No wonder he had a reputation for partying; it was an escape. I closed the page as a small blush crept on my face.
I shouldn’t pry into his life. He wouldn’t like it.
At noon, I pulled on the outfit I chose: a pair of black leggings and a sweater from Express. There was no way I was going out in a dress again in the middle of November. Thanksgiving was in a week, Natalie would have it off, and she'd double the effort to make me go with her this year. I kept my appearance simple with mascara and lip-gloss.
The black Mercedes rolled up against the curb at two o’clock sharp. The magical carriage has arrived to take Cinderella to the ball. Shrugging on my wool coat, I opened the door and entered the stinging air. The same driver from the night prior stepped out and opened the passenger door for me
“Thanks.” I beamed at him as I ducked inside the heated car. I would never get used to this.
He tipped his black cap. “Not at all,” he said.
The familiar feeling of being caught in a wonderful, absurd dream was overwhelming, and I giggled as he closed the door. A town car a billionaire hired whisked me away from my crappy apartment and its crumbling streets.
Don’t get carried away, I reminded myself. This could all end today, leaving me with nothing but memories.
The driver glanced at me in the rear-view mirror, and I wondered what kind of life he had.
“I never caught your name, sir.”
“It’s Jim.”
“I’m Jessica. Nice to meet you.”
My hands fidgeted in my lap. He was wondering why the hell Luke asked him to pick up a girl from a Section 8 apartment complex.
I made a few comments about the weather just to make the drive a little less awkward. The discussion changed to BART strikes, and we found camaraderie on the topic. Then I ran out of things to talk about.
“Whoa.”
A magnificent building loomed over us as Jim turned into the road leading to Opus One Winery. It sat on a deep green lawn elevated on all sides like a pyramid. Fields of grape vines surrounded the whole area. The cream-colored limestone made it shine like a small sun in the late afternoon.
The driver stopped the car in the winery’s parking space and opened my door. “Mr. Pardini will be waiting for you inside.”
“Thank you, Jim.”
What a beautiful place. Out of all the Californian wines, Opus One was the most hyped. If I could rate a wine based on how beautiful the winery was, Opus One would score a perfect ten. My heels echoed within the high-ceilinged walls after I walked through the massive brown doors and stepped into the winery. Like the interior of Mediterranean villa, it with golden light and colorful flowers spilled from vases. The rich architectural details on the archways mesmerized me.
“Can I help you?”
I turned to a woman dressed in a white blouse and black slacks.
“Yes, I’m supposed to meet Mr. Pardini here.”
“Oh, you must be Jessica. Please follow me.”
I followed her around the sweeping circular hall. The winery was like a giant disc, and she walked along a stretch of private room hidden behind glass doors. Above us was a huge dome where the sun filtered through the second floor’s terrace
My heart gave a sudden squeeze as I recognized Luke seated on a white leather sofa. Dressed in pristine khakis and a sky-blue sweater, he stared at a pile of paper alongside a glass of wine on the coffee table.
Definitely more casual and laid back than the night at the restaurant.
He didn’t notice us when we approached and only looked up when the woman rapped on the glass.
The same polite look flicked on his face as he waved me inside. Was it me, or was his smile strained?
Nervous energy and laughter bubbled from my throat as Luke stood up to receive me. I stopped thinking when his arm wrapped around my shoulders and his fingers lightly stroked my skin as if he’d done it a thousand times before. The shock ran down the back of my mouth like liquid heat.
When he spoke, I felt the vibrations through my body. “That’ll be all, thank you.”
The woman smiled and looked flustered as she left the room.
Well, good. Now I know that I’m not the only one who gets so affected.
Then he left me so abruptly that I felt like icy water was thrown on my face.
“Would you like wine?”
“Sure,” I said. I took the delicate stem he offered me, disguising my confusion by hiding behind the glass. The wine’s acidity balanced perfectly with the tangy fruit taste. I sat across from him on the couch while my heart hammered in anticipation.
Well, how did it go?
“Thank you for coming here, Jessica. The background check I ran on you was clear, but I do my own extensive research with my PI. I wanted to talk to you about what he found.”
He has a private investigator? God, this guy’s paranoid.
The wine was high in my throat no matter how much I sipped. I didn’t like the detached tone of his voice.
He folded his long fingers into steeples and looked at me. “Do you mind if I ask questions about your background?”
My gaze dropped, and I shrugged. “I guess not.”
"I know that you were a foster child and that you were transferred from a few homes. The reports mentioned that you had behavioral problems. I apologize if this is awkward, but I need to make sure you're… well-adjusted."
The wavering wine glass made a ringing sound as I set it down on the coffee table. No one ever invaded my privacy like this, and I didn’t know how to react. Luke took a flying leap over my comfort zone.
“Well, I didn’t have the most stable home life, so I acted out a lot.” I knew no one would ever adopt me, and my foster parents would eventually get sick of me, so I threw fits and smashed things to get me transferred as soon as possible.
He waited for me to elaborate, but there was no way in hell I would talk about my childhood.
“Okay, um… I contacted one of the foster parents you were with the longest earlier today. The Kramers. They mentioned that you were particularly—Jessica?”
Luke’s polite smile dissolved into horror as I crumpled against my will.
Bill and Shelly Kramer.
Their round faces swam in my mind. I felt their cruel hands on my flesh, twisting, hitting, and striking me. The belt whistled through the air. The terrifying sound of his leather belt slipping through the loops of his jeans. Their oldest son, Vincent, with his sweet, angelic face. They believed every word out of his psychotic mouth.
The pressure built from holding back tears made my forehead feel like it would explode.
How dare he spring them on me like that?
I wanted to kick the khaki and blue colored blob sitting on the couch.
“You talked to them? What did they—what’s wrong with you?” The last words erupted from my throat. “Do you think it’s okay to pry into people’s lives?”
He appeared in front of me. “It was all in the contract, Jessica,” he said in a kind voice. “You signed it. I do this for all my employees.”
The rage left me with overwhelming embarrassment. “I need to leave.”
I grabbed the door.
“No, wait!” He pushed it shut and used his body to block my path. I turned away, but he took my shoulders. He looked pained.
“Hey, listen, I’m sorry. Please don’t be upset. I know that what I did was way over the line. Please forgive me.”
It’s not his fault. He didn’t know.
I sniffed and nodded, allowing him to steer me back to the couch. I wiped my eyes as Luke sat down in front of me. His hands fidgeted in his lap, making him look as though I caught him stealing.
“I’m sorry for yelling at you. I didn’t know that was part of the contract. There are certain things I don’t like to talk about and my past is one of them.”
He nodded. “I understand.”
He leaned forward and snatched his glass, glad I calmed down. “I’m just going to cut to
the chase. I really need your help.” Luke gave me a sharp look. “Remember, all of this is confidential. You signed an NDA.”
“Just tell me what it is, already.” Some of the anger bit into my voice.
He looked nervous. He kept clenching his hands. "Yes. Right. Well, here it is. My dying father is threatening to write me out of his will unless I shape up and settle down. I'll lose my entire inheritance and my job unless I can convince him it's happening. The disease is advanced, so I'm short on time. I need someone who'll act like my girlfriend. We'll travel together, get photographed going out, and be in the same hotel rooms—though this relationship will be strictly professional. It's all an act."
Finally, everything was out in the open. He wanted me to kiss him in public, hold his hand, and make eyes with him.
Easy peasy. I would have done it for free.
He stared at me. “Well, say something!”
All of it seemed so unlikely. “Would your father do that?”
Luke huffed. "Yes. Absolutely. My uncle Dominic was the co-founder of Pardini Worldwide and each of his five children, my cousins, have shares. It would be a simple thing to write me out of the will, especially with the rest of the family hissing suggestions in his ear. Almost five billion would be distributed amongst them if I were kicked out. They would love it."
Five billion?
My head spun as I imagined a gladiator arena with Luke’s family dressed in business suits all fighting each other to the death. It almost made my foster family life look civilized. They must constantly be at each other's throats. Anyone would be driven mad by that amount of money.
The strain was livid on Luke's face; it curled his shoulders forward. "My father is a cruel, narcissistic man. I've worked hard all my life for the company, and I deserve this. I'll be damned if I let that bastard take it all away from me." He sighed and sank back into the sofa. "Sorry, it's just that I don't get to vent about him often."
I felt sorry for him. It must be horrible to live your life at the whim of someone with so much power over you. “I don’t understand—why don’t you get a real girlfriend?”
“It’s not that easy."
The deflated look on his face alarmed me. Did he have self-esteem issues? “You’re handsome and rich.”
“Notice how you added, ‘and rich’? It’s hard to find someone who likes me for who I am and not for my money. I can’t trust anyone. Besides, I have little time. I need to leave next week for London.”
Wow. I didn’t realize I could ever feel so sorry for a billionaire. “But you’re letting your father control your life.”
“No, I’m not. I picked you. I want him to think he’s controlling me. That’s when he’s the happiest.”
“Why did you pick me?” I blurted.
“Because you’re educated and pretty. And we seem to have good chemistry.”
My cheeks flushed, and he smiled at me.
He leaned in closer, refusing to let me out of his gaze. "I have to warn you, though. If we don't get along, we'll have to go our separate ways. I mean—we'll be together constantly. I know that this is a lot to ask for, and that's why I'm prepared to pay you ten thousand dollars a month."
My mind went blank. “I’m sorry, what?”
I couldn’t have possibly heard that right.
He smirked, knowing then he had me. “Ten thousand dollars a month.”
“Jesus,” I whispered.
Get paid an absurd amount of money to travel with the world’s most handsome bachelor? Yes, YES!
“But what would we tell people? How did we meet? Where did I grow up?”
We would have to fabricate a huge back-story. I doubted his relatives would think highly of an orphan coming from no money. I wondered if I could pull this off.
“We’ll figure out all of that stuff later. Will you do it?”
And I would visit London. I always wanted to go there. “Yes, I’ll do it.”
He slapped the desk. “Great! Well, it’s almost the end of the month, so I’ll pay you half of what we agreed. You can use it to buy clothes for the trip or whatever you want. I’ll get your plane tickets. We leave next week on Wednesday. I know it’s Thanksgiving, but it really can’t wait.”
I wouldn’t be able to plan the Thanksgiving meal for the soup kitchen. Who cares? “Don’t worry about it.”
It will probably be the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had.
I seized the contract in front of my nose. A few months was the intended duration.
“I don’t know how long my dad has, but I’ll renew it if he hasn’t gone yet.”
The cool, matter-of-fact way he spoke about his father's impending death made me feel uncomfortable.
Who am I to judge? I fantasized daily about slipping poison in my foster parents’ food.
Luke gave me the contract to sign, and my jaw dropped as he handed me a check made out to five thousand dollars. I held it as if it was made of glass and slipped it into my purse.
All in a day’s work.
“Thank you so much. You’ve no idea how much this will help me.”
“Likewise,” Luke said as he stood up. “Well, shall we?”
I took his offered arm, and he escorted me out of the winery. A golden ball of warmth burned inside my chest at his closeness. I caught myself in the reflection of the elevator doors and couldn’t believe it.
Damn, we look hot.
His arm snaked around my waist, and suddenly all the air left the room. Remembering I was supposed to act like his girlfriend, I fell against his chest, and his lips pressed against my head.
I had no memory of being held as though I was cherished. I got lost in the moment before Luke walked me all the way to the cars outside where dozens of people were getting ready to leave the winery. He gave a small wave to some of them, who waved back and did a double take. I could almost hear their thoughts: Who’s that girl with Mr. Pardini?
“My co-workers are still here. Perfect.”
His palm slid from my shoulder to grasp my hand. The path of his touch blazed such a trail, my desire for him flared up like a torch. I squeezed him, stunned by my body's response to him.
I tensed inside his hand as Luke made a beeline straight for two older men in suits standing near the curb. Oh, no.
“Mr. Blackwell, Mr. Brown. I hope you enjoyed today.”
The portly Mr. Blackwell smacked his purple lips. “Oh, it was wonderful!”
“Yes, quite,” Brown agreed. “And who is the lovely young lady?”
Luke’s admiring grin flashed toward me. “This is Jessica, my girlfriend.”
My cheeks probably looked as though they were on fire.
This is Jessica, my girlfriend.
Hopefully, they would think I was cold. Their rosy, smiling faces nodded at me as I shook their hands.
“I’ssa pleasure.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Are you ready to return to London?"
Mr. Blackwell’s face fell as he addressed me. “Am I ready to return to forecasts of endless, freezing rain? You Californians are spoiled rotten.”
“Jessica will accompany us to London. She’s never been outside the country.”
I never told him that, but he guessed right. He smiled at me, and I hugged my "boyfriend's" chest, beaming.
The two men looked shocked. “Is that so?”
“Yes, I’m very excited.” That wasn’t a lie; I couldn’t wait to go. It would be a blast and looking up things to do on TripAdvisor was the first thing I would do when I got home.
Luke glanced at the town car pulling up. “Well, Jessica’s ride is here. I will see you both next week.”
Completely out of my element, I was eager to leave the company of the two men. They acted fine, but it was nerve-wracking to be around them. What if I said something wrong? "It was delightful meeting you both."
Both men smiled as we walked away from them. Luke ducked his head close to mine.
“They’re old friends of my father.
”
Ah, so that’s why he dragged me over to them. Would they report my presence to Mr. Pardini?
We stopped in front of the town car and the driver got out to open the passenger door.
“I’ll see you next week.”
I felt a jolt of anxiety as I turned in his arm to tell him goodbye.
If I’m really his girlfriend, I should probably kiss him.
Blackwell and Brown peered at us. Luke's gentle hands pulled me closer until I could see the golden flecks circling his pupils. My heart beat so furiously against my ribcage I knew Luke could feel it pounding against his chest. Then his lips crashed against mine, and I felt myself soaring.
Holy shit. I felt nothing like it. So much heat, everywhere. I kissed him back eagerly, lost in the feeling of his lips and his hands wrapped around my waist. When he pulled away, I was surprised to see a smoldering look on his face.
Overwhelmed, I stepped back as he gave me a loving smile. The lack of warmth behind his effort punched my gut.
“Bye,” I croaked.
I ducked into the vehicle, and the driver closed the door. As the car rolled away, his expression dropped into a look of bored indifference.
My heart wrenched.
He almost made me believe that it was real.
5
“I still can’t believe you’re going to London before I am.”
Natalie watched me pack for my trip to Europe with a look of mingled jealousy and disbelief.
“Me too.”
When I got home from the winery, I couldn’t take holding it all back, and wound up telling Natalie everything. I made her swear a hundred oaths not to divulge anything to anyone ever on pain of death. She would find out soon because Luke made it clear the tabloids would print pictures of us together.
Sure enough, I found a blurry photo of Luke and I leaving Opus One hand in hand, with the caption underneath: Luke Pardini leaving Opus One with blonde bombshell. I laughed at that.
Blonde bombshell? Me? Yeah, right.
"So long as you keep your feelings in check, you'll be fine." It was evident from Natalie's tone that she didn't expect me to. "I really wish you weren't leaving before Thanksgiving. Won't your friends miss you?"
The Secret Arrangement Page 41
