Pretending He’s Mine (Caught Up In Love #2)(25)
Author: Lauren Blakely

“Good for you. That’s awesome. ‘Cause, obviously, she’s pretty damn happy.”

“I’m pretty damn happy. So listen, whether you love this chick or just like her, you need to make it abundantly clear. Put your heart on a goddamn platter and give her the choice to be with you.”

Reeve stood up. “You are a steely-eyed missile man. Or a wise man. Or Yoda. Or something. I’m gonna go find her.”

“One more thing,” Bryan said from his post on the couch. “Don’t show up empty handed. Bring her a gift. But not flowers or chocolate. Get her something that matters to her.”

Something that matters to her.

Reeve knew exactly what that was.

“Is this going to fit?”

He held up the sweater thing and asked the saleswoman.

She nodded. “Yes, for that size and weight. It’ll be a perfect fit.”

“Okay. Can you wrap it? But nothing too girly. Maybe just a black bow or something?”

The saleswoman nodded, and minutes later she handed him the gift. He paid for it, thanked her, and ran the few blocks from the Madison Avenue shop to Sutton’s apartment building. He buzzed once and waited. There was no answer. He called her. She didn’t pick up her phone. Damn, this was going to hell quickly. So much for his big gesture. He looked down at the gift. Was it even the right big gesture?

He buzzed once more, but was met with silence.

“Come along, darling. Let’s go home and have some dinner.”

He smiled to himself at the sound of her voice, then turned around. She was looking the other way as The Artful Dodger sniffed a bush. She looked adorable in her jeans and pullover jacket. She had a scarf around her neck, and her hair was down. He loved her hair. He wanted to bury his face in her hair, and run his fingers through those beautiful strands.

He ran down the steps and stopped in front of her.

“Oh.” She seemed taken aback to see him.

“Hi.”

“Hello.”

“How are you?”

“I’m great. How are you? Are you so excited about the movie? I bet your agent is thrilled. I’m so proud of you. I knew you could do it.”

Reeve placed a hand on her arm. “You’re babbling. You’re making small talk. You’re chatting about business. I’m not here on business reasons. I’m here on personal reasons,” he said and smiled at her. He hoped she knew the smile was for her. That it was for real. But hoping and wishing wouldn’t be enough. “Sutton, I stand by what I said in the wine closet. You are the most stubborn and complicated woman I have ever known. But I also want to get to know you. I want to know the real you. I want to walk your dog with you and find out how you drink your coffee, and I want to see what you look like in the morning, and even if you think you don’t look hot in the mornings, I already know you’re wrong because you are always hot to me. I said yes to the job because I had a thing for you. I had a crush on you. And then I spent a week with you, and now I have a hell of a lot more than a crush on you.”

He watched her as her features softened, as her hard shell started to break. “What do you mean more than a crush?”

He rolled his eyes. “Sutton Brenner, I. LIKE. YOU. Okay? Not like fake fiancé like. Not like pretend boyfriend like. Not like an actor-trying-to-get-a-role like. I have fallen into mad like with you. And I have no idea if you like me back, okay? You needed something from me and yet it’s like you doubted me every step of the way, and I could be making a complete ass of myself and reading everything wrong, and maybe it was only one way. Maybe it was only me for you. But if you like me at all too, then let’s just see what happens when we’re not trying to get something?”

Sutton muttered something in a small voice.

Reeve shook his head. “I didn’t hear you.”

“I’m sorry I was difficult. I’m sorry I was infuriating. I’m sorry I was hot and cold.”

“It’s okay,” Reeve said and moved closer to her. He glanced down and saw The Artful Dodger wagging his tail. “Your dog looks happy.”

“He’s always happy,” Sutton said with a smile. “He’s also especially happy when I’m happy.”

“Are you then? Happy?”

She nodded. “I like you too,” she said, and he knew how hard it was for her to say those words.

“For real?”

“For real. So for real it’s like beyond real,” she said. “I like you almost as much as I like my dog.”

Reeve wrapped her in an embrace. “Now that’s saying a lot. And speaking of, I got him a gift.”

Sutton’s fingers nervously undid the ribbon. Her heart was fluttering and her body was singing, and she felt so foolish for having doubted him. She’d been falling for her actor boy, falling so hard she’d feared how much it would hurt. Now, he was here and he had a gift for her dog. She held the leash tightly in one hand as she opened the box.

She gasped when she saw what was inside. A perfect navy blue fleece coat for the winter months. She pulled it out quickly. “It’s the perfect size for him! How did you know his size?”

Reeve shrugged. “Told you I was good with sizes. I took a wild guess that he was about nine pounds. Was I right?”

“He’s exactly nine pounds! You got my dog a gift,” she said and maybe it seemed small, and maybe it seemed silly, but the fact was Reeve knew the way to her heart was through her dog. “I can’t wait to put it on him. Let’s get rid of this old ratty coat and take him for a walk in his new one.” Then she stopped talking and her nerves came back. “That is, if you want to?”

“Sutton Brenner, I went into a dog accessory shop on Madison Avenue. Yes, I want to walk your dog with you. But there’s also something I want you to do for me.”

“Yes?”

“I want you to ask me to spend the night with you, and I want you to let me stay over.”

She blushed. “Reeve, will you spend the night with me?”

He nodded, and leaned in to brush his lips against hers. It felt good. It felt right. It felt real.

Epilogue

Present Day

The metal dug into his wrists. The bright lights shone on him. He was handcuffed to the bedpost, wearing only his boxer briefs and cowboy boots. Because that’s what the script dictated the lead actor in Escorted Lives should wear in this scene. And Reeve had not only won a part, as Janelle had promised, he’d won the starring role.