Counterfeit Courtship, page 1
“You’ve got me all figured out?”
If only he could figure her out. He’d love to know what she liked, disliked and find ways to make her smile. The thought was too big and stirred up a feeling he didn’t want to dive into and swim around with.
“No, I don’t. But what I have figured out is how to make things work out for the best. Win-win.”
Tyrone watched her consider his words. He tried to appear calm despite the racing of his heart. If she said no then not only would he have to admit that he’d lied, but the admission would more than likely cost them the show. He needed her and he wasn’t against begging if he had to.
“You really think this is going to work.” She sounded doubtful, but there was a spark of interest in her eyes.
“Come on, Kiera, I know you know a good arrangement when it comes up. Look at how far the network went to make the wedding a hit. They hired seat fillers. You know they’ll play up our love story and we’ll both come out on top in the end. What do you say?”
He tipped his glass toward her. “Will you be my fake girlfriend?”
Dear Reader,
It is time for Tyrone Livingston to get his happily-ever-after! Tyrone is the baby brother, the hothead and the one who most wanted to take the ghost investigations from side hustle to a television show. He’s finally achieved his dream, but Tyrone’s impulsive nature is also threatening everything he and his brothers have achieved.
When a spontaneous kiss at a wedding brings his playboy past in the limelight and threatens his dream, he’s willing to do anything to save the show. Kiera is attracted to Tyrone, but she also knows he’s not the settle-down type. Fake dating Tyrone helps her career as a makeup artist, but can she really pretend and not fall for Tyrone?
I had so much fun writing not just this story but the entire series. You readers have really embraced the Livingston Brothers and shown them lots of love. Thank you so much for going on this amazing ride with me!
Happy reading,
Synithia
Counterfeit Courtship
Synithia Williams
Synithia Williams has been an avid romance-novel lover since picking up her first at the age of thirteen. It was only natural that she would begin penning her own romances soon after—much to the chagrin of her high school math teachers. She’s a native of South Carolina and now writes romances as hot as their Southern settings. Outside of writing, she works on water quality and sustainability issues for local government. She’s married to her own personal hero, and they have two sons, who have convinced her that professional wrestling and superheroes are supreme entertainment. When she isn’t working, writing or being a wife and mother, she’s usually bingeing a TV series, playing around on social media or planning her next girls’ night out with friends. You can learn more about Synithia by visiting her website, www.synithiawilliams.com.
Books by Synithia Williams
Harlequin Special Edition
Heart & Souls
Summoning Up Love
The Spirit of Second Chances
HQN
Jackson Falls
The Promise of a Kiss
Forbidden Promises
Scandalous Secrets
Careless Whispers
Foolish Hearts
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
To everyone making a way to live their dream.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Excerpt from The Maverick’s Christmas Secret by Brenda Harlen
Chapter One
Tyrone Livingston followed the short female usher who was dressed in a strapless peach dress down the aisle. White folding chairs flanked them to the left and right while the sweet scent of the huge yellow-and-purple flower bouquets filled the ballroom. The large-paned windows overlooking midtown Atlanta provided the perfect breathtaking backdrop for a romantic wedding.
“You can sit here,” the usher said with a small smile as she indicated a seat on the left side.
Tyrone glanced down the row filled nearly to capacity except for the two chairs on the end, then back at rows of empty seats behind. He wasn’t against sitting next to strangers, but when there were plenty of open seats, he’d prefer elbow room over cramming in.
“Do you mind if I sit back there?” He pointed to the empty seats several rows behind.
The usher’s smile didn’t waver as she shook her head. “I do. We’re filling up the front seats then moving toward the back. It’s better for pictures.”
He eyed the extra space, then the usher, whose expression dared him to make a scene at this wedding. Tyrone’s irritation flared, but he was not going to make a scene. The entire point of attending this wedding was to make a good impression with the network that hosted the ghost-investigation show he had with his brothers. Arguing with an usher about a seat wasn’t worth potentially pissing off someone before the wedding even started.
“No problem,” he said. He sat in the empty chair at the end of the aisle. The usher tapped his shoulder. “Please slide down one for the next guest.”
Tyrone blinked. If he wasn’t going to have elbow room, he’d at least prefer the leg room he could get from the aisle seat, but again, the usher stared as if she was waiting for a reason to escort him out. He held up a hand and nodded before sliding over.
The man to his left, a guy who was tall and built like a professional wrestler, shifted in his seat when Tyrone’s shoulder bumped his. “My bad, man,” Tyrone said.
“We cool,” the guy replied and tried to put a few centimeters between his arm and Tyrone’s.
If they both held themselves at stiff, awkward angles maybe they’d avoid rubbing against each other for the entire ceremony. Tyrone scanned the crowd of people for anyone he recognized. When the executives at the Exploration Channel invited him and his brothers to the wedding of Sofia Gomez and Tanner Logan, two of the network’s most popular stars, Tyrone had immediately agreed. Their ghost-investigation show, Haunted Homeboys, had premiered the previous season. They’d gotten good reviews and generated some buzz online and with the media, but they had a long way to go before becoming a household name. The network had just started discussions with them about a second season, which was why Tyrone spent every moment he could trying to connect with others at the network and build interest in their show.
A few hosts of other shows were interspersed in the crowd. Most of the people, like the guy next to him, he didn’t recognize. That didn’t mean much. Sofia and Tanner were celebrities. Their family cooking show was one of the channel’s highest-rated shows, which meant they probably had a wide circle of friends.
The usher was back down the aisle, this time with a woman behind her. She pointed to the empty seat next to Tyrone. “You can sit here.”
Tyrone glanced up and met a pair of alluring dark eyes. He sat up straighter. Not just alluring eyes, but thick, kissable lips, smooth, pecan-brown skin, a short sexy haircut and a delectable figure encased in a capped-sleeve, soft yellow dress that dared anyone in the room to ignore the curvy hips and full breasts within.
Her head tilted to the side as she watched him. His mouth was open. He snapped it shut and jerked his eyes forward. He was here to mingle and network. Not drool over the curvy queen sitting next to him.
“Thank you,” she said to the usher in a low, husky voice before sitting.
Her arm brushed against his. She glanced at him quickly. “Excuse me.” She shifted to give him space.
Tyrone also shifted away. He didn’t like the way the shock of her brief touch reverberated throughout his body. He knew what it meant when a woman’s touch lingered in his memory. It meant he was attracted. Instincts made him want to follow the attraction. To chat, flirt, turn on the charm and ultimately, hopefully, end up with the woman in his arms.
He was holding back on his instincts right now. Rumors of him being some type of playboy had surfaced just as the show had premiered. He didn’t consider himself a playboy, but since he did enjoy the company of women and wasn’t in the market for anything other than casual dating the word playboy was frequently thrown around. The good people at the Exploration Network worried the rumors would harm the brothers’ images and ultimately the show’s ratings.
He could be good and suppress his instincts for one day. Well, several days. However many days it took to convince the network to sign them for a second season.
His elbow bumped the guy to his left. He gave the man another apologetic look. “These seats are packed tight, huh.”
Th
“They really could’ve put more room between these chairs,” she said under her breath.
“I wonder why they didn’t,” Tyrone replied, even though she hadn’t spoken directly to him.
Dark eyes, deep and rich like chocolate, met his. “They’re trying to fit a lot of people in a tight space. You know, anything for appearances,” she said with a raised eyebrow and a half smile, but there was no malice in her voice.
More people were led in and packed into the rows behind them. “How many people are they trying to fit in here?”
“I heard they wanted a three-hundred-person wedding,” Queen answered.
Tyrone’s eyes widened. “Three hundred people? Why would they try and fit three hundred people in here?”
“Again, appearances,” she said, as if that was normal.
Maybe it was, but as the thigh of the man next to him pressed into Tyrone’s, he knew he wasn’t a fan of three-hundred-person weddings for appearances. He shifted closer to the woman and tried to leave enough space so he wouldn’t touch her. That was almost worse. Feeling the heat of her body next to his only made him hyperaware. As if an electric current pulsed next to him with each beat of his heart.
He needed to focus on something other than her nearness. “So, are you a friend of the bride or groom?” he asked in a rush.
She pursed her full lips, painted a dark berry color, as if considering. “Hmm...both, I guess. You?”
He shrugged. “Neither really. I’ve got a new show on their network and was invited.”
He’d intentionally dropped the news about the show. He wanted to see the spark of interest in her eye. Wanted her to ask what show, so he could tell her about his work investigating ghosts. Then watch her interest grow before he flipped things to ask about her. He most definitely wanted to know more about her.
She nodded slowly. “Ahh.” She leaned in and whispered. “So you’re a seat filler, too.”
Tyrone blinked and frowned. “A what? A seat filler?” he said, as if the words would make more sense the second time around.
He didn’t know what she was talking about. “Nah, the network invited me because they want me to get to know the other stars.”
She looked at him as if waiting for him to say he was joking. “The network is trying to fill seats for Sofia and Tanner’s wedding,” she said with a this-is-obvious smile.
“They wouldn’t have a problem filling the seats. They’re two of the network’s biggest stars.”
She raised an eyebrow and looked as if she was going to contradict him, then shook her head. “Maybe, but I know they hired me to fill a seat because they didn’t have enough people to show up.”
Tyrone frowned and glanced around at the growing crowd, then turned to the guy next to him. “Excuse me, but are you a friend of the bride or groom?”
The guy had a moment of hesitation before giving a nonchalant shrug. “Uhh...groom.”
“How do you know him?”
“I work at the gym where he works out. He invited me and a few other trainers.”
Tyrone nodded before turning back to the woman. She had a smirk that told him she’d heard the entire conversation. “He’s a seat filler, too?” Tyrone whispered under his breath.
The Queen laughed a husky laugh he felt all the way across his body and down to his toes. She winked. “Told ya.”
Tyrone sat back in the chair and took in the fancy decor, packed seats and strategically placed cameras all over the room. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
Chapter Two
“Okay, Queen, what do you think? Seat filler or true guest?”
Kiera Cox smirked at Tyrone standing next to her by the bar. He knew her name now, but continued to refer to her as “Queen.” She liked that. Probably more than she should have.
Tyrone was obviously a flirt and a ladies’ man, but she wasn’t turned off by flirty men. If anything, she was drawn to them...unfortunately. The attentive ones typically knew how to make a woman feel good in and out of the bedroom. But, while she enjoyed the attention, being drawn to men like him meant she also knew his interest was superficial—something she wasn’t in the market for ever again.
Tyrone raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side. Kiera turned and considered the woman he’d indicated. She immediately shook her head. “Seat filler. I know her from another wedding.”
Tyrone’s eyes widened. They were brown and changed to the color of whiskey, depending on the lighting. Hypnotic eyes she was sure he used to his advantage. “Another wedding? Do you do this every weekend?”
He sounded surprised and intrigued by the possibility. Kiera chuckled and sipped the glass of champagne in her hand. Tyrone was also very cute. Cocoa-brown skin, deep-set bedroom eyes, a clean-cut moustache and goatee, and stylish a fade. He was tall, but she didn’t think he topped six feet, and the dark green fitted suit he was wearing drew her attention to the nice body it covered.
She raised a shoulder. “I’ve filled in for a few other weddings.”
He leaned in closer. His cologne drifted toward her, a smooth, citrusy scent that made her mouth water. “Other celebrities?”
“Not just celebrities. Businesspeople, online influencers, you name it. Pretty much anyone who wants to make a good impression or wants the world to believe a ton of people can’t wait to celebrate their happy occasion.”
“Wow... I never would have thought of that. Is this what you do for a living? Attend weddings?”
She shook her head. “It’s what I do on the side for fun and extra money, because I love going to weddings.”
“For the romance?”
She wiggled the champagne flute in her hand. “For the open bar, the meal, cake and dancing. It’s better than going to the club.”
He laughed and shook his head. “You joking?”
Kiera shook her head and leaned one elbow on the high-top table they occupied. “No, I’m not. If a couple is willing to pay for a seat filler like me, then they’re willing to go all out for their wedding. The bar is always open. The food is always on point. I have yet to meet a flavor of cake I didn’t enjoy, and I will Cupid-Shuffle and Electric-Slide the hell out of anyone in here.”
Tyrone’s shoulders shook as he laughed harder. He was even cuter when he laughed. She wasn’t here to pick up a guy. Her reasons for coming included more than her love of weddings. She needed money and connections. Connections to help her fledgling business as a makeup artist successful and the money that would come with the high-end clientele in and around Atlanta. So, while she was single after breaking things off with Mike, her long-term, on-again, off-again, kind-of boyfriend, she couldn’t really afford to have a one-night stand with Tyrone Livingston, could she?
Nope! You’re trying to work on his show. This is not how we do things, Kiera!
Kiera pulled her focus away from Tyrone’s sexy smile and focused on the conversation. “Wait until after they throw the bouquet and cut the cake. I’ll show you how I get down on the dance floor.”
“Alright, I look forward to that.” His laughter faded and he looked at her with renewed interest and just the right amount of desire. “So, what else do you do besides fill seats at weddings?”
She flipped her wrist then framed the side of her face with her hand. “Ta-da.” When his eyebrows drew together, she grinned. “My beautiful face. I’m a makeup artist.”
“Ah, okay. That’s cool.”
“I know. I love it and that’s the other reason why I do this. I’ve been lucky enough to do the makeup of a few of the people at the Exploration Network, but that’s it. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to work it out to be the lead makeup artist on one of their shows.”
Kiera watched for his reaction. Sometimes people, her immediate family mostly, viewed her love of makeup and interest in becoming a makeup artist as “not a real job.” They didn’t understand why she’d major in business only to turn around and “play in makeup” as her grandmother once said. Her mom and dad tried to be supportive, but they still believed makeup was just something to put on for special occasions versus a way to make money. If Tyrone gave any hint of being one of the people who chose to tease her about her “little makeup job” then she would walk away immediately.
