The Hometown Hoax (The Hoax Series) Read online

  “You can hardly even see him he’s so far away.” Martha clucked her tongue as if she were disappointed. “You must have a better one than that.”

  “I like this one. He looks so content.” She shrugged. “I don’t have many pictures of us. When we’re together, we’re usually too busy doing stuff to stop for a photo op, I guess.” Tessa stood from the table, stretching out her long, languid body like a cat waking from a long nap in a sunbeam. “It’s been a long day and I’m tired of being interrogated, so if it’s all the same to you, I’m going to head to bed early tonight. Which cabin am I staying in this time?”

  While Tessa zipped up her boots and grabbed her bag, Martha consulted a piece of paper she’d pulled from her pocket. “The campground was surprisingly booked this week, but I managed to get enough beds for all of us. Looks like you’re in cabin thirteen.”

  “Great. I’ll see you in the morning.” Tessa disappeared out the door without another glance back.

  Logan savored the rest of his dessert then enjoyed a coffee and a game of poker with Travis. When he’d sufficiently kicked his buddy’s ass at cards, he figured it was a good time to call it a night. The day had been long and grueling and he still needed to write down the ideas for new physical education games he’d thought of on the drive. With classes starting in less than two weeks, the pressure was weighing heavily on his shoulders. He needed to do well if he hoped to turn his term teaching position into a full-time one until he could find a way to open a new gym. Without this new start in Cutter’s Creek, he had nothing—no job, no family, and no life to go back to in New York.

  His personal training studio in New York had been a dream come true, one he’d worked hard for, but rent was high and competition was too stiff. He hadn’t been able to find clients when the big brand name gyms offered so much more than he could. With his savings depleted, he’d had no choice but to close up shop and fall back on his teaching degree. Luckily Travis had been able to call in a favor and get him a temporary position as the elementary school gym teacher.

  He might’ve earned his teaching degree, but he’d never imagined himself doing it forever.

  Someday soon he’d love to open another training studio. Maybe even right in Cutter’s Creek where there was no big competition and where the people might actually care about him enough to see his business succeed. Settling down and creating a real life someplace where people knew his name wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

  “I’m heading to bed for the night. Martha, where do you have me bunking?”

  She consulted her list again then smiled and handed him a key. “It’s the first one down the path on the left. Sleep well, dear.”

  He yawned deeper with each few steps. He was so tired after his long day meeting the rest of Travis’s family and…and everything with Tessa. So much for working on lesson plans tonight. Inside, the cabin was small and cozy with two single beds and a bathroom and not much else. One bed looked claimed already with the blanket pulled back and bags resting on top of the dresser next to it. He put his things next to the other and was in the process of taking off his shirt when the bathroom door opened.

  “Why are you getting naked in my cabin?”

  He didn’t have to turn around and see the face to recognize the voice—Tessa.

  Chapter Three

  Tessa stopped in the doorway at the sight of Logan’s bare back. That was not what she expected to see when she opened the bathroom door. When she’d gone into the bathroom to get cleaned up and ready for bed, the cabin had been empty, but now…

  Now she was staring at Logan, half naked. He turned to face her, and her gaze fell to his sculpted chest. Most guys she’d dated in the past had a decent thing going on. They’d had healthy physiques, not too muscular, not too flabby, and she’d been completely content with that.

  After all, she wasn’t a world-class supermodel or anything herself. Not that she minded how she looked. In fact, she was happy with herself, extra padding around the edges and all. She was a healthy weight and didn’t feel the need to be a stick figure. But Logan Ridley…well, he was a different species altogether.

  His clothing had done a fine job of hiding the treasure beneath his shirt. He’d looked of average build before, but now, seeing him in the flesh—heat flared in her cheeks, hotter with every passing second—he was far more than average. He could easily be a bodybuilder if he wasn’t already. She’d never actually seen six-pack abs in real life before, only on TV and in magazines of unrealistic celebrity man-candy. Until tonight.

  Logan had a perfect set of washboard abs and pecs that made her want to reach out and touch them. She wasn’t usually one to put much stock in how someone looked, but…

  Damn, he’s hot.

  But I have a boyfriend—fake boyfriend—and getting through this weekend without anyone finding out Richard isn’t real is more important than enjoying the hunkfest in front of me.

  If anyone found out the truth, her family would be unrelenting about her moving home. A serious relationship in the city was her safety net to help keep her there—her logical reason for not moving back.

  Feeling as if she were about to drool at any second, she snapped her mouth shut, pulled her lips into a cheery smile, and hoped he didn’t notice her eyeing him like a life-sized ice cream she wanted to lick from the tip of the cone to the sprinkles on top.

  “Apparently, this is my cabin too,” he said, finally answering the question. It felt like hours ago that she’d asked what he was doing getting naked in her cabin when it had surely only been seconds. Time had simply stood still while she’d ogled him inappropriately.

  “How do you figure that?”

  “Because this is where your mom told me I was sleeping for the next week and since she’s the boss around here, I didn’t think it would be polite to argue. You don’t have a problem sleeping with me, do you?”

  She swallowed hard as her mind went to naughty places. Her mind definitely wasn’t allowed to go to any of those places with Logan. “If by sleeping with you, you mean sharing a cabin, then nope.”

  He arched his eyebrow. “What else would I mean?”

  Oh no, she wasn’t going there. She had a fake boyfriend to think about and even if she admitted she didn’t have one, she had no intention of hooking up with anyone even remotely connected to Cutter’s Creek.

  “Just making sure we’re on the same page. That’s all.” She cleared her throat and climbed into bed, which happened to be too close to Logan’s.

  Logan wandered into the bathroom, leaving the door open while his brushed his teeth.

  “I never got a chance to ask you before, but how do you know Travis?” she asked as he walked back into the bedroom. “You didn’t grow up here. If you did, I’d remember you.”

  Only because everyone in town knew everyone else, and not because his muscles and cute smile made him unforgettable.

  “I grew up in Manhattan and met Travis at NYU. We were in the same intro classes in our first year. We’ve been friends ever since.”

  “How did you end up here camping with us? I was under the impression this was a family camping trip.” She pulled her hair up into a twist on top of her head, hoping it didn’t look too stupid, not that she was trying to impress Logan or anything, but she didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of him either. She couldn’t sleep with her hair down while camping. What if a spider crawled in it? She shivered at the thought and snuggled down into bed, pulling her blankets up to her chest, and then grabbed her book from the nightstand. Now she’d have to read to take her mind off the idea of spiders anywhere within a five-foot radius of her.

  “I’m new to town and don’t know anyone other than Travis. I guess they took pity on me being bored until work starts in a few weeks.”

  “Wait, you moved here? Why would you do that? Why would anyone do that?”

  “It’s a nice town. I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to live here. Everyone is friendly and kind and they invite you camping so you
feel welcome and included.” He shrugged and dropped his pants to the floor, standing in only his boxer-briefs.

  She opened her book to a random page and pretended to be completely ignorant of the almost-naked man standing a mere ten feet from her.

  Her breathing hitched as she peered over the top of the pages, praying he couldn’t see her bite her lip while taking in the bedroom scenery.

  Now that’s a sizeable package.

  Was he actually sharing a room with her and only wearing boxers to bed? Did she really mind that much?

  He climbed into bed and her gaze roamed up his body until she got to his face again. When she did, she found him staring at her, accusation and amusement written all over his expression. “Everything all right over there? You got awfully quiet.”

  “Yeah, sure, fine. Everything is fine. I was just…thinking…about what you were saying.” She put down her book on her lap and folded her hands as if she were in the middle of an important business meeting. “The people in town are some of the best you’ll ever meet, but a word of advice: There is no privacy here. So if you don’t want the whole town to know your business, don’t share it with anyone. I’m sure by Monday morning everyone will know we shared this cabin alone tonight.”

  “And that would be scandalous for you?”

  “Wouldn’t it be for you, the guy who just moved here?”

  “No. I’m okay with my choices and I’m not afraid to let people know who I am. I like that everyone has been so nice and actually wants to meet me. Did you know I got two lasagnas and four trays of cookies delivered the day I moved into my apartment? Can’t say that has ever happened in New York, not unless you count the time someone delivered my neighbor’s cookies to my door by accident. But I don’t think those were regular cookies. He seemed eager to get them back, and his apartment always smelled like a concert venue. After years in the same place, I never even knew my neighbors’ names.”

  “Let’s hope the stuff you got this time didn’t include any extra mystery ingredients. I can’t even imagine those little old ladies all hopped up on stoner cookies.” She laughed at the thought. There was no way that would ever happen here. Nothing ever happened here. It was as straight-laced and boring as it could possibly be. “Although, if you got anything from Mrs. Newman, I’d be wary of eating it. She hasn’t been all there for a few years now. The last time I ate one of her bake sale cakes I found a cat toy in it.”

  “Noted. I’ll watch out for her.”

  “What brought you to town anyway? It’s not exactly a hub for single guys. I mean, not that your relationship status has anything to do with it, but it’s not a lively town to move to.”

  “I’m here for a maternity leave.”

  She couldn’t hold back her giggle. “I didn’t realize you were expecting. When are you due?”

  He rolled onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow. “Funny. I’m filling in for a teacher who’s taking her maternity leave. You’re looking at Cutter’s Creek Elementary’s newest gym teacher. Pretty exciting, right?”

  “Very.”

  “I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a stepping stone. Travis got my foot in the door, and it was either accept the position or be out of a job and living in a super expensive city. So here I am.”

  She yawned, unable to hold back the tiredness creeping into her brain. “Well, I hope you’re happier here than I was.”

  “Not that it’s any of my business, but why weren’t you happy?”

  “Because I’m the wild, rebellious one, remember?” She flipped off her bedside lamp and set her book aside. “I’m sorry, but I’m beat. Between the accident and that last glass of wine you poured me, I’m about to fall asleep talking.”

  He rolled over and shut off his light too, then settled himself into bed as it creaked and groaned beneath him. These rustic wooden frames probably weren’t prepared for the onslaught of muscle they now had to support.

  Enough already. So he’s hot. And nice, when he’s not behind the wheel. Get over it.

  A twinkling of moonlight filtered in through the window shades. Nighttime critters seemed to get louder in the darkness, but that didn’t stop her from being hyper-aware of Logan’s subtle movements in the bed next to hers. Every time he shifted she heard the covers slide against his skin.

  What would it feel like to be that blanket?

  His voice drifted through the darkness pulling her from her thoughts. “I know you’re tired, but since you seemed to have settled in okay with me here, does that mean you’re not holding the accident against me anymore?”

  “Well, we are stuck rooming together, so we may as well make the best of it, right?” Better to let it go and try to enjoy the week as much as she could.

  “I’m glad to hear that. I think it’ll be a fun vacation, even if we did get off to a rough start.” He yawned loudly and the bed creaked again as he got comfortable. “Goodnight, Tessa. Thanks for the most interesting day I’ve had in a long time.”

  “Here’s hoping for an uneventful week. Or one filled with copious amounts of alcohol. And yes, I do still blame you for the accident since it was your fault. ‘Nite, Logan.”

  She didn’t miss the sound of his deeply annoyed sigh as she fell asleep with a grin on her face.

  Logan groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. The sunlight was bright and it had to be way too early for anyone to be awake. He felt as if he’d slept for minutes not hours. Maybe if he tried harder, he’d be able to fall back asleep until lunch. Surely no one would miss him before that. Except that he could hear the sound of running water somewhere close by. It couldn’t be raining with the amount of sun brightening his closed eyelids, which meant it could only be one thing—Tessa in the shower.

  Naked Tessa in the shower. Getting soapy. Skin turning pink with the heat from the water.

  He groaned again and sat up in bed, adjusting his blanket so it hid his growing arousal. He didn’t want to be so turned on by thoughts of Tessa. Nothing good would come of that. Ever. She had a boyfriend. They lived in different places. End of story.

  A cheerful tune seeped out from under the bathroom door with the steam, and he could picture her lathering up her body while singing a song currently playing way too often on the top forty.

  Stop thinking about her. The ache in his dick doubled. If he didn’t get his mind on something else soon, he’d end up easing his pain later in the shower with a soapy lather of his own. It would be better than a raging case of blue balls at least. Just then the singing turned into something resembling more of a wail.

  Yikes. She cannot hit those high notes.

  A clatter that sounded like metal hitting tiles joined a wail that had rapidly turned into an ultra-sonic shriek, which could probably be heard in the main cabin. A string of curse words burst forth from the bathroom as Tessa charged into the room, a towel hanging vertically in front of her.

  He jumped up from the bed, nearly falling while disentangling himself from the blanket. Tessa slammed into him as he found his balance.

  “Spider! Get it off of me!” Her eyes were filled with pure panic and her voice shook as if she were on the verge of tears.

  “Where? I don’t see anything,” he said, gripping her shoulders.

  “My hair!” She shrieked so loudly he squinted as if it would help block the sound shooting at him. How did she make such a loud noise?

  “Okay, don’t panic.”

  “Don’t panic? Are you fucking kidding me? There was a spider. Showering with me.”

  He leaned forward and surveyed the situation. He still didn’t see anything even close to resembling a spider on her head. She trembled beneath his fingers, but he wasn’t sure if it was from fear or the cold air hitting her wet body. Either way, he felt the overwhelming desire to wrap his arms around her, snuggle her against his chest, and make her warm.

  She yelled again, this time so close to his ear he feared the subsequent ringing would never stop. “It’s on my back! Get it, get it,
get it!”

  Tessa spun in front of him and he instantly spotted a surprisingly large spider slowly sliding down a river of suds between her shoulder blades headed toward the luscious mounds of her ivory ass. Could he pretend not to have seen it right away so he’d have an excuse to examine her backside longer?

  As tempting as it was, he swatted the spider and watched as it hit the wall beside his bed, fell to the floor, and scurried away. If it hadn’t been for the distraction of Tessa’s naked, soapy flesh beneath his fingertips, he might have been concerned about chasing the spider to kill it. Today the spider could live.

  No way was he moving a single muscle from his current position until he absolutely had to. Without thinking, he gripped her hips in his hands. They slid on her wet skin and he squeezed his fingers tighter to hold them still. Her silky flesh was warm and soft, and he longed to feel the curves of her ass pressing against the ache growing even more pronounced in his boxers.

  “Did you get it?” she asked, her voice wavering as she peeked over her shoulder.

  He had trouble finding his voice. “Yeah. I got it.”

  She opened her lips as if to say something else. Maybe she did. All he heard was her shaky inhalation of breath as her tongue grazed the edge of her top teeth. The tiny movement inside her mouth was unbelievably erotic.

  She sagged against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder and he felt her take a deep breath into her lungs. Then she sighed. “Thank God.”

  Even as the tension left her body, she still shook, her warm, wet skin gently vibrating against his chest. Despite his willpower, he felt his dick twitch near her lower back and his hands slipped lower on her hips. Goddamn, she felt good. Her body went ramrod straight and she twisted around to face him. As she did, his hand swept across her naked ass, and he nearly moaned with the lightning bolts that shot to his groin. In an instant, she backed away from him and toward the bathroom, her brow furrowed and her index finger trapped between her teeth as if she were trying to solve a complex math problem without a calculator.