Dating the Guy Upstairs (8 page)

She stared at her reflection. It still didn’t seem right. The Riley she knew stayed in, worked hard and patted her favorite books when no one was looking. But the person in the mirror had hips and curves and she almost looked like the kind of woman who Will dated.

What would it be like if Will wasn’t just her fake boyfriend, but her real one?

Her body tingled in response and her cheeks heated before she remembered—not only did she look like the kind woman Will dated, she also looked like the kind of woman whose heart inevitably got broken after two weeks.

“Hey,” Will’s voice called out from the other side of the door. “Tucker just called. Please, can you explain how my levelheaded brother is suddenly having a meltdown over whether it’s tacky to have pink champagne for the first toast? Anyway, Fiona told me that you’ve found the dress, so I’m coming in, ready or—”

The rest of the words died as his head appeared in the doorway. He sucked in his breath as his mouth dropped open.

“Wh-why are you looking at me like that? Is it too much?” Riley tried to ignore the heat that was flowing up to her cheeks. “It makes me look like I’m trying too hard, doesn’t it?

“No.” Will seemed to have difficulty swallowing. “Definitely not.”

“So, what’s wrong? Does it make me look fat? Flat-chested? Like an acorn? Will, you need to explain yourself because your entire family is going to be there. Your dad. Lisa. I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“Trust me, there’s nothing you could do to embarrass me. Not ever. Are we clear? Besides, this dress looks amazing. If anything will convince my family that I’ve fallen for my best friend, this is it. Okay?”

“O-okay.” She nodded just as Fiona reappeared holding a delicate golden necklace. The next ten minutes were spent discussing shoes and purses as Riley tried to remind herself that just because they were pretending to date, it didn’t mean that they actually were.

***

“I swear that this is better than what I ate when I was in Hanoi,” Will said several hours later. He gave a short groan, continuing to hand-feed Bingley a piece of lettuce from his Vietnamese takeout.

“And it’s only ten minutes from home rather than fifteen hours,” Riley teased as she pushed away her plate and stretched her legs out in front of her. She’d changed into sweats as soon as they’d arrived home and her red hair was in a messy pile on top of her head. Unfortunately, thanks to seeing her in
that
dress, Will now knew that underneath the baggy clothes she preferred was a figure that had almost caused him to lose the power of speech. And now that he knew, he could never un-know. “It’s also the perfect way to help me recover from such an exhausting day. Everything hurts. Even my nose.”

“Your nose hurts from shopping?” Will pushed his brows together in mock outrage and tried not to look at the adorable way her nose peaked at the end.

“Yes.” She reached for her beer and took a sip. “Shops are smelly. It was hard work.”

“I’ll have you know that today was a perfectly planned shopping experience that was designed to give you maximum enjoyment and minimum annoyance. And then, despite my brother’s lavish but inappropriate offer to send us on a romantic dinner, I wined and dined you with your favorite takeout. I don’t like to boast, but it was pretty perfect.” Will reached for his own beer and took a deep pull.

“Fine, Mr. Smarty Pants, so it was a lovely afternoon that was followed by a thoughtful dinner.” Riley poked out her tongue at him. Bingley lost interest in the lettuce leaf and ambled toward yesterday’s newspaper, his guinea pig eyes full of evil intent. “But I have to pretend it was exhausting so that we don’t have to do it too often.”

“What’s that mean?” He stiffened. He’d had a pretty amazing day, culminating in eating and drinking beer while listening to Riley chat about books as Bingley roamed the apartment. The fact that she didn’t want to do it again stung his ego. “Don’t tell me that you’d rather be getting ready for your date with whats-his-name?”

“It’s Calvin, and no, of course that’s not what I meant. It’s just that you’re only back for such a short period of time—the last thing I want to do is shop. I’d much rather us have a picnic at a park or go on a hike. Speaking of which, I’ve found a great new place we can go to. And it has a waterfall.”

“Good point. Waterfall trumps shoe shopping every time,” Will said, his harmony restored. “What if we go next week once the wedding is over and done with?”

“Perfect.” Riley put down her beer and flexed her shoulders, like she often did after sitting in one spot reading for too long. “It’ll be nice to just relax and forget about everything.”

“I agree,” Will said. Automatically, he put his arm around the back of her neck. His plan had been to swivel her around so that he could gently knead the knots out of her shoulders, just like he’d done a hundred times before. He hadn’t counted on the bolt of electricity that ran along his arm as his fingers swept across her soft skin.

His mistake was further compounded when Riley let out a soft gasp that did sinister things to his libido. Before he could stop himself he leaned forward, his arm still around her back. They were so close now that Will could see the erratic rise and fall of her chest. She turned to him and pushed her glasses back into her tangle of red hair, her brown eyes wide like a puppy’s. Desire coursed through him but he paused, racked by indecision.

It still stung that kissing her had reduced him to a quivering mess and that for her it was only just so-so. Then again, according to Tucker, who was now an authority on love and romance, Riley had been enjoying herself. If that really was the case what would happen if they kissed again? Would she really hate it as much as she had implied?

Her breathing increased and Will’s indecision fled the scene as his eyes locked in on hers.

“Will, I—” she said in a throaty gasp, but before she could complete the sentence his cell phone rang. He ignored it, his face never leaving Riley’s. Whoever it was, they could wait, but as his ringtone played out again, Riley’s face flinched and she wrinkled her nose.

“What if it’s important?”

“It’s not,” he assured her, but after it rang out for a third time and them started again, he snatched it up, his body a sea of frustration. “What?”

“Will, don’t be mad that I’m calling you, but we really need to speak,” Lisa said from down the other end. His whole body stiffened like the time he’d been stung by a nest of ants. It wasn’t the first time she’d contacted him since she’d married his father. In fact, every few months he could expect to get a message or an email from her. Sometimes they were lighthearted and sometimes they were angry, but in each one the intention was clear. She wanted to play him off against his father because she liked the idea of two men fighting over her.

“How did you get this number?” He ground his teeth.

“That’s not important,” Lisa said in the same dismissive way she did for anything that didn’t suit her agenda. “I just need to speak to you about Saturday. Will, I still feel terrible about what happened, and I know that you’re just bringing your friend to save face—”

“Oh, is that what you know?” He stood up from the sofa, as wave after wave of emotions raced through him. “Well, let’s be clear about one thing. What I do and who I do it with is none of your concern. Understood?”

Then without another word he finished the call.

There was complete silence, apart from Bingley, who was foraging through the carpet for goodness knows what. Will took a deep breath and tried to control the blood that was pounding in his temples.

He hated that Riley even had to be in the room while Lisa tried to spread her poison, as if it would somehow contaminate her. Which was crazy, but then again, he’d always tried to protect Riley, be it from loser boyfriends or demanding bosses. Which begged the question: Why was he taking her to Tucker’s wedding when Lisa was going to be there?

His jaw tightened and it took several moments before he could finally turned around to where Riley was sitting cross-legged on the sofa.

“Was that who I thought it was?” she asked in a soft voice, which wounded him more than the phone call. After all, he was used to the pitying looks that he’d received from his friends and family after his father’s wedding, but he’d never had it from Riley before. The fact that the only thing he felt for Lisa was contempt made it even more frustrating.

He nodded. “It was.”

“Are you okay?”

“Of course,” he snapped, realizing too late how sharp it sounded. God, he could be such a jerk sometimes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” Riley sounded just like she always did, but it was impossible not to notice the faint color that had risen in her cheeks. He also couldn’t help notice that whatever had been building between them was gone. “This was always going to be a difficult time for you. You said so yourself.”

“Yeah.” He began to pace the room, trying to shake off the vague sense of annoyance. He wasn’t sure if it was because hearing Lisa’s voice was a reminder of what he still had to face or if he was just tired.

After all, he’d stayed up late the previous night reviewing the two meetings he’d had, both of which had ended with a regretful no and the advice that his startup would be perfect for someone like Geoff Tait. But as he watched Riley clamp down on her full lower lip, he had the unsettling feeling that it was because he wanted more out of their relationship, even though logically he knew it was a bad idea.

“And then Lisa picked up the kitten and it started to meow in the sweetest way,” Will’s great-aunt Monica said, then narrowed her eyes, studying Riley’s face to see her reaction. Riley plastered on her best smile and nodded her head in what she hoped was an appropriate manner. Next to her Will smiled, but his fists were in two tight balls.

“That’s so heartwarming,” she replied. They stood on the manicured grass of the vineyard where the wedding was being held. It was only half an hour out of Seattle, but it felt like another world. In Riley’s extensive experience, outside weddings could be risky, but thankfully the weather had been perfect as the couple had said their
I do
s in a tranquil glade decorated with bunting and Chinese lanterns all swaying in the gentle breeze.

That had been half an hour ago. Now they were standing inside a rustic barn where huge wreaths of wildflowers hung from exposed posts, while vintage linen and mismatched silver cutlery shone from the nearby tables. To the left were groups of wedding-goers all talking and laughing, while the restless ring bearer darted around the feet of the waiters and waitresses who were sliding between the crowds with trays of drinks.

But despite the idyllic setting, Riley was already feeling like she’d just spent four hours in a boxing ring, and it wasn’t because of the unfamiliar dress or achingly high shoes that Italy had insisted she wear. Rather, it was because Will hadn’t been exaggerating just how intrusive his relatives could be. This was the fourth time she’d heard the story about Lisa rescuing a stray kitten, and she could tell by the stony expression on Will’s face that it was four times too many.

Her heart went out to him as he stood next to her, shifting from foot to foot, like he did when he was feeling penned in. Waves of restless energy radiated from him, but nothing could take away how handsome he looked in the navy suit that he and the other groomsmen were wearing. Tucker might have turned into a groomzilla, but at least he had great taste. Riley’s pulse fluttered as she drank in his smooth olive complexion and his blond hair that spiked out despite his best efforts to tame it. Perhaps it was a metaphor for Will himself?
Beautiful but untamed?

“And do you remember that time Lisa took us all to lunch at that sweet little restaurant?” Great-Aunt Monica started to say, but before she could finish Riley crossed her fingers and let out a little gasp—she guessed that if Will had to hear one more Lisa story, he might crack.

“Oh my goodness. I’m so silly but I’ve completely forgotten where I put my hat. Would you mind if we went to look for it?”

“Of course not, dears,” Great-Aunt Monica assured them before scanning the crowd, no doubt in search of her next victim. Or maybe, Riley allowed, the hat. Without wasting a moment, Will’s fingers captured hers and they hurried out of the barn. Outside, they were greeted by the late-afternoon sun pouring down around them and caterers carrying trays of food from the nearby kitchen into the barn in preparation for the meal to come.

“Do you think she has any idea that you didn’t wear a hat?” Will gave her hand a grateful squeeze, which resulted in a series of shivers racing up her arm. Riley tried and failed to ignore it.

“I don’t know, but I didn’t want to risk what you might say if you had to listen to yet another Lisa story. How can your relatives not know it’s inappropriate to talk about her so much?” Riley wished that she were at home, curled up on her couch with Bingley chewing on her sock as she read a book. This was why she didn’t like to leave the house.

“No idea. But trust me, if you weren’t here it would be worse. So much worse.”

“Is that even possible?” Riley marveled, thinking of all the people who had demanded to know how he was coping, like he’d broken up with Lisa yesterday, not three years ago. Then there was the fact that they all thought Riley was his girlfriend, so what was with all the questioning? If wasn’t for the fact that she was only his fake girlfriend, she would almost be offended. Were they suggesting that he wasn’t happy with her?

And it also explained exactly why he’d wanted her along for moral support.

Not that she was sure she’d been much help, since it hadn’t stopped the intrusive questions.

Then she stiffened as she caught sight of Lisa looking over at them.

It was the first time Riley had seen her in real life, and it was a shock. While the photographs in the newspaper had made her out to be blond, tall and beautiful, they hadn’t been able to capture the dewy complexion, the slim long lines of her body or the way her full mouth fell down at the sides into a perfect pout. It all made her look like she’d stepped off a catwalk.

“What’s wrong?” Will asked. Then he followed her gaze over to where Lisa had turned her attention back to the man she was talking to. “Oh.”

Yes.
Oh.

“At least she isn’t coming over.” Riley wasn’t sure she would’ve been up to shielding Will from that particular conversation. It was one thing to make small talk with his relatives, but it was another thing entirely to banter with his ex-fiancée-slash-stepmother.

“No, but my uncle Harold is, and unless you want to hear all about my misspent youth, we’d better pretend to be otherwise occupied.”

“What do you mean?” Out of the corner of her eye, Riley caught sight of an overweight guy with a shock of blond hair heading toward them. But the vision was lost as Will slid his arms around her waist. His fingers lingered on her hips, sending small shockwaves down her entire body.
That’s what he meant.
He gently tugged her toward him and dipped his head into the nape of her neck, no doubt to avoid eye contact with the unwanted relative. But it wasn’t that simple for her. As the length of his body pressed against hers, the air left her chest.

Apparently she had now forgotten how to breathe, the smell of Will invading her nostrils and sending her entire body into meltdown. His arms tightened around her and the world began to spin, like they were trapped in a bubble. Riley had no way of telling how long they were there for; it wasn’t until someone coughed that Will released his grip.

“Don’t let me interrupt you.” Tucker appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Riley blinked, as if the lights had just been turned on.

“Trust me, if there was a way to stop you, I’d be doing it,” Will said as he winked at Riley. Right. That hug might’ve turned her body to liquid fire, but for him it was just a distraction from unwanted conversations. Something she would do well to remember.

“When you two just got married, then you can call the shots. But right now this is my wedding and we’re about to go in and sit down,” Tucker retorted, gesturing to the trail of people making their way into the barn. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t room at the main table for you, Riley. But Danni’s put you next to some of her school friends, so hopefully you’ll still enjoy yourself.”

“Of course. And congratulations, Tucker. It was a beautiful ceremony.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” Tucker grinned. Danni chose that moment to walk past him, blowing a kiss as she went. Tucker hurried after her, leaving Will and Riley to follow. Will’s hand slipped into hers.

“Sorry you couldn’t sit me with me. I hope it won’t be too painful, and don’t forget that I want the first dance after the meal is over.”

“Dance?” Riley gulped. Right now, with the electric feel of his skin on hers, she could hardly put one foot in front of the other. She was pretty sure that dancing would be far outside her skill range. Plus, it would probably involve more of the touching stuff and that seemed to be presenting a problem.

“Yes, dance,” Will said in a firm voice. Before Riley could reply, the rest of the groomsmen joined him and he was soon carried away to the long bridal table up on a rustic wooden stage, leaving Riley standing on her own.

It was something she was familiar with. It had been the same every time Jude had remarried and they’d moved. New town, new people, new rules. Ditto when she’d been sent to stay with Tom. It had been one of the things she’d hated most about her childhood, and now she could feel the familiar sensations swirling in her stomach. But before they could take root, Will turned back toward her and gave her one of his knee-knocking smiles, his eyes full of apology. It was like he knew how she’d been feeling and wanted to help her. It was such a Will thing to do.

Thank you
, she mouthed at him, feeling braver. It gave her the boost she needed to edge her way through the crowds until she found her table. However, when she arrived, someone had clearly changed the names. Instead of one of Danni’s friends, she found herself sitting next to Will’s great-aunt Heather. Riley forced another smile onto her face as she reluctantly sat down.

Thankfully Heather was more laconic than the rest of Will’s family. Riley was grateful for the comfortable blocks of silence that accompanied the delicious meal. It gave her time to regroup and catch her breath while the rest of the table chattered and laughed until the plates were cleared and the speeches began. Predictably, Tucker talked at length about love, and then Will stood up and gave a hilarious but heartfelt best-man speech that had Riley beaming with pride. But it wasn’t until the father of the bride finished speaking that Heather suddenly nudged her.

“You’re doing a good job, girl.”

“I am?” Riley wondered if she was referring to the large serving of cheesecake that she’d managed to eat. It had been too good to refuse.

“With Will,” Heather clarified. They both looked over to where he was sitting. He’d loosened his tie and was laughing at something Danni was saying, probably about the story her father was telling. The tension around his mouth had gone and his eyes were sparkling. “I haven’t seen him smile like that in quite some time.”

“Oh.” Riley blinked, reluctant to drag her gaze away. “I’m not sure that I can take credit for that.”

“I am,” Heather countered. “He was in a bad place after he ended his engagement. It was like his mother had died all over again. But there’s a lightness about him now, and it’s because of you.”

“Thank you.” Riley’s cheeks heated with pleasure despite the fact that she wasn’t really his girlfriend and therefore, despite what Heather seemed to think, she wasn’t responsible for anything.

“Don’t thank me. Just keep doing what you’re doing. I haven’t seen him like this since he was a little boy.”

“What was he like when he was younger?” Riley couldn’t resist asking.

Heather toyed with the handle of her coffee cup, as if considering the matter. “He was much like he is now. Passionate. Determined. Fair. He used to trot around after his mother asking all sorts of questions. Like, ‘Why don’t all the children at school have a driver to collect them?’ ‘Why is our house so big?’ Daphne used to be so proud of him. She called him her little activist. Sometimes I wonder if that’s what drives him now.”

Riley widened her eyes. Will never talked about his mother. The fact that the memories of her might be the thing that kept him out of the country for such long periods of time was new information to her.

“Goodness, I hope Heather hasn’t been telling you stories of my misspent youth.” Will suddenly appeared and bent over to give his great-aunt an affectionate kiss on the cheek while casually trailing an arm along Riley’s shoulder. It did wicked things to her pulse.

“I have better things to do than talk about the mischief you and your brother used to stir up,” Heather scolded, though her eyes were twinkling. “Now, what are you doing here? I’m guessing that it’s either to ask this delightful young woman to dance or to tell me that it’s time to take my tablets.”

“Actually, it’s both.” Will grinned as he put a pill jar onto the table and lifted up the cup in front of her. “Aunty Vanessa gave me these, with strict instructions not to let you have a second cup of coffee.”

“Pah,” Heather grumbled, but she obediently allowed Will to shake out a tablet and pass her a glass of water. Once it was done she gave Riley a gentle push. “Now go and dance, and thank you for keeping an old lady company.”

“It was my pleasure,” Riley said honestly as she squeezed Heather’s hand before slowly standing up.

“Congratulations. Not many people pass the Heather test,” Will said as he wove through the other guests who were starting to table swap now that the speeches had all been made. “And in case you haven’t guessed, she’s one of the saner members of the family.”

“I think she liked me because I was here with you, rather than anything I did,” Riley said, but Will shook his head.

“You’re too modest,” he said. They had finally reached the dance floor, and he pulled her toward him.

“I also have two left feet,” Riley said, trying to ignore the heat from his touch. It was getting ridiculous how sensitive she was becoming. She shifted, to lessen the impact of Will being so near. She failed. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

“Nonsense, you know that I only have good ideas,” he assured her. The band started to play and the dance floor filled. Will tightened his grip, and just like before Riley felt the bubble descend around them, cutting them from the outside world. “Like the time you didn’t want to go to see that zombie movie and you ended up loving it.”

“No I didn’t,” she said as Will’s hand dropped to rest at the base of her spine. “I was terrified and spent the entire movie with my eyes closed while you ate all of my popcorn.”

“Oh.” Will frowned before he laughed. “Now I remember. You also clutched at my arm so tightly I’m sure I still have bruises. Which was probably all part of my cunning plan to hold hands with a hot girl,” Will said and Riley’s mouth parted. Did he just call her hot? Was he flirting with her?

“Was this also part of your cunning plan?” Someone jostled them, pressing their bodies closer together. He let out a soft groan that sent a spiral of desire racing through her.

“Truthfully, I’m not sure what this is,” Will said. He pushed away a strand of her hair that had worked itself lose, while his other arm kept her trapped. A trail of heat ran through her as his eyes locked in on hers. “It’s like having my best friend with me, but also having—”