The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee - Lauren Wood Page 0,2

hurt … and filled my phone up with angry texts and voicemails from girls claiming I had “strung them along.”

But I waited patiently for Kate to put her number into my phone and took it back with a smile. I called hers to complete the exchange, thinking I would probably never see her again.

“It was nice to meet you, Ben.” She flashed a perfect smile that threatened to make me break all of my rules. “And good to meet you, Olivia!”

Phew. Thank god I had this giant lie of a child hanging between us to stop me from taking any chances.

I watched her walk away down the street before turning to Olivia, who was growing restless and whiny again. “Alright, don’t worry, kid. Let’s get you back to your dad where you belong.” I looked up one last time to see Kate’s perfectly rounded ass striding away from us and clicked my tongue, shaking my head. “What a damn shame. Nice try though, kiddo. Better luck next time. Or maybe … next time I’ll just keep a picture of you in my wallet and use you as bait that way.”

“Bait,” she repeated again with a laugh.

“That’s right, kid.” I pushed the stroller onward and headed back for the warmth of our car.

1

Kate

The only thing better than getting to go back to a job that I truly loved was going back to it after a long lunch that involved a coffee date with an extremely hot, kind, sweet, caring man. I couldn’t believe my luck in stumbling on Ben and his daughter in the park … or rather, them stumbling onto me. He was tall and muscular with gorgeous blue eyes and a heart melting smile, and I was certain I’d be hearing from him again soon.

It definitely put an extra pep in my step as I rushed into the boardroom to meet with my boss and our firm’s other executive marketing agent, Chuck. They were complaining about their wives when I walked in, like always.

“Diane bitched me out about the garbage again. It’s like … isn’t it easier to just take it out yourself rather than nagging me about it for days on end?” Chuck groaned.

Both men joined together in a hearty, sympathetic laugh before Greg turned to me. “Oh good, Kate. Glad you’re here.”

Nevermind that I had been sitting there for a good three minutes before they suddenly noticed me. But I was used to that kind of thing.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” He slid out his rolling chair and made his way to the front of the room, flipping on a slideshow on the white wall behind him. “Nesters Toy Company. Ever heard of them?”

“No, I can’t say that I have,” I replied.

“I was talking to Chuck,” he barked. “Of course you haven’t heard of them. They’re a toy company, and you don’t have any kids.”

I tried to hide my bitchy expression. They were always putting me down for not having a family. It wasn’t enough that my mother was on me all the time about when she could expect grandchildren. I had to hear it at work too.

“The name doesn’t ring a bell,” Chuck answered.

“That’s exactly why they’ve come to us and requested a presentation about what we can do for them,” he explained, flipping through images of various toys on the screen. “They’re revamping their brand, launching a new line of toys for the holiday season later this year, and they’ve acquired a number of new investors. They need to make sure all of these changes don’t go unnoticed, but in the mainstream … they’re still relatively unknown.”

I studied the packaging and branding of their products on the screen and instantly began jotting down notes and ideas. I loved working in marketing and advertising. Every time we picked up a new client or account, I could feel the excitement in my bones. It felt like the work I was built to do, and I was never at a shortage for ideas.

As soon as I could, I raised my pen in the air. “Greg, I would like to take a crack at this one.”

The two shot each other a pitying glance, which I’m pretty sure was meant for me.

“Um, actually...Kate,” he cleared his throat, sliding his hands into his pocket as he dipped his chin, scrunching up his face. “Of course, as my top two executives, I want you both to be apprised of all projects. Especially bigger ones like these. But I already planned on giving this one to Chuck. You know, he’s got the wife