Page 12 of Wild Lies

She looks up at me, her gaze jumping around my face as if she’s trying to decipher what I’m saying, but there’s no hidden agenda here. I just want to help her and if I get to make believe—for one day—that she’s mine, then that’s just the cherry on top of the cake. She’s not going to be here forever, so I’ll take any opportunity I can to spend time with her.

There’s a hint of awe in her tone when she asks, “You’d do that? For me?”

“Yeah, I would.” It’s said without hesitation because the more time I spend with Chloe, the more I realize just how much I like her company and her as a person. Getting to spend an entire day faking that she’s mine and touching her—even to just hold hands—sounds like perfection.

“Should we make some ground rules?” she whispers, her eyes flicking over to where her parents are still talking to guests.

I tilt my head, a half-smile tugging at my lips. “Like what?”

She lifts a shoulder before letting it fall. “I don’t know.” She pauses, looking around us before leaning in closer and saying, “Like maybe no kissing or something. Just so the line doesn’t get blurred.”

I remove my Stetson, resting it on my knee as I close the gap between us. Our mouths are inches apart, and for a moment I wonder if this was such a good idea. I meant to tease her, but now that I’m here, teasing her is the last thing on my mind. All I want is to taste her.

“Chloe, is that you?”

Chloe’s the first to move, jumping back as if she’s been caught doing something she shouldn’t. She recovers quicker than I do, standing to hug the woman who interrupted whatever the fuck was about to happen as I slump back in my chair before righting myself and following her.

“Aunt Liz. It’s so good to see you,” she gushes.

The woman reminds me of Chloe, with a welcoming air about her that tells me she’d feel much more at home in the wilderness than the big city. “Oh, honey, it’s so good to see you. It’s been far too long.” She shifts her attention to me and asks, “Who’s this handsome cowboy?”

Chloe turns to me, a smile on her face, before she wraps her arms around my waist and rests her head on my chest. She’s holding on to me like it’s second nature, like we’ve done this a hundred times before. “This is Kade, my boyfriend.”

A giddiness I refuse to let sink in flits through me before I hold a hand out, leaving the other to rest on Chloe’s lower back like it belongs there. Apparently, I’m a sucker for torture. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Liz waves a hand between us. “Oh, please, don’t call me ma’am. Liz is fine.” We shake hands before she turns to Chloe. “How long have you two been together?”

Chloe’s mouth opens and closes as she looks up at me with wide eyes.

I interlock our fingers, holding them against my chest. “Not long, but when you know, you know.” I wink, and Liz blushes, clearly flustered.

She fans her face before looking at Chloe and gushing about what she’s been up to over the last few years. From what I can gather, Liz left to travel the world nearly eight years ago and hasn’t seen anyone in their family for a very long time.

I half-listen to their conversation while trying to figure out exactly how to not make a fool of myself with Chloe today. We might be faking it for one day, but the way her hand is still gripped in mine, it doesn’t feel very temporary at all. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a bad idea to put some ground rules in place. I can feel myself slipping awfully quick into something I can’t quite name but know I’ve never felt before.

8

CHLOE

I feel the heat of Kade’s hand on the small of my back like a blowtorch. It’s both delicious and excruciating all at once. It’s been like this throughout the ceremony. We were in the front row, seated next to my parents, so he kept his hand on my bare knee the entire time, despite my mom side-eyeing him and tutting every so often. It’s the intimacy and his refusing to stop despite my mom’s clear disapproval that has driven me wild.

I’m so turned on by him that my panties are probably ruined. Of course, Kade has been the perfect gentleman. At least that’s what I thought until we were being brought up to the main house. The look I saw as I climbed into the buggy said that he couldn’t wait to devour me, and I nearly begged him to, even if it meant leaving my sister’s wedding reception. After all, nobody would notice if we snuck off; it’s not like we’re in the wedding party.

What is wrong with me? I’m not the type of person who sleeps with strangers. I don’t do one-night stands, and yet I’m seriously considering it with Kade. Hell, I’ll probably never see him again after today anyway.

Music plays in the distance, spilling through the open doors up ahead. It’s something classical and a song I’m sure my sister and her now-husband had no say in. This has my mom written all over it.

I pick up my pace as I cross the foyer, my eyes locked on the poster board with the table assignments. Anything to have a little reprieve from Kade’s touch, just a little breathing room so I don’t make a fool out of myself in front of a man who’s only being kind. That’s all he’s doing.

Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Kade’s large hand, one that I’m becoming all too familiar with, snakes around my waist, coming to rest just under my breast and halting my movement. Anyone watching would probably think this is the most natural thing in the world for us. But they don’t feel the tension I’m trying to keep out of my body.

He bends, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. “You okay there, buttercup?”

Oh God, please stop with this torment.

The heat in my chest travels up the expanse of my neck and into my cheeks. It would be so easy to just lean back and beg him for something more. “Yup, never been better,” I rush, resting my hands on his forearm and barely resisting the urge to push it away.