Page 8 of The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match
They were helping each other. That’s all.
Chapter 7
The display of knives on the wall in front of Winnie was impressive for a store in a town as small as Amarillo. Okay, so it wasn’t the boonies, but it wasn’t San Antonio or Houston either. When Bear had insisted they stop, she was sure they weren’t going to find anything she could use.
It was super sweet, and he’d done a number on her nerves at the airport, kissing the side of her temple. And the way he pulled her close when she realized her knives were missing—not to mention part of her wardrobe—if he kept being so sweet, planting kisses on her like that, she’d have enough hot flashes for early menopause.
“See any that will work?” Carrie Anne asked.
His sister was the sweetest thing too. She’d practically squeezed Winnie to pieces when they’d hugged in the airport. If that girl wasn’t homecoming queen in high school, Winnie would eat day-old gas-station sushi. “I do, but the reason I was so attached to mine was the price. They were so expensive. I worked two jobs to buy them while I was in college.”
Bear shot her a glance. “You pick the ones you need, and don’t worry about the price tag.”
Don’t worry about the price tag? He was a rancher, and she knew his profit margin was slim at best. Most ranches were like that. Not that they couldn’t make money, but running a place like that wasn’t easy or for the faint of heart. “I just…I know you raise cattle, and I toured a ranch with Natalie once. We were thinking of switching beef suppliers, but she wanted to make sure they were grass-fed. Needless to say, they weren’t, which was why they were so much cheaper. In the end, we opted to stick with what we knew. My point is, I know making money with a ranch can be tough, and it’s a lot of hard work. I can’t use your money for knives.”
A half-smile lifted his lips, and he trained those ocean blues on her. “I appreciate that, but really, it’s okay.”
“All right, but I’ll make a deal with you. If you buy the knives, I’ll help you with the ranch. That way I’ll have a better understanding of how things work.” That was the least she could do if he was going to spend money like that on her. She stuck her hand out, waiting for him to shake on it.
His gaze dipped to her hand. “You’re cooking. That’s work.”
Shaking her head, she said, “No, that’s fun.”
The half-smile turned into a wide grin as he took her hand. “It’s a deal.”
There was that tingle again, zipping all over, frying her nerves. “Okay.”
“You sure haven’t changed much, Bear,” Carrie Anne quipped as she snickered. “He’s always done things on a handshake. For him, it’s as good as signing on a dotted line. He’ll kill himself trying to keep his word.”
“Oh yeah?” Winnie smiled.
Nodding, Carrie Anne said, “Oh yeah.”
With a shrug, Bear pointed his gaze at the wall of knives. “I think a man’s word should mean something. There are too many people in this world who don’t understand that anymore.”
Was it proper to swoon in a cutlery store? Because if he kept that kind of talk up, she’d hit the floor and never see it coming. She’d always loved men who were like that. The kind who would cross oceans if it meant keeping promises.
“I think so too,” she murmured.
Bear slowly looked at her, and their eyes locked. And just like that, she was alone with the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. She was absolutely positive her heart was beating out a Morse code, something to the effect of,Kiss me, you handsome devil.
A tiny giggle from his sister broke the moment, but as brief as it was, it was seared into Winnie’s mind. She had a restaurant to open, but now she had a standard that a man would have to meet if they wanted to sweep her off her feet.
“You two are just…” Carrie Anne sighed. “Cute.”
The moment was definitely broken when Bear shot his sister a withering look. “I’m not cute.”
“Are too,” she quipped back.
“Stop that. You’re making Winnie uncomfortable.” Bear curled his arm around Winnie’s waist. “This is her first time meeting the family. Do you want to scare her off?”
Without a thought or bit of hesitation, she leaned into him, placing her hand against his chest. “I don’t scare easily.” What was even stranger was how right it felt too. Like he’d been made for her.
She squeezed her eyes closed and took a breath to get her thoughts in order. Why was she even thinking about these things? They were supposed to be acting like they were a real couple, but they weren’t. All the sweet things, little kisses, the way he held her…that was all to convince his sister they were a real couple. Why was that so easy to forget?
Getting caught up in something with Bear would only muddy the waters. He was acting, and despite her heart trying to convince her otherwise, she was acting too.
Boy, the next six weeks, she’d need to be careful and remember why she was in Caprock Canyon. Perhaps she should see if the store had super glue so she could keep her feet firmly planted on the ground. She had a feeling she was going to need it.
