Pretend for Me (8 page)

“Enough!” Sara shouted the word out. The whole family
went silent. “Do you have any idea how rude you’re being? I’m with my
boyfriend,
and you’re talking about an
ex who’s here. Please, stop. Nothing is ever going to happen between Dylan and
myself. It’s over. Andy’s the man in my life, no one else.”

Silence met her outburst. She was ready to hurt
someone if they didn’t stop.

“So, Andy, what do you do?” Danny asked, shooting the
question straight past her to Andy, breaking the tension.

“Actually, I want to know how they met,” Harmony said.

This was what Sara had been waiting for.

Sara leaned back and gazed up at Andy. “I’ll let you
tell them, baby.”

He smiled down at her, but she saw the inherent glare
in his eyes. “We met five years ago when she was trying to lug her library of
books up the apartment stairs.”

She watched as he showed with his hands the size of
the box she was trying to carry.

“They fell out of the bottom. I helped her move in.
From that day forward we became really good friends.” He cupped her cheek and
ran his thumb over her bottom lip. The action made her pause.

Andy had cupped her cheek many times. He’d never
stroked her lip with such lustful intent.

He let her go and wrapped his arm around her waist.
She felt his fingers playing with the bare flesh showing at her waist.

“I take it you haven’t been dating for the last five
years?” Dylan asked. She stared over at her ex and saw the evil glint in his
eye. He clearly didn’t like being ditched for someone older than he was.

“No, we weren’t dating, were we? Well, not officially.
We were close and spent every available moment with each other.” Andy kissed
the top of her head, playing with their story. “The dating started a couple of
months ago.”

“Andy owns several nightclubs,” Sara said.

“My latest club, Cube, needed an opening act. No
matter how many favors I tried to call in all the bands were working. Then,
Sara, my savior got in touch with a band, and she knew the lead singer. They
played at my opening night. She spent most of the night dancing near the stage
next to the lead singer. Watching the chemistry she had with the lead, I knew I
needed to act quickly. My feelings for Sara have done nothing but grow since I
met her. She’s an amazing woman, and I’m a lucky man to have her as my woman.”

If only his words were the truth.

“How romantic,” Tracy said.

“I thought you didn’t drink, Sara?” Dylan asked. His
gaze went to hers.

“I don’t. Andy changed the rules in his club, and they
serve tea and coffee so more people can visit the clubs and are not obliged to
drink alcohol.”

There was silence as she stared up at Andy. His dark
brown gaze pierced her where she stood. Sara couldn’t look away from him.

“You own nightclubs?” Dylan asked.

Andy nodded. “Yep, it is
a dream
come
true.”

“And that pays the bills?”

“Dylan, stop being rude,” Sara said. She’d thought one
of her brothers would start this battle about money, not her ex.

“I’m just wondering how it pays, Sara. Nothing wrong
in making sure it’s a sound investment.
Businessman to
businessman.”

Sara saw what it was. Dylan was trying to measure the
length of their dicks.

“I don’t mind, baby. He’s your ex, and he wants to
know the competition.” Andy turned to Dylan. “I’m not a millionaire. My clubs
make me enough to pay the bills and keep a roof over my head. Also, I earn
enough to keep your daughter safe.” He spoke the last part to her father.

She fell in love with him. Sara didn’t know what it
was, but in that instant she fell completely in love with Andy Green.

Chapter Seven

Andy saw what Dylan was trying to do, and he refused
to bite. He understood it. Dylan was a millionaire, and Andy was not. Sara’s ex
wanted her back, but Andy was in the way. Dylan was trying to show him up. Fortunately,
Andy knew the real Sara. She wasn’t bought with expensive jewelry or money.
Sara liked the simple things in life. She liked sitting down to a warm meal and
good company.

“Sara was the reason why I followed my dream. She
accepted me for who I was. Also, she’s following her dream, and she’s so happy
for it. We only get to live this life once, and I want to do it with a dance in
my step and a song in my heart.”

He kissed the top of her head. Since they’d walked
into the house he couldn’t stop himself from touching her. It was a compulsion
to feel her skin against his.

“I’m going to get us another drink.” Sara pulled out
of his arms and grabbed the now empty tray of drinks. They’d not even got
chance to take a drink.

“Mom, Tracy,
are
you going to
help me?”

“I’ll come, too,” Bethany said.

He watched as all the women disappeared leaving him
alone with the men of the family.

“I don’t like the fact you own nightclubs. A man like
that shouldn’t be around my daughter,” Martin said.

“With all due respect, sir, I make Sara very happy,
and I’d never do anything to hurt her.” Andy wouldn’t back down.

You’re only the pretend boyfriend. What are you doing?

He couldn’t answer his own questions. Andy felt the
need to fight his corner when it came to the people judging him. Dylan wanted
her back. Andy saw it in the bastard’s eyes as he watched her leave the room.

“You know she’s made of money?” Dylan asked. “She
doesn’t need to lift a finger to make her way in the world.”

“She writes books. They are her passion.” Andy argued
for her. He’d not read a word of what she wrote, but he’d bet his last cent she
was good.

“That’s a hobby.”

Andy knew if she ended up with Dylan he’d end her
hobby
. He had seen the smile on her face
when she completed another manuscript. They celebrated together when she got another
contract.

“It’s more than a hobby, and only a fool would call it
that.”

“He’s not after her money,” Jake said, voicing his
opinion for the first time.

He turned to the brother, confused.

“I ran a background check on him the moment Sara
mentioned him. He’s good, hard working, and pays his loans back on time.”

This was news to Andy. The brother had run a
background check on him?

“You have a loan?” Martin asked.

Without Sara around he felt the judgment coming off
the men in waves.

“In order to live your dream you have to take a few
risks. Your daughter told me that.”

Up until this point he’d never realized how much of an
impact Sara had had on his life. From the beginning she had been pushing for
him to live his dream. He glanced in the direction of where she’d gone
wondering when she would be back. Andy missed her heat. He liked the fact he
had an excuse to touch her at every opportune moment.

“If you know so much about my daughter why are you
only being announced now?” Martin asked.

Andy licked his lips. Sara had warned him they’d
corner him, and he needed to be ready with answers. Nothing could have prepared
him for the possessive presence of her family. All of them were out looking to
support her best interests.

“Until now, your daughter and I have been the best of
friends. We live in the same apartment building with one floor separating us.
We talk about everything, and I don’t think either of us wanted to lose what we
had. Our friendship is precious to us. I hadn’t even introduced her to my
friends because of them trying it on with her.” He thought about Wade, Lenny,
Travis, and Austin. They were his closest friends, but he’d wanted to keep Sara
to himself a little while longer.

“Sometimes, we don’t know what we’ve got until
it’s
right in front of us and we’re about to lose it. Sara
has been right in front of me for the past five years. When I saw the way she
looked at that singer I knew I didn’t want to lose my shot with her. She’s
special, and she brings out the sunshine on a rainy day. I waited, and now
she’s mine, Mr. Carroll. I’ll make your daughter happy.”

Martin looked at him like he was some kind of bug.
Sara hadn’t been kidding when she said they were protective of her.

“We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, Dad,” Danny
said.

He turned to look at the oldest brother. Danny stared
at him in the same way.

“Go and get your cases,” Martin ordered him before
turning back to his paper.

Andy left the room to fetch the cases from the back of
the car. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Dylan following him.
The last thing he needed was an ex on his case.

“What’s the problem?” Andy asked. He kept walking. The
less contact he had with this man the better.

“I’m here to help you with your bags.” Dylan stopped
him with a hand on the shoulder. Andy stared at the hand then at Dylan. “I’m
sorry for being an asshole. I’m not used to Sara bringing back dates when she
visits.”

The arrogant asshole thought she was pining after him.

Andy didn’t speak a word.

“Truce?”
Dylan offered his hand in surrender.

Andy stared at the hand, seeing through the offer the
other man was giving him. “I don’t buy it.” He folded his arms over his chest
and glared at the other man. “I saw the way you looked at her. You’re not
bowing out gently.”

Dylan smiled, and the challenge in his eyes was back.
“I thought you’d be easy to push away. Most of the men I’ve seen her with can
handle a few cash settlements if you know what I mean.”

Andy despised him even more. Dylan was a manipulative
bastard who used everything in his power to get what he wanted. No wonder Sara had
run as far from him as possible.

Taking the step that separated them Andy got into his
personal space. “I’m not any other guy, Dylan. I don’t need or want your
money.”

“You’re never going to get in with her family. There
is no way you could provide the kind of care they want for her. I can. They
know I don’t want her for her money. I’m on her level, her status, and you’re
not.” Dylan glared at him. The hatred was evident in his facial expression and
tone of voice.

“I make her happy, and that’s all that matters. I
can’t say the same for you. Also, she knows I keep my
dick
in my pants. From what I hear, you can’t do the same.”

The other man went red in the face.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to get mine and
Sara’s suitcases to the house.” He brushed past Dylan and grabbed the cases out
of the car, taking extra care with her laptop. Her work meant everything to
her.

Andy was carrying the bags from the car when Sara
walked out of the door. She ran down the steps to help.

“You should have called me to help you.”
 
She made to take one of the bags from him.

“I’ve got them.” He felt eyes on him and knew her
family, along with her ex, was watching them. “Kiss me,” he said.

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“Kiss me. They’re watching, Sara. They’re not buying
our relationship.”

She took a step closer and kissed his cheek.

He rolled his eyes at the innocent kiss. “You’re a
romance writer. You have to do better than that. Make it believable.”

“I don’t know what to do,” she said. Glancing down
into her eyes he saw the panic in them. Putting the bags on the floor and
making sure her laptop wouldn’t be
damaged,
he cupped
her cheek and took possession of her mouth. For many months Andy had been
fantasizing about her lips. The feel of her plump lips yielding to him was much
better than anything he’d ever imagined.

This was their first real kiss. Her arms wrapped
around his neck as he pulled her close to him with an arm around her waist. She
melded against him like she was destined to be there. Andy ran his tongue along
her bottom lip seeking entry into her mouth. She opened to him. He pushed
inside, and the kiss deepened. Never had he been so turned on by a kiss. Her
feminine scent invaded every one of his senses. Her taste exploded on his
tongue. The feel of her soft curves against his body almost undid him on the
spot. She was real and no longer a part of his fantasies.

The rest of the world fell away. They were no longer
friends pretending to be lovers. To him, they felt like lovers.

“Get a room.” Dylan mumbled the words on the way past.

Andy broke from the kiss and stared down at the woman
in his arms. Her lips were red and swollen while her eyes drooped.

“That was what I meant by a kiss,” Andy said.

****

Sara couldn’t think. Who had the ability to think
after they’d just had their mouths thoroughly kissed? Words failed her for the
first time. No words were good enough to describe the way she felt. Her heart
pounded inside her chest. The heat of her body threatened to set her on fire.
The sun beating down on them didn’t hold anything compared to the heat
simmering between them.