Chapter 7
SEVEN
Sienna
I wake up the next morning with Heath wrapped around me. His arms are curled around my waist, and he’s spooning me. My ass is tucked against his cock.
His hard cock.
I replay what happened yesterday morning, and my body warms at the memory. For a moment, I want to do a repeat performance, but I control myself.
All this with Heath feels so natural and perfect. I’m having a hard time remembering that this is all fake, and I need to, or I’m going to get my heart broken for sure.
Heath’s family is set to arrive tonight, and I know that we have a lot to do today to prepare. We should clean the house, and we need groceries so I can make dinner for everyone.
I’m nervous about meeting his family. Heath didn’t give them a glowing review. From the way he described them, I’m guessing they’ll be difficult. I bet they’ll try to test us to prove we’re not a real couple.
We need to talk more. We need to get the basics down pat before they get here and the show begins.
Heath stirs behind me, groaning in my ear as he holds me tighter against him.
“Sienna,” he moans.
My nipples harden into tight peaks beneath my shirt. “Morning,” I wheeze.
He loosens his grip enough to allow me to take a full breath. “Too early,” he complains.
I laugh. “We have so much to do today. We need to clean, go get my things, go get groceries,” I rattle off.
He groans louder.
I wiggle out of his hold and slip off the bed.
“Come on, sleepyhead. Get dressed so we can go.”
He sighs, burying his head under my pillow. I laugh as I grab a change of clothes from his dresser and head into the bathroom. I hurry through a shower and tug on my borrowed clothes. When I leave the bathroom, Heath is fast asleep on the bed.
I tug on the covers, revealing more of his toned body. “Should I go into town without you?”
He lifts his head, blinking sleepy eyes at me. “No, I’m coming. Just give me a minute.”
I roll my eyes and go downstairs. I whip up breakfast burritos and am just wrapping them up when Heath appears.
“Too early,” he grumbles, taking the burrito that I hold out to him.
“Good morning to you, too, sunshine.”
He ignores me, heading out to the garage. He perks up some on the ride into town, and by the time we get to my place, he’s back to his usual, not-so-perky self.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell him as I unbuckle.
“Can I come in?”
“You want to?”
“Yeah. I’d like to see your place.”
“Oh. Sure.”
We climb out and head up to the front door. I unlock it, and we step inside. I see Heath looking around as we go upstairs and into my room.
“Nice place.”
“Thanks.”
I grab a suitcase and pack clothes and toiletries, grabbing enough for a few days. I can always come back if I need more.
“I’ve got it,” Heath says before I can wheel my suitcase anywhere.
He carries it downstairs and out to the car, putting it in the trunk while I lock up.
“Groceries next?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “We need to make one stop first.”
“Okay. I was thinking we should talk more. We need to get our story straight.”
“What story?” he asks as we head towards town.
“Like where we met, who asked who out, where our first date was, favorite foods, color, all of that,” I say, waving my hand.
“We met in town. I asked you out. We went to that steakhouse here in town. My favorite food is lasagna. Oh, and I like blue.”
“Palmer’s Steakhouse,” I say, nodding as I memorize the story.
“What about you?”
“Oh, right. Um, my favorite food is crab legs. We used to make them every year for my birthday. Sometimes, my grandpa would say he wanted them on his birthday, too, but I know he was doing it for me.”
“I like crab legs.”
I bite back a smile. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I could eat them on my birthday, too. You know, if you were there.”
I can’t hold back my smile then. “When’s your birthday?”
“February 10th. What about you?”
“September 6th.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-three.”
“Twenty-seven,” he says as he pulls into a parking lot.
I frown as I see the sign. “A jewelry store?”
“Need to get my fiancée a ring.”
He jumps out and comes around to open my door. We enter the store hand in hand.
“Welcome!” the woman behind the counter greets us. “What brings you two in today?”
“We’re looking for an engagement ring,” Heath says.
The woman—whose name badge says Sharon—studies us.
I swallow nervously, knowing that the whole town will know I’m engaged to Heath before noon. I hadn’t considered that. What will they think when we get divorced so soon after marrying?
“Right this way,” Sharon says, waving us over to a glass-top counter.
Heath tugs me over, and we look at all the sparkling rings.
“What style do you like?” Sharon asks me.
“Um, maybe something like that?” I point to the smallest ring.
“No,” Heath says.
I look up at him, widening my eyes in warning. “You shouldn’t spend a ton on the ring,” I whisper.
“Which style do you like best? We’ll go from there,” Sharon suggests.
“Nothing fancy,” I reply.
Heath nudges me. “Emerald cut or oval?”
“Oval.”
“Oval or pear?”
“Oval.”
“Oval or solitaire?”
“Oval,” I repeat for the third time.
“We’d like to see an oval-shaped engagement ring. Something with a wedding band, too,” he tells Sharon. Then he turns back to me. “Silver or gold?”
“Gold.”
Sharon hurries off to get her measuring tools and a few ring choices for us to try.
I pull Heath aside. “You shouldn’t do this! You don’t need to waste money on a ring.”
“It’s not a waste.”
“Heath!”
“I want to do this, Sienna. Come on. Humor me.”
I sigh, turning back to Sharon as she reappears. She measures my finger, and we go from there. I try to pick a smaller size diamond, but Heath isn’t having it.
“That one,” he says, pointing to the biggest diamond.
“Ah, excellent choice! This is a six-carat oval—”
“Heath!” I interrupt.
“We’ll take it,” he says.
I throw my arms up as he follows Sharon over to pay.
He joins me at the door and smiles as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and leads me outside.
“Wait,” he says, stopping me before I can get in the car.
I turn to face him. “What?”
“This belongs to you.” He grabs my hand and slips the ring onto my ring finger.
It fits perfectly, and I can’t stop staring at it, admiring the way the diamond glitters and shines in the light.
“Now, groceries?” he asks.
I look up at him and smile. “Yeah, let’s go.”
We drive to Wolf Valley Market and load up on everything we’ll need for the next few days, then return to Heath’s place to unload it.
“I’ll go unpack,” I tell him as we bring in the last of the grocery bags.
“I’ll grab your suitcase.”
“I can get it,” I argue.
“No, it’s heavy. Just let me grab it.”
We end up fighting over the handle of the suitcase until Heath pulls it out of my grasp. He stares at me, and I lick my lips, suddenly aware of how close we’re standing.
“Heath,” I whisper.
He steps closer until our bodies are pressed together. “There’s one more thing we should practice,” he says huskily.
“What’s that?” I ask breathlessly.
“This.” Heath drops my suitcase and reaches for me. He cups my face, and his lips crash down on mine.
For half a heartbeat, I just… spark. My toes curl in my shoes, the world tilts, and the only thing I can feel is Heath—mint, coffee, and the soft scrape of his lower lip against mine.
I fist my hands in his shirt to steady myself, but he’s already lifting me onto my tiptoes, angling my head so he can deepen the kiss.
A needy sound slips out of me, embarrassing and honest, and he swallows it like it belongs to him.
His body brackets mine, crowding me back until my shoulders meet the wall.
His thumbs stroke along my jaw. I slide my hand up his chest, and the ring he just put on my finger glints between us.
He kisses me like he’s memorizing me, like there’s a test later and he refuses to fail.
Slowly at first, then hungrier when I open for him.
He breaks away an inch, breath rough. His eyes search my face, stormy and intent, like he’s asking without words.
I answer the only way I can think—I surge up and kiss him back.
He groans, low and wrecked, and the sound shoots straight through me.
His hands spread over my hips, anchoring me as I tug at his shirt and drag him closer.
He tastes like heat and home and everything I didn’t know I was allowed to want.
When his tongue brushes mine, I gasp. He takes the invitation, licking into my mouth, patient and greedy all at once.
My fingers find the short hair at his nape, and he shivers, pressing me tighter to the wall as if he can’t stand the thought of any space between us.
Heath lifts me without warning, and I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist, shocked by my boldness and how right it feels.
His mouth softens, then takes again, the rhythm turning lazy and deep.
Each kiss is a promise wrapped in a practice excuse, and I’m so gone for him that I forget why we’re practicing at all.
A sharp beep cuts through the haze.
We both freeze.
Heath mutters something that sounds like a curse against my mouth, then rests his forehead to mine, breathing hard while his phone chimes again in his pocket.
“I, uh, I don’t think we need more practice in that area,” I joke, licking my lips and tasting him there.
Heath grunts. “I’ll get your things.”
He grabs my suitcase and heads upstairs. I watch him go and then go to the kitchen to put the groceries away. I stand in front of the open fridge, hoping that it will cool me down.
I put everything away and turn to see Heath standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching me.
“All done,” I chirp. “I should go get ready before your family arrives.”
He doesn’t say anything, so I take that as my cue and scamper upstairs.
My suitcase is open on the bed, and I get to work putting my things away next to Heath’s. I need to get changed out of these clothes but decide to take a shower before I change.
My phone rings as I shampoo my hair, and I know it must be Jem. I’ll call her back when I get out.
Hurrying through my shower, I wrap a towel around my hair and another around my body. I grab my phone as I pad into the bedroom and call Jem back.
“Hey,” she answers. “How’s it going?”
“His family will be here soon, and I don’t feel ready for any of this,” I blurt.
“Any of what?”
“Oh, right. We haven’t talked.”
Jem sighs. “I know. It’s weird, right?”
“So, where did I leave off yesterday?”
“He asked you to marry him.”
“Right. Heath and I are getting married. Fake married. He has this whole inheritance thing and needs a wife, so I said yes.”
Silence greets me.
“He bought me a ring and kissed me senseless,” I ramble on.
“Hot.”
“Jem! Help me!”
“That’s a lot to process. Um… let me think.”
We’re both silent for a few moments, and I grow impatient.
“Listen, his family will love you,” she says firmly. “How could they not?”
I release a shaky breath. “Well, from the sounds of it, they’re all stuck-up snobs and hate everyone who doesn’t have a bank account with at least a few million in it.”
“Well, that’s you now, right?”
“Oh, my god! I never even checked if the wire went through!”
I scramble to pull up my banking app and let out a scream when I see the balance.
“Sienna?”
I put the phone back to my ear. “It’s so many zeros,” I choke.
“Brag.”
“Sienna!” Heath shouts a second before he bursts through the door.
I spin to face him, clutching the towel tighter around my body.
“What’s wrong, baby? Are you hurt?” he asks, running his hands over my arms and shoulders.
“I got the money,” I say, waving my phone at him so he can see the bank screen.
“You screamed.”
“I… It’s so much,” I whisper. “I’m fine. Really.”
He nods and turns to go back downstairs.
“Sienna?” Jem calls.
I clear my throat. “I’m here.”
“Yeah…”
“What?”
“It’s… You like him,” she states. “I can hear it in your voice.”
“I... Yeah,” I whisper. “Yeah, I do.”
“Don’t fall for him, Sienna,” she warns.
Tears prick my eyes. “Too late.”
She sighs. “Oh, Sienna.”
I suck in a sharp breath, trying to calm down. “I need to get dressed. They’ll be here soon.”
“Good luck. I’m here if you need me.”
“Thanks, Jem.”
I hang up and hurry to get dressed.
Time to play pretend, I think as I paste on a smile and make my way downstairs.
And try to remember that this is all pretend.