Page 40 of False Start

To my surprise, when I told him about how I’d proposed a fake relationship, he didn’t seem shocked.

Then again, after Clay and Giana, I guessed we had practice in that area.

“So, you’re pretending to be her boyfriend so that piece-of-shit ex-husband of hers knows his place,” he filled in for me. “And shethinksyou care enough about not going to another wedding single that she’s also doing you a favor in all of this.”

I nodded, though my throat was tight.

Because I actuallydidcare — but Braden didn’t need to know that part.

He whistled, shaking his head as we turned onto her street. I didn’t know where Marshall lived, but I knew he was close by. I glared at every house we passed as if I could stare through the walls and kill him with just a passing look.

“Your secret is safe with me, man,” he said. “But I gotta say… good luck keeping this from Giana. You know that girl. Not much gets past her. All those smutty books she reads give her superpowers to see right through shit like this.”

“I’m hoping she’ll be too distracted by her own wedding. And pregnancy.”

“Too distracted to see North Boston University’s most notorious bachelor smitten over a girl she’s never met?” He laughed. “Yeah. Again — good luck with that.”

I smirked, because I knew he wasn’t wrong. Giana would be watching us in that studious way she assessed everyone. It was part of what made her a good agent.

It was also part of what made her a pain in my ass.

But when we pulled up to Madelyn’s house, all those nerves I’d been feeling scattered, and a warm calm settled in its place.

Because I had a feeling I’d have no trouble at all pretending Madelyn was really mine.

Madelyn

I rolled my suitcase out to the curb when the car pulled up, hoping I looked steadier than I felt.

My hands weren’t shaking. My smile felt easy, unforced.

But inside, I was freaking the fuck out.

I was about to get in a car with Kyle Robbins. A car that would take us to the airport. And then we’d get on a plane.

And then we’d be at awedding.

Together.

As a couple.

I blinked, wondering if I really was existing in the longest dream ever. There was no possiblewaythis was my reality. Two weeks ago, I was just living my usual life and routine. I was taking care of Sebastian. I was working my ass off to sell houses. I was dealing with my ex-husband the way I had been for years.

Now, I was playing dress up with the first boy I ever loved.

When Kyle climbed out of the car, his massive frame towering over the thing as he walked around it and toward me, my breath hitched in my chest — reminding me exactly how real this all was.

God, he was so handsome it hurt.

It didn’t matter how many times I’d seen him over the past couple of weeks. Every time I did, he shocked me with how tall he was, how broad his shoulders were, how muscles stretched over every inch of him. I was never quite prepared for the cocky grin he always threw me, or the way his hair was always carefully styled to look like a woman had just run her hands through it.

“This is it?” he asked, taking the carry-on sized luggage from my hand. He tossed it into the trunk without an ounce of effort.

I shrugged. “I don’t need much.”

His mouth quirked up at that, and then, he snaked an arm around the small of my back, pulling me into him.

He did it without hesitation, like he’d done it a million times before.