Pranked by Sienna Valentine

bill for their room—it was the least I could do), I returned to the two women. They were clearly still discussing me, so I cleared my throat softly to let them know I was within earshot.
    “Everything okay, ladies?” I asked, touching Ava’s arm lightly. Little details like that were key to selling my story, but even still, I was more than happy for any excuse to lay my hands on her again. After last night, it was hard to think of anything else but how wonderful her body felt.
    “Everything’s fine,” Ava answered, smiling up at me. Her smile was a little tight, a little forced, and I wondered what she and Layla had been discussing, exactly. Obviously I had been the subject, but it was the specifics that had me curious, if not the slight bit concerned.
    “So,” Layla said, turning to face me head on. “What’s so amazing in Fresno that a guy with a chartered plane would spend his honeymoon there?” Her arms were crossed in full-on defensive mode, and I knew I’d have to be careful around her. She was playing the part of Mama Bear, and even though it was me she was protecting Ava against, it actually made me start to like her. I was happy to know there was at least one person like that in Ava’s life. It made me feel less worried for her future. Ava deserved someone she could trust.
    “Ava said she wanted to get away,” I said, guiding them out to where the car was waiting as soon as I saw the bellhop with our bags. “So we’re going to my ranch. It’s quiet and secluded, and nobody will bother us there.”
    Layla arched an exquisitely manicured eyebrow at me, sticking as close to her friend as she could manage. “You own a ranch?” she asked, looking me over skeptically.
    It was a fair point. In my Ted Baker chinos and John Varvatos sports shirt, I was not exactly the image of a rancher. I shrugged, nodding to the driver as he held the door open for us to slide into the back of the car.
    Once we were settled, I said, “It’s more of a retreat.” I was answering Layla, but my attention was on Ava. She was the more important one. I tried to tell myself it was because it was more important for her to believe my story, but that wasn’t quite true. I really just wanted her to be satisfied—no, more than satisfied, happy —with our destination. With who she was going with. I wanted her to be looking forward to our honeymoon, even though I knew it was fake. “I used to go there with my parents when I was younger. Sort of an upscale dude ranch slash campground. I heard it was going up for sale a few years ago, and I couldn’t stand the thought of it being turned into condos, so….” I shrugged again, as though the rest were obvious.
    “So you swooped in with your bank account and saved the day?” Layla asked, her face a study in skepticism. “That’s so….”
    Clearly, she had been about to say something insulting, but Ava cut her off with, “Sweet. I didn’t know that. About your family going there, I mean.” She paused, looking me over with that curious expression I was already becoming familiar with, like I was a puzzle she was trying to work out. “Thank you. Thank you for taking me there.”
    She was so sweet, so goddamn sincere, that I almost confessed right there. And I probably would have, if Layla hadn’t broken in to say, “Yeah, thanks for taking us to your creepy murder ranch, strange, probably-not-a-serial-killer-but-who-really-knows dude.”
    “Layla!” Ava chided, but I held up my hands.
    “No, no, it’s a fair point. I’m whisking two beautiful young women off to my secluded ranch. She has every right to be concerned for her friend.” Turning to Layla, I added, “If you don’t want to go, if you’re worried my intentions might not be honorable, we can turn around right now and go back to the hotel.”
    Layla gave me a hard, considering look, then glanced to Ava.
    “Please,” Ava said quietly. “Please, I just want to get away. Just for a few days. Just until the