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Mountain Man's Decoy Kiss: A Steamy Billionaire Fake Dating Romance
A curvy bridal designer. A privacy-obsessed tech billionaire. One fake relationship created to fool the cameras. And kisses Darla has no intention of faking for long.
Mountain Man’s Decoy Kiss is a steamy billionaire fake-dating romance set in Cady Springs, Colorado, featuring a curvy heroine, forced proximity, opposites attract, he-falls-first heat, glamorous autumn weddings, and one very public relationship that was never supposed to become real.
Darla Higgins has worked too hard to build a successful bridal design career to ever let another powerful man mistake his money for ownership. Especially a billionaire.
She comes to Cady Springs for an exclusive autumn wedding weekend featuring one of her gowns, expecting fittings, photographs, candlelit celebrations, and enough breathtaking Rocky Mountain scenery to inspire an entire new collection.
Trace Murphy is a self-made tech billionaire in town working with Jack Stone on an elite security system for remote luxury estates. Controlled, intensely private, and far too accustomed to getting his way, Trace is exactly the kind of man Darla has promised herself she will never become entangled with again.
Then someone breaches the supposedly secure estate. An unauthorized photographer captures Darla and Trace together, and suddenly the press believes the famously private billionaire has brought a mystery woman to Colorado.
The truth would put unwanted attention directly on the high-profile wedding couple everyone is trying to protect. So Darla agrees to an outrageous solution. Let the cameras believe she belongs to Trace.
A few public appearances. A few convincing touches. Maybe even a kiss. Then she walks away.
Except Trace is nothing like the wealthy men Darla thought she understood.
Fake dinners turn into conversations she doesn’t want to end. His protective hand at her waist feels much too natural. And the man who guards his privacy like a fortress begins showing Darla pieces of himself no camera has ever captured.
Pretending to want Trace was supposed to protect someone else’s love story. Darla never expected it to become her own.
Trace controls who gets access to everything he owns. She may be the first woman he willingly lets inside.
Rocky Mountain Autumn Nights SeriesGolden leaves. Chilly nights. Steamy new beginnings.Come to Cady Springs for the autumn weddings. Stay for the rugged men who fall harder than the leaves.Autumn has arrived in Cady Springs, Colorado, and Jack and Chloe Stone are opening their secluded mountain acreage to a limited season of unforgettable weddings and private events. Their intimate destination promises glowing aspens, candlelit celebrations, cozy gatherings, and sweeping Rocky Mountain views. But the most unexpected love stories may belong to the people who never planned to stand beneath the arbor.As the season deepens, rugged rescuers, returning outsiders, longtime Cady Springs residents, and unexpected newcomers find themselves drawn together beneath brilliant autumn skies. Familiar faces gather at Millie’s Mountain Café, local businesses bring celebrations and festivals to life, and Jack and Chloe’s mountain property becomes a place where guarded hearts open, old dreams are reconsidered, and new happily-ever-afters begin.
Mountain Man’s Decoy Kiss is a steamy billionaire fake-dating romance set in Cady Springs, Colorado, featuring a curvy heroine, forced proximity, opposites attract, he-falls-first heat, glamorous autumn weddings, and one very public relationship that was never supposed to become real.
Darla Higgins has worked too hard to build a successful bridal design career to ever let another powerful man mistake his money for ownership. Especially a billionaire.
She comes to Cady Springs for an exclusive autumn wedding weekend featuring one of her gowns, expecting fittings, photographs, candlelit celebrations, and enough breathtaking Rocky Mountain scenery to inspire an entire new collection.
Trace Murphy is a self-made tech billionaire in town working with Jack Stone on an elite security system for remote luxury estates. Controlled, intensely private, and far too accustomed to getting his way, Trace is exactly the kind of man Darla has promised herself she will never become entangled with again.
Then someone breaches the supposedly secure estate. An unauthorized photographer captures Darla and Trace together, and suddenly the press believes the famously private billionaire has brought a mystery woman to Colorado.
The truth would put unwanted attention directly on the high-profile wedding couple everyone is trying to protect. So Darla agrees to an outrageous solution. Let the cameras believe she belongs to Trace.
A few public appearances. A few convincing touches. Maybe even a kiss. Then she walks away.
Except Trace is nothing like the wealthy men Darla thought she understood.
Fake dinners turn into conversations she doesn’t want to end. His protective hand at her waist feels much too natural. And the man who guards his privacy like a fortress begins showing Darla pieces of himself no camera has ever captured.
Pretending to want Trace was supposed to protect someone else’s love story. Darla never expected it to become her own.
Trace controls who gets access to everything he owns. She may be the first woman he willingly lets inside.
Rocky Mountain Autumn Nights SeriesGolden leaves. Chilly nights. Steamy new beginnings.Come to Cady Springs for the autumn weddings. Stay for the rugged men who fall harder than the leaves.Autumn has arrived in Cady Springs, Colorado, and Jack and Chloe Stone are opening their secluded mountain acreage to a limited season of unforgettable weddings and private events. Their intimate destination promises glowing aspens, candlelit celebrations, cozy gatherings, and sweeping Rocky Mountain views. But the most unexpected love stories may belong to the people who never planned to stand beneath the arbor.As the season deepens, rugged rescuers, returning outsiders, longtime Cady Springs residents, and unexpected newcomers find themselves drawn together beneath brilliant autumn skies. Familiar faces gather at Millie’s Mountain Café, local businesses bring celebrations and festivals to life, and Jack and Chloe’s mountain property becomes a place where guarded hearts open, old dreams are reconsidered, and new happily-ever-afters begin.
181 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2026
About the author
Opal Nicks
55 books31 followersOpal’s steamy stories frequently feature independent, strong-willed females who find themselves surprisingly swept away by alpha males who pursue them with vigor and passion. Ultimately, they can’t resist the sweet satisfaction and protection these men offer. Who could?
On Writing
Opal doesn’t like being restricted to what form her stories take. She breaks rules and bends things a bit to keep the tale the way the characters want it told.
In her writing, Opal Nicks explores many different facets of relationships. She hopes to captivate you with the nuances of love. Whether through a budding early relationship or a tension-filled reunion, she gracefully conveys the power and complexity of love-speak.
Her characters often possess an unbridled energy that gives them strength to take risks and traverse peril—all for love.
On Writing
Opal doesn’t like being restricted to what form her stories take. She breaks rules and bends things a bit to keep the tale the way the characters want it told.
In her writing, Opal Nicks explores many different facets of relationships. She hopes to captivate you with the nuances of love. Whether through a budding early relationship or a tension-filled reunion, she gracefully conveys the power and complexity of love-speak.
Her characters often possess an unbridled energy that gives them strength to take risks and traverse peril—all for love.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 22, 2026
This was a fun fake-to-real romance and I really enjoyed watching it play out. Reclusive billionaire, Trace, has seen what love can do for a man/couple and he wants it. However, it's tricky, especially in the mountains. Darla is a wedding dress designer and she's in town to make the bride look her best in one of her gowns. The unexpected photo of her and Trace, in what looks like an intimate moment, sets the stage for their fake relationship to start. They find, soon enough, though, that being vulnerable with each other can bring so much more than expected. I really like that he fell first, and so hard ;) Expect to feel the connection and heat between these two as they journey to their wonderful HEA. So good!
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October 13, 2026Behind the story of Mountain Man’s Decoy Kiss
Sometimes a man can afford almost anything and still have trouble figuring out what he wants. That’s where I found Trace Murphy.
In his early thirties, Trace is a billionaire with plenty of options and a bit of a Peter Pan streak. He’s intelligent, capable, and accustomed to making things happen. But building a successful business doesn’t necessarily prepare a man to build a life he loves. Somewhere beneath his confidence, Trace is still searching for something he hasn’t quite learned how to name.
Then he spends time at Stone Mountain Weddings.
If you’ve read Mountain Man’s Ever After, you already know Jack and Chloe Stone. Their relationship, and the life they’re creating together, has a special influence on Trace. He watches two people bring their interests, talents, and ambitions into a shared future. Each has something meaningful to contribute. They enjoy each other, believe in what they’re building, and have found a place where they belong.
Jack gives Trace a glimpse of the kind of man he might become. A man who puts down roots. Who finds satisfaction in the work in front of him and the people beside him. Who has reasons to stay.
I realized while writing this one that this made Trace something of a wannabe mountain man. I rather enjoyed watching that possibility take hold.
Of course, imagining a different life and being ready to share it with someone are two separate things.
That's where Darla puts her bright touch on things.
A talented bridal designer, Darla understands the care that goes into making something fit. She also knows that an attractive, wealthy man can look wonderful on the outside and still be entirely wrong for her. Rich men seem to find their way into her life, and experience has given her good reasons to be cautious.
She wants lasting love. She also wants to keep her voice, her work, and the right to make her own decisions.
That creates an interesting challenge for Trace. He’s used to having the resources to solve problems quickly. What feels helpful to him can feel like interference to Darla ... especially when he gets ahead of himself and starts speaking for her.
One of the things I like about him is his willingness to apologize. He doesn’t always get it right, but when Darla lets him know he has overstepped, he listens. Their relationship grows through those moments. We see her honesty in what she expects and her ability to instantly set boundaries. We also see Trace's willingness to reconsider.
Darla’s forgiveness matters, too. Opening her heart means taking a chance on someone who may occasionally stumble. She has to decide whether she can trust Trace to hear her, respect her, and learn what loving her requires.
With a wedding in the background and a decoy relationship bringing them closer, there’s plenty of opportunity for attraction to complicate their plans. You can expect things to get steamy too.
I hope you enjoy watching these two find their way to each other and seeing what happens when a young billionaire starts dreaming of a mountain home.
Opal
Sometimes a man can afford almost anything and still have trouble figuring out what he wants. That’s where I found Trace Murphy.
In his early thirties, Trace is a billionaire with plenty of options and a bit of a Peter Pan streak. He’s intelligent, capable, and accustomed to making things happen. But building a successful business doesn’t necessarily prepare a man to build a life he loves. Somewhere beneath his confidence, Trace is still searching for something he hasn’t quite learned how to name.
Then he spends time at Stone Mountain Weddings.
If you’ve read Mountain Man’s Ever After, you already know Jack and Chloe Stone. Their relationship, and the life they’re creating together, has a special influence on Trace. He watches two people bring their interests, talents, and ambitions into a shared future. Each has something meaningful to contribute. They enjoy each other, believe in what they’re building, and have found a place where they belong.
Jack gives Trace a glimpse of the kind of man he might become. A man who puts down roots. Who finds satisfaction in the work in front of him and the people beside him. Who has reasons to stay.
I realized while writing this one that this made Trace something of a wannabe mountain man. I rather enjoyed watching that possibility take hold.
Of course, imagining a different life and being ready to share it with someone are two separate things.
That's where Darla puts her bright touch on things.
A talented bridal designer, Darla understands the care that goes into making something fit. She also knows that an attractive, wealthy man can look wonderful on the outside and still be entirely wrong for her. Rich men seem to find their way into her life, and experience has given her good reasons to be cautious.
She wants lasting love. She also wants to keep her voice, her work, and the right to make her own decisions.
That creates an interesting challenge for Trace. He’s used to having the resources to solve problems quickly. What feels helpful to him can feel like interference to Darla ... especially when he gets ahead of himself and starts speaking for her.
One of the things I like about him is his willingness to apologize. He doesn’t always get it right, but when Darla lets him know he has overstepped, he listens. Their relationship grows through those moments. We see her honesty in what she expects and her ability to instantly set boundaries. We also see Trace's willingness to reconsider.
Darla’s forgiveness matters, too. Opening her heart means taking a chance on someone who may occasionally stumble. She has to decide whether she can trust Trace to hear her, respect her, and learn what loving her requires.
With a wedding in the background and a decoy relationship bringing them closer, there’s plenty of opportunity for attraction to complicate their plans. You can expect things to get steamy too.
I hope you enjoy watching these two find their way to each other and seeing what happens when a young billionaire starts dreaming of a mountain home.
Opal
Review of advance copy received from Author
She agreed to play his girlfriend. She never agreed to belong to him.
Darla comes to a secluded Colorado wedding venue with one goal: make sure her bride walks down the aisle in the perfect gown. Then a stolen photograph catches her with intensely private billionaire Trace, and protecting the real wedding means giving the press a distraction. A few public appearances. A convincing romance. Nothing more.
Darla knows what happens when a powerful man mistakes affection for ownership, so every boundary matters. Trace is used to solving problems, controlling access, and keeping his private life locked down. But the more time they spend together, the more he listens instead of pushes, asks instead of assumes, and makes it dangerously easy to want him. His attention reaches places charm and money never could.
Fake dinners turn into private kisses, forced proximity becomes something neither wants to escape, and playful attraction deepens into trust. Their chemistry burns hotter once there are no cameras to convince, and small moments matter as much as the kisses. But wanting each other is easier than figuring out how two independent lives fit together, especially when old fears and Trace's instinct to plan ahead test the trust they're building.
Darla slowly lets herself embrace vulnerability, desire, and love without surrendering the independence she fought to rebuild. Trace learns that loving her isn't about solving everything for her, but listening, respecting her choices, and making room for uncertainty. What begins as staged intimacy becomes something chosen, passionate, and deeply mutual, as both learn closeness feels safest when neither has to give up themselves to keep it.
A hot fake dating, forced proximity, billionaire mountain romance about trust, autonomy, intimacy, and the difference between loving someone and trying to shape their choices. He falls first, but their future only works when they choose it together without asking either one to become smaller.
The Elevator Pitch: A staged romance meant to shield someone else’s wedding puts an fiercely independent bridal designer beside a private billionaire who is far easier to want than to trust. As borrowed kisses become real and quiet mornings matter more than the cameras, attraction forces them to confront what intimacy costs when freedom has been hard won. Their greatest risk is not falling in love, but discovering whether two strong lives can make room for each other without either one becoming smaller.
Heat Level: 🔥🔥 Hot
Darla comes to a secluded Colorado wedding venue with one goal: make sure her bride walks down the aisle in the perfect gown. Then a stolen photograph catches her with intensely private billionaire Trace, and protecting the real wedding means giving the press a distraction. A few public appearances. A convincing romance. Nothing more.
Darla knows what happens when a powerful man mistakes affection for ownership, so every boundary matters. Trace is used to solving problems, controlling access, and keeping his private life locked down. But the more time they spend together, the more he listens instead of pushes, asks instead of assumes, and makes it dangerously easy to want him. His attention reaches places charm and money never could.
Fake dinners turn into private kisses, forced proximity becomes something neither wants to escape, and playful attraction deepens into trust. Their chemistry burns hotter once there are no cameras to convince, and small moments matter as much as the kisses. But wanting each other is easier than figuring out how two independent lives fit together, especially when old fears and Trace's instinct to plan ahead test the trust they're building.
Darla slowly lets herself embrace vulnerability, desire, and love without surrendering the independence she fought to rebuild. Trace learns that loving her isn't about solving everything for her, but listening, respecting her choices, and making room for uncertainty. What begins as staged intimacy becomes something chosen, passionate, and deeply mutual, as both learn closeness feels safest when neither has to give up themselves to keep it.
A hot fake dating, forced proximity, billionaire mountain romance about trust, autonomy, intimacy, and the difference between loving someone and trying to shape their choices. He falls first, but their future only works when they choose it together without asking either one to become smaller.
The Elevator Pitch: A staged romance meant to shield someone else’s wedding puts an fiercely independent bridal designer beside a private billionaire who is far easier to want than to trust. As borrowed kisses become real and quiet mornings matter more than the cameras, attraction forces them to confront what intimacy costs when freedom has been hard won. Their greatest risk is not falling in love, but discovering whether two strong lives can make room for each other without either one becoming smaller.
Heat Level: 🔥🔥 Hot
October 24, 2026
Darla is there to help the bride with her dress that she designed leading up to the wedding. Trace is there working with Jack on the property. When the media get hold of a celebrity wedding may be happening Darla and Trace create a distraction. Very enjoyable romance read that will put a smile on your face.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews