Page 44 of Hoax and Kisses
He sighs. “It’s not that I don’t like you. It’s—” He runs a hand down his beard. “It’s going to take a minute for me to trust you, Zoey. Your father… he really scarred us. For a while, we thought we’d lose Pine Falls. So forgive me if I’m a tad wary of his precious daughter.”
I scoff. “You didn’t have an issue the first night when you fucked me into the wall.”
Wow, I felt brave for a moment there, but now that he’s practically pinning me to the chair with his gaze, I’m regretting the level of spunk I poured into that answer.
“Hard to think straight when a beautiful woman opens the door for you wearing nothing but a towel. And, in my defense, I didn’t know who you were then.”
If I had, I wouldn’t have done it, is the subtext there.
I arch an eyebrow, ignoring the last part, and focus on the first half of his comment. “So I’m beautiful?”
“It’s hardly a secret, Zoey, but that’s beside the point.” He looks away, peering out the window, his brows lowered.
I can’t help but study him. What is he thinking about? Is he avoiding eye contact because he revealed more than he meant to? Or is he replaying that night in his head like I’ve been driving myself out of my mind doing?
But then he looks at me again, his gaze softening as his brow relaxes. “You’re right. If we want our deal to work, I need to put this whole thing behind me and start fresh.”
I thrust my hand out, wearing a smile that makes my cheeks ache. “Hi, I’m Zoey, and I’m new to town.”
Matt takes my fingers in his, flipping them so my palm faces down. Before I can put two and two together, he brings them to his lips and drops a kiss there. “Nice to meet you, Zoey. I’m Matt.”
His touch sends an electric pulse down my arm, heat radiating from where his lips were a second ago. Still hovering above my hand, his beard caressing my skin, he looks up at me from beneath thick lashes, his attention setting my face on fire.
Oh, this man is trouble. Big, big trouble.
As if he hasn’t done enough, he straightens and winks. “Might as well get started on our ruse now,” he whispers.
And sure enough, when I glance around us, a few patrons are looking our way, expressions full of surprise, several murmuring to the people sitting next to them.
Matt sets my hand gently on the table. “Meet me Friday after work. We can discuss the specifics then.”
He stands, removes his jacket from where it hangs off his chair, and rounds the table. I’m frozen in place as he sidles up beside me and places a kiss on my hair.
“I’ll see you Friday.”
And just like that, he’s out the door. And I’m left swamped with a swirling tide of emotions, wondering whether I’ve just made the worst or best deal of my life.
Chapter Twelve
MATT
It’s been two days, and whiffs of mint and rosemary still tickle my nose. It was a single kiss to her head, quick and short, and yet the smell of her shampoo has lulled me to sleep both nights since I saw her last. More than once, I’ve jolted awake, the scent so vivid I swore someone was beside me. But it was all in my mind.
She’s been on my mind.
Ever since our deal, she’s been a constant thought. A constant worry. Did I make the right choice? How is this going to work? Can I actually pull this off? If so, at what cost?
I was so focused on the opportunity to grow my business and earn enough to pay for Daphne’s school that I didn’t stop to think about the implications of spending this much time with Zoey. Holding her hand, getting close to her, pretending she means something to me in front of the people who’ve known me since I was a teenager. Giving them a feeling of déjà vu.
A pinch of guilt twists in my stomach. It’s gonna take some heavy convincing. The number of women I’ve been serious withcan be counted on the fingers of one hand. And suddenly I’m parading through town with a stranger who’s been here for a week, acting like she’s the love of my life, fully ignoring that, in their minds (thanks to yours truly), she wants to turn our town into one giant Walmart?
Yeah, solid plan, Matt. They’ll totally buy into that.
I need to find the angle. What’s the catch? What is it about her that could make me fold so easily?
It’s been a while since I’ve seen you this interested in someone.
James’s words echo in my head. She intrigued me at the beginning, yes. I couldn’t help but want to know more about her. Discover why she seemed so desperately alone and miserable, and work out why I felt the need to fill that void for a brief moment.
