A Limited Engagement Read online

  “We need to talk,” she said, pulling him into her bedroom and shutting the door behind her.

  “You’re worried about the press.”

  “You think?” She knew panic was creeping into her voice, but she tried to keep it at a whisper, just in case someone—Serena—had an ear to the door. She wouldn’t put it past the woman. She wouldn’t put anything regarding getting Derek past her. “Once those pictures are out there, everyone will know. We have to do something before it’s too late.”

  “It’s already too late.” Derek calmly pulled his phone out of his jacket and revealed pictures of them a fan had posted on his social media page.

  She grabbed the phone from him and scrolled through the pictures. The two of them picking out her ring, pictures of them laughing together, standing together on the sidewalk while Derek signed autographs, Derek helping her into the car. This was a disaster. A disaster everyone they knew was probably already witness to.

  “Oh my God.”

  “That’s what my dad said, too. In a nutshell.”

  Lilly went to the nightstand where she’d plugged in her dead phone when she’d unpacked earlier. Her stomach gave a sick lurch when she switched it on. “Fifty-seven text messages. All from my mom. And Shana. Oh, and eighteen voicemails.” She sank down on the edge of the bed. “Fifty-seven messages, Derek. What were we thinking?”

  The air in the room suddenly felt thick and way too warm. Okay, she was officially panicking now. So much for this trip being a little getaway, a bright spot at the end of an awful week. The Cinderella moment she’d had with the fancy ride, the beautiful jewelry, the stay at Thomas’s Texas palace, the handsome prince—it had all been just a rotting pumpkin, a handful of mice, and a big, fat lie. A lie that was about to make her life ten times more complicated than it had been twenty-four hours ago when she was just unemployed and jilted.

  Derek knelt on the floor in front of her and took her hand. “Lilly, I need you to calm down. We have to stick with the plan.”

  Forget trying to stifle the panic. If there was ever a perfect moment to flip out, this was it. “Are you out of your damn mind?”

  “That’s been suggested.” He brushed the center diamond of her ring with his thumb. “But I have a lot riding on this deal. You can’t back out now. You promised.”

  She jerked her hand out of his. “No way. At this point, our relationship is just speculation. Some photos on social media that we can explain away if we’re lucky. But if we go through with this, everyone will think we’re really getting married. Our parents. Our friends. Everyone.”

  “I told you it would be believable.” He grinned at her. Actually grinned, as if this were all some big joke.

  “I’m not sure Mr. Thomas believes it. I know Serena doesn’t.”

  “After the way you admitted mooning over me as a teenager? He will. He’s just holding out for a better deal.”

  “What about Serena?”

  “As long as you keep looking at me like I hung the moon, we’ll be fine.”

  She wanted to slug him. “How are you so calm?” But she knew he wasn’t as confident as he pretended. It was there in the twitching muscle in his jaw and the way he kept shoving his hands through his hair.

  “Look, dealing with the family will be awkward. My dad wasn’t exactly pleased. I don’t even want to imagine what your parents will say. But as soon as we get home, we’ll explain everything. They’ll get over it.”

  His assurance that he had everything under control was actually fairly calming. She relaxed a fraction. “And we’ll tell them as soon as we get off the plane?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “What about Thomas? Won’t he suspect something when we break up as soon as the ink is dry on the contract?”

  “If we lie low for a couple of weeks, the press will move on to some new scandal. We’ll quietly announce our breakup and go our separate ways, just like we planned. The only difference is that with the publicity, we’ll have to announce our split through a media rep. That’s all. No big deal.”

  When he explained it like that, it actually didn’t seem like a big deal. She let out a deep breath, and her muscles unclenched a little.

  “My new job had better come with perks. So many perks. I’m talking car service and private washroom.”

  “More perks than you can count.” Derek walked toward the bedroom door. “And you’re doing great, by the way. You can admit I was right whenever you want to.”

  “Excuse me?” Lilly followed him to the door, planning to lock it behind him, ditch her heels, and try to get some sleep.

  “I told you we made a great fake couple. Serena totally backed off as soon as we told her we were engaged.”

  “Maybe you’re just not the stud muffin you thought you were.” Teasing him took her mind off things. Things like telling her mother she was not engaged, to Derek or anyone else.

  “Oh, I doubt that. I’m very muffinly. You were just convincing as my fiancée.” His gaze dropped to her lips, and she remembered how warm and firm they’d felt against hers.

  She hadn’t actually planned to kiss him. But she’d seen the way Serena was pressing her fake boobs against him, as if she owned him, and Lilly had simply reacted like a real fiancée. What a mistake. She was racking up those like she was going for a world record. He wasn’t really hers. He wasn’t really anyone’s. He didn’t even want to be a part of his own family, let alone get tied down to one woman.

  Her gaze slid away. “Yeah. Sorry about that. For kissing you, I mean.”

  He looked at her for a long moment, his mouth flattened into a straight line. All trace of teasing was gone, and his gaze had gone dark. “I’m not sorry. Not even a little.” He moved in closer. “All I can think about is how you tasted in the car…and I can’t stop wondering what would have happened if we’d had more time alone. The only thing I’m sorry for right now is that I don’t know if every part of you tastes as sweet as your lips.”

  Before she could take a breath, his lips were pressed to hers. But this was no semi-chaste, lips-closed kiss like the one she’d laid on him in front of Serena. It was a kiss of possession. Of passion. Of need.

  It wasn’t real. She needed to remember that.

  But she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, giving in to the fantasy she’d harbored since the first time she’d spied him making out with one of his cheerleaders in his truck from her bedroom window. He’d always been untouchable for her, but somehow he’d gotten as caught up in this fantasy as her.

  She should stop this. She would stop this. After a few more seconds. It could be her last chance to live out the Derek Sawyer fantasy she’d always harbored.

  She opened her mouth and licked across his lower lip. With a low growl, he pressed her hard against the wall, bracing his hands on either side of her head. He was everywhere, all around her. His scent, his taste, the feel of his soft hair sliding through her fingers.

  Heels were convenient, she decided. It made it much easier to reach his mouth. His tongue begged entrance, and she granted access.

  He swept in, setting all her nerve endings on fire. She’d never known kissing could be such a turn-on. With Richard it had been merely the means to an end—a few sloppy kisses and a couple of boob gropes, then on to the main event. Kissing Derek felt like overtime all by itself.

  She couldn’t resist moving her hands to his chest to trace the contours of his muscles. Even through his shirt she could feel how toned he was, how fit. Whoever said that racing wasn’t a real sport had never felt up Derek Sawyer.

  His mouth moved from hers to trail a hot line of kisses down her cheek to the sensitive flesh of her neck.

  “Lilly,” he said against her skin. “What are we doing?”

  “You’re kissing me.”

  His hands moved to her waist, and he pulled her hard against him so that she could feel just how much he wanted her. “We shouldn’t be. Why are you letting me?”

  His voice was low and hu
sky. Breathless, as if he’d just jogged around a racetrack. Twice.

  “Stop asking questions,” she said.

  “We need to stop now. Before it’s too late.”

  His words barely sank into her foggy brain.

  “Too late for what?”

  What a cruel reminder how temporary and fake this all was. And how foolish it was to get too caught up in their performance. It hurt to let go of his lips, his tongue, his touch. But just like that, he’d pulled away, and she felt an emptiness in the pit of her stomach.

  He chuckled low in his throat and pushed away from her to lean against the wall. His hair was messy, and he was breathing hard. His eyes had gone dark, and his trousers were definitely tented in a way that let her know their kiss hadn’t left him totally unaffected. Well, that was some small consolation.

  “It’s funny. One day you’re this snot-nosed little brat following me around, making me crazy. The next you’re all grown up and so hot I can’t keep my hands off of you.”

  Her knees went a little soft. For half a second, she thought that he might leap across the space to pick up where he’d left off. His fists were clenched at his sides, his jaw taut as he stared at her as if considering all the ways he was going to love her.

  But he didn’t move. He closed his eyes and let out a deep, tired breath.

  “We both know letting this happen would be a mistake, Lilly.”

  Talk about mixed signals. This would be so much easier if they had been strangers and met in a bar somewhere knowing they were going to hook up for the night and then go their separate ways. Maybe she hadn’t thought this through enough—how hard it was to keep fantasy from reality. Especially since she was about five seconds from begging for more fantasy.

  “Agreed. We should probably just go to bed. Separately, I mean.”

  There was a long pause as his gaze searched hers. “Right. Good. I’ll see you in the morning then.” He opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

  “’Night.”

  So much for keeping this simple. Now the rest of the weekend was going to be awkward and even more stressful. She’d become the queen of turning an awkward situation into an unmitigated disaster this week, and it looked like she’d be extending her reign a little longer.

  Might as well continue the festivities with fessing up to her best friend. Lilly grabbed her phone and settled into the fluffy pillows covering her bed.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” Shana said, picking up on the first ring. “I’ve been your best friend since we were five and you can’t even tell me my horndog of a brother bought you a ring? When did all this happen?”

  “It’s not what it looks like.”

  “That’s not an engagement ring you’re wearing in these photos I’m looking at?”

  “It is, but…”

  Lilly heard something in the hallway. It could be one of the household staff. Or Derek. Or Serena. Whoever it was, she sure didn’t want someone to hear her telling Shana the whole engagement was a sham.

  She lowered her voice. “Look, I can’t talk right now. I’ll explain everything when we get back, okay?”

  “Fine. But I want all the details. You’d better call me the second you land.”

  “I will. Promise.”

  “Okay. See you then.”

  She clicked off and frowned. She pulled up Facebook on her phone and looked at the pictures on Derek’s page. There were already 134 comments, but she didn’t read them. She was too tired to keep her eyes open much longer, and she had to go out shopping tomorrow to buy another dress for the party tomorrow night.

  She changed out of her cocktail dress and put on an old pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, a favorite that—Lord willing, this would always remain a secret—she’d stolen from a teenage Derek when he left it by the pool one day. All this time and she was still wearing this stupid thing. So pathetic.

  She removed her makeup, took out her contacts, and settled into bed, planning to read for a few minutes. But after reading page one several times, she gave up and admitted she couldn’t concentrate on a single word.

  She’d kissed Derek intending to break off with one heated kiss. But what would have happened if Derek hadn’t stopped? She could almost imagine him in bed next to her.

  God help her if that happened. He was right. It would be a huge mistake.

  If he’d been any other man, maybe she’d have gone after him. But she knew what she was after in the long run. Not just a guy who’d rock her world in bed. She wanted someone to build a life with, someone to love. Richard had never even said the words. And Derek? He couldn’t commit to someone longer than a weekend. Even if he did have feelings for her, she wasn’t going to fool herself into thinking she’d be his exception.

  She rolled to her side. If he hadn’t had the good sense to stop and step back from the situation, he’d be right here in bed next to her, naked, sated, and probably looking for an escape. Talk about awkward.

  They would just have to be careful the rest of the weekend—act like a couple in front of the Thomases, but be careful not to cross the line. That way, when they got back to Penny Ridge, they could have a good laugh about the whole thing and go back to their separate lives.

  …

  She was having the most amazing dream. She was warm and comfortable, lying in a big fluffy cloud, sailing across the bright sky like it was her own catamaran. She coasted over the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan, then farther north over icy plains and peaks of the Arctic Circle. Light glinted off the snowcaps in a rainbow of colors. She was naked, but not cold, as the sun warmed her from the inside out. Richard was there, waving at her from far below, stuck on an ice floe and calling for help.

  What was he doing all alone?

  The cloud swooped lower.

  “You’ve got to help me,” he was saying, and he started to shake her arm, even though she still hovered above him. “Lilly, wake up,” he said—

  But it was Derek’s voice this time. That didn’t make sense. Why would Richard have Derek’s voice?

  Her eyes opened to a darkened room and a hand on her arm.

  “Lilly, it’s me. Wake up.”

  The dream snapped away, and she sat up and turned on the bedside lamp.

  Derek was in bed beside her, on top of the snowy white comforter. At least she thought it was Derek, because without her contacts everything was a blur. His hair was adorably sleep-disheveled.

  “What’s wrong?” She squinted at him and reached over to the table for her glasses. “Are you okay?”

  “I know this is a lot to ask, but I need to sleep with you tonight.”

  “What?” She was still dreaming. She had to be.

  “I woke up about five minutes ago and Serena was in my bed.”

  “In your bed?”

  “Nude.”

  “Holy shit.” The last of the dreamy cobwebs cleared.

  “Yeah.”

  He shoved a hand through his hair. “She said that if I was really getting married, then this was our last chance to have each other, because she didn’t get involved with married men.”

  “But she doesn’t have a problem with engaged ones. Nice to know she has some standards. What did you say?”

  “That I wouldn’t do that to you. She said there must not be any heat between us, because if she and I were engaged, there was no way we’d be sleeping in separate rooms.”

  “She’s got a point. I suppose it is a bit odd.”

  “I told her you were old-fashioned, and she laughed.”

  “And that was that?”

  He shook his head. “No. Then she reached for me and said she’s not old-fashioned. I grabbed her shoulders and told her she was right. I couldn’t deny my passion a second longer.”

  Lilly’s eyes went wide. “And then you…?”

  He smiled. “Then she got this look on her face. Like she’d won.” He chuckled. “I only got a glimpse of her expression when I said I had to storm into your bedroom and demand yo
u give in to my manly passions.”

  “Manly passions.” She rolled her eyes. “She bought that?”

  “I didn’t stick around to find out.”

  “So you had to come here. You couldn’t have sneaked into another guest bedroom? There must be a dozen.”

  “No choice,” he said. “Only way to get rid of her. I’m sleeping in here with you tonight. And probably tomorrow night, too.”

  She frowned. “I don’t know. What about earlier?”

  “We both agreed it was a mistake, right? A fluke. I’ll keep my lips and hands and all my other parts to myself.” He gazed at her with guileless blue eyes. Too bad she knew better. “I just can’t go back to that room. We sign the sponsorship contract tomorrow. I can’t blow this, Lilly.”

  He grabbed several of the oversize extra pillows she had tossed to the foot of the bed, and he built a little wall between them on the king-size mattress. “You won’t even know I’m here. Promise.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Sleep here where big bad Serena can’t get to you.”

  “She’s scary. Seriously. You weren’t there.”

  “Did she threaten your virtue?” She couldn’t help teasing him a little. He’d probably been the big-bad no maiden could withstand more times than he’d crashed his car. It served him right to be on the opposite side of things for a change.

  “Shut up. It was scary,” he said, but he was smiling. “Turn out the light before Serena figures out we’re not naked yet.”

  “You think she’d break down the door and drag you out by your manly passion? Seriously?”

  “Look, I wouldn’t put anything past that woman at this point. Turn out the light.”

  She rolled her eyes and switched off the light. “You’d better not snore.”

  “I don’t snore.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Well, I’ve never had any complaints.”

  “No, your women never have time to complain—they’re already out the door by the time you fall asleep.”

  “You make it sound like I have a harem. I’ll stay on my side of the wall. Promise.”

  Comforting thought. Now she was in bed with him and he didn’t want to do anything more with her than hide from a woman he did find sexy but couldn’t risk sleeping with. That was an ego booster for sure.