Page 30 of Just One Summer with the Grumpy

“If you and I are dating—pretending to date, anyway—she’ll leave me alone and hopefully go through with the wedding. And if Ty harbors old feelings for you, which I suspect is the case, this will solve that problem too.”

He must have seen my dazed expression, because he stepped closer, forcing me to look upward, and lowered his voice.

“It’s only a few days, but Daphne, you don’t have to do this. It isn’t a work assignment. This is a friend asking a friend for a favor.”

Chase Everett saw me as a friend.

The realization felt like a bucket of ice water over my head. If only he knew what lies and betrayals I harbored in my sick little heart.

This plan of his paralleled my own in many ways. It would be far easier to make Ty jealous if Chase was in on it too. But fake dating could possibly do too thorough a job and drive Ty away, just like Chase said. And if he was right about Veronica believing the ruse and going through with the wedding, wasn’t that the opposite of what I wanted?

It came down to a single fact—I had no other plan. Fake dating seemed risky and it could ruin everything, but it also had the potential to do exactly what I wanted. There was only one way to know. If things went wrong, I could always tell Chase I didn’t feel comfortable continuing.

But if I did succeed in running away with Ty, Chase would be devastated. He’d chosen me for this because he trusted me.A friend,he’d said. The more time I spent with Chase, the harder it would be to do what needed to be done.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” I whispered.

Chase waved it off. “Veronica will be fine, and so will Ty. But I know this is kind of an unorthodox request, so don’t feel like I’m pressuring you. It’s your decision. You keep your job either way, and I trust you.”

I trust you.

“You should know that I’m not really a fancy dress kind of girl,” I said quickly, before the guilt could fully hit. “I’m sure there’s another employee who could be more convincing in that department.”

Chase shook his head. “We’ve been seen together several times since your arrival. Nobody will question us. A few days, Daphne, and then we can pretend to break up and you’ll be free again.”

He’d pried every argument from my determined fists, and now I felt stripped bare. “Fine, but I have one condition. There can’t be any kissing.”

His lips pressed together as if stifling a laugh. “Why’s that?”

“Kissing is real, and this is not. I don’t want any confusion between us.” Chase would already be crushed by my stealing Ty. I didn’t want him accusing me of manipulating him, not even with something as simple as a kiss.

Besides, the thought of kissing Chase lit an odd fire deep inside. If the thought of his lips pressed against mine made me feel like this, what would a real kiss do? I shuddered at the thought, but not in a bad way. Yep. Definitely needed a kissing ban.

“No kissing,” Chase confirmed. “Our first event is the Hallstrom-Benedict reception tomorrow night. I’ve invited Ty and Veronica so they can make a few last-minute decisions. I look forward to seeing you there.” He held my gaze as he spoke, and his eyes contained all the confidence in the world. He really did trust me. In many ways, the welfare of his company relied on this. Maybe more, given what he’d said about losing his island.

“I’ll do my best,” I replied numbly.

Even as I said it, I felt the betrayal of the words in my very bones.

FIFTEEN

As Chase had predicted,everything came together just fine for the reception the next evening. I’d been tempted to send him a text about needing to skip the reception to take care of a few things, but I knew Chase would only hunt me down. So I took extra care styling my hair and applying evening eye shadow, something I rarely did. I slid into my only formal gown, a form-fitting deep gray dress with a high side slit and plunging neckline from five years ago. Thankfully it still fit—this island had definitely kept me active.

Styling my hair into a quick chignon to get the hair off my neck, I gave myself one last look. Then I pulled a few wisps of hair around my face, cheeks warming at the overall effect. Which man did I want to impress most? I couldn’t say, and that made my heart pound harder than it had in a long time.

When I arrived at the event, I was grateful to find everything in order down to the tiniest flower. The florist had outdone herself tonight. A quartet played in the corner, their tuxes not a millimeter out of place. The guests all appeared to be in Chase’s social class, because I saw no lack of expensive clothing and jewelry. Fitted gowns, fitted tuxes, fit bodies. Couples swaying to the music with careful smiles. It looked like a movie set.

Chase stood near the doorway. When he spotted me, his eyes widened a bit and ran the length of my body, which I immediately forgave him for. The guy hadn’t seen me in anything but casual clothes and white work polos since my arrival.

He made his way over and halted a foot away, arms folded. “You look . . .” His voice broke. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” I sighed. “Okay, first of all, nobody will believe we’re dating when you stand like a soldier at attention. You looked more believable yesterday at the zip line course.”

Chase’s shoulders instantly relaxed, and the edges of his lips quirked. He leaned in to whisper, and I could feel his warm breath on my bare neck, making my breath hitch. “That’s because I thought I’d killed you, sending you sailing down that line upside down on your second run.”

“It’ll take more than that to finish me off.” I caught a glimpse of Ty and Veronica entering through the north doors. “Ready for this?”

He cleared his throat. “I should have thought this through. I can’t touch you, being your boss. My lawyer would have me drawn and quartered. I didn’t even write up a contract, and we have no understanding of what contact is appropriate and what isn’t . . .”

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