Fake Fiancée

“Max’s looking a bit wonky.” He nudged his head toward a sullen Max, who stood near the pool. A couple of players talked around him, but he watched us.

Tingles of awareness zipped up my spine at his gaze.

He’s fine was about to come out of my mouth when I saw Bianca and some of her girlfriends sashay up to him, blocking my view.

My grip on Tate tightened. “He seems to have found some company.”

“Maybe, but it’s you he wants.”

“How do you know?” I said rather sullenly.

He shrugged. “He told me he talked to you about his mum, and he never does that. You might find this hard to believe, but he’s a very private person.”

“He went behind my back.”

Tate thought about it. “All I can say is he isn’t thinking straight. He’s insane during the season. Football is his world.”

“What about Bianca? Does he still care about her?” Might as well pump the best friend for info while I had the chance.

He shook his head, his blond hair waving around like a lion’s mane. “Bianca was more of a pride thing because she screwed other players, but with you . . . it’s you.”

I slid my eyes in Max’s direction. His jaw flexed as he watched us dance. There was a possessive streak in him, even if we were pretend. I recognized it because I was the same.

Bianca wore a wounded expression on her face as she talked to Max. She held a red Solo Cup, her free hand gesturing around wildly at the party—and over at me. She gazed up at him like a distressed kitten. My lips tightened. Poor little Bianca, my ass.

“He could have asked any girl to be his fake fiancée. But he asked you—a random girl he’d never met before.” He arched a brow at me. “I adore dancing with you, but perhaps you need to deal with him, love. He isn’t going to stop being jealous, and I do have to live with him. Plus, do you really want to let Bianca win this round? She’s over there all over your bloke.”

I was angry with Max, yet my heart ached for him. Stupid, stupid heart. It didn’t know what to do.

But Bianca was an entirely different animal. I despised her.

Was it horrible that even though I couldn’t have him, I sure as hell didn’t want her to have him?

Making a decision, I said a quick goodbye to Tate and left the dance floor. I edged around the girls as they talked about the game until I faced Max, giving them my back and cutting off whatever Bianca had been saying to him.

He glanced up at me in surprise, and the air thickened with electricity. Relief flickered on his face. “Sunny—”

“Finally,” Bianca interrupted. “Here’s the happy couple together.” She glided closer, her sorority sisters’ huddle following as if they were attached at the hip. “Now that you’re here, I must congratulate you on the entertainment during the game.” Her once distressed look had morphed into something hateful. “You have to know it’s very difficult for us to believe, especially since you just started dating.”

“Sometimes you just know when you’ve met the one. I knew the moment I saw him.” Truth rang in my voice, but I shoved that away. Hard. This was my game now. I came in close to Max and kissed him, pulling back before he could deepen it.

I slanted my eyes at her when I eased back, watching her face flame and enjoying the satisfaction of it. “He’s a maniac in the sack, by the way,” I added softly. I focused back on my fiancé. “This party’s crowded. You wanna be alone?”

His arm came around me, his words husky. “I know you hate to leave our own party, but yeah.”

Bianca watched us with her hands on her hips. “I don’t think so,” she snapped, her body stiffening as she tossed her shoulders back. “Don’t think you can snub me—”

“He will never be yours, Bianca,” I reminded her. “You had your chance and you screwed it up.”

Her eyes flashed as her hands clenched at her side, and before I could duck, she splashed the contents of her cup in my face. Beer ran down my nose and to my lips. I wiped at my eyes. My tongue came out to taste the bitterness. I’d never cared for beer.

A hushed pause came over the crowd.

“I think it’s time you left my party,” I gritted.

She scoffed. “You should leave. You don’t belong here.”

“Enough, ladies, let’s keep this civil . . .” Max started, but I held my hand up at him. My eyes told him everything. You’ve done enough. Step back, mister.

He got my message and nodded tightly.

I focused on Bianca. “You’re done messing with me and the people I care about.”

Max started at my words, but I didn’t dare look at him.

She curled her lip. “You barely know him.”

I faked a rush, taking two steps toward her and stopping when we were nose to nose. Her eyes flared, and she hobbled backward. Seeing an opportunity, I helped her along with a little shove—just a tiny one. She lost her balance in her ridiculous shoes. With her arms waving like windmills, she toppled straight into the shallow end of the pool.

She came up sputtering, shock on her face as mascara trickled down her cheeks. I watched her flounder, hoping I looked a whole heck of a lot more confident than I really was. I hadn’t meant for her to land in the pool, but I’d take it.

“You bitch,” she shrieked, her wet hair stringy as it clung to her scalp. “You’ll regret this, I swear.”

Isabella rushed to my side, Ash and Tate behind her. Isabella’s eyes went from Max to me to Bianca. A wide grin split her face and she did a little dance. “Sunny Blaine, you rock.” Then she popped her phone out and snapped pics of Bianca.

Someone whooped, and several people jumped in the pool. Within minutes, the water was full of people swimming in their clothes.

Max was looking at me, his face incredulous.

Tate chuckled. “You bloody shocked him into silence.”

I tore my eyes off Max’s face, my gaze wanting to linger there.

But I couldn’t let it.

I leaned against Isabella, my knees week. I was crashing. “I want to go home.”

“I’ll take you,” he murmured, moving to come around to my side.

“No,” I said quickly, holding my hand up to stop him from getting too close. Just being near him made me feel sick. Maybe that was the tequila, but either way, I needed space. “I can’t.”

His lips tightened, looking at the faces of my friends. “Fine.”

Isabella crooked her arm in mine, breaking the tension. “I’ll make sure she gets home okay and gets cleaned up. Why don’t you start throwing out the trash?” Her eyes darted to the pool where a wet Bianca struggled to get out on the ladder. Her sorority sisters had gathered around to pull her up.

“I’ll go with them and make sure they get there okay,” Ash offered.

I nodded, sent a final look to Max, and walked away.

Even though I’d had the tequila to dull my pain, I was restless that night when I finally crashed. My dreams were filled with images of Max on his knees in front of me.

And my body?

I ached for him.

I got up at eight, feeling off-kilter and exhausted. After two cups of coffee and a Pop-Tart, I was alive enough to shower. After I got out, I glanced out the window, wondering if he was up.

I forced myself to forget about him as I dressed in yoga pants and a T-shirt. I put my hair up in a messy bun and headed out to the Land Cruiser. Max said it was mine for the weekend, and I wasn’t going to turn it down, even if I was still angry with him.