Page 21 of The Marriage Deal (Sunset Falls #1)

LOOK AT THAT, SPEECHLESS

brIGGS

Ipoint to the physical drawings Nash insists on using. “I want the resort away from the house.” I tap my finger on the papers he’s sprawled over the kitchen island. “Looking over the falls, here.”

“Noted.”

“And I’ll need a fence around the house.”

Nash cocks a brow. “The trees aren’t enough?”

“I’m going to have kids one day,” I say in answer.

“With the lunatic?”

I give him a look. “You know what this is with her.”

“Speaking of the little lunatic,” I don’t like him calling her that, but I don’t say it. Words give Nash ammunition and I’m not in the mood today. “When am I going to meet her?”

“Soon.” Now that he’s here in Sunset Falls, it’s not like I can keep her from him.

I refocus my attention on business. “There’ll be access to the personal property through the stables.

I’d like what’s here to be added on. I’ll be getting more horses and offering access to the ranch in the form of rides.

” I pause. “Maybe a petting zoo for kids.”

“You’ve got kids on the brain, man.”

I slice my gaze to my friend, ignoring the grin that stretches his lips. “This is a family town. It won’t do to alienate the kids.”

Nash lifts his hands in joking surrender. “All right. All right. I hear you.”

I stab my finger into the map of the land. A blueprint featuring plans and measurements. “I’ll do a u-pick here. That’ll create more jobs, easing the town into the idea of me shaking things up long-term.”

Nash stands back, hands on hips. “Anything else, boss?”

“Don’t call me that.” He snorts. I mutter, “Keep the plans open in case I think of something more.”

“Not sure there’s more you can think of. Unless maybe you want an amusement park added in,” he jokes, touching a finger to the paper. “Maybe here? Got enough land.”

“Fuck off.”

Nash reins in his laughter. “I’m just shitting you.”

I drop my hands on my hips, pushing my shoulders back. “You found a place yet?”

He cracks his neck. “I’m getting there.”

“Can’t stay in the hotel for the year.”

“I’ll figure it out.” He glances around. “House is big enough, you know?”

“Don’t even think about it.” I shake my head. “It’ll be awkward enough living with Lilah.”

“Come on.” Nash throws his hands wide. “I’m a great icebreaker.”

My mind shoots back to the kiss. Ice isn’t my concern. My concern is the look she gave me after. The hope for more that I’m not sure I can give to a woman like her. A woman who rides the wild of the breeze, her whims struck by the unpredictability of the wind.

I need reliability and predictability. I’d told her as much when I crushed that unexpected hope that flashed in her big, burned butter-colored eyes.

I hadn’t been able to get that look out of my head for the last week. Haven’t been able to get the taste of her off my tongue.

She’s haunted my nights in a way that had me wishing she’d have agreed to let there be more between us this next year.

I roll my shoulders back, banishing thoughts of her beneath me in my bed from my mind. “She’s moving in tomorrow.”

Nash snickers. “How’d her parents take the news?”

“Surprisingly well.”

“Really?”

“They’re—uh—liberal-ish. Hippy-ish.” I run my hand through my hair. “I think they’re happy she’s happy.”

“Is she happy?”

The thought that she isn’t stings in a way it shouldn’t. “I’ll do my best to make sure she’s happy while she’s mine.”

Nash shakes his head on an exhale of breath. “This is messed up.”

“It’s working. The town is more receptive to the idea of the resort.”

“And the estate?”

“We’ll begin with the resort. One thing at a time.”

Nash rolls the papers. “You got some local ideas for the crew?”

I nod. “Lilah’s brother works construction. He’s got some names. We’ll take a look and hire local first.”

“Got it.”

I swipe my phone from the counter, lighting the screen and seeing the time. Twelve-thirty. I’m to meet Lilah in half an hour for lunch.

I slide my phone into my pocket. “I’ve got to meet Lilah.”

Nash waggles his brows. “Can I come?”

No is on the tip of my tongue. I’m not sure why the idea of sharing her with him has tension surging inside me. I mutter, “Sure.”

I pull my truck into a slot in the lot that borders the big green space in the center of town.

Massive wispy-weepy trees Mom would love slow dance in a light breeze, casting shade through beams of hot sun.

There’s a covered stage where I’ve heard live music plays while the town gathers, but it’s currently empty of talent.

Dotted in the grass, bracketing the greenspace front and center of the stage, are picnic tables. Lilah sits at one. She’s not alone.

I sigh, flip my cowboy hat off my head to run a hand through my hair before I slam the hat back on. A flick of my gaze in the rearview mirror and my gut twists. Still to this day, I hate that I don’t see a piece of him looking back at me. Especially when I wear his hat.

More, I hate that I see pieces of Daniel Alder. Hate that I look more like him than I do her.

I hate knowing that when she looks at me, I know she sees him. How can she see anything else?

Swinging open the door of the truck, I meet Nash at the front of the truck and walk with him toward the picnic table my fiancée asked me to meet her at.

“Which one is she?” Nash asks, gaze sliding over the park and the tables that have been claimed by people. It’s a nice day out, so it’s not surprising the park is full.

“The one in the pink dress.” It’s more peach in color than pink, not that I’d tell Nash that. He’s all for details, but I doubt he’s picking details when it comes to women’s clothes. Me, though? I’m always looking at the little things.

Now, I can’t help but note the way the solid peach of her dress compliments the glow of her smooth tan skin and dark blonde waves as they fall down her back in a tumble of liquid honey dipped in shade.

When she looks over her shoulder at us, her pink lips part and I swear I take an invisible punch to the gut.

The woman is more than beautiful. She’s hypnotic.

Nash whistles. I consider tossing him a not so invisible punch.

“Looks like you’re not the only one who thought to bring a friend,” Nash points out the obvious.

My eyes drift to the woman who sits across from her.

She’s pretty, too. Her hair is a frizzy updo of tight blonde curls a shade or two lighter than Lilah’s.

I think she might be a touch taller as well, but not by much.

Her stature, however, is more willowy. Lilah’s stature is full and rich with curves in the best way.

Under the shade of the table are three dogs sprawled in the grass.

We arrive at the table, and I don’t miss the way all the others watch us. I kick into show-gear as Nash flirts, “Ladies.”

I bend and press a kiss to Lilah’s cheek that has a spill of pink heating her skin.

Pride and interest I have no business feeling swells inside me.

I throw a leg over the bench beside her, sitting facing her with one leg on either side of the seat.

Nash moves to do the same on the side with Lilah’s friend. Not a single dog lifts his head.

“Madelyn, this is Briggs. Briggs, my absolute bestest friend in the whole wide world, Madelyn.”

“Don’t let Tara or Dakota hear you say that.” Madelyn leans over the table to extend a hand that I take in a quick shake. “Nice to finally meet you.” Her eyes shine with something. She adds, “My bestest friend in the whole wide world’s fiancé.”

Ah, there’s that something. She thinks there’s something fishy about this relationship. She’s not wrong.

Before I can speak, Lilah says, “Don’t be fooled. I tell everyone I introduce to both Tara and Dakota that they’re my absolute bestest friend in the whole wide world, too.”

Nash laughs. “Damn girl, harsh.”

Lilah flashes Nash a cheeky little grin that does things to me. I ignore those things and mutter, “She’s sassy.”

“It’s called keeping you on your toes.” Lilah scoots closer to me, fluttering those long lashes as she looks at me with those eyes that score deep. She adds on a husky breath, “Fiancé.”

The urge to lean in and kiss the sass off her tongue is massive. I’ve only ever felt the urge to claim a woman’s mouth like this once before, and it was her mouth the last time I’d claimed it.

My voice sounds rough between us. “You definitely do that.”

“Whoa.” Madelyn waves her hand over her face. “Is it hot out here?”

“Yep,” Nash replies, but there is unmistakable laughter in his tone. “Think my bud might just have met his match.”

“Match?” Madelyn scoffs. “Not a chance. She’ll eat him for dinner.”

Nash snorts. “He can only hope.”

Madelyn’s eyes snap wide. “You didn’t!”

Nash winks at her. “You started it.”

Lilah leans in close to me. I catch the unmistakable scent that is all her. “Who’s marrying who now?”

Madelyn snaps her wide eyes to Lilah. “No, girl. Just no.”

Lilah laughs. I fucking hate that I love the sound.

She bends to pull a mint green and white striped tote bag from under the shade of the table where the three dogs are sprawled, leashes tied to the leg of the table.

She opens it and produces a platter of mini egg salad, ham and Swiss, and turkey and cheese sandwiches.

Next is a platter of meat, cheese, pickles, and olives.

“I didn’t know you’d be bringing a friend, but I made extra anyway. There should be enough.” She pulls a bag of ketchup chips from the tote and opens it before tugging three bottles of water from the deep. “I only have three waters, though.”

Madelyn reaches across the table to swipe two. “Y’all can share one, since you’re already swapping spit and all that.”

Lilah glares at her friend. “Snapping back now, are we?”

“Always.” Madelyn shoots her an air kiss that Lilah replies to with a roll of her eyes. She plucks one of the egg salad sandwiches from the platter.

Nash follows, taking a massive bite. He groans. “Pickles. She puts pickles in her egg salad.” He shoves the last of the sandwich into his mouth. “I’d marry her too, just for that.”

Unable to help myself, I swipe one of the sandwiches. I pop the whole damn thing in my mouth. It’s good. Really damn good.

I finish chewing and swallow. I scoot closer to my fake fiancée at the same time I hook her around the waist to tug her closer.

I drop my chin into the crook of her neck and murmur, “Thought you couldn’t cook?”

Lilah scoffs, but she blushes sweetly. “I’d hardly call a platter of sandwiches cooking.”

“Men aren’t hard to please.” Nash reaches for another sandwich. “You could make him one of these every night for the rest of your lives and he’d die a happy man.”

Madelyn rolls her eyes to the sky. “Where, oh where, are the men who are easy to please? Because the men I’ve dated are all drama kings.”

Nash’s eyes shift to her and there’s something in them that calls a crawl of red from her chest and then into her face. He says rougher than I’ve ever heard him say before, “You’ve been with the wrong men, sweetheart.”

Beside me, Lilah chokes on her sandwich. I uncap the water and hand it to her, watching as she takes a big swallow. Her hand connects with her chest, and she gives her friend big eyes.

They’ll be talking later about Nash, that’s for sure.

I’ll be talking to Nash later. But now I send him a look that says, don’t mess with my fake fiancée’s friend.

He sees the look. I know Nash well enough to know he sees and reads the look.

He ignores the look.

Shithead.

I return my hand to the small of Lilah’s back where I’d left it after pulling her closer. I don’t miss the way her spine straightens or the little intake of breath she pulls. I let my thumb drift absently up and down. There’s nothing absent about it, though. Every stroke is intentional.

Lilah leans forward to reach into the chip bag. When she settles back into my touch again, I don’t miss the shiver she tries to hide or the gooseflesh that pebbles her skin.

I lean in to murmur low, “Cold?”

Her eyes slide sideways to land on me, flashing bright. “There’s a breeze.”

Nash and Madelyn are busy bickering. I’m not paying enough attention to them to know what about. My attention is fixed exclusively on my fake fiancée.

I lean in closer. The scent of her invades my space. Invades me.

“It’s thirty degrees Celsius.”

“I run cold.”

“Is that so?”

She gives me a firm dip of her chin. “It is.”

“In that case.” I let my hand slide to hook her around the side again, tugging her closer into me. She gasps. I love the sound. Endeavour to pull that very sound from the deep of her through the sham of our marriage. “Better?”

Her eyes flick around the park. She breathes, “People are watching.”

I can’t be bothered to take my eyes off her to look. Still, I cock a grin as I drawl, “Is that so?”

She nods again. “Yes.”

“Then I better give them something to watch.” Before she can speak, I’m dipping my head. I cover her lips with mine, sliding inside when she parts them on a gasp. The taste of her is fire in my veins. It spreads to an inferno that threatens to swallow me whole.

I want more. Need more.

Her hand falls to my thigh and that inferno roars. My fingers curl into her side, aching to draw her closer.

A cough sounds close. Lilah tears away from the kiss, dropping me back into reality as she dips her chin into her chest to hide the blush that now stains her cheeks.

My gaze shifts slowly from her to land on the two shocked faces across the table. Nash’s shock slowly morphs into something else. Something dangerous. A slow smile curls his lips. I shoot him a silent warning to save it for later.

Madelyn just looks dumbstruck.

My gaze shifts to the people in the park, and something else fills me. A desire to show them all again that this woman they all love is mine.

I drop my hand to hers that still rests on my thigh, lifting it to my lips to kiss the diamond I placed there for everyone to see.

It’s a wordless declaration of possession no one can miss.

Definitely not the little woman with the buttery brown eyes and parted lips who watches me now, finally, for the first time in her life, speechless.