I snuggled into him. My diamond bracelet rested against his bare chest.

  "Shelby? Do you think one time faking it was enough?" He traced my arm. "For our reputation?"

  I looked him in the eye. "No. Probably not. Definitely not."

  His eyes sparkled. "Good. That's the answer I was hoping for."

  Chapter 23

  Shelby (Sound sleeper, happy dreamer.)

  I woke in the morning tangled in the sheets with Dex. I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept so well. Or been so happy and confused. As I leaned up on one elbow and studied his sleeping face, my bracelet caught the light. I hadn't taken it off. It was like a dream, and I didn't really want to wake.

  I smiled at Dex. Yeah, just as hot asleep as awake.

  What time was it? I glanced at the clock. Nearly noon.

  I sat up sleepily. My head pounded. We hadn't fallen asleep until three or four. I had a mild hangover. I needed coffee.

  I slipped out of bed quietly and pulled on a robe. My stomach growled. I wondered if we'd missed breakfast. I couldn't remember the full schedule for the day. We had a couple's massage at two. I couldn't wait. I was sure it would cure the last vestiges of my hangover. The wedding was at six, followed by dinner.

  I made calculations of how long I'd need to get ready for the wedding. A piece of paper on the floor caught my attention. Someone had slid a note beneath our door. If that was a death threat from Paige…

  I picked it up. It was a calligraphy note and menu on beautiful cardstock, with the requisite wedding branding.

  For guests who desire to sleep in, the house brunch will be served and delivered all day at your convenience and request. Text…

  Thank goodness for that. I was impressed with everything about this wedding. There hadn't been a snag or even a slight stumble, at least none that were visible to the guests. Whoever the wedding planner was, they were stellar. The bride deserved credit, too. This was a huge event and undertaking. I'd never seen one run smoother.

  I set the card down and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Dex was still asleep when I came out. I made myself a cup of coffee with the press of a button on the amazingly quiet machine. I took my coffee out onto the balcony and snuggled in a chair to think. The falls provided calming, mesmerizing white noise. In the fresh, mist-filled air, my headache began fading.

  As I sipped my coffee, I played mindlessly with my bracelet. I still couldn't believe it had been a prize at a party. It was both unreal and a reality check. It was tangible, solid proof I wasn't dreaming.

  Unfettered from the effects of alcohol, I was thinking more clearly now.

  Dumb move, Shelby. You're falling too hard, too fast again. You know you're going to ruin this. Falling in love is heady. But if you want this one to last, you need to slow down. Give it time to really get to know him before you commit your heart—

  Oh, give yourself a break. Shelby was just having a little fun. What's wrong with that? He seemed to like it well enough. And look at that gorgeous bracelet. He knows how to treat a girl—

  She deflowered a virgin! A drunk virgin.

  You can't know that for sure. He obviously consented. And it was fun. You are such a prude, good self.

  Not a prude. Reasonable and responsible. He's going to get a puppy-dog attachment to her now. But you know puppy love. It doesn't last—

  "Shelby?"

  I jumped.

  Dex stood in the doorway, looking adorably sleepy-eyed in a T-shirt and sweatpants. He was holding the brunch card. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

  "It's okay." I cupped my coffee in both hands. "I was admiring the falls and got lost in my thoughts. I didn't hear you is all."

  He waved the card. "Did you see this?"

  I nodded.

  "Are you hungry?" He gave me a cute, lecherous look.

  I smiled. "Starved."

  "Good. So am I." He glanced over his shoulder at the bed.

  When I didn't make a move to get up, he pulled his phone out. "I'll text them to bring it up."

  He settled into the chair next to me, beaming, but uncertain. Seeing him vulnerable, without the mask of confidence, was touching and only made me want to love him more.

  "Shelby, last night—"

  I shook my head and held a finger to my lips. "Shh. Let's not talk about it now. We were both drunk."

  "Were we?" He sounded hurt, but covered quickly.

  "The beautiful thing about fake relationships is they don't need explanations. Or morning-after discussions. Or talking about."

  "Really?" He studied the falls.

  I studied his profile.

  He turned his attention to me. "Did I do something wrong?"

  "Not at all." I smiled at him, truly smiled. "You were perfect." I jangled my bracelet. "I mean, look at this. No guy has ever given me something like this before. Or something like last night." I took a deep breath. "If you want to know the truth, it's me. I rush in. And ruin things. It's better to take things slow. See where they lead. Even fake relationships, apparently."

  He opened his mouth to answer just as there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it."

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. Good self was right. I should listen to her.

  I heard Dex open the door and talk to someone. He returned a few minutes later with a tray brimming with food—two covered plates, a tray of fresh pastries, a bowl of fresh Northwest berries, two bowls of the resort's signature and world-famous oatmeal. Honey and sugar—brown, white, and turbinado. Tiny jars of jams of all kinds. A bowl of chopped nuts.

  He set it on the table between us. "Ready?"

  "Have at it."

  He removed the lids from the plates, revealing salmon omelets and breakfast potatoes.

  "It looks delicious," I said. "They expect us to be hungry."

  "Yeah. Dig in." He picked up his fork. "Shelby?"

  "Yeah?" I grabbed a spoon and began loading fruit onto my oatmeal.

  "I'm a busy guy. Without much time for relationships. Work consumes me. Any girlfriend, even a fake one, will have to understand."

  I nodded. "Sure."

  He grabbed my wrist. "You're not getting it. Slow is fine with me. Fake is fine. As long as we don't give up too soon." He kissed my hand and released it.

  Dex

  After breakfast, I was tormented while Shelby got ready for our couple's massage. Not that I even knew why, or how, you got ready for a massage. What had I done wrong?

  She said I hadn't done anything. I knew what that meant. I'd really fucked up.

  I wasn't used to failing. Not even the first time out of the gate. I'd been an overeager fool. I'd rushed in. Rushed her.

  Damage control. I needed to do damage control. Or drink heavily. Or both. That Brora was looking pretty good.

  She came out of the bathroom with her hair tied into some kind of a knot. Her face was freshly scrubbed. She looked so damn hot. I couldn't get last night out of my head.

  "Ready?" Her smile dazzled me.

  "As ever." Get that eager grin off your face.

  She was still wearing her new bracelet.

  "You're not a little over-accessorized for a massage?" I pointed to her wrist.

  "I'm not leaving this in the room." She covered it with her left hand, looking scandalized at the very suggestion.

  "I'm leaving my scotch."

  "Not the same," she said. "You'd just look silly carrying your scotch around."

  "Not if I put it in a paper bag."

  She laughed. "No? Then you'd just look like a bad drunk."

  "We have a room safe, you know."

  She shook her head. "Not on your life."

  "It's not like the rich people around here are going to want to steal it."

  "Paige might." She lifted a brow. "And then there's the staff…"

  I wasn't going to win this one. Time to give it up. "All right." I looked at her and reached for the doorknob. "Game on?" I held my hand out for hers.

  "Absolutely." She took my hand, nearly breaking my heart.

  The moment we shut the door on the room, she was back to being the woman from last night. Funny. Flirty. Relaxed.

  I might be a fool. But I wasn't a fucking fool. I played along.

  I was the happiest guy on the planet, even faking it. And looking forward to this couple's massage, even though I had no real idea what it entailed. Hot rocks, maybe?

  The spa was on the main floor of the resort. I held the door to the reception area open for Shelby.

  Adam was pacing in front of the check-in desk, looking like a man in torment.

  I know how you feel, buddy.

  His face lit up when he saw us. "Dex! Shelby. Finally. I was hoping you'd be on time. Am I glad to see you."

  I exchanged a look with Shelby. She shrugged almost imperceptibly.

  "What's up, Adam?" I asked.

  "Chrissy. She's going completely crazy. She wants this day to be perfect. And if it isn't…" He raked his hand through his hair, standing it up at odd angles. "Something's fucked up. I was hoping you could help."

  "Sure," I said, squeezing Shelby's hand. "If I can. What's happened? What do you need?"

  Adam turned to Shelby. "We need Shelby." He blew out a breath. "Something happened to four or five of our wedding signs overnight. Vandalized? An accident? An animal got into them? We don't know how, or who.

  "It doesn't matter. They're apparently ruined. Along with a couple dozen place cards for our wedding dinner. There's no time for the original designer and calligrapher to replace them. Chrissy is distraught. In a real state."

  Adam appealed to Shelby. "What Chrissy wants today, Chrissy gets. I'm going to give her the wedding day she's dreamed of and planned for. I'll do anything. Pay any price. If you can fix them—"

  "Of course." She glanced at me. "I'm happy to do what I can."

  "Great." Adam grabbed her arm. "There's no time to waste. This way. Chrissy and Laura, the wedding planner, are waiting in the office they're calling 'wedding control.'"

  I turned to follow them.

  Shelby stopped me. "No. Go have our massage. You've been under a lot of stress. Go relax. Get the kinks worked out."

  "Without you?" I shook my head.

  "Go," Adam said. "There's nothing you can do to help right now. You'll just slow Shelby down and distract her."

  Shit. I was outnumbered and outgunned.

  "All right." I gave Shelby a quick kiss. "Keep me posted on your progress."

  She nodded and blew me a kiss as Adam led her away.

  The last thing I wanted was a solo massage. But I checked in. "Couple's massage for one." Story of my life.

  I finally got a hot chick and a guy with a hand-lettering emergency had snatched her away.

  The masseuse came for me and got me settled in. I was just relaxing on the spa bed when a second masseuse came in. With Paige.

  "Dex." Paige's grin was pure victorious evil. "I hope you don't mind. I wasn't able to get an appointment. Rules of hospitality. Guests first. Every spot was booked. I asked them to let me know if there was a cancellation."

  Fuck.

  We might not know the how, but the mystery of who'd destroyed the signs was pretty clear.

  Diabolical. There was no way I could ever tell Chrissy and Adam. Ruining family relationships and putting myself in the middle of my good friend and mentor's family drama? Accusing Charles's little princess of an evil wedding crime—not politically savvy. Not smart.

  I gave Paige a weak smile.

  "Lovely," Paige said as she slid on the spa bed next to me.

  Chapter 24

  Shelby (Hand-lettering professional extraordinaire, last-minute wedding saver.)

  Adam took me to Chrissy and her wedding planner, Laura, in the wedding control center, an office and conference room off the lobby. One look at the scope of the project and my heart sank. We're encouraged to dream the impossible dream. But this? Hours and hours and hours of work. And not enough of them between now and six.

  The beautiful etched Plexiglas signs couldn't be salvaged. That was obvious at a quick glance. Fixing scratched Plexiglas wasn't part of my skill set anyway.

  I'd have to start the signs from scratch and work in another medium. If there were supplies available immediately, I'd be lucky to finish in time for the wedding.

  I gave Chrissy and Laura an honest estimate. "I'll honestly do my best. But the original calligrapher is a master penman. I don't have her skill with calligraphy. I can do my best to mimic her style. But it won't be the same. And I'll be slow.

  "I'm concerned I won't be able to finish in time even in a best-case scenario. Obviously, I can't fix Plexiglas. I recommend replacing them with chalkboards. I'm reasonably fast working with those. If we go that route—imitating the calligrapher—we'll have to prioritize projects. In case I run out of time.

  "The other option is that I use my own hand-lettering style and do my best to complement the calligrapher's style. I'm faster at lettering and more comfortable with it. I've done hundreds of weddings. I know what impresses guests. I already have ideas. But I'll need supplies. ASAP."

  "The latter," Chrissy said. "Do what you have to in your own style to make it look like it was part of the plan all along. The resort has chalkboard signs we can use, and chalk and paints. They won't be as elegant as the original etched signs. I have extra blank place cards. You'll need pens?"

  "I have a few I brought along for doodling." I'd packed them to document my honeymoon and forgotten to take them out of my suitcase for this weekend. Fate.

  "All right, then. Laura's assistant, Katie, will get you set up." Chrissy dismissed me.

  Laura introduced me to Katie, who got me set up at a worktable in the wedding control room. I took a minute to go to my room. I changed into jeans and a T-shirt and grabbed my supplies. By the time I returned, the staff was delivering the rest of the signboards and supplies I needed.

  I did an inventory and settled in. As I got started, several of the bridesmaids came in to check the schedule for their hair and makeup sessions.

  One of them got a text. She showed her phone to her friend. "Look where Paige is."

  The other laughed. "She managed to get a massage appointment after all."

  The first bridesmaid lifted an eyebrow. "With Dex."

  The bitch. What an odd coincidence.

  The other bridesmaid put her hand to her mouth and pointed to me.

  I ignored them and smiled at the tennis bracelet on my wrist. This was payback for that, I was sure. But worth it.

  Little did Paige realize that she'd just given me what I'd come here for—a chance to show off my talents. The perfect portfolio. Which would be on prime display for all the brides-to-be to see.

  What Paige meant for evil…

  Dex

  After my massage, Paige, fortunately, had to dash off to a hair appointment. I showered and shaved. It wasn't time to dress for the wedding yet. I threw on jeans and a T-shirt and tracked down Shelby. I found her bent over a chalkboard in wedding control.

  She was head down, earbuds in, working, when I walked in.

  "Hey, gorgeous." I came up behind her and put my hands on her shoulders.

  She looked up, surprised. "Hey."

  I kissed her upturned face. She kissed me back eagerly. Whether she was faking or not, I didn't currently give a damn. Fake it till you make it.

  She took her earbuds out. "You looked relaxed. Enjoy your massage?" She gave me a sly look and rolled her eyes.

  "You heard about Paige?" I swallowed hard. Fake boyfriend in deep shit already.

  "She texted a picture of it to all of her friends," Shelby said calmly. "And apparently posted it to Instagram."

  "Her joining me wasn't my idea." I held my hands up. "I had nothing to do with it."

  Shelby bent over her work again. "I know it wasn't. Do you think we're even now?"

  I took a seat across from her. "You mean—is Paige done tormenting you? Hard to say. We're in uncharted territory."

  "She hasn't tried this with any of your other girlfriends?" Shelby was clearly flirting with me.

  I leaned forward. "There haven't been any other girlfriends, and you know it."

  She looked up just long enough to flash me a grin. But we were in public again. How much of this was real?

  "You look like you could use a break. Stretch your legs. Got time to take a stroll through the woods with me? It's gorgeous out there." I had a romantic walk planned. Anything public was fair game.

  She paused and set her chalk pen down. "I'm sorry, babe. But I'll be hard-pressed to finish this in time. I'll be working up to the last minute." Even when she frowned, she was gorgeous. "I'll be lucky if I get time to change and put on a bit of makeup before the wedding."

  I reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm sorry. You don't have to do this—"

  "I do." She squeezed my hand. "When it's time for the ceremony, go ahead and get seated. Just save me a place. I'll join up with you when I can."

  Shelby (Fastest hand letterer in the West, and on the planet. Is there a prize for that?)

  Paige might have thought she'd won. She didn't know whom she was dealing with. There was no way I was going to miss this wedding, the wedding of the season. The envy of all my friends. Wait until they saw my signs. They'd really turn green.

  Not a chance I would miss the chance to wear my fabulous new dress. Staci and Zander would be so upset with me. Dex would be disappointed. What good was a plus-one if they didn't show?

  I finished all the signs, and they turned out nicely, if I did say so myself. I was pleased with them. Inspiration had just struck. For a rush job, they were good work.

  Better yet, Chrissy only had time for a quick look at them, but she gushed about them. Please the bride and you've done your job.

  Laura and Katie had the staff take the signs and oversaw placing them where they were needed.

  I worked on the place cards, finishing the majority of them before dashing upstairs to shower, change, do my hair and makeup, and dress.

  I'd left the bare minimum amount of time. Which meant doing the glam makeup job Nora had worked up for me in record time, omitting some of the finesse finishing touches, cheating and leaving my hair down, and completely forgetting about any extras.