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“What if we pretend to be together during the trip? We could be boyfriend and girlfriend for my parents and make Isaac jealous.”
“Think of how you felt earlier when you saw Isaac with a new woman. You’d be flipping the tables, giving him a taste of his own medicine.” His brown eyes turn sultry. “When I get done with you, I’ll have that man so jealous he’ll beg you to take him back.” When I get done with you? Why is my mind latching onto those words and running wild with them?
The deepness of his voice catches my breath. “Are you scared you might end up liking this arrangement?” His finger lifts, trailing softly down my arm, leaving a burning wake of chills as it goes.
For the next eight days, Nate Farnsworth will have to be my fake boyfriend.
“So what’s the play?” Nate says beside me. “Do you want to start making out in front of Isaac now or later?”
As our gazes hold, my heart pounds with heavy thuds, but I can’t seem to look away. I’m transfixed by the moment—the city lights, the warm breeze, and Nate’s brown eyes that spark attraction deep inside me despite my dislike. I’m slowly being lulled into his charms, letting my defenses open. The horn blares, and I jump. The spell between us breaks, and I’m suddenly aware of how close we’re standing to each other.
It’s not until I face Nate that I see his stiffened body. His hand pauses mid-air before his glass reaches his lips, visible hurt written across his face. “Thanks,” he mutters. “Nate, I…” My head shakes with instant remorse. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” “No, it’s fine.” His words are crisp. “But for all the times you say what a jerk I am, can we just remember that when it mattered to you, I didn’t say anything about your family? I just walked out of your parents' house and never brought it up again. But you…”—he turns to me with wounded eyes—“you wasted no time judging me and my
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Shame fills every crevice of my heart. I stand disgraced while he focuses straight ahead. The heavy guilt weighs me down relentlessly. It will gnaw and gnaw for days unless I make it right.
“The running joke became that I’m OCD and have to be in charge of everything. I was always fine with the teasing. I am those things. I was even proud of how responsible I was.” My eyes skip to Isaac. “But when somebody tells you you’re a control freak who’s unbearable to be around and that they're breaking up with you because your personality is too strong and you suck the fun out of life, you start to get a complex about the traits you once thought were strengths.”
Nate’s jaw hardens in a way I’ve only seen once before—when he first told me about his dad. “Isaac said all of that?” I shrug, not strong enough to do anything more. A bitter laugh bursts from his lips as he scrutinizes Isaac up and down. “I long to have the confidence of a mediocre man telling his smoking-hot girlfriend she could be better.”
As we pass Isaac and Lauren, Nate tugs me closer. He leans over their table, slapping Isaac on the back with his free hand. “Ah, looks like you went with the soup. Couldn’t handle the Thai jungle curry, huh?” He flashes his cockiest smile. “Too spicy for you? I prefer the spicy stuff.” His gaze travels over me seductively. “It’s more fun.” He lifts my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles. “Enjoy your plain broth.” And then we’re off again, heading for the buffet table. I quickly glance back to see Isaac’s response. He’s fuming. “You are alarmingly good at this,” I say. Nate’s
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His dad’s disapproving stare slides to him. “Looks like you found one person who buys into the bullcrap you’re selling.” Nate lets go of my hand and slides his arm around my shoulder, curling his fingers around me possessively. Tingles shoot from my back, down my body, creating a swirl of havoc in my stomach. “Carly’s opinions are the only ones that matter to me.” There’s a hard edge to Nate’s words that brings tension with them.
“First impression, I thought Carly was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Big blue eyes and a gorgeous smile. She intimidated the heck out of me.”
Nate’s eyes drop to my mouth, bringing memories of my dream and the kiss in the supply closet to the front of my mind. That memory alone has my heart skipping erratically. Subtly, Nate moves closer, causing my body to stiffen. “Don’t.” “Don’t what?” The quirk of his lips tells me he knows exactly what he’s doing. “Nate,” I warn. “Carly.” His thumb grazes the corner of my mouth, burning my lip with his touch.
“That’s the perfect spot for you to see everything.” I turn over my shoulder. “What about you? Don’t you want to see?” “I’ve been here before. I just want you to enjoy it.” Honestly, I just want to enjoy it too. I’ve been dreaming of traveling to Thailand for years. I’m pushing pause on the fake-relationship thing and living in the moment. “Thanks.” I offer a small smile in appreciation.
“You’ve got a good one with Nate.” Vicky leans in like she’s telling me classified information. “Don’t let his carefree lifestyle fool you. That boy will make the sweetest and most loving husband.”
His gaze fills with mischief. “I’ll try one if you do.” Let me be clear: these delicacies do not look appetizing, but there’s something exciting about Nate’s challenge that makes me want to participate…with him. “Okay,” I answer with confidence. His eyes pop. “Okay?” “Yeah, I’ll do it.”
never would’ve suggested it if I actually thought you were going to do it.” “Why wouldn’t I do it?”
“We don’t have to do this,” I say as I walk to the next shop. “Do what?” “Try to get to know each other better. It’s cool if we just fake our way through this whole week, and then when it’s over, we can go back to work, ignore each other, and pretend like nothing ever happened.” “Or we could come to a truce.” “A truce?” “Yeah, we could put down our weapons of war and get to know each other better. Maybe even become friends.”
“Hmm.” Nate’s brows fold together like he’s trying to puzzle me out. “No matter what I do, I can’t seem to convince you, Carly Catterson.” My steps pause. “Convince me of what?” A sweet smile breaks across his lips, or maybe it only looks sweet because his aunts are in my head. His shoulders move up and down in a boyish way that’s endearing. “Convince you to like me.”
“You look devastated that we have something in common.” He laughs. “I’d hardly call it that. Everyone collects magnets.” “Not everyone. Rodney collects shot glasses, Shelly collects postcards, Taryn collects maps and travel guides, and Lyle collects t-shirts.”
“This may surprise you, but I’m friends with everyone else in the office besides you.” “Yeah, well, that’s because you bribe everyone with donuts while making them chant ‘Nate is great!’ like you’re brainwashing them into liking you.” “Nah, I just do that to bug you.” An impish smile teeters on his mouth. “It’s so easy to do.”
“I didn’t think you cared about the destinations. Only the paychecks.” “What made you think that?” “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe how you regularly kick me off trips so you can get a bigger commission.” “I’ll admit the bigger commission is always a plus, but that’s not why.” I fold my arms across my chest, feeling my anger rise. “Then why?” “Isn’t it obvious?” My jaw hardens. “Not to me.” “Because you’re rude. Why would I want to go on a trip with someone who hates me?”
Nate’s eyes follow my stare, and like he’s just read my mind, he says, “If I had known that those jokes were hurtful, I wouldn’t have said them. It was low-hanging fruit. I’m sorry.” Why does it feel like Nate doesn’t hate me as much as I hate him? That’s a scary thought.
My lips purse as I glower back at him. “What do you want?” “I’d like to know—in detail—what happened between us in that dream of yours.” “No.” I shake my head. “Carly, you owe me.”
“Don’t be surprised if, one of these days, you end up telling me all your secrets.” “Don’t be surprised if I never speak to you again.” He laughs. “We’ll see.” His charming smile is the last thing I notice before he slips around the corner.
He rolls his eyes as he steps past me. “Not everything has to be a fight, Carly.” Yes, it does, because if we’re not fighting, I’d probably be falling, and that’s a million times worse than our little arguments.
Despite the frosted glass and the steam, I still scream, covering my body with my hands. That’s when Nate sees me. His eyes triple in size before he uses his fingers as a shield. “Sorry! I’m so sorry. It’s my fault for having eyes.” For having eyes? What? His free hand goes to his ears, and I notice the AirPods he’s plucking out of them. HE HAD FREAKING AIRPODS IN. I want to kill him. “I didn’t see anything.” He blindly reaches for a towel while still covering his eyes. “Do you want a towel?” “No! I want you to leave!”
“I was trying to be nice.” He swats the box away before it hits him in the face. “Don’t lie.” “No, seriously. I got the notification that you were starting your period tomorrow, so when I saw the tampons, I just thought I’d help out a little. I didn’t know it would make you this mad.” “Wait.” I stiffen. “What notification?” “From the Google calendar you shared with me. The one that tracks your monthly cycle.”
My stomach knots with embarrassment as I squint at the screen. I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand. Sure enough, it’s my Google calendar—the one I use to track the very personal information of my cycle, like spotting, bleeding, energy, mood swings, fatigue, food cravings, bloating, and breast tenderness. But the mortification doesn’t stop there. No, over-achiever Carly also tracks things like breakouts in strange places, libido spikes, and weird period poop habits. WEIRD PERIOD POOP HABITS. This is how I die. Death from humiliation.
“I don’t know. I don’t have sisters. I thought you were just letting me know when to tread lightly.” My glare makes him rethink his words. “Not tread lightly…just…you know…keeping me in the loop.”
We walk in silence for the first thirty seconds, and I am happy to keep it like that, but Nate ruins everything by speaking. “I just want you to know that you don’t need to be embarrassed.” “About the shower or the calendar?” He chuckles. “It was an eventful twenty minutes.”
“When?” my voice cracks with embarrassment, but I rally. “When did I send it to you?” “I don’t know.” He blows a raspberry with his lips. “It was sometime during the planning of the Egypt trip.” “Egypt!” I say on a deep exhale. “That was, like, seven or eight months ago.”
“Okay, fine. I only read the notifications when they popped up.” He smiles a knowing smile that makes me want to crawl into a hole. I drop my face into my hands, hiding my burning cheeks. “Oh, it’s not that bad. It’s actually kind of funny.” “It’s not funny.” But even as I say it, I’m biting back a reluctant smile. “We can tell the story at our fake fortieth-anniversary party. ‘Kids, let me tell you about the time your mom kept track of when she was horny and how her bowel movements were going.’” A laugh snorts out as I playfully punch his shoulder. “See? You did read it! All of it.” “Of
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We stare at each other for a few seconds, both smiling. One of the barriers between us slowly begins to crumble as I realize, once again, I’ve misjudged Nate. All this time, he wasn’t making dismissive, stereotypical PMS jokes. He was actually trying to be nice and accommodating—even sweet, if you count him bringing me the foods I craved.
But this is constantly how my relationship with Nate goes. I’m quick to jump to conclusions without giving him the benefit of the doubt, like assuming the shower thing was his fault when I’m mostly to blame.
“Yeah, a lot of fun. I love the chaos and the craziness they bring to the table. Where else can you find that many people who have your back no matter what? That’s why big families are awesome. It’s a built-in support system through life. Carly is lucky to have them in her corner.” My breath catches. Nate’s view of my family is far different than mine. They’re just made-up words meant to put Isaac in his place, but still, there’s a truth to them, a revelation I’ve been unwilling to see.
Nate shrugs, lifting his glass to toast Isaac’s. “But honestly, man, I have to thank you for being the idiot who gave Carly up. She’s incredible. She’s smart, driven, witty, and so much fun to be around. I’ve never met a woman like her. She’s the entire package.”
“Your loss is my gain.” He pats Isaac on the back, disguising the patronizing move as kindness. “Anyway, I’m going to go find Carly. So, I’ll see you around.”
“Oh, yes. I know my son, and I can see what’s happening.” “Mom, we don’t need your commentary.” Nate shakes his head, but I turn to him with a grin. “I think it’s only fair we let her speak.” Especially after the embarrassing torture I’ve experienced this afternoon. “I see how Nate looks at you when you don’t know he’s watching you.” He inclines his head. “Mom.” But she just laughs and keeps going. “He has completely fallen for you.”
“Okay, okay. I know how it goes when you’re newly dating. Nobody wants to define these things yet. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I just thought you should know that you two are headed to exciting places.” She lifts her hand, pretending to zip her mouth shut. “It’s fine,” I say. “I’m not uncomfortable.” Yes, I am. I’m so uncomfortable. But good manners made me lie. Again. “I’m uncomfortable,” Nate mutters. I can’t help but notice the blush on his cheek as he leans forward to sip his drink.
“Mack, you’re kind of a jerk. Connie won’t tell you that, and neither will Nate. But I will. You have a wife and a son who are both amazing. You should probably start treating them with the respect they deserve.” My lips press into a thin slash of a smile. I grab Nate’s hand and scoot out of the booth. “Come on, Connie. You can dance with us if you want.”
“You’re definitely not going to be favorite daughter-in-law after that.” “Such a shame.” I face him, keeping his hand in mine. “Sorry if I crossed a line back there. I have a short fuse, then I say things I shouldn’t say.” “I know.” His smile is full of amusement. “I’m usually on the receiving end of your short fuse. I like that trait about you—when it’s not directed at me. Being on this side is much better.”
Nate leans in, talking over the loud music. “Do you want to get out of here?” I should say no. That’s the smart and safe thing to do. Just say no. I nod, ignoring everything running through my mind. “Yeah.”
Just before we get to the exit, Mack Farnsworth steps in front of us, halting our escape. He looks directly at me. “There are not a lot of people who stand up to me. I respect it when they’re justified in their boldness. You were right about what you said.” His eyes flick briefly to Nate. “I can do better.”
Nate looks over his shoulder. “That was new.” “Maybe I will be favorite daughter-in-law after all.”
“We could skinny dip.” Nate’s mischievous smile sends my stomach into a swirl. I lift my brows, meeting his challenge. “Okay.” “Okay?” His jaw drops. “Okay? Who even are you? The Carly I know would never agree to strip down and swim in the ocean at night—especially with me.” I laugh. “Well, you already saw me naked.” “I saw nothing of the sort.” “And it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve skinny-dipped on vacation.” His eyes widen. “You are full of surprises.” “That’s just because you don’t know me that well.” I kick the approaching wave, sending a few sprinkles of water in Nate’s direction.
“What if we had one kiss that wasn’t for anyone but us?” “One kiss?” “One kiss.” “Why would we do that?” Nate’s eyes smolder like he could devour me. “Because we want to.”
With the door firmly closed, I lean back, resting my head against it. I release a long, slow breath. My work nemesis is in his redemption arc. And I’m falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
“I like that you’re letting me in a little bit. I hope I get to see more of this side of you, because you’re not unbearable. You’re actually pretty great.” It’s no use blinking back the moisture in my eyes. Two tears stream down my cheeks, wetting my pillow. “Thanks. You’re actually pretty great too.”
