Chapter Twenty-Three #2
“Fletch made sure that they scheduled our events on the same day so that we’d always run in to each other.
If sponsors came in to see him because of his direct connections to his dad, he’d make sure to introduce me, always wrapping an arm around my waist. Pretty soon, we were taking pictures together, and people assumed we were dating.
When I joked one day to him about how people thought we were a couple, he very seriously told me that we were.
I accepted it. He was fun when times were good—a nice distraction from my increasing homesickness—but he was never anything serious to me.
However, the public did take us serious.
Pretty soon, we were being followed by paparazzi wherever we went, and they’d scream the vilest things.
About me and my childhood. Nothing was sacred.
When I’d ask Fletch to use his connections to get them to back off, he looked at me like I was crazy.
He said, ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity, Car! ’
“I started to feel like I was living in a nightmare. On top of the tabloids digging into my past, Fletch’s relations with groupies who followed the circuit was getting back to me.
He told me to stop being jealous when I’d ask him about it.
I wasn’t jealous—I was humiliated. I finally told him I wanted to go home.
He told me about a deal that would make me even wealthier than I was at that point.
I almost agreed to stay for another year, but I walked in on him with someone. ”
Carly gave a sad shrug.
“The rest you know. I came back to the States. What I didn’t know was that without me and the Hawkins name, Fletch has been struggling. He said seats aren’t selling out anymore. He’s behind the offer I was given for the European tour. He wanted a repeat of our notoriety. I told him no.”
“You’re giving up rodeo?” Jesse asked. He seemed to be holding his breath as he waited for her answer.
“I told my agent the other week that I was done. I want to focus on my school. The Dinosaur Days Rodeo was my last performance.”
Jesse looked like he was doing his best not to smile. He carefully wrapped his arms around her. “Soo…is there anything else you want beside your school?”
“Subtle,” she joked before she grazed his lips with her own. “You, duh. Because I love you too.”
“Thank God,” Jesse muttered before he pulled her to him again.
When they finally broke apart, Carly asked, “What does all this mean? For us?”
Jesse brushed his thumb across her lips as though he couldn’t stop touching her. “I can’t walk away from you. I love you too much. I know it’s a lot to ask, settling down with a guy who comes with a teenage boy who has autism.”
She frowned. “You know I care very deeply for Oscar. How could I not? He’s a part of you. Which is why I should warn you…someone took pictures of us at the Tenacity Social Club.”
“I know.”
Her eyes flew to his. “What do you mean, you know?”
“Oscar’s a sports junkie, remember. He follows all the news. He told me about it a couple of weeks ago.”
“What…why didn’t you tell me?”
Jesse gave her a confused look. “I figured you were used to that kind of thing. It didn’t seem a big deal.”
“And you’re okay with it? Being splashed in the tabloids like that?”
“I wasn’t thrilled, but I would never leave you because of it.”
“What if they show up here and start causing issues for you and Oscar?”
“Oscar’s got a whole football team that’s willing to protect him now, thanks in large part to you.”
Carly tried not to smile at that. “And what about you? Would you be okay if the press showed up here and started taking your picture?”
“As long as I get to keep you, I’ll ask them to get my good side and go about my day.”
She let out a laugh, unable to believe how well he was taking this.
“Did we solve all of our issues for the day?” Jesse asked.
Carly didn’t try to hide her relieved grin then. “For now.”
“Good.”
He tugged her carefully onto his lap and captured her mouth in a kiss, his tongue sliding against hers. The kiss deepened, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her against him until not even air separated them.
When they pulled away to draw in an erratic breath, he said, “You want to know what this means for us? I can’t do casual.
I don’t need to see where this goes. I know exactly where I want this to end.
With you and me in a church before all our friends and family.
I want to marry you someday. Hopefully, someday soon.
This isn’t a proposal, mind you. I’m going to ask you properly after I’ve put some thought into it.
I want it to be a proposal to remember.”
Carly felt the same sincerity she read on Jesse’s face. “In that case, I think you should know that when you ask me, I plan to say yes.”
She shifted on his lap and almost moaned as she settled more firmly on his obvious need for her. She pushed down, and he sucked in a hard breath at the movement.
“It’s too bad I don’t have my house completed yet,” Jesse muttered as he rocked up into her. “I don’t even have a place to offer you.”
Carly stilled. “I guess it’s a good thing I have plenty of room here for you and Oscar.”
Jesse seemed to get momentarily pulled from his haze as he registered her words. “You’d be okay with us moving in here someday?”
“Sure,” Carly said. “After you make an honest woman of me. Can’t have the town gossiping about me that way.”
Jesse snorted. “Of course. I guess one of my siblings can have the house I’ve been working on—”
He stopped talking as Carly began to trail kisses on his neck.
“Sounds like a plan,” she said after giving his skin a final nibble. “You should probably ask me to marry you soon, then, so we can figure out the living situation that much faster.”
She reached between them with her good hand so that she could palm him through his jeans.
Jesse swore under his breath. “It’s too bad you’re injured because I really want to make love to you right now.”
Carly giggled, feeling carefree for the first time in what seemed forever.
She climbed off Jesse’s lap but held her hand out to him. When he looked at her questioningly, she said, “This ain’t my first rodeo.”
He burst out laughing. Getting up from the couch, Jesse swung Carly into his arms, and they headed to her room.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Fortune’s Fake Fiancé by Allison Leigh.