Chapter 17
Maisie
I walk back into the cabin and immediately make tea. My nan always said every problem could be solved with a clear head and tea. My head was anything but clear right now, so the tea needed to step up its game.
The kettle is boiling when Jack makes it into the house from hooking up the vehicles. He’s strangely quiet, which only makes my nerves worse. He walks over and rekindles the flame before joining me at the bar. I set the tea in front of him, and he sips. We sit here, for what seems like hours, the crackling of the fire the only sound. Finally, I can’t take it anymore and slam my cup on the bar.
“Look, I’m sorry—” I start before Jack interrupts me.
“Thank you.” His voice is subdued but steady.
My jaw hits the benchtop. I take a moment to gather myself, but Jack continues before I can say anything.
“I know you only said what you said to help me. Asking you to keep up the charade… I know it’s not fair, especially to you. The fact that you are willing to do this for me means more than you will ever know. I keep trying to think of a way to repay you and nothing seems to match what you’re doing for me. One thing is certain, though, and that’s the fact that I do not deserve you, Maisie Mitchell.”
I gape at him. Out of all the things that could have come out of Jack Foster’s mouth, that was not what I expected. Which is why I blurt out such a ridiculous response. “I spent $2500 on one outfit.”
Jack chuckles. “After what you are doing for me, please spend my money.”
“Jack! That’s a lot of money. You can’t be serious!” I look at him like he has three heads, but his eyes soften, and he cups my jaw.
“I like how my name sounds coming out of your mouth. And, yes, I am serious. I don’t want you to worry about money—what you buy, when, or why. I want you to do whatever you want whenever you want. I imagine you and Alexandra will spend a lot of time together on this trip.” Jack winks at me before dropping his hand. “Now, we both have to prepare for dinner today, and I don’t know about you, but I could use some downtime. That said, we have to go over a few things first.”
Jack finishes his cup of tea and places it in the sink. Then he holds out his hand to me. I take it, and he pulls me close.
“We have to make this convincing, so we need to get used to touching each other.”
The combination of his voice whispering in my ear and the warmth from his body causes goose bumps. Jack Foster is a potent man, one reason I’ve always tried to keep my distance.
“Yes, w-w-w-we should do t-t-hat. Y-y-eah.” I’m stuttering, and I hate it. I haven’t stuttered since I was fourteen. When my crush, Paul Nobleman, asked me to the junior high prom.
When I lean into Jack, his hand on my jaw softly turns my head, and he brushes his mouth over mine. “Oh, Maisie. What am I going to do with you?”
The words glide across my lips like silk, and I sway on my feet. Jack’s free hand slides around my waist and pulls me flush against him. I can feel the heat in my cheeks. “Jack?”
He smells like cedar and cherries. It’s addicting, and I bury my face in his sweater. I stand here for a minute before trying to step back. No matter how good everything feels, I have to remember this is just a part I’m playing… and a mess I got myself into.
“I agree that we need to be more comfortable, but we should reserve that kind of… familiarity for when we’re at the resort. When we are here, we should maintain some professionalism.”
Jack chuckles low in his throat, and I can’t help but shiver. “Oh, but sweet, sweet Maisie, haven’t you ever heard the saying practice makes perfect ? We have to sell our engagement to McIntyre. He’s smart, so we have to be convincing.”
“Hilarious.” I shove at his chest, and he releases me slightly.
Jack buzzes my lips with another kiss before dropping his arms and allowing me to back away slowly. “I’m not joking, Maisie. You may have started this charade, but I’m fully committed to seeing it through.”
I watch in a daze as Jack heads upstairs. “What on earth have I done?” I whisper to the empty room.
I place my cup in the sink and head upstairs to prepare for tonight. Sorting through the clothes I brought, I pull out a cream wool dress and pair it with my favorite burgundy wool-lined tights. If I’m going to continue to pretend to be Jack Foster’s fiancée, then I’m at least going to be the real me while doing it. I forgo my regular Uggs for the new boots I purchased today. The bodysuit stays on, and at this point, it’s so comfortable, like a second skin. I think I may wear it to my grave.
I straighten my hair and apply makeup, then make my way down the stairs again. I find Jack at the bar. He glances up at my approach and does a double-take before walking up to me and taking my hand to twirl me around.
“You look lovely.” His lips brush my cheek, and I don’t flinch. Instead, I lean into Jack’s warmth. “So, it did help.”
I pull back, my face scrunched up in confusion. “What?”
“Earlier.” Jack walks back to the bar, snapping his briefcase closed. “I purposely pushed my way into your comfort zone so you would get more accustomed to my touch. We don’t have any margin for error, and I needed you on board more quickly. It seems to have worked. Are you ready to go?”
My head jerks back like he struck me. “You-you did that on purpose?”
Jack turns around and walks toward the front door. “Of course. Remember, you started this. Don’t take that as me not appreciating it, though. It may be the only thing that saves the deal. However, to make it believable, we need to be able to act the part.”
Growling, I stalk up to him and poke him in the chest. “Just remember, Jack, turnabout is fair play, and I don’t play fair.” Then I flick his tie, yank open the door, and head out.
It’s going to be a long, long night.
***
Walking into the resort, we meet a very enthusiastic Alexandra and a rather amused Marcus.
“Please forgive my wife. She’s excited because the teens are off doing their own thing, and she’s made reservations with the theater. They’re showing—”
Marcus gets cut off by Alexandra’s enthusiastic squeal. “Only my all-time favorite movie ever! Gone with the Wind !”
I shoot a pleading look to Jack, and he extracts me from her grasp. “Sounds amazing. It’ll keep you ladies occupied while we talk about the boring stuff.”
I grumble because business isn’t boring to me, and Alexandra is a partner in McIntyre Inc. I’m a bit shocked that Jack’s pawning me off to watch an ancient movie when I could talk business with them instead. I force myself to unclench my jaw and wrap my hand around Jack’s arm, squeezing until my knuckles turn white.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that film. It should be fun. Shall we head to our table?” Jack chokes out before unwinding my hands and leading me into the dining room.
We settle in our seats, and I open the special menu. Duck rolls are listed under the appetizer offerings. My stomach growls at the prospect. I love duck. I’ve only had it a few times, since the dish was usually out of our price range. Still, on my tenth birthday, my mum took me out to celebrate hitting double digits . She said it was the first step to becoming a lady and should be celebrated. I smile slightly as I read the rest of the menu.
“What has that smile on your face?” Jack’s breath is warm against my ear, and I suppress a shiver.
“Duck rolls.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You asked what made me smile. It was the duck rolls, and I don’t expect you to understand.” I lean back and return my attention to the menu.
Jack huffs under his breath but then gets pulled into a conversation with Marcus. I look around at the grand windows showcasing the majestic mountains, which are presently bathed in the setting sun. It’s all so breathtaking. I never thought that I would be somewhere as unique as this.
Then I return my focus to everyone at the table. Marcus and Jack argue good-naturedly over the nuance of a sentence. Alexandra is on the phone with Calista, who’s apparently upset with Maxim. The overall mood is warm and friendly—something I haven’t felt in several years.
The waiter’s approach incites a flurry of orders, including wine samples and shared appetizers.
I feel an itch between my shoulder blades, as if someone is watching me. I turn toward Jack but don’t see anyone paying us any mind beyond the wait staff. I rest my cheek on Jack’s shoulder, and he leans in to my touch.
“You okay?” His breath is warm against my cheek, and I can smell the cherries in the wine he’s drinking.
“Yeah. I just thought I felt someone watching us.”
Jack’s head snaps up, his eyes scanning the dining room before landing back on me.
“I don’t see anyone. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.” I shrug.
“You lovebirds okay?” Alexandra winks, and I grin back.
“Just fine. Are we ready for dessert?” I move the dinner along.
We finish our meal, down our cups of coffee, and then Alexandra is dragging me behind her while I glare daggers at Jack, who’s still seated at the table.
He winks at me and shrugs. I vow he will pay for this. I feel eyes on me again and glance around the dining room before the feeling disappears.
By the end of the movie, I’m champing at the bit to hear how the meeting went. Alexandra mentioned this was the movie she and her mum used to watch when she was little, which is why it had such sentimental value. I understand attaching sentiment to things. I do the same thing with vegemite, proper tea, and biscuits.
Marcus and Jack are waiting for us in the lobby when we leave the built-in theater.
“Ah! There they are!” Jack walks up, holds me close to his chest, and kisses me.
I allow myself to get lost in his kiss, which is ridiculous, since we’re only putting on a show. A small part of me wonders what it would be like to be fully loved by someone like Jack Foster.
“Did you ladies have fun?” he asks, and I nod before stretching out my back.
My dress and tights are comfortable, but I’m not used to spending over three hours in a plush chair and want to move around to restore my circulation.
“Why don’t you two lovebirds head back to your cabin? We can all meet up again tomorrow for breakfast, some spa packages for the ladies, and the sauna for us gents. Then we can discuss the ROI and profit-sharing percentages at greater lengths.” Marcus lifts an eyebrow at Jack, who nods in return.
“Sounds like a great idea to me. We’ll head out and let you get on with your teen-free evening.” Jack grins before taking my hand and heading to the valet stand.
I can sense Marcus and Alexandra watching us, so I lean into Jack, pull his face down, and slide my lips over his. I kiss him slowly, savoring the warmth of his mouth against mine. His hand tightens around my palm, and I feel his heartbeat quicken, matching the fluttering excitement in my chest.
When we break apart, I notice that his eyes are dark and intense while a mischievous smile plays on his lips. “Trying to make them jealous?” he whispers, his breath hot against my ear.
“Maybe,” I murmur back, my fingers tracing a path down his chest. “Or maybe I just wanted to kiss you.”
He chuckles a low, throaty sound that shivers my spine. “Well, don’t stop on my account.”
I laugh and pull him closer for another more urgent and profound kiss. The world around us seems to fade away, leaving just the two of us in our little bubble of heat and desire. The valet stand seems a million miles away as we lose ourselves in each other.
A discreet cough breaks the spell, and we reluctantly pull apart, turning to see the valet holding out the keys to the car. Jack takes them with a nod, and we share a secret smile as we walk to the waiting vehicle, our fingers intertwined. Jack starts the engine, and we drive away. I glance back to see Marcus and Alexandra still watching us, their expressions a mix of envy and amusement.