by Lexy Timms
When Dane hung up, he turned to her and took her hand in his. “The Handels are already there.”
“Are they upset?” A few networks had run with the story that Dane blamed the Handels for the pregnancy rumors, but the interview they’d done last week seemed to smooth things over. Dane had nothing but kind words about the Handels in that piece, so she hoped some of the damage had been mitigated.
“I think our interview probably fixed a hell of a lot,” he said. “Still, this was clearly my fault. I blasted the reporter because I was angry. That’s not my usual game. I don’t know what’s come over me lately.”
She stared down at their entwined hands, the sight warming her heart. “You were only trying to defend me.”
“And I’d do it again,” he confessed. He gazed at her intently, his blue eyes transfixing her.
A smile played on her lips. “You always seem to land yourself in a world of trouble when you defend me.”
Something mischievous flashed in his eyes. “We ended up in bed together after I told off your family. That night was fucking amazing.”
She gasped softly.
He grinned wolfishly, and that made her laugh. Even though she was staying at his place, they hadn’t had sex again. They had decided that mixing business with pleasure had made things more than a little complicated. Still, that hadn’t stopped them from making out on his couch. Staying at his place made her feel like a schoolgirl again. She felt giddy and excited every day.
“I can’t wait for tonight to be over.” He leaned back against the seat. “Then we can be together and I’ll have you all to myself.”
“I can’t wait either.”
He gazed at her again. She shivered under his intense scrutiny. Nobody had ever looked at her that way. He had a habit of looking at her like she was the only woman in the world. “Allyson, I’m crazy about you,” he said. “Have I told you that? That I’m crazy about you?”
“You’re telling me now.” Could it really be true? Could he really be falling for her? After everything that had happened?
He leaned forward to kiss her and then paused. “Forgot about your makeup.” Instead, he pressed her hand to his lips and kissed it. Warmth spread across her skin.
The limo stopped in front of the Prescott Hotel, and Dane helped her out of the limousine. A crowd of elegantly-dressed guests was heading across the red carpet that led inside. The hotel was one of many properties that Dane’s family owned in New York City, and they had spared no expense. The hundreds of flowers lining the entrance alone must have cost a small fortune.
She turned to Dane, and he looked so handsome it took her breath away. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, his blond hair slicked back.
“You look so beautiful,” he said, offering his arm.
“Thank you.” Her cheeks warmed and she took his arm, letting him lead her inside. While everyone else had to check in with the guest list, she and Dane were ushered down the hall to the balcony of the hotel ballroom.
Allyson inhaled deeply, forcing herself to breathe. An elegant and intimidating flight of stairs led down from the balcony to the ballroom below. The dancefloor was crowded with New York high society, mingling, drinking, and dancing. An orchestra was playing on the far side of the ballroom. Some of the guests spotted them standing on the balcony and a hush seemed to fall over the room.
Her heart was in her throat. Terror gripped her. She’d spent the last several days preparing for this by going over lessons with Dane and his mother, but nothing could prepare her for the hundreds of eyes staring at her. They all thought she was his wife. No matter how deep her feelings for Dane, the hardest part of this whole charade was about to begin.
“What if I fall?” she blurted out desperately.
He turned his attention to her. “I won’t let you. If you fall I’ll catch you, and then vault myself down the stairs to make it look like I’m the clumsy oaf who caused the mess in the first place.”
She laughed. It sounded crazy, but she knew if the worst were to happen he would do it.
“No matter what happens,” he continued, “I’m proud of you. And I’m honored that you’re the woman I get to be here with. We might be faking it, but my feelings for you are real.”
A lump formed in her throat. A familiar sting pricked her eyes, but she blinked back the tears. Her mascara wasn’t waterproof and Dane’s mother’s assistant had spent so much time helping her get ready for tonight. Her makeup had been painstakingly applied, a sparkling, tiny headband added to her smooth, black bobbed hair.
Dressed in the stunning evening gown Dane loved so much, and the golden heels she had chosen, she had never felt so sexy and desirable in her life.
“You know, I’m crazy about you, too,” she said.
He flashed that dazzling smile of his, and he started to guide her down the long flight of stairs to the ballroom. She didn’t fall.
When they got to the bottom of the stairs, the crowd seemed to part for them.
“Care to dance? Saves making introductions to…well, basically everyone in the room.”
“I’d love to,” she whispered.
They had gone over the steps, but with barely a week of dance lessons she still felt unsure. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he slipped his hand around her waist. His touch reassured her. Made her feel strong, and elegant. Made her feel like she belonged here with him. Allyson placed her other hand in his, and he started to twirl her around the shiny dancefloor.
Fighting the impulse to look down at her feet to make sure the steps were right, she stared deeply into Dane’s bright blue eyes. They burned for her like two blue flames. If there were other couples dancing, Allyson didn’t know it. Dane was the center of the world.
After the waltz, Dane pointed to his parents and John Handel chatting in a corner of the ballroom. “It’s show time,” he said, and gave her an encouraging smile.
As they approached, Dane’s parents and John Handel looked up in unison.
“It’s wonderful to see you again.” John Handel smiled at her. “I just knew there was something going on between you two that evening at the ball park. Little did I know it would end up being marriage. Congratulations!”
“It’s wonderful to see you as well, Mr. Handel,” Allyson replied. “And thank you.”
“Please, call me John,” Mr. Handel insisted. “Now, considering the wonderful women they married, I can’t tell which man is luckier: Dane or his father.”
Dane smiled. “I think we’ve got a little competition with you, Mr. Handel. Where is Mrs. Handel, by the way?”
“She and the children are fashionably late as usual,” John replied with a laugh. “But don’t worry, I won’t be disappointing the newlyweds this evening. I fully intend to sign our little agreement.”
Relief washed over Allyson. After the nerve-wracking week of playing pretend, their lie was about to pay off. She hated to deceive everyone, but they’d soon put things right. Besides, after all this was over she and Dane were free to be together. At last.
After everything they had been through, she knew that they could face anything. There had been doubts and setbacks, but at the end of it all nothing could keep them apart. Not his meddling mother. Not the press. Not even her own doubts and fears. She and Dane were meant to be. That was all that mattered now.
They chatted for a little while longer, until John Handel suggested it was time to sign the deal. “We can sign as long as our lawyers are present. You two newlyweds can go back to dancing.”
Dane’s parents and John headed out of the ballroom. Allyson knew that after the deal was signed, the press would be notified and the news would run in tomorrow’s newspapers. It might be a holiday, but technology meant that the news always ran no matter the circumstances.
He smiled down at her. “If think we’ve pulled it off.”
“I almost can’t believe it.”
“Believe it.” He laughed. “I think John Handel is quite taken by you. Not that I blame him.�
�
“That sort of flattery could get you into all kinds of trouble,” she warned.
“We have a day off tomorrow, so I look forward to getting into trouble with you.” His words made her tingle all over. “How about some Champagne to celebrate?”
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
The Champagne was divine. The bubbles tickled on the way down. Usually when Allyson came to one of these swanky events, she served as Dane’s assistant. These high-society affairs were almost always work. She never had time to take in the opulent chandeliers. Never had time to appreciate the music. Or dress up like she was now. Or show up on the arm of the most gorgeous man in the room.
She and Dane drank and chatted together while an announcer stood in front of a microphone and updated the guests on the amount of money raised for one of the local children’s hospitals.
A tall, good-looking man Allyson recognized from the local news approached them. “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Prescott. I’m Rick Diamond from Channel 15 News. I was wondering if you’re ready for a short interview tonight.”
“We promised the station we’d give them a live sound bite,” she reminded Dane, already going into assistant mode.
Dane nodded and took her Champagne flute from her hands to hand their glasses to a passing waiter. With her arm in his they followed the reporter, making their way to the hotel conference room. The press had gathered in the enormous conference room, and various guests were already giving interviews.
Dane and Allyson headed over to a cameraman, and waited while Rick and a producer did a sound check. Satisfied, Rick turned to face the camera to start giving his report. Then he turned to Allyson and Dane, firing off questions about the fundraiser. Allyson let Dane answer most of the questions while he held her hand tightly. He was a pro at this, and he answered all the questions with easy charm.
Out of the corner of her eye, Allyson spied an unkempt man approaching them, holding a microphone. She frowned. He looked more like one of those paparazzi types than a respected journalist, but she was still surprised a member of the press would be brazen enough to get into the shot of the camera on live TV.
Suddenly, the unkempt man shoved poor Rick Diamond out of the frame of his own report and held up his microphone. Allyson stared in horror.
“I think you’re in the wrong shot,” Dane said in annoyance.
The unkempt man was sweating profusely, as if he’d been running. “Sorry to crash like this, but I’m wondering if either of you would like to respond to the news that’s just dropped?”
Allyson frowned. “What news?”
“The news that what you two are doing is totally fake,” the unkempt paparazzo asked. “How do you two want to respond to these allegations that your relationship is phony, and that you’ve been lying to the world all this time?”
She froze. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest. Horror and humiliation washed over her. She glanced around the room, desperate to find an escape before her embarrassment on live television got worse. Most of the crowd in the room seemed oblivious to what was going on. Except one.
On the far side of the conference room an elegant, statuesque blonde stared coldly in Allyson’s direction. A knowing smile curved the woman’s lips.
Allyson would know that blonde vixen anywhere.
Katherine Handel. Here to watch their fall and total humiliation.
THE END
Temporary CEO Blurb
Keeping up the charade.
For wealthy playboy Dane Prescott business and pleasure go hand in hand. Only now, his professional life as the CEO of Prescott Global and his budding relationship with his assistant Allyson are both on the verge of imploding. He knows his luxurious world looks tempting to outsiders, but high society could destroy a sweet, down-to-earth woman like Allyson. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if that means breaking up with her.
Allyson Smith gets that she isn’t one of Dane’s high society heiresses, but his rejection of her stings. She knows that looking good is the best revenge, so she’s ready to keep up her phony marriage to Dane even at the cost of her heart.
Their sham marriage might guarantee that Prescott Global’s future is secure, but when it comes to love can Allyson prove to Dane that their relationship is worth it?
Find Lexy Timms:
Lexy Timms Newsletter:
http://eepurl.com/9i0vD
Lexy Timms Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/SavingForever
Lexy Timms Website:
http://lexytimms.wix.com/savingforever
Lexy Timms Amazon Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Lexy-Timms/e/B00HZ3O3QW
Want to read more…
For FREE?
Sign up for Lexy Timms’ newsletter
And she’ll send you
A paid read, for FREE!
Sign up for news and updates!
http://eepurl.com/9i0vD
BONUS EXCERPT – UNKNOWN by Lexy Timms
Unknown
Unknown Identity Series
Book 1
Excerpt
By
Lexy Timms
Copyright 2016 by Lexy Timms
Description
USA Today Bestselling romance author, Lexy Timms, brings you a new series that'll steal your heart and take your breath away.
Unknown - book 1 of the Unknown Identity Series
Life has changed radically for Leslie. Her husband has finally succumbed to his terminal cancer and it's time for her to have a change of scenery. Moving across the country and setting up shop, Leslie takes the months to rebuild her life and figure out what she wants in the future.
Pouring herself into her successful mystery books series she's written, she is a reclusive global sensation writing under a pen name.
Leslie realizes that her life is missing the romance she so desperately craved and now she's on the hunt to live her life beyond her grief.
Sooner than she realizes, cupid comes calling in the form of a handsome actor who has no clue she's a successful author. However, he comes with his own personal set of baggage.
Is new love possible after you've laid true love to rest?
* Unknown Identity Series*
Unknown
Unpublished
Unexposed
Unsure
Unwritten
Unknown - Chapter 1
She always expected it to be raining on this day—if that day were ever to come.
Of course, when she pictured the day she also pictured herself as an old woman, a shell of her former self. It wasn’t supposed to happen on a bright spring day where she could literally hear the birds singing. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be gloomy and the rain was supposed to be pouring down while everyone hid under big black umbrellas while they dabbed their eyes with tissues.
Instead of long black coats, everyone wore short-sleeve black dresses or dark suits without a jacket. There was no need for umbrellas; they were silhouetted around trees that were in blossom and leaves that were beginning to show.
By all accounts it was a beautiful day, which made everything sting all the more as she felt the tears racing down her cheeks. Everyone had come to give their respects to Michael and it warmed her heart to see they had come.
After all, Leslie and Michael had both thought the long, drawn-out nature of the end might have pushed people away. It was hard to gauge such things. But here everyone was, all together and showing their support for her in this hour of darkness, bathed in sunlight and serenaded by singing birds that had just returned from their far away journeys. In the end it all seemed so cruel to Leslie, that she just wanted to sink to her knees and throw her hands in the air as she sobbed and wept. She didn’t know for sure how many times she had cried in the past year, but it felt like she was almost to the point where only salty dust could come out of her eyes.
That was the cruelest point of it all.
She never thought she would
come to a threshold where pain and sorrow simply ceased to affect her, that it would all just become something normal, something almost mundane.
Leslie was too young to be in this position. Her mother had told her this, her friends said it repeatedly, and Michael had mentioned it too many times in the past few months. It was only now as she stared at the casket holding her withered husband that she finally admitted it herself, too. When she was eighteen, she had been adamant that she’d found the man she was going to marry and it was true love.
Damn it! It’s not fair! She swiped at another onslaught of tears cascading down her cheeks.
She had only dated four other men before she found Michael. They had been camp counselors her senior year of high school at a summer camp for disabled middle schoolers. In her sophomore year of college, he went down on one knee in the quad and showed her a diamond ring she knew he couldn’t afford on his own.
Now, four years later, she’d graduated college, continued down the path of her career, and was burying her husband.
She was too young for this. She was way too young for this.
No, she wouldn’t think about the past. She couldn’t think about the horrible fact that she didn’t have a past with Michael. She had a taste of what life might have been with him and now it was gone. It was over in the blink of an eye, and she was never going to get to do any of the things she had wanted with Michael. She was never going to get that trip to Spain or see the ocean with him. There were no children in the future, no grandchildren, and there was no happy retirement out on a beach somewhere.
All she could picture was the vast passage of time toward her death, where she would be alone and forgotten.
