Holiday Hoax: A Fake Marriage Billionaire Romance (The Cartwright Family Book 1)
Holiday Hoax: Chapter 17

‘That was delicious,’ I state.

Sebastian grins. ‘Told you. If there’s one thing I know, it’s barbecue. I’ll leave the pecan pie to you.’ He glances over at Nancy, who’s fixing a slice for us.

‘Sebastian Cartwright,’ a woman in a booth behind me says in a low voice.

His face hardens.

The other woman declares, ‘I’m sure she won’t last long either.’

Sebastian’s face turns red and heat ignites on my cheeks too.

I love this quaint town, but I don’t understand these people’s manners. The gossip is out of control. I can’t blame Sebastian for staying away, except that his family’s amazing.

The women continue talking, and I glance behind me, glaring. A redhead catches my leer, but she doesn’t seem to care. She leans closer to the table, refocuses on her friend, and states, ‘The wedding is Saturday. We’ll see if she gets down the aisle.’

Appalled at her audacity, I jump up, slide next to Sebastian, and tug his head toward mine.

‘What are you doing, Sunshine?’ he asks.

‘I can’t wait to marry you,’ I declare, then smash my lips to his and slip my tongue in his mouth. It’s a bit clumsy, but he quickly slides his hands in my hair, then takes control of our kiss.

He sets the pace, slowing me down. He pulls back from time to time, intensely staring at me, his thumbs tracing my jaw and lips.

Every time he does it, I catch my breath, dying for him to put his mouth back on mine. No one kisses like Sebastian Cartwright. It makes me wonder how any woman could have ever let him go.

He appeases my wishes several times, and I soon forget we’re in a restaurant. I barely hear Nancy when she clears her voice and chirps, ‘Pecan pie, lovebirds.’

Flustered and flushed, I retreat, but he keeps his eyes locked on mine. I barely glance at Nancy. ‘Thanks.’

‘Do you need anything else?’ She smirks.

‘No, we’re good,’ Sebastian says, still holding my cheeks and staring at me.

My insides quiver. No man has ever looked at me the way he does. It’s like he’s seeing me at a depth others can’t.

He releases me, and Nancy walks off. He motions to the table. ‘Eat your pie, Sunshine.’

I catch my breath, but my pulse still races. I pick up a fork and take a bite. The gooey mixture melts in my mouth, and I moan. ‘Mmm.’

Sebastian watches me, cocking his eyebrows.

I chew and swallow, then take a sip of water. ‘Well, you did it.’

‘What’s that?’ he questions.

‘You found the world’s best pecan pie for me.’

He tosses his arm in the air. ‘Yes! Score one for me.’

I lean my face toward his. ‘Are we keeping score?’

His face falls. ‘No. But I’m tired of getting things wrong.’

The hairs on my neck rise. I inquire, ‘What have you gotten wrong?’

‘Pretty much everything,’ he claims.

A lump forms in my throat. I put my fork down. I cautiously ask, ‘Do you want to clarify that statement?’

He picks up my hand and holds it in front of me. ‘I think this says it all, don’t you?’

Guilt eats at me. I shake my head, asserting, ‘It’s a beautiful ring.’

‘But it’s not you, is it?’ he insists.

‘I wouldn’t say—’

‘Don’t lie to me, Georgia.’

‘I wonder how old she is. She looks pretty young compared to him,’ the brunette in the booth says in a loud voice.

I tear my eyes off Sebastian, wondering how people can be so rude.

Sebastian states, ‘Ignore those hags. Answer my question. Honestly.’

I turn back, and it pains me to look at him. I can tell he’s upset, but I also can see he doesn’t want me to lie. So I choose my words carefully and reply, ‘I’m not a flashy kind of gal.’

His lips curl up. He takes my hand and kisses it. ‘Yeah, I love that about you.’

I freeze, as does he. Heated tension grows between us.

Did Sebastian Cartwright just say he loved something about me?

It’s just a statement. Don’t confuse it with actual love.

He’s not in love with me.

‘What do you think the prenup says?’ the redhead questions.

I glare at her again, shaking my head. Then I lean into Sebastian, inquiring, ‘Do you know those women?’

‘Unfortunately so,’ he mutters.

‘Well, tell me their dirt,’ I order and shove another bite of pecan pie in my mouth.

He pretends that he’s in shock.

I chew, swallow, and ask, ‘What?’ I take another sip of water.

He taunts in my ear, ‘Little Miss Sunshine wants to gossip?’

Zings fly to my core. I reply, ‘Sure. Why not? If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,’ I declare, then hold up a fork of pecan pie under his nose. He opens his mouth, but I shove it in mine.

He chuckles. ‘You’re evil.’

I shrug, finish my bite, and command, ‘Spill it, Cartwright.’

Amused, he glances at the table. He sits back, slings his arm around my shoulder, and tugs me into his chest. He quietly informs me, ‘The red-haired lady is Holly. She got so drunk one year at a holiday party that she screwed the other town drunk, who dresses up as Santa every year. So now everyone calls her Ho-Ho-Holly.’

‘No!’ I laugh so hard, tears fill my eyes.

‘I’m not joking.’

‘That’s horrible,’ I say and continue to laugh.

‘Wait until you hear the brunette’s story.’

‘Do tell.’

His lips brush my ear, and I shiver as he states, ‘Casey’s husband left her for another man.’

‘Oh, that’s sad,’ I say, feeling sorry for her.

‘Yeah, but…’ Sebastian trails off.

I turn and lock eyes with him, asking, ‘But what?’

He clenches his jaw and stares at me for a moment, then answers, ‘He came back home and begged for forgiveness. So she pretended it didn’t happen for a few months. Then she brought home her new friend.’ ‘Another man?’ I question.

Sebastian shakes his head. ‘Nope. She brought home another woman.’

I gape at him.

‘You want to know the final kicker?’

‘There’s more?’ I ask, wondering what else could top that situation.

He adds, ‘She moved her new friend in, but her hubby moved his friend in as well.’

I throw my hand over my mouth.

‘True story,’ he states, then sits back.

‘Their story’s way more interesting than yours,’ I proclaim.

‘Sorry to disappoint you, Sunshine.’ He winks, and my heart melts more. I take a fork full of pecan pie and hold it to his mouth. This time I let him take it.

He groans, chews, swallows, and admits, ‘This is good.’

‘One thing I know is my pecan pie, and I agree.’

He wipes his mouth with his napkin, then questions, ‘What would you be doing over Christmas if you weren’t with me?’

My chest tightens. I admit, ‘I’m not sure.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I don’t know. This is the first year my grammy’s not alive. Melanie’s my only friend in town, so maybe I would have spent it with her. Or maybe I’d be alone.’ Grief lodges in my throat.

Sebastian takes my hand.

I force a smile and add, ‘I thought about going to Iceland for the holiday.’

He wrinkles his forehead. ‘Are you looking to freeze your ass off?’

I laugh and shrug. ‘It’s supposed to be really cool at Christmas. It was that or the North Pole, but Iceland seemed not as scary.’

Amused, he asks, ‘The North Pole is scary?’

I put my hand over my face and groan. ‘I don’t know. I didn’t research it yet, but I figured the population has to be bigger in Iceland?’

He leans closer. ‘And that would be important because?’

I shake my head. ‘No clue. It just seemed safer? I don’t know! It was just a silly idea.’

‘Oh, I don’t know. I can see where you were going with it,’ he states then asks, ‘What did you do for Thanksgiving?’

I take a deep breath and relay, ‘Melanie and her family were supposed to come over, but they got sick. I had already started cooking everything, so I finished making it and dropped it off at her front door. Then I spent the rest of the day baking the Black Friday Cupcakes.’

His expression turns guilty. ‘I’m an asshole. I’m sorry, Georgia.’

‘For what?’

He glances at the ceiling, shakes his head, and then states, ‘For giving you so much shit about your cupcakes all the time.’

‘It’s fine,’ I offer.

‘No, it’s not,’ he says.

I stay quiet, feeling nervous again. I’m not used to this side of Sebastian. The rare moments when he gets vulnerable and doesn’t hide behind his grumpy, arrogant persona make me want to know everything about him.

And that scares me. All this is ending soon. I don’t need more heartache.

I finish my pie, trying to ignore the little pieces of grief popping up, thinking about my grammy and all the confusion around Sebastian. When I get done, I turn to him. ‘You have to tell me where we’re going now.’

‘Why is that?’

I huff. ‘Because I kissed you.’

His lips twitch. ‘That was more of a pity kiss, not a real kiss.’

I scoff. ‘Is that right?’

He stares me down and challenges, ‘Definitely. You need to give me a real kiss if you want to know.’

The voice in my head tells me to scoot out of the booth and run, in order to save the future of my heart. I ignore it and reach for his face. I tug him toward me, then kiss him as if my life depended on it.

He kisses me back and slides his hand under my shirt, palming my bare skin. Tingles race down my spine. We kiss until I force myself to pull an inch away from his mouth and murmur, ‘Where are we going?’

He looks nervous, and it strikes me as odd. Sebastian Cartwright is not an unconfident man, at least not that I’ve seen. But he definitely looks anxious. He answers, ‘I assume you’re into holiday stuff?’

‘Duh!’

His nerves disappear, and the arrogant confidence that makes my knees weaken appears. ‘Perfect!’

‘So, where are we going?’ I repeat.

‘The entire month of December, there’s a Christmas Wonderland on the river.’

‘That sounds fun,’ I chirp.

He nods. ‘They have games to play, vendors for shopping, and the river is full of lights. Is that something you’d want to go to?’

‘Do snowmen need snow?’ I question.

He bites on his smile. ‘Did you just make that up?’

‘Yep.’

‘That was pretty good, Sunshine,’ he praises.

I confess, ‘You know I’m a Christmas junkie, right?’

He chuckles. ‘I had a feeling you were.’ He gives me a chaste kiss. He tosses money on the table and orders, ‘Let’s get going.’

I slide out of the booth, and he follows, grabbing my hand. He leads me out of the restaurant. I hold my head higher and squeeze his hand tighter as we pass the women.

We get outside, and instead of leading me to the truck, he guides me the opposite way, stating, ‘It’s only about three blocks. Are you good to walk?’

‘A walk sounds good after all that food,’ I admit.

We stroll through the town in silence, and excitement builds inside me when the lights start to come into view.

We spend hours playing games and looking at items the vendors are selling. We get to the last one, and I ask, ‘What time of day do the vendors get here?’

‘I think around noon,’ he answers.

‘I want to come back and do my Christmas shopping here,’ I declare.

‘I can make that happen,’ he states.

I smile, unable to stop the giddy feeling growing inside me. I like the Sebastian in front of me more than I ever thought I would.

We get to another booth, and he booms, ‘Ah, here we go.’

I glance at it. It says ‘Mistletoe Booth.’

‘It’s for charity,’ he claims as he slaps money on the table. His eyes twinkle, and he bends me slightly backward.

I laugh, but he silences it, sliding his tongue against mine with so much enthusiasm, he steals my breath. A bell rings, and the vendor says, ‘That’s it. Kiss over, unless you pay more.’

Sebastian pulls more money out of his wallet, tosses it at him, then returns to pressing his lips against mine. When the bell rings again, my knees are weak.

He chuckles, holding me tight to him, and states, ‘Come on, Sunshine. We’re going for a ride.’

‘A ride?’ I question, trying to return to reality.

‘Yep.’

I glance at the Ferris wheel. I fret, ‘You know I’m afraid of heights, right?’

He answers, ‘Not that type of ride.’ He moves me farther down the walkway. We approach a gondola with lights strung around it. He points. ‘You’re not scared of boats, are you?’

I clap my hands. I’ve always wanted to go on a gondola. ‘Nope! This looks fun!’

Sebastian helps me onto the boat and pays the driver, who turns the Christmas music up. We make our way down the river, and Sebastian slides his arm around my shoulders.

I rest easily into his body, taking in everything.

Lights wrap around the trees and decorate the buildings, and there are special displays. I’ve never felt so in the holiday spirit. I say to Sebastian, ‘Tell me you feel it.’

‘Feel it?’ he asks, flames growing in his eyes.

‘The holiday spirit,’ I say, but my voice cracks. I squeeze my thighs together, wishing the pulse between them would calm down.

He rolls his face in front of mine. ‘Is that what you want to call it?’

Heat rushes to my face. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

He kisses my forehead, then leans back.

I stare at the lights for a bit, then question, ‘What would you be doing in Dallas if you weren’t here? And you can’t say working.’

‘I don’t know. Probably exercising.’

I laugh. ‘Come on, Sebastian. You have to do more than work and exercise.’

Another moment goes by. He adds, ‘I guess dining with clients.’

‘That’s working,’ I claim.

He stays quiet, then admits, ‘Nothing exciting, Georgia. What would you be doing? And you can’t say baking.’

His statement saddens me and also surprises me. Does he just work?

I answer, ‘Okay, but I might be baking,’ and then I put my hand over my face, peeking at him through my fingers.

‘You really love it, don’t you?’ he asks.

‘Yeah, I do. I always have. My grammy and I used to do it together. She started teaching me when I was three.’

‘Wow.’

Nostalgia hits me, thinking about my grammy teaching me her recipes when I was little.

He asks again, ‘All right, so if you weren’t baking, what would you be doing?’

‘I might be volunteering at the children’s hospital.’

‘You do that?’ he questions.

‘Yeah. I started doing it when I was in college. I felt like I was making a difference, so I continued with it,’ I reveal.

He softly says, ‘That’s amazing. What else would you be doing?’

I ponder the question, then answer, ‘Maybe hanging out with Melanie and her family.’

‘What about dating?’ he asks.

My butterflies mix with dread. I toss it back to him, quizzing, ‘What about you and your dating life?’

He squeezes his eyes shut, groaning, ‘You don’t want to know.’

I chirp, ‘Oh, but I do. Let me guess. You have a new girl in your bed every night.’

He scoffs. ‘I’m not that bad.’

‘Right,’ I snicker.

‘Do you think I’m that bad?’ he questions.

I consider if I do, then decide I’m not sure. So I respond, ‘Am I close?’ My chest tightens. The thought of Sebastian with any other woman makes me feel ill. It shouldn’t. I know this isn’t real between us.

He admits, ‘No. I usually stick with the same woman for a few months.’

Something about his statement irritates me. I add, ‘Then you get bored?’

‘Ugh,’ he moans. ‘You make me sound horrible.’

‘Sorry,’ I offer, but hurt annihilates me.

I’m not even lasting a few months, and I’m marrying him.

A moment of uncomfortable silence fills the air. Then he pushes, ‘Okay. I spilled the beans. What about you? Longtime boyfriend who you put on pause to make your million with me?’

More pain ignites within me. It’s not because I’m no longer with my ex; it’s sadness over how things ended and why. I admit, ‘My boyfriend and I broke up shortly after Valentine’s Day.’

Sebastian furrows his brows. Confusion fills his face. ‘You haven’t dated anyone since?’

‘No,’ I answer.

‘Why not?’

I shrug. ‘No one seemed interesting to me.’

Something passes on his face and I’m unsure how to interpret it. He asks, ‘Well, why did you break up?’

I blurt out, ‘He dumped me.’

Shock overtakes Sebastian’s face. ‘Why would he do that?’

I shift in my seat and reveal, ‘He said my head was in the clouds.’

‘Meaning?’

‘He had a lucrative job offer in Alaska. I had mentioned it to my professor, who recommended me to his contacts. They said that they would hire me once I graduated in May, so he wanted me to move to Alaska with him.’

Sebastian waits a moment, then asks, ‘Why didn’t you go with him?’

The grief I wish I knew how to stop rises in my chest. My mouth turns dry, and I swallow a lump in my throat. I somehow manage to get out, ‘My grammy was ill. I moved her from Savannah to Texas. She lost her house because of medical bills, so I moved her into my apartment. Plus, she was sick, and I wanted to take care of her.’

Sebastian stays quiet but tightens his hand around mine. ‘You said she passed about six months ago?’

‘Yes.’ I blink hard, but a tear falls down my cheek. I swipe at it and continue, ‘James wanted me to put her into a home and go with him. I told him I wouldn’t ever do that, and that was the end of us.’

‘What a dick,’ he states.

I force a smile. ‘It is what it is.’

The gondola ride comes to an end. Sebastian hesitates, opens his mouth, but then snaps it shut. We get off the boat, and he takes my hand again. He asks, ‘Is there anything else you want to do here?’

‘No, I’m tired,’ I say, suddenly drained from the day I’ve had.

‘Let’s go home,’ he says, leading me back to the truck.

Home. If only it were my home.

We walk in silence, and when we get to his truck, he doesn’t open my door. He puts his hand on my cheek and proclaims, ‘You deserve a lot better than the hand you’ve been dealt, Sunshine.’

Another tear falls down my cheek. I swipe at it and turn away from him.

He steps in front of me, stating, ‘Your ex is a fool for letting you go.’

All I can think is, Why is James a fool when Sebastian has me but already has my expiration date picked out?

The questions create more emotions within me that I’m not prepared to deal with, nor do I want to in front of Sebastian. I clear my throat, spin, and yank open the truck door. I claim, ‘It’s fine. Let’s go home.’ I jump in the truck with my pulse skyrocketing, wondering how I can protect my heart when I already know he’s going to break it.