by Nana Malone
“I have a solution to your issue,” he said softly, his eyes searching hers.
A wash of embarrassment fell over her, thinking of the conversation he heard on the balcony yesterday. She didn’t want his help; she didn’t need him to think that she couldn’t handle her own issues. “No thank you,” Kinsley said firmly, attempting to dip under his arm and escape. He moved his arm to block her attempt and she let out a groan in frustration.
“Listen,” he said, urgency in his voice. “It’ll be helping both of us out. I find myself in a situation that you can help me out in and in return I’ll give you the money you need. That is all.”
Kinsley looked up at him. “What kind of situation?”
His expression turned to one of embarrassment as he looked away. “I, um, I am in need of a fiancée.”
That wasn’t what she had expected him to say. The great Jarred Maloney needed to ask for someone to be his fiancée? Why in the world was he asking her? He could literally have any girl. One word and their knickers would wet with anticipation at the thought of even being close to the man. “You’re kidding,” she said, laughing. It was comical, really.
He looked back at her, his gaze narrowing. “No, I’m not. My father has given me an ultimatum regarding my trust fund and unless I bring a woman that can impress him, he’s cutting me off. You’re perfect.”
His words reminded Kinsley of the other day, when he’d said that exact same phrase to her. Sure, he’d been pissed or hung over, but now she understood what they meant. How long had he been thinking about her helping him out? Wasn’t he surprised that she was currently living next door, desperate for money? It had to be like a dream come true for him. “Why me?” she asked, unable to help herself. No way was she entertaining this plan. But she wasn’t stupid, maybe he had a legitimate way to help her.
If she was going to agree to this fool plan, she wanted to hear it from his own lips why he chose to pick her over all the other willing women he could pick.
Jarred cleared his throat, her question obviously making him uncomfortable. “You’re levelheaded,” he started out. “My father already knows your character and trusts you. You are the opposite of what he would expect from me.”
His words tore at Kinsley, not because he didn’t mention her beauty. It was the way he said the last few words, like he was resigned to the fact that he was always going to be a screw up, the black sheep of the family. There was a hint of desperation in those words. “How much?” she forced out, wanting to shove away from the swell of emotions that she was feeling for Jarred at this moment.
Jarred’s easygoing grin appeared on his face, though his eyes were still haunted with shadows as he looked at her. “600,000 pounds.”
Kinsley’s eyes widened. “What did you just say?” She hadn’t heard him right. There was no way she had heard that amount correct.
“600, 000,” he repeated. “No qualms, no payments. I’ll give you the entire amount as soon as I am assured that my trust fund has been restored.”
That was more than enough to buy the flat and finish school. More than enough to secure her entire future. The thought was dizzying. Kinsley swallowed hard, knowing she would be an idiot to turn the offer down. That money would solve all her problems and leave her comfortable for a quite a while. She could even afford to take a bloody vacation. Wouldn’t it be nice to go somewhere for once? The choices of how she spent the money would be endless. More importantly, she could keep her life as it was, the life she knew. And she could finish school. That was the most important thing. On her own. Well, sort of. But what exactly would she have to do to get that dream?
“Think about it,” Jarred said, pushing away from the wall. “I need to know by tomorrow.”
Kinsley stared as he walked down the hall and disappeared around the corner, her knees weak from not only what he’d proposed, but also his closeness. Become Jarred Maloney’s fiancée? He was her boss’s son.
There were so many problems with that alone. What would she be required to do to prove that she was madly in love with him? How would they be able to pull that off, considering she was in his father’s presence five out of the seven days of the week? Wouldn’t he be suspicious? Or was Jarred correct in his thinking that Mr. Maloney would never expect her to be with his son?
“Oh shit,” she breathed. Was this seriously happening? She had to take the chance. How could she not? The more important question was going to be how she was going to survive in his presence. Because that weak-kneed, too hot feeling wasn’t working for her.
9
Jarred drew in a deep breath before opening the door, grinning as he spied Kinsley standing there. “Hey,” he said, stepping aside. “Come in.”
She stepped over the threshold and shifted her gaze around. After their discussion at the pub last night, he knew she would be coming over. The money alone was enough to draw her in. Jarred knew she needed the money and it was the perfect opportunity to solve both of their problems. “Come on in,” he said, walking down the hall into the open living space. “Would you like some coffee?”
She shook her head, her long tresses falling about her shoulders. He noticed that she was wearing all black today, right down to the shoes on her feet and wondered if this was just a coincidence or symbolic. “I’m going to take the offer.”
“I’m glad,” he said, surprised that he meant it. She was going to be perfect. Kinsley tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at him, giving him a small smile. He tamped down the quick flare of emotion. He hated the way a singular word could trigger those emotions, making him fucking weak. “You’ll be fine,” he forced out. “This will be easy.”
She nodded and looked around the flat, avoiding looking at him. “So what should we do now?”
Jarred reached into his pocket, pulling out the ring he’d purchased late last night. He knew as soon as he’d left the pub that she was going to take the offer so he’d made arrangements to pick out a suitable ring to prove to everyone that she was truly his fiancée. The task had been harder than he’d realized, not knowing much about her. While picking out Susan’s ring had been easy, given the fact she was a flashy person, he doubted the same could be said of Kinsley. In fact, he’d been in the jewelry store for well over an hour with just the owner present. Jarred cleared his throat and opened the box, his pulse pounding in his ears. “Um, Kinsley?”
She turned and her hands flew up to her mouth. Surprise registering on her face. For a moment, he was struck by how pretty she was. Not in an obvious way. So many people probably overlooked her because she was so understated. But the way her eyes widened as she looked at the ring and the way she conveyed emotion with her whole face, completely fascinated him. He wanted her approval; he wanted to impress her. This wasn’t a woman he knew well, but she was a woman he didn’t want to disappoint. All his carefully planned words would not form on his tongue as he held up the box. “Here,” he forced out.
The surprise dimmed on her face and Jarred cursed inwardly. Shit. This thing wasn’t real, but he did need her to like him. He’d fucking botched this. He needed her and he was fucking up.
Eventually, they would go their separate ways, but what bothered him the most was that she was going to remember this proposal long after she remembered him. Pissed off at himself, he pulled the ring out of the box and threw the box on the table, his grip suddenly slick. His fingers lost its hold on the ring and the ring fell from his hands. Immediately, he went down to retrieve it, his head colliding with something hard in the process and knocking him on his ass. Looking up, he saw that Kinsley was on the floor as well, rubbing her forehead with a wince. “Ouch,” she said, sitting back on her knees.
Jarred laughed, because he didn’t know what else to do and took her hand in his. “Probably not what you expected when you came over here this morning,” he muttered.
She giggled. “No, not exactly. I think you are sitting on it.”
Jarred found the ring under his thigh and held it up, the d
iamond sparkling in the morning light. “I don’t really know what to say,” he admitted, poising it over her ring finger. “This is not a conventional engagement, but I’ll say this. As long as you wear this ring, I’ll be devoted to you.” She was helping him out in the biggest way possible and the least he could do was promise her that.
Her cheeks flushed and she nodded, giving him the out to slide the ring on her finger. “It’s beautiful,” she said softly.
Jarred cleared his throat, his thumb caressing the tips of her fingers lightly. The ring suited her, the petite emerald cut with smaller diamonds along the side of the band. It wasn’t overly flashy but subtly beautiful, like her. He looked up and saw that she was watching him, her mouth parted slightly. He could kiss her. He should probably kiss her. But somehow, Jarred knew it wouldn’t stop with one kiss.
Kinsley was the one who broke the moment, pulling her hand out of his and standing. Jarred followed suit and they looked at each other awkwardly. “What’s the next step?” she asked, clasping her hands in front of her.
Jarred shoved a hand through his hair, frustrated at how the morning had went. He had planned this out in his head last night and it hadn’t looked like this at all. “We have dinner with my father tomorrow night. We need to come up with a plausible story on how we met and how long we have been dating. He will be surprised to see you there.”
“I agree,” she answered. “How about the summertime? We can say we met at the company picnic.”
“Did I attend the company picnic?” Jarred asked, not conjuring up that memory.
Kinsley pursed her lips. “No, I don’t think so, but neither did your father. Is that, I mean, was that after your other engagement?”
Jarred winced as a stab of pain shot through his gut. Bloody hell, when would that pain ever go away? “Yeah, it was after that.”
“Okay good,” she said hastily. “So company picnic it is.”
He nodded. “And we have kept it a secret because you didn’t want to be drawn into the limelight.”
“Yes,” Kinsley answered. “That is plausible. You can say the rumors of other women were just a way to draw the spotlight off our relationship. You don’t have photo evidence of other women right? That will kill this thing in the water.”
He winced. “Maybe. But most of my shit has been under wraps. Most of the stuff the paps have caught has been of me drunk. But there will be rumors …” He cleared his voice. “Lots of them.
“I should go,” she finally said. “Or I’ll be late to work.”
He nodded and walked her to the door, turmoil in his gut. “I—thank you for doing this,” he said as she stepped out into the hallway. “You don’t know how much you are helping me out.”
“We are both getting something out of this,” Kinsley answered. “It’ll be fine.”
Jarred started to say something else but closed his mouth and watched as Kinsley gave him a little wave, disappearing into the flat next to him. He was going to have to prove to his father that Kinsley was the love of his life. So why did that thought both excite and worry him? Bloody hell, he needed a drink and probably a psychological evaluation while he was at it. This plan was crazy as hell. But for the duration, he was laying off the booze. He needed a sharp mind to deal with this.
10
This was crazy. Kinsley looked at the bed covered with four types of dresses, some borrowed from Rachel, and wished that she could just back out of this whole deal. She couldn’t do this. Mr. Maloney was never going to believe that she was Jarred’s fiancée.
“I like the yellow one,” Rachel said as she sat on the bed, fingering the soft silk of the yellow wrap around Kinsley had just tried on. “It really makes your features pop.”
“I can’t do this,” Kinsley blurted out, overwhelmed. “He’s going to see right through this farce of an engagement and I’ll lose my job.”
Rachel gave her a sympathetic look. “Oh Kinsley, if anyone can do this, you can. Besides, think about the money. If I could do it, I would. It’s Jarred Maloney.”
Kinsley fell on the bed, rubbing her hand over her face. The diamond ring glittered in the light and she paused to look at it. Never in her life would she have thought she would be wearing a diamond like this. Or be engaged to Jarred Maloney of all people. She had thought about the day when she would meet someone special and wear a ring to signify their love but this ring, it didn’t feel the same for obvious reasons. With a sigh, she picked up the yellow dress. “I think it’s going to be this one.”
“Kinsley,” Rachel said softly, laying a hand on her arm. “I know this is going to be difficult and I’m here for you, regardless of what you decide. Maybe the money isn’t worth it. Maybe you should back out.”
Kinsley thought about the things she could do with that kind of money and shook her head. It would get her out of debt, help her never to worry about paying rent or whether she was going to finish her degree. With the money that Jarred was offering, she could forget it all. The weight would be lifted off her shoulders and maybe she could concentrate on her future, including her love life. Why was she having such a conscience about this? After all, it was Jarred that was deceiving his father and if she were sacked because of this, well, she was going to have enough money to float her until she could find another job. She could keep her carefully built life, the life she was comfortable with, by helping Jarred Maloney. It was far more than just money to her. It was her life, her future, and Kinsley was determined to ensure it all.
“Well I’m off,” Rachel announced as she climbed off the bed and grabbed her purse. “Don’t forget to pick up your bridesmaid dress from the tailor.”
“I won’t,” Kinsley replied, looking at the clock. She had two hours to get ready for the night of her life. “I’ll call you.”
“You so better,” Rachel said, giving her a little wave before disappearing down the hall. Kinsley waited until she heard the front door close before she climbed off the bed as well, picking up the yellow dress with a frown. It was too cheery. She wanted to look sleek, sophisticated and more importantly, look like she belonged on the arm of a billionaire. Putting the dress down, she picked up the black one instead. It was very unlike anything she would wear, one of the dresses that Rachel had brought over with her. Kinsley had dismissed it immediately, but now she knew she would wear it. With the right heels and jewelry, she could achieve the look she wanted.
Two hours later, Kinsley smoothed down the front of the dress, grateful for the shawl she had draped around her shoulders as she knocked on Jarred’s door. Tomorrow she would go back to her own flat as the fumigation was complete and hopefully own the place before the end of the month. But first, she had get through this night.
The door opened and she took in the dressy attire of Jarred, glad that she went with the black. “Wow,” he said as he stared. Leaning against the doorway with a grin on his handsome face, he muttered “You look great.”
“I—thanks,” she said nervously, feeling more exposed than great. The dress was a decent length, but the scoop neck had her boobs on display and no matter how much she adjusted, they were just there. She had left her hair down and applied minimal makeup, the shawl more of a cover-up than an accessory. “You look nice.”
He gave her a grin and pulled his door shut. “You ready?”
“As ready as I am going to be,” she admitted. They walked down the hall to the lift, Jarred pressing the button to call it to their floor before turning toward her. “You will be fine Kinsley. You’re a natural. My father will love you. I mean, he already does. You just have to convince him you love me too.”
“I hope he remembers that when he’s evaluating my job,” she joked. Jarred reached down and took her hand in his, the air sizzling around them as their bare palms connected. “Just breathe Kinsley,” he said right above her ear, his breath ruffling her hair. “And trust me.”
She nodded jerkily, her pulse pounding in her ears as the doors to the lift opened and they walked in. Jarred let go of
her hand and she forced herself to breathe as he pushed for the garage and the lift started down. She could do this.
The doors opened and he led her to a sleek car parked in the garage. “Is this yours?” she asked as he opened the door for her. The car itself probably cost more than she would make in her lifetime.
“It is,” he said as Kinsley climbed into the leather interior and he shut the door. She rearranged her dress and fumbled with her seatbelt as Jarred climbed in, shutting his own door and gunning the engine. He looked over at her and she gave him a smile, a flutter of nerves in her stomach. “Let’s do this.”
He nodded and they shot out of the garage and onto the dark streets of London. “Is there anything else I need to know about your father?” Kinsley asked, figuring she would use the ride time to prepare.
“Other than he’s a bastard?” Jarred asked with a chuckle. “No, you probably know him better than I even know him.”
Kinsley shook her head. “We rarely talk personally. Your father is all business, all the time.” He was a good employer though, giving her a nice bonus around the holiday time and time off when she needed it.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Jarred said as he turned down a long, winding road heading out of the city. “He’s not a very touchy feely type person.”
Kinsley wanted to say the same for the man next to her but kept her mouth shut. After all, they were to be a couple in love, not one that was fighting. “If you could be anything in the world, what would it be?” she asked instead.
Jarred’s jaw clenched as he sped up the car. “You mean besides the loser my father and everyone else thinks I am?”
