kissed her like it was his last kiss on earth, like there was no one else and all he wanted was this. She ran her tongue along his teeth, across his tongue. She nibbled on his lower lip and he groaned. When he abruptly broke the searing kiss she was breathless, her mind a fog. Every shred of good sense had vanished; in its place was stark, indescribable need.
Nobody had ever kissed her like that. And now all she wanted was more.
“That was quite a kiss.” He was breathing heavily, his eyes blazing with desire. “We should probably sign that contract now.”
Her heart was racing so fast she thought it might explode out of her chest. He was right, of course. Better to sign the contract with that no-sex clause before things got out of hand. She had never for a second thought that Dane might be attracted to her, but she knew it now. There was no denying it. A kiss like that couldn’t be faked.
She reached for her handbag on the bed and grabbed the contract and a pen.