The Hookup Hoax (Entangled Lovestruck) Read online

  When he glanced down at her, it was as if Tyler and the rest of the household had disappeared. Sawyer’s gaze was intense. When he spoke again, she barely heard his words over her pulse as it drummed in her ears. “I think he bought it, but we can’t be sure. Yet.”

  He pulled her tight against his body, her breasts pressing into his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and spread her hand flat on his lower back, grazing his belt. She fought the urge to dip her hands beneath the slick leather to explore what would no doubt be a perfectly sculpted rear.

  Olivia opened her mouth to ask what else they could do to convince his family, but before she could whisper the words, his lips were on hers. She gasped, startled by his tongue as it slipped past her lips. All through dinner she’d fought the spark of arousal he’d caused with his touch, but his kiss set her insides on fire. Heat roared to life low in her belly, making her ache in a place that had been unattended for too long. When was the last time a man had merely kissed her and caused that kind of reaction? Never. Sawyer’s kiss was unlike any other.

  His tongue swirled around hers and she whimpered against him, almost pleading for him to stop and at the same time longing for him to continue. She should fight this intrusion and yet she encouraged him further by arching into him. Gripping the hem of his shirt, she tried to hold on to something tangible and real because this kiss was anything but that.

  When he pulled back enough to nibble on her lower lip, her knees went weak and the only things she could focus on were the twinge of desire between her legs and the hard bulge in his pants pressing against her hip.

  Finally, and all too soon, Sawyer pulled away from her, leaving her aching for more. Her eyes fluttered open and everything she felt inside herself was mirrored in his heated, half-lidded gaze.

  How had this man, who was best friends with her brother—who was supposed to be her safety net from dating for the next few months—suddenly become the first guy to kiss her in a way that made her head swim and her body tremble? The relationship might be an act, but if that kiss was pretend, he deserved an Academy Award.

  A throat cleared from somewhere in the room. Without leaving Sawyer’s embrace, she turned to find eight stunned eyes watching them and four mouths gaping open like a school of guppies. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment when she realized Sawyer’s family had witnessed their very public display of fake affection. She swallowed hard, unsure of what to say or do, but wanting nothing more than to magically disappear.

  “Sugar, I think we’ve convinced them.” His breath was warm on her earlobe and despite the fact that everyone was watching them, she couldn’t stop from leaning into him, wanting more of his mouth on her body. He kissed her cheek then released her, his laugh breaking the silence in the room as if he wasn’t as turned on by the intimacy as she was.

  The erection nudging at her hip was proof he had been, but maybe that’s all it was—a purely physical response to the stimulus of kissing her and not something deeper, more meaningful. His kiss could have been nothing more than part of the act and she’d let herself get carried away. Maybe the passion she thought she’d felt in his kiss was only in her head—her own wanting and wishing instead of actual fact and feeling.

  She’d have to try harder not to let herself feel anything for Sawyer. Otherwise, if he planned on kissing her often, to convince his family their relationship was real, the next three months would be long and painful.

  And sexually frustrating.

  Chapter Four

  That kiss…

  Kissing Olivia had shaken him to the core.

  It had been a necessity. Tyler had clearly been suspicious of them and it was the first thing Sawyer had thought of to convince his cousin. Never did he expect to be tricked by his own acting.

  The kiss had been incredibly hot. He’d kissed a lot of women in his time, but none of them had made him feel the way she had. Where did he even start? It had been like eating filet mignon after mind-blowing sex, while drinking a twenty-five-year-old scotch. Her mouth had been inviting, encouraging, and sinfully captivating. If it hadn’t been for someone in the room coughing, he could’ve kissed her all night.

  The entire drive home, he’d done nothing but think of her. She’d been amazing at dinner. Charismatic, funny, sweet, engaging. She’d been everything he’d hoped and so much more, and since that spectacular kiss, she’d barely said two words to him.

  It was time to break the silence. “Did you have fun tonight?”

  “Yep,” she answered quickly, still peering out the window.

  Not the response he’d expected from the girl who chatted up his whole family for hours. “I think they really liked you. You seemed to fit in so easily. It’s as if you’re already a part of the family.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “They were wonderful. You’re lucky to have such a great family.”

  He cringed at his own ignorance. Aidan hadn’t kept it secret that his parents’ divorce had turned messy and that family reunions were stressful. He hadn’t even considered how she’d feel being in a family environment like Gran’s house. “I guess I am. I never really thought of it that way since it’s just my grandparents and cousins, not…parents or siblings.”

  “Parents are great, but not when they ship you back and forth every other holiday.”

  “So you must have loved your freedom while traveling. Going where you wanted, when you wanted.”

  “I did, for a while. The novelty wore off pretty quick, especially when I was around other families a lot. At this one village in Africa, I stayed with a nice family in their hut for a week. They fed and sheltered me and I helped out carrying water, scavenging for food, even assisting to build a hut for another family. That community had the fewest possessions I’ve ever seen, but they also had the most spirit. The day I left, the children gave me hugs, and I wanted so deeply to hug my own family, even if I had to go to multiple places to do so.”

  “It must have been an amazing experience. Life changing.”

  “It was. It made me appreciate everything I’d taken for granted before. I wish I could have dinner with my parents more often.” Her voice was soft, almost sad.

  “Me, too.” What wouldn’t he give for one dinner with his?

  Finally, she turned to look at him as they pulled into a parking spot. Her brow was furrowed, her expression almost pained. Reaching out, she squeezed his hand where it rested on the gearshift between them. The warmth of her touch was nice, soothing, especially with the difficult reminder of his parents. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t complain about not seeing my parents when I can call them anytime I want.”

  “No need to apologize.” He smiled, trying to make her feel better. “I get it. I’d want to spend time with my family if I could too, which is why I like Sunday dinners so much, despite the fact Tyler is always there.”

  “Every Sunday?”

  “Twice a month usually.” He shrugged. “But it’s not exactly mandatory.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She sighed.

  It didn’t sound okay. “Is there a reason you don’t want to go?” He couldn’t help feeling defensive. Like it or not, he needed this to work, and the Sunday dinners were the fastest way to convince his grandparents they were a legitimate couple. And his family was awesome, and had been nothing but wonderful to her. If she’d missed being a part of a family so much, why didn’t she enjoy being a part of his?

  She bit her lower lip, and memories of her mouth pressing against his flashed through his mind, banishing his annoyance. Her lips were naked now, free of the glossy color that had tinted their appearance and sweetened their flavor earlier. What would she taste like now?

  Olivia put her hand up between them and he stopped his progression toward her. He hadn’t even realized he’d been inching forward, but he had, pulled to her by some kind of invisible connection.

  “This,” Olivia said. “This is why I don’t want to go.”

  “This what?” The fog filling hi
s brain dissipated, replaced by irritation.

  “Pretending to be your girlfriend is hard enough without all the extra kissing and touching and…” Her voice dropped off as she fled from the car toward the elevator.

  Sawyer followed, trying to get his thoughts in order. She didn’t like kissing him? But that kiss had been awesome.

  He clenched his jaw to keep from speaking. Besides, what could he say? Apologize for kissing her after they’d talked about barely even touching in front of his family? Nope. He did what he had to do in the moment to convince Tyler, and he’d do it again in a heartbeat. Instinctively, his gaze went to her lips. The desire to kiss her—right here, right now—was almost overwhelming.

  “We agreed to keep things as platonic as possible, but that kiss overstepped a few boundaries,” she said.

  “That kiss saved us from Tyler figuring out we’re not for real.” Sawyer moved across the tiny space of the elevator to hover in front of her. Besides, it wasn’t like kissing her was torture—far from it. It had been nothing short of scorching hot. At least, that was how it had seemed to him.

  “That kiss was unnecessary and it can’t happen again.” She raised her chin and met his gaze with ferocity. “We’ll have to be more convincing in every other way, because I won’t kiss you every time we have a family gathering.”

  Why wouldn’t she kiss him? Was it because he was Aidan’s best friend?

  It didn’t matter why. She was right. No more kissing allowed. She was Aidan’s little sister and he wouldn’t do anything to ruin his friendship. That kiss might have been fantastic, but it was also a huge mistake. Forcing himself away from temptation, he stepped back, putting space between them. She visibly relaxed, her shoulders slouching as she leaned her head back against the elevator wall.

  How much clearer could her body language be?

  She wasn’t attracted to him, or as turned on by their kiss as he was. She’d played her part, nothing more, and even then she found it challenging. Isn’t that what she’d said? Well, he wouldn’t linger where he wasn’t wanted.

  He’d do whatever it took to make this work. The cabin was more important than hooking up with Olivia. He’d do what it took to keep things professional between them, starting now.

  “I should be able to finalize everything at work tomorrow so you can start on Tuesday.”

  “Great,” she said, sounding genuinely excited for exactly one second. “I guess I’ll have to go shopping for work clothes. I hope my credit limit is high enough to buy a few outfits. I don’t think you want me showing up in the denim cutoffs I wore to work at the pineapple plantation in Hawaii.”

  “Do you want an advance on your salary?” he asked, hating the thought that she was burdening herself to have something to wear to work.

  She narrowed her eyes and pulled back her shoulders almost as if she were getting ready to duel. Had he offended her with the offer?

  “I’ll manage on my own,” she said as they walked into the apartment.

  “I don’t doubt that you will.” He hoped she heard the truth in his tone.

  Olivia was stronger and more resourceful than any other woman he’d ever met. He had no doubt that if she set her mind to something, she would do whatever she had to until she achieved it.

  He couldn’t help but wonder if she put the same determination into her relationships. If the situation was different, and he made her want him, would she be as determined to succeed? Finding out was almost too tempting.

  …

  Olivia slapped her hand repeatedly against the black box making the offensive beeping sound. Enough. She got it. Time to get up.

  After years of making her own schedule, falling back into the routine of a nine-to-five job was a huge adjustment, and one she wasn’t necessarily ready for. She’d known the first week of her new job would be hard, but she felt as if she’d been woken from a coma. Every instinct she had whispered at her to roll over and go back to sleep.

  She’d never been a morning person. Even back in her college days, she eventually got tired of showing up late and only scheduled afternoon classes. Getting to work everyday after lunch probably wouldn’t go over well with Sawyer, even if they were living together—and fictitiously dating.

  Throwing back the covers, she rolled to her feet then staggered to the bathroom, rubbing her eyes. She paused in the doorway to stretch her arms above her head, twisting one way and then the other before pushing open the door, her eyes scrunched tightly closed against the blindingly bright vanity lights. Today was the first day of her new career, her new life. As she peeled her eyes open, gleaming white tiles and shiny counters assaulted her senses, but it was the object reflected in the mirror that really caught her attention.

  Sawyer.

  Naked.

  Suddenly Olivia was very awake. Any trace of sleep-induced fogginess evaporated like steam from his hot shower.

  His wet hair was spiked from a quick towel dry. A droplet of water ran down his bare chest, crested over the rolling hills of his pecs, skimmed the fine slopes of his six-pack abs like an Olympic mogul skier, then disappeared into a patch of dark hair below his belly button.

  Nice.

  The rest of him was covered by a towel, gripped in his hand, hanging in front of his groin like a big loincloth. A loincloth she’d love to see drop to the ground in a puddle around his feet.

  Stop. It’s Sawyer. Your boss.

  Olivia had made the mistake of dating a boss in college, pre-asshole-Sam days, and it had ended about as well as a soap opera drama. Not only had she ruined her reputation, she’d lost a job she’d really needed. Playing the boss’s girlfriend for a limited amount of time was one thing; becoming it in real life was completely another, and not something she’d ever risk again.

  “Why didn’t you lock the door?” she asked, forcing her gaze to stay on his face.

  “Why didn’t you knock?”

  “Because a closed door means nothing if it isn’t locked. Haven’t you ever had a roommate before?” She shook her head. “That’s like Hostel Living 101.”

  “Sorry. I haven’t had the opportunity to live the carefree hostel life. I’ve been busy running my business.” There was no denying the edge in his voice. Nor could she ignore the sting of his words.

  She’d worked while traveling, just a different kind of work. Apparently he didn’t get that, like the rest of the businesses in this city that wouldn’t hire her. Why had he even bothered offering her a job if he felt her work ethic wasn’t worthy of the position? Oh right, because of the cabin. His needs were met; hers were a bargaining chip. It wasn’t as if she’d earned the job by being the best applicant.

  The edge of his towel swayed as he rotated it to wrap the material around his waist. He ran his hands through his hair, looking frustrated, before shrugging. “I’m decent now, and we’re running late, so you better get moving.”

  Even Olivia’s irritation and tiredness couldn’t stop her from noticing that Sawyer was far more than decent. His lower half might be hidden from view, but the upper gave her an eyeful. Calling his chest merely decent should be illegal. The term was an injustice to the sculpted muscles and fine dusting of hair. The bathroom tiles were decent. Sawyer, on the other hand, was fantastic. And he was smirking at her.

  “What?” she asked, suddenly feeling like she’d been caught peeking at Christmas presents, but she resisted the urge to shrink back into her room. Instead she stood her ground confidently.

  “Nothing.” He grinned.

  “If it’s nothing, then why are you looking at me that way?” she asked, hands on her hips.

  “I’m the one who should be asking that question, don’t you think? I was minding my own business, taking a shower, when you barged in. And had a pretty good look around while you were at it.”

  “I…” What could she say? That she hadn’t seen anything? She had. A really good something. “I’m sorry I walked in without knocking. I saw nothing… Well, not nothing, exactly. I mean I saw all that.”
She motioned to his chest then dropped her gaze to his towel again. “But nothing important like that.”

  Shut up!

  “Sorry, I’m kind of out of it today.”

  “Didn’t you sleep well?” Concern wrinkled his brow.

  The notion he’d be concerned about her comfort level made her insides soften. How long had it been since anyone—especially a guy—cared about her daily well-being? Not since she’d left home for college. She’d been on her own a long time. “I slept fine. I’m not used to getting up early.” The look on his face said he wanted to roll his eyes.

  “Well, get used to it because the office opens at nine every morning, no exceptions.”

  She couldn’t tell by his tone if he was really warning her like a boss or if he was simply teasing her like a boyfriend. But then, he wasn’t a boyfriend, only a pretend boyfriend, when they were in public. And they most certainly weren’t in public right now. Nope. Just a private bathroom with a guy who was still very naked under his towel.

  “I promise I’ll get it together and I’ll be up and at work on time every morning.” He’d given her a job when no one else would, and she wasn’t about to screw up the opportunity to have Sterling Enterprises on her resume, just because she liked to sleep in.

  Sawyer said some words that sounded like he’d muttered them underwater, then crossed his arms in front of his chest. His biceps swelled. “Won’t you?”

  What was that now?

  “Yes?” she replied, confused but not wanting to admit it. All she could focus on were the flexed biceps teasing her from across the room, taunting her to touch them, climb them, wrap herself in them.

  No, no, no, no, no. No. I mean it. No.

  She shouldn’t be attracted to him. One, he’d just been a jerk, accused her of barging into the bathroom—which she sort of had, but whatever—and hurt her feelings about her work ethic for the last five years. Two, he was her new boss, and she wasn’t going down that road again. Three, he was her brother’s friend, which would mean bad news for them. And four, she was off the market for the next three months, at least, to everyone, including—and especially—Sawyer.