The Fake Fiance Groom_Texas Titan Romances_The Legendary Kent Brother Romances Read online

  “Oh,” he said. “Really?”

  Her mouth was dry, and her mind was blank. “You’ll meet him tomorrow.” Which was a big fat lie. She thought of her recent co-star, Grant Kent. People always believed actors fell in love on movie sets, right? Could she call Grant and ask him to put on a show for a couple of days? Then she remembered he was already filming another car movie. Dang it.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” her father said.

  She pressed end. Then she dropped the phone on the floor, wanting to throw herself down next to it. Wanting to shut everything out. Instead, she stumbled back to the sliding doors. As she thrust one open, she thought of diving off this deck so many times as a child. Right now, she needed to dive.

  Jolting into a run, she flew through the door, down the deck, and leapt. She was falling, floating. She put her hands in the dive position that she’d practiced hundreds of times since she was little and felt the smooth shock of the water. It welcomed her, embraced her. She went all the way to the bottom, then planted her feet in the sand and pushed off. Like a torpedo, she rose to the surface, inhaling quickly, gulping for a breath.

  She didn’t stay at the top, but let herself go back under. Down, down, down, holding her breath, thinking about how she’d watched that documentary once on the Olympics and how Olympic swimmers actually practiced staying underwater for minutes at a time. She’d made Kurt and Brent practice with her when they were little. They used to time each other.

  Scarlett always won.

  Chapter 3

  Walker broke his pose as he watched the woman dive off the porch. The way she’d just jumped looked like she had done it a thousand times. Like a professional diver. When she came up for air, he got a closer look at her, and she was pretty. Where did he recognize her from? He’d seen that red hair somewhere. Who was she? It was like he could imagine kissing her in his mind, and that was weird.

  She didn’t stay above the water long; she plunged right back underneath.

  He waited. Where was she? It was disconcerting that she didn’t pop back up. He kicked off his flip-flops and thought about jumping in after her.

  No, that would be crazy. He urged himself to wait some more.

  Still, she didn’t come up.

  His shirt was already off, and he thought of the zing he’d felt when the woman’s head looked down from her porch earlier, like a queen would look down on a peasant who had messed up her day. With disdain. Which was funny, because that’s exactly how he’d felt about her. He wondered how old the girl was. She looked like a teenager. Maybe because she was pencil thin. Too thin in his mind.

  Why was he thinking about this? He scanned for her and sat and began rowing closer to her position, but no one came up as his boat floated toward where she’d gone back down. The water was too murky to tell where anything was. Dang it, where was the woman? She should be up by now. Annoyed at the fact he felt like he was responsible because he’d watched her jump in, he found himself jumping in and diving deep to search for her.

  Walker squinted through the dark water. His arms waved around him, attempting to reach for something he couldn’t see. Unable to find her, he surfaced.

  Before he could start to panic, she emerged next to him. She took deep gulps of air, trying to catch her breath. “Who are you, and why are you in my lake?”

  “Your lake?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” She pointed to the porch she’d just jumped off. “My house, my lake.”

  Ignoring her statement, he focused on the truth of why he was in the water. “I thought you were drowning.” He treaded backward a bit, already tired of defending himself.

  “Drowning?” She snorted. “Didn’t you see that perfect dive?”

  He kicked up his speed and hauled himself into the canoe. “I wouldn’t call it perfect.”

  She stayed treading water next to the canoe. Her fierce green eyes caught his attention as she glared at him. “Get out of my lake … please.”

  He grunted and crossed his arms. “Listen, sweetheart, when someone tries to save your life, you can just say thank you.” With that, he paddled away.

  When he got back to the canoe she was already at the shore, walking out of the water.

  He watched her and thought … that was a woman who needed to chill out. Suddenly he wondered … how it would feel to kiss her.

  Chapter 4

  Later that night, Scarlett walked into the bachelor auction late. She’d had a nausea episode before coming and it had put her way behind. An usher gave her a program, led her to a table, and whispered, “You are right here, ma’am. But I’m sorry, some of the hot items—Riker Dylan, the quarterback; Cole Carmichael, the defensive lineman; Knox Sherman, the defensive end; and London Wilder, the cornerback—have already been auctioned off.”

  She waved him off distractedly, trying to decide if she would have to puke again or not. “That’s fine, thank you.”

  The usher moved away.

  Before she could collect herself, another voice intruded on her thoughts. “Let me introduce you to a vet who came to the Titans this past year and did what even I couldn’t do.”

  Scarlett looked up to the front of the room and saw a man by the name of Scar Walker, the man she knew was heading up the Sparring for Vets Foundation.

  Scar grinned and spoke to the audience again. “The man I’m talking about actually helped take the Titans to a championship this year.”

  The crowd cheered and clapped and yelled. Scarlett half-clapped. Vaguely, she noticed a guy venturing out onto the edge of the stage in a tux.

  Scar cleared his throat. “I know there’s been some commotion in the press about this guy, but all I have to say is, anyone who was part of a special ops team deserves our respect.”

  A round of boos rumbled from the crowd, much to Scarlett’s confusion.

  Scar looked upset for a second before he said into the microphone, “Please put your hands together for the next bachelor, the center of the Texas Titans, and one of the best players I’ve ever met. Put your hands together for Walker Kent!”

  Most of the booing stopped, and clapping replaced it.

  Scarlett wasn’t clapping. She couldn’t move at all. To her astonishment, she found herself staring at the man who she hadn’t been able to get out of her mind all day. The one who had said he was “saving her” in her lake.

  He looked uncomfortable. She could tell he was trying to smile, but he wasn’t a media playboy. Not the type of guy who could put on an act. Something about that fact made her heart flutter. This man, who earlier had attempted to save her life, was here.

  Was that some kind of sign?

  The media darling, Maia, took the stage and started the bidding at one hundred thousand dollars.

  Scarlett studied the man, who could be likened to a Greek god. She thought about seeing him without his shirt on at the lake. The man was ripped and broad-shouldered, and as she looked at him on stage, she thought he must be six foot five, roughly two hundred and eighty pounds? She couldn’t know for sure, but now she was looking at him like she would look at a co-star.

  Then it hit her. She put her hand to her mouth. Oh my gosh. Kent. Grant Kent was his brother.

  Amidst the bidding, she pulled out her phone and texted Grant. Your brother is a Titan football player?

  Her heart raced. This was crazy! She adored Grant. He’d helped keep her secret when she’d gotten the lumpectomy six months ago. She hadn’t wanted anyone to know—not the producers, press, or her family—but she’d needed help keeping the secret. When she’d asked Grant, he’d been more than compassionate, explaining how he’d lost his own mother to cancer. It had bonded them. Truthfully, she had been attracted to Grant, but he was in a relationship with another one of his co-stars from the Wrecked and Ravaged movies, so Grant was always flying off to see her. But they’d settled into a nice friendship.

  Grant texted back. Yep. You at the auction tonight?

  Letting out a little laugh, she thought about the night Gran
t had come to visit her after the surgery. He’d told her all about his crazy brothers. She realized Walker Kent must be the helicopter pilot. The one who had been dishonorably discharged for classified reasons last year. When Grant had spoken about it, he’d been all upset, telling her he couldn’t disclose what had happened, but he did mention that his brother had done the honorable thing and been gypped for it.

  Scarlett redirected her gaze to the auction and looked at this man with new eyes. He was Grant’s brother?

  Maia kept calling out bids. Scarlett noted two divas were bidding on him in the back, wearing horribly tacky dresses and obviously bidding against each other.

  “The Delaney sisters are making their play, folks.” Maia smiled proudly. “Let’s see if we can get more for this tall, dark, and handsome gentleman. How about three hundred thousand?”

  Scarlett’s heart raced. Of course, she had no limit on price. It was funny—she’d been planning on buying a no-name player and then talking him out of the date, since she needed to get to her brother’s wedding. Now she was reconsidering.

  “And the bidding’s up to four hundred thousand,” Maia announced.

  Scarlett was startled. It was already up there. She looked around and saw the two catlike women looking at him like they would eat him.

  She saw Walker standing straight, hands clasped behind his back. He looked like a soldier standing “at ease.” The look on his face seemed carefully neutral. She imagined this was on par with the worst mission ever and he was simply there to obey orders.

  Without knowing why, Scarlett put her bidding card in the air and called out, “Five hundred and fifty thousand for Walker Kent.”

  The audience stilled. Maia turned her way, and her eyes lit up upon seeing the latest bidder. “Ladies and gentleman, Miss Scarlett Powers is in the house!”

  The audience went into an uproar about the bid, clapping and whooping.

  It wasn’t the audience Scarlett was paying attention to. It wasn’t even the way that her mouth had gone dry as she met Walker’s ice-blue eyes. No, it was the way Walker actually smiled with his eyes and cocked an eyebrow like he was pleased.

  Scarlett let the beginning of an idea spark to life as a pair of ushers escorted her to the stage. Maia was rattling off some of her movies including the fact she’d just co-starred with Walker’s brother in the romantic comedy Cherished.

  When Scarlett arrived, Maia put her hand out to her. “The Powers Foundation is always very supportive of the Bachelor Auction, and could we have one more round of applause for Scarlett Powers!”

  Scarlett put on her actress smile and gently waved like she would if she were the Queen of England. Walking toward Walker, she found that she was nervous under the scrutiny of his ice-blue eyes.

  As she approached him, she saw the grin on his face had widened and he was reaching out to her. She took his hand, and he pulled her in for a quick kiss on the cheek. “I guess you saved me.”

  It was ridiculous, but she found herself laughing.

  Maia stared back and forth between them and said to the audience, “Folks, I find this baffling from our very stoic Mr. Kent. He … it appears they might know each other?”

  Walker winked at Scarlett, then nodded at Maia. “Yeah, we know each other.”

  The chemistry thickened between them. Out of nowhere, he closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers, ever so softly.

  Zing! Electricity pulsed through her, and she wondered if she’d ever felt something like this before. Strike that—she knew she’d never felt anything like this before. However much she told herself to think about it as being staged, this kiss was different from any other kiss she had ever experienced. Then there was the strength in his arms as he put his hands on her waist, pulling her toward him.

  She gave in to the intoxicating kiss because it wasn’t an act. She struggled through the tidal wave of emotions that surged through her like a fire hose.

  When the kiss ended, the room burst into applause. A bit dazed, Scarlett turned to look at Walker, who was still looking at her in that smug way, like he’d just won some battle.

  Maia was on Walker’s other side, taking his hand and holding it up. “Sold! For five hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Another Kent brother who, I’m sure, is worth every penny!”

  Scarlett pulled their linked hands up. All right, she was going to do this. That kiss had just convinced her. Despite the nervousness pulsing through her, she grabbed the mic from Maia and held it to her lips. “Of course he’s worth it. He’s my fiancé.”

  Chapter 5

  “Fiancé?” Walker demanded as members of the staff ushered them off the back of the stage and into the convention halls. Walker was stupefied. What did she mean, he was her fiancé?

  Through gritted teeth, Scarlett smiled and muttered, “Please wait and let me explain.”

  A gaggle of reporters hovered around them, still bombarding them with questions. “How did you meet, Ms. Powers?” one of them asked.

  Scarlett plastered on an endearing look for the reporter and ran a hand through Walker’s hair. “Walker and I met on the lake. He actually saved my life,” she said.

  To Walker’s own surprise, he found that amusing. He didn’t find most things funny, but now he pressed his lips together to hide the laughter bubbling inside of him. He wanted to demand the cameras go away so he could talk to her.

  Scarlett gave the press a noncommittal smile. “Excuse us, we would like to be alone.”

  But the reporters didn’t move. “What about the dishonorable discharge? What about the trail of women he’s been seen with?”

  Walker’s hands clenched into fists. “It’s none of your business,” he growled at the group.

  Scarlett let out what Walker already recognized as a fake laugh and gently put a hand on his cheek. “He’s just so misunderstood and heroic.”

  His patience was quickly evaporating. The press always had a way of killing the mood. “You better explain or I’m ending this now,” he murmured in her ear. He had no use for stupid media shows or pretention, and he definitely wasn’t going to tolerate being some monkey in some act.

  “Sorry, we have to go,” she announced to the group, before turning to walk away.

  Everyone followed. Walker hadn’t been anticipating anything like this, so he hadn’t planned for a quick escape from the paparazzi.

  More questions kept coming in a constant assault. “Ms. Powers, what about the recent engagement of your longtime love interest, Kurt Hamilton?”

  Scarlett stiffened next to him.

  There had to be a way to get rid of the press. He pointed down the opposite hallway. “Hey, there’s Riker Dylan!”

  The swarm was diverted.

  She tugged on his hand. “Nice idea! This way.” They rushed down the hallway and she pointed to a little room. “Here.”

  He threw the door open and followed the teal, sequined dress inside. He felt like she was a princess and he was … what? Her security? Because there was no way in his mind he was her boyfriend. Or fiancé. He grunted out a laugh. That was just insane.

  The room was a small concrete room filled with cleaning supplies. Walker tugged the door shut and put his back against it. “Explain!”

  Her fierce green eyes turned vulnerable. “I’m sorry. It just happened.”

  “Happened?” he growled. “What game are you playing?” His hackles rose, and he put a hand through his hair. “I hate the press. I don’t need this.”

  Scarlett’s eyes fluttered and she put out her hand. “Mr. Kent, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have said that you were my fiancé. I just thought … I only … Grant and I are friends, and I trust him implicitly, so I thought I might …”

  Suddenly, it struck him. “The movie Grant’s been working on.” He remembered talking to Grant a couple of weeks ago, and Grant had mentioned being in New York working on some romantic movie. He’d only been halfway paying attention at the time. “You know Grant?”

  “We’ve bee
n co-stars the past nine months,” she said, as if Grant’s life was Walker’s primary concern.

  “Sorry, princess, his co-star isn’t the most important thing in my life.?”

  “I just thought … I trust and admire your brother, and I kind of have a situation I’m dealing with, and I thought I might be able to trust you too.”

  He scoffed. “By being your fiancé.”

  She pointed at him. “You did kiss me.”

  Walker blinked. Yeah, he’d kissed her, and he didn’t know why. True, it had just felt natural, but … “So that means we’re engaged now?”

  Letting out a sigh, she shook her head. “I … I’m sorry.”

  “Listen, I’m not Grant.” He let out a rippling laugh, thinking of his polished brother. Sure, his brother was tall and strong, but he wasn’t a “center” kind of strong. He was stealthy and lean. Walker was pretty sure he could sit on Grant and make him hold still if he had to. “I don’t know what game you think you’re playing, but I don’t have time for this.”

  Ding. Ding. Ding. Her phone chirped, drawing her attention. “I was texting your brother before I … bought you.”

  Walker wasn’t impressed. “So what?”

  For a second, the woman had the nerve to hold his gaze with a penetrating glare. Then, just as quickly, she deflated and turned away from him, putting her hand to her forehead and shaking it back and forth. “I know. I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  Unreal, that’s what this was. He let out an unamused laugh. “This crap doesn’t happen to me.” He scoffed, remembering how he’d distinctly made fun of Sloane recently for getting on a bus to chase a woman, and how he’d reprimanded Zane for hooking up with the woman who’d scorned him in the past. “If you’re looking for a fake fiancé, better ask Grant.”

  She sighed. “I thought about that, but he’s in a relationship. You know that.”

  This took him aback. “So you thought I’d just be delighted to be your fiancé?”