Page 17 of My Fake Lover

I shook my head. »Ian, what’s all this?«

»It was Lizzy’s idea, and I can’t say no to her. The more we planned, the more I became enthused about the idea as well!« He opened the bottle and took a sip.

»Who’s paying for all this?« I asked.

»It’s not supposed to be about money...«

»Yeah, sure, but it’s always about money. A lot of money, it seems.«

»Max, I know you’ve had to worry about me your whole life, but that’s over now.«

I laughed dryly. This felt like just another one of Ian’s impulsive ideas that he hadn’t thought through very well. Had he taken out a loan for this because he didn’t want to ask me for money? »Are you serious?«

»Dead serious,« he replied firmly. »Lizzy’s family isn’t doing too badly; they make a lot of money with their yoga studios and those new smoothies they’re now selling to supermarkets. It’s not...«

»So someone else is paying for you again?«

Ian snorted, and now I saw a spark of anger in his eyes. »It’s none of your business!« he said firmly. »Do you understand? It’s simply none of your business! Besides, you’ve apparently kept a few things from me as well! Who is Ivy? I’ve never met any of your girlfriends!«

»Because it’s not relevant.«

»Your girlfriend isn’t relevant? I’m sure she’d be thrilled to hear that... Is that normal?«

»Don’t lecture me on what’s normal,« I growled, and Ian sighed, resigned, letting his head hang.

»Listen, I didn’t invite you here to argue with each other. You can leave anytime you want, but you’re my big brother, and I want you at my wedding. As my best man.« I held my breath. »You don’t have to decide now, but promise me you’ll think about it, okay? Stay just one night, sleep on it, and finally give Lizzy a chance.«

I nodded. Ian had once again completely bowled me over. »I should go back to Ivy.«

»Sure. Tonight we’ll all have dinner together. I’m looking forward to getting to know her,« he said, giving me a cautious smile. He was sincere, I knew that. I nodded again and left his tent. Damn. This whole situation was slipping through my fingers faster than I had anticipated.

15

Ivy

To be honest, I hadn’t given much thought to my future wedding, lacking both the perfect man and sufficient funds. But if someone were to ask me, this one would come pretty close. Lizzy showed me the tents, which were surprisingly upscale, furnished with double beds and a small refrigerator. There was also a catering tent and a huge yurt that served as the central meeting point for the wedding and where dinners took place in the evenings. Everything felt utterly relaxed, and I instantly liked Lizzy. Ian, whom I had only met very briefly, seemed entirely different from Max—easygoing and simply normal.

So why was Max the way he was? So controlled and tense?

And now he had been gone for an hour. I had no idea if he was still with Ian, which would have been completely fine if my luggage, including my phone, wasn’t locked in his car. I was in the tent that Lizzy and Ian had assigned to us, lying in the middle of the wide double bed, staring at the white ceiling that fluttered slightly in the wind. I had tied the two fabric panels that formed the door to the side so the heat from outside didn’t weigh as heavily inside. I was bored and wondered if I should look for Max.

Suddenly, I saw movement in the corner of my eye and sat up. »Hey, there you are,« I said to Max, who stood at the entrance with our luggage in both hands. He took a deep breath before stepping in and setting the suitcases in a corner. Something about his facial expression didn’t sit well with me. Slowly, I slid to the edge of the bed, letting my legs dangle over the side. »What’s wrong?«

Without a word, he turned around and untied the fabric door, letting it fall closed. Perhaps he just needed a moment to himself?

I got up, and he slowly turned to face me. His eyes never left mine, and his breathing was deep and heavy. »Are you okay?« I asked quietly, and he took a step towards me. The intensity he conveyed caught me completely off guard. With Max, my emotions were twice as strong as normal. The anger. And the desire.

I raised my hand and gently touched his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch; then, he opened them, and all tenderness had vanished from him. As he grasped my neck, I gasped in surprise. His lips met mine. Hard. Desire pulsed fiercely through me. A kiss. Similar to the one in my food truck, but this time there was something else in it: pain. What had he discussed with his brother? Why was he so worried about him? Was there a reason, or were these just normal feelings when it came to younger siblings?

He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. His touches and kisses were rough and the hottest thing I had ever experienced. And yet, they felt wrong.

His tongue plunged deep into my mouth, and a raw, primal growl escaped his lips, only intensifying the tingling in my lower abdomen. He pushed me towards the bed, but I gently pushed him back. He immediately responded and broke away from me. He took a step back and ran a desperate hand through his meticulously styled hair, as if he didn’t know what had come over him.

I approached him, but he dodged me, as if he couldn’t bear my closeness any longer. Now I was completely certain that something more haunted him than just an innate need for control. Something worse had happened in his past. »Max...«

»No,« he said tersely. »I’m sorry. I crossed a line.«

»Everything is okay, I’m fine,« I tried to reassure him, but he still seemed utterly distraught. His brother was important to him, that much was clear, but perhaps he wasn’t necessarily good for him.

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