by Tia Siren
I shook my head. I couldn’t believe I was actually having this conversation. It was all so surreal.
“Dad, that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. You are out of your mind. I don’t want to marry Tiffany, and I know she doesn’t want to marry me. We don’t get along. I’m not her type,” I said. “And I can be very charming, but not with Tiffany.” I shuddered at the thought.
He took a deep breath. “I’m serious about this, Harry. Very serious. Sit. Let’s talk.”
I sat down on the leather couch. The man had caught me off guard. He was serious. I had no idea what the hell he was thinking.
“I don’t think this is a good idea. I am engaged, and I don’t think it would look very good if I broke off my own engagement and suddenly got engaged to my brother’s ex-fiancée. That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”
He shook his head. “Nope. If you do this, I will make you the head of the company. You will be the one to inherit the estate if you agree to marry Tiffany and solidify our relationship with the Warners.”
I had heard a lot of crazy stuff from my family in the twenty-nine years I had been on the planet, but this had to be the craziest. When they learned the real reason behind William’s sudden decision to end the engagement, they were going to lose their damn minds. I felt bad for Amber. She was going to bear the brunt of the scandal if it ever came to light.
“Dad, I think you’re having a hard time. I don’t want to have this conversation. William is my brother—your son. You can’t possibly want to disinherit him over this. He’s following his heart. You can’t blame him for that.”
I was trying to be reasonable. I wasn’t feeling very reasonable, and I had no idea why I was defending William other than some strange brotherly love thing going on. At the moment, I really didn’t like him. He had moved in on my fiancée.
“I’m serious!” he boomed.
I stood to leave. “I don’t want to talk about this. I’m going,” I said and started to leave the room.
“Don’t go. Let’s iron out the details. We can make this work and minimize the rumors and gossip.”
I shook my head and kept walking. “I’m not doing it, Dad. I don’t even want to think about it. You just need to calm down.”
“I don’t need to calm down!” he shouted as I kept walking.
“Bye, Mom!” I yelled down the hall as I made my way into the foyer.
I got in my car and drove away. I hated how easy it was for my parents to write one of us off when we weren’t performing as they thought we should. William had always been the golden child. I couldn’t imagine how he would deal with being ousted from the throne. I was used to it. I didn’t think he would handle it very well.
What a fucking mess. Amber had no idea of the shitstorm that was headed her way. I almost felt guilty for dragging her deeper into the family drama. At least as William’s mistress, she would have had some anonymity. By making her my fiancée, I had unwittingly made her troubles that much worse.
I started laughing uncontrollably when I imagined the scene of my parents meeting William’s new fiancée, who happened to be my ex. I guessed we could do a fiancée swap. It was the premise of one hell of a reality show. It was too crazy to be real, and yet here I was living the horror story. People always assumed wealth was the answer to all life’s problems. If those people only knew that wealth opened an entirely new set of problems, they would think twice about dreaming of being rich.
“Here’s to another family scandal, Harry.”
Scandal and being on my parents’ bad side was nothing new to me. I thought I might kind of enjoy watching William squirm a little. Let’s see how Mr. Perfect held up when his own inheritance was being threatened.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Amber
I had to go to work today. I had holed up at home for three long days. Courtney had come by yesterday to make sure I was alive. I was definitely alive, but I felt I had been dropped in some kind of strange hell. How could I want something so bad, get it, and then hate it? Courtney had assured me everything would work out, but I needed to decide where my heart lied.
“How are you feeling?” Misty asked me as I walked down the hall.
“I’m feeling much better. Thank you.”
She leaned in close. “Are you pregnant?”
“No!” I said with more force than I should have.
I couldn’t even let myself think of that nightmare. I was on the pill, but I knew there was always a chance of accidental pregnancy. I prayed fate wouldn’t do that to me. I didn’t think I could handle that.
She laughed. “I was just asking. It isn’t like you to be sick.”
“I’m fine. I think it was something I ate. I’m fully recovered.”
“Good. The boss has been in a much better mood,” she said with a smile.
I nodded. “Good to hear. I’ll see you later,” I said and made my way to my desk.
I took a couple deep breaths and focused on the mountain of work on my desk. It was going to take me days to get caught up. Staring at it wasn’t going to make it go away. I dug in, thankful for the distraction from my personal problems.
“Hey.” William’s voice startled me.
I looked up and smiled. “Hi. You scared me.”
“You were very focused. I thought you heard me. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s okay. How are you?” I asked.
“Good. Great, actually. Have lunch with me today?” he asked.
I hesitated. “Yes. Sure.”
He smiled, and his eyes lit up. “Great. I’ll be ready to go in about two hours.”
The man was prompt. He showed up exactly two hours later.
“Let’s go,” I said.
His driver took us to an upscale restaurant. He had called ahead and made reservations, which meant we were immediately shown to our table. On our way through the restaurant, I noticed he didn’t touch me or stand too close. Harry had a habit of keeping his hand on me whenever we were together. It was something minor that meant very little in the moment, but I realized now how special it had been.
“I need to tell you something,” I said.
“Oh? What’s that?”
“I broke it off with Harry.”
He smiled. “Good.”
“You were right. It wasn’t real.”
He chuckled. “I knew it. I’m glad.”
I shrugged. “It was silly.”
“Why did you do it? Was it his idea or yours?”
I shrugged. “His.”
“I knew it.”
“You couldn’t have,” I said, laughing. “You suspected, but you couldn’t have known.”
“I know my brother is not the type to propose marriage, and I know you love me. So, how did he get you to go along with the whole thing?”
I sighed. “That’s a long story. Basically, your dad told him if he didn’t settle down and get married by the time he was thirty, he would be cut off. He asked me to pretend to be his fiancée long enough to get your dad off his back.”
William was shaking his head. “I’m not surprised. Harry is always trying to find a way to stay rich while doing absolutely nothing to deserve it.”
“I don’t know if that’s true. I mean, has he ever been asked to work in the family business?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. He’s never shown any interest, and I don’t really need his help. Why do you care?”
“I don’t think he’s as bad as you have made him out to be. You painted a very unflattering picture of the man. I think a lot of what’s been written about him is a lot of silly gossip.”
“He’s my brother. Trust me, I know him a little better than you do. Harry is exactly what they write about.”
I nodded, dropping the topic. I wasn’t going to get into the family dynamics or dig into the problems between the brothers. I was in deep enough trouble with the family as it was. I certainly didn’t need to meddle in their privat
e affairs. William was right. I didn’t know Harry like they did, but the Harry I did know was nothing like what I had heard.
“Now that you’re no longer engaged to Harry, we can be together,” he said with a smile.
I cringed. “William, I don’t know. I think we need to take things very slowly.”
He looked confused. “Why? Haven’t we waited long enough?”
“We haven’t waited at all. We only started, uh, seeing each other a couple months ago, and you have only been unengaged for a few days. And no one even knows I’m not engaged anymore. Harry wanted to wait a few days before he told your parents,” I explained.
“My parents will get over it. I don’t want to wait. I want us to be happy,” he said. “We can tell people. I want people to understand why I couldn’t marry her.”
“I don’t want anyone at work to know. Not yet anyway.”
“Why not? I’m not exactly chopped liver. There are plenty of women who would love to be in your shoes. I’m William Martin,” he said smugly.
I took a deep breath. Arrogance was not an attractive quality. Well, it was attractive in Harry, but that was an entirely different situation.
“I’m going to look like a complete slut,” I hissed. “The gossip is going to completely ruin my reputation. No one will respect me.”
His brows popped up. “Excuse me? Why would anyone think you were a slut?”
I wanted to shake him. How could he not understand how jumping into his bed would not look the best?
“What are people going to think of me? I’m engaged to your brother one week and then jumping into a relationship with you the next. That is going to make me look really bad. No one knows about us and that we were together before. They’ll assume I chased after you while we were both engaged to other people,” I said slowly.
“If anyone says something that offends you, tell me. I’ll fire them,” he said easily.
I guffawed. “That isn’t necessary. I don’t want you going around firing people.”
“I don’t want them talking poorly about you. I won’t allow that. It is none of their business.”
“William, I need some time to think all this over,” I said, hoping he would understand.
“Think about what? You said you ended the engagement. There’s nothing more to think about.”
I sighed. “It isn’t that easy.”
“Actually, it is. We’ll go out on a date or if you want. We can keep it quiet. Whatever you want. I’m ready to do this.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what I want to do. I need time to sort some things out, please.”
There was a flash of anger in his eyes. “Think about what? I don’t understand what you need to think about. You wanted me to end it with Tiffany, and I did. Now you’re saying you don’t know what you want? I don’t like games, Amber.”
“I’m not playing games. I’m sorry. I know what I said, and at the time I meant it. Things have changed.”
He smirked. “What’s changed? Your fake engagement?”
The way he said it struck a nerve. Maybe I was being oversensitive, but the man was grating on my nerves. He was being very callous, and I didn’t like it.
“Actually, yes. I mean, the engagement was fake, but I have to admit the feelings were real.”
He was shaking his head. “Unbelievable. You think Harry cares about you? You don’t truly care about him. He was a fill-in for me. I’m here. You don’t need him anymore.”
“I only know what I feel, and I’m not willing to jump into a relationship with you. I thought it was what I wanted. I truly did. Then—I don’t know, things changed.”
“Well, you need to make a decision. I’m not going to wait around forever.”
“I know. I understand. I’m not trying to be difficult. I don’t want to rush into anything and have regrets.”
The waiter stopped by, delivered our meals, and then moved on. William was angry. His earlier smile was gone. His movements were jerky and his jaw was tight.
“I’m telling you I want you. Shouldn’t that be enough?” he finally said.
“William, I’m sorry. It means a lot. I just need some time to work things through. Please, try to understand. I’ve been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride these past few weeks. I thought we were together and then you were engaged. I spilled my guts to you, and you offered to let me be your mistress. I’m nervous about jumping into something so soon after you broke off your engagement,” I said in a gentle voice.
He shook his head. “I had my own problems I was dealing with. I explained to you why I had to marry her.”
“I know you did. Then you suddenly decided those things weren’t important and I was. It’s a lot for a girl to take in,” I said with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood.
It didn’t work. He still had a sour look on his face.
“I can’t believe you are telling me you are considering my brother. Do you know how insulting that is?”
I scoffed. “Do you know how insulting it is for you to sleep with me one week and then propose marriage to another woman the next?”
“We’ve been over this,” he said, growling.
“Yes, we have. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t still bother me or that I’ve forgotten the hurt you caused.”
He rolled his eyes. “We weren’t together.”
I hated how blasé he was being about something that had hurt me deeply. The more time I spent with him, the more I was beginning to see how cold and detached he could be. I hated comparing the brothers, but Harry was definitely more attentive. He had a way of making me feel special. It was the warmth in his eyes and those subtle touches I had taken for granted. I realized how much I liked them.
That wasn’t to say William was a cold fish. I knew he could be attentive and loving as well—behind closed doors.
“We should probably get back to the office,” I said. “I have a ton of work to catch up on.”
He nodded. “Fine.”
On the drive back to the building, he was tense.
“William, please don’t be mad. I’m only asking you for a little time. It will be better for you as well. Your family needs time to adjust to the abrupt end of your engagement.”
“My family is my problem,” he grumbled.
“I understand that. I only meant I didn’t want to make things worse for you. I mean, what are they going to say when you announce you’re dating your brother’s ex? Won’t that raise some eyebrows?”
He shrugged. “I don’t care. They need to understand I’m my own man and I make my own decisions.”
I bit back the retort that came to mind. He hadn’t been his own man two weeks ago when he had tossed me to the side for Tiffany because I didn’t have the right blood flowing through my veins. Now he expected me to believe he had completely changed who he was.
I smiled, thinking about something Harry had said. He had insinuated William didn’t have the balls to defy his parents. It was as if he had suddenly grown a pair.
Chapter Thirty
Harry
I felt like a damn fool. I had no idea what had possessed me, but I was now standing in the hallway outside Amber’s door.
“You’re an idiot,” I whispered aloud.
I looked down at the flowers I was holding and adjusted them. I was a complete sap. I had given women flowers before, but that had all been part of the act. This was legit. I really wanted to see her, and I was hoping the flowers would soften her up. I hadn’t left on the best terms the last time I had seen her. I had been a dick. I had let jealousy win and stomped off like a little kid.
I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I hoped she was home. I knew there was a good chance she’d be out to dinner with William, but I was hoping otherwise.
When she pulled the door open, I sighed in relief.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi,” she said, not opening the door all the way.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “I was an ass, and I’m sorry.�
�
She smiled. “I’m sorry, too.”
She pulled open the door and gestured for me to enter. That was a good sign.
“Here, these are for you,” I said, handing her the flowers.
“Thank you. They’re very pretty.”
“You’re welcome.”
She walked away, and I stood there feeling like a complete dumbass. I wasn’t exactly sure what to say; I just knew I had to see her. I couldn’t leave things the way I had the other day. She came back into the room.
“Did you want to have a seat?” she asked.
“Sure.”
I sat down on the couch. She sat on the far end. There was an awkward silence. I had gone to her house with the intention of saying so much, and now I was sitting here like an idiot. I couldn’t seem to find the words or the courage.
“Amber, I wanted you to know that even though we’re officially over, I hope we can still be friends. I know I said some things, and I am truly sorry about all of it.”
“I would like to be friends. I did enjoy our time together. I hope you know that.”
I nodded. “I do. Really, I do.”
“I know you said what you did because you’re looking out for me,” she said with a small smile.
I nodded again. “I am. I don’t want you to get hurt. I should have probably used a bit more tact. For that, I am really sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s who you are.”
I cringed. I was a Neanderthal was what she was saying. It was amazing I hadn’t pounded my fists on the table and hung from the chandeliers to impress her. I had gone all caveman on her. It hadn’t impressed her. It had turned her off, and I had lost any chance I’d had with her. I had come to accept that in the days since our lunch date had been cut short.
“How have you been?” I asked for lack of anything better to say.
She sighed. “Confused.”
“Confused?” I asked. “What’s wrong? I would have figured you had all this worked out by now.”
“Everything that has happened—I am seriously so confused. I feel like I’m being pulled in two different directions. I can’t seem to figure out what I want. My brain is having an inner conflict.”
