Page 13 of Claiming the Fake Boyfriend
"What people don't know is why." I've never told anyone this, not fully, but suddenly I need her to understand. "I fell hard for a woman. Thought she was it—the one, forever, all that. I planned this elaborate proposal, told everyone we were getting married."
I pause, the old pain duller now but still present. "She was seeing someone else the whole time. Had been for months. When I found out, she just said she never thought I was serious. That I was fun, but not the kind of man women actually stay with."
Amber's expression softens. "Tucker, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It was a decade ago." I shrug, aiming for nonchalance. "But after that, it was easier to be what everyone expected, the charming player who never gets too deep, never risks getting hurt again."
"I understand that more than you know." She sighs, her gaze dropping to where her fingers fidget with the edge of my jacket. "When Cameron left, it wasn't just the humiliation of being dumped before the wedding. It was this... confirmation of everything I already feared."
"Which was?" I prompt gently.
"That I'm not enough. Not exciting enough, not adventurous enough, not..." She gestures at herself. "Not thin enough, pretty enough. Just... not enough to keep someone."
The raw vulnerability in her voice makes my chest ache. "Amber, look at me."
When she raises her eyes, I cup her face in my hands. "You are more than enough. You're extraordinary. The way you take care of everyone around you, how you notice the little things, your stupid jokes—"
"Hey!" She smiles despite herself.
"The point is, Cameron didn't leave because you weren't enough. He left because he wasn't enough for you, and he knew it."
A tear slips down her cheek, and I catch it with my thumb. "You deserve someone who really sees you and knows how goddamn lucky they are."
"Someone like you?" she asks softly.
"I'm trying to be that someone." I stroke her cheek, marveling at how right this feels. "I know it's fast. Crazy fast. But I stoppedpretending somewhere between you bossing around that florist and watching you dance with your grandmother at the rehearsal dinner."
Her lips curve into a small smile. "You did look genuinely horrified when Gran asked about your intentions."
"I respect a woman who threatens bodily harm while offering me homemade cookies."
Amber laughs, the sound clear and bright in the autumn night. Then her expression turns serious again. "What about Callie? I saw how you looked when she showed up. That history seems... complicated."
"Callie was a distraction." I shake my head. "I thought I still had feelings because it was easier than admitting I was just... lonely. Seeing her today made one thing crystal clear, whatever we had is long gone."
"And this?" Amber gestures between us. "What is this, Tucker? Because if it's just attraction—"
"It's not." I cut her off, needing her to understand. "Yes, I'm attracted to you. Wildly, maddeningly attracted to you. But it's more than that. I like who I am when I'm with you. I like how you see through my bullshit but laugh at my jokes anyway. I like that you're kind without being a pushover, and strong without being hard."
Her eyes shine in the lantern light. "That's a lot of feelings for forty-eight hours."
"Tell me about it." I step closer, my hands finding her waist. "I'm not usually this honest, you know. It's terrible for my mysterious bad-boy image."
"Your secret's safe with me," she whispers, her hands coming to rest on my chest.
"So," I say, my heart pounding harder than it did during our tango, "are we still pretending? Because I'm not. Haven't been for a while now."
Amber studies me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine for any trace of insincerity. Whatever she sees makes her decision. She rises on her toes, eliminating the last space between us.
"No more pretending," she agrees, her breath warm against my lips.
I close the final distance, kissing her with everything I've kept carefully contained until now.
This kiss is a promise, an exploration, a beginning. Her arms slide around my neck, pulling me closer as she melts against me. I taste wine and sweetness, and I know with sudden, perfect clarity that I'm in trouble.
Chapter 5 – Amber
"Your brewery is bigger than I expected," I say as Tucker and I stroll along the moonlit path beside Whitetail River, our fingers intertwined. The wedding reception still glows in the distance, but we've escaped into our own world, guided only by the string of golden lanterns swaying gently in the autumn breeze.
