"Why didn't he say anything? And what's he doing betting in high-stakes pool?"
"Because he has a big ego," Jim said bitterly. "The idiot thought he would win."
Cherrelle stared after Brad, who had quickly left through the door out into the parking lot. He was gorgeous, charming, and had a sense of humor. He was also in need of money.
Perfect.
"Excuse me a minute."
She hurried out and found Brad walking quickly across the parking lot towards a vintage but battered Porsche parked alone under a street lamp.
"Brad! Wait up!"
Brad turned as she ran to him. She gave him her best smile. "I was wondering if you fancied a drink."
Brad blinked. He had clearly not been expecting that. But he recovered quickly and nodded. "Okay. But you might have to buy. You cleaned me out."
"I'm not taking your money," Cherrelle said quickly. "But I'll buy. Because I have a proposition for you. And I think you'll like it."
*****
Brad couldn't believe what had happened. Cherrelle Mason, the woman who he had a crush on in college, was asking him for a drink moments after she had beaten him easily at pool. It was like a bizarre dream.
But he was under no illusions. A wealthy woman like Cherrelle - and wealthy was an understatement - always wanted something and buying him a drink with a proposition put forward was just how he had expected it. Get him drunk and then get him to agree to anything she wanted.
That wasn't going to happen. But because he had always wanted to get close to her, even for a moment, he would indulge her before turning her down.
He could only stare at her as they sat in a small diner down the street from the pool hall and ordered a drink and a burger for each of them. Her hair was in a fashionable pixie cut rather than the long weave she had sported at twenty, and she seemed taller and slimmer than before. And she was more toned. She looked good. Really good.
And damn if his body didn't know it. His cock had been at half-mast most of the evening. Now, alone together and his groin hidden, his was standing to attention and straining against his jeans.
This wasn't going to be easy.
Cherrelle waited until they were served before she spoke. "So, tell me, Brad, what's a guy like you doing playing high-stakes pool?"
Brad shrugged, trying to act like he didn't care when inside his heart was hammering and he was beginning to break out in a sweat. "Jim told me of your games and I thought I'd tag along this time."
"Seriously?" Cherrelle gave him a look that said she didn't believe him. "Don't bullshit me."
That was Cherrelle. Straight-talking to a fault. He sighed and looked down at his food. He didn't feel very hungry. "I have my own business. Dealing with cars. It was doing great until I bought a few too many cars that didn't match the paperwork." He snorted disparagingly at his own incompetence. "My fault for trusting the wrong people. Now my business is in danger of going under, and when Jim mentioned the pool games, I thought it would be my chance to win some money back." He shook his head. "I didn't count on coming up against you, though."
Cherrelle picked up her burger. "I think Jim should've warned you I'm always winning," she said before she took a bite. Brad tried not to stare as this woman, who should be tasting delicate morsels of food, was wolfing down a burger that looked far too big for her.
"I might've missed that memo," he murmured.
Cherrelle swallowed her mouthful and put her burger down, dabbing at the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
"So, how much are you under?" she asked.
"Enough that I can't get myself out of it." Brad felt far too embarrassed to admit how far it went. He held up a hand when he saw Cherrelle's expression change. "Look, I'm not asking for money, and I won't accept any from you. I'm not like that."
Cherrelle looked thoughtful for a moment. She sipped at her cola. "Are you single?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Are you married? In a relationship? What?"
Brad was still reeling from the sudden question but he managed to find the words. "I'm single."
"Then this might work." Cherrelle looked relieved - relieved? - and she leaned forward. Brad tried not to look down her blouse, which was opened in a subtle V on her chest. "I'm in a bit of a situation, Brad. Well, a big one. My parents are arranging me to marry this guy..."
"Arranging? I thought that sort of thing went out decades ago in first-world countries."
"Not with my family," Cherrelle said bitterly. "My friends worked hard to get their millions. I'm the only one with billions. I'm the only one who came from money. Setting up a popular dating website was the result of being bored." She snorted. "My father believes because he has billions he can control everyone. Have you heard of Jason Colney?"
"I've heard of him. Ruthless shark, from what I've read." Brad didn't have much of a good opinion of the man, who came across in his articles as arrogant. He claimed to be worried about people but was making sure those who didn't have money were made virtually homeless when he demolished their homes to make way for bigger, better ones.
"They're planning to set me up with him."
Brad didn't know what to say. He chose his words carefully. "Sounds like a good match."
Cherrelle scoffed rudely. She held up one finger. "One, I don't want to be paired off and forced into marriage," she said firmly. "That's on my own terms." She held up another finger. "And two, I don't like Jason. I find him repulsive. He wants my business and my money, not me. I will not have him as my husband."
Brad was not stupid. He had shown that over the years he could read between the lines. And he read between the lines of what Cherrelle wanted. "So, you want a fake fiancé to get your parents off your back and you don't have to marry Jason."
"You catch on quick."
"I'm certainly not stupid." Brad fitted the pieces together. "So, you want me to act as a sort of escort."
Cherrelle grinned. "Exactly."
"Why not call an escort service?"
Cherrelle sighed. "My aunt runs an escort service. She got bored as much as I did lounging around with lots of money and nothing of any great importance to do. She would find out in a heartbeat, whether it was her company or not. No, it would have to be someone else." She sat back and toyed with her fork. "Sarah and I have vetted several men, but no one is up to scratch."
"Damn." Brad pretended to be hurt. "And I thought you were picking me because I had the looks."
"$50,000 now and $50,000 when it's a success. That should help you out of a hole."
Brad was floored. That amount of money would easily get in back in the black and have some left over. It was the source of all his problems. And all he had to do was pose as Cherrelle's boyfriend for a while.
But he wasn't celebrating yet. He knew there was a catch somewhere. There always was when a proposition too good to be true was put before someone.
"What are the conditions?" he asked carefully.
Cherrelle grinned. She seemed to know she had caught him easily. "I have a few social engagements, so I will need an escort there. You accompany me to my parents' for dinner a few times. You don't need to live with me, but we'll have some of your stuff at my place and vice versa to put on a facade."
"What about PDA? And all that?"
"PDA is fine. Just not over the top." Cherrelle held up a hand. "But no sex. This is for appearances only."
Brad swallowed. He would be able to kiss the woman he had fantasized about for years when they were studying. Hold her hand, act like she was his for a time. The sex part didn't sit well with him, but he wasn't a monster; he would respect Cherrelle's wishes.
"Fine. No sex. I can do that." He coughed and willed his body to stop building its arousal. "I just need to look affectionate."
Cherrelle looked pleased that he had caught on quickly. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a checkbook. Fishing out a pen, she quickly scribbled out a check and tore it off, putting it on the table in front of him.
"Here's the check. And here's my number. I'll need yours and your address."
She took out a small notepad and held it out with the pen. After a moment's hesitation, Brad took the pen and wrote down what she wanted. "This feels really clinical."
"I know. But I'd rather have a friend help me out than be a pawn for my parents." Cherrelle took the pad and pen back and stowed them away with her checkbook into her bag. "Dad doesn't like the fact I've got a business and wants me back under his control. So, he's making up the reason I said if I'm not married by now he would arrange it. Then Jason would take over my business and leave me at Dad's mercy."
"They can't be that bad."
Cherrelle snorted. "Talk to Jim. He'll confirm it." She gathered up her bag and stood, her burger only half-finished. "My parents want us at their house on Sunday for dinner. I'll text you tomorrow with the details."
Then she was gone. Brad could only sit and stare as Cherrelle walked away, barely looking back. She didn't act like the woman he had briefly known before. She was a pure businesswoman, through and through.
Brad wasn't sure if he liked that part of her.
*****
Cherrelle was feeling lighter in her step as she left the diner and made her way across the street back to the parking lot. That had gone well. Very well. Brad had agreed to the terms, and she finally had a man she could show to her parents and claim they were in love. Then her parents would see that she was unavailable and stop the stupid talk about marrying Jason Colney.
It was a pity to make the conditions where they were not allowed to sleep with each other but Cherrelle could go with that. For now, the gorgeous strip of man candy was hers to do as she chose.
It wasn't until she got to her car that she remembered that she had given Sarah a lift to the hall and was supposed to have driven her home. Cherrelle felt the flush of embarrassment when she saw Sarah leaning against the car texting away on her cell phone.
"Sorry," she mumbled as she fumbled in her bag for her keys. "I got a little side-tracked."
"I noticed from the way you ran out of here." Sarah looked up and grinned. "He's hot."
"I know." Cherrelle smiled back and unlocked the car, walking around to the driver's side. "That should make it easier on the eye for me. I've picked him to be the fake boyfriend. And he's accepted."
"For how much?"
"Nothing he doesn't need." Cherrelle opened her door. "And nothing I can't afford."
She got behind the wheel. Sarah climbed in her side and they shut the doors, buckling up before Sarah spoke.
"Do you want a background check?" she asked.
"He's friends with Jim." But Cherrelle paused. She knew Jim well enough to have gone into this without a check if it had been him. But she hadn't seen Brad for several years and even then they didn't really know each other. "While he may be a solid character reference for Brad, I just want to be sure."
"No problem."
Cherrelle started the car and drove them out the parking lot, turning towards Sarah's home. They were halfway there when Sarah spoke again, staring out the window. "I had a message from an employee while we were playing. I called him just now. He said someone wanted a background check on Jason Colney before they went through on a merger with him. Because of my recent interest in him, he passed the information on. While Colney is clear for now, he has been talking a lot about getting his hands on your company. However, he's not sure whether to shut it down altogether or sell it to the highest bidder."
Cherrelle's hands tightened on the wheel. The bastard dared to...
She wasn't going to let that happen.
"Well, I'm not going to give him a chance," she said firmly. "Life and Love is my baby. He's not getting his grubby hands on it."
"Good luck with that." Sarah glanced at Cherrelle with a cheeky grin. "When you've finished with Brad, could you direct him my way?"
Cherrelle laughed, but it was hollow. Somehow passing Brad to Sarah, no matter how strong their friendship was, felt stomach-turning. Suddenly, she didn't want to pass him on to anyone.
She just wanted him for herself.
*****
Brad rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He could hear the rain pattering outside, but it didn't lull him into sleep. Instead, it chose to keep him awake and enable him to churn over the evening's events.
He had become a puppet for a rich woman. While it was Cherrelle and she was the most down-to-earth woman he knew with more than eight figures in her bank account, she was still a rich woman. One of the elite. It didn't sit well with him that he had virtually prostituted himself for her whims.
He did feel like a prostitute. There was no sex involved, but it was an intimate thing and he had been paid with more to come. It didn't sit well with him. He preferred to get his money with his own hard work, not asking people for it. That went against his pride. And it was severely dented for having accepted this deal.
But, on the other hand, it did make them better off. Cherrelle got the man she hated off her back and her parents to leave her alone and he got $100,000 to help pull him out of debt. It was a win-win situation.
That didn't stop him feel dirty, however.
Finding that sleep wouldn't come when he had turmoil in his mind, Brad rolled onto his stomach and reached for his cell, taking it off the charger. He needed someone to talk to right now, someone to ground him.
Jim picked up on the fourth ring, his voice thick with sleep. "Yeah?"
"It's me."
"Brad?" He heard a rustling and voices. He figured Paige had woken up and Jim was urging her back to sleep. "It's two in the morning."
"Sorry, I needed to talk to someone."
"Then talk. Where did you go? I thought we were going to get some food after the game."
"Something came up." Brad propped an arm under his head and stared at the ceiling. "Cherrelle approached me and gave me a proposition."
"Cherrelle did?" Jim sounded surprised. "That's a new one. She doesn't proposition anyone."
"Does anyone proposition her?"
"All the time. She knocks them back."
The thought of Cherrelle being propositioned didn't sit well in Brad's stomach. He didn't like thinking about Cherrelle with other men. He shook his head. This facade was all it was - a facade. He shouldn't have any feelings towards her beyond friendship.
There could be nothing more as Cherrelle had pointed out.
"What could she have propositioned you for?"
"She asked me to pretend to be her fiancé." Saying it out loud did sound stupid. But at the same time it felt good.
There was stunned silence at the other end for a moment before Jim found his voice. "Pretend? I didn't realize she needed one."
"Her parents have arranged for her to be married to a man she doesn't like and will likely steal what she owns, so she's been looking for someone to pretend to be engaged to her to get him off her back."
"She should've asked me." Jim coughed and Brad heard a snarl that didn't come from his friend. Jim laughed. "Then again, that might be a problem since Paige would object to that."
"Quite." Brad laughed.
Paige was deeply in love with Jim. She had been since university, but Jim hadn't noticed until the last two years. While she and Cherrelle were friends, she wouldn't be happy lending her boyfriend out.
"Don't tell me you agreed to her terms."
"Of course I did."
Jim sighed. "You're playing with fire, Brad. Logan Mason is a force to be reckoned with."
"I can handle him." Brad hadn't met a man he couldn't handle. He was confident he could win the father over.
"While he's not a best judge of character, you shouldn't take him for a fool. He would be able to see right through your lies."
"I'm good at getting people to believe me."
"When selling cars, yes. But not a billionaire who is distrustful of everyone around him." Jim sounded uncertain. It was beginning to rub a bit on Brad, but the mor
e he thought about the plan, the more he grew confident. He still felt dirty and used, but that would go away in time
He hoped.
"Cherrelle has faith it will work," he said confidently. "And I'm sure it will as well."
Jim was quiet for a while. Finally he sighed in defeat. "I hope you know what you're doing, Brad."
"Cherrelle gets her parents off her back. And I get money in exchange for helping her." Brad checked the nails on his free hand. "Win-win."
Jim chuckled dryly. "You always knew how to charm the ladies."
"Just wish me luck."
"You won't need it. Not when it comes to women."
"Maybe I do this time." Brad swallowed as his body twitched with arousal, remembering Cherrelle as she walked away from him, swaying her hips in her usual sassy attitude. "Cherrelle doesn't want sex. Just the knowledge that she's attached and not available for a forced marriage."
He could almost see Jim smiling. "Then you've got your work cut out. You do need luck."
Chapter 3
By the time Sunday came around, Cherrelle was a bundle of nerves. She changed her outfit three times before she managed to settle on the right one. She kept walking into rooms and walking out again when she forgot what she went in for. Her nerves were a wreck.
They needed to get this to work. If anything slipped, if either of them slipped up...Logan Mason would be on them. She would be subjected to a dictatorship, dragged back to the family home, and forced to stay indoors, locked up if necessary until the wedding to Colney.
Cherrelle didn't completely believe that would happen but she wouldn't put it past him. The man liked to get his own way in the most extreme of terms.
It was exactly ten-thirty when Brad pulled up outside her apartment just as Cherrelle was stepping out to wait on the sidewalk. He climbed out and walked around to open the passenger door. He was dressed in black trousers and a pressed white shirt open at the neck. Cherrelle had never seen a man more handsome.
Brad gave her a courtly bow. "My lady. Your carriage awaits."
Cherrelle rolled her eyes and approached the car, climbing in and buckling herself in, laying her bag on her lap. She waited until Brad got behind the wheel before she spoke. "You need to work on that sense of humor of yours."
Being Harrison Bloom's Girl (That Forbidden Love Book 2) Page 16
