Holiday Hoax: A Fake Marriage Billionaire Romance (The Cartwright Family Book 1)
Holiday Hoax: Chapter 23

‘Time to get up, Sunshine,’ Sebastian softly says, stroking my cheek.

I open my eyes, taking in my surroundings. I’m still in my wedding dress, and Sebastian’s in his tux, minus the coat and bowtie.

Where am I?

Oh, the plane.

I sit up. ‘Are we here?’

His eyes light with mischief. He replies, ‘We are, but I think it’s time I take you out of this wedding dress.’

My butterflies take off. I tease, ‘Now we’re going to have sex? I could have joined the mile-high club.’

Heat travels to his eyes. ‘Don’t worry, Sunshine. We’ll make sure we do that on the way back.’

I squeeze my thighs together. Maybe we should stay here a bit longer…

He interrupts my naughty thoughts, ordering, ‘Come on, time’s ticking.’

I rise, and he steps behind me. He drags his knuckles down my spine until he gets to my zipper. I shiver. ‘Don’t tease me.’

He brings his lips to my ear. ‘I told you how amazing you look, right?’

I glance behind me, my lips an inch from his. I state, ‘I’m sure I look fabulous right now.’

‘You always look good,’ he declares.

My heart flutters again.

He unzips my dress and it falls to the floor. His warm hands palm my ass cheeks. His lips tease the curve of my neck and he murmurs, ‘Too bad we need clothes.’

Zings explode in all my cells and I lean against him. I ask, ‘Since I didn’t pack any clothes, I’m assuming you did?’

He chuckles. ‘Don’t worry. I’ve got this handled. Do you want to go to the bathroom and wash your face? You’ve got some makeup running down it.’

‘Oh geez.’ I cringe.

He shrugs. ‘I assume you don’t want to go out like that. But I’m okay with it if you are.’

I shake my head. ‘Absolutely not. Is there anything to wash it off with?’

‘There’s stuff inside.’ He points to the bathroom door.

‘Of course there is,’ I chirp, loving that Sebastian is always prepared. I step into the bathroom, and horror fills me.

Mascara streaks down my face in thick, black blurry lines. My lip stain faintly outlines my mouth but isn’t on the rest of it. The white in my eyes is red.

‘Let’s see what’s in here,’ I mutter, then open the medicine cabinet. My heart swells. Sebastian’s stocked it with all of my skincare products, makeup, and other toiletries. There’s also a bottle of eye drops.

I wash my face and add the drops. Then I put on a small amount of makeup and deodorant. I spritz three sprays of perfume and step back outside.

Sebastian wears a pair of designer jeans and a beige sweater. His eyes drift down my body. I realize all I’m wearing is the little thong Melanie gave me. He pins his blues on my lower body and smirks, ‘Nice touch.’

I try to avoid his heated gaze and blurt out, ‘Oh gosh, please tell me you have clean underwear for me too.’

He points to the pile of clothes on the bed. ‘That I do.’

‘Thank goodness!’ I exclaim, wishing I could take a shower.

We quickly get dressed. I slide into a pair of skinny jeans, a nude tank top, and a pale-pink cable-knit sweater. I beam. ‘This is really nice. And thanks for stocking the plane with all my bathroom things.’

Pride fills his expression. He tosses his arm in the air in victory, proclaiming, ‘Yes! I got another thing right.’

‘You get a lot right,’ I blurt out.

His face falls. He lowers his voice, questioning, ‘I do?’

I nod. ‘Yeah, you do.’

A humble grin graces his lips. It’s rare I see it; he normally wears his cocky one, but I like it just as much. He gives me a peck on the lips and says, ‘I’m glad you think so.’

‘I do,’ I reiterate.

He retreats, stating, ‘Let’s get out of here. Coats, hats, scarves, and gloves are at the front of the cabin.’

I give him a little salute. Excitement fills me. I still can’t believe I’m in Iceland for Christmas! ‘Okay then, let’s do this.’

We enter the front of the cabin and put on our outdoor gear.

The flight attendant smiles. ‘Good morning, Mrs. Cartwright. Did you sleep well?’

Mrs. Cartwright. My heart swoons again.

It’s not real.

Or is it?

Since Sebastian admitted he had feelings for me, I don’t know what to think. But before I fell asleep, I decided to enjoy Iceland and figure out the rest later.

Slightly embarrassed that I rushed past her and didn’t really introduce myself when I stepped on the plane, I reply, ‘I did. I’m Georgia. I’m sorry I was rude earlier.’ I hold out my hand.

She shakes it, beams, and says, ‘I’m Carmine. Nice to meet you, and you weren’t. Congratulations on your big day.’

Relief fills me that she seems genuine and isn’t going to hold my bad manners against me. I reply, ‘Thank you!’

Sebastian puts his arm around me, then addresses Carmine, ‘Have a good time in Iceland, Carmine. We’ll see you in a week.’

‘You too,’ she responds and opens the door.

Sebastian motions for me to go first, and I step out on the landing. I freeze, muttering, ‘Holy moly!’

The morning sun is trying to rise, and the sky is a mix of green and blue hues with just a hint of purple. The buildings glow gold from the Christmas lights. Ice and snow are everywhere. I declare, ‘I’ve never seen anything so majestic.’

‘Incredible, isn’t it?’ Sebastian agrees.

I glance up at him. ‘This is so sweet that you brought me here.’

The arrogant expression I love about him takes over his face. He proclaims, ‘I thought you’d enjoy it.’

‘I do,’ I restate.

Amused, he asserts, ‘We haven’t done anything yet.’

‘Yeah, but this is going to be insanely cool,’ I insist.

He chuckles.

A driver standing near an SUV waves his hands and shouts, ‘Welcome to Iceland.’

My excitement level increases. We make our way down the tarmac, and Sebastian shakes his hand, announcing, ‘This is my beautiful wife, Georgia Cartwright. And I’m Sebastian.’

Georgia Cartwright.

His wife.

My stomach flutters again. I push the mystery of what’s going on between Sebastian and me and where this is going to the back of my mind. This is too awesome of a trip to worry about that. Plus, he admitted he likes me and wanted to do something nice, so at least I’m not just here because he wanted to trick his family further.

The driver says, ‘My name is Helgi.’

‘It’s great you speak English, because I don’t know a word of Icelandic,’ I fret.

He gives us an amused smile as he says, ‘You don’t need to worry about knowing Icelandic. Almost ninety-eight percent of the population speaks English. It’s taught as a second language in school, so you’ll be fine.’

‘Really? I had no clue,’ I confess.

‘Yes.’ He opens the back of the vehicle.

I slide in, and Sebastian follows. As soon as the door shuts, my stomach growls.

Sebastian admits, ‘I’m starving too. What do you say we figure out breakfast?’

I nod. ‘Sounds good to me.’

Helgi puts the luggage in the car and then gets in the driver’s seat.

Sebastian inquires, ‘Helgi, where can we go eat? We’re starving.’

‘I know the perfect place. It’s not too far from here. It’s a popular bakery and eatery, and you have to go there when you’re in our town.’

‘Sounds great. Let’s go,’ Sebastian commands.

It doesn’t take long, and we’re soon dropped off in front of a bakery. The moment we step inside, the smell of pastries hits me. My stomach rumbles again. I declare, ‘This place smells amazing.’

Sebastian nods.

I glance at him. ‘You’re not going to stick to your crazy diet, are you?’

He grins. ‘Nope.’

I tilt my head, not sure if I believe him. Then I question, ‘Are you telling the truth?’

He makes a cross over his heart, stating, ‘Cross my heart and hope to die. I promise I’ll indulge in everything with you.’

I toss my arms around his neck and rise on my tiptoes. I give him a kiss on the lips. ‘That’s good. We’ll get back on track when we get home.’

He nods. ‘Deal.’

I spin, take his hand, and lead him toward the front of the counter. When the line thins out, a woman says something to us in Icelandic.

Sebastian states, ‘We just got off a plane from the U.S.’

Her face lights up. ‘Welcome to Iceland! I’ll switch to English.’

‘Thank you,’ I say.

‘We’ve not been here before, so I’m assuming Georgia’s okay with this.’ He eyes me and then asks her, ‘What’s the most Icelandic breakfast you have?’

I clap my hands. ‘Yes, that’s what we want.’

She beams. ‘You’re going to want skyr, which is a thick, creamy sour cheese. It’s eaten like yogurt, and we’ll add some berries and seeds to it. And then you need some rye bread with meat and cheese.’

‘Sounds delicious,’ I proclaim.

She adds, ‘I also recommend the hafragrautur.’

‘What’s that?’ Sebastian questions.

‘It’s an oatmeal porridge with milk and brown sugar. Also, do yourself a favor and get one of these.’ She points to a big pastry behind her.

I inquire, ‘What is that called?’

She answers, ‘Snúður. It’s a cinnamon bread roll filled with chocolate or caramel.’

I ask Sebastian, ‘Can we have both?’

Sebastian chuckles, then tells the woman, ‘My wife has a sweet tooth.’

Her eyes get brighter. ‘You’ll love them. Both of you!’

‘We’ll take one of each, please,’ Sebastian declares.

‘Great. Can we get some coffee too?’ I ask.

‘Sure.’ She hands us two mugs and motions to the counter with several urns, sweeteners, and creamers. ‘Anything else?’

‘I think that’s it,’ Sebastian answers.

She punches in the order, hands us a number, and instructs, ‘Just take a seat. We’ll bring it all out.’

Sebastian pays and we fill our coffee.

I choose a table by the window. People rush past it, and I chirp, ‘This is so cool.’

‘You already said that,’ he says, a new look of amusement on his face.

‘Yeah, but it really is. What made you pick this place?’

He takes a sip of coffee and admits, ‘You said you thought about going to Iceland for Christmas. It was that or the North Pole. Unlike you, I did some research. The North Pole was pretty inaccessible this time of year, so I didn’t want to take any risks.’

‘You chose well,’ I praise, then lean over and kiss him on the lips.

He tugs me in for a longer one, and someone clears their throat.

I retreat, sit back in my seat, and blurt out, ‘Oops!’

A young man grins at us. He sets food on the table until it’s full. I stare at our breakfast, not sure what to try first. Overwhelmed, I state, ‘This is a lot of food. Do you think we went a bit overboard?’

‘Nope!’ Sebastian answers, then takes a spoonful of what I assume is the skyr and holds it to my mouth. ‘You’re the guinea pig.’

I laugh. ‘Is that so?’

He wiggles his eyebrows. ‘Yep. Try it.’

I take a bite, chew, then swallow.

‘Well?’ he asks.

‘It’s good!’ I claim.

He tries a spoonful and declares, ‘Way better than yogurt.’

I dip my spoon in it, replying, ‘Agreed.’

We spend the next hour eating, tasting each item, unsure what we like the best. When we’re done, we’re full.

I’m happy Sebastian tried everything and didn’t worry about any of the ingredients. It’s the first time I’ve seen him relaxed around food that isn’t part of his normal routine. And he shows no sign of stress. While he’s been calmer at the ranch than what I saw in Dallas, he seems worry free, engaged in the present, and that makes me happy. I love this side of him.

He leads me out of the cafe and Helgi’s waiting for us. He states, ‘I called the hotel. There’s a plumbing issue in your suite. It won’t be ready until six. The hotel said they’d discuss how to compensate you when you arrive. I asked if there was another room you could utilize, but with the holiday season, the hotel is full.’

Sebastian groans. ‘I’m dying for a shower.’

‘Me too,’ I confess.

Helgi suggests, ‘Let me take you to the Blue Lagoon. It’s under forty kilometers, and there are geothermal swimming baths.’

‘That sounds incredible,’ I declare, a rush of excitement bubbling up again.

Sebastian agrees, ‘You heard the boss. Let’s go.’

I gasp. ‘I’m the boss?’

‘Happy wife, happy life,’ Sebastian teases.

Wife.

Not real.

Shush it.

I bat my eyelids. ‘Smart man.’ I kiss him and sink into his body.

The trip takes about an hour. I keep staring out the window in amazement, unable to believe I’m actually in Iceland. Everything about it is beautiful and unlike anything I’ve seen before.

We arrive at the Blue Lagoon. As we exit the SUV, I see the steam rising off the water. I can only mutter, ‘Wow.’

‘Have you ever been to one of these?’ Sebastian asks.

Unable to take my eyes off it, I reply, ‘No. Have you?’

‘Yeah. Years ago, I went to New Zealand,’ he replies.

I glance at him. ‘Did you like it?’

‘Loved it. I’ll take you there next if you want,’ he says, his eyes filling with hope, which takes me by surprise.

My heart swells again. I reveal, ‘I’d love to go with you.’

He kisses the back of my hand. ‘Great. I’ll plan it.’

I turn back to the steaming water. ‘I guess you get to pop my cherry.’

His eyes widen. ‘Did you just say pop your cherry?’

I laugh. ‘Yep. My geothermal cherry.’

He chuckles, then adds, ‘You’re always full of surprises, Sunshine.’

‘I like to keep you on your toes,’ I claim.

‘That you do. Let’s go change,’ he directs and leads me to the changing area.

We change and he hands me a claw clip. ‘I thought you might want this so your hair doesn’t turn to ice after we get out of the water.’

My heart skips a beat. I tease, ‘Well, Sebastian Cartwright. Are you a secret claw clip lover?’

He chuckles, then slides his arm around my waist. He leads me to the water and I secure my hair on top of my head. We dip in the hot springs. The warm water heats up my cold skin. I moan. ‘I’m in heaven.’

Sebastian pulls me into him, wrapping his arms around me, giving me his intense expression. He replies, ‘Good way to describe it.’

My stomach flutters some more. I blurt out, ‘Are you trying to permanently win me over?’

‘What if I am?’ he questions, his blues looking semi-arrogant and semi-nervous.

My butterflies flutter faster. I confess, ‘Then I’d say you’re off to a good start.’

Satisfaction and relief flit across his features. He kisses me, and for several minutes, we stay lip-locked.

For hours,, we swim, talk, and laugh. After we dry off, we change and return to the car.

Sebastian inquires, ‘Where to now, Helgi? It looks like we’ve got more time to kill.’

He turns around in his seat. ‘The village of Hafnarfjörður. It’s thirty-two kilometers from here, but it’s on the way back to Reykjavik. It’s known as the Christmas town. There’s a ton of shopping, restaurants, and you’ll see a bunch of elves.’

‘Elves?’ I chirp.

‘Yes. There are also art galleries, craft beer tastings, and free live entertainment in the marketplace.’

‘Sounds good. Let’s roll,’ Sebastian orders, leans back, and slings his arm around me.

I relax into him, which is starting to feel normal. I’m still in awe, and so happy, I wonder if I’ve ever felt this way. When we get to Hafnarfjörður, we walk around the marketplace. We visit lots of different shops, buying Christmas gifts for Melanie’s family and Sebastian’s.

For his sisters, mom, and Melanie, we decide to get skincare products and wool blankets. For the kids, we buy Icelandic candy, including licorice shoelaces, praline-peppermint chocolate, chocolate raisins, and chocolate Draumur, which in English means dream.

I hold the praline-peppermint chocolate in front of Sebastian, admitting, ‘You smell like praline.’

He cocks his eyebrows. ‘I do?’

I inhale the scent of the candy. ‘You sure do.’

‘And this is a good thing?’ he questions.

I admit. ‘It’s a sexy, good thing.’

His grin grows. ‘Well, I guess I won’t change my cologne, then.’

I warn, ‘Don’t you dare!’

‘Noted,’ he states with a chuckle.

We continue finding gifts, buying the little boys Viking books and toys. For the girls, we buy jewelry made from lava rock and some Icelandic dolls.

‘Here we go,’ he booms, picking up a bottle of Icelandic alcohol.

‘Are you into schnapps?’ I ask.

He shrugs. ‘Not really, but when in Iceland…’

A sales clerk states, ‘Brennivín, or sometimes called Svarti dauði, is a distilled brand of schnapps. It’s considered Iceland’s signature liquor. It means black death.’

‘This will be perfect for my dad, brothers, and Greg,’ Sebastian claims.

I interject, ‘It sounds like a really bad hangover.’

The sales clerk answers, ‘Sometimes.’

Sebastian’s face fills with mischief. He adds, ‘We’ll have to see, won’t we?’

‘You’re evil,’ I state, laughing. I turn to the cashier. ‘How do they make this?’

He replies, ‘It’s from fermented potato mash, and we use caraway seeds to flavor it.’

‘Interesting,’ I say.

Sebastian leans close to my ear, questioning, ‘Are you also an alcohol connoisseur?’

I shake my head. ‘No, but ingredients interest me.’

‘Ah. I should have known.’

I hold my hands in the air. ‘I’m an ingredient whore. What can I say?’

‘Did you just call yourself a whore?’

‘An ingredient one.’

‘Sunshine, you kill me.’ He chuckles. He turns to the clerk and points to several bottles. ‘We’ll take four of each.’ Then he spins back toward me, announcing, ‘I’m getting hungry again. It’s way past lunch. Want to go eat?’

The cashier points across the street. ‘They do craft beer tasting there, and the food is top notch.’

‘Great. Sounds perfect,’ I reply.

We check out, and Sebastian texts Helgi to pull up to the store. The clerk helps Helgi load the alcohol into the car, and Sebastian leads me across the street. We’re seated in a booth and Sebastian slides next to me.

The server sets down a loaf of homemade bread and recommends a fish sampler. It includes cod, salmon, and haddock paired with dipping sauces.

Sebastian orders that and adds lobster, a side of roasted root vegetables, and a beer tasting for each of us.

Everything is just as delicious as breakfast. We finish all the food, and I put my hand on my stomach. ‘I’m officially full.’

‘It was good, wasn’t it?’ Sebastian asks.

‘Delicious,’ I declare.

He glances at his watch. ‘It’s after six. Do you want to go to the hotel and check in? I could do with a little nap before we go out tonight. Unless you decide you want to stay in?’ he adds and gives me his lewd, challenging stare.

My face heats and I answer, ‘We have been out all day.’

He murmurs, ‘Maybe we should shower and double-check they fixed the plumbing.’

I lean into his ear, drag my fingers over his inner thigh, then suggest, ‘I am feeling a bit dirty. Maybe you can help make sure I get clean?’ I retreat and give him an innocent stare.

‘Time to go,’ he states, rising and holding his hand out.

I laugh, take it, and we walk to the SUV. Before we get inside, he gives me a kiss on the lips and studies me for a moment.

My nerves ignite. I question, ‘What?’

He hesitates and says, ‘I think this is the happiest I’ve ever seen you.’

I confess, ‘It is.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah, this was the best day of my life so far,’ I tell him honestly.

A huge grin forms on his face. He takes my hand and kisses the back of it. ‘That’s good, Sunshine. It’s mine too.’

‘It is?’

He nods. ‘Without a doubt.’

We get into the car. He tugs me into him, and I stare out the window, happy, content, and with a stomach full of food. I’m so full of joy I think I might explode, but I realize it’s not just Iceland. It’s spending time with Sebastian that I love so much. Within minutes, I drift off to sleep, curled into his warm chest, dreaming about us.