Pretend for Me (17 page)

Shaking his head at the absurdity of his thoughts he
leaned down and kissed her. She mumbled something in her sleep then opened her
eyes to stare at him. Her smile brightened up her whole face.

His troubles evaporated with her smile.

“You’re still awake?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said.

“You should have woken me sooner.” She rested her hand
on her elbow smiling back at him.

“I like watching you sleep. You look so peaceful.”

Her hand pressed against his chest to where his
rapidly beating heart lay. “What’s the matter?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said, responding easily.

She shook her head in denial. “I know you. Something
is bothering you. We’ve never had secrets before. Why are you keeping something
from me now?”

He sighed. It was hurting him as much as it was
hurting her.

 
“I don’t want
to talk about anything. I want to spend the night with you in my arms and all
the worries to fade away.”

Sara stared at him for several moments before her
hands wound around his neck. He closed the short distance between them. The
clothes they wore were easily gotten rid of. Andy pulled her close feeling her
naked body brush against his own. Closing his eyes, he relished the feel of
her. Her scent was stronger than ever before.

She moaned even as her fingers held him closer. Andy
ran his hands down her body touching every inch of skin he could. Her legs
opened for him, and he searched her heat.

He slid inside her warmth easily, their eyes widening
when they realized they’d forgotten a condom.

Licking his lips Andy made to move away from her. Sara
tightened her hold.

“Don’t leave me.”

“I need to protect you,” he said. The strain of trying
to stay in control was killing him.

“Don’t leave me.” She begged. There were tears shining
in her eyes. He didn’t voice his words. Instead, Andy wrapped his arms around
her pulling her in close.

He took possession of her lips and plunged into her
body. She matched him thrust for thrust. The naked warmth of her took over
every part of him. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for this woman in his arms.

How could he do anything for Sara? His clubs were a
mess, and he couldn’t provide for her like Dylan could. Andy pushed the
negative thoughts away. He made love to the woman in his arms with a fierceness
that shocked him.

They reached climax together in silence. The tears in
Sara’s eyes falling freely down her face. He pressed his head in the crook of
her neck. His own tears were silent.

Chapter Fifteen

Sara sat in her sister’s chair while Tracy arranged
her hair and finished off her makeup. She wore the pastel pink bridesmaid dress
Bethany had picked out. Andy waited at the church. The men had left earlier to get
everything prepared. Harmony was dealing with the caterers as Bethany panicked
over the cake and everything else.

All of the other bridesmaids were ready. Tracy was
finishing her off to make her look the part.

“Why haven’t you told Mom and Dad about Dylan?” Tracy
asked.

She let out a sigh. Her thoughts were filled with
Andy. The way he’d claimed her last night had been heavenly. But her doubts
about his troubles made them feel more real. Andy never reacted like he did
last night. Something was the matter with him.

“I don’t think they need to know every last detail of
our time together,” she said.

Tracy applied her lipstick then got her to dab the
excess on some tissue. “If you told them they might leave this crap about Andy
behind.”

“Why can’t they just accept him because I love him?
Why do I have to tell them something so personal? They’ll still find some
reason to make life hard.”

Her sister nodded then finished her makeup. Once her
face was done Tracy added the daisies into her hair.

She stared at her reflection wishing she was back in
the city in Andy’s apartment watching television.

“I can’t believe they wanted him to stay in a crummy
motel. I know it was Dylan’s doing. He all but told me to ditch Andy because
our families want us to get married.” She growled the last words out. Whenever
she thought about Dylan her anger spiked.

“You’re showing your fiery red-headed temper,” Tracy
warned her.

“I’m sick of it. They don’t cause trouble for you. I
bring home one man, and they treat him so badly. This is why I never want to
bring anyone home.” Her hands shook with her temper.

“I don’t bring dates back home, Sara. They would be
the same with me. In fact, they have been,” Tracy said.

“What?” This was news to her.

“Jake ran a background check on a boyfriend some years
ago. They sent him a check, and the guy disappeared from my life. I know what
you’re going through, and I know why you kept him to yourself all these years.”
Tracy smiled down at her. “I just don’t take as much crap as you do.”

Her sister cupped her face lovingly.

“I’m not the baby of the family. I love you deeply,
Sara. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Sara batted away the tears. If she started crying
she’d ruin her mascara. “If you keep protecting me I’ll never get a chance to
live my life. I’ve got to be hurt to feel. I put myself out there and run the
risks.”

Tracy nodded. “There, all finished. You look good
enough to be the bride.”

She laughed and followed her sister down the stairs.
Harmony kept trying to talk to her. She tried her hardest to steer clear of her
mother. Her family members were not her favorite people at the moment. After
this weekend, she wasn’t coming back until they accepted Andy. She was done
with her family.

 
Bethany looked
stunning in the white wedding dress. There were several people muttering
appreciative words. They climbed in the back of the waiting limousine that
would take them to the church. She stared out of the window during the whole
journey. Bethany talked about her honeymoon.

When they got there Sara allowed for the chaos to rain
down. She was pulled into place before the bride. The priest stood at the altar
while Bethany arranged everything with her father. When the music started, she
began her walk down the aisle. Sara searched for Andy amongst the crowd. He sat
on her family’s side on the third row from the front. Andy smiled at her, and
it brought a smile to her lips.

She stood on her side and saw Dylan was one of the men
standing next to her brother. He wasn’t the best man, but he’d made the grade
to stand next to her brother. Her gaze fell on Andy throughout the whole
ceremony. No one else held her attention the way he did.

The words droned on, and she listened with half an
ear.

Andy stared at her as well. She smiled at him, and
when the ceremony was completed she went straight to him. Everyone made their
way outside. He opened his arms to her.

“You look stunning,” he said. His gaze wandered up and
down her body.

“What do you think?”

“I wish your hair was down.” He picked one of the daisies
from her hair to inhale. “You don’t need these flowers to enhance your beauty.”

She chuckled feeling the heat of a blush fill her
cheeks. “We better go outside. They’re waiting to take pictures.”

He offered her his arm, and she took it without hesitation.
The photographer was flashing away. Dylan stood with the groomsmen. The
bridesmaids signaled for her to go.

“Go,” Andy said.

Sara moaned in pain then left his side.

The bridesmaids and the men were taking photos
together. Dylan wrapped his arm around her waist. She hated his touch. The
moment the picture was finished she extracted herself and went to Andy.

When the pictures were finished everyone made their
way back to the house. She stayed by his side, and they walked to his car. “You
came in your own car?” she asked.

He nodded. “There was room in the limo, but I needed
to think.”

She climbed in the passenger seat. The drive was short
and quiet back to the house. Everyone made their way to the garden where the
happy couple sat in the main seats overlooking the other tables. She took her
seat next to Andy. The speeches came and went. The champagne flowed. Neither
she nor Andy drank any of the alcohol on offer. She saw he kept looking at his
cell phone.

“Are you waiting for a call?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s nothing. I’m just being impatient.”

Smiling at him she followed the other women when
Bethany decided to throw her bouquet.

She felt Andy’s eyes on her the whole time. The
bouquet was thrown into the air. Sara didn’t even reach out to grab it. In fact
she’d started walking away when the red roses fell into her arms. She gasped.

Her family embraced her, and there were whistles that
followed her to the table. “They look beautiful,” Andy said.

Sara put them on the table then pulled him to the dance
floor. “I know something is bothering you.”

Both of his arms wrapped around her waist. She stared
into his eyes. On the dance floor, in his arms was the only space they were
free to talk.

“Don’t spoil the day, Sara. It’s nothing.”

Her frustration grew. “It is something. It’s changing
you, Andy. I’ve not seen you smile properly all day. This isn’t like you, and I
refuse to let you go another minute until you tell me what it is.”

Andy paused and opened his mouth.

His cell phone went off interrupting them.

“Don’t answer that damn thing,” she said.

“I have to.” He cupped her face, kissed her lips and
walked off leaving her on the floor. Closing her eyes she watched him walk
away. A chill settled over her.

She rubbed her arms when Dylan appeared. “Let me have
this dance.”

Not wanting to cause a scene on her brother’s big day
she let Dylan take her in his arms. When he pulled her close she gave him a
look, which forced him to put some distance between them.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

His question took her by surprise. She’d asked Andy
the exact same question.

“Nothing.
I’m perfectly fine.”

It’s my best friend and the man I love I’m worried about.

She looked out to see Andy on his cell phone. His
expression was unreadable.

“Trouble in
paradise?”

“What did you do?” she asked.

“I’ve done nothing.”

He stayed quiet for several minutes and then started
to talk about some of the old times they’d shared together. Sara couldn’t
escape the worry for Andy even as Dylan kept talking about old but good memories
of summers spent without worries.

****

Andy flipped his phone shut and glanced out on the
dance floor. Dylan was close
to
 
Sara
, talking with her. She wasn’t
smiling, and he saw she was simply being amicable for her family. Staring at
her with her family and knowing he was ruined, he finally saw where she
belonged. For all this time he’d been living a pipe dream when it came to Sara.
He’d never be part of this world. She’d been asking him what was wrong, and he
held it back from her worried in case his fears weren’t realized. That call had
ended everything for him.

He watched Sara on the dance floor for several more
minutes. Her head was thrown back as she laughed at something Dylan said. The
man looked over at him. The look sent his way let him know what words couldn’t.

See who she is meant to be with. You’re not part of this world. Let her
go.

His hands fisted at his side. The desire to walk over
and punch the smarmy bastard was strong. He ignored it and took the time to
look at Sara instead. Dylan and the Carroll family had won.

Sara glanced over in his direction, and she broke away
from Dylan to walk over to him. Her hips swayed with every stop she took. The
image of her tantalized him. Andy watched her pick up the bouquet of roses and
then finish walking over to him. When she’d caught the flowers he’d been
tempted to get down on one knee, but something had held him back. Then on the
dance floor he’d been tempted to tell the truth, and he’d been interrupted with
his phone call. The phone call he received had ended his dreams. There was
nothing more for him. The dream he’d been living had gone up in smoke.

Who would have thought that falling for a woman and
meeting her family would result in the end of his future?

“What’s the matter?” she asked. How many times had she
asked him that question over the last few weeks? It must have been over a dozen,
and he’d put it off.

He frowned then glared down at his cell phone. There
was no point in hiding the truth anymore. She’d find out eventually. “They
closed down Cube.” The words sounded bitter as they left his lips. The reality
of his predicament settled deep inside his gut.