When they made it to the boutiques, the driver opened the door and helped her step out onto the sidewalk. Wealthy, fashionable people strode past, their noses high and their shoulders back. Mina couldn’t help noticing how these upscale people walked right by the homeless man on the corner.
This was why Mina couldn’t be like Spencer. She had too much compassion in her heart. Spencer had turned off all his feelings and so had all the people he surrounded himself with.
Mina believed in love and romance and family and children and community—the good things in life, the things money couldn’t buy. And money was the only thing Spencer seemed to care about.
Spencer guided her into the first boutique, and they were immediately met by well-dressed, beautiful saleswomen, who were thrilled to see Spencer when he walked through the door. They were immensely less thrilled to see her tagging along behind him.
She felt short, dumpy, and completely out of place compared to these tall, slim, stylish women. She asked herself why Spencer hadn’t just found one of them to marry. She was sure he could make an arrangement with anyone.
She was going to get a million dollars at the end of the year. And she didn’t even have to kiss him. She sighed, thinking about kissing him, and bit her lip.
“My new wife needs a whole new wardrobe,” he said as the salesladies stared down at her.
“Of course,” one said with a slight tinge of judgment in her voice.
“He wants me to be presentable,” Mina said, “like a good little trophy wife.”
“I told you,” he grumbled into her ear. “You are not a trophy.”
“Well thank goodness for that.”
“Let’s see what we can do,” the tall, model-skinny saleswoman said.
They guided Mina into a sitting room and served her a Mimosa. Spencer, of course, turned it down, saying it was too early in the day. He checked his devices repeatedly as the saleswomen showed Mina a multitude of clothing. All the colors, styles, and cuts made her head spin.
“Why don’t you try on some of these things?” Spencer said without looking up from his phone. “Then you will get a better idea of what fits.”
“She does have a challenging body type,” said one of the sales girls, flipping through the dresses they’d put on the rack beside Mina.
“That’s not the only challenging thing I have,” she said.
Spencer looked up at her from under his eyebrows. He took a deep, huffing breath and then looked back at his phone. They handed her several different outfits and ushered her into the dressing room.
The first outfit was a short blue dress with tiny polka dots. It cinched at the waist and flared at the hip. It had a high neck that hid her cleavage and short sleeves that extended the length of her arms. She slipped into the white heels and looked at herself in the mirror.
It was cute. Not a very formal look, but she would be better suited to tag along with Spencer in this kind of outfit. She stepped out of the dressing room and did a little twirl. He looked up at her, and his lips parted as if in shock. He shut his mouth and nodded once.
“This is better, but still a bit young. I need a more professional look for my wife.”
“Absolutely,” a saleswoman said.
They handed Mina a formfitting charcoal-gray dress with a high neck, and a pair of pink heels. They had also discreetly slipped her some undergarments to go with the tight dress. Mina slipped into the new bra and panties then put on the body-conforming dress.
It was the type of thing she had never expected to wear in her life. But after she slipped on the heels, she tugged her hair back into the hair tie she had on her wrist and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a completely different woman. She walked out of the dressing room and presented herself to Spencer.
This time, he looked visibly shaken when he appraised her. Mina smiled, knowing that she had broken through his thick outer shell and had gotten a brief glance at the man he hid inside.
“Much better.” Spencer choked. “More like this.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, Mina…” He stood and checked his watch. “You understand what I mean by presentable. You are in the competent hands of these expert stylists. They can help you complete your shopping. I’ve arranged for another car to come wait for you. But I must be leaving.”
“But we were having so much fun.” She leaned forward and touched his lapel.
A spark of awareness radiated between them when she touched the warmth of his chest. She bit her lip and batted her eyes, looking up at him in the most convincing coquettish expression she could come up with. He cleared his throat and frowned, blinking his eyes as if trying to clear them of dust.
“This isn’t what I consider fun,” he said. “If it was for you, I’m happy for you. But I have to leave.”
“What do you consider fun, Spencer?” She put her other hand on his chest.
“Fun?” He grasped her hands with his.
The warmth of his smooth palms on her skin sent a chill down her spine. His eyes brightened with the awareness of her. She could see it deep in the pools of his navy-blue irises. He had feelings for her, desire. She could sense it.
“You heard me,” she purred.
“I-I…We’ll discuss this another time, Mina.”
He let go of her hands and brushed past her, leaving the boutique without looking back. Mina was left standing, staring at his back as he climbed into the limousine. She felt a sense of emptiness at his absence.
Why was she doing this to herself? She should just play along and leave it alone. He wasn’t really her husband. He wasn’t even her boyfriend. He was just a guy who’d basically hired her to be his wife to the tune of a million dollars and some nice dresses.
Why did she feel like she had to look behind his mask and find the scared, lonely boy inside him? Why did she want to kiss him and touch him and make him feel happy and loved? What was wrong with her?
“We have so many more outfits for you to try.” One of the salesladies interrupted Mina’s thoughts.
“Bring it on.” She sipped another glass of Mimosa. If Mina couldn’t have Spencer, at least she could have a lot of nice clothes.
Chapter 8
Mina pulled up the zipper at the side of her silver ball gown and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair had been cut and styled with highlights and lowlights. She’d had her color palette analyzed and now owned the perfect shade of every cosmetic she could ever need.
For tonight’s gala, she’d had her hair done in an updo, gotten a manicure that matched her silver dress, and had allied a tasteful-but-dramatic face.
She looked amazing, more amazing than she had ever seen herself look. She twirled around and looked at the billowing taffeta of her mermaid skirt swirling around her feet. She placed her hands on her hips and stared at herself for long moments, trying to see if she was a different woman than she’d been before she arrived. She certainly looked different.
She was married now, to Spencer Camden. Maybe marriage had changed her. Maybe living in the penthouse had made her a different person.
Deep down, Mina knew she was the same old Mina L’Amour she’d always been, failed romance novelist and starving student. The only thing that had changed was her address. She hadn’t even consummated her marriage with Spencer.
Not that she cared. Right?
There was a soft rap at her door, and she went to open it. Spencer stood on the other side, wearing a tailored tuxedo and smelling as good as he looked. She bit her lip and looked him up and down. He was tall, polished, and handsome, the kind of guy any girl would want to marry.
“You look amazing.” His eyes twinkled as he took her in.
She smiled and took a step back, doing a twirl for him. When she came back to face him, his expression told a story his words never did. She saw it more and more every day. She told herself not to read things into the hot glances he stole, but she couldn’t help it.
It was probably a case of seeing w
hat she wanted to see. Mina wasn’t completely naive about the opposite sex. She knew enough about men to understand what he was thinking when his eyes flashed and his cheeks grew red like they were now.
“Thank you.” She stepped forward. “You look pretty good yourself.”
“Shall we?” He offered her his arm. “The car is waiting.”
Mina took his arm, wrapped the white faux-fur stole around her shoulders, and gripped her sequined silver clutch. He led her down the hall, out of the penthouse, and down to the first floor to where the limousine waited. Once they were seated, the driver drove them to the Grand Camden Hotel of Beverly Hills.
Mina felt nervous as they pulled up to the luxury hotel. She’d never been in a place like this, and she’d never spent any time around the kinds of people who did, besides Spencer, of course, but he didn’t count. The driver opened the door, and
Spencer climbed out first, offering her his hand and helping her step out onto the sidewalk. She smiled up at him, looking into his eyes. That twinkle was still there when he looked at her, giving her a glimpse of what lay behind his stony mask.
They walked arm in arm into the hotel and strolled into the lobby, mingling with the other arriving guests. Spencer led her into the ballroom hosting the gala event of the year. According to Spencer, everyone who was anyone in all of Southern California would be in attendance tonight. Mina had been instructed to be on her best behavior.
A waiter walked by with a tray of champagne flutes and offered them to Mina and Spencer. She accepted the champagne and took a sip. Spencer took one too, much to Mina’s surprise. They sauntered through the crowd, finding their way to the dining table at the head of the room.
“Spencer Camden,” said a voice from behind them.
Spencer turned them to face a man in a black tuxedo who was a few years older than Spencer with a beautiful woman on his arm. She wore a white dress with shimmering gold embroidery. She had dark hair that curled around her bare shoulders and glossy red lips.
“Kip Newton.” Spencer reached out to shake the man’s hand.
“And this must be your lovely bride,” Kip said.
“Yes, Mina, may I present Kip and Bunny Newton.”
“It’s so good to meet you, Mina.” Bunny reached out to take Mina’s hand. “You’re just as lovely as everyone has said. And you must be awfully smart to have nabbed the most eligible dragon bachelor in Los Angeles.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too, Bunny.” She rubbed Spencer’s arm. “I am a lucky girl, aren’t I? I tell Spencer that every day. But you know, Spencer and I love each other so much, I would have married him even if he didn’t have two dimes to rub together.”
“Oh, well, aren’t you just a doll?” Bunny said.
“That’s what Spencer calls me.” Mina placed her hand on her chest.
“Your bride is adorable,” Kip said to Spencer. “You should bring her around to the tennis match at the club.”
“We’re busy.” Spencer said. “We’ll be in Tahiti by the end of the week.”
“Well, don’t keep your lovely bride all to yourself for too long, Spencer,” Bunny said. “You have an open invitation to join us for a doubles match any time you please.”
“I don’t think Mina is up for tennis,” Spencer said.
“Nonsense,” Mina said. “I love tennis.”
“That settles it then,” Bunny said. “You’ll have to come to the club and play doubles with us. And I can introduce you to everyone who is anyone worth knowing.”
“I can’t wait.” Mina tried not to sound sarcastic.
“And how did you two meet?” Kip asked.
“Spencer reads my romance blog and fell head over heels in love with me from my words,” Mina said. Spencer grumbled beside her, and she looked up at him with a wistful smile. “Isn’t that right, darling?”
“Quite.” Spencer linked his arm through Mina’s.
“You’re a romance author?” Bunny pressed her hand to her chest.
“Oh, yes. And Spencer is the inspiration for all my heroes.” She swooned.
“Spencer, you dog,” Kip said. “We had no idea.”
“I’ll have to read your blog,” Bunny said.
“It’s Mina L’Amour dot com.”
“Mina, dear,” Spencer said through gritted teeth. “We need to mingle.”
He led her away from Kip and Bunny into the crowd where they found their table and sat down.
“Why did you say that?” He checked his phone for messages.
“Why did I say what?”
“That we met through your romance blog,” Spencer said. “No one would believe that.”
“It seems Kip and Bunny believed it.”
He gave her such an exasperated expression that she had to hold herself back from giggling. She pinched her arm under the table until tears formed in the corners of her eyes. But she still couldn’t hold back the amused snort.
“What’s gotten into you?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“I should have known that fancy clothes weren’t going to change your personality.”
“Oh, darling.” She ran her hands down his lapels again. “Let’s not fight tonight.”
“Who said anything about fighting? We aren’t fighting.”
“I know, dear. It’s more of a lover’s quarrel.”
“Mina. Please stop.”
“Stop what?” she asked as he grasped her hand.
They stared at each other as he held her hand against his chest. The cold, iron façade he wore melted briefly. She saw his true self, the man who wanted to be loved, touched, and teased. She smiled at him, batting her eyes coquettishly. He let out an exasperated groan and looked down, still holding her hand in his.
“You will be the death of me, Mina L’Amour,” he whispered.
“That’s the opposite of what I want.”
“This is quite the party,” said a voice from above them.
“Henry Banks.” Spencer dropped Mina’s hand and rose. He grasped Henry’s hand and shook it roughly.
“What are you doing here? What about the deadlines for the Tahiti resort?” Spencer asked.
“Everything is going according to plan. Even your CFO needs a night off. I see you’re here with your new bride,” Henry said.
“Yes, Henry, this is Mina.”
“The famous romance novelist,” Henry said.
“I’m famous?” Mina said as Spencer and Henry both sat down at the table with her.
“It’s all around the gala how you and Spencer met. I had no idea that you frequented romance blogs,” Henry said.
“Mina is exaggerating,” Spencer said.
“Oh, darling, don’t be embarrassed.” Mina stroked his arm.
He turned and glared at her.
“He’s upset because he wanted that to stay private, between us. I’m sorry, darling. I won’t tell anyone else.”
“It’s too late for that,” Henry said. “The Beverly Hills rumor mill is in full effect.”
“Wonderful,” Spencer muttered.
“You got yourself quite the pistol.” Henry winked at Mina. “Everyone is so impressed with her already, the woman who could melt the heart of Spencer Camden. Must be an awfully special lady. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could close a few deals tonight, Spencer, just based on the buzz about your new bride.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Spencer said.
Henry chuckled as he walked off to mingle with the crowd as Spencer’s mother, Tisha, and Winston Jacobs came to sit at their table. The waiters came out and brought their meal, serving them fancy gourmet food that Mina had never encountered before. She wasn’t even sure what it was until she bit into it and found the flavor divine, much to her relief.
She chatted with Spencer’s mother, who was a sweet woman. Tisha mentioned Bunny’s invitation to the club and doubles tennis. And Mina couldn’t believe how quickly word got around.
“We really are impressed with you, dear,�
� Tisha said in a low voice. “You’ve already had a positive effect on my son.”
“We’ve only been together for a week,” Mina said.
“But I can see it—exactly what his grandfather wanted. You’re making him a better man.”
“You really think so?” Mina tilted her head to the side. Hope flooded her senses.
She wanted to believe she and Spencer could make each other better people. In that moment, she knew that she wanted to love him and to stay married to him, no matter what it took.
Mina believed Kitty Malone had matched them for a reason and that Spencer Camden was the man who could know her heart and soul like no other. But she had yet to find the key that unlocked the door to his.
“I do,” said Tisha. “He thinks it’s just an arrangement, but it’s more than that. I’m his mother. I can see it in his eyes. He has real feelings for you.”
“Tell me more.”
“Just be patient, and give it time.”
“Sometimes, he feels so far away, like he’s just putting up with me. And I’m wasting his time.”
“Oh, he can be like that. Believe me. I know. But just stick with it. Trust me.”
“He wants to have our marriage annulled after the year is up.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t know. He’s not exactly prince charming, but I want to believe that Kitty Malone knew what she was doing.”
“Just keep believing.”
“I’ll try,” Mina said. “Goodness knows—he doesn’t make that easy.”
Chapter 9
Mina was apparently the talk of the town. Everyone at the gala was gushing about her, something Spencer had not anticipated. He’d hoped she would at least be presentable and not embarrass him. She had achieved the first part but not the second. Her silly remarks had the opposite effect from what he would have expected.
Everyone was clamoring to do business with him now because they’d heard about his lovely, young wife. Family man and wolf shifter Hector Martinez had come over to his table and offered a plot of land on a tropical island off La Jolla for a deeply discounted price as a wedding present. He only wanted a small percentage share of any development. That was something Spencer would have to seriously consider.
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