The Tycoon's Make-Believe Fiancée Page 0,9
at him, she knew that it wasn’t completely true. This man was hurting. She could feel it even though she didn’t completely understand it. There was definitely guilt that he’d lost his sister, and fury over how the case worker had dealt with his need to protect his sister. But there was something else. Something that he’d buried so deep, she wasn’t sure if even he knew what was going on.
She took a deep breath, clasping her hands tightly together under the table. “I’ll do it, under one condition.”
“What’s that?” he asked, bracing himself for whatever monetary demands she would come up with next. He was prepared for it though and would pay a great deal to ensure his sister’s happiness.
She looked him straight in the eye as she said, “If I think you might be hurting her in any way, I’ll stop the charade. Is that a deal?” she asked, her voice quiet and firm.
He smiled slightly, his hardened eyes surveying her calm, lovely features. “It’s a deal,” he agreed. He dropped a credit card on the bill that the waiter brought to their table. “I’ll pick you up for dinner tonight at seven. I’ll have a dress delivered to your place.”
Wow! What had she done? What had she agreed to? Miranda’s mind was spinning. What had happened to the kind, tender man who was protecting his sister’s gentle feelings? The man now sitting in front of her was the irritating, dictatorial caveman who had dragged her out of the office an hour…she glanced down at her watch and gasped.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded, his eyes sharp on her worried features.
“I’ve been sitting here for two hours!” she said, grabbing her purse and pushing the chair back. “I have to get back to my office. I have a ton of work to do.”
“Relax. I’ll call your boss and let him know that you were with me.”
She gasped again and shook her head violently. “You will not!” she commanded, then reigned in her horror when she saw his stricken features. “I mean,” she stammered, suddenly nervous again, “please don’t call my boss. I understand why you are doing this and I’ll help you out however I can, but no one in the office can know about our association.”
He heard the words, but they were so foreign to him he wasn’t sure why she’d said them. “Why wouldn’t you want anyone to know that you’re with me?” Women worked hard to have their association with him broadcast as much as possible. It was their way of raising their social status, a social coup in a way. He’d had to be very careful about the women he went out in public with because too many of them wanted him for either his money or his connections, not to mention the publicity they hoped to gain by being seen on his arm. But he was ruthless in not having his picture taken, much less photos plastered all over the news and tabloids. It didn’t always work and there were times when a photographer was more stealthy than normal, but his body guards took care of the bulk of them.
“Because everyone will think that we…” she blushed as her mind pulled away from the thought of sleeping with him. “Well, you know.”
He knew exactly what she was trying to say, but decided to tease her. “No. What do you mean?” he asked, signing the bill when the waiter delivered the check.
She bit her lip and leaned forward. “They’ll think we’re…” she blushed again, looking to the right and left as she whispered conspiratorially, “sleeping together!”
He couldn’t help it. She just looked too cute and she was so embarrassed by the thought of a sexual liaison with him that he had to laugh. “Would that be so bad?”
Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. “Yes!”
With that, she stood up and looked around, then turned back to the table where he too was standing, prepared to walk out of the restaurant with her.
“We can’t be seen together,” she reiterated. “I’ll walk back to the office on my own.” She was just about to turn around again when she stopped, her manners rising up to force her to be considerate. “Thank you very much for lunch. I’ll be ready by seven o’clock.”
For some reason, he didn’t like the idea of her walking back to the office alone, much less her not wanting to be seen with him. “Miranda, we’re going to be seen together.” He stepped forward