Fake Boyfriend

Chapter 1

I FOLLOWED HIM HOME.  Unlike everyone else I knew, he lived in an apartment rather than a house. Fighting the urge to drive past, I pulled into the parking lot right behind him so that he would see me before I chickened out on following through with my plan.  He turned to look at me as I put my car in park and turned off the engine.

Hey, he said as I scrambled out of the car, you can’t park there.  You need to move your car.

I knew that, of course.  I wasn’t in a parking spot or even pulled up to the curb.  I had just stopped the car and gotten out to catch him before I lost my nerve.  There was no way that I would have had the courage to chase him into the building.  Out in broad daylight was intimidating enough.  There was no warmth in his gaze as I approached him.

I know, I told him.  This will just take a minute.  Um, hi, I said nervously.  I’m Sarah.  I go to your school, and...I, uh, want to hire you.

His expression finally altered from cool appraisal of me to surprise.  Hire me?  To do what?

My face flamed with so much heat that I knew it had to be bright red.  That added to my mortification, and I looked down at my feet as I forced the words out.  To pretend to be my boyfriend.  For pretend dates, I clarified.  It would be enough for you to pick me up from my house and drop me off somewhere.

Is this some kind of a dare? he demanded in annoyance.  Because I’m not going to—

It’s not, I cut in to assure him that it wasn’t anything so frivolous.  Since he hadn’t ridiculed me, I was able to look at him again.  I need some people to think I have a boyfriend, so—

Find someone else, he interjected tersely.  I’m sure you could convince some nice guy at school to do this for you.

But I need someone scary, I blurted.  Uh, I backtracked awkwardly as my face flushed again, I mean someone tough and...

A bad boy, he stated with a scowl.  Let me guess.  You’re trying to change your image, get people to notice you.  Maybe even get some other guy’s attention.  Well, you can forget using me for that shit.

No, I denied, it’s nothing like that.  It’s actually the—

I don’t care what your reasons are, he cut me off angrily.  I’m not doing it.

I’ll pay you, I told him in desperation.  Twelve hundred dollars.

His eyes widened in astonishment before narrowing suspiciously.  How did you come up with that number?

I realized my mistake in giving him such a specific amount.  I should have offered him an even  thousand.  I couldn’t think up a lie to explain it, so I admitted the truth.  I heard you saying you needed that much.

My confession pissed him off even more.  So you decided to take advantage of the situation.  That sounds about right.  Why not use me to get what you want?

He was making me feel like I had done something wrong when that hadn’t been my intention at all.  I just thought that it would solve both our problems.

Your problems, he sneered.  Your cliché teenage rebellion.  You want to sex up your image?  You’re tired of being seen as the girl next door, is that it?

No, I began, I don’t care about any of that.  I just want—

He cut me off again.  I don’t care what you want.  If you’re stupid enough to pay twelve hundred dollars for it, then why shouldn’t I take the money?  Hand it over.

You haven’t done anything yet, I exclaimed in dismay.  You’re supposed to get paid after you do the job.

He gave me a wintery smile.  You’re not actually planning to pay me anything, are you?  You were just hoping to trick me into doing this and then renege on the deal.

No.  I’m going to give you the money, I insisted.  But I’m not going to give it to you before you do anything.  How do I know you won’t just take the money?

How do I know you’ll give me the money afterwards? he retorted.

I will, I said desperately.  I promise.

He snorted.  I know how much a girl’s promise is worth.  Give me the money or no deal.

I couldn’t just hand over the money.  I didn’t trust him, and it was insane to pay him so much  anyway.  This entire idea was crazy.  Yet I had no other plan, and I was reluctant to give up on this one after I had actually worked up the courage to go through with it.

How about half? I suggested.  Half the money now, and the other half at the end.

He considered my offer with disdain and mistrust, and I thought he was going to refuse.  Okay, at least I’ll have half if you stiff me on the rest of it. 

Okay, I agreed.  I’ll go to the bank and get it for you.  I’ll be right back.

Apartment 108, he said as I turned toward my car.

I halted and turned back toward him slowly.  Oh, uh, could I get your number and call you when I’m back?  Could you come down and meet me out here?

One oh eight, he repeated.  It’s on the first floor.  I don’t need to come down.

Oh, I responded.  So, could you come out when I get here?

He regarded me with his cold gaze.  His blue eyes had the contrary effect of being both distant and alluring, and they unnerved me even as they captivated me.  Afraid to be alone with me? he challenged.  How am I going to be your boyfriend then?

Pretend boyfriend, I emphasized.

He gave me a tight-lipped smile.  You do know that this has to look convincing if you expect people to believe I’m your boyfriend, don’t you?  Acting scared of me won’t help.

I’m not acting, I thought but didn’t dare voice.  Gage was the most intimidating guy I had ever met.  For one thing, he was big, towering over my five foot six height.  He wasn’t skinny like most tall guys though.  His solid build included broad shoulders that made him look naturally sturdy and strong.  He didn’t have the cut muscles of guys who constantly worked out in the gym, but he was very masculine.  He also lacked their male swagger, but that actually made him seem like more of a man.  They were like posturing boys in comparison to his self-assured, coolly assessing demeanor.  Nothing about him seemed like an act.  He fully owned the toughness he exuded.

Let’s get something straight, he snapped at me.  This is a business arrangement only.  I’m not taking your V card.

My gaze lifted quickly to see the glowering expression on his face, and I gaped at him in utter shock and mortification.  I could feel the heat creeping over my skin.  That’s not...no, I insisted in a sputtering denial.  I wasn’t...  I shook my head for emphasis.

I can tell when a girl is checking me out, he retorted.

It was spoken without any of the smugness in Damon’s tone when he accused me of ogling him and wanting him.  Gage said it like it pissed him off.

I knew what it felt like to be subjected to unwanted sexual attention, so I forgot my embarrassment in my desire to assure him that I wasn’t like that.  I’m sorry if it seemed that way.  I was just noticing your size.  My cheeks flamed at that inadvertent innuendo.  I mean your height!  And your strength.  Not body builder strength, but like you can take care of yourself.

I can, he replied flatly.  But don’t expect me to be getting into any fights over you.

I’m not, I told him.  Damon wouldn’t dare try to fight you.  At least I don’t think he would, I added uncertainly.

Gage’s already formidable expression hardened even more.  You have a boyfriend?  The deal’s off then.  You’re not using me to make him jealous.

He pivoted and stalked off before I could gather my wits, but I scurried after him.  Wait!  He’s not my boyfriend!

Gage halted abruptly and spun to face me, causing me to have to jump back to avoid running into him.  He crossed his arms in front of him in an intimidating stance.  Who is he? he demanded.

He’s Courtney’s crush, I replied.

Gage’s expression changed from outright hostility to annoyance.  Who is Courtney? he asked in an impatient tone.

My stepsister.  She thinks that I’m trying to steal Damon from her, I explained.  That’s why I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.

So he’s more interested in you than her, he deduced.

No, I said.  It’s just that I’m new here.  That’s the only reason he would ever even look at me.  Once the novelty wears off, he’ll lose interest.

He gave me an appraising look, his eyes sweeping slowly over me from head to toe and moving back up to linger on my face.  I flushed under his scrutiny and dropped my gaze, unable to keep eye contact with him for that long.

That’s not the only reason, he stated.

My gaze flitted back up to his in surprise.

You’re cute, shy.  Sweet, he added, his voice dropping and softening on that one word in a way that caused a fluttering response in my stomach.  Some guys get off on seducing virgins, he finished matter-of-factly.

My face flamed.  Why do you keep saying that?  You don’t know anything about me.

Like it isn’t obvious, he scoffed.  Have you ever even been kissed?

So much heat rushed to my face that I felt like it was on fire.  I spun away from him in mortification and hurried toward my car.

Hey! he called after me.  Don’t forget to bring me my money, or the deal’s off.  Apartment one, oh, eight, he said, pausing between each number in what sounded like a mocking tone to me.

It pissed me off, and the anger diluted some of my embarrassment over being so inexperienced at the age of eighteen.  Gage was right that I was shy, and I avoided drawing attention to myself.  I had one friend at my old school, and she was just as introverted and quiet as me.  We had talked about guys, but none of them had ever shown any interest in either of us.

Until I moved here and caught Damon’s attention—unwanted attention.  Oh, he was good-looking with his dark eyes and his perfect face and six-pack abs.  I had seen those abs on display several times over the summer.  At first I had been thrilled to learn that my new family had their own private pool.  That was when I was still naïve enough to think that I would be accepted by my new stepsister as family.  I imagined us being like real sisters and having fun and sharing confidences.

At least at home.  As soon as I met Courtney and saw how beautiful she was, I knew that she was one of the popular girls at school.  She radiated confidence and poise, and all the social attributes I didn’t have.  I was immediately in awe of her, and I knew that she would never want anything to do with me in public in front of her friends.  I had thought that it would be different at home though, considering that we were now sisters.

As soon as we were alone, I rushed to assure her that she didn’t have to carry through on the promise she had made to her dad to introduce me to people at school.  I’ll be fine on my own, and you can just be with your friends like usual and don’t worry about introducing me to them.

She gave me a haughty look, dropping the charming persona she had displayed in front of her dad.  I can’t believe you think I’d actually introduce you to my friends.  It’s going to be embarrassing enough with people knowing you’re living at my house.  You’ve got loser written all over you.  At least your mom is decent enough to be seen in public with my dad.  How the hell did she have a daughter like you?

She had a daughter like me because I looked like my dad.  My mom was a former model, and she was still gorgeous.  All I had gotten from her was her flawless skin.  There was not one blemish anywhere on my face or body.  My best friend, Emily, had commented that it would be a crime for me to ever get a tattoo and disrupt the perfection of my skin.

The rest of me wasn’t so perfect though.  Instead of my mom’s svelte curves, I had some extra jiggle on my thighs and butt.  I didn’t have my dad’s beer belly, but I also didn’t have my mom’s flat stomach.  While it was true that she kept her figure by working out and dieting constantly, I didn’t even bother trying to attain the beauty I knew I would never have.  I wasn’t born with her long legs, and trying to tone them wouldn’t make them look as lean as hers.

I begrudged my mom none of her looks, and I loved her dearly.  But I had seen the way people looked back and forth between us and found me lacking, so I hadn’t gone down the futile path of trying to live up to people’s expectations of what such a beautiful woman’s daughter should look like.  I wore no makeup to try to enhance my looks, and my clothes were comfortable rather than fashionable.

Since I didn’t have my mom’s bikini body, I wore a one piece swimsuit.  Despite my disappointment over my new stepsister’s attitude toward me, I was looking forward to enjoying the luxury of having a private pool.  Our parents were on their honeymoon, and I hadn’t seen Courtney around all morning.  Having assumed that she wasn’t home, I wasn’t expecting to see her when I ventured out to the pool at noon.

I especially wasn’t expecting to see anyone else there, and I froze on the deck when I heard a male voice call out, Hel—lo, drawing out the word with suggestive enthusiasm.

My head turned, and I saw Courtney in the hot tub with a guy.  He quickly climbed out, and I gaped at him in shock as he walked toward me.  I had never been in the presence of a naked guy before, let alone one who was unselfconsciously sporting an erection.  My face burst into flames as I realized what I was staring at.  When my gaze shot up to his face, I saw his smug smirk.

Like what you see? he enquired.  His dark eyes dropped to stare at my breasts.  I do, he said.  Why don’t you take that off?  You’re way overdressed.

I crossed my arms over my chest as my skin crawled from his lewd gaze.  It creeped me out and made me feel like I needed to take a shower to cleanse myself from his dirty stare.

Gross, Courtney said.  Nobody wants to see her fat ass naked.

Despite her insult, I was grateful for her presence.  Under no circumstances would I want to be alone with this guy.

He actually craned his neck to inspect my rear like a piece of meat as I instinctively shrank away from him while he leaned toward me.  Not fat, he declared.  So many luscious curves to grab onto while I’m pounding into her.

He pulled back to make eye contact