by Gina Drayer
But was a few bucks really worth selling my good reputation? Okay, a lot more than a few bucks. But still, was I really prepared to sell myself?
On a long exhale, I opened my eyes only to find my reflection still judging me. No. I can’t do it.
Determined to get as much distance between me and this building, I turned to leave, but my stupid, slick heel slipped on the polished floor. I braced myself for a hard fall on my ass, but a pair of strong hands caught me around the waist before I hit the ground. I looked up to thank my rescuer and came face to face with Cooper Reynolds.
I knew it was him right away. Not because I followed baseball, but because I’d spent the last few nights studying up on him.
The man I was selling my soul to.
He was even more handsome in person than in his pictures—if that was even possible. And he was a lot taller than I was expecting. At six foot, I towered over a lot of men, which always made it fun to date. But Cooper was several inches taller than me and had broad shoulders that made me feel small in comparison.
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
He glanced sheepishly at the phone in his other hand before sliding it into his pocket. He shot me a crooked grin and his chin-length dirty blonde hair fell into his face. That smile was probably meant to charm me—and would have worked under normal circumstances, but these weren’t normal circumstances.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I shook my head, trying to gather my thoughts. This had to be divine intervention, kismet, or something. This was my chance to talk to him first, without the contract or money muddying the waters.
He seemed nice enough. Maybe this could work. After all, Naomi had assured me that this deal would be beneficial to both of us. I had a vague idea of the trouble he was in, and understood how being attached to me would help his reputation. I just had to convince my brain that I wasn’t whoring myself out for the money. Perhaps, if I explained to him what the money was going to be used for and he understood how dire the situation was, maybe then it wouldn’t feel so dirty.
“Cooper, I’m so glad I caught you,” I said, and tried not to look as nervous as I felt. I dropped the stone back into my purse and extended my hand. “I’m Emily.”
“How’d you get through security?” Cooper asked and looked over his shoulder at the guard station.
Sighing, he turned back and gave me a quick once-over. His lips twitched, and instead of a handshake, he sandwiched my outstretched hand between both of his and brought it up to his lips.
“I’m sorry, Sweetheart. Usually, I make time for my fans—especially pretty ones like you, but I’ve got an appointment to get to.” He let go of my hand and stepped back, a practiced smile now in place. “I’ll sign something for you, though. How about that?”
Before I could say anything, he grabbed the notebook out of my hand, pulled out a Sharpie from his back pocket. With a practiced stroke of the pen, he signed the notebook’s pale blue cover.
It was an honest mistake. He was a famous baseball player and must get inundated with fans all the time. So I tried not to take offense.
“Oh, you didn’t have to… I mean, I’m not a fan…” He handed me back the notebook, and I stared stupidly at the sweeping letters scrawled across the cover. “I should have been clearer. I’m Emily Oliver,” I stressed my last name, trying to jar his memory. It was obvious he still didn’t know who I was, so I continued. “I run the Oliver Family Shelter in the East Village. Naomi contacted—”
“I’d love to hear about it, sweetheart. Really, I would, but I’m already late for this very important meeting,” he said with an eye roll. “Maybe another time.”
He continued on his path to the elevator, but before he reached the row of shiny metal doors, he turned and gave me a second look. This time, it felt more like an inspection than a casual glance, as though he were measuring and judging me.
My cheeks grew warm as his eyes trailed up and down my body. When he eyes mine once again, I shot him my best disapproving look and pulled my jacket closed. His smile widened, a flash of dimples peeking through his five o’clock shadow, and headed back my direction.
“I’m usually not this rude,” he said in a low tone as if imparting a secret. “Believe me, I’d much rather spend the evening with you. I’m sure the girl I’m being set up isn’t my type. You know the kind of girl that people say has a great personality.”
“What?” I asked, confused. And then realization dawned on me. Cooper was talking about me. Instead of calling him out on his rude behavior, I just stood there stunned with my mouth slightly open.
He must have mistaken my sudden silence for encouragement; probably imagining me as some star-struck girl that couldn’t form words in his presence. He winked and grabbed my notebook again.
“Here’s my number. Call me this weekend, and we can meet up. Get to know each other a little better.” The elevator door opened and he stepped inside. “I look forward to your call, sweetheart.”
The polished metal doors slid closed, and Cooper Reynolds disappeared from view. I was left staring at my reflection once again and rethinking this whole plan. But this time for a completely different reason.
I looked down at the notebook. His number was scrawled in big block numbers underneath his signature. I couldn’t help but wondered how many times he had done this before. Did women actually fall for this?
Of course, they did. He was sexy, rich, and famous. What woman wouldn’t want him?
Me.
3
Cooper
I was really off my game. Normally, I would have turned on the charm for the striking woman Manny had hired, Naomi Something-or-other, and had her on my side before we even sat down. But not today. This entire operation to rehab my image had me in a foul mood.
I still didn’t understand why they felt the need to completely overhaul my entire life. It wasn’t like I was some kind of pervert or a danger to others. I was just a guy enjoying the fame and money I’d worked my ass off to achieve.
So there I was on a perfectly good Friday morning, listening to a long list of my sins. I slumped onto one of Manny’s leather armchairs and choked down my coffee while actively ignoring the two of them as they planned out the next few months of my life.
I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this Naomi woman.
Peering over the coffee mug, I took time to study the PR specialist. She came from money. She was polished; designer clothing, expensive jewelry, fresh manicure. Not a hair out of place. But it was more than that. She held herself in a way that spoke of wealth.
She would have been classically beautiful if not for the scar that ran along her jawline marring her dark olive skin. But she was still sexy as hell in a ruthless kind of way. There was this hard, unyielding edge to the woman like she wasn’t about to take shit from anyone—especially not from me.
“I think we should schedule a couple interviews after the auction,” Manny said. “You know, draw some attention to the donation. A hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money.”
“People will notice. We don’t want to draw any additional attention to the donation. It’s about the story, not the money,” Naomi said. “If we schedule interviews it will look like a publicity stunt.”
“But we want good publicity, don’t we?” Manny asked.
“No,” she said flatly. “We want the world to think Cooper Reynolds was moved by passion to make that donation. That the lovely young woman caught his eye and he couldn’t help himself.”
“See,” Manny said, glancing over at me. “This is why you need Naomi’s help. I can see the headlines now.”
I rolled my eyes and went over to the bar. I wanted a drink, but instead, refilled my coffee. The clock on the coffee maker flashed the time, and I grit my teeth. The woman was already ten minutes late. So, not only was she going to be fuggly—she was rude as well. I only hoped she wasn’t hoping for something more. I don’t do long term and definitely not with someone my agent pic
ked out for me.
I flopped back onto the chair, hoping this charity chick wouldn’t show. That way, I could pick someone who suited me instead. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. Ten more minutes and then I was calling the whole thing off. Not a second more.
Just as I started to doze off, the door opened. Figured. I just couldn’t catch a break today. I don’t even bother to open my eyes.
“Emily, thank you for taking time out of your busy day to meet with us,” Naomi said, her voice losing that icy tone she’d used with me.
“Yeah. Thanks for coming,” Manny said. “Can I get you in some water or coffee? A tea?”
“I could really use a glass of water.”
The voice sounded vaguely familiar. I cracked open an eye and saw the pretty fan I’d been flirting with in the lobby. Or, maybe she hadn’t been a baseball fan after all.
This was the girl they were setting me up with?
“Cooper this is Emily Oliver,” said Naomi, and rose to her feet just as Emily took a seat at the small conference table. “Emily, meet Cooper Reynolds.”
“We’ve met,” I said, pulling out one of my full-wattage smiles. “What took you so long?”
Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad. She was just as pretty as I remembered. The dark blue wool coat she wore over a simple black dress hugged her body, showing off her curves. A sprinkle of freckles dotted her pink cheeks just below her big brown eyes. She didn’t wear makeup. Her full lips were pink and natural.
And frowning.
Strange. I tried to remember exactly what I’d said just before I got into the elevator. Nothing rude. Hell, I’d been charming. I’d even given her my number. In her lap, she had the notebook open to a blank page, concealing what I’d written on the cover.
What was I missing?
“Now that everyone is here, I want to go over the plan in more detail,” Naomi said, clasping her hands behind her back. “Emily, as I said on the phone, Cooper will donate a hundred thousand dollars to your homeless shelter. The donation will take place at a charity auction—a date with a bachelor or bachelorette kind of thing. This will act as the set up for your official meeting. It’s important that everyone thinks there’s an instant connection between you two. Right after the auction, you’ll begin dating.”
“I need clarification on that,” Emily interrupted, refusing to look at me. “What do you mean by dating?”
“It’s all here in the contract,” Naomi said and produced documents for both of us to look over. “There will be five public dates in total. That includes the Literacy Ball that’s right before Thanksgiving. Attendance to that is mandatory. That event is going to be filled with media. A perfect opportunity to get on page six. And to make things believable, there needs to be at least one overnight.”
This was my nightmare come true. Scheduled dates. Planned overnights? Judging from the way Emily held a hand to her throat, I could tell that she wasn’t excited about the idea either.
“I didn’t agree to an overnight.” Emily looked up from the contract. Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. “I’m not comfortable with that.”
“I’ll make sure you’re very comfortable at my apartment,” I said, unable to suppress the teasing tone in my voice. “Trust me, sweetheart, I’ve never had a dissatisfied customer.”
Naomi gripped the back of Emily’s chair, standing directly behind her as she spoke, so that Emily had to turn her head to look at her. “It’s important that you convince the media that this is a real relationship,” she said evenly, ignoring my crude comment. “The overnight is a must.”
“We’re not asking you to do anything you don’t want to do,” Manny said, quickly. His voice low and placating. Hell, my agent had never talked to me like that. “You don’t have to look at each other the whole night, and you don’t even have to go near Cooper’s bedroom. Or better yet, you could make Coop sleep on the couch while you take the bedroom. There’s a nice California King bed—it’ll make you feel like a queen.”
“I’m not interested in feeling like a queen,” Emily said, looking down at her hands. “I’m just trying to help people, but I’m not about to sacrifice my good name.”
“That’s why you’re perfect for this job,” Naomi said with a smile that sounded patronizing to my ears. “It’s your strong moral compass that is the key to Cooper’s image overhaul. You’ll make him look good just by being with him. Which is why it’s essential that you follow this plan to the letter.”
“My moral compass?” Emily turned her gaze towards me for the first time since entering the room and squinted her eyes as if trying to find something hidden. “Are you really in that much trouble?”
“He is,” Manny said with a sigh before I could answer. “But he’s also a hell of a ballplayer, and I think his career is worth saving.”
“I’m also good company,” I said, but couldn’t resist adding, “Especially when it’s cold out.”
She didn’t smile back at me. Not even a twitch of her lips, which bothered me more than it should. Couldn’t this woman take a joke? How was I supposed to make this work if she had a stick up her ass the whole time?
There was no way anyone with two eyes was going to believe that we were a couple.
4
Emily
The way he smiled at me when he realized who I was—not even a bit sorry about what had happened in the lobby—hit my last nerve.
There was no doubt about it: Cooper Reynolds was an arrogant, greedy, self-absorbed prick. I would happily take his money for the shelter—even if it meant going through with this stupid plan. I’m going to hate every second I had to spend with him, but I’d do it.
Tears stung the back of my throat, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from losing it. The tears weren’t because I was scared or sad. No, I was pissed. Pissed that the bank had turned me down for a loan. Pissed that the arrogant baseball player sitting across from me was treating this whole thing like a joke. Pissed that things had come to this.
If I’d been smarter with my inheritance. Invested more. Bought a building I could grow in. If I hadn’t given so much money away… No. There wasn’t a single dime I regretted spending. And while it would have been great to tell Cooper Reynolds where he could shove that contract and his money, I couldn’t. Because I’m sick and tired of turning away families.
“So now that everyone’s had a chance to look over the contract, do you have questions or concerns?” Naomi asked.
There was something about the woman that felt off. This was all just a business arrangement to her. Cold. Impersonal. But it was so much more.
“I just want to make a few things clear,” I said in almost a whisper.
Woman up, girl. Now isn’t the time to be timid.
I forced myself to look at Cooper to make sure that he understood exactly what I was about to say. “I’m fine with the overnight. But I’m not agreeing to anything physical between us. I’m dating you in name only, and that’s all. I understand that we’ll need to touch, hold hands, but nothing else. And—”
“This isn’t a contract for sex,” Naomi cut in. “But couples do more than just hold hands. It would be suspicious if you two never kissed.”
“Fine, kissing is okay.” My eyes flicked down to his lips. If the parade of women I’d seen on his arm in photos online was any testament to his skill, he was probably very good at kissing. The last thing I wanted to do was think about kissing the arrogant prick, but now I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Cooper’s lips twisted into a smile as if reading my thoughts.
“Kissing within reason,” I added, quickly. “However, I do have my own condition. I want Cooper to show up at the shelter’s annual Christmas Market. We raise money for youth activities, and we could use all the help we could get.”
“I’m already donating a small fortune,” said Cooper, making a face.
From the far end of the table, Manny slapped a hand on the table. “Done,” he says. “Anyth
ing else?”
“What the hell? Don’t I get a say in any of this?”
“Your terms are perfectly reasonable,” Naomi said, ignoring his question. “I’ll have my office draft an addendum to the contract. But for now, let’s sign the paperwork and be on our way.”
Naomi slid a pair of heavy Montblanc pens across the table. “I need you to sign a Nondisclosure Agreement. Both of you need to take this very seriously. You are not to tell anyone—not your best friend, not your mom. No one. Is that understood?”
I swallowed, trying to hold it together, and signed my name on the line. It felt like I’d just signed a contract with the devil.
With the NDA signed and all the negotiations done, there wasn’t any reason left to stay. I stood up and thanked Naomi. To his credit, Cooper stood too and reached out a hand.
At first, I didn’t extend my hand, leaving him to stand there awkwardly, the grin on his face faltering. But my mother had raised me to be polite. I sighed and extended my hand.
His large hand engulfed mine, and the very contact sent a shiver down my arm, lighting up every nerve along the way. I pulled my hand away quickly as if burned. I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually was because the room felt a full ten degrees hotter and a whole lot smaller.
The cocky smile Cooper had sported since I’d first walked in fell away and he stared down at his hand, brows creased.
Had he felt it too?
“We’ll talk again soon,” Naomi said, breaking the awkward silence. “Until then, Joni, the auction coordinator will be in touch.”
I made a weak excuse about an appointment and escaped the suddenly claustrophobic office. As I escaped the downtown office, I couldn’t stop thinking about the handshake.
How could I even be remotely attracted to someone like Cooper Reynolds? He was arrogant and self-centered. I wasn’t really attracted to him. It was probably simple biology. It had been too long since I’d had a steady boyfriend. And Cooper was handsome, especially with those dimples.
