Fake It Till You Bake It(97)

They groaned, but broke apart and followed her to the beach.

“Don’t say a word,” she said to Donovan as she stumbled over the sand. Maybe the Louboutins weren’t the best choice given the location, but she loved them.

“I wouldn’t dare,” he whispered back. “I value my life too much.”

Jada endeavored to side-eye him even as she snickered. She loved how much he made her laugh. She blew out a breath when they reached the designated spot. Jada shaded her eyes and studied the location. The sun would be setting in an hour, creating a fantastic glow of light. Water crashed on the beach. The perfect backdrop. They couldn’t have chosen a better spot.

She couldn’t have chosen a better man. Eight months had passed since the night they got back together. They hadn’t been apart since. Life had only gotten better every day.

Business at Sugar Blitz was so good that they were preparing to open a second location. She’d gained access to her trust fund and put the money to good use, starting JTM Events. Business had been brisk ever since. Wonder of wonders, her parents had attended an awards banquet she’d planned for a local hospital and complimented her on a job well done. Jada had almost fainted.

“Okay, this is perfect,” Rose said, checking the lighting. “Get into position. Y’all already know what to do.”

Jada met Donovan’s dancing eyes. Indeed, they did.

Donovan circled her waist with one arm and pulled her close. At Rose’s direction, Jada laid her left hand over his heart, the better to show off the solitaire diamond ring.

“Perfect,” Rose said, as her camera clicked. “Look deep into each other’s eyes. Think glamorous drama.”

“Yeah, Donovan. Give me glamorous drama,” Jada said, snickering. “Give me smolder.”

He smacked her on the butt, then picked her up, surprising a gasp out of her, and swung her in a circle. He cut off her laughter with a lingering kiss.

“You two really are adorable,” Rose grumbled when they came up for air. “If I didn’t like you both, I’d hate you with every fiber of my being.”

“Thanks, Rose,” they said in unison.

Chimes and beeps filled the air in an unyielding cacophony of sound, interrupting the idyllic setup. Their phones, which were lying innocently on a blanket a few feet away, were the culprits.

“What in the world?” Donovan lowered Jada to the ground, then walked over to grab the devices. He handed Jada hers.

She scrolled through the texts and social media notifications that were coming in a torrential flood. She opened one text from Olivia.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS?



A link to a tweet was attached. Donovan looked over her shoulder while she clicked.

“No way,” Donovan said, as the video in the tweet played. “He’s going to be pissed.”

Jada shook her head. “Yes way. August has gone viral!”





Acknowledgments


To my mama and my family, I love y’all forever and ever. Clydell, thank you for encouraging and sharing my love of sports.

To the Destin Divas, I’m so happy I have y’all and thank God all the time that Farrah forgot that I didn’t fully commit to our first retreat because I was being cheap and held a spot for me anyway. Y’all inspire me every day and this book wouldn’t exist without your support. Special shout-out to Synithia and Sharon for reading the book proposal that started it all.

Piper Huguley, my sister at heart, thank you for always being a sounding board and for making me laugh and clutch my pearls at your fierceness.

Thank you to my agent, Sara Megibow, for guiding me through this crazy process. You’re way more positive than I am, which is a good thing (for me anyway). Lol.

To my editor, Jennie Conway, who believed in this story from day one. Thank you for understanding my vision and being patient with me. Trust me, I know I don’t always make it easy. Special thanks for the title! It’s perfect.

To everyone at St. Martin’s who had a hand in shepherding this book into publication, thank you for loving books and doing what you do. I am forever grateful.

When I attended my first RWA meeting all those years ago, I made a decision to sit next to the woman who looked like she, too, was alone and around my age. I was right on both accounts. Roni Loren, thank you for all your years of friendship.

Mariah Ankenman, thanks for reading this book and letting me know it didn’t suck. Everyone should be so fortunate to have a cheerleader like you in their corner.

To all romance readers, we authors couldn’t and wouldn’t do what we do without you. If you’ve read my other books or if this is your first one, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten someone, and I’m sick to my stomach about it. That doesn’t mean I don’t love and thank you, because I do. I’m just a woman in her forties, whose memory isn’t as good as it used to be. And we shan’t speak of age again, okay?