“I didn’t tell her when I smashed into your car. I’m glad I covered the scar with makeup. They would have figured out it was fairly recent.”
“We’ll need to come up with a proper timeline,” he said.
This part was going to be tricky. We both went into the lie without really thinking about the details. Of course, his mom would want details. She would want to know who I was.
I felt a little guilty. No, a lot guilty. I felt guilty that I almost destroyed his plan. I felt guilty about lying to his family. I felt guilty about taking advantage of their kindness and willingness to accept me without a lot of questions.
He pulled into the garage that was attached to his massive building. I wasn’t surprised to see he had several cars parked inside the space that looked more like a hotel lobby than a garage. The cement floor shone and there was plenty of lighting. I didn’t say anything about the other cars, one a classic muscle car that I imagined was just for show. I now realized just how wealthy he was after being to his family estate.
“Can I get you something to drink?” he asked as we strode through the open space. We passed the spare bedroom where I had stayed. I glanced in to verify it had been real and not just a dream produced by my concussed brain.
His place was huge, but I could feel him in the space. There were little touches here and there that made it his home. The table by the front entrance with loose change and his wallet was very normal. We had one in our apartment as well. There was a light jacket draped over the back of one of the barstools and his laptop sitting on the counter. I liked that there was a cup sitting on the counter and a pair of tennis shoes by the couch. It showed that he wasn’t too uptight, or I supposed it could just mean the maid had the day off.
“Water is fine,” I said and moved to look out the window. There was a small courtyard in the back with a huge stone fence all around it. I could see a patio with a few chairs and a fancy grill. I was kind of surprised by his home after seeing where he grew up. His home was nice, but I wondered if he ever missed the many perks of his parents’ mansion.
He brought me a bottle of Evian and had a soda for himself. “All right,” he said and sat down on the opposite end of the couch. He rested his foot on the opposite knee and stretched his arm over the back of the couch. “We need to give them the idea the accident happened at least two months ago. They’ll never buy this all happened in a matter of weeks.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“I know you’re not comfortable with this.”
“It’s fine, but I really liked your family, especially your sister.”
“Thank you.”
“I hate lying to them.”
“You saw how happy she was when she found out we were engaged.”
“Pretend engaged,” I corrected. “How is she going to feel when we breakup?”
“Fake breakup,” he said with a smirk. “She’ll get over it. At least this will give her hope. She’ll know there is a chance that one day I will settle down. It’s just not going to be this day or anything in the near future.”
“Do you have an aversion to monogamy?”
“No, I have an aversion to relationships and all the strings that go with it.”
“Like love and friendship and stability?” I teased.
“And demands and expectations and strings. Lots of strings.”
“All right then, forever bachelor.”
He drank from his soda bottle. “Not necessarily forever. Just not now.”
“Understood.”
“We’ll stick with the whirlwind romance story,” he said and quickly got back to the topic.
“What about my job? Should I admit to being a cashier at a grocery store?”
He seemed thoughtful. “I don’t know.”
“Won’t they ask?”
“Maybe. You’re interested in art, right?”
“I like art, yes.”
“We could say you are a starving artist?”
I raised an eyebrow. “That wouldn’t really be a lie. I would love to spend my days drawing and playing music, but I prefer not to starve, which is why I work at the grocery store.”
“Really? You draw?”
“When I have time.”
“I had no idea.”
I grinned and leaned forward. “Because you don’t actually know me.”
“We should try and get to know each other a little. It will help.”
“Gee, you think?” I scoffed.
“Sorry, I’ve never been fake engaged or real engaged. I’m not sure what goes into it. I guess that leads me to my first question.”
“Which is?”
“Have you ever been engaged?”
“No.”
He nodded as if he expected that. “Then we’ll learn together. It will be a trial run for both of us.”
“I would like to think when the real thing happens, it’s a bit more natural.”
“Have you had a steady boyfriend?”
I wasn’t sure how that pertained to the fake engagement, but I would go with it. “No. You?”
“No boyfriends for me,” he teased.
“Your family calls you Jameson. How come you told me to call you Jay?”
“Because I go by Jay.”
“Jameson is a nice name. Why don’t you like it?”
He took another drink. “Being reminded of my parents having sex and conceiving me is not something I like to hear on a regular basis.”
“What?” I asked with surprise.
“My dad was drunk on Jameson whiskey. They named me after the whiskey because he happened to be drinking it when they found out she was pregnant.”
I burst into laughter before covering my mouth with my hand. “I’m sorry. That’s not funny. I mean, it’s a little funny, but I get it. Jameson, it is.”
“Don’t even try it.”
“How long have you been running the family business?” I asked to quickly change the subject.
“About five years.”
“And this new place you’re opening, is that your brainchild?”
“My dad started the process almost ten years ago. It took a while to get the right place and then the permits, and the building wasn’t easy. The opening has been something my dad dreamed about for almost twenty years. I’m happy it’s finally coming to fruition.”
“That’s cool that you get to do it together.”
He smirked. “It hasn’t always been cool to work together. We have butted heads quite a bit, but I reminded myself this was his baby and I had twelve other properties to worry about. I let him run with it while peeking in from time to time.”
“Your mom sounded pretty excited about it,” I said.
He rolled his eyes. “I think she’s more excited than my father. I’m sorry she kind of steamrolled you today. She gets an idea in her mind and she just doesn’t give up.”
“I get what she was saying. She wants a good story to tell.”
“You’re okay with her running roughshod over this thing?”
I shrugged. “This is for her, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m okay letting her enjoy it while it lasts.”
“I appreciate that. We need to work on your passport.”
“When is the Jamaica opening?”
“Two weeks.”
I grimaced. “How much time off should I ask for?”
I was already calculating the money I was going to lose. I wasn’t expecting to have to leave the country for this little ruse. Since I didn’t have a car insurance payment now, I would save a little money, but if he expected me to lose more than a couple of days of work, I was going to be in trouble.
“A few days.”
It was easy for him to jet off to Jamaica for a few days, but I was afraid I might lose my job for requesting that much time off. “I need to be there for the whole time?”
“I’ll compensate you.”
“No. You’re not paying me to go to Jamaica.”
&n
bsp; “Our deal was supposed to be casual and local. My mother has pushed you into Jamaica. I understand the difficulties this will cause with your job. I’m prepared to compensate you for the time you will miss.”
“It isn’t just that. My boss isn’t always generous with time-off requests.”
“I’ll talk to him,” he said easily.
“No!”
“Why not? You’re engaged to a wealthy, powerful man. One of the perks is you get to use that to your advantage.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask. I’ll do it first thing tomorrow morning.”
I hated needing him to do it, but I did. “Please be nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
“Until you’re not.”
He chuckled. “Tell me more about this art thing.”
“Art thing?” I said with a laugh. “Like what?”
“Do you paint?”
“I have, but I mostly sketch.”
“But you demanded a piano?”
“I like art but I love to play music.”
“You’re a creative type,” he said. He was looking at me like he was seeing me for the first time.
“I have always found art and music very soothing.”
“Did the nuns teach you that?”
I smiled, remembering Sister Tina. “Yes. There was always music, usually religious, but the art was something one of the nuns really loved. She always took us to the museums, and anytime there was a show in the park, she would get permission to take us. She had an art degree, and before she became a nun, she was a bit of a hippie. She traveled the country and painted. She showed me some of her work and it was beautiful.”
“Do you have any stuff? Any paintings?”
“No, not really. I have a sketchbook, but I haven’t picked it up in forever.”
“Interesting,” he mused aloud.
“What about you? Any hobbies? What is something that you like to do when you aren’t building hotels?”
“I am always working.”
“You have to have something you like to do when you aren’t working. Like right now, if I wasn’t here, what would you be doing?”
“Working.”
“Stop. I need to know this. If we control the conversation, we can stop people from digging too deep into who I am and where I really work.”
“I like cars and racing.”
“Like racing in circles around and around and around?”
“That’s the general route, yes.”
“Wow. I would have never taken you as a NASCAR fan.”
“It’s not something I watch on TV. When I can, I like to go to a race.”
“Interesting.”
He looked thoughtful for a second before he leaned toward me. “You can never tell anyone this.”
“That you like racing?”
“No, that’s pretty well known amongst my usual circle. You can’t tell my family that I race on occasion.”
“You drive a racecar?” I shrieked. I was horrified at the idea of him smashing into a wall going two-hundred miles an hour or however fast they went.
“I don’t drive a racecar, but I have a car I keep, and I take it out now and again. Only a handful of people know about it and they will never tell.”
“Wow. You have a secret identity. I’m impressed.”
He smiled, looking very satisfied. I liked this whole getting to know each other better thing. It was kind of fun. I never expected him to be so down to earth.
“You want to know something else?” he said with a sexy grin.
“You fly jets too?”
“Ha, not yet, but it’s on my bucket list. You’re hot. When the opportunity to be fake engaged came up, I jumped at the chance because I think you are sexy as hell.”
My cheeks were burning. I nearly kicked him. He did it on purpose. He was laughing and pointing at me.
Oh, this man was dangerous.
Chapter 19
Jameson
The last two weeks had been full speed ahead. I managed to get in a couple of phone conversations with Paislee, but other than that, it was radio silence. Ashton was in charge of getting her ready for the trip.
I felt a little guilty for dumping what was very much my problem on him. I knew he was still not thrilled with the idea, but he was gracious enough not to bitch too much about it.
Prepping her for Jamaica might all be for naught because I was still waiting on her passport. I stepped out of the hotel in the Napa Valley where I’d been for the last several days and was immediately blasted by sunshine. Back home in New York, it was cloudy and chilly. I was looking forward to a tropical climate. I knew Paislee was going to love it—if I could get her there.
My phone rang. The number was not one I recognized. “Hello?”
“Mr. Harrow, this is Ben with the agency,” he said.
He made it sound so clandestine. “Yes, sir. What’s up? I hope you have good news for me.”
“I do. The passport will be delivered today.”
I closed my eyes and thanked my lucky stars. “Thank you. I owe you one.”
“You know I can’t accept anything, but a stay at the New York property wouldn’t be unappreciated.”
“Understood. Thanks again, Ben. I really, really appreciate you moving it to the top of the pile.”
After I ended the call, Paislee was the first call I made. I couldn’t wait to tell her. We had been worried about this for almost two weeks. We knew there was a real possibility the passport wouldn’t be issued in time.
She was trying to say it would be okay if she couldn’t go, but I knew she was excited about the trip. It took a few courtside seats to get her boss to give her the time off without docking her hours later, but it was all good now.
“Guess what,” I said when she answered the phone.
“The engagement is off?” she said with a laugh.
“Not on your life. Your passport will be delivered by courier today. I have it going to my house. I’ll bring it with me when I pick you up tomorrow morning.”
“Awesome! I can’t believe you got it.”
“Never underestimate me when I want something.” I wasn’t talking about just the passport. I had a feeling she knew that but neither of us would say it out loud.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I smirked as I slid my phone into my pocket. I got into the waiting car and was whisked off to the airport. I was using a chartered plane since we were using the family jet to go to Jamaica tomorrow morning.
To say I lived a jet-set life was an understatement. I was always on the go. I didn’t mind, but I knew there was a point in my life when I wanted to put down some roots and live in a house. My loft was nice, but it was big and open and not exactly a homey environment.
When I got home, I immediately wished I had someone to greet me. If I was being honest, I wished it was her. I wanted to sit out on the patio and drink a glass of wine with her. I wanted to decompress and talk about our days. I wanted to watch her sketch or play the piano. For the first time in my very busy life, I was feeling a little lonely. It was crazy to me that a simple taste of life with her and I was rethinking my entire life.
When I woke up the next morning, I was actually excited for the day. I was looking forward to spending time with her in a luxurious environment. I just hoped I had time to actually spend with her. Grand openings were usually very hectic and left little downtime.
When I arrived at her place, she was already waiting downstairs with a large suitcase and a smaller one resting against her leg. “I know, I know, I packed too much,” she said when I got out of the car.
The driver was already out and loading up her luggage. “It’s fine. You can pack all you want.”
I was having a hard time focusing on anything she said. She was dressed in a beautiful, pale blue sundress with cap sleeves. Once again, I noticed she favored old-fashioned dresses. They suited her free spirit and her figure.
&n
bsp; “I’m so excited for this trip. I know it’s technically work, but it’s going to be fun for me.”
“You only need to have fun. No work. You get to take advantage of every amenity the hotel has. Get a massage, get your nails done, relax by the pool, whatever you want.”
“You have no idea what you are suggesting.”
“My parents and Julia left a few days ago so it will just be us.”
“I have a little secret to tell you,” she said as the driver pulled away from her building.
“What would that be?”
“I’ve never flown before.”
“Really?”
She slowly shook her head. “Really. I’ve never had anywhere to go.”
“You were born and raised in New York?”
“Yep. Once I was on my own, I never really wanted to leave. I love it here.”
“It’s an amazing place.”
“I bet you’ve been everywhere.”
I nodded. “I’ve been around the world a few times. I’ve been traveling since I was a toddler. I was homeschooled via a tutor that traveled with us. Julia got to go to high school but not me. I jumped right into the family business.”
That’s crazy,” she said. “I hope I’m not a nervous flyer.”
“You hope? You don’t know?”
“I said I’ve never flown before. How could I know?”
I smiled. “Good point. You look nice by the way.”
She blushed a little and ran her hand over the dress. “Thank you. You bought it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Ashton was with me yesterday helping me pack.”
“He was helping you pack?” I asked. I wasn’t aware they were spending that much time together. I felt a twinge of jealousy.
“Yes, he said you told him to make sure I was prepared for Jamaica. I’m a New Yorker. I didn’t have the right clothes, according to him. He insisted we go on a shopping spree on you. I’ll pay you back.”
“No, you won’t. This is what I wanted. You are doing me a huge favor. I want you to have fun and I want you to be comfortable. Did you get an appropriate wardrobe?”
She snorted in her usual way. “According to Ashton, I did. He said it was going to be hot and humid and women always wore sundresses. The man has really good taste.”
Pay Up Hot Stuff: A Billionaire Fake Fiancée Romance Page 12
