Savannah looks bashful. “My cousin Aria mentioned you live near here.”
I feel a flicker of recognition. Aria, my buddy Thorne’s fiancée—the woman who stole his heart in a matter of days—is Savannah’s cousin.
What is it with women in this family absolutely wrecking men they just met?
Savannah is watching me. I know I should invite her inside, but I think having this woman in my home might just drive me over the edge. Hell, having her on my porch is already making me crazy, but it’s cold out, and I can see goosebumps erupting on the exposed skin of her legs.
“Want to come in?” I ask, ignoring my better judgment.
She nods. “Thank you.”
I step aside to let her in the cabin, catching her sweet scent as she passes—strawberries and cream, fruity shampoo.
God, she smells good.
I close my eyes for a second, gritting my teeth as I try to steady myself. I don’t know what this girl has done to me. Hell, I’ve always thought of myself as a strong-willed person, the kind of man who gets shit done and stays in control no matter what.
But Savannah has stripped all that away.
Now I’m a fucking mess: a storm of need and animal impulse, all wrapped up in a body I can’t control.
“This is such a beautiful place,” her sweet little voice says.
I force my eyes open, setting the cherry pie on the coffee table. “Thanks.”
Savannah is hovering near the fireplace, eyeing me anxiously. She’s biting her bottom lip again—seems to be a nervous habit, and it only makes her look more adorable.
“Do you have any plans this afternoon?” she asks eventually.
“No.”
She opens her mouth and closes it again. Then again.
“Okay, so I’m just going to come right out and say it.” She lets out a deep breath, meeting my gaze. “Will you come to my grandma’s birthday party and pretend to be my boyfriend?”
Looks like I was right before: I’m definitely still dreaming.
“I know it sounds weird,” Savannah says quickly, filling the silence, “and I know I have no right to ask any favors from you after yesterday, but I would really love if you could come.”
I cock my head, trying to figure out what the hell is happening. “You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?”
“Yes.” The word is barely a whisper. She’s fiddling with the sleeve of her dress, avoiding my gaze. “Do you remember what I said yesterday?” she asks. “When I told the lady at the hospital you were my boyfriend?”
I swallow hard, nodding. It’s not something I’ll be forgetting anytime soon.
“Well, it turns out that lady knows my grandma. She told her what I said, and now my family is super excited for me. Heck, Grandma was literally in tears when she heard I found a boyfriend.” She winces, shaking her head. “I wanted to tell her the truth, but it’s her birthday party today and I just couldn’t bring myself to ruin it for her. She sounded so happy this morning.”
The pieces fall into place as she talks. Cherry Hollow is a typical small town, and I’m not surprised that Savannah’s white lie ended up spreading like wildfire overnight.
“I know it’s a lot to ask,” she says, “but if we could pretend to be dating, just for today, it would mean so much to me.”
“And what happens after today?” I ask, heart pumping.
She blinks up at me. “I’ll just…quietly tell everyone we broke up. They’ll still be upset, but at least it won’t ruin Grandma’s birthday.”
I consider her for a few moments, running everything over in my head. The cabin feels impossibly quiet, but my mind is loud as hell, reeling with thoughts. It sounds too damn good to be true—getting to act like Savannah is mine. But how the hell am I meant to turn it off after one day? It’s already impossible to keep it together around her, and pretending she’s my girlfriend is guaranteed to push me all the way off the damn cliff.
“Clay?” she asks quietly once the silence starts to drag. “I’m really sorry if I weirded you out. I won’t blame you for saying no. This is my mess, not yours.”
