eyes out.
Wait. Fake boyfriend. If Janelle tried to steal her fake boyfriend…Oh, nevermind.
At the table, they chatted about movies and golf and the pending wedding and once again Reeve rose to the occasion answering all sorts of questions without a moment’s hesitation.
“And how did you know, Reeve? How did you know that Sutton was the one for you?” The question came from Nicholas’ wife across the table.
Reeve turned his attention to his fake fiancé. “How did I know?” he said as if he were contemplating the answer. “I’ll tell you how I knew. Because there was no way not to know. There was no way it could be otherwise. I’d fallen hard for this woman from the moment I first met her. And the more I got to know her, the more I liked her.”
“Oh that is so sweet,” Nicholas’ wife said.
“Tell us more,” Janelle chimed in.
Sutton looked at the two wives. They seemed to be hanging on every word Reeve said to her. It was as if they were being romanced by him. Maybe that’s what they wanted. To feel loved vicariously by a gorgeous, beautiful, thoughtful young man. Sutton understood that sort of wish.
“Every day it became more clear. It’s the way she takes care of her dog, and the way she teases me. It’s the books she likes and the wry sense of humor. It’s the way she likes all the things I do for her. It’s the way she lets me save her when she needs saving. And the way she takes charge when she needs to take charge. It’s the way she’s so tough on the outside, but inside I can see through her and I know what’s in her heart. It’s the way she only lets me know what’s really in her heart. It’s the way she says yes. Most of all, it’s the way she says yes.”
Sutton placed a hand on her belly, as if she could quell all the feelings, all the emotions, all the desire he’d stirred in her. To say those things in front of everyone. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and smother him in kisses. Forget all the make-believe. She was ready to go all in.
But yet, she knew better. She had to guard her heart. She had to be strong. She must refuse to let herself be seduced by the act.
“And I guess, most of all it’s that she chose me. She’s the kind of woman who could have anyone, but she chose me,” Reeve said as he looked deeply into Sutton’s eyes. She forced herself to feel nothing as he held onto her gaze, even though she felt everything for him. Every. Single. Thing. And it was killing her. “So really, when you find someone you’re crazy about, you don’t let her go, right?”
Janelle clasped a hand on her mouth. She looked as if she were about to cry happy tears. “I think I need more wine,” she said. “Would you mind grabbing that fabulous bottle you brought earlier?”
“No problem,” Reeve said and stood up, holding a hand for Sutton.
♦ ♦ ♦
Once inside the wine closet-slash-cellar, she turned to him. “That was quite a performance.”
Her voice seemed cold. “That’s what you wanted, right?”
“Absolutely,” she said, as she searched for the bottle. “It was all a lie, wasn’t it?”
“Totally. Because you know what I’d have said if I’d told the truth?” He grabbed her arm, gripping her wrist tightly, and spinning her around so she was facing him, wine bottles on either side of them.
“What? That I made you a deal? That I promised you an audition? That it was all trumped up?”
“No,” he said, anger in his voice. “I would tell that you are hot and cold. That it makes me crazy. That I can’t read you, and I can’t figure you out. That one minute you are all over me and the next you push me away. That I want you so badly, and I love the way you are, but that I find you totally absolutely crazy-making at the same time. And that makes me want to just push you out of my life.”
“So push me out,” she said, challenging him.
“Yeah? That’s what you want?”
“Absolutely,” she said in that crisp, too-controlling
Wait. Fake boyfriend. If Janelle tried to steal her fake boyfriend…Oh, nevermind.
At the table, they chatted about movies and golf and the pending wedding and once again Reeve rose to the occasion answering all sorts of questions without a moment’s hesitation.
“And how did you know, Reeve? How did you know that Sutton was the one for you?” The question came from Nicholas’ wife across the table.
Reeve turned his attention to his fake fiancé. “How did I know?” he said as if he were contemplating the answer. “I’ll tell you how I knew. Because there was no way not to know. There was no way it could be otherwise. I’d fallen hard for this woman from the moment I first met her. And the more I got to know her, the more I liked her.”
“Oh that is so sweet,” Nicholas’ wife said.
“Tell us more,” Janelle chimed in.
Sutton looked at the two wives. They seemed to be hanging on every word Reeve said to her. It was as if they were being romanced by him. Maybe that’s what they wanted. To feel loved vicariously by a gorgeous, beautiful, thoughtful young man. Sutton understood that sort of wish.
“Every day it became more clear. It’s the way she takes care of her dog, and the way she teases me. It’s the books she likes and the wry sense of humor. It’s the way she likes all the things I do for her. It’s the way she lets me save her when she needs saving. And the way she takes charge when she needs to take charge. It’s the way she’s so tough on the outside, but inside I can see through her and I know what’s in her heart. It’s the way she only lets me know what’s really in her heart. It’s the way she says yes. Most of all, it’s the way she says yes.”
Sutton placed a hand on her belly, as if she could quell all the feelings, all the emotions, all the desire he’d stirred in her. To say those things in front of everyone. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and smother him in kisses. Forget all the make-believe. She was ready to go all in.
But yet, she knew better. She had to guard her heart. She had to be strong. She must refuse to let herself be seduced by the act.
“And I guess, most of all it’s that she chose me. She’s the kind of woman who could have anyone, but she chose me,” Reeve said as he looked deeply into Sutton’s eyes. She forced herself to feel nothing as he held onto her gaze, even though she felt everything for him. Every. Single. Thing. And it was killing her. “So really, when you find someone you’re crazy about, you don’t let her go, right?”
Janelle clasped a hand on her mouth. She looked as if she were about to cry happy tears. “I think I need more wine,” she said. “Would you mind grabbing that fabulous bottle you brought earlier?”
“No problem,” Reeve said and stood up, holding a hand for Sutton.
♦ ♦ ♦
Once inside the wine closet-slash-cellar, she turned to him. “That was quite a performance.”
Her voice seemed cold. “That’s what you wanted, right?”
“Absolutely,” she said, as she searched for the bottle. “It was all a lie, wasn’t it?”
“Totally. Because you know what I’d have said if I’d told the truth?” He grabbed her arm, gripping her wrist tightly, and spinning her around so she was facing him, wine bottles on either side of them.
“What? That I made you a deal? That I promised you an audition? That it was all trumped up?”
“No,” he said, anger in his voice. “I would tell that you are hot and cold. That it makes me crazy. That I can’t read you, and I can’t figure you out. That one minute you are all over me and the next you push me away. That I want you so badly, and I love the way you are, but that I find you totally absolutely crazy-making at the same time. And that makes me want to just push you out of my life.”
“So push me out,” she said, challenging him.
“Yeah? That’s what you want?”
“Absolutely,” she said in that crisp, too-controlling
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