The Hookup Hoax by Heather Thurmeier Read Free Book Online Page A

face. If she acted at ease, maybe she would feel at ease too.
    “You and Sawyer, huh?”
    Was that even a question, let alone one worth stopping her to ask?
    “Yep,” she replied simply.
    “How’d that happen?”
    “Oh, didn’t you hear when I told your wife and Gran the story? I was staying with my brother Aidan when I first got back and he invited Sawyer and me out for dinner. I guess it was a love at first sight kind of thing.” She shrugged. That sounded about the same as what she’d told the others. Sticking to the story would be hard if she had to keep repeating it.
    Tyler narrowed his eyes, crossed his arms. “Funny how you could go from being such a free-spirited world traveler one minute to someone so domesticated the next.”
    “I guess that’s how things—” She coughed, clearing her throat, which felt like it was closing. “I meant love. That’s how love works.”
    “Sure it is. Love is a funny thing .”
    If no one else had given her a hard time, why the hell did he feel the need to cross-examine her? She held her gaze steady, not wanting to scan the room for Sawyer, as Tyler might read it as a sign of weakness.
    “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the deed, would it?”
    “What deed?” she asked, playing dumb.
    “Dating and living together and yet you don’t know about the deed to the cabin? Interesting.” His voice was thick with suspicion.
    “The cabin? Of course I know about the deed to the cabin.” She wouldn’t let him leave thinking she and Sawyer weren’t close enough for her to be involved in every detail of his life.
    Before she could say anything else, Sawyer was at her side, his arm around her shoulders. The scent of sandalwood and something spicy surrounded her. Her body responded to his aroma, which made her head spin.
    “I’d prefer you don’t question my girlfriend for no good reason. If you’re worried about the deed, that’s your problem. Leave her out of it.”
    “I’m supposed to believe this is real? It’s very convenient that your new relationship status happened to coincide with Gran and Gramps inferring they wanted to leave the cabin to someone who will have a family to share it with,” Tyler said.
    Sawyer tightened his arm around Olivia as if drawing strength from her. His smile was easy and casual and completely contradictory to how his body felt. “Fate works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it, sugar?”
    She smiled up at him lovingly. “It certainly does. I’m so glad fate brought us together when it did, because I can’t imagine spending time with anyone but you.”
    Olivia rested her head on Sawyer’s shoulder while her hand caressed his chest. She tried desperately to ignore the firm muscles beneath his shirt, but when her fingers accidently slipped between two buttons, a fine dusting of hair tickled her fingertips.
    Tyler sighed in disgust. “Get a room. Isn’t it enough Gran knows you’re living together? You can’t even manage to keep your hands off of each other here?”
    As he walked away, Olivia felt Sawyer relax, and she turned to look up at him. She shifted back a step to give herself some much-needed distance from his tempting body and intoxicating aroma, but he held her close.
    His hand traced a path up her spine to settle in her hair. His fingers grazed the nape of her neck and she tilted her chin up to him in an automatic response. He moved in, his lips drawing nearer.
    When he glanced down at her, it was as if Tyler and the rest of the household had disappeared. Sawyer’s gaze was intense. When he spoke again, she barely heard his words over her pulse as it drummed in her ears. “I think he bought it, but we can’t be sure. Yet.”
    He pulled her tight against his body, her breasts pressing into his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and spread her hand flat on his lower back, grazing his belt. She fought the urge to dip her hands beneath the slick leather to explore what would no doubt be a perfectly