Fiance for the Night

by Melissa McClone

  Her mother sounded so serious. Cassandra narrowed her eyes. “What?”

  “Your father and I have had several discussions about this weekend’s sleeping arrangements.”

  This, she could handle. Cassandra smiled. “Let Troy have the guest room. I’ll sleep in my room.”

  “That’s what your father said, but I don’t want Troy to think we’re, well, prudes.”

  “Troy won’t think that” Cassandra tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “This is your house and while we’re staying here we’ll follow your rules.”

  “You sound so grown-up, sweetheart.” Vanessa smiled. “I’m so happy you found someone like him. I don’t want to do anything to, uh—”

  “Screw it up.”

  “In a manner of speaking, yes.” Her mother looked uncomfortable at the choice of words. “You’re old enough to make your own decisions.”

  Now that Cassandra had found an acceptable fiancé, she could make her own decisions without parental interference. It boggled her mind. She ran a successful bookstore, paid all her bills, visited her dentist every six months and still received no respect. But bring home a handsome male and bam—she was an adult. Maybe she could market the idea of make-believe fiancés to other women.

  “I don’t want to cause problems between you and Troy,” her mother said finally. “When your father spent the weekend with my parents for the first time, he was so nervous I thought he would sweat to death. Troy needs to have you close to him.”

  Her mother was usually more direct. “What are you saying?”

  “The two of you can share your room.”

  Cassandra almost dropped the beer bottle. “But—”

  Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “I thought you would be happy.”

  “I’m shocked,” Cassandra said, unable to believe what was happening. She didn’t want to share her bedroom with a stranger. Not that Troy was strange. He was cute. She just didn’t know him well enough. She knew him well enough to call him her fiancé, but not to share her room with him. Oh, no. Cassandra clutched the counter. There had to be a way out. “What about Daddy? I don’t want to cause problems between the two of you.”

  “I can handle your father,” Vanessa said with confidence. “It’s time he realized you’re not ten years old anymore.”

  “Really, Mom. Troy and I don’t mind. We talked about it on the drive down. We don’t want to do anything to make you and Dad feel uncomfortable.”

  “We are fine with the arrangements.”

  Cassandra didn’t know what to say. What would Troy say? Her lips tightened.

  “Wipe your face, dear, you have chocolate on it.”

  Chocolate was the least of her worries, but she wiped her face with a paper towel anyway. “Thanks.”

  “One more thing,” Vanessa said. “I do hope you’ve been practicing safe sex.”

  “Mother, really,” Cassandra said, wondering how many times her mother would shock her tonight.

  “There are some nasty diseases out there, Cassandra.”

  “I know, it’s—” She was at a loss for words. Sex wasn’t a topic she wanted to discuss with her mother.

  “Just take care of yourself, okay?”

  She gritted her teeth. “Okay.”

  Vanessa grabbed the platters. “Let’s take the food out.”

  Stunned, Cassandra picked up the two mugs of beer. How difficult had it been for her conservative mother to take on her even more conservative father over the issue of sleeping arrangements and to bring up the subject of safe sex with her own daughter? Very, she realized. “Mom. Thanks for being so understanding.”

  “I was young once, Cassandra.”

  “You’re still young, Mom.”

  At midnight, Dixon told everyone it was time for bed. As Cassandra picked up her bag from the entryway, she couldn’t believe how smoothly the last three hours had gone. Every bit of her mother’s delicious food was gone, including the pan of brownies. Troy seemed at ease around her parents, almost like one of the family. His arm felt so comfortable around her, Cassandra could almost believe they were engaged. And her parents’ delighted smiles told her they didn’t suspect a thing.

  Vanessa led the way upstairs, and Cassandra followed. Each step sent her closer to the impending doom. As her mother opened the door to her room, Cassandra’s stomach knotted. She would have to share a bedroom and a bed with Troy.

  As Vanessa turned on the light, her shoulders slumped. “Dixon,” she yelled.

  He ran up the stairs, gently pushing Cassandra aside. “Yes, dear?”

  “What have you done?” Vanessa didn’t sound pleased.

  “Nothing, dear.”

  “I can’t believe you did this,” Vanessa mumbled to Dixon. “You’re going to mess this up.”

  Cassandra couldn’t believe the indignant tone of her mother’s whispers. Eager to see what was happening, she nudged her way past her parents and into her bedroom. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the two twin beds.

  Thank you, Daddy. She held back her laughter. Her mother might have won the battle, but her father had won the war.

  “Where is Cassandra’s bed?” Vanessa asked.

  “Cassie’s mattress was old and lumpy, dear. She needed a new mattress, so I bought her a new one.”

  “You bought two new ones.”

  “They were on sale,” Dixon said. “Two for the price of one.”

  Her mother stared at the purple-and-white striped comforters. “Where did you get the bedding?”

  “They were on sale, too.”

  “Well, at least they match.” Vanessa shrugged. “I hope you don’t mind, Cassandra.”

  She didn’t mind at all. Cassandra smiled at her good fortune. “This is fine, isn’t it, Troy?”

  Troy entered the room and set his bag on a bed. “Yes.”

  “Good night, kids,” Dixon said. “These walls are thin, so let us know if we’re keeping you awake.”

  His comment earned him an elbow jab from Vanessa. On his way out of the room, Dixon left the door ajar.

  Cassandra smiled, trying to ease her embarrassment. “My father isn’t known for his subtlety.”

  “At least I know where I stand.” Troy flashed her a charming grin. “If I touch you, he’ll come after me with a shotgun.”

  Cassandra laughed. “You’d better keep your hands to yourself, then.”

  “I assume we’re sharing this room.” Troy didn’t sound too happy with the idea.

  “Yes, and you can blame my mother. At least my father had sense enough to buy twin beds. He’s the greatest, isn’t he?”

  “What used to be in here?”

  “A full-size antique four-poster bed.” She left out the romantic description of the carved oak headboard. She didn’t want to scare Troy off, nor did she want to inspire any romantic dreams of her own.

  “A full?”

  She nodded, understanding his concern. “It would have been crowded. You don’t know how happy I am to see these twin beds.”

  “I’m relieved,” Troy said. “I wish I could thank your father.”

  Cassandra wished he didn’t sound so happy. Would sharing a bed with her be that miserable? Not that she wanted to, but his obvious relief stung a little. She might not be a cover model, but plenty of men asked her out. She just never said yes.

  “I still can’t believe they’re letting us share a room.”

  “As I said that was my mother’s idea, but my father drew the line at us sharing a bed.”

  “I’m not sure he’d let us do that once we were married.”

  “You’re probably right,” Cassandra said, wondering what it would be like to share a bed with Troy. Tall and well built, he would take up the entire bed and be a blanket hog. Still, his body could keep her warm.

  Troy rubbed his eyes. “Not that we’ll ever find out.”

  “Of course not.” She ignored the twinge of regret. It was for the best. She wasn’t interested in anything about Troy McKnight. And as soo
n as this pretend engagement was over, she would never set eyes on him again. “Do you want to use the bathroom first?”

  “No, you can.” Troy opened his bag and tossed her a shirt. “Here.”

  She stared at the white T-shirt in her hand. “What’s this for?”

  “Did you bring pajamas?”

  “No.”

  “Wear it.”

  The tone of his voice bothered her. “Are you always this bossy?”

  “Only when my sanity’s at stake.”

  His comment threw her. She wasn’t sure whether to take his remarks as a compliment or not. Remember he’s rigid and predictable. No spontaneity, no adventure. Maybe she could lighten him up a bit. “Were you a Boy Scout, Troy?”

  “Eagle Scout,” he said.

  As Cassandra stepped into the bathroom, she winked at him. “Does that mean you’re always prepared?”

  The door to the bathroom opened. Cassie stepped out, carrying her clothes. She wore his T-shirt, but nothing else. The hem of the shirt brushed the top of her thighs. Her breasts pressed against the thin fabric. She shouldn’t hide such luscious curves under all those baggy clothes of hers. Troy sucked in a breath. And he should have brought the flannel pajamas his mother had given him last Christmas.

  “It’s all yours,” Cassie said.

  And he wanted it, all of it. His groin tightened.

  “There are clean towels in the cabinet”

  She’d meant the bathroom, of course. He forced his gaze from her never-ending legs. “Okay.”

  Grabbing his shaving kit and a pair of shorts, Troy walked into the bathroom and slammed the door. How in the world would he sleep with Cassie a mere three feet away? He gritted his teeth.

  He’d been without a woman too long.

  Cassie might not be his type, but she was sexy and nothing like the career-driven women he dated. Or would date if he could ever afford the time. That must be his problem—he hadn’t been dating anyone. It wasn’t Cassie who was driving him crazy; it could be any attractive woman. That’s why he found someone so not-his-type appealing. Troy splashed his face with cold water.

  At least he understood his physical reaction to her. Now, he could forget about it. Besides, he wasn’t here to appease his sexual desires, or frustrations in this case. He was here only because he had to be here. His current state of celibacy didn’t matter. His future as a venture capitalist did. He’d been handed a golden opportunity to spend time with Dixon Daniels—one Troy wouldn’t waste on hormones and the need for immediate gratification.

  When Troy returned to the bedroom, Cassie was sitting cross-legged on the floor with her back to him. She still had the flower tucked behind her ear. He studied her, ignoring the way the T-shirt had inched up on her creamy thighs. Cassie glanced back, but didn’t say a word.

  She must have been meditating. “I’m sorry if I interrupted you.”

  “You didn’t.” She rose from the floor. “I’m done.”

  “Do you meditate every night?”

  “Not every night.” She crawled into the bed closest to her. “But it helps keep the stress levels down.”

  Troy couldn’t imagine what stress she could have unless the stars and planets were out of alignment.

  Cassie covered herself with a comforter. “Have you ever tried yoga?”

  “Uh, no.”

  “Works wonders especially after long hours at the office.”

  “I’m not the yoga type.”

  She stared at him. “No, you’re not.”

  The certainty in her voice bothered him, so did her slight grin. Not that he cared what Cassie thought.

  “The light switch is on your right.”

  As he was about to turn off the light, he saw a white lace bra lying on top of her yellow sweater. Troy blinked and flicked off the switch. It was going to be a long night.

  He got into bed. He hadn’t slept in a twin-size bed since college. His feet hung over the edge. “Good night, Cassie.”

  “Good night, Troy.”

  Unable to sleep, he stared at the ceiling. He thought he saw stars. When he found the Big Dipper, he knew that he had. “Cassie.”

  “What?”

  “There are stars on the ceiling.”

  “Yes.”

  He searched the fluorescent stars, locating Orion. “Why are there stars?”

  “I’ve always loved to stargaze.”

  “Me, too. Growing up on the farm, I got spoiled. With no city lights to interfere, you can always see a sky full of stars.” Troy searched the ceiling for other constellations. He found Andromeda and Eridanus. “You still haven’t told me why there are stars on your ceiling.”

  “When I was little, I would lie on the grass in the backyard and stare at the stars with my planisphere in hand. One winter it got so cold, my mother thought I’d catch pneumonia. My father had the glow-in-the dark stars put on the ceiling so I could stay warm while I scanned the sky for constellations.”

  Troy located the Pleiades. “He did a great job.”

  “He hired a couple of astronomers to do it, so it’s pretty accurate. For a bedroom ceiling that is.”

  He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have Vanessa and Dixon Daniels as parents. He couldn’t imagine spending the money to stick fluorescent stars on a ceiling. Someday…

  “My mother hated us going out in the winter, too.” Troy remembered how he looked like the Michelin Man by the time his mother finished dressing him for an evening of stargazing in the chilly night air. “But on the clearest and coldest night you could always see what seemed like a million stars in the sky.”

  Cassie sighed. “Sounds like heaven. Why did you leave?”

  “I got tired of living on a farm. I watched my parents grow old worrying about money, about the weather, about grain prices.” About how to pay for their children’s college education, their own retirement and groceries. It wasn’t fair. His father was only fifty-two, but had lines of worry etched on his forehead.

  “But aren’t there a few pluses to living on a farm?” Cassie asked. “No crowds, no traffic, lots of open spaces.”

  True, but Troy didn’t want to live hand-to-mouth or harvest-to-harvest. The only way to get what he wanted meant leaving the farm. A sacrifice, perhaps, but one he’d make again. Cassie grew up rich. She wouldn’t understand his reasons, understand how his family still struggled though he helped out as much as he could. “There are pros and cons. Floods and droughts. It isn’t an easy life.”

  “I always thought it would be fun.” Cassie sounded as if she disapproved of his reasons.

  “It’s a lot of work.”

  A star fell from the ceiling.

  “Did you see that, Troy?”

  He squinted, trying to focus in the darkness. “What?”

  “A falling star,” she said with childlike excitement. “Make a wish.”

  Wishing on a plastic star? Troy rolled his eyes. She probably tossed coins into fountains, too. “It’s not a real star, Cassie.”

  “So? It can’t hurt. Don’t be so unimaginative.” She paused. “Did you make a wish?”

  “Yes.” He had wished for a BMW. It didn’t take a Ph.D. to realize she wouldn’t take no for an answer. And he wasn’t unimaginative. “What did you wish for, Cassie?”

  “If I tell you, it won’t come true,” she said. “I’ve always thought you could learn a lot about a person by knowing what they wished for.”

  Troy wondered what he could learn from Cassie’s wish. She probably wished for world peace or an end to hunger.

  “I’m happy you made a wish. I was beginning to think you were a total stick-in-the-mud.” She rolled over. “Good night, Troy.”

  “Good night.”

  He stared at the ceiling. Another star fell. He made a wish. No way was he a so-called “stick-in-the-mud.” But…

  Terrific, he thought, feeling himself tense.

  Did wishes tell something about a person? What did it tell about him? He’d made a wish and it shoc
ked the hell out of him. He should have wished for a partnership or his own company, but he hadn’t.

  Troy had wished for Cassie.

  4

  The warmth of the morning sun hit Cassandra’s face. The smell of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air. It must be time to get up. She stretched her arms over her head, then slowly opened her eyes. Unbelievably she felt well rested.

  With Troy three feet away wearing only a pair of gray athletic shorts, she couldn’t believe she’d fallen asleep. But she had.

  She’d dreamed of making love with a man with a muscular chest and curly brown hair. A sensual dream that nearly overwhelmed her, leaving her hot and bothered. Too bad the emphasis wasn’t on the “bothered.” She didn’t want to dream about a man; she wanted nothing to do with men.

  But it meant nothing. It was a dream. Thank goodness.

  One night down, one to go. Then she could say goodbye to her fiancé for the weekend. Cassandra smiled. She glanced over at Troy, but he wasn’t there. His empty bed had already been made.

  Troy and her parents. Alone.

  Panicked, Cassandra bolted upright. She gripped the edge of the comforter. One tiny foul-up and her intelligent parents would figure out the engagement was a scam. The whole thing would blow up in her face. She could handle the consequences, but what about Troy? Just because she’d made a mess of her life didn’t mean she needed to wreck his, too.

  She jumped out of bed and raced for the door. Halfway down the hall, she skidded to a stop.

  Pants. She needed pants.

  Running back to her room, Cassandra saw a pair of gray shorts sitting on Troy’s bed. She tossed them on and pulled the drawstring tight so they wouldn’t fall off.

  Let me get there in time. Please.

  Cassandra ran down the stairs, picking up the pace when she heard voices coming from the kitchen. Her heart pounded. Her mother, her father and Troy. What a nightmare!

  Why hadn’t she set an alarm clock?

  Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. At this point, she could only hope everything was going well.

  Stepping into the kitchen, she crossed her fingers behind her back. Her father and Troy sat in the breakfast nook. The royal blue of Troy’s polo shirt intensified the color of his eyes. The power of his gaze took her breath away.