Chapter 12
MALIA
The ceremony is gorgeous.
Carlie is gorgeous. Her dress is a crocheted lace, spaghetti strap bodice with a v-neck and mounds of mounds of tulle in the skirt like she’s a princess.
Her hair is in long, loose waves around her shoulders, and she wears a crown of cream and light pink flowers.
And the thing that makes her look most radiant is her ear-to-ear grin as she stares up at Law Card.
And maybe the way he stares back at her, besotted.
Caleb has his hand over the back of my chair during the ceremony, and once when I look over at him, I see that his eyes are wet and he has the most contented smile on his face.
Caleb has told me a little bit about Carlie’s ex, the things he put her through, and how difficult it was for her to trust that Law was everything he said he was.
Caleb’s concern for her and his gratitude that she found someone like Law has been apparent in those texts between us.
Everything in me warms at his care for his sister.
And just when I think that I have totally and completely fallen for him, his niece, Ruby, climbs from her dad’s lap farther down our row and into Caleb’s, nestling against him.
He tucks his free arm around her, while keeping his other arm around me, and kisses the top of her head.
She reaches up, pats his cheek, and then pulls his head toward her so she can kiss his cheek—only she can’t quite reach and gets a corner of his chin. It’s the most precious thing.
“Oh,” I can’t help sighing, and Caleb looks up at me, smile widening. My eyes have probably turned to hearts.
He drops his hand and squeezes my shoulder. He leans over, lips brushing my ear. “Secret weapon,” he whispers.
Target acquired and all my defenses obliterated. I mean, if I had any against Caleb to begin with.
“It’s working,” I whisper back.
His breath flutters over me as he silently chuckles.
We stand and cheer after the officiant pronounces Carlie and Law husband and wife, and Law dips her low to kiss her.
Caleb whistles for them, making Ruby cheer and clap and ask him to do it again.
Which he obviously obliges. I glance down our row to see Ruby’s mom, Jenna, clapping, but I also catch her watching me.
She smiles knowingly. I quickly look away.
Ruby abandons Caleb for Jett when we make our way out of our row to head to the restaurant. “He’s her favorite,” Caleb tells me.
He slides his hand down into mine as we head out of the sun-lit building where the wedding was and down a path in the garden. The day is warm for February, hovering close to seventy, and the sunshine seems to make everything around us sparkle.
The reception is in a restaurant that’s part of the venue.
The tables that surround the dance floor are draped in long white tablecloths that spill onto the floor.
The chairs also have white covers on them.
The centerpieces are pale pink and cream peonies and another pink flower that has a fern-like look that I’ve never seen before.
Even the Edison bulbs that hang from the ceiling are casting a rose-gold glow.
Everything is so elegant and soft and romantic.
I guess I thought having a wedding on Valentine’s would mean everything was a little cheesy, but this really isn’t. It’s breathtaking.
“You said Ava planned this wedding?” I ask Caleb after a few moments of gazing at everything in awe.
“Yeah. A woman from a firm in Atlanta that she used to work for helped as well, since Ava isn’t a wedding planner anymore,” he replies.
“This is fabulous. And beautiful.”
“Carlie was over the moon when Ava volunteered to do it.”
We’re seated at a table near the front, like at the rehearsal dinner, and once again paired with Jenna and Devin, but with their kids this time, as well as a Pumas player and his wife who Caleb introduces as Will and Ellie Pemberton.
Dinner is a little hectic as Caleb helps his sister with her kids, and I end up in conversation with Ellie.
“Malia Lang,” she repeats when I introduce myself. “CEO at Vire Gaming.” She gives me an impressive nod.
My brows furrow. She knows who I am? I glance back at Caleb to see if he heard what Ellie said, but he’s distracted by something his nephew has asked.
Caleb assumes I’m a high-level manager at Vire, and I’ve let him.
I need to tell him. Next week? When the wedding is over and his feelings about the setups have subsided.
But part of me can’t help but be worried what he’ll think when he finds out I’m that girl his mom wants him to end up with.
Ellie laughs at my expression. “I make it a point to know all the female power players in Houston.”
“Me?” I can’t help the scoff in my tone. I’m very aware of how difficult it is for women to get into positions like mine in tech, but maybe I’m so used to my family believing my job isn’t a big deal that I’ve started buying into it, at least a little bit.
“Oh, definitely you,” Ellie declares.
Her husband leans across her, or maybe he just leans.
He’s a huge man. Then Joe Jr.’s voice is in my head.
It looks like he’s leaning. “Ellie’s a Bennet,” he says, as though that should explain everything.
And it does. She’s the daughter of the owner of the Pumas.
If she’d been introduced to me as Ellie Bennet, I would have known the name right away.
“She always wants a finger in the pie if it can help a sister.”
“Good to know,” I say. Ellie is involved in all sorts of philanthropy in Houston, plus she’s a brilliant businesswoman in her own right. She’s a good connection to have.
“Caleb did my family a pretty big favor. You’re welcome to call in chips anytime.” She beams at me.
I don’t bother to downplay my connection to him. It’s part of our act, after all, and after today, I’m hoping all this faking will be real.
“Does it have anything to do with that deposition he had to make last month?” I glance between Ellie and Will, eyebrows up in question.
She just smiles. “He’s very smart and dating you proves that.” She looks over at Will, and he nods in agreement.
“I thought we’d agreed to never mention that,” Caleb breaks in.
“Mention what?” Ellie says innocently.
Caleb has scooted his chair closer to mine, and I lean over. “I really, really want details,” I say in a low voice.
“Hmm,” is his only reply.
“I’ll tell you if he won’t,” Ellie says in loud whisper, winking at me. Caleb blows out a half-scoff, half-laugh. “Superhero,” she mouths at me.
I grin back and then turn to look at Caleb. “I already knew that.”
The emcee announces Carlie and Law’s first dance, and everyone at our table, even the kids, turns their attention to the dance floor. It doesn’t surprise me that Carlie and Law have chosen Etta James’s “At Last.” It fits the story that Caleb has told me about them.
I lean my elbows on the table and rest my head in my hands to watch, a transfixed smile on my face as Law holds his new bride ever so tenderly. The way she stares up at him, like she knows he would move heaven and earth for her, is all of my relationship goals wrapped up in a look.
“Here we are in heaven,” I whisper along with Etta. I really am. I think back to telling my sister that agreeing to come with Caleb as his fake date was either really stupid or really amazing.
Amazing. It turned out amazing.
He puts a hand on my back, running it lazily up and down my spine, lighting a fire along the trail of his fingers.
The fabric of my dress is light, and I wonder if he can feel the heat his touch is creating.
I turn my entranced stare to him, and he holds my gaze, his expression smoldering.
My heart speeds at his stare. It’s too much, too soon, and yet I can’t help but picture this scene for myself.
A princess dress. My Prince Charming holding me close, his eyes only for me.
The rest of our life stretched out in front of us in a happily ever after just like Kathleen and Joe from You’ve Got Mail.
As soon as the emcee invites guests to join Carlie and Law on the dance floor, Caleb turns to me. “Would you like to dance?”
“Absolutely.”
He takes my hand in his and leads me out onto the dance floor.
Every nerve ending in my body is firing as he wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close.
He takes one of my hands in his, holding it and resting it against his chest. We are a breath apart, and not one piece of me is pretending for his family.
I am all in, and I’m praying praying praying that Caleb is too.
“Is all of this still okay?” Caleb asks in a low voice.
“More than okay.” My voice is breathless.
He stares at me as we sway together, and I stare back.
It’s like a spell binds us together, pulling our faces closer and closer.
Just like the spell in a game Vire is developing that’s based off a popular romantasy novel.
I’ve played the early testing versions, but it never felt like this.
So all-encompassing, but … like I’m flying.
When we first started this faking, it was a character I was eager to play. A game and me crossing my fingers I’d come out the winner.
Now, so much more is on the line. My heart. My future.
Caleb’s lips brush across mine, and I automatically move to my tiptoes, closer to Caleb. As close as I can physically manage.
His arm tightens around my waist, holding me against him.
I draw in a quick breath. My first kiss with Caleb cannot be like this.
Not pretend. Not for show. I planned to kiss him as part of this act, but that was before this.
Before I knew the possibility of real was on the table. And I want more. I want real.
“Can we…” I whisper against his lips. “Perhaps finish this … later?”
He draws back only a centimeter. “That’s probably a good idea.” He sounds as reluctant as I feel, his voice ragged, but the minute he kisses me, really kisses me, I’m going to lose myself in him. A crowded dance floor is just not the place.
My mind flashes to the couch in Caleb’s game room and waking up in his arms. It’s not the same as the romantic scenery around us, but that … that would be perfect.
Caleb lets go of my hand, leaving it to rest on his chest, and gently brushes an escaped strand of hair from my cheek. I lean into his touch, and he lets out a soft groan.
“As the brother of the bride, how noticeable do you think it would be if I snuck out early?” he asks.
I giggle quietly. “Probably pretty noticeable.”
“Back to dancing,” he says huskily.
“If we must.”
He takes my hand back, and I lean my head on his shoulder, smiling to myself as I dream of what’s next.