The Engagement Game Read online

  Jake clenched his teeth so hard they hurt. “Drop it, Hendrix. You’re not going with her.” The thought of Hendrix and Carin acting like they were in love made bile rise in his throat.

  His brother raised his eyebrows. “Actually, bro, it’s not your decision.”

  “You’ll really go?” A smile broke over Carin’s face. She bent so she could put her arms around Hendrix’s neck and squeeze. “Thank you.”

  Still in his chair, Hendrix slid his arms around Carin’s back and shot Jake a shit-eating grin over her shoulder. “Of course,” he said in a smug tone. “I’m already looking forward to it.”

  Jake balled his fists. He’d never in his life wanted to punch his brother as much as he did right now. “You can’t go. I forbid it.”

  Hendrix raised his eyebrows. “You forbid it? Like you can tell me what to do?” His brother smirked wider. “There’s only one way to stop me. Go yourself.”

  Carin pulled back and looked from Jake to Hendrix, her expression uncertain. “Listen, I don’t want to be the reason you two fight.”

  “Nothing to fight about,” said Hendrix. “If Jake won’t go, I will. Either way, you’ll get the chance to impress your director.”

  She smiled, her eyes so bright that Jake’s objections died in his throat. “You’re the best, Hendrix. Seriously. I can’t believe you’d do this for me. It’s going to be great, I promise.” She let out a whoop, then did a victory dance involving twerking, shaking her deliciously-rounded butt cheeks in a move that made Jake glad he was sitting down so nobody could see how his pants had tightened. And when he managed to drag his gaze from her booty, he glared at Hendrix who was giving her his own wide-eyed stare. Hendrix knew damn well that Carin was off-limits.

  Catching his gaze, Hendrix gave a shame-faced shrug that made Jake’s flare of anger fade. It wasn’t like Jake could blame him for staring. Carin was gorgeous. No man with a pulse could help himself.

  After she left, Jake glowered at his brother. “What the hell?”

  Hendrix leaned back in his chair. “Well, you’ve been in love with her since forever. Time to stop sampling the menu and commit to a meal. And seeing as you won’t make a move, you forced me to do it for you.”

  “There’s no way I’ll date Carin. And you know why.”

  “This rut you’re stuck in has to end.” His brother made a chopping motion with one hand. “Either you get together and make it work, or you end it and move on. But I’m sick of seeing you gorging on empty snack food from the meaningless sex buffet.”

  “Isn’t that your favorite buffet?”

  “Not anymore.” His brother shrugged. “Believe it or not, I’ve learned my lesson. That buffet doesn’t fill you up. When you eat from it, you’re hungry again two hours later. I had a perfectly good steak dinner with all the trimmings at home, and I threw it away for nothing.”

  Jake snorted. Hendrix could kid himself all he liked, but they’d been raised by the king of infidelity. They’d known about their father’s other women since they were old enough to understand what their mother was sobbing about.

  The men in their family were genetically pre-disposed to be scumbags, he and Hendrix included. That’s just the way it was. Jake had proven it when he was seventeen. He hadn’t just blown his chance for a relationship with Carin, he’d poured gasoline on it, pushed dynamite into it, then launched a nuclear missile at it.

  And if Hendrix thought he’d put Carin through the same kind of heartache their mother had gone through, he couldn’t be more wrong. Carin wasn’t as strong as she seemed. She had her own demons to fight, and the last thing she needed was a trip to Regret City on the Jake Sturne express.

  Jake shook his head. “I’m going to do this subdivision, earn huge profits, and make sure we don’t have to let a single employee go. All I need is for you to sign off these plans so we can lodge the building application.”

  Hendrix stood up. “Sorry bro, I need to go and pack for Fiji.”

  Jake surged to his feet as well, fists clenched. “You’re not going to Fiji.”

  “You know, I’ve always liked Carin. And if you’re never going to make a move, you can’t object if I do.”

  “Lay one finger on Carin and I’ll kill you.”

  Hendrix shrugged. “I’ll need to touch her if we’re pretending to be engaged. I just hope she’s as good a kisser as I imagine.”

  “Seriously, do you want me to hurt you?” Jake stepped closer to his brother, trying to look menacing. They hadn’t gotten physical since they were kids. Hendrix, being two years older, used to be able to beat him in a fight. Hendrix was still a little taller, but Jake had a slight edge when it came to build. He liked to work out more than his brother did.

  Hendrix grinned, not looking intimidated in the least. “Tell you what. If you go to Fiji with Carin in my place, I’ll sign off the plans for your horrible boxes.”

  “Why would you—?”

  “Because once you’ve spent a few days as her fiancé, you won’t want to move to the Northern Territory for two years to manage the building project. Problem solved.”

  “You think I’d let myself get romantically involved with Carin?” Jake shook his head. “You’re wrong.”

  “Am I? Pretending to be engaged to the woman you’re in love with, you won’t be able to keep your real feelings hidden.”

  “Not once in all these years has she ever suspected the truth. You’re the only one who knows.”

  “How have you kept it from her all this time?” Hendrix held up both hands. “No need to answer. I’ve seen the emotionless mask you put on when any subject gets too close to the bone.”

  Jake pressed his lips together. He couldn’t risk a trip to Fiji. There had to be another way to get his brother to sign off the plans.

  “Yeah, that’s the mask.” Hendrix shuddered. “Blank eyes, like a corpse. How do you do it?”

  “Practice.”

  “You won’t be able to keep that up in Fiji. There’s a heart hidden in there somewhere like a ripe, soft nut. It’s about time Carin managed to crack off your hard outer layer. She’d be doing us all a favor.”

  “I’m not going to Fiji and neither are you.” Jake stood up. “Sign off the plans, Hendrix. If Carin wants this part so badly, she can go to Fiji on her own.”

  5

  Carin met Hendrix near the check-in counter at Sydney airport. He was tall and dark-haired, like his brother, with a strong jaw and broad shoulders. Both brothers were handsome enough to turn heads wherever they went. But when she saw which brother it was who was striding toward her, her heart still sank.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t like Hendrix. She liked him a lot. But Jake had been her best friend since they were eight years old. Jake knew her, good and bad. Sure, they’d fought and made up a few times, but mostly they just worked.

  Their friendship had only ever been in serious danger once, the year they’d both turned seventeen. Jake had been handsome and popular, and every girl in school was in love with him. She’d been at her ugliest, with fresh pimples constantly erupting over the scars of old ones. Hopelessly insecure, she’d alternated between trying too hard for attention, and locking herself away where nobody could see her. And she’d never ever imagined Jake thought of her as anything other than the girl he’d been buddies with since she moved in across the road when she was eight.

  Until the day Jake had kissed her.

  It had been amazing. A fantasy come true. That kiss had made her head spin with a whole world of possibilities, including the idea that maybe she wasn’t as hideous as she’d believed. She’d spent the whole night dreaming of their future together. The wedding they’d have, what their kids would look like. She’d even rehearsed thanking him at the end of her Oscars acceptance speech. Because if she wasn’t ugly, maybe she could get another role on a TV show.

  The very next day, she’d discovered him in the parking lot behind school, with one hand up Marianne Marple’s skirt and his lips travelling down Marianne Marple�
��s neck.

  Their friendship would probably have ended then, only she’d barely had time to stumble away in shock when suddenly she’d found herself unable to breathe. Her lungs couldn’t expand and the agonizing pain in her chest had convinced her she was having a heart attack. Jake had rushed her to hospital, his hand wrapped around hers. His voice in her ear murmured over and over how sorry he was, and that she was going to be okay.

  It had been her first, terrifying panic attack. And while she was gasping for breath, sure she was dying, she realized she didn’t want to lose the friendship that had been such an important part of her life.

  When she could breathe again, the first thing she did was forgive Jake. Then she’d made him promise they’d never try to be anything other than friends. He’d stared into her eyes and sworn it, his hand still gripping hers, and the worry he’d felt for her etched into his expression.

  Looking back, she could only be grateful for the whole awful incident. Seeing Jake with Marianne Marple had killed her crush for good. It had forced her to accept that Jake would never be boyfriend material, and funnily enough, their friendship had grown stronger.

  These days, she never had quite so much fun with anyone as she did with him. So she couldn’t help but wish Jake was the one going with her to Fiji. But she smiled at Hendrix anyway and thanked him again.

  “Are you ready to check in?” she asked, looking at his empty hands. “Where’s your luggage? We’ll need to stay overnight, at least.”

  “I don’t need luggage, because I’m not going with you,” said Hendrix with a shrug. “I wish I were.”

  Her heart sank. “You’re not? So you came to break the news that I have to go alone?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. But I figure you don’t need two fiancés. If you’re pretending to be engaged, three would be a crowd.”

  “What?”

  Hendrix grinned. “I called Jake to tell him goodbye, and he’s convinced I’m going to Fiji with you. I made a point of mentioning what time I was meeting you at the check in counter. Which means, any minute now…” He looked down at his watch. “Three. Two. One. Yup. He’s right on time.”

  Carin’s head jerked toward the airport entrance. Sure enough, Jake was striding toward them, carrying a suitcase. Her heart leapt, but she had enough presence of mind to bring up one hand to cover the smile breaking over her face.

  Jake’s forehead was creased into a frown. Putting his suitcase down, he glared at his brother. “If you’ve checked in a bag, you’ll have to get it back again. You’re not going, Hendrix. That’s final.”

  Hendrix’s own forehead wrinkled, and if Carin didn’t know better, she would have thought he really was annoyed. “You’re too late,” he said. “They’re probably already loading my bag on the plane. Carin and I are engaged, don’t you know?” Hendrix looped one arm across Carin’s shoulders, pulling her against his side.

  A muscle pulsed in Jake’s jaw. “Take your hands off her.”

  Carin put her other hand over her mouth to join the first. She wanted to tell them to stop fighting, to hug them, and take them both to Fiji. But she was too busy trying not to laugh to do any of it.

  Hendrix shrugged. “Can’t stop me now, Jakey-boy. You snooze, you lose.”

  Jake’s eyes narrowed. They were lighter than Hendrix’s, and so striking that even after having known him most of her life, she still loved to look at them. Hendrix was a little taller, but she preferred Jake’s build, especially the way the muscles in his chest and arms made his shirts fit so snugly.

  Instead of arguing, Jake bent to pick up Carin’s suitcase. “You haven’t checked in yet, Skeeter? I’ll get us seats together.”

  Carin watched him head to the check-in counter. The fact he’d called her Skeeter was a good sign. If he was angry, he wouldn’t have used the nickname. When he was out of hearing range, Carin dropped her hands and let a laugh escape. She elbowed Hendrix in the ribs. “You’re terrible. But thank you.”

  “Have a good time.” Hendrix stepped back and winked at her. “Good luck. Hope they let you on the show.”

  Joining Jake at the check in counter, Carin felt hope rising inside her like champagne bubbles. Getting on the show was a long shot, but at least she’d have a chance to impress Bozier. And the trip would be a fun adventure with her best friend. What could be better than that?

  Jake was handing his passport to the woman at the check-out counter when Carin came up behind him.

  “You want a window or aisle seat?” Carin asked, offering her passport too.

  He glanced at her, then to his brother, who was headed toward the airport’s doors. “Hendrix is leaving?”

  She nodded. “He is. Are you still coming to Fiji?”

  The woman at the checkout counter took her passport and punched something into her computer. “Sitting together?” she asked. Carin was sure she detected a note of disappointment in the woman’s voice. Her eyes glided over Jake like a lioness that has spotted a delicious-looking gazelle. But Carin was used to women looking at her best friend like that.

  She tucked her arm into Jake’s, giving the woman her best smile. “Yes, we’re sitting together. In fact, we’re engaged.”

  Jake shot her a sharp look and opened his mouth to say something. Before he could, music sounded from the direction of his pocket. Weird. It wasn’t like him to use a musical ringtone for his phone. Wait a minute, was the song Crazy For You? When had Jake become an Madonna fan?

  Jake tugged out his phone, turned it off, and shoved it back in his pocket without glancing at the screen.

  Carin raised her eyebrows. “You don’t want to answer it?”

  “Nope.”

  “One of your girlfriends? You crazy for her, baby?”

  His mouth twisted. “We had one night together about three months ago. She set up that ringtone the next morning, while I wasn’t looking.”

  Carin shook her head with mock sadness. “Did you forget to explain how your heart is a barren wasteland, filled with tumbleweed and the sun-bleached skeletons of women’s dead hopes?”

  “Of course I explained. And I thought she was listening.” He turned back to the woman behind the checkout counter, who was staring at them with wide eyes and an open mouth. “Carin prefers a window seat. I’m not fussy.”

  The woman swallowed, her gaze going back to her computer screen. Carin smothered a smile. The lioness was discovering that Jake the gazelle wasn’t the tasty treat he’d first seemed.

  Carin could sympathize. As much as she loved Jake’s friendship, she pitied the women he slept with. The floor around his bed had to be littered with ripped-out hearts. Whenever anyone tried to push past his perfectly-preserved aloofness, a steel door slammed over his emotions. His face grew hard and his eyes became remote. Truth be told, his cold, distant act was a little scary. He did it to her sometimes, and that was bad enough. She couldn’t imagine how awful it must be for the women he slept with.

  When the woman handed back their passports and boarding passes, Carin noted how she was careful not to let her hand touch Jake’s. A smart lioness, who’d live to hunt another day.

  They went through customs and immigration, then Carin led Jake to the departure lounge to lie in wait for Bozier. He’d have to come this way, and Carin would be ready to ambush him.

  She fidgeted while they waited, prowling the room and watching the clock. Eventually, the gate opened and people started boarding the plane, but Bozier still didn’t appear. She was starting to think he wasn’t getting on this flight after all, when she finally spotted him. But he wasn’t alone. He bustled in with a woman she knew all too well.

  “That’s him,” she hissed to Jake. “And he’s with Delaney Short. She’s the casting agent who turned me down for the part I wanted on Bozier’s new TV series.”

  “Appropriate last name. She’s obviously short-sighted to have turned you down.”

  “I didn’t even make her short-list.” Carin carried on the wordplay though her heart was thuddin
g and she had to force herself not to put her hand to her chin and touch her scars. But so what if Delaney Short didn’t like her? It was Bozier she had to impress. If Bozier thought she was right for a part, he could override his casting director.

  This was her moment. It was just a pity the airport lights were so bright and unflattering.

  Bozier and Delaney were walking toward the departure gate, so Carin didn’t have long. She took a deep breath and stepped into their path, a bright smile on her face.

  “Bozier! Hi, remember me?” When he frowned, she added, “I’m Carin Carlton. From Home and Away? It was quite a few years ago, but I hope I’m not too forgettable.” The last bit she said with a laugh, as though it were a joke.

  Bozier’s brows pulled together in what looked like annoyance. There wasn’t a hint of recognition in his eyes.

  Carin swallowed, then turned her smile toward the casting director. “Hi, Ms. Short. I met you at an audition the other day, trying out for the role of Zaida the fallen angel.”

  “Oh, yes.” Delaney acknowledged her with as much enthusiasm as though Carin had announced they’d met at an STD clinic.

  “Are you two headed to Lantana Island? That’s my sister’s resort. My fiancé and I are on our way there for a short vacation. Just a week or two of rest, without anything to do. I hope we don’t get bored.” Carin raised her voice, hoping Jake would get the hint and join her. “My sister mentioned you’re filming there? If you need another couple for your show, Jake and I would love to help you out.”

  Short and Bozier exchanged a look, then both shook their heads at once. “No,” said Delaney. “Thank you, but we…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened.

  Carin turned to see what she was looking at, and saw Jake moving up beside her.

  “Hi,” he said, nodding at Delaney Short. “I’m Jake.”