Axl didn’t bother to go home and change. He went straight to the hotel Leighton was staying at. It was a basic chain hotel in the mid-price range. There weren’t a lot of options for accommodations in Beaver Bend but they weren’t totally hick either. There was one high-end hotel and a couple of B&Bs in historic homes. Plus, lake cottages for rent that dotted the shoreline. He was surprised they weren’t staying somewhere more upscale, but then again the show’s star wasn’t in town yet.

The bar was small and quiet, with one lone bartender, an older guy in his late sixties. He was chatting with Leighton, who was perched on a stool, her feet dangling freely. She was too short to reach the kick bar. She was also wearing denim shorts that showed a hell of a lot of leg. Her shirt was some kind of floral wrap thing. She was naturally very feminine and he found that very hot.

“Hi.” When he approached her, he touched her back, rubbing a little with his thumb. It was presumptuous, he knew that. He did it anyway.

She turned and looked up at him with a smile. “Hi.”

Her expression was soft. He had a feeling she thought he was lonely given what he had said on the phone. It wasn’t the slightest bit true. He loved being alone. In his house. On the lake. The quiet was something he craved after the military and the demands of his current job. He didn’t need people and social interaction to constantly feed his energy. If anything, people drained him.

He’d seen too much to need mindless chatter to fill time.

But let her think what she wanted if he meant she was actually going to go along with this crazy idea of his. He had to admit it was insane. Yet, he had zero hesitation. Probably something he should dissect later, why he wanted a fake relationship but not a real one.

Not tonight.

Tonight was for coaxing and convincing Leighton.

He gave a nod to the bartender. “How’s it going?”

“Quiet night here, and this lovely lady is talking to me, so I can’t complain. Hope you had a quiet night too, Officer.”

“We did.”

“Can I get you a drink if you’re off-duty?”

“I’ll just take a Coke, thanks.”

Leighton was drinking a glass of wine but it was nearly empty. “And another glass of wine for the lady, please.”

She gave him a look. When the bartender moved down to reach for the chilled wine, she said, “Drink-pushing again. I’m not a girl who gets drunk and hooks up, just as a warning.”

“I’m not getting you drunk to have sex with you.” He gave her a slow smile. He was going to have sex with her at some point, but he did, in fact, want her totally sober. “That’s not my style.”

“What does that look mean?” she asked. “I can’t read your expression.”

“I’m thinking very dirty thoughts about you and how I don’t want you drunk when I hear you say yes to me.”

The bartender brought her wine and she sipped it. “You’re very intense, do you know that, Axl?”

“I’m not intense. I’m just straightforward.” He truly believed that. He spoke when he had something to say. When he said it, he meant it. Plain and simple.

“You also look at me like you’re really interested in what I have to say.”

“Of course I’m interested in what you have to say. Why ask a question if you aren’t going to listen to the answer?”

“I find that refreshing.” She gave a little laugh. “Attractive. I find it attractive.”

“I find you attractive.”

“So is this the first meeting of our mutual admiration club?”

“This is the start of getting to know each other.” He imagined her growing up years were a hell of a lot different from his and he was curious about her life. About her.

“Then tell me about you, Axl Moore.”

He didn’t really want to go first, but at the same time, she’d asked so he would answer.

“I was born and raised here in Beaver Bend. Left to join the service. Spent four years in the marines, one deployment to Afghanistan. Came home, joined the force. My parents are still married and I have two sisters who are both married. One in Chicago, one here. I own my house because I like to do home improvement projects. I hang out with my friends from back when I was a kid. I fish, I like to go boating. I run for fun. That’s it in a nutshell.”

“You run for fun?” Leighton made a face. “Well, we differ on that. I only run if someone is chasing me, which explains my clearly not-so-skinny body.” She smiled, and it wasn’t an apologetic comment.

She didn’t seem down on herself about her weight and he was glad about that. She had the perfect shape, in his opinion. Womanly. “Your hot body.”

Leighton blushed a little but she rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t fishing for a compliment. But anyway, yes, I grew up in Beverly Hills. Yes, my parents are rich. Or rather, my father is rich, my mother rich by proxy. She met him when she was a cocktail waitress but they’ve been married for thirty years so whatever it was originally it definitely stuck. They both seem happy. I’m an introvert and it drives my mother crazy because she’s always the life of the party. I like books, gardening, and interior design.”

He could see she would enjoy quiet activities. Hell, like him. Different activities, but they were both drawn to quiet solitude. “No siblings? That’s probably why you’re an introvert. Though I have two sisters and I’m still an introvert, so I guess that means nothing.”

“No siblings. One and done. Though my life would have been easier if my mother would have had a second daughter who wanted to do all the things my mother insisted I do. I despised just about all of them.”

“Like what?”

“Singing lessons, dance lessons, acting lessons. Beauty pageants.” Leighton shuddered. “The beauty pageants were horrible. Let’s shove the chubby shy girl with a stutter on stage and that will help.” She laughed. “I know my mother meant well, but I still carry the scars from those days.” She held up her elbow for him to see. “Actual scars.” She pointed to a white jagged line. “I fell off the stage trying to run away from the stares of all those parents and the judges, who were not impressed with me.”

“That’s terrible,” Axl said, remembering clearly how panicked she’d looked on stage the night before. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine being forced to do something you don’t like. Not to mention I don’t really get the whole beauty pageants for toddlers thing.”

“I think it’s great for some kids. They really love it. Not me. My best friend Zach was a savant. He loved every minute of it and was amazing at performing. I was the deer in the headlights.”

“I would rather rip my nails out with rusty plyers than be in a child beauty pageant.”

Leighton gave him a grin. “And yet… you’ll dance bare-chested for charity as an adult?”

Axl winced. “You’ve got me there.” He put his hands up. “But I can’t say that I enjoy it. That’s too strong of a word. I can take it or leave it. My buddies Rick and Brandon like the attention. Jesse is awkward as hell and I’m just kind of hanging out.” He shrugged. “But I’ll do anything for a friend.”

There it was. That softening expression on her face again. “That’s nice of you. You said your friend’s wife died?”

He nodded. “Sullivan, who owns Tap That. Kendra died two years ago from breast cancer. She was only twenty-seven. Their son was two months old when she died. Finn’s a cool kid. All of us guys try to spend some time with him when we can.” When Sullivan wasn’t being an asshole, which was more and more lately.

“Oh, my gosh, that’s so heartbreaking. I think it’s amazing that you’re willing to do something to raise money in her memory.”

“I feel a little bit like an idiot, I’m not going to lie. But there are worse things than having women yelling that I’m hot. I think the whole event goes to their head. It’s like a positive mob mentality. Suddenly these four average guys in Beaver Bend, Minnesota are the hottest things they’ve ever seen. Except for Jesse, he’s a pro hockey player, so that automatically elevates him. And actually, Brandon is loaded so maybe that makes him a notch above too. Rick has muscles on muscles on muscles. Shit, maybe I’m the only one who is average.”

Not that he cared. He knew he wasn’t classically good-looking. He was too rough around the edges and his mother always told him he looked too stern. That he needed to smile more. Lilly had told him he had Resting Bitch Face. Leighton thought he was intense, so Lilly and his mother were probably right. Whatever. It was his face. Like it or don’t like it. There was nothing fake about him.

Except for this relationship he was planning to embark on with Leighton. He should feel uncomfortable with it being fake but he wasn’t. He was doing this if she was willing.

Axl took a sip of his drink. When he turned, his knee bumped hers. It was an accident but he tensed when she gave a soft little gasp. That sound. God, she was so…ripe. Ready for a long night of him touching every inch of her.

“I can’t speak for the women of this town but I come from a city of beautiful people and I hate to tell you this, but that is not true. Average is not what I would call you. You are, in fact, hot. Sorry.” She gave a silly mocking shrug, lifting her shoulders almost to her ears. “You’re going to have to learn to live with it, Officer Hottie.”

“Very funny, Van Buren.” But he wasn’t actually annoyed. He thought she was downright adorable. He wanted to kiss her again.

“Van Buren? I don’t think anyone has ever called me that.” She looked taken aback.

“Really?” That amused him. “Who are you hanging around with? That’s what any group of friends do, they call each other by their last names.” It meant you belonged. Part of the inner circle. Maybe it was a guy thing. He’d spent a lot of his life in male-dominated environments. Hockey, the marines, the police department. Hell, even his fishing buddies were all guys.

“I wasn’t aware we had a tight-knit friendship.”

“I’d like to be friends.” He shifted, placing his hand on the small of her back so he could lean closer to her. “I’d like to be more than friends. So, what do you think? Are we doing this thing or what?”

She stared at him, eyeing him with naked curiosity. “What thing are you referring to?”

He rubbed his thumb over her lower back. “You. Me. Telling the world we’re a couple.”

Axl couldn’t think of anything more perfect than getting an entire week with her, no strings attached. Sure, it was mildly insane to let people think he was getting married. But once Leighton went home to LA and they staged a breakup everyone in his life would just be relieved because they would all think he was nuts for getting “married” on impulse. They would get off his back about not dating for years after something like this. The thought of buying time without nagging sounded fucking awesome.

He and Leighton would have fun. Have great sex. He’d save his ass at work and get his promotion to detective. She would keep her TV job.

What could go wrong?

“This is the most bananas thing I’ve ever done, but… yes,” she said. “Let’s do this.” She fanned herself like the thought made her anxious.

His cock jumped, happy with her answer. “Then let’s kiss to seal the deal.”

She lowered her lashes and gave him a very sweet, very sexy smile. “I thought a handshake was how business deals are sealed.”

“And they also say don’t mix business with pleasure but I fully intend to ignore that.” Axl brushed her blonde hair back off her face and cupped her cheek. “I’ve been thinking about your lips all day.”

---

Leighton had been doing the same. She hadn’t been able to get that kiss up against her rental car out of her head all day. Having Axl gaze at her was like every fantasy she’d ever had springing to life. He was so damn intense. He looked at her like he was hungry for her. Like she was the only thing he saw right at that moment.

It made her feel appreciated. As if she was his only focus when he was talking to her. It was sexy as hell. He was sexy as hell. This didn’t feel real. She didn’t garner attention like this normally.

Her dating life had consisted of men who might be categorized as hipsters. She had always been drawn to glasses over biceps. Besides, muscle men were never into her. She was considered overweight by California standards and the one time a very fit guy had asked her out, he had spent the whole dinner date encouraging her to take up hiking, biking, running, and rock climbing. It had been annoying because she hated all those things and had no intention of ever pretending to like them.

Axl didn’t look like he wanted to get her into the gym. He looked like he wanted to get her into bed.

“You’re going to kiss me again, aren’t you?” she asked, because she had basically implied she didn’t want him to and now was regretting that more than anything ever in the history of her life.

“Absolutely. Unless you tell me you don’t want me to. Say no and I will keep my lips to myself.”

His hand on her back was very distracting. It was a light touch but my God, his hand was huge. It spanned almost the entire width of her lower back. The teasing strokes gave her goosebumps and her nipples had hardened. It was ridiculous that he could draw that kind of reaction from her with such light contact.

“I want you to,” she said because everyone back home was always telling her they were living their best life and damn it, she wanted to live her best life.

She was one hundred percent certain her best life involved being kissed by Axl Moore.

He erased the distance between them and took her mouth in a sexy, deep kiss.

Actually, her best life probably included sex with this man.

Because the things his mouth did to her with a simple kiss were amazing and she couldn’t even imagine how she could survive without knowing what it felt like to have him inside her.

Zach was right. She needed to get naked with Axl.

She practically owed it to herself.

Without any hesitation, she parted her lips for him and his tongue swept inside, teasing and tangling with hers. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the feel of their embrace. He had a manly scent. Like wood chips and skin. Just masculine and sexy as hell. She had read once that if you don’t like your partner’s scent you have a fifty percent higher chance of splitting up. Axl would have passed that test with flying colors. He smelled so much like a man should smell she wanted to lick him everywhere.

Her thoughts were so wild and scattered that she wrapped her arms around his neck to ground herself. To hold on to him. She was leaning forward, wanting more of him. All of him. His grip on her back tightened and his thigh pressed against hers. They were kissing deeper, more passionately, and she wanted him. All of him. She sighed, giving a little gasp when he unexpectedly nipped at her bottom lip.

“Leighton,” he murmured.

She pulled back and opened her eyes. “Yes?” Oh, my God, whose voice was that? She sounded like a porn star. Breathy and excited.

Which she was. Breathy and excited, not a porn star.

“You drive me crazy.”

Part of her was embarrassed. Part of her wondered if this was some kind of elaborate con. Men weren’t driven to madness by her kisses. It just didn’t happen. She had pleasant relationships with pleasant men. And not even recently. It had been eighteen months since she’d had a boyfriend. The last year she hadn’t even dated much.

So this was all out of left field and really hard to wrap her head around.

But part of her, a part she hadn’t even known existed, felt very pleased that she was having this effect on Axl. She felt naughty and sexy and she didn’t want that sensation to go away.

“I don’t think I’ve ever driven a man crazy before.”

“Then you’ve been hanging around the wrong guys because you are so damn sexy. Your body was built to drive a man crazy.”

That also pleased her. Because she knew for certain her body was not built for rock climbing.

Suddenly she realized the bartender was probably hearing every word they were saying. Awkward. Maybe that’s what made her say, without warning, even to herself, “Do you want to go to my room? I feel like this moment should be private.”

His eyes darkened with desire. His thumb brushed over her bottom lip. “Are you sure?”

She knew what he was actually asking. That if they went to her room and started kissing they might end up having sex and was she absolutely sure she wanted to do that? It wasn’t her usual style. She wasn’t impulsive and she wasn’t a woman who could take what she wanted from a man and move on without a backward glance. In fact, she’d always envied those girls who could.

But she’d never met Axl Moore before.

She had damp panties from one kiss.

She wanted him.

There was no reason not to other than her pesky anxiety and right now, it was nonexistent. She should have damp palms, a tight throat, and heart palpitations the way she usually did when she was in an unexpected situation.

Right now, she felt nothing but a burgeoning desire that shocked her with its intensity.

“Yes,” she said simply. “I’m sure.”

He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. “You’re beautiful.”

Wow. Maybe her mother had hired him as a gigolo. Or Zach had. Because this was just crazy. Axl seemed so sincere, like he really thought she was gorgeous. She was cute. She wasn’t gorgeous. Her mother was beautiful. Leighton benefitted from makeup contouring. It was that simple.

At the moment she didn’t even care if he was a con artist, or a liar, or a male prostitute hired by a well-meaning loved one.

She just wanted to get that shirt off of him and feel those pecs.

She really didn’t believe he was any of the above. Maybe that was naïve, but she didn’t care. And hell, maybe Axl did think she was gorgeous. Everyone saw different things when they looked at someone. Maybe she spent too much time around body-conscious people.

There was something freeing about being with Axl. He made her want to throw caution to the wind.

Reaching behind her, she pulled her purse off of the chair where she had hung it, intending to pay for her wine. Axl was already dropping a twenty on the bartop. It didn’t seem like enough for two glasses of wine, but she didn’t want to sound rude.

Instead she made eye contact with the bartender, who was grinning, clearly entertained by the dynamic between her and Axl. He didn’t seem to think he was getting stiffed on the tab. In fact, he gave Axl six singles back, which Axl used to return four to the bar. He was a decent tipper, she liked that.

Minnesota was much more affordable than LA, big shocker.

“Thank you,” she said to the bartender. “And thank you,” she added to Axl.

He gave her a wink.

She was pretty sure she’d just gotten pregnant.

That’s how masculine he was.

He looked at her, winked, and bam. Everything inside her wanted to get naked and ride him.

Leighton never wanted to ride anything. Not horses, not the train, not a wave.

Yet she wanted to ride Axl.

She took one final sip of her wine and stood up.

She was going to the rodeo.