5. Five
Five
Ainsley
W hat in the actual hell is going on? Payton Olsen just kissed me. In public. Is this real? Did he lace my coffee with something and I’m hallucinating?
“Pretend to enjoy yourself. Harlowe’s coming and you have to sell this with me. Be a good actress,” he whispers, dragging his lips along my jaw and feathering soft kisses to my ear. “Say very little if you want.”
His voice is an unexpectedly soft caress to go along with the brush of stubble on his face as it skims against mine. I can’t help the shiver it drags out of me no matter how badly I want to shove him away and run right out of here and away from whatever spell he’s weaving over me.
I’m vibrating with confusion and lust, it seems because how do you have a man like Payton, a perfect stranger who is absolutely beautiful, suddenly scoop you into his arms, sort of kiss you, and then nuzzle your face and whisper in your ear like he’s your lover and feel any other way? Jesus, I need a cold shower and to get the hell away from him.
One of those I can make happen. I straighten my arm, pushing against his chest, and he finally relents, letting me go to reveal Harlowe standing in front of the table with a shocked expression on her face.
“What the fuck?” She places her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes as she looks between us.
I look up, not sure how to handle this incredibly awkward situation, then back at Payton. It’s his freaking circus, so he gets to drive the clown car. He smiles wide and wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his chest. A chest that is hard with muscles and smells of expensive cologne with notes of sea salt and something warm, like amber, which happens to be a heady and delicious combo that invades my nose and sends my head spinning again. He kisses the top of my hat and I’m relieved at the shelter it creates as I duck my head down and escape the appraising look Harlowe is giving me.
“Harlowe, this is my girlfriend, Ainsley Montgomery. Ainsley, this is my sister-in-law, Harlowe Olsen. I wasn’t planning on introducing you two just yet, but you’re fucking relentless and forced my hand today because you wouldn’t listen to me when I told you I didn’t need you to set me up with anyone.”
He’s so casual and sounds perfectly at ease, not at all like he’s making this up on the fly. I risk a glance up at him, wondering about his ability to spin any situation. He can’t be trusted if this is his default. I turn back to Harlowe with a neutral expression, trying not to give away my feelings of distrust when I’m supposed to be performing .
Harlowe’s mouth is open and she abruptly sits in the chair across from us. “No fucking way. I don’t believe this.” She raises a manicured finger at us. “Why wouldn’t you just tell me?”
“You don’t know the meaning of privacy. You’re all up in my business and live your life in the public eye. I don’t. I’m perfectly capable of finding my own partner and just wasn’t ready to tell you.”
Payton looks down at me and smiles in such a soft way it makes my heart drop into my stomach. This dude is way too charming and good at faking it.
“Things with Ainsley are new. We don't want to rush anything and I didn’t want you scaring her away.”
He says the words like he means them and I stare into those cerulean eyes, trying not to look too bewildered by the whole situation. I’m supposed to be selling this with him. That’s how I’ll be able to pay him back and get past this incredibly weird day. Here goes nothing.
“Pumpkin and I are taking things slow,” I say, giving him a smile and a stupid nickname of my own. “I’m a bit old-fashioned like that.” I smile at Harlowe now. “It’s really nice to meet you, despite the circumstances.” I reach out my hand toward Harlowe and she eyes me hesitantly before shaking it.
“Sorry we ruined your plans with your friend. You should probably let her know she doesn't have to show up, after all. That’d be embarrassing for everyone.”
Harlowe narrows her eyes at Payton. “How convenient to have your girlfriend right here when you need an excuse. This seems a little too advantageous if you ask me. When did you meet, exactly, and why was she sitting here like she didn’t know you until I told you I had someone coming to meet you?”
Oh, shit. Are we that bad at convincing her? My brain scrambles as I look for any way to get myself out of this favor to Payton. I think of the story for the Gazette I was just working on. The truth is often stranger than fiction. I twine my arm around Payton’s and lace our fingers together as I send him a smile to let him know I’ve got this one.
“We met at a real estate summit two weeks ago. I was covering the new regulations set in place for downtown development and Payton happened to be there due to the new Olympus International real estate venture. He was so obnoxiously commanding and I couldn’t take my eyes off him, even though he was annoying as hell with his perfect smile and easy answers for everything. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.”
I tip my head at Harlowe and her lips twist a bit like she’s trying to hide her smile. I look at Payton and he’s eyeing me warily, letting me take the lead when he told me to say very little. At least I’m going with a plausible story. We were both at that summit, even if he had no idea who I was at the time.
“I bumped into him as I was trying to leave the conference room, and he knocked my coffee out of my hand, then insisted on buying me another. I refused at first because I was mad, but he was very persuasive, and we ended up talking at a coffee shop for hours, arguing over everything, and finding common ground in the most unlikely places. One thing led to another, and now here we are.”
Payton’s smiling at me like he’s proud of the story I’ve created for us. A shiver runs down my spine and I fight the urge to scowl at him just to cover for the unwanted butterflies he’s giving me with this whole situation. He’s the worst.
“He is obnoxious and annoying. You’re right about that,” Harlowe says, smirking at Payton but relaxing back into her chair, and I think she’s buying our story. “I wish you had told me.” She pouts, grabbing for her phone and typing out a quick message, hopefully calling off the arrival of her friend for Payton’s sake. Maybe I can help sell this even more.
“I’m not surprised he’s keeping it under wraps even from you. We’ve been taking things…slow.” Payton’s relaxing into the banquette now that I’m seemingly doing a convincing job. I look back at Harlowe, knowing I’m talking way too much, but it’s working. “He’s a person of interest and he’s so out of my league it’s hardly plausible that we’d ever be together. We’re staying under the radar for privacy reasons, to get to know one another without being scrutinized in the public eye. I’m sure you know how that goes,” I say, appealing to the very real threat of gossip blogs and everyone wanting a piece of the story, which she’s had to deal with personally in her own relationship.
Harlowe looks up and rolls her eyes with a knowing smile. “Smart girl.”
Payton suddenly tips my chin up with a finger, stealing my attention as his thumb strokes my cheek. “You’re everything I could want and more, Muffin. I don’t like hearing you say anything about not being in my league. That’s bullshit.” His voice has taken on a deep, commanding tone, his blue eyes serious, the words jolting me out of the storytelling mode I’d fallen into. I can’t look away, feeling something stronger than the lies we’re weaving holding us bound together in the moment.
Harlowe makes a sighing noise, snapping the strange thread of tension between us, and we look over. Her eyes are glassy as she fans a hand in front of her face.
“That’s seriously so precious it makes me sick and it’s everything I’ve been wanting for you, Payton. I’m so happy.”
Payton relaxes next to me, and I hope this means we’ll be done with this charade soon and I can go back to finishing my story and making my damn deadline.
“Are you done trying to set me up now?” he asks, leaning back against the banquette, tucking me into his side comfortably. I try not to look too stiff and awkward, willing my body to mold against his side and give in to the appeal of pressing against him again. It’s not a bad spot to snuggle up to if I wanted to. Instead, I’m forced to be here and it’s wildly overwhelming, making my thoughts spiral and my heart race.
“I don't need to set you up with anyone else now that I’ve met your cute little Ainsley. I know there’ll be someone for you to have at all our summer events and get-togethers.” Harlowe turns toward me and I get a sinking feeling in my stomach just as Payton’s arm around me stiffens. “I can't wait to get to know you more at everything we have planned.”
“What did I say about scaring her away, Harlowe?” Payton chides with a laugh like it’s all fun and games, rather than his cunning sister-in-law backing us into a corner. “She’s all mine right now and I’m not sharing her with anyone, including you.”
I look over at Payton and catch the mask of total confidence quickly replacing the flicker of unease that passes across his stunning profile. He wasn’t expecting this from Harlowe, either. So much for a one-and-done favor repayment. Fuck.