by Eva Luxe
“What’s up?” Tina asked.
“Nothing.”
“Harper, I know you. What’s going on? Is it Caden?”
I sighed and sat down. “He’s not being horrible if that’s what you’re asking. He’s actually being amazing.”
“Oh, no,” Tina said. “You slept with him.”
“How the hell did you get that from what I said?” I asked.
Tina laughed. “I can’t believe you slept with him! Was it good?”
“Oh, my God, Tina. I can’t tell you that.”
“You tell me everything. And I’m taking that as a yes.”
I chuckled. Tina was a great friend, not only because she was always there for me despite her busy family life, but because she knew me better than I knew myself.
“I think it’s a good thing that you’re letting your hair down a little.”
“I always let my hair down. Sleeping with people is not the problem, remember? It’s commitment.”
“Is he asking you to commit to him?” Tina asked.
“Not exactly,” I said. “It’s complicated.”
“So, tell me.”
Suddenly, I couldn’t see a purpose in keeping the reason I was here with Caden a secret anymore. At first we had been quiet about it because we hadn’t wanted it to come out. But Greyson knew, and I knew that Tina would never do or say anything to get me into trouble. And maybe she would be able to give me advice.
“I’m not really here for work,” I said.
“Then what? Are you there to elope with Caden?”
It was uncomfortably close to the truth.
“I’m here to pretend to be his fiancée.”
There was a moment of silence on the line as Tina digested what I was saying.
“What?” she asked, obviously confused. “Pretend?”
I was in the hotel lobby, and I didn’t want anyone to hear what I was saying. What if the wrong people were around? I stepped outside the hotel and started walking.
“He is about to inherit a lot of money from a deceased grandmother, but he needed someone to act as his fiancée. So I offered.”
“And you’re taking it seriously by sleeping with him, too?”
“That just happened, it wasn’t part of the plan.”
“Right,” Tina said. “You don’t sound like your plan worked.”
I sighed. “No, it didn’t. We pulled it off fine, pretending that we were in love and all that shit. But when we went back to sign the papers, the contract says that we have to be married within thirty days to be able to claim the money. Marriage, T.”
“Oh, wow,” Tina said. “That’s a big deal. Marriage?”
“Marriage.”
“And thirty days is fast. I assume you didn’t sign?”
“I can’t. Marriage is supposed to be a big deal. I can’t just sign it over like it’s nothing, you know? I know I’m not big on relationships, but marriage is serious.”
Tina thought about it for a moment. “I don’t agree,” she finally said. “If you’re serious about the person it’s a big deal, yeah. But this? This is only for money. It doesn’t mean anything, so why should the ceremony?”
“That’s my point. I feel like it should be sacred.”
Tina had been serious about me finding someone to be serious with for the longest time. This situation was the opposite of being serious. Nothing about what Caden and I were doing was real. Why was Tina so comfortable with that? Everything about this journey and the big step it expected me to take felt like something heavy. It made me realize how I felt about certain things like marriage and relationships when I hadn’t thought about them before.
But my best friend made it sound like it was something that could be shrugged off. That couldn’t be right, could it?
“I don’t know, Tina,” I said. “I feel like it should be sacred or something. Especially with how Caden is being about everything. He’s really sweet and caring, and attentive. He’s making sure I feel special and it means a lot to me. I’m getting to know a side of him I haven’t seen before and it feels wrong to marry him for the sake of money.”
I looked around me. While we’d been talking I’d walked quite far. I turned around and headed back to the hotel so I wouldn’t get completely lost.
“I think you should enjoy it while you can,” Tina said. “It’s a nice break away from work and it sounds like he’s treating you right. You can always get a divorce, later.”
Was marriage as fickle as a relationship where we could sign the papers and break it off again? When I asked Tina, she chuckled.
“Don’t think about it too much. It doesn’t have to be such a big deal. Enjoy him pampering you for a bit. You’ve never talked about another man the way you talk about him, so enjoy it. And when you’re ready, move on. It should be easy for you.”
Her words weren’t supposed to sting as much as they did. Tina was trying to give me advice and she meant it in the best way possible, I knew she did. I was good at moving on, after all. I had done it a million times without ever getting attached. But for some reason, this seemed different.
“Thanks for your advice,” I said, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice.
“Anytime, Harp. You know you can lean on me, no matter what. We’ll talk soon, let me know how it goes.”
We ended the conversation and I pocketed my phone. I made my way back to the hotel, mulling over Tina’s words. I wasn’t sure how I felt about what was happening, or why I felt different about Caden than I had with other men. Maybe it was the change of scenery and how it all seemed surreal. Maybe Tina was right, it was a marriage I could do and get divorced as soon as the money came through. People got married for a myriad of reasons other than love these days, right?
When I arrived at the hotel I went up to the room. I opened the door to find Caden standing in front of the mirror in a nice suit. I stared at him. He cleaned up extremely well. His blonde hair was combed back and he had shaved. His eyes looked bluer than usual without the hair flopping over his forehead and he was confident and upright.
And damn hot.
“Why are you all dressed up?” I asked. My first thought was that maybe he was going out on a date and my stomach sank. It caught me by surprise. I’d never cared about what the men in my life did before.
“Because I’m taking you out on a date,” Caden said.
“Me?”
He nodded. “Who else? I ordered a dress for you from the front desk. Get ready, our reservation is for nine.”
I was stunned. Not only was I surprised that Caden was going to take me out but he was going the distance. He had dressed up, he’d made reservations and he’d found a dress for me.
“Go on,” Caden said, when I didn’t move. He gestured to a plastic dry cleaner bag on the bed. I walked over and unzipped it. My, he had taste.
“This is amazing,” I said.
“I bet it will be more amazing when you’re wearing it.” Caden winked at me before he excused himself and left the room. I locked myself in the bathroom with the dress and climbed into the shower. I washed my hair, shaved, and put lotion on my body when I was done. Enjoy him pampering you for a bit, Tina had said. I was planning on doing exactly that.
I combed out my long red hair and blow dried it before pinning it up. I put on smoky makeup that brought out the green in my eyes and put on a deep red lipstick that looked shocking and rich against my pale skin. I had brought black lace underwear which seemed appropriate for the occasion. Finally, the dress.
It was a sexy version of the classic little black dress. It was entirely made of lace, with nude material along the bodice and where it mattered. When I put it on, it looked like my skin showed through the lace everywhere, but I was actually covered up. The dress fit like it had been made for me, hugging my curves. I turned around, looking over my shoulder.
Perfect.
I unlocked the bathroom door and walked out into the room. Caden was still gone. I found the black heels I had packed and they were great with
the dress. I walked to the full-length mirror and checked my reflection again.
The door opened and Caden stepped in. He froze when he saw me. He looked me up and down, his gaze sliding over me like a physical touch, and I blushed. I felt self-conscious when he looked at me that way.
Caden looked me in the eyes again. “Wow,” he said. “When I asked them to send it up I couldn’t have imagined it would look this good on you.”
“You have good taste,” I said.
“I do,” he said with a grin, but his eyes were intense and I had the feeling he wasn’t talking about the dress when he said it. I blushed again and he chuckled.
“These are for you,” he said, holding out some flowers. I took them from him with a smile.
“They’re beautiful,” I said. “You’re really going all out with this.”
Caden nodded. “You deserve to be spoiled a little. Not only for all the hard work you put into the restaurant, but because you’re being so great about the inheritance money. And because I don’t want you ever to feel like you’re just a piece of ass to me.”
I smiled. “I don’t feel that way.” I had been the one to instigate sex the first time after all. The second time had been mutual, but I’d never felt at any point that he was only using me.
“Still,” Caden said, “I want you to feel as special as you are.”
He was laying the compliments on pretty thick. I wasn’t sure why he was being so nice, but I had to admit that I liked the attention he was giving me. I liked the way he looked at me and I was curious about what he had in store for the night.
I had never been treated the way Caden treated me before. I had gone on a few dates, but the men usually either expected sex afterward—which I had been happy to provide before I never saw them again—or they had been complete assholes. Having Caden treat me like this was a breath of fresh air.
In movies, I always saw men treat women the way they deserved to be treated. But I had told myself it was all fiction. It was what made movies so attractive and was something we all wanted but could never have.
With Caden, it was different. It wasn’t a move, which made it all seem even that much more surreal.
Chapter 17
Caden
Harper stood before the mirror wearing the dress I had ordered for her when I walked back into the room. When I saw her, my mind went blank. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her hair was pinned up and she had done something classic with her makeup that made her green eyes look larger and brighter than ever before.
And that dress on her. Fuck. She was a vision in black lace. When I had seen the dress in a boutique window I’d thought she would look fantastic in it, but I never would have dreamed she would look this good in it. She wore the dress like she was doing it a favor. It was like the dress had been designed especially for her. And better still, she knew she looked good.
Harper’s entire attitude had changed now that she was wearing the dress. She carried herself with more elegance and grace than usual, and her legs were long and slender, emphasized even more by the black heels. Taking her out looking like that would turn every head in town, and I would be proud to have her on my arm.
I was always proud to have her with me, but looking like this, I was a lucky, lucky man.
Earlier, when I had put on the suit while she was out on a phone call, she had looked surprised to see me dressed up. I didn’t usually dress up like this, but I had to admit it felt great, especially when she looked so good. I liked matching her. It was clear that whatever her conversation had been about had gotten her down. I could guess what it had been about, but now she looked excited, curious and bright. When I had told her I wanted to take her out she had seemed surprised that it was her I was planning on spoiling. Like she had thought I would find another woman while I was here with her. As if any other woman would compare to her.
“What is all this about?” she asked.
“I want to take you out to dinner,” I said. “I want to give you a taste of the fancy life you and I could have.”
Harper frowned. “The life we could have?” she asked. “Caden, I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Don’t think about it,” I said. I hadn’t meant to push her and make her shut down again. “Let me say it differently—I want to spoil you.”
She relaxed when I changed my sentence and I let it slide. I wanted to show her that I could make her happy if she decided to be my wife, but it had come out all wrong. I didn’t want her to think that this was about the money. It was about Harper. I was starting to realize that I liked her. I more than liked her. I wanted to be with her and I didn’t want to fake it. But I couldn’t say that to her outright. We had known each other for a year, but it had only become more over the past week. I couldn’t just tell her that I had changed my mind about her.
I couldn’t tell her that I wouldn’t mind at all if she ended up being my wife for real.
So, instead of telling her what she was starting to mean to me, I wanted to show her.
We headed out of the hotel and climbed into the car I had ordered for us. It was a fancy car, something better than I would have ordered for any other occasion. The car was black and the driver opened the doors for us so Harper and I could slip into the backseat. The door closed behind us with an expensive clunk and a moment later the engine purred to life.
“This is amazing,” Harper said, running her hand over the leather seat.
“It is,” I said, but my eyes were on her. When she realized I was looking at her, she blushed. She was so fucking beautiful when she blushed, I just couldn’t get enough of her. I couldn’t get enough of making her blush, of making her cheeks flush and her eyes sparkle. I loved seeing her shy smile and watch her eyes slide to the side when she didn’t know how to respond to what I was saying.
The car pulled up in front of a five-star restaurant. It was one of the best in LA according to every review I’d read. I climbed out of the car and offered Harper a hand. When we stood, I offered her my arm and we walked to the door together.
We were soon taken to the table I had reserved and sat down.
“This place is incredible,” Harper said, after we had sat down. I had to agree. The place was decorated with light wood, white finishes and sunken lights that gave the dining room a romantic feel. Soft music floated from invisible speakers, and the waiters wore silver waistcoats and polished shoes.
We ordered wine and appetizers, then started talking.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” I said, after we had been on the topic of love and relationships for a while.
“I guess,” Harper said, but she seemed suspicious.
“Why have you never had a boyfriend?”
Harper took a sip of her wine before she answered. “I guess I’ve never needed one. I’m my own person. I have my own life and it seems pointless to have to answer to someone else when I’m perfectly happy on my own.”
I nodded, though I didn’t think she was telling me the full story. It wasn’t that I thought she was lying, there was no question she was an independent woman. But there had to be more to the story. Maybe she didn’t even know it herself.
“And if you met the right person?” I asked.
Harper pulled up her shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess it would be different, then. But I haven’t been on a lot of great dates, to be honest. Oddly enough, my time with you, where it’s all been fake, has been a lot more fun than anything that was supposed to be real.”
I chuckled, but I didn’t tell Harper what I was thinking. This might have all been pretending up until now, but it was becoming real to me. I had hoped by asking about the ‘right one’ that the conversation would steer in a direction where I could tell her that. But it hadn’t gone that way and I didn’t know how to do it now.
Instead, I would just have to keep showing her how I felt about her.
The rest of the night was wonderful. The appetizers were amazing, the entrées excellent, and the
desserts couldn’t have been better if angels had crafted them. I had told Harper I wanted to show her a taste of what life could be like, but I was getting a feel for what it would be like, too. I really wanted that money now.
There was still no question in my mind which I would choose if I had to pick between Harper and the money. She was very quickly coming to mean a lot more to me than I had expected, and even though I wanted that money, I wanted her more. Money didn’t mean nearly as much to me as a meaningful relationship.
Harper was terrified about the contract clause about getting married to get the money. It had caught me off guard, too. I had thought that proving to Danbury we were engaged would be enough for the man to assume belief we were getting married and hand over the cash. I hadn’t thought that Danbury would think that someone might fake an engagement to collect. Maybe that happened a lot.
When I’d found out about the marriage requirement and had some time to think about what it would mean, I hadn’t freaked out about it. I realized that I didn’t hate the idea of being married to Harper. That was when I finally admitted to myself that I had feelings for Harper, and that she had become more to me than just the colleague she had always been. Harper was scared of committing to me for the sake of the money. I was more than happy to jump into it because I knew that with Harper, I would live a good life.
Finally, after a fabulous dinner, I paid the bill. It was expensive but I was happy doing it. Harper had deserved a night like this. Not only because of how hard she had worked for me the past year, or because she was doing this for me, but because of who she was. A woman as special as Harper deserved to be loved, spoiled and pampered all the time.
I called the driver to pick us up from the restaurant. Once we were in the car again, Harper looked out the tinted window at the city passing by. She was quiet, deep in thought it seemed. I took her hand in mine and she looked down at our hands before she turned her face to the window again. I noticed she’d had only one glass of wine at dinner. She had something on her mind.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
Harper looked at me and smiled. It was a beautiful, pure smile. She didn’t look worried or stressed, or like she was trying to hide something from me. Whatever was on her mind, it wasn’t going to mess this night up for us.
