Pretend You’re Mine: A curvy girl romance

by Laurent, River

“Any preference on what she should look like?”

  “Not really. Just don’t get someone overtly plastic, or it would make it very hard for me to pretend.”

  “Got it.” The phone on her desk rang. "I should take that. I'll get back to you on this. There's more coffee on your desk."

  I nodded and walked away. Seriously, my secretary was Wonder Woman. If she could pull this off, I needed to give her a huge Christmas bonus this year.

  Savannah

  I straightened my hair, then patted down my dress. The look was perfect. Working for Just Right was about the image as much as the substance and I delivered both in spades. My agency advertised itself as a problem solver agency. Any problem great or small we could take care of with a smile. I joined the agency a few years ago and the income was pretty steady so I had no plans on leaving anytime soon.

  "Fake fiancée," I mused as I climbed into the car to meet my new client.

  That was always a fun one. I'd done it more than once. You'd be surprised how many people would rather pay someone to be their partner, instead of showing up at another wedding, office party, or sometimes even funeral, alone. The way I saw it, people could be entirely too nosy.

  I pulled up to a huge house that was tucked away in the hills. It was all white and two stories tall. It was one of those modern architecture structures with glass everywhere. I could see right into the house at some parts and the inside looked even more astounding than the outside did. My car arrived at the front door and I stepped out. As I walked to the door, I could see a garden with a beautiful lake and a marble statue of a Roman soldier in the middle of it. Very impressive.

  Even before I reached the tall imposing door, it opened and a man appeared. He nodded at me politely and stood aside to let me enter. "Mr. Brando will see you in his study."

  Brando. That last name sounded way too familiar. It couldn’t be. It was an unusual last name, but there must be loads of other Brandos in this world. Not just him. Besides my Brando wasn’t this rich. I could almost picture his face in my mind again, but I let the beautiful image slip away. That was just a lost dream. I needed to focus on my job, explain everything to the client before we moved forward. Sometimes, these men thought they were buying a hooker.

  I stepped into a luxuriously decorated office and whistled in my head. When my boss said billionaire, I knew the house would be lavish and so would the date, but this guy was something else. Everything was lush and upscale as I glanced around. Even the wood of his desk was thick and heavy… as shiny as new glass. Behind it sat a big, black leather chair. It was empty, so I turned around to the man who'd shown me in.

  "Mr. Brando will be back in just a moment. He had to step out to attend to another matter. Would you like something to drink while you wait for him?"

  I shook my head. "No, thank you. I’m fine."

  He nodded gravely and began to back away.

  It was like being inside an old English movie. Once he disappeared, I decided to look around the office. There were books lined along one wall, and when I peered at the spines, I found everything from thick business textbooks to history, biographies and even mysteries. Looked like someone was all over the board. A nice set of unique interests would make my job fun though. At least, we would have something to talk about while we were traveling and at the wedding. The worst were long car trips that were mostly silent and I had to dig into them before they'd talk.

  I continued to study the shelves and I realized the room had no personal pictures. No portraits of mom and dad or children or even a pet. The guy liked his privacy apparently. I hoped that was the case and not that he was a huge jerk and no one wanted to be around him. I'd run into both types. I preferred the lonely to the bastards.

  Once I'd seen everything, I settled myself in a chair across from his desk. It wasn't too long before I heard footsteps approach and Mr. Brando stepped inside. I stood up, ready to shake his hand, a polite but friendly smile on my face. Then the whole world tilted. Blood rushed in my ears and my mouth dropped open. "Dane!"

  His green eyes widened. "Savvy? What are you doing here?"

  I closed my mouth with a snap and tried to compose myself. "I—well—I'm from the agency," I muttered lamely as I rubbed a hand down my arm. "I can't believe you're the one that requested a fake fiancée. Wait, this is your place?"

  "Yeah," he said quietly, staring at me as if he couldn’t believe his eyes either. "I've been here for years."

  "Last time I saw you, it was in a little two-bedroom apartment, remember?"

  Dane smiled slowly. "I remember that. It seems like forever ago.”

  I felt myself blush.

  His grin became wolfish. “How have you been?"

  I didn't know how to answer that question. What were you supposed to say when you were face to face again with the man you'd given your virginity to? And he'd never called you afterward? It had been years ago, but the memory still burned as if it had been the other day. "Good," I said finally. "Doing this," I said quietly.

  "This. Oh shit, you are from the Just Right agency," he mumbled. "I can't believe it. It’s so weird that they sent you."

  "Yep, really, really weird."

  He winked at me. “It’s kismet.”

  I frowned.

  "Is this going to be too awkward?" he asked as his lips tugged down at the corners. "I know we have a bit of a history."

  "A bit? I'd say losing my virginity to you was a pretty big deal back then."

  Savannah

  Dane fiddled with the phone in his hand. "I didn't mean to blow you off, but I couldn’t get involved. I couldn’t let a girl distract me at that stage. I had big dreams.”

  “Looks like you found your big dreams, huh?” I said, gesturing at all the opulence around us.

  I saw a flash of something in his eyes. Disappointment? “Would you prefer if I call and request someone else?”

  I liked the way he couldn't really meet my eyes. Part of me felt empowered that he was the one that shuffled around and I could let him have it. I'd pictured it over the years, telling him exactly what I thought about his crappy treatment. People said getting revenge wasn't satisfying. They were full of shit.

  Still, he was my client and I had to rein it in if I wanted to keep it that way. I couldn’t afford to blow this job or the agency would blacklist me. An apartment in LA wasn't cheap. I smiled at him and waved a hand as if to brush the whole thing away. "I was just yanking your chain. Actually, it's no big deal. That was ages ago. We're both mature adults so no need to get someone else from the agency. We should sit down and hash out what we're going to be doing as well as lay down some ground rules."

  Dane's eyes traveled up and down my body. "Ground rules?"

  I suppressed the shiver that his eyes had evoked in me. "Yes, it's best to have them to keep things straight and not blur the lines. Let's chat."

  He nodded and walked over to his desk.

  As much as I touted at being a mature adult, my heart still raced when he looked at me like he just did. His green eyes sucked me in and he'd cut his blond locks short now. His hair was perfectly styled and in place, not the long, ponytail he'd had years ago that I liked to pull my fingers through back then.

  Other things had changed about him too. He'd been tall and lanky in high school, but now all that height was filled out with lean muscle. I could see the outline of his hard chest underneath the t-shirt that he wore and his thick arms were on display. I caught myself before I could daydream about those strong arms locked around me as his lips ran butterfly kisses down my neck. I coughed, cleared my throat, and violently chased the thought away.

  "Do you need some water?" he asked as he settled into his seat.

  "That would be great."

  Dane reached down, opened a mini fridge and produced a cold bottle of water.

  I took it gratefully and drank some down. Keep it together Savannah. This is just business. I sat the bottle down and smiled at him. "Now, what do you need your fake fiancée for?"


  He tapped a finger along his insanely strong jaw. "I have an old school friend who’s getting married. It's happening back in our hometown and I don't want to show up without a date." He considered his words. "Not that I couldn't get a date, but this is easier. I don't have a ton of time with my work."

  "Right," I mumbled as I tried to ignore the way his muscles flexed when he moved even the tiniest bit. I glanced around the large study to stop myself from staring at him. "Anyway, all the hard work has paid off as you've clearly done really well."

  That was the understatement of the year of course. I still couldn’t quite equate this super successful businessman with the person I'd crammed burgers into my mouth with at two in the morning. The guy I’d watched investigate every couch cushion in his apartment just so we could go to the movies. And the amount of…umm…positions we got into? It felt so surreal to see him in a different world.

  "Thanks." Dane nodded "I like to think I've done a good job of growing my business.” His eyes strayed to my breasts.

  "Well, let's get down to business." I opened my bag and laid out a few papers and a pen. "Standard Just Right contract. Since the payment has already been taken care of, it’s basically a confidentiality agreement for both parties. Just like you would want me to be discreet, I ask for the same. Though of course, if you happen to want to recommend me to a friend a quick phone call and a yes from me would make it all right."

  "Do you do a lot of business from recommendations?" he asked curiously.

  "Some. Generally, Just Right sets this all up, but there have been a few times when a client wanted to recommend me to someone else."

  "And what exactly do you do?" Dane asked as his eyes traveling over me. "You just go around pretending to be people's fiancée?"

  I shrugged. "Just Right is the place where a myriad of problems can be fixed. Someone might need a date, some might need a helping hand, a fake friend, a girlfriend. The list is extensive, but let's focus on this for now. Sign these please." I pushed the papers halfway across the desk.

  Dane pulled the papers to him and looked them over. Once he seemed satisfied with everything, he flourished his signature and initials across the pages before he slid them back to me.

  I tucked them away, pulled out another sheet, and laid it on his desk. "These are separate from the company in a way because they're my rules. In order for us to maintain a professional relationship, they need to be strictly adhered to. If not, I can and will cancel the contract. You'll be charged the original rate and a fee on top of it for breaking the contract. The company does let us make and enforce our own rules."

  Dane stared at me. "You're a lot different than you used to be."

  I lifted my chin. "What do you mean by that?"

  He grinned. "You never used to be this bossy."

  "I'm a businesswoman. The same way I'm sure you're serious about the business you're in is the same way I'm serious about mine, even though it is obviously just a speck compared to yours. Also, since we have history, we have to be especially careful. Please, read them." I waved my hand at the paper.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  I rolled my eyes. I knew I could be bossy, but there was a good reason for it. A smooth contract meant everyone understood their obligations and limitations and I could continue to live my life in peace. Besides, a faulty contract would be bad word of mouth and the potential not to get good jobs. The last person I was going to screw up my career for was Dane.

  His green eyes trailed the page as he read my rules. Just like when we were young, his lips moved along as he read. I watched how soft and pink they looked. I still remembered the passionate intense way he kissed me and my own lips tingled.

  Stop it, Savannah. I chastised myself. Being professional worked both ways and if I couldn't stop drooling over him, I would screw everything up. He rubbed a hand across one tanned, smooth arm and I lost my train of thought again, until he set the paper down.

  "This is...extensive," he said, his mouth quirking with amusement.

  "I don't think so," I said firmly. "I'm happy to play the part, but some things have to remain separate. No touching, kissing, or anything sexual in any way when we aren't around other guests at the wedding. It's okay to flirt and touch…and kiss sometimes, but don't overdo it. If you grab or try to touch anything you're not supposed to, I will punch you and leave."

  Dane laughed. "You don't think I'd do that do you?"

  I sighed and deflated a little. "Not exactly you, but I've had some clients lose their minds and think the flirting and acting were real. That's all this is, acting and I want to keep it that way."

  "And what's this?" He asked as he pointed at the paper. It seemed he could barely keep his laughter in. "Sexual services are not included?"

  I did not smile, but nodded seriously. "Yeah. Some guys seem to get it in their head that because of the flirting and fun that they could pay me a little more and I would sleep with them. That won't and it doesn't happen with me. Ever."

  Dane whistled. "You’re one hard lady."

  I smiled coldly. "Please, sign the paper if you agree."

  "What about me, don't I get to put any rules out there?"

  I raised a brow. "Of course."

  "Don't fall in love with me."

  I rolled my eyes.

  Dane laughed. He held up his hands in defense before I could begin to scold him. Then he signed on the dotted lines before he slid the pages back to me. When he was done, he'd gone back to being serious. "I do have to ask that we be really careful. I don't want Robert, or his fiancée finding out that you're not really my fiancée."

  "Don't worry about that. I'm really good at my job."

  Once everything was squared away, I stood up and shook his hand. The heat and strength of his hand enveloped mine. Heat swept up my body and goosebumps scattered across my flesh. This might be a problem, a little voice in my head said. I fought back, the hell it will be. I had come to do a job and that's what I would do.

  Dane Brando was off the menu.

  Savannah

  I arrived at the airport dressed in my casual clothes so I could enjoy the flight. A pair of faded jeans, a flamingo pink tank top, and comfortable flats. It was my favorite travel outfit. I had brought two small suitcases, and the man who was waiting for me at the designated meeting place took charge of them. I didn't object, as he led me away to meet Dane. Thankfully, we didn't have to go through the hassle of flying from a commercial airport. Dane had informed me that he had a private jet.

  A private jet.

  That was rich on a level that I couldn't even comprehend. It wasn't like I hadn't been around rich people before, but in my line of work, I found that the ones without real money were often the ones with the most need to show off. Of course, they didn't want to lose their self-image or have people think badly of them. So, they went out of their way to climb the luxury ladder. Still, I'd never flown on a private jet before. First class with all the bells and whistles? Sure. Never a private jet.

  "Hey," Dane called as he strolled over toward me with that long, sure gait of his. "You're right on time."

  When I glanced up at him, I felt my tongue freeze. My finger slid my sunglasses down my nose so I could take a better look. He was dressed in a pair of khakis and a sky-blue shirt rolled up at the sleeves and a couple of buttons open at the neck. It complimented everything about him.

  I forced myself to act like a normal adult. "That is your jet out there?"

  He grinned making him look relaxed and sexy. "I hope so. She doesn't get out as much as she used to anymore, but she's mine."

  "Where did you used to fly?"

  He hummed. "England, Paris, Korea, Africa, Japan, all over really. It's nice to be able to hop into it and jet off. Have you ever been in one?"

  I shook my head. "Just regular commercial planes."

  Dane smiled. "Then you're in for a treat. This is the only way to travel in style."

  "Well, then I can't wait to try it." I really was excited. We walk
ed down to the tarmac, climbed the stairs of the jet, and stepped inside. I glanced around and took in the surroundings.

  Everything was done in soft colors; creams, blue, and muted gold accents. The floor was carpeted in such thick wool my sandals sunk into it as I walked. The wood panels were glowing rich walnut. As we walked past the seats, I could see my luggage was already stored in a holding compartment.

  A perky red-headed air-hostess smiled at us and offered us steaming wet towels.

  I wiped my hands and put the soiled towel back on her tray as I smiled my thanks.

  "Do you want to see the rest of it?" Dane asked.

  I watched his hands. They were big and powerful. I knew what they felt like on my body. I shook my head to clear it. "Lead the way."

  The rest of the jet boasted couches and plush chairs, a bathroom with a shower, a bedroom with a bed lush enough to sleep forever in and a gallery area. I stared at one thing after the other as Dane showed me around.

  He seemed excited to share the jet with someone else and I was glad it was me. "This is amazing," I admitted. "I can't believe it's yours."

  "I know." He grinned. "It's a bit over the top, but I wanted to reward myself with something when I made my first half-a-billion."

  "No, it’s not over the top. I love this. I've never seen anything like it."

  "Champagne," the perky redhead offered as she held up a tray with champagne flutes.

  I glanced at the frosty glasses with the bubbly contents. Who was I to turn down a nice drink? Dane nodded in approval as I picked it up and sipped at the delicious beverage. It tickled my nose as I drank it down. I hummed my satisfaction. "Mmm," I said as we headed to our seats.

  "It's a nice way to calm down before we take off. I've traveled in this thing a lot and I still get a little nervous at takeoff sometimes."

  "Me too," I admitted. "I love flying because it's so much faster, but I don't love the heights."

  "That's what it is for me too." He laughed. "It's a little unnerving being up so high and vulnerable. Put me on the ground and I'm a very capable man."