“Have you been a good girl for Amber?” He asked her as he lowered her to the floor, tousling her hair as he did so.
“Yes.” She looked at him adoringly. “She helped me with my tea party.” She looked around at me, seeking my approval.
“She’s been very good,” I said now. “We were just about to pack up and have some lunch.” I looked at him, waiting. What was he doing here?
“Amber, I need to speak to you,” he said. “Could you get Lilah some lunch quickly, then we can sit down for a few minutes.” I nodded, a bit fearfully. What was this about? Was he about to fire me?
I started making peanut butter sandwiches, thinking over the last few days. I hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary – not that I could recall, at any rate. No, I was at a complete loss.
Lunch over, I settled Lilah down for her afternoon nap, and returned to the living room. He was standing against the fireplace, frowning.
“You wanted to speak to me?” My heart was in my mouth. Best to get it over with, if it was bad news.
“Yes.” He raked his hands through his dark hair, absently. I looked at him. I was struck anew by what an attractive man he was.
Finn Ormond was a billionaire, and dressed in the best clothes from Melbourne’s finest men’s boutiques. But it wasn’t just his clothes. He had the physique of a panther, long and lean and hard. Brown eyes in a chiselled face. Tall. He had a presence, you could say.
I had never been immune to that attractiveness, but I had kept it in check. He was my boss, after all, and for the first six months of my work, a happily married man. I would never have done anything to jeopardise my position or to betray Erin.
But looking at him now, my heart skipped a couple of beats, and I could feel my face flush slightly. Best to be business like, I thought.
“Amber, I’m just going to cut straight to the chase,” he said. He turned to me, his dark eyes quietly assessing.
“I have a business proposal. One I think might be beneficial for both of us.”
I looked at him, expectantly.
But what he said next made my mind spin.
Finn
She looked up at me with her mouth wide open. I had shocked her, all right.
“You want me to pose as your fiancée?” she repeated. “For money?”
I laughed, trying to take the intensity out of the words. “Yes. We would draw up a business contract – it would be all signed and sealed, done legitimately. For an agreed amount, you pose as my fiancée for a set time. And when that time is done, you can walk away. With your money, of course.”
She still looked at me with that puzzled expression. “This is a joke, right?”
“I have never been more serious.” I walked over to her. “I know this has come out of the blue, Amber. I’ve shocked you, I can see that. Just think it over. But I would need your decision by the end of this week.”
“The end of this week?” She gasped. Then she looked at me, her eyes flicking over me. “This really isn’t a joke?”
“This really isn’t a joke.” I ran my hands through my hair, a bit desperately. “I have my parents-in-law breathing down my neck. They want to take Lilah, have her move to the States to live with them, permanently. I can’t let that happen. She’s my daughter.”
“Yes, I understand that,” Amber replied. “But what I don’t understand is how me posing as your fiancée would change that.”
“Jennifer and Michael think that I am not providing a stable home environment for Lilah,” I answered. “Because I work so much. If I could show them that I am settling down with a new woman, who will be like a mother to Lilah, then I think that they will change their minds.”
Amber frowned. It was like a little pucker on her forehead, slightly creasing her skin. I was conscious, for the second time that day, of how attractive she was. Suddenly, I could smell her perfume. What was it? That’s right. White Diamonds. Erin had worn it, as well.
My eyes slid over her, taking in her denim skirt beneath black tights. Stop it, I told myself. Get a grip. But I kept staring at her.
“Even if I agreed,” she was saying now, “I don’t think it would work. Or, it might work for a while, until the contract finished. Then what? Your parents-in-law will still be around, and know that the ‘engagement’ has ended. Then you’re back to square one.”
“By that stage, they will have moved on,” I answered. “Things will have settled down on both ends. They will see that my first commitment is to Lilah, and hopefully back off.”
Did I really believe that? Well, I had no other choice, for now. This was the best I could come up with on such short notice. And it was a win-win. Lilah would get a surrogate mother, and Amber would get a fat pay check to boost her tuition fees.
And what would I get? Looking at her, I wasn’t sure. A fake fiancée, granted. But instinct told me it could be more.
Did I want it? Was I ready for it? Erin had been dead six months. I hardly knew whether I had moved on, or not. I had buried myself in my work so relentlessly, I had no idea how I was thinking and feeling any more.
I hadn’t been with anyone else. Sure, I had some opportunities. There were always women who I could have called, or who made a play for me at bars when I was entertaining clients. I was well known around Melbourne, making the social pages in the papers.
Which is one of the reasons I hadn’t done anything. I didn’t want rumours to get back to the Morgan’s. They would be affronted, and I probably wouldn’t blame them. Erin had been their beloved daughter, after all.
But it had been six months, and they would understand now that I had moved on. Wouldn’t they?
“I don’t know.” Amber interrupted my reverie. “You’ve really caught me out, here! I wasn’t expecting you to say this when you walked through the door.” She shook her head. “I’m a bit shocked, I must admit.”
“I know it’s an unexpected scenario,” I said. How could I persuade her? “But think of the sum that I said. It would really boost your savings, enough that you could get back to your studies sooner. That’s your aim, isn’t it? And you already know me, and Lilah. It’s not as if it would be much different to how it is now, really.”
She still looked unconvinced.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, eventually. “I can’t say yes or no now. It’s too huge.”
“Okay.” I sat down, thinking. “That’s fair enough. But would you be able to give me an answer by the end of this week? That’s when I said I would call Jennifer back.” I stood back up, my energy returned. “I’ll have the contract drawn up in the meantime.” I grabbed my coat, ready to hightail it back to work.
She raised her eyebrows. “That’s a bit presumptuous, isn’t it?”
“Not at all.” I picked up my phone and keys. “Merely good business sense. This way, it’s ready and waiting if you say yes. If you decline, we just rip it up, no hard feelings. You are still welcome to stay here as the nanny, that goes without saying.”
I walked toward the door. “Think hard, Amber. This could be the ticket to your future.” I glanced back at her. “By the end of this week, I will need your answer.”
I walked out the door, jumping into my Lamborghini. I automatically glanced around the place, seeing what needed to be done, before I went.
Swimming pool needed maintenance. Gardens needed pruning back. I had to get onto David, the gardener. Then I looked up at the house, seeing if anything needed doing there. She was at the window, looking down at me. I could see her through the curtains.
Like a princess in a tower, I thought. Waiting for me. I smiled at her. She looked shocked, then smiled back. Twenty-three years old, with long, shining chestnut hair. Beautiful.
I took myself in hand, again. This had to be purely a business arrangement didn’t it? She was going back to the States to study. I hardly knew where my life was taking me for now. It would make things way, way more complicated than they had to be.
She hadn’t even said yes, yet. But th
e vision of her in the window and my strange thought when I had seen her stayed with me long after I opened the gates and sped off through the Melbourne traffic.
Amber
I watched him go, still shaken by what he had said to me.
Lilah slept on. Now was the time I usually caught up on a few chores, taking advantage of her nap. But I was so rattled by what Finn had said to me that I made myself a cup of coffee and walked out onto the balcony, sitting down at a wrought iron table. I stared over the manicured lawns and gardens, but I saw nothing.
I had to decide by the end of this week. The amount he had offered me had blown me away. It was more than enough to get me back on track with my studies. But it wasn’t just about the money.
Could I live a lie, pretending to everyone that I was engaged to be married to Finn? He had stipulated that I wouldn’t be able to tell a soul. Not even my best friend, Cara. Not even my mother or my father. Nobody. Otherwise word might leak back to the Morgan’s - and then it would all be for nothing.
I thought about how I would tell my parents and Cara, acting all excited. Would they see through me? I had done a bit of acting in high school, but no performance had ever been Oscar worthy. I wouldn’t be giving Meryl Streep a run for her money any time soon.
I bit my nails, an old habit that resurfaced when I was stressed. It seemed to be happening a lot. Then there would be pretence with Finn. He wouldn’t expect me to sleep with him, obviously, but we would have to act like a loving couple whenever we were around other people, or out and about. It would be very odd having to suddenly act intimate with my boss. Although, acting intimate with Finn wouldn’t be too hard. He was such an attractive man – I wouldn’t have to fake it.
Jesus, could I do it? I mean, really?
I was a San Francisco girl who had surprisingly got into Harvard Law School, against all odds. My family could never in a million years have afforded the tuition. I wasn’t from what you would call a wealthy family, my mom is an office clerk, my dad a construction worker. They had saved for college for me and that had helped, but I still had to beg and borrow to get through the first couple of years.
Then it had all turned to shit. My aunt Natalie had developed cancer, and she didn’t have the medical insurance to cover it. I lent her the last of my savings, so that she could start her treatment. I had to give her a chance. She was my aunt, after all, and we had always been close.
I found this position through a college job website, desperately trying to find a job that would pay relatively okay so that I could start saving again. This had been the highest paying out of all of them. I mean, what else could I do? Working double shifts at the local diner wouldn’t have even paid my rent at Harvard.
I had squirrelled away most of my earnings, but that wasn’t hard. I didn’t know anyone here, so it wasn’t as if I had a social life. Finn and Erin had paid for my airfare. Board was covered, and so was my food. I had been doing quite well.
But Finn’s offer would boost my nest egg, magically. I would be able to comfortably afford my tuition. I shifted on the seat, staring up at the sky. It was a grey day; it looked like it might rain. And I was still no closer to a decision.
I would be stupid to refuse, wouldn’t I? I would have to pretend to be Finn’s fiancée. So what. I could do that. I was already close to Lilah, so that wouldn’t be an issue.
It was too good to refuse. That was the truth.
“Amber?” A little voice disturbed my thoughts. I looked around. Lilah was standing at the balcony door, clutching her favorite teddy bear.
“Well, hello, little miss!” I jumped up, picking her up. She leant her head against my shoulder and rubbed her eyes.
I walked back into the house with her. The mansion in Toorak that was my home. Of sorts. I glanced at it with fresh eyes.
Finn’s fiancée. Lilah’s stepmother-to-be.
I looked again at the framed photo of the family, back when they had been one. Erin gazing at her daughter adoringly. Finn happy and laughing. Lilah the centre of their universe.
What would Erin think, of me pretending to be Finn’s fiancée? Would she understand? Would she be smiling down benevolently upon us, barracking for Finn to keep their daughter by whatever means available? Would she get that I would be doing it for the money?
Or would she shake her head despairingly, wonder what had got into her reckless husband and how on earth sensible, level headed nanny Amber had let herself be talked into such a crazy scenario?
We would never know, would we? Erin was gone. And Finn was fighting for what was left of his family.
As soon as that thought entered my brain, I knew what my decision was.
Finn
It was raining and dark that night when I put my key in the lock and turned it, wiping my feet on the door mat before I entered.
Lilah would be in bed by now. I was insistent about a regular bed time for her, wanted little to change since Erin’s death. As much of the routine and structure she had when her mother was alive, the better. Amber understood that, and followed most of my instructions to a tee.
Amber. She would be in her rooms by now, watching television. It was her normal routine. I walked into the main living room, pouring myself a scotch on the rocks. My favorite after work drink. Erin would often have one waiting for me as I walked into the house. Then she would give me a shoulder massage, right here on this sofa.
But tonight, it was dark in the room, and there was no drink waiting. I took my jacket off, shaking drops of rain from it, and loosened my tie. I turned at a noise behind me.
It was Amber, standing there in her dressing gown.
I did a double take.
Her hair was hanging in soft waves around her face. I could see her bare legs poking out from where the dressing gown ended. It was a light chenille, lavender in color. She looked unbearably sexy, without even trying. I swallowed the scotch, roughly. It burned my throat on the way down.
“Sorry to disturb you.” She spoke softly.
“You’re not disturbing me, Amber.” Or rather, she was, but in a way I couldn’t explain to her. “Is it Lilah? Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine.” She sat down on the sofa. “Don’t worry. I just thought that I should tell you, sooner rather than later. I’ve decided to accept your proposal.”
I looked at her. “Really? That’s fantastic!” I got up and went to the drinks cabinet, pouring myself another and then looking at her. “Would you like a scotch? To celebrate.”
Her eyes widened. “Okay, but I don’t usually drink brown spirits. Wine is usually more my speed.”
“Don’t have any,” I said. “Or rather, it’s all in the cellar. I can’t be bothered going down there now.”
“Scotch will do just fine,” she said, quickly. I poured the drink, then handed it to her, sitting opposite.
“What made you decide?”
She took the drink, sipping it. “The money, I guess. You know how much I need it. But there was something else, as well.”
I raised an eyebrow to her. “Such as?”
She paused. “I thought about what you said about keeping Lilah. I understand how much she means to you, Finn. Especially after what happened.” She glanced down, searching for words. “I think she should stay with you, and I want to help you keep her.”
“Thank you,” I said. I took a gulp of my second scotch. I was starting to feel it hitting my bloodstream.
Her dressing gown had fallen forward slightly, exposing the top of her breasts to my view. I didn’t know whether it was the scotch, but it looked as fine a sight as I had seen in a long, long time.
She caught me looking. She sat back, covering herself. An awkward silence stretched on.
“So.” I jumped to my feet, finding my briefcase. “Here is the contract. I had it speedily prepared this afternoon, just in case.” I took it out, along with a ball point pen. I handed both to her.
“Wow.” She picked up the papers, leafing through them. “Can you
give me a minute?”
“Sure.” I sat back down, sipping the scotch. She read through the contract, quickly. The she glanced up at me.
“All good?” I asked.
“Yes, it all seems to be in order,” she said. “Everything that we discussed is in there.” She picked up the pen and signed it with a flourish.
I walked over to her, extending my hand. “Let’s shake on it then, Amber.”
She took my hand, and we shook. I tried to ignore the sparks that were shooting through me at her touch. Her eyes widened, too.
“What happens now?” she asked, a little breathlessly.
“I will get in contact with the Morgan’s tomorrow,” I answered. “Informing them of my engagement and how things have stabilised for Lilah. Hopefully they will accept it. And…”
She looked at me, a little shyly. The perimeters of our relationship had suddenly shifted, and I could see she was unsure how to proceed.
“And?”
“I think we will need to come out as a couple,” I continued. “I will put the engagement in the Saturday papers, but for now, we need to be seen.” I coughed.
She raised her eyebrows.
“Dinner, tomorrow night,” I said. “I will make reservations for us. Somewhere that I know a lot of people go. That will start the ball rolling – this city lives on gossip.”
“You’re taking me out for dinner?”
“Yes. Be ready to leave around seven. I’ll get a babysitter for Lilah for the night.”
She stood up. “Okay, then…well, good night.” She stood awkwardly.
I walked up to her, kissing her on the cheek. “Good night, fiancée.”
She looked a bit shocked at the kiss, quickly walking out of the room.
I watched her leave. Amber, the nanny. So sexy in her dressing gown. My mind was afire, trying to imagine what she wore underneath. A nightie? Lingerie? Nothing?
I could feel my loins hardening at the thought. Imagine slowly stripping her of the dressing gown, to reveal what was underneath…
Stranded: A Mountain Man Romance Page 27
