Fiance by Fate

by Jennifer Shirk

  That was much worse. “You did?”

  “I misjudged the boy. He spoke very highly of you.”

  “He did?” Why am I so surprised? Of course he did. He’d just told her last night that he didn’t want anyone else.

  “Very highly,” Mrs. Metzger added.

  Silence fell between them for several long seconds, and Sabrina was left sitting on the edge of her seat. “And…?” she prompted.

  “They’ve started to paint this afternoon, so I let myself into your place and will be staying tonight.”

  “Huh?” Sabrina had totally forgotten she had agreed to let her landlady stay with her, but that wasn’t the information she was dying to hear. “That’s fine,” she replied, trying to control the edge in her voice. “But Mrs. Metzger, what else about David?”

  “Oh yes.” The woman chuckled. “I thought you might be interested in learning that despite all he said about you, he’s taking that friend of his to dinner tonight.” She seemed to pause for dramatic effect. “At the Ram’s Horn.”

  “The Ram’s Horn?” Sabrina cried. She glanced around the room to make sure no one had heard her outburst. That was their favorite restaurant. The restaurant where David had proposed to her. How could he?

  “Are you sure?” she asked. “Maybe you’re mistaken.”

  “I’m old, hon, but not deaf.”

  “It’s just I’m surprised…” Sabrina shifted and cradled the phone closer. That’s when she saw Jack moving across the main office with the coordination and grace of an athlete in his prime. The women he passed on the way to the mailroom were practically waving their pompoms in gratitude. It gave her an idea.

  “Oh, Mrs. Metzger, I could kiss you for this information!” she exclaimed, her eyes still focused on Jack.

  “Hon, you’re taking this better than I thought.”

  Sabrina was too wrapped up in formulating her plan to explain. “I have to go,” she told her. “But thanks again.” She hung up and glanced at the time. Almost two o’clock. She had time to get ready if she rushed home right after work. She would wear that black and white number she’d bought last week on Newbury Street. David hadn’t seen her in it yet. Studying Jack again, she figured he could just go as he was.

  Jack was perfectly put-together in his navy blue suit and bold crimson silk necktie. She wondered what David would think when he saw him. Jack definitely looked the part of the elegant new boyfriend. He stopped to talk to her friend Chris, and Sabrina’s gaze was automatically drawn to that slow, lazy smile of his. He had a sexy mouth, she decided, even more so when that dimple of his suddenly slipped out and made an appearance.

  Thank God she was sitting down because she actually felt a little weak-kneed at the moment. Then she realized she was no better than three quarters of the women in this city and deliberately turned her head.

  Okay, Jack more than looked the part. More importantly, Jack looked good enough to make her fiancé jealous—which was all she wanted him to do. Of course, there was a remote possibility a man like Jack would already have plans for tonight, but that was just too darn bad.

  She was his fake girlfriend. And they had a deal.

  Chapter Five

  As Sabrina and Jack walked into the restaurant, she smoothed the front of her black and white dress. It was a little skimpy for this time of year, but she’d forgo the warmth for the added attention she hoped to get from David. Casually flipping her hair from her shoulder, she scanned the room. Since it was Tuesday, only three quarters of the tables were filled, making the job a little easier.

  The Ram’s Horn sat along the Massachusetts Bay coast about two towns over from her apartment. The inside of the restaurant was decorated in a traditional decor of Chippendale furniture and brass chandeliers. A wood-burning fireplace and soft candlelight enhanced the formal open-spaced dining room. Not only was it voted “Most Romantic Dining” by Boston magazine, but the food was exquisite.

  They were shown to a nice table overlooking the bay, and giving one last glance around, she sat down next to Jack. “I don’t see David,” she whispered, picking up her menu.

  Jack straightened his tie and glanced at his watch. “Maybe we should have a drink before we order dinner then. It could be a while before he shows up.”

  “Oh, I don’t drink on weekdays. Only Fridays and Saturdays.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You even have a schedule for that?”

  “No,” she said defensively. “Not really. I just don’t like to drink on weeknights, because alcohol affects me more than it does most people.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  She caught the ominous gleam in his eye and waved a finger at him. “Don’t get any funny ideas. We’re here on a mission.”

  “True. But I think this mission would be more enjoyable for both of us if you could just relax.”

  Her palms were wet and her blood pressure was closely approaching stroke-range, but she still shook her head. “Oh, no,” she insisted. “I don’t want my head all fuzzy. I want to be in total control of what I say when David gets here. Everything has to be perfect for this to be believable.”

  He shrugged. “You’re the boss.” He picked up his menu and after a moment, lowered it again. “Do you eat here a lot? And if the answer is yes, my father is paying you way too much.”

  She let out a chuckle. “No. David and I would come here on special occasions though. This is where he proposed to me.”

  Jack cocked his head and regarded her thoughtfully. “So, how did you and Dr. Wonderful meet, anyway?”

  She folded her hands and smiled to herself, remembering as though it were yesterday. “I had ordered a pizza one night and when it was delivered, I didn’t have enough money. That in itself is very unusual because I always go to the ATM on Thursdays.”

  “Of course you do,” he muttered.

  She frowned. “Do you want to hear the story or not?”

  “Oh, I’m sure the best part is coming up, so please continue.”

  She smiled tightly. “Thank you. Anyway, as luck would have it, David happened to be walking by my door at that exact moment, and he gallantly stopped and paid the delivery boy for me. I invited him in to share it with me after that and we ended up talking all night. And the rest, I guess, is history,” she said with a light laugh.

  Jack stared at her over his menu. The smile that had been hanging on his lips slowly faded. “Is that it?” he asked.

  “For your information, it was very romantic.”

  “Yep,” he said, amusement lighting his eyes. “They don’t write romances like that anymore.”

  “Excuse me, Mr. Playboy-of-the-Month, but David was sweet and generous. Traits that are hard to find in some people.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” He leaned in as the corners of his mouth lifted. “Take out the office mishaps we’ve had, and you might think I was pretty sweet and generous too.”

  “I doubt that. You wouldn’t know a thing about putting someone other than yourself first. Not even your own father.”

  He frowned. “My own father?”

  “Yes. I mean, really, Jack, how could you?”

  Jack looked stunned at her outburst, but she couldn’t help herself. All the feelings she had pent up over how callously he treated his family brewed to the surface and bubbled over. “Family should be the most important thing in your life. It would be to me. When your dad was in the hospital last month, he needed you. I know because I was there and visited him. And where were you? In Los Angeles with your latest Tabloid Tallulah. You should have been there for him. It was despicable for you not to come home.”

  Jack’s blue eyes turned to ice, and for a second she almost became fearful of the change in them.

  “You,” he said carefully and slowly as if he was using every ounce of control he had not to lunge across the table at her, “know nothing about my family or my relationship with my father—or me, for that matter. You’re right that family is important, and you’re also right that I should have been there.
But you don’t know any of the circumstances that kept me away, so don’t for one second try to pretend you do.”

  She stilled. “Circumstances?”

  “Yes,” he said between clenched teeth. “I don’t know why I even feel the need to explain myself, but I can see that if I don’t, these issues are only going to sprout up again, so we might as well clear the air. Yes, I took some time off and went to California to see my girlfriend, who was participating in her first runway event for charity. It was important to her I be there. In fact, so important, she erased the messages I’d received about my father’s hospitalization. She didn’t think it was serious enough for me to leave, but—unlike you—knew I would. It wasn’t until my dad was about to be released that my sister managed to get ahold of me.”

  “Oh.” The heat on her cheeks sprung up as fast as a slap in the face. She dropped her chin to her chest and mumbled, “I didn’t know that.”

  “Obviously.”

  “I’m sorry, Jack.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Whatever.”

  “No, really, I am. I had no right to judge you like that.”

  “It goes with the territory. The stockholders probably thought the same thing. Why should you be any different?”

  She bit her lip. No, she wasn’t any different from them or anyone else, but the fact that Jack thought that about her made her feel small. “I’ll make it up to you.”

  “You don’t have to. However, if you insist, I think I might like where this is going,” he said with a small grin.

  She squelched a laugh, relieved that the tension between them had lifted. “I meant, I’ll do my best to help change public opinion of you.”

  Something in those blue eyes of his shifted as his gaze captured hers. “Actually, I hadn’t expected anything less than the very best from you.”

  Her cheeks heated, feeling unexpectedly touched by his words. “Thanks.”

  “You really are loyal to my dad, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am.” She didn’t hesitate in answering.

  “Even though he passed you over for a senior position?”

  “Well, I was a little surprised at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I can’t fault him for preferring his own son over me.” As much as she admired and respected the man, she knew blood was thicker than water. But it still hurt because he’d been like a father figure to her up until that point.

  Jack sat back, his eyebrows lifting. “Ah. I took the job you wanted. And here lies the real reason for the animosity you have toward me.”

  “Perhaps. Although your personality might have a little to do with it,” she said, hiding a smile. “On the other hand, your father has always treated me kindly, almost like a daughter.”

  Jack’s brows creased together in a dark V as he took a large bite of a roll and chewed. “I know my dad is great—there’s no denying that—but what about your own father?”

  She pensively ran a hand through her hair and glanced over her shoulder. She hated answering questions about her parents. Even after all these years, the wound still stung deep. No one could understand how much it hurt to lose them so suddenly and find herself so alone. She certainly didn’t want to share that information or anything else about herself with Jack. It was too personal, and she wanted to keep things between them as businesslike as she could. Thankfully, she was saved from answering when she saw David and the redhead enter the restaurant.

  Her head spun back around. “He’s here,” she said eagerly.

  Jack peered over her head and let out a low whistle. “Huh, your fiancé sure has some taste in women. First you, now her. Yet for some reason, I’m the one who always gets demonized. If that’s not media bias, I don’t know what is.”

  She looked at him incredulously. “Once again it’s all about you. Are you this way all the time or is this strictly for my benefit?”

  He chuckled. “I aim to please.”

  “Well, aim it elsewhere. You’re not helping matters.”

  “Okay, calm down and act as if you’re enjoying my witty banter,” he said, looking back out into the dining room. “They’re walking this way.”

  “Oh, dear,” she moaned. She wasn’t sure she could confront David. She was such a wimp. What was she going to say? She’d have to play it light and breezy. Pretend it was a total coincidence she and Jack ended up at the same restaurant on the same night.

  She took a deep breath. It was time to put up or shut up if she wanted him back. With all the muscle force in her face, she summoned up what she hoped was her most captivating smile—then said a quick prayer she didn’t have lipstick on her teeth.

  “Save it,” Jack told her. “They’re walking the other way now.”

  Her face immediately fell, and she let out a huge rush of air. “Where are they? I’m afraid to look.”

  “They’re sitting diagonally from us, across the room.”

  “Can they see us?”

  He looked at her. “I can see them, can’t I?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  He peered back up and nodded. “Your doctor can see us if he decides to look left.”

  Their waiter approached and they gave their orders. Jack ordered the filet mignon and she decided on the spinach quiche. Her stomach was in knots. She was sure she wouldn’t be able to eat a crumb, but she didn’t want it to appear as though she and Jack were there for any other reason than dinner.

  After the waiter walked away, Jack lifted his chair and slid closer to her. “We better look cozy,” he explained, when she slanted him a look.

  She remained silent and took a sip of ice water to calm her nerves. This was a mistake. She felt so pathetic. Why had she let Jack talk her into this whole scheme in the first place?

  What would her parents think about her sitting in a lovely romantic restaurant attempting to make her ex-fiancé jealous? Not only that, but with a man who was practically a stranger.

  She should accept her fate the way it was dealt, cancel her dinner order, and leave with her dignity still intact. With the kind of luck she’d been having, David wouldn’t even know she was there anyway.

  Resigned to throw in the towel and finally act like an adult, she turned to inform Jack she’d changed her mind. But before she could get the beginning of a syllable out, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. She panicked, afraid he was about to kiss her, and shoved him away. Hard.

  “What is your problem?” Jack asked, rubbing where her fist slammed into his chest. “You want David to be jealous. Remember?”

  “Making out in a public place is not what I had in mind,” she snapped. Although she was more angry with her own lack of control than anything Jack had done.

  Good Lord. She held a hand to her forehead and tried to regain some composure. It wound her up more than it should have to be held in Jack’s arms. Obviously, she hadn’t thought this thing all the way through. She’d told him she didn’t want to kiss him, but she hadn’t counted on having any real contact with Jack either—or him smelling so incredible.

  “Sheesh, I had no idea I was fake dating such a prude.”

  She slapped her hand on the table. “I am not a prude.”

  Jack held up his hands. “Hey, take it easy now. I’m just saying that it would have been nice to know ahead of time. I’m not knocking it, if that’s how you are. After all, different strokes for different folks.”

  The way Jack’s eyebrows lifted in challenge told her he was deliberately baiting her, but she couldn’t let it go. Her anxiety was through the roof and now mixed with her temper, it made for a bad combination.

  Without hesitation, she grabbed him by his Herculean shoulders and pulled him in. “How’s this for different strokes,” she fumed, then planted her mouth directly on top of his.

  Ha! She had taken him by surprise, all right. His jaw tensed and his arms froze at his sides. She’d show him who the prude was in this fake relationship. She pressed harder, parted her lips
, and gave him everything she had.

  It didn’t take more than a second for Jack to respond. His hands came up to the sides of her face, holding her steady as he took control of the kiss. There was a dreamy intimacy between their mouths now. His tongue touched hers, then moved, sliding slowly and easily inside her mouth. Seconds went by and— Oh. My. The man could kiss. She had been prepared for that, but not how surprisingly gentle his lips were. She was powerless to resist, and with a small sigh, she settled further into them.

  This is crazy. She was crazy—and in way further over her head than she’d realized. She clung to him, kissing him back, wanting him. Her instinctive response to him was overwhelming. Once again Jack surprised her. For a man who seemed to pride himself on no-nonsense actions in business, he sure took his time when it came to exploring a woman’s mouth. Blindly, her lips continued to follow his, and all thoughts of who she was kissing and even why flew out the window. She could barely remember her own name.

  Until she heard it called a short distance away. “Sabrina?”

  Her sanity returned, and she pulled away from Jack. Struggling to regain her breath, she closed her eyes, but not before she caught the troubled expression tattooed on Jack’s face.

  Well. Good.

  “Sabrina,” the voice said again.

  She blinked up. David stood a foot in front of her. The sight of his annoyed face quickly cut through Jack’s kiss-induced haze and brought her mind back to clear working order.

  Oh no. How long has David been standing there?

  Blood pounded in her temples. She tried to look pleasantly surprised, but she would have settled for just plain pleasant. Her feelings were bouncing all over the place, and she forgot how she was supposed to act.

  David’s gaze swung to Jack, eyeing him up and down as he spoke. “I’ve been trying to get your attention, Sabrina. I saw you and wanted to come over and say hello. Obviously, your attention was elsewhere.”

  Sabrina observed David with interest. He carefully straightened his already perfect tie and twice ran a hand through his fine blond hair. Both things she knew he did when his temper was stirred. However, she didn’t know if she should be doing cartwheels about that or calling it a night.