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McKenna’s hand trembled as she reverently picked up the ring from my hand and slid it on her finger. “It’s…it’s gorgeous.” Her head dropped back, and she looked up at me with awe. “It’s exactly what I would want if…um—” She stopped abruptly and glanced at Dana. “It’s exactly what I would have picked if it had been in the case.”
Dana beamed. “I thought so.” Then she leaned over the counter so she was closer to McKenna and said quietly, “It’s also less than ten thousand dollars.” She winked at my girl and straightened up.
“Wow…that’s a lot. I don’t know if we should be spending so much.” Despite her argument, McKenna’s hand instinctively closed into a fist, as if she was afraid someone would try to take the ring off her finger.
I bit back a smile and nodded at Dana. “Wrap it up.”
“But…” McKenna’s protest was halfhearted, and before she could form an actual sentence, she gave up and sighed as she put her hand out in front of her to admire the ring. “It’s perfect.”
I threaded my fingers through hers and brought her hand up so I could kiss the back of it. “You’re perfect,” I murmured.
Her cheeks bloomed with pink right before she ducked her head, and I kissed her temple.
She was perfect for me.
5
MCKENNA
Icouldn’t stop staring at the ring Jeremy had bought for me. When Dana had said the perfect one for me had just recently come into the store, I hadn’t truly believed her because I didn’t think Kennedy Diamonds would carry something I’d be comfortable wearing as Jeremy’s fake fiancée. But I couldn’t resist when she set this gorgeous piece on the glass counter and lifted the lid off the jewelry box to show me a ring that could easily have been custom designed for me. It was just that perfect.
My attention was so focused on the ring that I didn’t realize Jeremy hadn’t driven me back to my neighborhood until he pulled in front of a large white beach house. The place was gorgeous, but I was confused why we were here. “Where are we?”
“My place,” he answered before sliding out of the driver’s seat to round the convertible and open my door.
“But why?” I asked as he tugged me out of the car.
“I figure you should know where I live when I’m here if we’re going to sell the story of us being engaged.”
My brows drew together at his choice of wording. “When you’re here?”
“Yeah, I split my time between California and Wisconsin,” he explained.
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but I supposed it didn’t truly matter since our engagement wasn’t real. It wasn’t as though I’d be going to Wisconsin with him or anything like that.
I glanced down at where he’d interlaced our fingers, and he flashed me a grin. “We really should practice being affectionate, or else your grandfather will never buy that we fell in love at first sight.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I conceded, ignoring how good it felt to hold his hand.
I felt as though this whole thing was quickly spiraling out of my control as he led me up the stone path to his home. His house was every bit as beautiful as my grandfather’s, but with more of a masculine vibe. The interior redesign included textures like wood and leather that still managed to create an air of coziness. There were pops of blue here and there, but the color scheme was mostly monochrome. The travertine used for the kitchen counter, bathroom vanities, shower, and fireplace was stunning. And the ocean view from the balcony off the primary bedroom was magnificent. I could too easily picture myself relaxing in the hot tub out there for hours on end.
Standing at the railing, I blinked away the seascape painting forming in my head and murmured, “This house is amazing.”
“I don’t know.” He twisted around to look inside the bedroom behind us. “I think it could use a feminine touch now that I have a fiancée.”
The ease with which he tossed that description around was a little worrisome…mostly because of how much I enjoyed hearing him call me his fiancée.
“Give yourself some credit for it not looking at all like the typical bachelor pad.”
He pulled me against his chest, his eyes heated as he stared down at me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think the mere mention of another guy’s home—in general, not even anyone in particular—made him a little jealous.
“I don’t think holding hands is going to cut it if we want to sell this story to your grandfather.” His hand glided up my spine to grip the back of my neck. “We should practice kissing too.”
My lips parted on a surprised gasp when he lowered his head, and his tongue swept inside my mouth to tangle with mine. I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first real kiss, but it definitely wasn’t for it to cause an inferno of need to crash over my body.
My legs trembled, so I pressed closer and gripped his shoulders for balance. Jeremy responded by tilting my head back to deepen the kiss, making me gasp again.
He ripped his mouth from mine. “Fuck, baby. You can’t keep making sounds like that when I’m barely holding on to my control.”
