Pretty in Ink (Voretti Family Book 3) (14 page)

He glanced at her, bracing for whatever might come out of her mouth, because Liv had never been shy about letting him know how she was feeling.

She didn’t say a word. Just met his gaze straight on, showing him every ounce of desire. Of need.

I’m yours, Caleb. All you have to do is take me.

His ribcage cinched tight around his lungs.
 

He couldn’t. Didn’t she know that?
 

“Caleb?”

It was clear she didn’t, because even the way she said his name—soft and dreamy, like he’d given her the orgasm of her life—was an invitation.
 

He closed his eyes. Reminded himself why he couldn’t accept.

Where Joslyn calmed him, Liv got him all worked up. He was too easily swayed by his emotions when she was nearby. If he took this any further, he might as well throw the last twenty years of logic, discipline, and hard work down the drain—and all based on a moment’s whim. He’d be no better than his parents.

He clenched his hands, his scratched knuckles stinging. He’d gotten into a fight over her today. Exactly like dear old dad, who’d acquire a new bruise or gash every time he left the house.

As amazing as it had felt to kiss Liv, he had to get her out of his head. So when he opened his eyes, he forced his gaze somewhere in the vicinity of her left ear and tried to pretend he was reporting on a murder to his lieutenant. Just the facts. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.”

She inhaled sharply.
 

He forced himself to keep going. “It was my fault. I was caught up in the moment. It was a mistake.”

Liv blinked once, then twice.
 

Aw,
hell
. He wasn’t gonna be able to take it if she cried.

But before he could panic, she was rolling her eyes at him like he’d busted in on her party and asked her to turn the music down. “Chill out, Captain Integrity. It was only a kiss.”

“I know. But—”

“It’s not like you got me pregnant.”

He froze, trying to block out the word, but it was too late. It was already echoing around his head.
Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant.
 

He saw Liv swelling with his child. A helpless, innocent life who would need him to be steady and sure—something he could never be around her.
 

Fuck
. He couldn’t breathe.

“Seriously, Caleb. You need to relax.” Her words swam toward him, slow and distorted. “You know I can’t get knocked up by talking about it, right? It’s not like if I say pregnant three times your sperm jumps into my vagina. Didn’t your parents ever explain how babies are made?”

He finally pulled in enough oxygen to power a reply. “Stop.”
 

“Hey.” Her voice filled with concern. “I’m sorry. Not about my joke, because that was totally funny. But I shouldn’t have…you know. Goaded you into kissing me. And I’m sorry if I messed things up with you and Joslyn. I didn’t realize how important she is to you. So I understand if you want to call this off.”

“No.” The word jumped out of his mouth before he could stop it.
Damn.
Hearing the P word must’ve really messed him up.

“Are you sure?”

He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, counting backward from ten to one, but the exercise didn’t calm him the way it normally did. “I don’t go back on my word,” he heard himself say. “And there’s no point. I’ve already put things on hold with Joslyn. So we might as well see this through.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.”

He was as far from sure as it got. Why hadn’t he taken the out? “But you’re right. Joslyn is important to me. So I need to stick to the plan. We’ll pretend to be in a relationship when your family is around, but when it’s the two of us, no fooling around. Because after the wedding, Joslyn and I are going to pick up where we left off.”

“Works for me,” Liv said, as casually as if they were discussing what kind of toppings to put on a pizza. “Gotta go. It’s getting late, and I have work to do.”

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He’d already done enough damage.

“Have a good night.” She strode past him without another glance, but her voice carried back. “You might want to check those steaks. Smells like they’re burning.” And then the woman he couldn’t get out of his head strode off his property.

*

“Wow. We really are in the middle of nowhere.” Liv got out of Caleb’s SUV at the end of the winding mountain road they’d spent the past hour following.

Caleb didn’t respond. Unless you counted slamming his door shut.
 

Big surprise. He’d spent the entire drive to the Julian Mountain Lodge, the site of the stag and doe weekend, responding to her conversational overtures with one-word grunts. By the time they’d reached the half way point, he’d cranked the stereo up so high that conversation was impossible.

She wanted to tell him that he was fired. That she didn’t need a fake boyfriend who couldn’t even manage a two-word conversation. But here they were, in the middle of nowhere, nothing but oaks, grass and rocks—and a parking lot full of the vehicles owned by every single member of her extended family. It was go time, and she
did
need him. Even if there was only a two percent chance that this was going to work, she had to try.

“So I guess we should…” She reached toward Caleb, but chickened out before she made contact.
 

She couldn’t even take his hand without feeling like she was molesting him. Which was ridiculous.
He
was the one who’d kissed
her
. If he was so into Joslyn, why had he kissed Liv like he was suffocating and she was his only source of oxygen?
 

She stomped toward the lodge, leaving her terrible excuse for a fake boyfriend behind.
 

“Hey. Wait a sec.” Caleb caught up to her easily. He threw an arm around her, plastering her to his side.

Oh-kay. She slanted a glance at him, but he had his gaze glued to the lodge door.

“Hopefully we’ve missed charades,” she tried.

Caleb’s lips didn’t even twitch. The hinges on the ancient oak door groaned as he pulled it open. Every single person inside turned away from Ella, who was explaining the rules of some game, to gawk at Liv and Caleb.

“Well.” Ella’s smile was chock full of artificial sweetness. “Better late than never.”

“Sorry,” Liv lied. “We ran into traffic.”

“Find a seat, please.”

There was a large, empty couch nearby. Liv sat on the middle cushion, and Caleb settled next to her. Sort of next to her. If you didn’t count the two-foot gap he’d been careful to leave.

She forced a smile. She was overthinking this. It’s not like Ella was going to come around with a ruler to measure the number of inches between Caleb and her.

But people were staring. Matt eyed the gap critically. Alex turned to check it out, then her parents did the same, and then half the room was examining her seating choice with a critical eye.

Crap
. Liv shifted, like she was trying to find a more comfortable position, moving closer to Caleb.
 

Her leg brushed his. All the nerve endings on her skin fired at once, waking up her muscles so that they strained toward his warmth. Ella said something, but Liv wasn’t sure what, because she was distracted by Caleb’s scent.
 

You’re too close!
Imaginary Annabelle screeched.
You overcorrected.
 

Before Liv could discreetly reposition herself, Keri was dragging her fiancé Sean over. They took the other end of the couch, squeezing Liv even closer to Caleb.

“About time,” Keri whispered. “Why were you late? And don’t try to sell me that traffic story.”

“I overslept,” Liv muttered. No way was she going to explain that she’d changed outfits, hairstyles, and makeup seven different times before she’d felt prepared to meet up with Caleb.
 

“Now that we all
finally
have a seat,” Ella said, “here are the rules for our next game. Each couple will write mock wedding vows and then read them out loud, so that everyone can hear how much you love each other.” Ella’s gaze lingered on Liv, her sweet smile slipping to reveal a glare that was even more vicious than usual. “Brandon, sweetie? Can you read the one you wrote for me, so that everyone understands what they’re supposed to do?”

“Of course, sugar bear.” Brandon took Ella’s hand. He stared soulfully into her eyes. “Ella Rose Voretti, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were the woman I would marry.”
 

Ignoring her adoring fiancé, Ella turned to Liv, raising her brow in an unmistakable challenge.
Top that.
 

Liv nudged Caleb, trying to alert him to the danger, but he stared stoically ahead. Great. Caleb couldn’t even look at her. No way was he going to be able to profess his eternal love in front of all their friends and relatives.
 

She was going to have to do something drastic. Where was the fire alarm when she really needed it?

As Brandon continued to vow his eternal love to Ella and Caleb continued to impersonate a statue, Liv went decidedly light headed. Maybe she could faint. Or pretend to come down with a highly contagious illness.

“My life is nothing without you in it,” Brandon intoned dramatically. “Today I promise to dedicate my life to you. I’ll work until my dying breath to make sure you’re safe, happy, and want for nothing.”

Liv shot a desperate glance at Keri—she must know some crazy illness Liv could pretend to have—but her friend had busted out an oversized textbook and was studying the cardiovascular system. “Are you guys doing this fake vow crap?” Liv whispered.

“Do we have a choice?” Keri highlighted a word so long and complex it couldn’t possibly be English.
 

“Of course we have a choice,” Sean said. “We make a break for the door. Sure, there might be some casualties, but she can’t stop us all.”

“Good idea,” Liv said. “On five. Four. Three—”

“If you can fast rope out of a helicopter,” Keri said to Sean, “you can scribble down a few sentences about how much you love me.”

“Can’t I just tell you in private?”

“And that’s all there is to it.” Ella beamed. “All you have to do is express your feelings for each other. Any questions?”

Panic forced Liv’s hand into the air.

Ella sighed. “Yes?”

“Is someone going to judge the vows and pick a winner?”

“Of course not.”

“Then how is it a game?”

“Because it’s
fun
.”

Sean rolled his eyes toward the wood-beam ceiling like he was praying for strength. Meanwhile, Caleb sat calmly. Or, maybe, catatonically. It was hard to tell.

“I’ll come around with paper and pens,” Ella said. “If you’re not already sitting by your sweetie, change seats. You’ll want to be close by for inspiration. And, for you singles out there, write a vow for that man or woman you’re looking for.”

As Ella started to distribute writing supplies, Matt mimed sticking a gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger.

Ella jammed a notebook and pen at Liv. “I’m especially interested to hear what you come up with.” She gave Liv that ultra-sweet smile that meant she was about to say something especially bitchy. “No offense, but when Aunt Franny told me you were dating Caleb, I couldn’t picture it.”

Liv leaned closer to Caleb, hoping he didn’t look as stiff and uncomfortable as he felt. “Well, now you don’t have to picture it. It’s right in front of you.”

“Hmm.” Ella tilted her head, considering them from several different angles. “For some reason, you don’t look quite like a
couple
to me. If you know what I mean.”

Liv clenched her jaw tight, trying to keep in all the curses that wanted to fly out at her cousin.
Be mature. Be the bigger person.
“No. I don’t.”

“Relax, sweetie. I only meant that the two of you are…different.” Ella’s eyes narrowed even as her smile widened. “But I’m sure once I hear those vows, I’ll understand what draws you together.”
 

Forget being the bigger person. “Not all of us feel the need to parade our relationship in front of everyone. Some of us like to keep our private lives private.”

“Oh really.” Ella lowered her voice so it wouldn’t carry past the couch. “Is that why you told everyone you were dating Caleb right before my wedding? This weekend is about
me
. Not you.”

“What did you want me to do? Lie to everyone so we didn’t spoil your special day?”

“You don’t even like him! You’re only doing this because you want attention. You can’t stand that people are focused on me instead of you!”

“Okay.” Caleb leaned over Liv, trying to get Ella’s attention. “Let’s all calm down.”
 

“You’ve been an attention whore your whole life,” Ella spat at Liv. “The guys you date. The clothes you wear. You’re on TV right now, but even that isn’t enough. You had to take over my wedding too!”

Liv shot to her feet. “The last thing I wanted was to be involved in this wedding! But you wouldn’t take no for an answer. Because everything always has to be your way.”

Too late, she realized she was shouting. And, yep, everyone had noticed. Even her parents on the other side of the lodge. Their reproachful gazes skipped right over Ella, who had transformed her feral glare into wide, tearful eyes and trembling lips, focusing on Liv.

Oh, no. No way was she taking the blame for this. She’d rip that good-girl mask off Ella’s face.

But before she could make contact with her cousin, Caleb hauled her back against his chest. “Don’t punch her. If you punch her, she wins.”

His voice was soft and his chest was hard, and the combination was an electric shock, short-circuiting Liv’s brain. She couldn’t remember why she’d been so pissed.
 

She was vaguely aware of Sean, muttering some excuse about her stress levels to Ella. Keri jumped in, distracting Ella with a ridiculous question about whether or not the vows should rhyme.

Caleb settled back down on the couch with Liv. The old springs groaned tiredly, and she landed against his side. Her body instinctively conformed to his, the only heat available in the cold lodge. They sure as hell looked like a couple now.
That
would show Ella.