Chapter 10

10

WES

W e stayed until late in the evening eating the feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green beans Daphne and Dad had prepared. For dessert, we ate Daphne’s pies. Everything about the evening felt right.

Was it too much to hope that was the first of many Christmases together?

When Sutton got up to put her wine glass in the kitchen, I followed her. “Are you ready to go home? I want to show you something.”

“I didn’t get you a gift with everything going on. Is there something you want?” Each year, Sutton got me something, whether it was a new TV or a cleaning service or a subscription to a coffee-bean delivery service. She claimed she enjoyed gift giving. But I didn’t need anything from her. I just needed her in my life. “You don’t need to get me anything.”

Her lips quirked up. “We’re engaged now. I feel like I should get my fiancé something.”

I liked the sound of the word fiancé on her lips a little too much. It had been hard to get the feel of that kiss out of my head. Even though it was brief, I still felt the press of her lips against mine. The sharp intake of breath right before I kissed her. “Being together is enough.”

“Aw. You’re already a great fiancé.”

“Are you going to call me that all the time now?” Every time she said it, a tingle of desire zipped through my body.

“Until I can call you my husband .”

That sent all the blood to my dick. How was I going to survive being so close to her and not touching her? It was too much to hope that she felt the same way.

At my house, I parked in the garage, and we met at the door to the laundry room. Otto was jumping from me to Sutton, angling for attention. “I don’t even need to get you a key to my house since you already have one.”

“Maybe a fob for the garage door,” Sutton said as she patted Otto’s head.

I grabbed the extra off the hook by the door and handed it to her. “My house is yours.”

Sutton held the fob in her hand. “I really appreciate you doing this for me.”

“You know I’d do anything for you.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “This is a big ask.”

“Nothing is too big.” Not for her. I just needed her to realize that.

We stood in the laundry room, the light I’d left on in the kitchen illuminating her face.

“What did you want to show me?” Sutton asked softly.

“It’s outside.” We made our way through the house and out the slider to the deck. Otto took off ahead of us to sniff the yard.

I used the new remote to turn on the lights .

Sutton gasped. “The new lights look great. You could keep them up year-round.”

“I might do that.” Mainly because I didn’t want to have to put them up again next year.

Sutton followed me down the deck steps where the lights continued along the railing to the outdoor living area I’d recently created, complete with twinkling lights that I’d strung under the deck to give it a cozy atmosphere.

“You did all of this? And decorated your trees?”

I had a few trees that could pass as evergreens but weren’t. In fact, in a few years, they’d be too big to decorate, but I thought I’d throw the extra lights I had on those.

Sutton walked past them, her expression filled with awe.

“You like it?”

“You did this for me?” She stepped back from the trees to take in the space.

I shifted on my feet. “You’re the one who said it would look good if I decorated more.”

“I love it.”

Suddenly feeling a little too exposed, I moved toward the fireplace and turned it on. It was my favorite feature. I loved that I could flip a switch and a fire immediately roared to life.

With the fire crackling and the lights twinkling all around us, it felt nice.

“We need music,” Sutton said as she pulled out her phone, hit Play on a holiday tune, and rested it on the mantle. “Shall we dance? It would be a shame to waste the ambiance.”

I pulled her into my arms, familiar with the feel of her. Except tonight my heart seemed to ache for her. She was so close yet so far away. Would I ever be able to tell her how I felt? Or would I be relegated to the friend zone forever ?

“Thank you for rescuing me.” Her breath tickled my chin.

I frowned, racking my brain for her meaning. “You mean the accident?”

“That and from my grandmother’s scheme. You saved me from dating those guys. It’s a relief not to have to worry about choosing the right one.”

“Now you’re stuck with me,” I quipped to try and lighten the mood.

“It’s a good place to be,” Sutton said with a smile, and my heart took off. “What’s the plan for the next few weeks?”

Sutton seemed nervous about something, and I knew she felt better when she had definite plans. “We’ll move you into my place, and you’ll work with my sisters to plan the big day. Then we’ll stay married for a few weeks, or do you think it should be months?”

“The will says I have to get married. It doesn’t say anything about duration. I had my attorney look at it.”

“So, what, we just need to stay married for one day?” I asked, a little disappointed by that news.

“The attorney recommended that we make it look legit. I would think a few months should do it.”

“That’s doable.”

“Are you sure you can put up with me for a few months?” Sutton looked up at me.

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time, but I couldn’t tell her that. “I’ll manage.”

“I think I’ll spend all my time out here, under the lights. I can’t think of a better Christmas night.”

The day had started off a little awkward and uncomfortable. I had a feeling the next few weeks were going to be crazy. Between her moving in and planning a wedding, it wouldn’t be easy. But maybe after the wedding, things would settle down and we could explore the possibility of us.

In the meantime, I’d take advantage of moments like this to get closer to her.

Over the next few days, I helped Sutton move her things into my place. She seemed reluctant to bring much more than clothes, claiming she didn’t want to disrupt my life when that was exactly what I wanted her to do.

Bedtime was a little awkward. We’d slept together a couple of times, but it was because of circumstance. This felt different. There was a little dance we did, where I insisted she go into the bathroom first. Then I rested on the pillows wondering what she was doing in there, if she was naked and smoothing lotion over her legs.

It was torture. By the time I brushed my teeth and stripped to my briefs, the lights in the bedroom were off.

Sutton faced away from me, and I regretted my choice of a king bed because there was so much distance between us.

By morning, she was wrapped around me, her head on my chest or her body sprawled on top of mine. It made for some awkward wake-ups.

I insisted on making her breakfast before we both left for the day. She was busy with plans for our fake wedding and was still leading tours of the house. I went to my job, where I was grateful for the time outside to clear my head.

I was a mess. Living with her was intense. My body wanted her, but my brain wanted to take things slow. I was waiting for a sign from her that she felt the same way. Then I worried that she’d never give me one.

There was a party at the Rosesmith Estate for New Year’s, and we were expected to be there as the newly engaged couple. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but Sutton had arranged for me to have a tux, and she’d said she’d wear a gown for the event.

I could think of a billion other things I’d rather be doing, like hiking through the woods or dancing under the stars again. But we needed this to look real, and if this is what it took, then I’d do it.

The best perk of us pretending to be engaged was that I could shield her from some of her family’s vitriol. She wasn’t alone in this anymore. I tried not to think of what would come after our breakup.

That evening, I was standing in front of the full-length mirror struggling with the bow tie when Sutton came out of the closet in a sparkly black dress that clung to every curve. When she moved, her bare leg peeked out of a high slit.

“You look stunning.”

A slow smile spread over her face. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” Then she turned, and my heart tripped over the sight of the expanse of bare skin she revealed. “Would you mind?”

My mouth was dry, and my heart was beating in my ears. Did she want me to touch her? If I reached under the gaping material I’d palm her bare breasts, tweaking the peeks of her nipples into hard nubs.

Sutton gathered her hair and pulled it over one shoulder, then peeked over her shoulder at me. “Wes. The zipper.”

My heart rate slowed. She wanted me to help her. My fingers shook as one hand rested on her hip, guiding her closer until she was only inches away from me. I was at war with myself. I could bare her, touch her, or zip her up.

I really wanted to touch her, to take this relationship to the next level. But I knew it would be a bad idea to follow my instincts to get physical with her. I couldn’t screw everything up because of my attraction to her.

I snagged the zipper and slowly inched it up, covering her skin. I wished her dress was one of the styles that bared her back.

“Do you need help?” She turned so that she was facing me and titled her head. “With your bow tie.”

I cleared my throat. “That would be great.”

My mouth felt like it was filled with cotton, and my heart was still pounding hard. Sutton stepped forward, her hands moving to the bow tie, where she concentrated on tying it into an intricate knot.

I wanted to hold her by the hips and press the evidence of my desire against her. I wanted to kiss the bright red lipstick off her lips. I felt hot, almost feverish, by the time she stepped back, seemingly oblivious to the inferno raging inside of me.

“There. That should do it.” Sutton moved to my side so that I could see the effect in the mirror. “What do you think?”

But my eyes were on her as she stood next to me in the mirror. She was mine, yet she wasn’t. It was a mind fuck I wasn’t going to wrap my head around anytime soon. “Looks great.”

She beamed. “Are you ready to go? The driver’s waiting for us.”

“I thought I’d drive.”

“I always take a car to events like this. That way we don’t have to worry about drinking and driving.”

“I wasn’t planning on drinking.” I should keep my wits about me. But maybe it would help me relax .

Sutton frowned. “I’m not climbing into your truck with this dress.”

I imagined how I’d have to help her inside, keeping a hand on her hip for leverage. Would the movement expose her leg? For the first time, I wished I had something flashier for her. A sleek sports car.

“Come on. The quicker we go, the sooner we can leave.”

“Don’t we have to stay until midnight?” I asked as she slipped on heels and grabbed a black clutch from the bed.

“Hmm. Maybe. Or we could beg off and say I have a headache.”

“Is that what you usually do?” I wanted to know about this side of her. The one that put on a front when she was with her family.

“If I can slip away, I do.”

I had a feeling all eyes would be on us tonight. “Wait. I almost forgot.”

I hurried up the steps and into the bedroom where I’d hidden the ring I’d gotten. I hadn’t wanted to ask Dad for Mom’s ring especially since this wasn’t supposed to be real. Besides, Teddy should have it. Not me.

When I made my way down the stairs, Sutton was pursing her lips in front of the mirror, reapplying her lip stick.

When she turned to me, she smiled. Then it faltered when she saw the black velvet box in my hands. “This will make things official.”

I opened the box, and Sutton gasped. “You bought me a ring.”

“Don’t we need one to make it look real?” Then my face heated because it was for me.

Her gaze lifted to mine. “It’s gorgeous. You shouldn’t have. ”

“You deserve it.” I didn’t want anyone speculating that our relationship wasn’t legitimate. Sutton didn’t need the snide comments tonight. “Now you can show this off tonight.”

For the first time, I wondered if it would be big enough for her family or the guests at the party. Would they expect a family heirloom?

Feeling insecure, I slipped the ring onto her offered finger.

Sutton wiggled her fingers holding it up to the light. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

With a grin, she kissed me softly, stealing all the air from my lungs. She pulled back way too quickly, and I took some deep breaths to recover.

We hadn’t kissed since that moment on the porch. There hadn’t been a reason to since we weren’t out in public. But I’d wanted to so many times.

We rode to her family’s house, decorated for the holidays. We got out in the front and went inside where a butler took our jackets. There were people milling about with glasses of champagne.

“This is where I’d like to hold the wedding.” Sutton led me to a room on the back of the house that was almost entirely windows. There were tables on one end and a dance floor on the other where a band was playing.

“What do you think about holding our wedding here? We could have the ceremony where the band is set up, and then change things out for the reception.”

“It’s nice.”

“It’s even more beautiful during the day when you can see the view of the gardens.” Sutton’s cheeks were pink, and her eyes were filled with excitement.

“You love this place. ”

“I’m infatuated with the history. How each member of the family used each room. My great-grandmother added this room so she could see her beloved gardens. I’ve been reading through some of the journals in the attic to get a feel for the place. I’m always trying to add more details to the tour.”

Before I could respond, Evelyn appeared with Deacon at her side. “I see you made it.”

“Of course I came,” Sutton said as they hugged.

I shook Deacon’s hand.

“You have a ring,” Evelyn said, and Sutton dutifully held up her hand to be inspected. Evelyn sniffed. “I suppose that will do. Unless you wanted a piece of the family’s jewelry?”

“As much as I adore our family’s history, I like the ring that Wes picked out for me.”

I heard sincerity in her voice which bolstered my confidence. I’d chosen a round cut diamond with smaller ones encircling it. There was a filigree detail on the band that the jeweler had assured me would give the ring a vintage feel.

“Be sure to show Grandmother the ring.”

“Will do,” Sutton said with a smile.

“How are the wedding plans coming along?” Evelyn asked.

“Great. Wes’s sisters are helping me.”

I liked that Sutton had grown closer to my sisters. For so long, our relationship had stood on its own. But I wanted her to feel a part of my family.

Evelyn gave her a look. “If you want to hire a planner, the offer stands.”

“I want something a little different than one of our grand parties. Something with a more personal touch.”

“It’s your wedding,” Evelyn said, but her tone suggested she didn’t approve .

I understood that Evelyn and Deacon stood to get more cash from the inheritance if Sutton married, but it didn’t sit right with me. They had an ulterior motive, and it had nothing to do with Sutton being happy.

“We’ll hold it in this room, and I want to fill it with flowers. There will be so many we can smell them as we say our vows.” Sutton looked at me when she said that, and I forgot for a second that this wasn’t real. We weren’t in love, and the ceremony was a formality. A means to an end. A temporary one.

“It has to be classy and elegant,” Evelyn said.

A flash of pain crossed Sutton’s face. “It will be.”

“When the house is ours, we don’t want it to be open to tours anymore. We like our privacy, you know.”

Sutton frowned. “You know my plans are to open it up as a party space and to add more tours.”

“That’s just not possible. This is our home. You said it yourself. Our family’s history needs to be preserved, and that can’t happen if you turn it into a museum.”

I wanted to get her out of her mother’s crosshairs, so I said, “This sounds like a discussion for another day. Let’s dance.”

I whisked Sutton onto the dance floor.

“Thanks for the save. It seems like you’re having to do that a lot lately.”

“Because we’re around your family. Maybe when the wedding’s over, we can concentrate on us.” I knew there was no escaping that she worked at the estate.

“I’m worried about what Mom said. I didn’t know she was planning on shutting down the tours. What will I do?”

“You’re the one inheriting the house. You can do whatever you want with it. ”

Sutton gasped. “Are you suggesting I kick my parents out?”

“What was your plan for your parents when you inherited?”

“I hadn’t gotten that far yet. I was preoccupied with the getting married to inherit part.”

“It sounds like your parents want the house and the money.”

“Why can’t anything with my family be easy?” Sutton asked, and I knew it was a rhetorical question.

“That’s what you have me for. I’ll ground you and remind you what’s important.”