The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee - Lauren Wood Page 0,9

I’d like to help you.”

I sucked in a deep breath and couldn’t believe that I was actually considering still going through with the whole thing. Maybe the almost disaster of not having his help was a sign that I didn’t need to keep going with this huge lie. But showing up with Ben and playing along, with the promise of the client and promotion to follow, was a hell of a lot more appealing than any of my other options.

“Okay,” I sighed finally. “Let’s do this. It’s worth a shot. If something goes wrong, it can’t be any worse than what would happen if you didn’t show up with me tonight.”

“Hey, it’s the least I can do for lying to you about the kid and all. And just so you know … I’m probably going to be putting that bit to rest after all of this.” He flashed a big smile, one that I had to admit was still every bit as intoxicating as it seemed to be over coffee.

I quickly shoved down any lingering spark I felt for him and extended my hand to shake his. “Deal,” I said sternly, desperate to make the whole thing more like a business transaction.

“Text your boss and tell him we’ll be late,” he ordered. “I need to run home for a quick shower and change and then I’ll come pick you up.”

“Ugh, yeah. Me too. I have to change. I’ve sweated up a storm in this between the coffee date jitters and then the nightmare of everything that came after,” I confessed. “I live at the Marigold Apartments over on …”

“I’ll find you,” he insisted, cutting me off.

“Wait. What? Don’t you want the address?”

“I know the address,” he shot back, seeming so sure of himself. Almost to the point of being annoying.

“Oh … let me guess. One of your quickie flings lived there or something?” I mocked him, not even bothering to hide my snide tone. I figured we were far past playing niceties.

“No. I own the building.”

With that, he slid his hands into his pockets and strolled out of the shop, looking too cool and confident for his own good. I noticed the way the young woman behind the register stared and salivated at him as he left. I took another look, thinking my whole image of him had changed since earlier that day. He was arrogant and cocky in a way I didn’t notice when we first met. I was probably too blinded by his good looks, which must have been something that happened to a lot of women. Not to mention, he was a liar.

But … at least he was saving my butt at a time when I would have been completely ruined otherwise. I couldn’t say much about the lying part either, considering everything I had pulled that day. I just needed to get through the evening, and then he and I could part ways for good. I could forget I ever met him. After I landed the client and the promotion, I would find something else to make up to explain him away. And then I vowed to never tell a lie again.

4

Ben

When Kate answered her front door, I was waiting down on one knee with a small velvet box in hand. I waited for her to laugh, but all she did was snarl.

“What are you doing?” she huffed. “Get up before one of my neighbors sees you.” She yanked me up by the arm and pulled me inside. “What the hell is that?”

“Jeez, you really need to work on your sense of humor,” I groaned. “It’s a ring. Obviously we can’t be engaged without a ring.”

“Oh,” she replied, looking surprised. “I didn’t even think of that.”

She plucked the diamond from the cushion and held it up. I couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes softened as she studied it. Her expression turned dewey as she tilted her head and let out the faintest, “Awww.”

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured, sliding it onto her finger.

“And now I can officially say I have proposed to a woman,” I joked. “Just in case anyone was starting to think I was totally hopeless.”

“I don’t think this changes the fact that you’re hopeless. But still, it’s lovely. Thank you. Now we better get going. We’re already late.”

She seemed nervous and grumpy as we made our way out to my car and jumped in. I plugged the address she gave me into the GPS and took off, hoping conversation would pick up some. But she was about as much fun