Crash and Burn (7 page)

“Hank is not a dish mop. He likes to see me happy, which is more than I can say for you. You’re so selfish. It’s all about you.”

Stone wanted to laugh out loud. He’d never met anyone as selfish as Divina. And, as far as inconveniencing someone, it was Divina who didn’t want to postpone her wedding, refused being seen with him in public. It was the opposite of how she’d acted when they met.

“Okay, so let’s say it’s all about me,” he said. “If Grace agrees to play my wife, will you keep your wedding plans a secret? I can’t have Divina marrying someone publicly while I’m married to her, even though it would be you, not Grace. Do you see what I mean?”

At this point, he wasn’t sure what he meant. He waited for her to answer, but she didn’t. She stood up and walked away, thumbing through the mail like she hadn’t heard a word he’d said. The headache that threatened earlier erupted. He needed to lie down.

He stepped into the room he shared with Grace. She was sitting at a small desk in the corner. He didn’t say anything and she didn’t acknowledge he was there. The springs squeaked when he fell onto the bed. He rubbed his temples and moaned softly.

“Stone?”

He froze.

“It’s not about the money,” she said, not turning around. “I can’t be your wife.”

Chapter 5

“I can’t be his wife. I can’t pretend I’m in love with him. I already feel things I have no business feeling. If I hadn’t nursed a crush on him for so many years, maybe, but I was sitting there thinking how much I wish I’d been conscious for that kiss. The fact it was wrong for him to kiss me didn’t really enter into it,” Grace whined to her best friend the following day.

She and Kayla had spent the last hour curled up on Divina’s living room couch, going over everything that had happened since the wedding, her parents practically forcing her to move in with the happy couple and the offer of one million dollars for a year of being Divina, married to Stone Adams.

“A part of me wants to be his pretend wife, but the rational part tells me nothing good can come of this. I’m going to get hurt in the end. Divina marries Hank, Stone goes on to some new chippy and I’m stuck alone.”

“You’re never alone,” Kayla said. “You have me.”

It was true. Grace and Kayla had been friends since middle school when they’d been cut from the travel soccer team. They’d been attached at the hip ever since. Kayla had seen Grace through rough nights in college and regardless of the miles separating them, they dropped everything as soon as the other one needed them. Kayla had driven through the night when Grace’s boyfriend of a year dumped her for Miss December, college edition.

“I know you’ll always be there for me,” Grace told her. “But I can’t risk being hurt when I know it’s a certainty. He doesn’t want a wife. He wants a trained pony to show off at races and in the media. He doesn’t want me, Grace.”

“How do you know?”

“For one, he married my sister. Two, he offered me a million dollars. I would be his employee. And what would that million cover–smiles? Kisses? Sex?”

“For a million, I’d have sex with him,” Kayla said, smirking. “He’s hot.” She pressed play on the television remote. The interview with Stone from this past weekend started.

“I’m not a prostitute, and neither are you,” Grace said seriously. “This is not
Pretty Woman
and I’m not Julia Roberts.”

“Fine. I understand… Not the right attitude, but think of what you can do with all that dough.”

“I’ve already told him no.”

“You could change your mind, Grace.”

Grace leaned back on the overstuffed couch and watched Stone on TV. When she’d told him she couldn’t pretend to be married to him, he’d said nothing. After a minute, when Kayla didn’t respond, Grace turned around, knowing he was standing behind them watching her. He was there all right and he was smiling, but thankfully he didn’t acknowledge he’d heard her. Kayla excused herself and left. An awkward silence lasted the rest of the day and, despite sleeping in the same room, Grace refused to speak to him.

* * * *

The next day, Grace drove to Kayla’s as soon as she knew her friend would be awake.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Grace told Kayla. “He didn’t even say good night. Maybe he’s given up,” she said.

Kayla shrugged. “If that’s what you want to believe, go ahead. I think you’re missing the opportunity of a lifetime. Especially for a racing fan of your magnitude.”

Grace threw the pillow she was clutching at Kayla. “I’m second to your ultimate fandom.”

“I’m not sure I can handle him. You’re right, he’s super cute.”

Grace drove home from her friend’s apartment hours later, still wondering how she’d managed to get herself into situations like this. The answer always came back to Divina. Divina was the reason she was traumatized by men in Speedos, mice and fire. Divina was the reason she lived with three people who, combined, had more drama than
Gossip Girl
, and was faced with the life-altering decision whether to act married and devoted to Stone Adams.

“Gracie!” Divina called as soon as the door opened to the house. “It’s dinner time. Grab yourself a plate and get in here,” she said, desperation evident in her voice.

Grace rolled her eyes. “I’ll be there in a minute.” She took her time taking her coat off, walking around the kitchen, pausing to wash her hands and get some milk from the refrigerator. She was in no hurry to get Divina out of her uncomfortable situation. Besides, if Stone was sitting at the table, his dark hair perfectly styled and his quirky smirk in place, she might lose her nerve and give him everything he wanted.

“Are you lost, Grace?” Divina called again.

“I’m coming.” She walked through the door, but instead of seeing the love trio at the table, Divina and Stone sat kitty-corner from one another. Divina looked stressed and Stone... She shook her head. “Where’s Hank?”

“He’s working late. Divina and I were getting to know one another. Did you know she never got a detention in school?” Stone asked.

Grace sat across from Stone. “As a matter of fact, I did know that.” She gave her sister a glare. More than once Grace had taken the heat for Divina. On the bus, it was Grace who had been blamed for throwing a book out the window. She’d not only gotten a detention, she’d been kicked off the bus for a week and had had to walk the three miles to school. She’d never considered herself Divina’s punching bag. She did what she did out of love. Divina was family and family did things for one another.

“I was fascinated by some of the tales Divina was telling me about you two growing up. It gave me a good idea why you are the way you are.”

“Me?” She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. A tingle skittered down her back. Maybe he was beginning to understand why she kept saying no to his proposal, even though her picture was plastered in every paper on the east coast.

“What did you do today, Grace?” he asked.

She knew he was deliberately trying to keep the attention on her. She didn’t want it. Didn’t want him to hear how dull and boring her life was. “I went to visit my friend Kayla.”

“How is poor Kayla?” Divina asked with fake sincerity. “She just got divorced. Tragic.”

Grace lowered her head and rolled her eyes. “She got divorced two years ago. The only tragic thing was that she didn’t do it sooner. He was a cheater,” Grace said, her gaze slipping to Stone. “He thought he should have his cake and eat it too. When she found out about the women, more than one, she filed for divorce. Simple.”

“You could divorce me,” Divina said to Stone. “I wouldn’t mind. Plus, you could go for women who would appreciate your...um...charms.”

“Not a chance. I’m not getting a divorce before I can get back in my sponsor’s good graces.”

Grace sat at the far end of the table, slapped food on her plate, some kind of potato concoction, shoved a few forkfuls of food into her mouth and chewed it with more force than necessary.

“Gracie? When are you going to help Stone? You know you want to.”

Grace shot her a look intended to shut her up.

It didn’t work.

“He really needs your help. And since those pictures and one of you from your college yearbook are circulating all over the Internet and through the tabloids, you should do it.”

“How did they get a copy of my college yearbook picture and why wouldn’t it have my name under it and not yours?” Grace said icily.

“I don’t know,” Divina said, blinking to prove her innocence.

That bitch. After everything Grace did for her, Divina had floated her onto the thin ice and tossed her a boulder. She tried to work up the anger at her sister. She was put out, for sure, but Kayla’s words echoed in her head.
You could change your mind. I’d do it.

Hank chose that moment to come in the front door. “Hi, everyone. I’m home.”

Grace and Stone gave mirror eye-rolls. Divina hopped up and ran to the door. She threw her arms around Hank and kissed him.

“She sent that picture, didn’t she?” Stone asked.

“Yep.”

“I should thank her.”

“Yep.”

He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “She really is a self-serving witch.”

“Yep.”

“Why have you been helping her out of her problems all these years?”

Grace crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “You wouldn’t understand.” She glanced back at the couple in the front hall. “She’s my sister.”

“I know this may not be the time, but are you still opposed to playing my wife?”

Grace shrugged and chose to ignore his question. “I’m going up to bed. I think I have a headache coming on.” She left without looking back at him. He called her name, but she pretended not to hear.

Grace sat on her bed looking out the window. Four cars lined the road and a black van was parked a hundred feet down from the driveway. Damn stalkers. She fumed over the lack of privacy solely because she was living with Stone Adams.

She had expected Stone to sneak in, but instead he made lots of noise before collapsing on his bed, the springs squeaking. Then his shoes thudded on the floor one at a time.

“They’re stalking the house,” she said without preamble. “There’s a black van waiting for us to do something outrageous so they can sell papers or get more viewers. Is this what your life is like every day?”

“Sometimes,” he said. “Sometimes they leave me alone, when I’m being good.”

“That doesn’t happen much, does it?” She peeked at him from the corner of her eye. He was lying back on the bed.

He moved suddenly, sitting up and moving toward her like a predatory cat. She jumped and slid back on the bed toward the corner. He grinned at her as he sat down. She groaned at his nearness. He’d caught her staring.

“I’ve done some crazy shit, but I’m not a bad guy.” He worked to make eye contact so she’d look at him when he spoke. “Usually the reporters don’t follow me around because I’m going to clubs or restaurants and they can get pictures there, but now that I’m married they stay near the house to see if I mow my own lawn or take out the trash. It’ll die down after a few weeks. Although, no pressure, but if my wife doesn’t show herself soon, it’ll become a feeding frenzy. They’ll want to know why she’s hiding out. They will follow all of us. You and me especially.”

“Why me?” She couldn’t keep the worried sound out of her voice.

“They have your picture now. They think you’re my elusive wife.” He put his hand on her knee.

The warmth of it seeped though her jeans and heated her blood like a branding iron. Her face grew hot and her pulse raced. Her gaze moved from his face to his hand and back again. She placed her smaller hand over his, tracing his bluish veins with her pointer finger. Her touch was feather-light and her actions caused a riot of feelings in her body and she was lightheaded.

“Grace,” he said tenderly.

Her finger stilled.

“It’s not only about the money or the sponsor. I’d like to get to know you better.”

She moved her hand away from him.

“I’m serious. I’d like to find out what makes you tick, even if you refuse to be my wife.”

She crossed her arms and looked out the window again. “You’re married to my sister. You didn’t marry me and I refuse to get hurt.”

He paused. “I won’t hurt you.”

“You can’t make that promise, Stone. I agree to parade around as your wife and then when you’re done with me, you move on. I will get used to you being around and when you leave, I’ll–” She broke off.

“You’ll what?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head. “Why don’t you divorce Divina and marry some other poor, pathetic girl.”

“You offering?”

“No,” she snapped. “Seriously. Why not divorce her? It would make everything so much easier.”

“It would make it easier for you. Not for me. I need a wife for Saturday. One who will hang on my every word, cheer for me and smile pretty for the press.”

“You need an actress.”

He shook his head. “No, Grace, I need you.”

She laughed, the strangled sound lodging in her throat.