The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc Book 3)

by Avery James

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Jack said. "The primary is still months away, and the election is next fall. A lot can happen in a year."

  "Like an engagement, a wedding, and months of campaigning," Callie said. She turned her attention to Charlotte. "And who knows, by the time you're sworn in as the next Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, maybe the two of you will have fallen in love for real."

  "I don't think that will be an issue," Jack said.

  Amy and Callie shared a private smile. "Stranger things have happened," Amy said. "In any case, we've crafted an exit plan for the two of you, one that will reflect well on both of you while allowing Charlotte to return to some level of anonymity. Although, Charlotte, we should be clear that you will almost retain some small level of celebrity. We've written up a short summary of the plan. Of course, it won't be included in the official agreement."

  All of this made Charlotte's head spin even more than the kiss had. She didn't know what to say or do. The Haven sisters were literally outlining the next several years of Charlotte's life, dictating her sex life, her image, even her name, Charlotte Coburn. Their short-term deal had turned into a life sentence.

  Charlotte Coburn. She hadn't considered it before. It had all seemed like such a simple proposition: spend some time pretending to be married while figuring out what to do with her life. But this was years. This role would become her entire life, her whole identity. She would always be Jack's wife or Jack's ex-wife. She would become Mrs. Jack Coburn. She'd have to follow the plan someone else had laid out for her. She'd have no say. She felt numb and panicked and out of breath, and she needed a minute to think. She could tell that Amy was still talking, but she couldn't hear a word.

  Charlotte focused all her energy into pushing herself back from the table. "I can't do this," she said.

  "Charlotte, if you're serious, we can call this whole thing off. Our friendship and your wellbeing come before anything else, ok? But, I really think this could be good for you."

  "I just need some air," Charlotte said. She felt lightheaded. Why did I think this would be easy? she wondered. She felt off-balance.

  "Jack needs you to do this. People are counting on you," Amy said.

  "I just need some air," Charlotte repeated. She needed to regain her balance. She needed to process. She felt a hand on her shoulder, Jack's hand. His touch was like a tether that kept her from floating off in a cloud of worry and self-doubt.

  "Give her a break, guys," Jack said. "This is a lot to take in." He locked his eyes on Charlotte. "It's a lot for me to process too. Are you ok? You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

  Charlotte reached down for the binder and pulled back from Jack. "I don't need you to protect me," she said. "I just need… I don't know. This is my life we're talking about. For all of you, everything just goes on as it did. I'm giving up my entire life. It might not seem like much, but it's mine. I made it, and I'm not exactly looking to throw it away."

  "It's my life too," Jack said. "Just tell me what you want. We spent a whole weekend talking about marriage, but I have no idea what you want from one."

  "A partnership, a relationship. I'm not asking you to be my boyfriend, or anything like that, but if I'm going to spend years of my life as Charlotte Coburn, I need something more than a contract and a pile of money."

  "Of course," Jack said. He shot a glance at Amy. "Does anyone have a problem with anything she said?"

  Callie and Amy shook their heads back and forth in unison. "No," they said.

  "I told you she'd only agreed to do it on her own terms. Where did all of this come from?" Jack asked.

  "We're not holding a gun to anybody's head," Amy said. "If there's anything you don't like in the contract, Charlotte, we can redraft it. Let me just say, though, that handling these sort of details is our job, and it's something we're both very good at."

  Callie nodded. "We made sure both parties are treated very well in the current version. I'm so sorry if we overwhelmed you, Charlotte."

  The tension had been building inside Charlotte since Callie had first mentioned the idea of a marriage of convenience at the bachelorette party, and it had finally become too much to bear. She felt like she had been holding her breath for a month. She exhaled slowly. "So what do we do now?" she asked.

  "How about a first date?" Jack asked. "We can get dinner and figure out whether or not we can lay the groundwork for a relationship."

  As Charlotte thought it over, Amy placed her Hermès purse on the table and started to root through it. "How's this for a deal? Callie and I won't stick our noses into your relationship."

  "What's the catch?" Jack asked.

  "I can't do anything to help you two figure out your relationship, but I sure as hell can make sure you look good while you do it." Amy pulled a black credit card out from the purse's depths and handed it to Callie. "Consider this my way of saying I'm sorry for pushing things."

  "I'm not sure I understand," Charlotte replied.

  Callie laughed. "It means we're going shopping."

  Chapter 6

  Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror, turning in circles as Callie stood back and nodded her approval. Charlotte had always considered herself fashionable, but when she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt like she was looking at a stranger. Her usual idea of fashion was wearing a scarf. This little black dress was more… aggressive than something she could have ever chosen on her own, let alone afford.

  Usually she'd wear whatever she thought was nice but unassuming. She owned a lot of blouses, and a pencil skirt was about as racy as she got. This dress, on the other hand, hugged and accentuated all the curves of her body. As Charlotte looked at herself, she couldn't believe what she saw. She looked good. She looked hot. Normally, she would have second-guessed every choice, but tonight, she hadn't had the chance.

  "Damn," Callie said. "You've been hiding that body the entire time we've been living together?"

  Charlotte laughed. "Oh, shut up," she said. She took another look at herself. She had to admit that the dress fit well. Callie hadn't allowed her to look at the price. She had just handed Amy's card over and gone off to look at shoes.

  "We should have done this at my apartment, you know, one last time before the lease is up," Charlotte said.

  "I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Callie said. "Amy and I picked up the lease. Since I'm technically still on it, I was able to re-up."

  Charlotte stopped looking at herself in the mirror and turned toward Callie. "You shouldn't have done that. You really shouldn't have done that."

  "It's no big deal," Callie said. "You and Jack will move in together, and I already have someone willing to sublet."

  "That should have been my decision." Charlotte placed her hands on her hips.

  "I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought you'd be happy."

  "I specifically told you that I would take care of it."

  "You said you didn't want me to worry about it, and now I'm not worried about it." A loud buzz from the hallway intercom cut their conversation short. Callie clapped her hands together. "He's here! He's not going to believe how good you look."

  "We're not done," Charlotte said as Callie headed for the stairs.

  "Yell at me after your date," Callie called back.

  Charlotte stepped into the ridiculously high heels Callie had insisted on buying for her as well. Charlotte hadn't asked how much they cost. She just knew that they were expensive. Her legs looked longer. Her thighs looked thinner, and she felt slightly off-balance, like she was standing on stilts. If the whole marriage plan didn't work out, she could at least sell off the outfit and wipe out a chunk of her debt.

  Why Callie was so excited, Charlotte didn't know. With her first step in the heels, the novelty of looking at herself in a designer dress wore off. Instead of excitement, she felt dread. Everything was moving too quickly, and she was just going along with it. She needed to take control of the situation. She needed to take control of h
er life. Then again, she hadn't used that control back when she had it. She had let herself fall into this situation. She had allowed Amy and Callie to talk her into trading her own very personal troubles for Jack's very public ones. And now, she was staring at a stranger in the mirror, one in a designer dress.

  Charlotte closed her eyes and focused on her breath for a moment. One thing at a time, she thought. This was her last chance to walk away from it all unscathed, the last time to opt out and avoid all the trouble of cameras and gossip and the terrible weight of living a lie.

  You can do this, she assured herself. Dinner and a dress are one thing, buying into the rest of it is another. Remember, you're still you. You like books, and guys who watch foreign films and laugh at your jokes about Evelyn Waugh. Jack is not that guy, and he doesn't have to be. You're just doing a favor for a friend. Nothing has to change. You're just giving yourself enough time to figure out the next step.

  She opened her eyes and looked at herself again.

  See, you're still you. Maybe you just need to think of this as a job that's going to help you pay off all your debt. You'll be set for life, and all you have to do is live the job for a while. People do it all the time — lawyers who work a hundred hours a week for years, doctors who go through grueling residencies — and you don't even have to do that. You just have to smile and sign a marriage contract and go with the flow until you're offered a generous severance package.

  Charlotte's literal next step was still a bit more wobbly than she would have liked. The stiletto heels weren't exactly as stable as the flats she normally wore. As she headed down the hall, she felt like she was walking down a runway. When she made it to the top of the stairs, she decided to slip the shoes off and make her way down barefoot.

  Jack was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Sure enough, he was wearing a blue suit and looked as good as ever. He had just a hint of stubble on his chin. As he looked up at her, there was something welcoming about his expression, something serene.

  Why do people always describe eyes as piercingly blue? Charlotte wondered. There was nothing hard, nothing penetrating about Jack's gaze. It was warm and comforting. It drew her to him. That little bit of eye contact made her feel like she knew him, like she could trust him, like he was taking her into his world. It was easy to see how he managed to charm voters into electing him at such a young age. It seemed strange to her that Jack was both the cause of so much of her inner turmoil and also the only person who made her feel at ease.

  Charlotte slipped the shoes back on and took a quick look at Jack and the crisp lines of his navy blue suit. While Charlotte felt like she was wearing a costume, Jack looked like he was made to wear a suit, like when he got undressed at night, he simply got into another suit and went to bed. She had always thought that guys were the ones who had trouble dressing up for dates. Suit and tie was probably more comfortable than casualwear for Jack.

  "Wow," Jack said as Charlotte made her way across the foyer, "you look unbelievable."

  "Why does everyone have such a hard time believing I can look like this?" Charlotte asked.

  "You'd better get more comfortable hearing compliments," Jack said, "because you're going to get many. I don't want to rock the boat though, so I'll just try my best to make fun of you." He held out his arm. "Come on, Red, there's a new molecular gastronomy restaurant called Curio a few blocks away. I thought we could walk."

  "I had enough trouble walking down the hallway in these heels," Charlotte said.

  "I'll catch you if you fall," Jack said. He grinned. "And maybe even if you don't."

  As they walked down the quiet, tree-lined streets toward the main road, Charlotte stared down at the sidewalk and focused on not tripping on the uneven bricks. Old-fashioned street-lamps cast warm yellow pools of light over the sidewalks and the brownstones of the narrow street. Tree roots pushed up through the pavers, and tiny front-yard gardens spilled out through wrought iron fences. Charlotte steadied herself against Jack and he wrapped his arm around her. Charlotte barely realized it had happened. It just felt so natural. She couldn't help but wonder why none of her real dates had ever been anywhere near as romantic as the route to the restaurant on Jack's arm.

  "I really meant what I said back there. You look incredible. If you had been wearing this dress at the wedding, I don't think anyone would have paid any attention to the bride. Who knew you were holding out on me?" Jack asked.

  "Holding out on you? Is that how it is?" Charlotte said.

  Jack shook his head. "You know, in my mind, that sounded like a compliment. Let me try that again. You look wonderful. Somehow, you look even better than you did at the wedding."

  Charlotte smiled. "You know, you look pretty good yourself. I just hope your taste in food is as good as your taste in suits."

  "I have over a dozen identical versions of this suit, save for the different shades of blue. I'm pretty sure if I die, they'll bury me in it. I didn't even choose it. A consultant did. The poll numbers showed that people found me more trustworthy in blue. Why that would be the case, I have no idea."

  "So, do you make every decision in your life based off of polls?"

  "Just the ones I'm too cowardly to make on my own," Jack joked. "Some choices are better left to other people. I don't care what brand or cut of suit I wear. It makes no difference in the lives of my constituents. Sure, it might get some press in some magazine or fashion blog somewhere. It might catch someone's eye, but it doesn't really matter."

  "Ah, I see. So the unimportant stuff, like your love life, you leave to professionals."

  Jack shot her a look.

  "I didn't mean that," Charlotte quickly added. "I'm just saying, do you really think your love life is that unimportant?"

  "I don't believe in love, not for people like me anyway," Jack said. "I don't have time for a personal life. I'll leave that to the rest of my family."

  "I'll pretend, for your sake, that I believe that," Charlotte said. She could tell that he was annoyed. Jack looked like he was either trying to frown or posing for a picture. "So you're a martyr? Taking one for the proverbial team?" If Jack could push her to speak in public, then she could push him to admit that he had a capacity for a real relationship. She didn't believe for one second that Jack didn't want love.

  "How about you?" Jack asked. "Why haven't you found your true love already?"

  Charlotte sighed. "I have. He just happens to be two-hundred years old and fictional, but he has an incredible wit."

  Jack laughed. "Just so you know, I'm perfectly capable of handling my own life and making my own decisions."

  Charlotte decided to needle him a little bit more. In the half-light of the streetlamp, she could almost convince herself that she was on a real date. "I bet you have tonight all planned out according to the data."

  "Is that right?"

  "Yeah," Charlotte said. "We'll go to the restaurant, whatever it was called."

  "Curio," Jack added.

  "Curio. You'll hold my hand and open the door for me. Someone will snap a picture of you being a gentleman, and then you'll walk me back here tonight and manage to get caught giving me a kiss on the cheek. Tell me, what did the polling data say about the best light for photographing redheads?"

  Jack blushed a little bit. "I don't think you give me enough credit."

  "Surprise me," Charlotte said.

  Jack paused and looked up and down the street and grinned. He reached over and grabbed her hip, pulling her chest to chest with himself. He leaned back against a wrought iron fence, and pulled her with him. She felt his hands on her back, and she swooned as the quick shift sent her full weight against him. And then he kissed her, his lips warm and smooth, his tongue just tickling the edge of her bottom lip, enough to send a shiver up her spine and make her kiss him back. The rush of endorphins and the pleasant buzz of excitement hummed inside her. Charlotte closed her eyes and floated on the warmth of that kiss. The feeling lingered until she took a breath and straightened up.

>   "Well, that's one way of surprising me," she said, still in shock that he had kissed her. She tried to straighten herself up without looking dazed in delight.

  Jack kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. "Photographers were on the other side of the street, and if I'm not mistaken, I think you enjoyed that." His mouth moved from her ear to her lips, and he kissed her again.

  "Oh," Charlotte said, not sure what words could match the mixture of disappointment and embarrassment she felt at the moment. She lightly bit his lower lip.

  She was not amused. How hadn't she noticed the photographers? Had they been followed the entire time? Even knowing someone was watching and that this was all an act, Charlotte couldn't help but lean into Jack a little more, savoring the warmth of his embrace.

  I'm just playing a role, she tried to convince herself. He knows that. I know that. She just wondered how long it would be before she knew whether Jack felt the same pull that magnetic attraction drawing them together no matter how much they tried to deny it.

  Chapter 7

  Jack stood in the doorway of Curio and looked over his shoulder. You shouldn't have done that, he told himself.

  Luckily Charlotte had bought the line about the photographers. There were none, at least not yet. Amy had arranged for them to show up at the end of the meal. They'd get "a few cute shots" of him and Charlotte sharing a dessert. He felt terrible about lying to her like that, but he hadn't been able to help himself. She had been daring him to kiss her, but that look of disappointment when he lied about the photographers leveled him. Making out on the sidewalk wasn't exactly part of the original plan, but he hadn't been able to help himself. Charlotte just had a way of getting under his skin.

  And that kiss.

  It was good. It was really good. It had taken all of his willpower to bail out and whisper into her ear, but he knew he had to. He knew that he had to chill the momentum and stop himself from doing anything stupid. He had asked Amy and Callie to find him a wife so he could avoid situations like this.