Legacy Canyon

An Amazon Review from Mich (easy.vesey.reads) This was such a quick, fun read. It definitely gave me Hallmark channel movie vibes. There were some parts that were ridiculous but because this one had a lot of tropes that I love, I still ended up enjoying it! So, if you like fake dating and the single dad tropes, then this one is for you!

Read a scene:

Wyatt yanked his gaze away from her beautiful mouth. He’d been watching her speak, watching the way her lips with a hint of pink formed words. She had full, heart-shaped lips, the kind a man envisioned sampling, or feeling against his skin doing more decadent, desirous activities. He tamped down a part of him that began to stir. He was a dad. Madi’s stay in Legacy Canyon was temporary. But his fixation did bring up an interesting conundrum. He rose and retrieved their empty wineglasses. “We’re going to need to kiss.”

Her blue bluebonnet colored eyes widened. “What?”

“If we’re dating, we’re going to have to kiss.” He tried to backpedal as she rose. “This isn’t me trying to kiss you. But the committee won’t believe we’re in a relationship otherwise. People who date kiss. You heard my grandmother. She asked if you were spending the night.”

“True.” Her lower teeth tugged her bottom under. Her light nibble destroyed his concentration. 

“They do.” She loosened her arms, straightened and drew herself up to her full height. “Well, let’s do it. Get it out of the way.”

Now, it was Wyatt’s turn to be surprised. “What?”

She shrugged. “Let’s kiss. We’ll get the awkwardness over with now, while we’re in private. Because as you said, as soon as we pretend to date, they’ll be scrutinizing us through a microscope. We’ll be feeding the grapevine and all eyes will be on us.”

“I’m glad you realize that. They’ll be hard to fool.” He put the glasses on a kitchen counter resisted the urge to cover his mouth and check his breath before walking back into the main area. She might as well get him at his worst. Especially if they had to kiss out in public and he didn’t have time to floss. Better she get any revulsion out of her system so it didn’t show on her face. Wyatt’s grandmother wasn’t the type who missed much. She could ferret the truth out of anyone.

“We’ll approach this clinically,” Madi decided. “I’m a doctor. I can see the human body as a person while also controlling my own body’s reaction. I could tell you stories, but believe me, some are not fit for consumption. Suffice to say, I quickly learned to hide my shock, surprise or disgust when facing people.”

“I hope kissing me doesn’t fall into the latter category.” Wyatt tried to keep his tone light, but she was starting to give him a complex. No woman had complained since he’d first kissed Nicole during middle school, something Madi’s grandmother had thankfully missed, unlike his smoking attempt. Then again, why was Wyatt worried about his male pride? They were fake dating. It would be a fake kiss.

Madi’s face had heated, but she boldly stepped forward like a defiant woman headed to the gallows. “Okay, I’m ready. You can kiss me.”

Wyatt had never been in this situation before. Normally, there was some romance to get things going. Maybe low lighting. A zing of anticipation caused by eating a good dinner and enjoying great conversation. Then came that leaning in, that touch of his fingers against a woman’s face, sliding them down her cheek and jawline. Perhaps he’d press a light fingertip to her lips. He’d hold her gaze and tilt his face to come closer until their exhales mingled. Then he’d offer the lightest touch of his lips to hers before letting nature take over.

Madi waited impatiently, as if she was about to miss a bus if he didn’t hurry and get this over with. “Okay,” he said, “but when in public you’ll have to appear a little more excited.”

“I will, when we’re in public,” she promised. She rose on her tiptoes and brought her lips quickly to his. One brief touch and that was that. “Not so bad.”

“No, not if we’re relatives in some European country.” Wyatt tempered his exasperation. “Madi, we can’t go with a quick peck. I’m seriously not trying to kiss you, but no one will believe that. We aren’t siblings.”

Madi’s face fell. Then she squared her shoulders. “True. Alright, let’s go again.”

Wyatt sighed. Kissing wasn’t a video game with a reset button. “Let’s do it right this time. I’m going to touch you. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah.” She nodded and her brown hair fell over her shoulders. His fingers tangled in the silky strands as he slid his hand along the back of her neck. He swore he heard a small gasp. Good, since his fingers sizzled. Her reaction was a positive sign, right? He hoped so. He lowered his head, paused at her deer-in-the-headlights stare. “You sure?”

“Yes.” She closed her eyes, and Wyatt closed the distance.

He slanted his mouth over hers as if her lips were the sweetest of berries. This might be a clinical exercise, but he refused to be labeled a bad kisser. He might be out of practice, but muscle memory kicked in. Start with a light press. A gentle tug on her lower lip. Then a slide of his tongue to moisten what he’d caressed. Add another soft touch or two, and they’d be able to break apart.

Wyatt didn’t know what shifted, but when Madi bloomed like a wildflower and kissed him back, his self-control slipped faster than wearing the wrong shoes on an icy Denver sidewalk. His tongue found hers. He traced her mouth, memorizing the taste and texture. His body responded eagerly, straining against his jeans. He deepened the kiss, and fought teenage detonation as her tongue slipped between his lips. This was better than ice cream on a hot day. Or the rush of downhill skiing. It was a slice of heaven. A prelude hinting at the wonders to come should they continue.

A cry coming from the baby monitor served as a welcome rain shower and he stepped back. “Go,” she told him, pivoting too quickly for him to read her face.

“I’ll be right back,” Wyatt said. He went into the nursery to check on the twins. Whoever had made the noise—he suspected Ethan—had settled back to sleep. He checked diapers and no issues there. He pulled the door closed behind him, leaving it slightly ajar.

“They’re fine,” he said as he returned to the living room. But he discovered he was speaking to empty air. Madi was gone.