Chapter 4
four
. . .
Reese
“Oh my God, Chewy!” I squealed.
“Stop shouting. I’m dreaming,” he groaned, wrapping his arm around me a little tighter.
“Yeah. I’m aware. You’ve got yourself a little morning situation.” My voice was still groggy after sleeping through the night for the first time in days. “And Chewy Junior is poking me in the butt.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see him open one eye as he took me in. His chest was pressed against my backside, which meant his raging boner was pressed against my ass. We’d fallen asleep tucked into my small bed, and we’d spooned one another as we’d done more times than I could count.
But this would go down as the first time he’d ever woken me up with a ginormous erection pressed against me.
Finn had always had a natural charm. Too much sex appeal for his own good.
He was gorgeous.
Tall and lean, with just the right amount of muscle. His brown hair was shorter in the back and longer on top and effortlessly styled. He always donned day-old scruff that really worked for him.
He was sexy as hell, and he knew it.
Country boy style with city boy swagger.
Girls were always swooning over him, and that was how it had always been.
He loosened his grip on me, and I sprung to sit forward. My head fell back in laughter as he rolled onto his back. His eyes widened as he took in his erection, which was standing straight up.
My eyes gaped at the sight. He wore a white tee and a pair of black boxer briefs that were doing nothing to hide his morning wood.
His hair was messy but managed to look like he was ready to pose for an underwear ad, and his gray gaze locked with mine.
“Damn. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten laid. I guess your tight little ass was teasing me all night.” He smirked.
“Oh, this is my fault?”
“If you ask the big guy, I’d say that’s a hard yes. Pun intended.” He pointed down at his impressive package.
I whistled as I hustled to my feet. Finn showing up on my doorstep yesterday was the best surprise. I felt slightly human this morning for the first time in days. Like things were going to be okay.
And he and I had never stood on ceremony. I knew every embarrassing thing that had ever happened to him, and vice versa for me.
I moved to the bathroom to brush my teeth as he called out to me from the bed.
“Damn, the internet is going wild about me coming to London for a girl. Everyone is commenting on how it was about time I got myself a real girlfriend. Apparently, they’ve figured out that it’s my best friend who lives here and that we’ve miraculously fallen in love.
This ought to shut down Jessica for a little while,” he said, and I could hear the humor in his voice.
“At least until we set the record straight.”
I thought about what Carl would do if he heard.
He’d always hated how close Finn and I were.
It was the one thing I never allowed his opinion to influence me about.
I was open to compromise on most things in my life because relationships were all about that.
You had to give a little. Choose your battles.
But my friendship with Finn had always been something I treasured, and there was no budging in that department.
Did I tell Carl every time Finn and I slept in the same bed? No.
He would have lost it.
I didn’t feel guilty because nothing had ever happened between Finn and me. We were the best of friends, through and through. We’d made a pact to never cross the line, and we’d stuck to it. So there was no reason to say anything and stir up unnecessary drama.
I tied my hair up in a bun and went back to the bedroom to get my phone.
“Oh my gosh,” I whispered as I dropped to sit on the bed. Finn moved quickly, hovering behind me as his chin rested on my shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
“Carl texted me seven times during the night.” I quickly scrolled to read the texts. I hadn’t responded to him since he’d told me about him and Christy Rae Lovell.
“That douchesack. Of course, he’s all over you now. I’ve got to give it to him. He’s definitely predictable.”
I waved Finn away as I read the texts.
Carl
Are you really dating Finn Reynolds now? I knew something was up with you two.
Carl
I can’t fucking believe this. I always suspected it.
I checked the time, and the next text came in two hours later, which would have been two o’clock in the morning his time.
Carl
I’m happy for you if you’re happy, Reese.
My chest squeezed.
“I just puked in my mouth. I can hear him using that baby voice when he talks to you,” Finn grumped from behind me, and I moved to my feet and stared down at my phone as I continued reading.
Carl
I miss you. I’ve tried not to. I want to give my new relationship a try. Your leaving really hurt me, Reese. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m struggling. I thought dating someone else would help me get over you.
Carl
How serious is this with you and Finn? You know he’s not really a relationship guy. Jessica Carson is living proof of that. Even you said that he would probably never settle down. Why go there?
Carl
Can we have lunch when you get home? I think we should at least talk. You know, for closure and all that. We were engaged, after all. We’d be married by now if you hadn’t left.
A tear ran down my cheek, and I swiped it away.
“What is that dick-nugget saying now?”
“He misses me. We would have been married by now, Chewy. He wants to know how serious this is between us.” My fingers hovered over the keyboard to text him back and tell him that it was all a big misunderstanding.
But I stopped myself.
My head snapped up to meet Finn’s gray gaze.
He raised a brow. “What? I know that look. Let me guess. You’re desperate to get home now and win him back.”
“Don’t be a hater.”
“Fine. Tell me.”
I dropped my phone onto the nightstand and moved to sit beside him on my bed. “Just hear me out.”
“All right.”
“You said Angelique wants you to date someone, right?”
“Correct. What’s your point?” He eyed me suspiciously.
“Well, you already planted the seed.”
“Are you referencing my sperm? It hasn’t been planted anywhere, Miney. I keep that shit wrapped up at all times.” He smirked.
I waved my hand and feigned disgust, although I had to fight the urge to look down and see if his erection was still there.
“Don’t be gross. I’m talking about the seed that the driver planted.
Painting the picture of a man who couldn’t get to his girl fast enough. That’s what they’re saying, right?”
“Planting seeds and now we’re painting? What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about us. Let’s go with it. Pretend that we’re dating. It’s a win-win.”
“How is it a win-win? Will we be having sex in this scenario?”
My mouth fell open. “Of course not. We stick to the pact at all costs. I’m offering you the chance to fake date me.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Well, your fans will see you as a relationship guy and not some bed-hopping whore.”
He barked out a laugh. “Did you just call me a whore?”
“I mean, you aren’t one, but Jessica has painted that picture. A whore. A womanizing bastard. A selfish prick who chases his own pleasure,” I said as I tried to really bring it home.
“Who said anything about me chasing my own pleasure? I haven’t even gotten laid in a year outside of the whole tip disaster, which doesn’t even count. I’m practically a celibate monk.”
“A celibate monk who needs a girlfriend. And clearly, Carl can’t stand the idea of you and me being together, because now he wants to meet up for ‘closure,’” I said, making air quotes around the last word.
Closure, my ass.
The man was jealous, and I was here for it.
We’d been together so long that we’d lost all the excitement.
That was part of the reason that I’d wanted to take this job in London.
Life had grown stale and boring, but that didn’t mean I still didn’t want to marry him and have a family.
Maybe this time apart would actually be good for us in the long run.
Aside from the fact that he really was dating someone else, and my relationship was fake.
“So, you want to use me?”
“Totally,” I said over a fit of laughter.
Hell, this was the best I’d felt in days.
Finn’s showing up had lifted my spirits, and now I actually felt hopeful.
“You said you haven’t felt like going out anyway.
You asked me to move in with you, so outside appearances will look like we’re a real couple.
Everyone’s always suspected it back home anyway. Let’s go with it.”
“You really think that we can pull it off, Miney?” He raised a brow in question.
“You’re the best actor I know. People will eat this up.
Childhood besties-turned-lovers!” I squealed as I fell back on the bed.
“Hell, your cousin Ashlan could sell this story, and it would be a bestseller. Carl is going to shit himself and beg me to take him back.” Honestly, I still hadn’t gotten over how quickly he’d replaced me, and with her, of all people.
So, I wouldn’t mind making him sweat a little bit if, in the end, we found our way back to one another.
“And what do I get out of it?” he asked as he fell back next to me on the mattress, and we both rolled on our sides to face one another.
“An image makeover. You’ll look like the swooning boyfriend. It’ll be great for your career. All mentions of Jessica will fade to black.”
“Fade to black? That’s a bit dramatic, yeah?”
“Hey, my best friend is an acting genius. It must be rubbing off on me.” I couldn’t hide the smile spreading across my face. “Come on. It’s a great plan.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “What about our mothers, who are going to freak out? Are we really going to lie to them? They’ve always wanted this, and it will break their hearts when it all comes to an end, and you go back to marrying Dr. Prickdick.”
This was a fair point. I thought it over.
“Reynolds-Murphy code of silence. We call a family meeting. Get everyone on board.”