Brikelle parked in the driveway of Emma Jensen’s mansion and hurried around to the trunk of her 1994 Accord to grab the decorations she’d brought with her from a shopping trip to Ogden earlier that morning. The furniture should all be delivered the first of next week, but she wanted to eyeball some decorations in different rooms before she made final decisions on all the décor. It was really convenient to be working for someone so wealthy that she could buy furniture and décor from any vendor she desired. Emma really was a dream client, excited about everything Brikelle suggested and with some great ideas to add in as well.

Hefting a couple of large vases, she approached Colt’s truck, secretly pleased that he was here today. When she’d come by yesterday, he hadn’t been here and she’d been surprised at the knife of disappointment that sliced through her. She could hardly focus on her work lately as she thought about that kiss and their fake marriage. The kiss made her stomach swoop, but the idea of being married to someone like Colt made it plummet like a roller coaster ride. When she’d called to tell her boss, Angela, about the sham, she’d told her to go for it. Crazy, and Brikelle still didn’t know what she was going to do.

A loud bark ripped through the air and Brikelle jumped. Clinging to the vases with slippery fingers, she cried out and almost lost the teal vase. Colt’s beastly dog stuck his huge nose over the side of the truck and barked at her again. Brikelle scurried away. “Stay back!” she screamed.

The teal vase slipped from between her sweaty fingers. Brikelle cried out in horror and managed to stick her foot out. The vase bounced off her foot and landed on the grass, miraculously not breaking.

She heaved a sigh of relief and bent to pick it up. The dog barked and she fell onto her hands and knees.

“Stop!” she hollered at him, grabbing both her vases and scurrying backward. Would he jump out of the truck and come after her?

The dog woofed and wagged his tail as if they were long-lost pals. She scrambled to her feet, cut a wide berth around the truck, and hurried through the monstrous garage and into the mudroom. Releasing a loud sigh of relief, she adjusted her grip on the vases again.

Just her luck that she ran straight into Colt. He held out his hands to steady her, his blue eyes darker as they filled with concern. “Hey. You okay?”

“No! Why on earth did you bring your dog to work?”

His mouth pursed, but his answer was calm and controlled as usual. “Some beautiful lady told me that I didn’t control him, so I figured I’d better keep him close by.”

“Liar. I bet you were just hoping you could make me jump.” Did he not understand how terrified she was? Just the sight of that massive dog made her want to lock herself in her apartment and never come out.

His eyebrows lifted. “I do like watching you, but I promise I didn’t bring Ike to scare you.”

Brikelle set the vases on the built-in bench, straightened her skirt, and then gripped her hands together. Why did Colt have to be so reasonable and calm when she could hardly pull herself together? Her eyes swept over his nicely built frame. He had a tool belt slung low around his hips. Who knew a stinking tool belt could look all sexy like that? Why did he have to have a dog?

He leaned closer. His lips curled up irresistibly. “Emma’s going to be here today. Do you want to practice our married act so we get it right?”

She scowled at him, her cheeks burning at the thought of that kiss two days ago. “I think we’re already experts.”

“Do you, now?” He took a step closer and she was overshadowed by his muscular build and that incredible clean smell with a hint of wood shavings and salt.

Brikelle placed her hands on his chest and he grinned. She loved the feel of those muscles under her fingertips, but she was not falling for a dog-loving jerk. “We fight better than any married couple I know.”

He wrapped his hands around her waist. “So we’re experts on an essential marital quality.”

She pushed back, but he held her. “I haven’t even agreed to this marital act yet.”

“Marital acts? Wow, just pushing right past my boundaries.” He winked.

Brikelle’s face flushed.

“There you two are,” Emma’s soft voice came from behind them. The laundry room was suddenly much too small. “Every time I see you, you’re all over each other. My Scott and I used to be like that when we were young, couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”

Brikelle pivoted around to face Emma, but Colt kept a hand on her waist.

Emma smiled serenely at them. “Oh, that teal vase is exquisite.”

Brikelle focused on the vases, grateful the teal one hadn’t broken. “I think it’ll be the perfect color for the …” She couldn’t think which bedroom she should call it. “The third suite on the back side of the house.”

“Oh, yes. Since it faces the lake, that will be gorgeous. I just have to ask before we get into house talk and your handsome husband goes back to work: How did you two meet?”

Colt grinned down at her, but didn’t say anything. The teasing look in his blue eyes made her stomach swirl. She forced herself to focus back on Emma, hyperaware of his hand that was now rubbing gentle circles on her back. She couldn’t elbow him away without looking suspicious, so she tried to block the touch of his fingers out. It was nearly impossible. It felt incredibly good.

“Go ahead, honey,” Colt said. “You tell the story so much better than I do.”

She glared at him, then said to Emma, “I was running up the canyon toward Powder Mountain and his beastly dog chased me.”

Emma laughed. “Smart dog.”

“That’s what I said,” Colt agreed. He stopped circling with his hand and wrapped it around her waist, drawing her against his side. “So I chased after both of them. Best thing Ike ever did.”

“Ike’s the dog?” Emma asked.

“Yes,” they both answered.

“Oh, I’d love to meet this Ike. Sounds like a sweet puppy.”

“He’s not sweet,” Brikelle couldn’t hold in. “He’s big as a horse, and his bark is ferocious.”

Emma’s eyebrows arched. “So you’ve fallen in love with the man, but not his dog. Colt must really love you to choose you over his dog.”

Brikelle rolled her eyes. “He didn’t. The beast is here right now.”

Colt squeezed her waist. “He’s not a beast, and he’s only as big as a deer, not a horse.”

“So much better,” Brikelle said.

“Can I see him?” Emma clapped her hands together. “I just love dogs, but my Scott was allergic. I keep thinking I’d like to find a sweet Maltese or something, but I’m already labeled as an eccentric old rich woman; I don’t want to add ‘carries a dog in her purse’ to that label.”

Brikelle laughed. “That is a stereotype I’d definitely avoid.”

Colt’s eyebrows rose while Emma’s dipped. It would’ve been comical if they weren’t both staring at her like she was supposed to love Colt’s dog.

Colt turned her with his hand still on her hip, pulled the door open, and gestured for Emma to lead the way. “Ike’s just outside.”

Emma walked in front of them, and Colt leaned down and whispered, “Don’t make it obvious you hate Ike. She’ll think I’m some jerky husband who doesn’t put his wife’s needs first.”

“You are,” she muttered back.

Colt squeezed her waist again and her train of thought scattered. His hands were so incredibly … manly. It felt like they could wrap twice around her waist, and it was just too intimate being held against him like this. Especially since he was a dog-lover that she could never love. How was she going to fake being married to him? And why was her body reacting like this?

They reached the truck and Ike scrambled to the side and barked. Brikelle cowered against Colt. He wrapped his arm around her tighter. “It’s okay, sweetheart, he’s all bark and no bite.”

“Says you.”

He arched an eyebrow at her, but kept her firmly against her side. “I’ll protect you if he gets too close.”

“Thank you,” she managed to say, liking the image of him protecting her a little too much. Maybe he was finally understanding how uneasy she was.

Emma walked right up to the truck and extended a hand.

“Don’t!” Brikelle cried out.

Emma glanced over her shoulder at her. “He’s just a big old puppy.”

Brikelle was outnumbered. Both of these two were nutso dog-lovers. Ike nuzzled his nose into Emma’s hand. She giggled and brought her other hand up and started scratching his ears. The huge dog lowered his head and Brikelle could’ve sworn he purred. Maybe the beast could be tamed, but she had no desire to have him drool on her hand or scratch behind his ears.

“Oh, there now boy, you’re a big old softy, aren’t you?” Emma crooned to him.

Colt smiled down at Brikelle. “See, he’s a softy.”

“I’m sure the other dogs at the pound would adore him,” Brikelle whispered into his cheek so Emma couldn’t hear. Her lips brushed the soft hair on his cheek and her stomach did a little happy dance.

Rather than look offended, Colt threw back his head and laughed. “I told you when you agreed to marry me that Ike and I were a package deal.”

Brikelle didn’t have a comeback for that, at least not one that wouldn’t alert Emma to their deception. Emma fawned over the dog for a while before she finally turned to go back into the house. Colt and Brikelle followed her, and she gushed about Ike the entire time. Colt still hadn’t dropped his stinking hand from Brikelle’s waist, and it felt so right there she had a hard time voicing any objection.

“Well, let’s you and I get to work finalizing the decorations for the basement,” Emma said to Brikelle.

“Sounds good.” Brikelle tried to pull away from Colt, but he whirled her closer and her hands ended up on his chest. He was looking at her with those brilliantly blue eyes and she was floating on some kind of crazy-induced cloud.

“Do good work, love,” he whispered. His lips brushed over hers and Brikelle found herself going on tiptoes and extending what he probably had only meant to be a brief kiss. Colt responded quickly, bringing her flush against his body and taking control of her lips in a way no boy or man had ever done.

Emma’s giggle behind them was the only thing that brought her back to reality. “Oh, my, you two really do have a spark. I hope it lasts forever like mine did with Scott.”

Brikelle straightened her hair and gave Colt what she hoped was a smoldering glance—for Emma’s benefit, she kept telling herself. She slowly freed herself from his hands. Sheesh, those hands were a nice shape, and the calluses from working hard just made him all the more appealing.

“Bye,” she whispered, trailing behind Emma. He didn’t respond, which made her second-guess everything that had happened. Did he want to be fake-married to her or not? Was she just someone who was fun to tease, manhandle, and kiss? She held in a sigh of frustration. This was getting completely out of hand.

* * *

Colt worked steadily, so confused about what was happening to him that he wished this job would be done, yet at the same time wished it could last forever. How long could he and Brikelle continue this sham? He didn’t want that to stop either, if he was being honest, and they were just getting started. Man, that girl could kiss, and she looked fabulous, and he loved to flirt with her. The only issue was how little she thought of Ike, but he kept hoping she’d see how great Ike was soon. He knew he hadn’t been interested in anyone like this since Cally.

He strained to hear Brikelle and Emma’s voices from the basement, hoping they’d come to the laundry room where he was working. Did she plan on decorating in here too? Of course she did. She was an interior designer and they seemed to love to put lots of decorations everywhere.

He realized it had been silent for a few minutes. His crew had been working on this house for over a month. Cabinets and built-in shelving and decorative woodwork were everywhere in this mansion, but he’d sent his guys home early today as all the boxes and doors were hung and he was just doing some final adjustments. All the other contractors were done for the evening.

Glancing over his shoulder, he found Brikelle studying him. Emma was nowhere in sight. Could he pull her to him again, or was that wrong without the excuse of showing Emma they were married? What was happening to him? He’d forced himself to date since Cally deserted him five years ago, but it usually ended up being a pleasant evening talking to an adult at best. He’d kissed a few of the girls on the doorstep, but it had never done close for him what this beauty had done with two kisses that he hadn’t earned in any way. His dad would be disappointed in the way he was treating Brikelle. Since the stroke, though, he couldn’t express anything, so at least only his momma and brothers would give him grief. He smiled grimly: that was the first time he’d thought of his dad’s loss of communication and mobility in a positive way.

“Emma’s gone?” he managed to ask, unable to think of an intelligent question with Brikelle so close.

“She left about ten minutes ago.”

“Oh. The job going well?”

“Yes. She loves my ideas. I’ll finalize all the orders tomorrow, and if I work like a crazy woman next week I’ll have it all looking fabulous by the weekend, just in time for the big party.” She dipped her head and pushed out the words, “Where we’re supposed to pretend we’re married.”

Colt took a step closer and couldn’t resist reaching out and tilting up her chin. “Hey. We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

She blew out a breath, giving him a tremulous smile. “I don’t want to, but it would be huge for me and my boss really wants me to go for it.”

He dropped his hand. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what it would mean for my guys too.” When he wasn’t thinking about how drawn he was to her.

“How many do you have on your crew?”

“Six, and almost all of them have families. We added it up the other day. My guys have a dozen children between them.”

“That’s a lot of responsibility for you.”

He caught her eye. She didn’t own her own business, but she seemed to understand the weight on his shoulders. His employees were responsible for themselves, but if he didn’t have work, how would they provide for their families? Even though he’d done very well for himself and had a lot in investment and savings, his guys would never take a handout from him. They’d see right through him if he tried to give them busy work or bonuses they didn’t feel they earned. They were great guys and he wanted to always have solid work for them. This sham, with Emma thinking they were married and the opportunity to work exclusively for her and get jobs from her other friends, would assure that work, and take such a load of stress off his back.

“Hey,” he said before he could second-guess himself. “Do you have plans tonight?”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I’ve agreed to do this fake marriage thing, but we don’t have to continue that after work.”

He smiled. He liked her spice, crazily enough, since he’d been convincing himself for the past five years that he only wanted a nice girl. Yet maybe Brikelle was both. When she wasn’t harping on his dog, she seemed pretty sweet. His brothers were planning on coming up to ski tonight and they would think she was hilarious. “It’s nothing serious. I was just going to grab some sandwiches from Eats of Eden and take the boat out. Do you ski?”

Her mouth twitched. She folded her arms across her chest, then finally admitted, “Not very well, but I learned how to surf behind a boat last summer and I loved it.”

“Perfect. I’ll throw the surfboard in.”

She studied him, as if debating how to respond.

“It might be smart to spend some time together outside of work, get to know each other, in case Emma asks more questions besides ‘How did you meet?’” Colt pointed out. “I don’t even know if you’re an only child or were raised by the mafia.”

She laughed at that, and the sound was so cute. “Okay, okay. I’ll go out on your boat and you can ask me twenty questions and somehow we’ll pull off this marriage thing next weekend.” She pointed at him. “But if I do this, you are the one who is going to be telling Emma that we aren’t actually married, we just didn’t know how to tell her that and break her heart.”

“Right, then in a few weeks you’ll truly break my heart and break up with me.”

Colt was sure he imagined the sad look on her face. “That’s right.” She turned toward the door. “Where should I meet you?”

“I’ve only got a few minutes left here, and then I’ll run get the boat and the sandwiches and swing by to pick you up. Can you text me your address?”

Brikelle still looked a little reluctant, but she pulled her phone out of her purse, tapped in his number as he rattled it off to her and texted him her address. She said a quick goodbye and slipped out the door. Colt resisted punching a fist in the air. He’d gotten a date with her. He heard Ike bark up a storm and Brikelle let out a cute little squeal. Colt laughed, even though he felt bad she was obviously scared of animals. Was there a way to help her get over that, or was it something he’d just have to deal with? He was pretend-married and wanting to date a woman who hated his dog. His brothers were going to have a field day with this one.