by Tasha Fawkes
“Well hello to you too, Dana.”
I heard a smile in his voice. I swallowed, striving to maintain calm, doing my best to prevent panic from rising inside me. “What do you want?”
“Where’s your brother?”
My heart skipped a beat. “I don’t know.” That was the truth. I had no idea where Charlie was. I had yet to get hold of him.
“Well, I’ll tell you what, Dana. You tell Charlie that he can’t hide from me. I already know about your uncle in Arizona.”
My stomach lurched. How did he know that?
Slim Pete chuckled, “I know people, Dana, and I promise you, I know people who can find Charlie if he tries to run, or if you’re stupid enough to try to hide him from me.”
I felt bile rising again and fought the urge to gag. Trembling, I said nothing.
“If I can’t find him, and soon, I’ll just have to take it out on you, if you know what I mean.”
My head felt like it was in a vice, that someone relentlessly and mercilessly tightened the screws. This couldn’t be happening! He couldn’t mean that, could he? Where the hell was Charlie? Why had he put me—put us—in this awful situation? At the back of my mind, I wondered if he’d run. If he’d left town, leaving me to hold the bag. I wouldn’t, couldn’t believe it. Charlie wouldn’t do that to me.
“You hear me, Dana?”
“I don’t know where he is, but I can tell you that he’s not going to run.” I paused, swallowed, and stiffened my back, my sense of bravado surprising even me. “You’ll have your damned money in three days.” With that, I disconnected the call.
I stood unmoving for several moments, breathing hard, nibbling on my lip, staring at the serene, well-manicured, fancy, and gorgeous landscaping of the resort around me. It was a different world. I didn’t belong here. Three days. Time was running out. I wasn’t sure if Slim Pete meant what he said or if it was merely an empty threat, but I didn’t want that slimy bastard in my life.
I looked back over my shoulder at the hotel. What other options did I have?
Heaving a heavy sigh and fighting back tears of despair, I turned around and walked back into the lobby. Maybe this was the lesser of two evils, I didn’t know. Maybe I should just listen to what those guys had to say. Could it be worse than what Slim Pete had suggested? I could always walk away. There were plenty of people around. They weren’t going to kidnap me, at least not here.
Cursing myself for a stupid fool every step of the way, I entered the lobby and made my way back to the table, where both guys still sat, not talking. Both looked up at me with surprise as I approached. I stared down at the dark-haired guy, Brady, thinking that he was too damned handsome to be some kind of pervert, but I knew better. I glanced at the other one, who nervously tapped his fingers on the tablecloth and avoided my gaze.
I pulled out a chair and sat down, arms crossed over my chest as I eyed the dark-haired one, Brady. “What’s going on?”
“It’s like I told you on the phone,” the blond said. “It’s a personal assistant position.”
I glanced at the blond, not sure what to believe.
“Shut up, Nick.”
I turned my gaze toward Brady and lifted an eyebrow, trying my best to maintain a calm expression while inside my head felt like it was going to explode, and I would start screaming in panic any moment. My mind spun. Charlie, broken and bleeding… me, forced to do things against my will with Slim Pete… my future hopes of getting my nursing license crashing down around me.
“Dana… Miss Sommers, my name is Brady Shaw.”
I stared, desperately trying not to acknowledge the instant sexual attraction tugging at me. Trying to tamp it down. Think clearly! Dammit, Dana, you’re in trouble here. I lifted my chin slightly, silently inviting him to continue. He fidgeted with the silver-plated knife on the cloth napkin a moment, then reached for his water glass. He didn’t pick it up but turned it around and around on the table before he finally looked at me, shoulders slightly slumped.
“Okay, here’s the truth. My father is Clint Shaw. You know him?”
I shook my head.
He looked a bit startled. “He’s an oil tycoon…”
I frowned as he spoke, wondering if it was the truth. Wait a minute, Shaw? That Shaw? If I was thinking of the right Shaw, he was one of the richest men in Dallas… in Texas. I focused on what Brady was saying.
“Anyway, I’m twenty-seven-years-old and he’s getting tired of waiting. He gave me an ultimatum.”
I tried to pay attention. “Tired of waiting?”
“Yes. For an heir. Tired of waiting for me to marry and settle down. Like I said, he just gave me an ultimatum.”
I tried to tell myself I didn’t really care, but this was interesting. Seems as if I wasn’t the only one with troubles. “What kind of ultimatum?”
“He wants me to settle down and get married.”
“So?”
“Well, I don’t really want to, but if I don’t, he’s going to disown me.”
“Seriously?” I almost laughed. Must be nice to have money and be concerned about the threat of being disowned. At least he had something to be disowned from. And here I was, just trying to get through school, protect my brother, ensure my future—
“It was Nick here who came up with the brilliant idea to put an ad on Craigslist… advertising for personal assistant even though what I really need is a girlfriend.”
I couldn’t help it. I interrupted, my tone impatient. “Someone as good looking as you advertising for a girlfriend?” I wondered what was wrong with the guy. To my surprise, he grinned and offered a lame shrug. And oh, what a grin it was. A dimple appeared on his cheek. He was charming, handsome, and a bit on the arrogant side, but I understood. He was a player, and Daddy was getting tired of his irresponsible ways.
“And what good is that going to do you?” I asked. “A girlfriend, I mean?”
“Here’s the thing.”
He slightly leaned forward. I caught a whiff of aftershave. Dammit, why did it have to be Old Spice? I was a sucker for that one.
“I told my dad that I already had a girlfriend, so as to avoid being… I don’t know how else to put it… attached to someone more of my dad’s liking, the daughter of a business partner, but she’s well, let’s just say she’s not my type.”
I shook my head. “Wait a minute. Am I to understand that unless you somehow produce a girlfriend, your dad’s going to insist you marry someone against your wishes, and if you don’t, he’s going to cut you off? Is that it?”
I couldn’t believe it. The guy was pushing thirty-years-old. He had money to blow, literally had everything in the world at his fingertips, but he was having too much fun doing whatever it is rich people did, and now he had to put on a show, pretend he had a girlfriend, so his father wouldn’t tighten the purse strings? I shook my head. Pathetic.
“The thing is, I’m supposed to introduce this serious girlfriend at a gathering in just a couple of days, on Saturday night.”
He looked at me in earnest, as if I was supposed to jump at this opportunity. He was looking at me to solve his problems? Then again, maybe he could solve mine.
“The offer still stands, Dana. I have to make a deal. I’m laying it on the line here.”
“And that is?”
“First, I have to introduce my girlfriend this Saturday to my dad. It has to look serious, and… and I have to… I have to announce my engagement at that gathering.”
“Go on,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldn’t believe I was still sitting here.
“We have to stay married for at least one year. For pretending to be my girlfriend, my wife, you’ll get two hundred thousand dollars.”
I sat, dumbfounded, my heart thumping. Was I even considering this? As much as I hated to admit it though, the situation, the deal, would solve all my problems. I could pay off that bastard Slim Pete and still have enough money to finish my schooling, plus a solid foundation to start my future life
.
I would have to wait a year, a whole year, to get back to my school, but I wouldn’t have to worry about how I would pay for it. I couldn’t even save the thirty thousand dollars I’d need to finish school in a year’s time to finish my last two semesters at school anyway. I had already done the math. Even working two jobs it would be next to impossible. Not to mention the fifty grand that Charlie owed Slim Pete.
Should I accept? Could I trust him? I would insist on a contract, but what could I do if he didn’t honor it? Was this a scam? A terrible joke? “Let me see your identification.”
He didn’t hesitate, but reached into his pocket, pulled out a wallet, and retrieved his driver’s license. He placed it on the tablecloth in front of me. Sure enough, he was Brady Shaw. I glanced between the photo on the license and then at his face. He didn’t blink.
“I can prove all of this, Dana… Miss Sommers. And everything will be perfectly legal— papers, signatures, everything.”
Oh God, I was seriously contemplating this ridiculous idea. But again, what other options did I have? He was offering me two hundred thousand dollars to play a part. It was more money than I could make in years of hard work. I could pay off Slim Pete, remove the threat of bodily harm against Charlie, or even Charlie’s life, or mine.
I nibbled at my lip for several moments, and then started to nod. I was taking a chance, no doubt about it. Probably stepping from the frying pan into the fire, but again—
“There’s just one more thing you need to know,” Brady said.
He cast a quick glance at his friend, who still refused to meet my gaze. What the hell?
“We have to have a baby.”
Chapter Ten
Brady
At any other time, I might have been quite amused by the myriad of emotions that slithered over Dana’s face. First, a blank stare, followed by lifted eyebrows, eyes wide with surprise, mouth dropped open. Her lips moved but no sound came out. And then, quite delightfully as far as I was concerned, her cheeks turned red. The emotions flickering over her face lasted only a couple of seconds.
My instinctive humor dissipated as her eyebrows lowered, and you know the saying, if looks could kill? That was exactly how she looked at me. My head began to pound again, and I glanced at Nick, watching Dana warily.
She moved so fast it was over in the blink of an eye. She stood and walked out. My gaze followed her for several seconds, my brain not really comprehending.
“Go after her, dude!”
Nick’s words propelled me into action. He was right. The pretty brunette might be my only chance to get out of the mess that I had dug for myself. I bolted up and quickly made my way through the tables of diners, odd glances cast my way, barely missing a waiter bearing down on a table with tall glasses of tea and bowls of salad.
By the time I reached the lobby, she was just stepping over the threshold of the building and onto the sidewalk, heading for the parking lot. I trotted after her.
“Dana, wait!”
She didn’t stop. She quickened her pace as she headed down the sidewalk fronting the building, shoulder-length hair bouncing in rhythm with her steps and the warm afternoon breeze. Shoulders stiff, those tiny hands of hers balled into fists.
“Dana, please, wait.”
She stopped and turned around so fast I nearly barreled into her.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” she demanded, though keeping her voice low.
A golfer pushing his cart back to his car glanced over curiously and then purposely looked away. “Dana, let me explain—”
“What’s to explain?” She shook her head, arms crossed, her tone sharp. A quick glance around. “I don’t sleep with men for money!” she hissed. “How dare you! I’m not a—”
“That’s not what this is about. Not at all,” I said, trying to soothe her, arms hanging loosely by my sides, afraid that if I made any move toward her, she’d run. “Actually, that’s only part of it.” I paused, an idea popping into my head. “Actually, we don’t have to sleep together. Artificial insemination—”
She gasped. “Are you insane?” She half turned, then swung around, a pointed finger poking into my chest. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, you and your friend. Playing games like that with people.”
Her voice shook, but not with fury. Her eyes filled with tears. No, that shaking voice was filled with hurt and desperation.
“Dana, please, hear me out.”
She turned, slashing her hand through the air. “You’re crazy,” she muttered and walked away.
If I wasn’t mistaken, that was a moan of despair I had heard. I caught up with her. “What if I offer you five hundred thousand dollars?”
She stopped dead in her tracks and stiffly turned, eyes wide with incredulity. Her body tensed—the stiff posture, the lips pressed into a thin line, and her face pale in the hot afternoon sun displayed shock. And then, unbelievably, her eyes glistened with tears. What the hell? I just offered her a half million dollars and that’s the response I get?
“How dare you play with people’s emotions,” she choked out.
“I’m not playing, Dana. I’m completely serious.” She obviously didn’t believe me.
“You’re willing to pay me a half million dollars for marrying you and having your baby?” Arms once again crossed over her chest, her head tilted, eyes narrowed with suspicion.
I felt a burgeoning of hope. My heart thumped as I nodded. “Look, I know this sounds crazy. No, it is crazy. It’s the craziest, stupidest thing I’ve ever done in my life… I think… but I’m desperate. I’m out of ideas.”
She stared at me for several moments, as if trying to discern whether I was telling the truth. But the longer she stood there, the greater the chance that she was actually contemplating it. And why not? A half million dollars was a good chunk of change. She blinked rapidly, color returning to her face.
“This is for real?” Eyes still narrowed in doubt. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “Yes. I swear to you, on my dead mother’s grave, that I’m very serious. And I’m running out of time.”
She heaved a heavy sigh as she stared off into the parking lot, the breeze gently blowing that silky hair away from her shoulder. Such a gorgeous neck. Actually, she was beautiful, with a perfectly proportioned figure that caught my interest. She wore a flowy charcoal gray floral skirt, no idea what kind of fabric that was but I liked it and a sleeveless, V-necked blouse. Her trim arms displayed some muscle, and her hands… oh, such lovely hands. Short nails. I wondered what those fingers would feel like wrapped around my—Stop. Stop right there. The deal was in negotiation.
She stared and stared as if something out there was going to give her the answer she was looking for. I glanced over my shoulder toward the entrance to the lobby, grateful that for once Nick had shown a bit of restraint even though he must be inside dying of curiosity.
“This may be the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I think you’re certifiably nuts, but I’ll be blunt. I need the money, desperately.”
She looked up at me, again her expression changing from consideration to a threatening scowl. “You’d better not be jerking my chain, or you’re going to regret it,” she began. “And there’s going to be some conditions. For one, I’m not your sex toy. There won’t be any sex, you got that?”
I nodded again, although I doubted that the artificial insemination idea was practical. Took a long time for that, didn’t it? Wouldn’t it just be easier to— “I’ll have a contract drawn up. Everything we agree upon will be stipulated in that contract.” I paused. “I’m not going to force you, Dana, I want that to be clear. But I do have to produce a child within a year. You understand that, don’t you?” She said nothing. “So, doing the math. That gives us, what… less than three months to do the deed and have it take?”
Her expression changed again to dismay. Her cheeks flushed. She closed her eyes and gave the slightest shake of her head, inhaling deeply before releasing the air in a g
ush. Disbelieving that she was even considering it? I was anxious to close the deal.
“You don’t have to stick around after that,” he said. “Until then, we’ll have to keep up appearances though, so we’ll have to live together in my apartment—” She opened her mouth to disagree, but I softly interrupted, “My father is a powerful man, Dana. He’ll perform his due diligence. You can bet that we’ll be watched to make sure that everything is on the up and up. But I promise, after the baby is born, you can go your way, do whatever you want to do.”
“That simple?” she said, voice tinged with sarcasm.
“It is. It’s that simple. My dad wants an heir. I want to keep my inheritance. You need money.” I shrugged. “Everyone gets what they want, right?”
She turned away from me again, muttering under her breath, “You’re such an idiot.”
She didn’t move to walk away and I stood quietly, my heart pounding now, anticipation and excitement surging through me. This is it! My problem soon to be solved. I couldn’t think beyond the immediate future. Just to see the look on my dad’s face…
She turned around and looked up at me, her eyes boring into mine. “I’m going to need a down payment, upfront.”
“What for?”
“None of your business,” she snapped. “Is it a deal or not?”
“How much do you need?”
“Fifty thousand.”
I didn’t blink. Okay, that wasn’t much, considering I had just offered her five hundred grand. I didn’t know why she needed the money and didn’t feel this was the time or the place to ask. I didn’t want to do or say anything that would cause her to change her mind. My credit cards were still blocked. So was my access to my bank account. Shit. I would have to see Frederick about that.
“Agreed,” I nodded. “I’ll have the money by tomorrow. You’ll need to go with me to my dad’s estate for this get-together on Saturday.”
We both stood silently for several moments, as if we were both sizing each other up. I just thanked God that I didn’t have to resort to Mary Von Brown. Her head barely came up to my chest, but the look in her eyes gave me pause. She would not be a pushover. I felt better. What she was thinking right this moment, I had no idea. Probably as confused and anxious as me, but both of us were having a problem solved, weren’t we? Wasn’t that all that mattered?
