Until she approached and tarnished it herself.

  “Eliana, darling, there you are,” she sang, sweeping in like a witch in her shimmering black silk.

  I had tolerated her treatment of me because she was the only family I had left, and I loved her in my own way. But more than that, I felt sorry for her. Her desperate need for attention hinted at a mental instability that I could never fully comprehend.

  Marsha’s arm tightened around my waist as if she subconsciously knew she needed to protect me from this woman’s approach. Leaning forward, I air-kissed my mother, one side then the other. “Alize Montgomery, please allow me to introduce you to Milton and Marsha Steele. Milton and Marsha, my mother, Alize Montgomery.”

  Alize ignored me and went straight to Milton, simpering and offering a limp hand, clearly wanting it to be kissed. He shook it briefly, then stepped away and gestured to his wife. Nicely done, I thought.

  “We’ve so enjoyed getting to know your daughter,” Marsha said. “She’s so very lovely and such a pleasure to be around.”

  Alize’s smile lit up the room. “Yes, she is such a dear child. It was a tremendous challenge raising her after her father passed so suddenly.”

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  Alize sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. “I was still a child myself when I had her…”

  I forced myself to relax my jaw as my mother took over the conversation, sharing her “struggles” and basking in the sympathy she would surely receive.

  “Relax.” I jumped as Kane’s hands settled onto my shoulders. His breath was warm against my ear. “Have I told you how sexy your ass looks in that dress recently?”

  Smiling, I turned and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Not recently, no.” He gave an answering caress to my exposed back, his thumb traveling up my spine. Goosebumps erupted on every inch of my body.

  “I knew your skin would be this soft,” he whispered. “When I was in bed this week, I imagined touching you like this.”

  Desire stirred deep inside me, making me brazen. “Did you touch yourself while you thought of me?”

  His pupils flared. “Yes. Did you touch yourself while you thought of me?”

  I blushed. “Yes. Every night.”

  He leaned in to kiss me again but was interrupted. “Kane?”

  Both of our heads whipped in the direction of my mother. “Yes, ma’am?”

  Her jaw tightened as she lifted her chin at the slight. “I was just telling your parents that it was such a pleasure meeting you last week. I’m glad to hear that your team is doing better.”

  “Thank you, they are, with this lovely lady’s help we’re on a winning streak,” Kane said, squeezing my side. Like I made him proud. An unexpected feeling overtook me. A feeling of belonging. Even in the presence of my mother, I felt it enveloping me like a warm cloak.

  “How? Is Eliana a groupie now? Do you even know the difference between a home run and a touchdown, darling?” She laughed that high twittering sound that set my teeth on edge.

  Marsha’s face turned pale, and her mouth dropped a little. Milton’s arm went around his wife, and they both stepped my way.

  Kane kissed my temple. “Eliana is my good luck charm. She’s personally responsible for our winning streak.”

  Before Alize could respond, Milton stepped in. “Why doesn’t this beautiful woman have a drink?”

  Alize beamed. “Well, I am parch—”

  Milton didn’t take his eyes off me. “Perhaps you should get Eliana some champagne,” he suggested to Kane, and the muscles in Alize’s jaw tightened until I thought they would pop.

  “Champagne, it is.” Before I knew what was happening, I was whirled around, and we were heading to the bar. “Looks like my parents despise your mom as much as I do,” he muttered as he handed me a tall flute. “I’m sorry. She’s your mother, I shouldn’t say things like that.”

  It was crisp, cold, and delicious. “I don’t understand why she acts this way.”

  “Narcissistic bitch can’t help it,” he growled and downed a glass in one long swallow. He cursed. “Sorry again.”

  I kissed his cheek. “It’s okay.”

  “You two look good together.” We turned to find that his grandmother had stepped up beside us. Her thin arm curled around my waist. “I’m so happy that my grandson has finally found someone to look at the way he looks at you.” She smiled. “I might be old, but my eyesight is working just fine.”

  “Nana,” Kane warned.

  “Don’t you Nana me, young man. Come dance with me instead.”

  Kane smiled and leaned down to give me a kiss. “Will you be okay?”

  “Of course. Go have fun.”

  Off they went, and I finished my glass before picking up a fresh one and strolling closer to the dance floor to watch him waltz with the older woman. I smiled. They looked precious, and I wished I had a camera to capture the moment. Beside me, a flash went off. I’d have to ask later where I could purchase him a copy.

  As I watched him, I noticed others, mainly of the female variety, watching him too. I wasn’t stupid. Naive maybe, but not entirely ignorant of how the world worked for a man like Kane Steele. He could have his pick of any woman in this room, and I wondered how many of them had already screamed his name as he pushed them toward their pleasure.

  Why me?

  Before I could examine the question or the insecurities that lay behind it, I decided that now would be a good time to seek out the ladies’ room. Giving my empty glass to a passing waiter, I found the corridor and pushed into the overly decorated space. It was a bathroom, for goodness sake. Was gold and silk really necessary?

  After managing to pee without dropping the skirt of my dress in the toilet, I stepped to the sink to wash my hands, smiling at the attendant who handed me a cloth towel.

  I opened my small clutch to add a new layer of gloss and make sure my hair was still in place. I had to admit that Carlos did a magnificent job with my mop. Normally thick and straight, it now flowed over my shoulders in soft waves while the front was swept back into some elaborate looking knot on the top of my head. I was also wearing more makeup that I was used to. But I kind of liked it, not that I’d ever admit that to my mother. He hadn’t gone cat-eye glam, but had done something that made my eyes even bigger and bluer.

  I’ll always cherish the memory of the way Kane looked at me when I opened my apartment door, and I knew I had Carlos, in large part, to thank for that.

  “Whoa.” It wasn’t really a word. Mostly just a sound, but it had made me feel beautiful. Not cute. Not pretty. Beautiful.

  “Can I get you anything else, miss?” the attendant asked, wrinkles playing all around her eyes and mouth as she gave me a kind smile.

  It was impossible not to smile back. “Thank you, no.” Pulling a twenty-dollar bill from my clutch, I stuffed it among all the one dollar bills in her tip jar, wishing I had more to give her while cursing the stinginess of the very wealthy.

  Stepping back into the hallway, I was splashed by a tidal wave of déjà vu. There, waiting for me was Winston Hampton the Third.

  “It’s good to see you again, Eliana,” he said and took a step closer. “You look incredible.”

  My gut clenched at the memory of the last time I’d seen him. His promises to make me feel good as he tried to force my skirt up. The ache in my shoulders as he held my wrists over my head.

  We’d been at a dinner at Alize’s home about a month ago. The Hamptons, along with several other couples, were sipping after dinner drinks when I’d excused myself to go to the bathroom. When I’d opened the door, Winston was standing there, a predatory light in his eyes.

  “Come home with me,” he’d said, and the invitation had come as such a surprise that I’d only stared. Winston was older than me by nearly ten years and had never shown any interest in me that I could tell. He was showing interest then, and I had to admit, it was a bit thrilling to gain the attention of such a handsome, successful man.

  It wasn’t thrilling now.

  “Excuse me, I really must get back to my boyfriend,” I said and took a side step to get around him.

  He moved with me, blocking my path. “I like you, Eliana. I find it unfortunate that I misread your signals at Alize’s dinner party. When you excused yourself, I believed it was an invitation for me to join you.”

  Signals? I hadn’t given out any signals to him. Had I?

  “I’d had a bit much to drink, and with your scent in my head, the combination caused me to be a bit… indelicate. For that, I apologize.”

  Indelicate. I guessed that was a word.

  The horrible part was, the compassionate people pleaser inside me wanted to believe him, or at least give him the benefit of the doubt… if that smirk hadn’t been in his dark eyes. If he hadn’t kept looking at my lips.

  He stepped closer, and I cringed away as he lifted a hand to stroke my arm. His touch felt like spiders crawling down my skin.

  “Let me make it up to you, Eliana. Dinner, wine, the theater afterward. Let me show you that I can be less barbaric.” The predatory gleam returned. “Unless you wish for me to unleash it.”

  I dodged to the right, surprising him, but wasn’t quick enough to get away. His hand whipped out and wrapped around my arm. “I love it. Such a tease.”

  Coming around, I raised my hand to smack him across the face. He laughed when he caught my wrist easily. “Frisky. Just like your mother.” Surprise stopped my struggle, and he chuckled again. “A mother and daughter double team is on my bucket list, but I’ll take them in singles too.”

  “You… sick bastard.” I went for his crotch, and he avoided the knee as if he was well practiced at the skill. “Let go of me, or I’ll scream this place down.”

  He didn’t, so I opened my mouth to do just that.

  “Miss?”

  I wasn’t sure who jerked around the quickest, Winston or me. I didn’t care because he dropped his hands immediately.

  In the doorway of the ladies’ room stood the elderly attendant. She held out a small tube of cherry red lip gloss I’d never seen before. “I fear you might have left this behind.” Her wise eyes urged me to take it.

  “Oh my goodness,” I sputtered and reached for it, squeezing her hand as I did. “Thank you so much.”

  She inclined her head and stepped back into the bathroom. “Have a lovely evening.”

  The door hadn’t even clicked shut before I was flying down the hall, thanking the sweet woman for her intervention. Back in the ballroom, I headed straight for the dance floor and stood near a throng of people while I searched for Kane.

  There he was, still dancing with his grandmother. It surprised me when I recognized the same song that had been playing when I left. My interlude with Winston had only taken a few minutes, not the hours that it felt like. I snagged a flute of bubbly liquid from a waiter and downed it in one gulp.

  Inhale love.

  Exhale hate.

  I traded my empty glass for a full one.

  Inhale alcohol.

  Exhale toxic soul sucking bastards.

  My heartbeat had found its normal rhythm when the waltz finally came to an end, and I smiled as Kane hugged his grandmother tightly. They just stood there for long moments, holding onto each other. By the time he let her go, his face was red. He said something, and she smiled and nodded, then he leaned down and kissed her cheek. Turning on his heel, he fled the room. Over the tops of people’s heads, I watched him push through the balcony door.

  What just happened?

  Hesitating only a second, I followed him, finding him in the shadows of a corner. His hands were pressed to his face.

  “Kane?”

  He didn’t even flinch. I took a step closer, resting my hand on his arm, providing what little comfort I could.

  I gasped when he grabbed me, turning me until I was pressed against the wall. His lips crashed onto mine, and I could taste the salt of his tears.

  My mind flashed to Winston grabbing me, but his hateful image was gone just as quickly. This was Kane, and although I didn’t know what happened with his grandmother, I knew he needed me now. I would’ve given him anything, I realized and wrapped my arms around him, kissing him back with all the passion that had been held hostage inside me for so long.

  His hands were everywhere. In my hair, around my throat, on my breasts. His tongue invaded my mouth, and I welcomed it. Welcomed him.

  He was hard. So hard. His erection pressed into my stomach as he took my mouth with an urgency that left me breathless.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered against my mouth, softening the kiss. His fingers loosened from where they’d been digging into my skin. “I’m hurting you.”

  I pressed closer and dragged my teeth over his lower lip. “Hurt me. Please.”

  He chuckled, the rumble of the sound vibrating through me. “Be careful what you wish for.”

  I didn’t hesitate. “I wish for it all. Everything.”

  He growled low in his throat. “I need you,” he said, pressing his forehead to mine. “I’m not sure why, but I need you.”

  I curled my fingers in his thick hair. “I know. I need you too.”

  Our foreheads were pressed together, our breath mingling in the space between us.

  “My nana is dying.”

  His announcement was such a surprise that I gasped. “Oh no.”

  “Yes.” He cleared his throat, and his face was a tight mask as he attempted to control his emotions. “That was probably our last dance.”

  Tears sprang to my eyes, and I pressed my lips to his, providing what bit of solace I could. “I’m so sorry. She seems so very wonderful.”

  “She is. Wise and witty, subtly stern. She’s a rock, and I can’t believe she’ll be leaving us soon.” He shook his head, as if trying to clear it. “She kept wanting me to come to this gala, and like the ass I am, I refused… until I met you. So thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. And you’re not an ass.”

  He made a scoffing sound, clearly not believing me. “She took me out on the terrace earlier to tell me and to give me something.” He pulled a small box from his pocket. “This.”

  He held it out to me, and my fingers trembled as I took it. When I opened the top, a ring sprang out. It hadn’t been fastened down in its holder.

  I cried out as it pinged to the concrete floor, bouncing several times. Kane dropped down and slammed a hand over it, catching it before it could drop off the side of the building.

  Oh, thank goodness. My heart was hammering in my chest.

  “It’s okay, I got it.”

  I smiled down at him as he handed it back to me. “Nice catch, Mr. First Baseman.”

  “Oh! My! Goodness!”

  A squeal of delight echoed into the night air, and I looked over to see Kane’s mother and grandmother standing there, holding onto each other’s hands, his father right behind them.

  I looked down at Kane, who was still on his knee, holding the ring up between us.

  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize how this looked.

  As if I was frozen, I just stood there, unsure what to do. Laugh? Cry? Run?

  Kane stood up and smiled down at me, a soft chuckle accompanying the shake of his head.

  “I know we barely know each other,” he said in a voice low enough for only me to hear, “but right now, would you do me the honor of being promoted from fake girlfriend to fake fiancée? I honestly can’t bear the thought of breaking my grandmother’s heart right now. And I promise to be a good fiancé until you dump me whenever you want in the future. The ball is in your court.”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw his grandmother crying. Marsha was holding onto the older woman, and Milton was holding onto them both. The air around us nearly crackled with expectation as everyone awaited my answer.

  How bad would it be, being fake engaged to a man like Kane? To be enveloped into his family, at least for a while? Go to baseball games? Wear that ginormous ring for a time?

  But what happens when that time is over? How bad will it hurt to give it back?

  I was still wrestling with indecision when my mother walked through the door and gasped at the scene, Winston the Terrible on her arm. Her eyes opened in surprise while his narrowed, his jaw growing tight.

  Every girl needed a broken heart, right? At least once in their life.

  I looked up into those glorious green eyes and held out my left hand.

  “Yes.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Kane

  I couldn’t believe that just happened.

  And I couldn’t believe how fucking happy it made me when she said yes.

  I mean, it was a temporary yes. As fake as our entire relationship had been. I knew that. It was what I wanted. Knowing I was settled would bring my nana comfort during her last days.

  But if this engagement was only for my grandmother, why did my heart feel like it might explode with total joy as I slipped the ring on Eliana’s finger?

  “It fits,” she said in awe as it slid on perfectly, like it was made for her to wear.

  When I kissed her, our lips fit perfectly too. Just like how she fit perfectly at my side.

  Could I fit her into my life?

  I didn’t have time to contemplate the question because my parents and Nana rushed at us, laughing and crying. There were hugs and then bottles of champagne popping. Cameras flashed in our faces as we lifted our glasses, and the smile on my face didn’t feel fake.

  Eliana was adorable, soaking up the attention like a thirsty sponge, and it was beautiful, she was beautiful, to watch.

  “Are you sure, Kane?” Nana asked, pulling me to the side. “Don’t read me wrong, I’m ecstatic, but as you said earlier, you barely know each other. It was a tremendous surprise to witness you propose.”

  How can I lie to that well-loved face?

  “It was the ring, Nana. And your news. It made me realize that life is really short. Eliana is special. I knew it the moment I saw her. I can’t imagine anyone suiting me better or making me happier.”

  That was the truth.

  “Do you love her?”