Full Release: A Fake Marriage Romance (Playing Pretend Book 1) Read online

  “Wait, I want to grab a drink first. If I’m going to dance with some random guys, I’d like to at least prepare myself first.” I protested.

  “It’s not that big of a deal. Come on let’s go to the dance floor.” Tegan shouted over the music.

  “Why can’t we get drinks yet?” I asked.

  “Why would we buy our own drinks when there are plenty of men here willing to buy them for us? Come on dance with me and watch what happens. It’s like magic.”

  Taking her hand, I followed her into the center of the dance floor bypassing dancing couples or those that coupled up just for the night. Tegan started to sway to the music as she danced suggestively. Tegan was much more comfortable in her own skin and the way she danced proved as much. She was used to having all eyes on her, and she relished in it. I was more of a wallflower.

  “Are you going to dance or what?” Tegan asked as I continued to stand there.

  “Yeah, I will,” I responded.

  “Ugh. Just follow me.” Tegan said as she pulled me closer so that I could emulate the way she moved her hips. “This is how you get free drinks, Aug.”

  It didn’t take long before Tegan and me to become the center of attention, giving men and some women a show worthy of the price of club admission. Tegan knew what our movements were doing, and she knew how to capitalize on the attention.

  After a couple of songs, we took a break and were immediately approached by sleazy men who offered to buy us a couple of drinks, hoping we’d give them an ounce of attention.

  If they were lucky, they’d end up being our one night stands or a quick fuck in the back of the club somewhere. I wasn’t looking for either, and neither was Tegan. The one thing I appreciated about her was that although she was comfortable doing things like scoring free drinks from men, she knew her limits and boundaries.

  Although her asshole boyfriend probably deserved it, she was completely loyal to him, and she would never put herself or the both of us into a situation that we couldn’t handle.

  Several drinks later a tall, built and tattooed man who was just Tegan’s type approached us. Turns out he was an old friend of Tegan’s from her high school days, and they spent the next hour reminiscing about who they knew back then and what they were up to now.

  She didn’t say it of course but far be it from me to remind her, but I distinctly remember her telling me about a boy that she was so in love with in high school that resembled a younger version of this tattooed man she was now giggling with.

  Despite his gruff exterior, he seemed like the most helpful guy on the planet or at least someone that was far better of a human being than the jerk she was currently dating. Not that it meant anything because they were just old friends catching up while I sat her at the bar alone while EDM’s greatest hits blasted throughout the club. I decided then and there that I was going to be the biggest supporter Tegan had even if it meant standing here while she chatted away with tattoo guy Rick. She needed to move onto better things and better people.

  “Can I get an Old Fashioned, please?” I glanced up from my mojito to see a well-dressed man standing next to me. “Lord knows I need it right now,” he muttered to himself as he took a sip.

  “Don’t we all?” I found myself saying.

  He looked around before turning back to me, “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation, with yourself.”

  “It’s quite alright.” he chuckled and turned back towards the bar.

  As we sat there next to each other but independently, I got the urge to look at him and say something before I chickened out and looked away quickly.”

  “This is kind of silly,” I remarked.

  “What is?”

  “This.” I gestured between him and me.

  “This?”

  “This. This situation is kind of silly don’t you think? I mean here we are in a dance club at what…what time is it now?”

  He glanced at his watch, “One o’clock.”

  “…at one in the morning, and we have nothing better to do than drown our sorrows at the bar. We should be out there on the dance floor, living it up!” I announced.

  “It does seem silly now that you mentioned it.” he agreed and placed his glass down on the bar top. “Would you care to dance?”

  “Who me? Uh no, it was just an observation.”

  “For ‘just an observation’ you seemed awfully passionate about it.” his blue eyes lit up as he smiled.

  “Yeah, well I’m a passionate person I guess.” I turned back to the bar and sipped my mojito nervously.

  “I have an idea I’d like to propose,” he suggested after a while.

  “I’m listening.”

  “Since we’re practically standing next to each other and we’ve talked long enough to not label ourselves as strangers anymore, what do you say we just take a chance and talk to each other?” he smiled again.

  He was funny. The sound of a bell and the image of a bullet point on my list of traits Mr. Right would have, popped into my head.

  “I think I could handle that.” I smiled back.

  “Do you want to go somewhere? I know of a 24-hour diner that serves the best cup of coffee.”

  “I don’t know, I’m here with my friend.”

  “Ah, the infamous brush off...”

  “No, no it isn’t a brush off. I really am here with a friend.” I protested.

  “It’s okay, I understand. It’s just that you didn’t really seem like the dance club type and I figured you’d be more comfortable having a cup of coffee and a no strings conversation. Have a good evening with your friend.” the handsome stranger said before he started to walk away.

  “No, wait, uh…coffee guy. I am that type of woman!” I shouted after him.

  Typically I’d be wary of going off with a guy I just met, but something about him seemed trustworthy to me like he couldn’t hurt a fly. The other part of me was excited and thrilled by the fact that he was incredibly hot. Besides, Tegan was still off in her own corner of the bar area with Rick, the tattoo guy that she didn’t notice any of what took place with me.

  I guess I could just text her where I was at if she ever remembered to look for me.

  “Are you sure you’re a coffee and conversation kind of woman?” he smiled.

  “Yes! Yes, I am.” I admitted excitedly.

  “I’m Colton, by the way.” he held out his hand to shake mine.

  “I’m August.”

  “That’s a great name. The diner is just a few blocks away if you don’t mind walking.”

  “No, no I don’t.”

  “Alright, let’s go. Don’t you need to tell your friend that you’re leaving?” he asked as we headed towards the exit.

  “I’ll just text her as we walk.”

  “Sounds good, don’t want her to worry. I’d worry about you if I were her,” he said.

  As we headed towards the exit, it started to rain outside. Not just rained, but it poured.

  “Shit. There goes our plans. I was really looking forward to some warm coffee on such a cold night.” he said as he propped his collar up of his trench coat and pulled it shut before he looked at me. “Did you bring a jacket?”

  “No, I didn’t. I only brought this shawl to wrap around my shoulders.”

  “Alright, here,” he said quickly as he took off his trench coat and insisted I wear it.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. Even with this coat, you can’t expect the both of us to go out there and walk several blocks in the rain?”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” he agreed. “Well, my Jeep is just parked half a block away if you don’t mind walking that much in the rain.”

  “A Jeep?” I asked as I pulled the coat shut to prevent the cold air from getting to me.

  “Does it bother you that I drive a Jeep?” he asked suddenly.

  “No, it doesn’t. Although, my mother used to say that you could tell a lot about a guy by the type of car he drove. Yet, her current husband drives one of those small car brands. I can’t remember which one.” I found myself saying.

  “Really?” he chuckled at my unintentional joke. “What does having a Jeep say about me?”

  I blushed with shyness, “I don’t know. I didn’t really believe in that kind of stuff, but if I had to guess, then I’d say you were an athletic individual that loves the outdoors. You are probably independent and free-spirited too.”

  “Hmm, very interesting.”

  “What?” I asked. “Was I right?”

  “Maybe.” he teased. “Alright, my fair maiden, it’s now or never. Your chariot awaits.”

  “Okay, why not. We only live once right?” I giggled.

  “Right you are. Ready? One, two, three!” Colton took my hand in his as we ran haphazardly down the street towards his parked vehicle.

  “Okay, we are here. Let me help you up, so we don’t get any more soaked than we already are,” he shouted in the rain as I stood on the passenger side front tire and pulled myself up as Colton stood behind me just in case my grip or foot slipped, and I fell backward. Not to mention that he had an excellent view of my rain-soaked ass.

  “Got it?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’ve got it,” I said as I pulled myself up into the seat and shut the door. He really didn’t seem like a Jeep kind of guy, not with the way he looked in his high-end suit. He was a walking oxymoron if I’ve ever seen one.

  A few seconds later, Colton pulled himself into the driver side and started the Jeep’s engine, “Boy, it’s pouring out there. It shouldn’t be too far of a drive, it’s down the street. The heater should dry us up a little by the time we get there.”

  “What’s the diner called?” I asked.

  “It’s called ‘Dale’s,’ it’s one of those 50’s style places, but the food is delicious. It’s the best thing to comfort food and home cooking if you ask me.”

  Ten minutes later we reached the coffee shop that Colton raved about, and a part of me was a little disappointed that he was a perfect gentleman the entire drive there and didn’t make any attempt to seduce me.

  What was I? Dog-faced?

  I don’t know what came over me, whether it was the corny jokes he told or maybe it was realizing that if I didn’t take opportunities into my own hands, then I was going to go through the rest of my life sitting by the sidelines waiting for opportunities to show up. When I could just grab them by the horns and go for what I wanted out of life.

  As Colton shrugged off his seat belt, I leaned in without hesitation and grabbed him by the lapel of his suit and pulled him within an inch of me. Our breaths comingled, and my heartbeat was palpable.

  His breath was warm and smelled of cinnamon and bourbon mixed with the woodsy scent of his cologne. As I pulled him closer, I noticed the initial shock in his expression but that disappeared quickly when it finally occurred to him what I was about to do. Before he could stop me, I kissed him.

  Call it the wetness on our skin from the rain, the sounds of the EDM beats that played in my head, his laughter or the exhilaration running through my veins but I was going with this and Tegan would be so proud of me.

  His lips were soft and gentle as he slid his hands to my face and cupped my cheeks as we continued to kiss in the semi-darkened diner parking lot. His tongue gently pushed their way between my lips and played a little ‘tag you’re it’ with my own. He murmured something quietly, and normally I’d wonder what he said, but if I took the time to question everything he said in the heat of passion, then I wasn’t truly present in the moment like Tegan always insisted I should be.

  She was always preaching to me about how I over think every single thing and I was either hesitating because of the past or I was too focused on the future that I didn’t enjoy the opportunities that presented themselves in my life whenever they occurred.

  If she could see me now, she would be rooting for me but would also be telling me to not think so much. She wouldn’t want me to think about anything and for me to just go with the flow. She would want me to keep doing what I was presently doing as long as I was enjoying it and boy, was I enjoying making out with Colton in the front seat of his Jeep.

  Colton took short, little breaths now and then before he wrapped his arms around me pulling me closer to him. It felt only natural to want to straddle his lap as he scooted over to my side of the Jeep as the wheel was in our way. I could feel his length harden and press into me, with very little fabric in between us. The hem of my dress slid up as I repositioned my legs to either side of his lap so that I could straddle him.

  “Are you sure about this?” he whispered in my ear.

  “I’ve never been surer about anything in my entire life,” I answered.

  Being here in this moment wasn’t a regular habit of mine, but for some reason, it felt right to be with him. I don’t know about Colton, but it felt right because all I wanted right now was to forget. I tried to ignore who August usually was and the life that came along with me being me. All that mattered was Colton and I in this magical moment of ours that I wish could last forever, but since I know that was an impossibility, I’ll accept ‘for tonight’ instead.

  Chapter Five

  AUGUST

  I helped Colton shrug off his suit jacket before he tossed it into driver’s seat and I slowly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it out of his waistband so I could run my hands all of his chest. His skin was smooth and firm indicating his physical strength and how much care that went into his body.

  I wanted him more at this moment than I wanted any man in my entire life. More than all of them combined. The meaning of my entire dating history failed in comparison to this one moment with Colton in the front of his Jeep. That’s what my life came down to, these past few minutes where I thought about nothing other than him. This was a moment where I didn’t owe anyone any explanations.

  “Wait, maybe we should slow this down.”

  “What?” I paused. Did I hear him correctly? “You actually want me to stop? Isn’t that something I should be saying?”

  “No, I don’t want to stop, but I don’t think it’s a smart idea that we do this for the whole world to see. I mean we could get arrested for doing this out in public,” he explained in between kisses.

  “You’re right. Should we go back to your place or mine?”

  “Hmm.”

  “I don’t know about your situation, but we could go back to my place. I don’t have any roommates.” I confessed.

  Should I have said that? I barely knew the man, but the horniness in me wanted to trust him. I reluctantly lifted my leg so that he could get back into the driver side.

  “Is it me or is it hot in here?” he flapped his unbuttoned shirt to let some fresh air envelope his chest as he started the engine.

  “Both?” I giggled.

  It took an agonizing thirty minutes for us to get to my building and thank God it wasn’t any longer because I don’t think I could have waited any longer. I wanted him, it had been a long time since I’ve slept with anyone.

  Colton and I rushed up the cobblestone steps, past the doorman, and into the elevator. I frantically pushed the button to the 11th floor, and it wasn’t until the doors closed did we make out a little. When we hit the 11th floor we were rudely interrupted by Ms. Collins and her toy cup poodle, Tandy, tucked into her oversized purse.

  She had the nerve to lecture us about inappropriate behavior when all we wanted to do was get out of the elevator. Her hushed comments as the doors closed only lengthened the hysterical laughter that broke out once the image of her disappeared behind the closing doors.

  Somehow being with Colton brought out the fun and carefree side of me instead of the usual worrywart I typically was. His calm and easygoing nature made everything seem lighthearted and stress-free.

  Once the elevator doors closed in on Ms. Collings, things turned into a blur of feverish kisses and caressing hands after that. Somehow we made it into my apartment and on my bed. Colton and I tossed and turned in between my sheets as time stood still for me. I wasn’t sure why but I guess it was the way he touched me innocently, you know the kind.

  I actually don’t know how you would when I didn’t know what it was like either but being with him felt like making love for the first time while everyone I had been with before was just us having sex. It was the way Colton touched me in a calculated way as if he was thinking a million things before he did any of them.

  It was also the way he looked at me like he thought he was dreaming and praying he wasn’t all at the same time. The way Colton looked at me as he gently kissed me when we stopped rolling in the sheets. I felt like a fragile porcelain doll that he was trying so hard not to break.

  His touch felt so loving, sexual and erotic at the same time and more than anything else I’ve ever experienced. Maybe whatever was happening between us was the start of something no one in the world would ever be able to explain.

  The heat of the moment burned underneath my skin as he started to undress me delicately, first with the way he looked at me and then with the expert care he took with his hands. He removed every piece of wet clothing, one by one they came off. First, the heels came off and then my dress, bra, and thong. He was taking his sweet time, probably relishing each second, because I know I was. I wanted this to go on forever.

  Naked and vulnerable to Colton, I laid there as his eyes roamed my body, drinking in the view of me as he mumbled something about wanting to commit it to memory.

  It was my turn to undress him, and I followed his lead as I removed his jacket, shirt, pants (I focused on the zipper a little too much), shoes and his socks. The only thing that remained on him was his blue boxer briefs that matched his soulful eyes. His hard chiseled body was enough of a distraction until he took off his briefs a few minutes later.

  I fantasized about moments like this for a long time, a very long time. Everyone paled in comparison to Colton, and we hadn’t done anything yet. I think it had something to do with each man turning out to be the wrong one for me. I’m sure they were better suited with a woman that was more of a match, except Hunter. Turns out he was gay but he still deserved someone amazing too.