The Sweetheart Hoax Read online

  Margot sat up straight when she saw Phil approach Julianne and her husband by the bar. “What do you know about Phil and Julianne?”

  “They were hot and heavy in high school. Everybody thought they’d end up getting married, including Phil.” She slipped off one of her shoes and rubbed her foot. “Shocked the whole town when Julianne broke up with him and not a month later started dating Stan. His mom about had a heart attack.” Sheryl glanced over to the bar where the three of them stood talking. “Judy swears that’s why Phil didn’t come home after college and, truth be told, I think she’s held a grudge ever since.” She let out a sigh and rested her head on her palm. “Phil would have been miserable here. The two of you are a much better match than he and Julianne.”

  Margot couldn’t let Sheryl’s comment go without probing. “Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t know how to say it exactly, but she was too prissy for him. She was always telling him what to do and how to do it. He dodged the bullet with that one if you ask me.”

  Margot couldn’t help but feel better at Sheryl’s analysis of her and Phil. She agreed that she and Phil would make a perfect couple. If only he thought so, too.

  ***

  Phil spied Margot sitting at the table with Sheryl and heaved a sigh of relief. He’d been heading in her direction, guilt ridden for having her sit alone in a crowded room, when Sheryl had saved him and sat down next to her. He felt like he was being torn in two. Half of him wanted to back her into the coat closet and fuck her brains out while the other half couldn’t look at her for fear of not being able to tear his eyes away. He’d almost passed out when she’d walked down the stairs at his mother’s house, her shapely calves showcased in three inch pumps and a cinnamon colored dress that hung just above her fabulous knees. The woman even had sexy knees.

  She didn’t have any better sense than to wear a sleeveless dress in October in Cash. With her hair pulled up and her neck exposed, he understood what if meant to yearn. He’d wanted to take a nip at the nape of her neck like the mating stallion and mount her on the stairs. Damn Devon and his offer to help.

  “Huh?” Phil said when he realized Julianne had asked him a question and he’d been too enthralled with Margot to hear.

  “When are you going back home?”

  “Oh, tomorrow. Margot’s got an exam to study for and I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  “Margot’s a college student?” Julianne asked with a touch of horror in her voice.

  Phil’s hackles were up in an instant. “She put herself through school. She’s got to pass her licensing exam, and then she’s a nurse.”

  Julianne must have detected the pride in his voice. His parents had paid for every bit of his education. He didn’t know how far he would have gotten if he’d had to do it on his own.

  “I’m happy for you, Phil. She seems like a lovely girl.”

  “She’s twenty-five, Julianne. I’d hardly call her a girl.” Yet hadn’t he considered her a girl the whole time she’d worked for him? Hadn’t he thought her too young?

  “There you are,” Devon said, interrupting Stan and pulling Phil out from the grips of his condemning ex. “So how’d it go this afternoon?”

  “Fine,” Phil said.

  “Fine? Bet you didn’t make it past the drive before she jumped you. Works every time.”

  Phil shoved his brother in the shoulder and away from the masses. “I don’t need you butting your nose in my business, Dev.”

  “Holy shit. You’re wound tighter than a drum. You still didn’t bang her?”

  Phil dragged Devon outside, past the awning and into the darkened parking lot. “We’re not a couple,” Phil admitted. “I brought Margot home just to get mom off my back and to quell the gay rumors.”

  Dev shook his head in disgust. “That girl’s a sure thing. I think I could have fucked her after the breeding. What the hell are you waiting for?”

  “She’s dating a friend and a client. I can’t go there with her.” No matter how much he wanted to. No matter how much the desire to was eating him alive.

  “Who gives a fuck, Phil? Is your friend in Cash? She’s here, you’re here. You obviously like her. Hell, she’s smoking hot. I’d have mounted her before I ever hit the drive.”

  Phil shoved Devon into a late model sedan. “Shut the fuck up, you little pervert.”

  “I didn’t say I would have, just that I could have. I’m a married man. You say what you want, but that little filly is hot for you. How tight can she be with her boyfriend if she’s here with you? Go for it, man. Jesus, you’re the only one of us who can. Quit being a pussy and ride the girl.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “You’re right, I don’t.” Dev shrugged and straightened his tie. “Maybe those gay rumors aren’t as off the mark as we thought.”

  ***

  Margot felt hands on her shoulders and nearly died of delight when she realized Phil stood behind her.

  “Let’s dance,” he said into her ear. He led her to the dance floor where couples swayed to the tune of a classic seventies ballad.

  When Phil pulled her into his chest, Margot didn’t know if her lightheadedness was from the wine or the feel of Phil’s hand at her waist. If only he’d pull her closer and end the ache she’d felt since last night.

  “You disappeared for a while,” she said to break the silence. Despite his invitation to dance, he still wasn’t looking her in the eye.

  “Dev and I needed some air.”

  “Oh.”

  The music stopped and he let go of her and stepped back. “We’d better have a seat before dinner is served.”

  She felt disappointed that he didn’t want to keep dancing as her favorite country song started playing over the loud speakers. “Okay.”

  “Excuse me,” Dev said and reached his hand out for Margot. “How about a dance for your boyfriend’s little brother?”

  Margot looked at Phil, who glared at Devon with narrowed eyes. “Um, I guess,” she said when Phil did nothing to stop them.

  Devon whisked her into his arms and proceeded to lead her through an intricate series of dance steps that she struggled to follow. “Wow, Devon. You’re quite the dancer,” she said when he jerked her against his chest, and they swayed back and forth until the chorus started up and she knew he’d swing her back into action. She looked over his shoulder to see Phil standing at the edge of the dance floor, a scowl on his incredibly handsome face. He wasn’t looking at her, but seemed to look through her. She caught her breath as Devon whisked her in a circle for another round.

  “I’m cutting in,” Phil announced. He pulled Margot from Devon’s embrace and locked his arm around her waist, nearly lifting her off her toes. She could have moaned in delight. “Get your own woman.” His hands came around her waist and she locked her arms around his neck. She’d never seen such a fierce look in his eyes. “You’re not helping convince Cash we’re a couple by dancing with my brother,” he said.

  “You might actually have to look at me to convince people we’re together,” she shot back.

  As soon as their eyes met, as soon as she saw his jaw tighten and his pupils enlarge, she understood. He dipped his head and nestled his lips against the nape of her neck. “How about this?” He trailed his lips up to her ear and nipped at her lobe. “This helping at all?”

  Margot grabbed his head and brought it down to hers, pulling his bottom lip between her teeth. Without warning, without anything to predict his reaction other than a predatory look in his eyes, he dove in. His hands were on her hips, lifting her off her toes, aligning their bodies for maximum friction. She heard the catcalls and snickers, but couldn’t bring herself to care. Good Lord, the man could kiss. This wasn’t like the slow buildup at the stadium where she felt herself slipping into the lolling waves on a calm clear day. This was like riding the cresting waves of a storm, like getting pulled under by the current and caught in the riptide.

  When she started to moan, he caught her lips
and swallowed the sound. He pulled back, his chest rising up and down with the effort. “Damn it, Margot. I don’t want to take advantage of you like this.”

  Take advantage, please, she wanted to say. Use me. Abuse me. Do whatever you want with me. Please, just don’t stop. “It’s for show, Phil. You’re not taking advantage.” She dug her fingers into his scalp and brought his mouth to hers. “Do you want people to think you’re gay?” she asked before devouring him.

  ***

  The sound of silverware clinking on glass helped him regain a thin hold on sanity. One more minute, one more second, and he would have taken her on the parquet dance floor of his father’s retirement party. “That should do it,” he said through gritted teeth.

  She stared up at him, her eyes huge and unfocused. This dinner couldn’t end fast enough. He was either going to immerse himself in a tub of ice water or have her later that night. He had a pretty good feeling which way the pendulum swung when she bit her bottom lip and smiled up at him like the cat who’d swallowed an entire forest full of canaries.

  It took an excruciating three courses, countless toasts, and a sweet solo dance for his parents to end the night. That alone was worth sitting through the evening with the smell of Margot’s perfume enticing his over stimulated libido. And Margot, the vixen. She wiped crumbs from his shirt front with an erotic touch of her fingers. Her legs brushed his under the table, just enough to stir his juices. She licked the spoon while eating cheesecake as if stroking her tongue over him. He was going to have her tonight, damn the consequences, damn his parents in the next room, damn all common sense. He was too far gone to care.

  Chapter 17

  His mom refused Margot’s offer to help clean up.

  “You kids have an early flight in the morning,” she said. “Whatever we don’t get to tonight, I’ll drag your dad over here tomorrow. We’ll have this knocked out before church.”

  She didn’t have to go back to the table to get her wrap and purse. Phil had draped the wrap over her shoulders as soon as his mother began speaking and had shoved her purse in her arms before she’d finished. He kissed his mom on the cheek, gave his dad a handshake and a hug, and beat a hasty path to the door dragging Margot behind. She had to stutter-step to keep up. He either had to use the bathroom or he’d finally decided to quit fighting their attraction. She prayed it was the latter.

  Once inside the car, she had her answer. He started the ignition, turned on the heat, and pulled her across the console for a mind-melting kiss. If they hadn’t been in a crowded parking lot, she would have climbed over and ended it once and for all.

  “Is this for show, too?” she asked, pulling back because the gearshift had damn near poked a hole in her abdomen.

  He ran his hand through his hair and turned to look at her. “Do you want it to be?”

  “I don’t even know what you’re asking,” she said. Could he be more obtuse? She couldn’t have been more obvious with her intentions if she’d written ‘take me’ on her forehead.

  He heaved out a sigh. “I’m about at the end of my tether with you, Margot. There isn’t a chance in hell I can sleep in that bed and not put my hands on you tonight. You’ve got to tell me and tell me now if I should sleep on the couch.”

  Good grief. After all this, he was going to make her say it? “I don’t want you to sleep on the couch, Phil. I don’t want you to sleep at all.”

  He slammed the car into gear and gunned the engine. “It’s going to take about ten minutes to get home. You’ve got that long to change your mind.”

  Was he trying to talk her out of it? “I’m not going to change my mind. If you don’t take me tonight, you’re going to have to lay there and listen while I do things myself.”

  He groaned and stepped on the gas. “I think I can make it in less than ten.” He gave her a mischievous grin. “What do you say we try?”

  She reached over and put her hand on his thigh. His erection strained against his pants. “What do you say I give you a little motivation?”

  “You’ve been motivating me for over twenty-four hours.” He picked up her hand, bit her knuckles, and placed it back in her lap. “Any more and I might not make it.”

  “Then hurry. I’m at the end of my tether, too.”

  ***

  He gunned it up the drive and slammed the car into park. He could barely get the keys out of the ignition with his hands trembling the way they did. When was the last time he’d trembled in anticipation of a woman? And yes, it was for Margot. Young, silly, snort-laughing, beautiful, sexy Margot.

  She was halfway to the porch before he got out of the car. He caught up to her and picked her up off her feet, carrying her up the stairs to the door while her laughter rang out in his ears. He plunked her down and used the key to open the house. He kicked the door closed with his foot and backed her against it, his mouth on her neck, his hands on her breasts. He kissed up her jaw and tried to shift the strapless bodice down, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Zipper,” Margot moaned. “In the back.”

  He flung her around and began unzipping the dress while he pushed her toward the stairs. “Up, now, or I’m going to take you right here.”

  She jogged up, holding the dress in place with her hands. The parted chiffon revealed black thong panties and a bare back. He was so hard he could barely maneuver the stairs. When he made it to the landing, she stood at the threshold of the door wearing nothing but her thong and heels. If his groin didn’t hurt so damn much, he would have thought he’d died and gone to heaven.

  “Are you coming?” she asked as he gripped the newel post and looked his fill. She was magnificent. Her curls were popping free from her pins and hung around her face. The pale white of her skin was such a contrast to the hard pink tips of her nipples. The small tapered waist held up a daringly tiny swatch of underwear.

  He met her in the doorway and took her breasts in his hands. “I think we both are. Very soon.”

  Her eyes fluttered closed. “Not too soon, I hope.”

  He backed her into the room and pushed the door closed with his elbow. He gripped her hips in his hands and lifted her against his erection while dipping his mouth to feast on her breast. She wrapped her legs around him and he lost his mind. “One of us is wearing too many clothes,” she said.

  He carried her to the bed and eased her down. “Yes, one of us is.” He used his teeth to tear away her panties.

  She gasped and tugged at his tie. “I want you naked,” she said. “I want you on me, in me, please. Get out of these clothes.”

  He was hanging on by a thread. He wrestled with the buttons of his shirt while she pulled his tie free. He lifted the shirt over his head while she snaked her hands beneath his undershirt. He whipped it off and flung it across the room. When he stood up to undo his belt and pants, she leaned down to take off her shoes. “Leave the shoes,” he said.

  “Hurry, Phil,” she pleaded as he toed off his Oxford Balmorals as his pants fell to floor. The boxers and socks were off in a flash. He stood before her, his erection all but clipping her in the chin. She reached out and touched it with her finger. He swallowed a groan as they both went still. The front door opened and his parents came inside, their animated voices carrying through the house. He thought she’d change her mind. He thought she’d rush to cover herself, although he knew there wasn’t a chance in hell his parents would open their door. She did neither, but shocked him by reclining on the bed in the most erotic pose he’d ever seen. He covered her body with his and the bed groaned with the movement.

  “This fucking bed.”

  Margot arched against him and gathered the comforter in her hands. “The floor. Now.”

  They probably made as much noise getting on the floor as they would have if they’d stayed on the bed. Margot stood up, Phil gathered the quilt and blanket and tossed it on the hardwood, and lowered Margot to the makeshift bed. The scent of her drove him mad, the taste of her skin had him resisting the urge to bite and bite hard. She drew
him toward her, arched up, and he took her with one long, hard push. There was a moment before he moved, before he could bring himself to move, when the sight of her face in the moonlight, eyes closed, lips parted, with just a hint of a smile on her face, had something flashing through him, something wild and reckless, something he’d never felt before. But then she lifted her hips and he started the dance, back and forth, deeper and deeper with every stroke until he couldn’t think, couldn’t breath, couldn’t do anything but let the animal in him take over.

  Her nails dug into his back, her legs locked around his waist, and the heels he’d insisted she leave on poked him in the ass. Margot pushed at his chest, pushed him onto his back, and took him inside her with a moan that was his name. He watched her delicate form move over him. Lost in her own pleasure, she destroyed him. Her hands flew to her head and, with one twist, her hair tumbled down her back. She came with a muffled cry, his name on her lips. He’d never seen anything so erotically beautiful as Margot losing herself in pleasure. She collapsed on top of him. He tossed her onto her back, reached down and pulled off her shoes, and plunged back in. He was going to set them both free as he let the lion inside of him roar.

  ***

  Phil lay full out on top of her, dragging air in through battered lungs. Every inch of Margot’s body felt alive, and she could have wept for the perfection of their coupling. Three years, she thought, three years of fanaticizing about the man hadn’t even come close to the exquisite pleasure of having him. She ran her hand down the muscles of his back, down to his butt, and back again, memorizing the texture of his skin, the play of his muscles, the scent of the man she loved.

  Never before had she given herself with such reckless abandon. Flashes of what she’d said, what she’d done, entered her mind and she pushed it away. There would be time to analyze and obsess, but she didn’t want to waste time doing that now, not when he was still inside her, atop her, his breath evening out. He shifted to the side and propped up on his elbow, his hand caressing her still sensitized breast.