She’d certainly not had much chance to get to know him so far. Ever since she’d agreed to attend Natasha Grant’s wedding, he’d been nowhere near the office. The next time she saw him in the flesh was when a limousine had turned up at eight am on the appointed day to take her from her apartment to the airport.
Joshua had been waiting in his private jet, and barely grunted two words to her before retreating to his private cabin. Much to her chagrin, he’d left her with a pile of paperwork to get on with for the duration of the journey.
Amanda turned away from the monitor and looked around the compartment she was sitting it. Joshua’s jet was a flying mansion in itself, with spacious living apartments, cocktail bar, conference room and fully functioning galley with its own chef. Joshua emerged from his quarters from time to time to briefly explain about the hotel and to check on her work, but for most of the trip he stayed sequestered away playing on his PS4, as Amanda found out when she went to see him to clarify something.
Despite her luxury surroundings and the prospect of arriving at the hotel, she was regretting taking him up on his offer. It was now painfully clear he had not even a flicker of interest for her, neither romantically or as a potential friend. She’d been hired for a specific role, and she was beginning to doubt she’d have any chance of convincingly playing the loving girlfriend.
She virtually knew next to nothing about the man, and she had no idea of how to interact with the wealthy and cultured people she was no doubt going to be mingling with. She would make some ghastly faux pas, she just knew it, and end up humiliating herself.
It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been laughing stock so she was tough enough to handle it, but Joshua would also be humiliated as a consequence and she severely doubted he’d be as philosophical about it as she would be. He would fire her for sure, and she’d be back to square one like she was when she escaped from Scott. It was not fair.
Joshua’s sudden arrival stirred her from her broodings. He sauntered across the cabin, looking damn fine in his pale blue summer shirt and turned-up tan coloured chinos. Navy slip-ons encased his bare feet, and he wore a pair of uber-cool steel-rimmed shades over his eyes. Amanda felt a warm flush in her cheeks and tried not to ogle the firm contours of his torso that were complimented by the shirt.
“Well, Miss Brooks are you ready for your date with destiny?” he asked breezily, coming to stand over her. He gazed around distractedly, not even deigning to look at her. Amanda felt a surge of irritation.
“Amanda,” she said quietly.
She saw his eyebrows knit together behind his shades. “I’m sorry?”
“My name’s Amanda, it might be a good idea to call me that rather than Miss Brooks. It might help allay any suspicions.” She didn’t bother to hide the caustic tone in her voice, convinced beyond doubt now that this whole ridiculous enterprise was now doomed to failure.
A wry smile spread across his face. “Not a bad idea, Amanda. You can call me Joshua, naturally, or sex god, if you prefer.”
Amanda gave him a nonplussed look. “I think Joshua will suffice.”
“As you wish.”
He stayed with her as the jet came into land. Unsurprisingly, the hotel had its own private airfield located at the rear of the complex. It overlooked a private marina that was brimming with an armada of luxury yachts and pleasure boats, no doubt belonging to the guests who were attending the wedding.
Joshua had explained that the hotel was closed to everyone who had not been invited, and that there were going to be a staggering eight thousand people in attendance. Judging by the colossal size of the Shere Khan though, Amanda imagined it could more than easily fit that amount of people in one of its stair closets.
As they came into land, a welcoming committee had begun to gather. Looking at their pristine white and blue uniforms, Amanda took them to be members of the hotel staff. They waited dutifully whilst the airstair opened out to allow her and Joshua to descend. Joshua went first, naturally, and Amanda followed him a little hesitantly. The journey had taken a little over twenty-four hours, and now she realised with a jolt that now it was time to begin the charade she honestly had no idea what to do.
“Just relax, and act natural,” Joshua said softy, seemingly picking up on her anxieties. It wasn’t an order, and there was no trace of the usual brusqueness in him. The gentle timbre of his voice made her relax a little.
“You look great, by the way,” he added, as he stepped off the airstair and onto the tarmac.
The compliment came like a bolt out of the blue, and she had to stop herself from staring after him in disbelief. The intense heat and bright sunshine had already left her a little disorientated after the air-conditioned interior of the jet, and now Joshua’s sudden attention to her almost bowled her over. She tingled with pleasure as she glanced down at the outfit she’d chosen for the arrival.
It was a tasteful white summer dress with a blue and green floral print. It was one of the dresses she’d paid for with the advance Joshua provided for her. She’d fallen in love with it straight away and had to have it. She’d also purchased a couple of flattering evening gowns and some casual wear.
The money she’d spent was only a fraction of what Joshua had given her however, and though she wouldn’t dare tell him, she’d used the rest to hire a private live-in carer to help Mr. Jacobson cope with his wife while she was away. She felt a little guilty at not using his advance for what it was originally intended for, but helping the Jacobsons felt like the right thing to do.
By now, she had joined Joshua on the tarmac and mentally prepared for what was to come. The eyes of the hotel staff were all on her, and her resolve began to falter. She had to fight the urge to bolt back into the plane.
Without a word, Joshua brought his large hand up to envelop hers. The sudden contact sent an electric thrill up her spine. He was taller than her, and being so close now, she was enveloped in his physical presence. He radiated strength and power and his presence gave her a surge of confidence. Without meaning to, she gave his hand a squeeze. He glanced at her, a dazzling smile on his face.
An attractive, petite woman advanced from the welcoming committee and met them as they approached. “Joshua,” the woman said with a friendly smile, her alpine white teeth contrasting nicely with the moccasin hue of her skin. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“And you too, Rebecca,” Joshua replied warmly, kissing her on the cheek. The gesture of casual affection sent a spike of jealously through Amanda, and she scolded herself for letting her emotions get the better of her.
Rebecca’s attention fixed on her, and a gleam of curiosity flared in her eyes. “You’re very welcome too, ma’am.”
“Rebecca, let me introduce you to Amanda. Amanda, Rebecca is the manageress here. She makes sure the Shere Khan runs with clockwork precision, as well as attending to a myriad more vital duties. Without her, my whole empire would grind to a halt.”
“Quit with the balcony, Josh. It’s too early in the morning,” Rebecca replied, grinning broadly. She must have seen the look of shock on Amanda’s face because she laughed out loud. “Sorry Amanda, but I’m sure you’re used to his pretty speeches by now.”
“Don’t apologise,” Amanda said, warming to the woman. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“I am still here you know,” Joshua drawled. “Do you mind ripping into my character flaws when I’m not around?”
“Sorry, darling,” Amanda said playfully. “We didn’t mean to make you feel self-conscious.”
Joshua leaned forward and kissed her softly on the neck, brushing her hair out of the way with just the lightest of touches. A tremor of desire went through her body at the feel of his lips on her skin. Her breath quickened, suddenly caught off guard by the dizzying effect he was having on her.
“I forgive you,” he said, all sardonic humour erased from his voice. “I need bringing down off my high pedestal from time to time.”
Amanda wanted so badly to kiss him har
d on the lips, but resisted the urge. This was all a performance, she told herself sternly. He wanted to make it look convincing in front of Rebecca, and he could turn on the charm whenever it suited him. Scott had been just the same.
Thinking about her ex deadened the happy glow in her tummy. All men were the same, she reflected grimly, and she was an idiot to think Joshua was any different. This was all a big game, nothing more.
“We have prepared your private suite, Joshua,” Rebecca was now saying. “Everything is how you like it.” She paused and gave Amanda a meaningful look. “Of course, we thought you were coming alone, but that’s no problem. I take it you’ll be sharing the rooms?”
“Yes thank you, Rebecca,” replied Joshua. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you advance notice, but I asked Amanda to come with me on the spur of the moment, didn’t I baby? It was very good of you to come along at short notice.”
“I’m just a regular Mother Teresa,” Amanda said, a cutting undertone to her voice. Joshua gave her hand a hard squeeze and she caught the warning side-glance he gave her from behind his shades.
“It’s no problem at all,” Rebecca assured them. She tilted her head and a playful look crossed her face. “I’m just a little surprised, that’s all. For a while Joshua seemed completely committed to the single life. I was getting really worried.”
“I think most men are committed to the single life,” Amanda said. “It’s the only commitment they are genuinely comfortable with. I really have no idea how I enticed him away from his playboy existence and make an honest man of him.”
“Oh, all that playboy stuff is just an act for the media,” Rebecca said breezily. “He thinks he needs to be like that because people wouldn’t understand that he is actually very clever and decent. No, I was worried because he was retreating into his own private world. Half of Maho is given over as a wildlife conservation park and I swear Joshua would go and live out there in the forests on his own if he didn’t have a business to run.”
“Thank you Rebecca, can you please not try and scare my girlfriend completely out of her wits?” Joshua asked in mock-exasperation.
The word girlfriend made Amanda feel special, and her frostiness began to thaw despite herself. She was now intrigued at what Rebecca was saying and wanted to know more. Her candour and seeming disregard for upsetting Joshua was mind-blowing as far as Amanda was concerned, and it felt like the manageress was being very genuine. She acted more like a big sister than an employee.
“No, no, I’m very interested,” Amanda said eagerly. “Josh can be a very private person. I’d like to hear all the details from someone who knows all his little secrets.”
“Nobody knows all his little secrets,” Rebecca chuckled, “but I’d be happy to let you in on the first couple of hundred of them.”
“Perhaps if you charming ladies have finished dissecting me, maybe we could go and wash up,” Joshua said dryly. “It’s been a pretty long flight.”
“Of course, my apologies,” Rebecca said smoothly, becoming the perfect hostess. “I’ll have your luggage send to your rooms. Oh, I almost forgot, how did you two meet?”
“Amanda is an art dealer,” Joshua replied, before Amanda could say anything. “We met in Rome when I was looking for suitable pieces for my collection.”
“Oh wonderful, then you must know Gerald Kondrake, the art critic. He’s already arrived. I can let him know you’re here.”
“We’ll make ourselves known when we’re ready, thank you Rebecca,” Joshua said airily. “We’re all going to be stuck in this wretched place for two weeks, plenty of time to become utterly sick of the sight of each other.”
Rebecca nodded. “Of course, sir,” she said with a knowing smile. “I hope you have a good stay Amanda, and if there is anything you need don’t hesitate to call on me. I’m always on hand.”
“Just don’t take any of her tall tales to heart,” warned Joshua, nudging Amanda’s arm with elbow. “I forgot to tell you Rebecca escaped from a mental hospital before coming to work for me.”
“It’s a vital requirement for all Tarran Conglomerate employees,” quipped Rebecca.
Amanda burst out laughing, genuinely entertained by the banter. Her anxieties and insecurities were ebbing away, and she had seen another, completely unexpected, side to Joshua.
Fresh optimism bloomed in her, especially now she’d met Rebecca. The woman seemed to be very genuine and open, not at all like the self-serving careerists that she had encountered in the past. Maybe things would really turn out better than she had first thought? She certainly hoped so.
“Why did you tell Rebecca I was an art dealer?” Amanda asked him after they had exchanged greetings with the rest of the welcoming committee and were walking toward the hotel, well out of earshot of anyone else.
“Why not tell her you’re an art dealer?” Joshua asked nonchalantly. “It’s a very interesting profession.”
“Well, for a start I know about nothing about art. What am I going to do with someone starts asking me questions?”
“Google like crazy and just talk like you know everything there is to know. It’s how I get by.”
Amanda let out a laugh. “You’re a little different to me. Seriously, I’ve no idea what I’m going to do.”
“Consider it a test of your resourcefulness, Miss Brooks. I certainly hope you won’t flake out on me.”
Amanda felt a pang of disappointment. Joshua’s cold demeanour had instantly returned now they were away from the public eye. He no longer had to pretend that he was interested in her, and the point was rammed home when he loosed his hand from hers. The loss of his close proximity was almost painful.
“You don’t have to worry about that, Mr. Tarran,” she replied in a formal tone, deciding to play him at his own game. “I’m as versatile as you when it comes to hiding my true feelings.”
She saw the muscles in his jaw tighten, but he said nothing. They carried on in silence through the hotel’s well tended gardens toward a wide portico that led into the building proper. Amanda mentally berated herself for being so snarky.
She was letting this situation get the better of her, and she had to keep her emotions in check. It didn’t help that she still found Joshua extremely attractive, and their brief physical contact at the airfield had only helped fan the flames. She realised she was now longing for the next time that they touched.
Her roiling mind was distracted however when they entered the Shere Khan. She stared around the huge vaulted hall she now found herself in with a renewed sense of wonder. A wide, domed ceiling of glittering crystal lighted the whole space, and the white marble floor gleaming with a polished sheen stretched out beneath her feet.
As she and Joshua walked across it, she gawped at the exquisite boutiques, luxury shops and fashionable bars that lined the walls either side of her. They teemed with hotel guests, who were idling away the hours at these many lavish distractions. Amanda’s eyes darting to and fro as she recognised politicians, movie stars and celebrities, all ambling around like regular people.
“I can’t believe who is here,” Amanda said in a hushed whisper, her amazement overriding her reluctance to make conversation with Joshua.
“I can tell that by your saucer wide eyes,” was Joshua’s droll reply. “Do you think you could tone the drooling down a little? You’re supposed to be one of them, not some country hick.”
His harsh words stung Amanda, and she had to take a deep breath to stop from lashing out. The arrogant jerk certainly knew how to push her buttons, and that was an extremely bad sign. “You have my sincerest apologies. I’m afraid I’m not as cultured as you. For a country hick like me this is pretty full-on. I mean, most of these people are just images on the TV screen for me. It’s hard for me to see them as just regular guys.”
“You’re not a country hick,” Joshua said in a low voice. “I shouldn’t have called you that. I’m sorry.”
Amanda looked over at him in surprise. Joshua’s face was unreadable, and his eye
s were hidden behind his shades, but he seemed to radiate with an emotion she’d never seen in him before. Was it shame?
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, deciding to build some bridges between them. “I am sorry for being so star-struck. I’m just going to have to get used to being around all these glamorous people.”
“You don’t have to be in awe of them,” Joshua said. “They’re no better than you. In fact, in a lot of cases you’re more worthy of adulation and respect than any of these grasping losers. They’re nothing special, and neither am I.”
“I wouldn’t say that about you,” Amanda replied with feeling. “Rebecca seems to think you’re a pretty swell guy.”
Joshua stuck out his lower lip again, in that cute, naughty boy way. “Rebecca’s biased. I helped out her dad once when he was in a mess. As a result, she is insanely loyal to me. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a phenomenally hard worker and I wasn’t just talking bull when I said that she’s vital to the running of the Khan. I’d be lost without her.”
Amanda was touched by his obvious affection for the manageress, but the spectre of jealously she’d felt when he’d kissed her at the airfield resurfaced with a vengeance.
“Perhaps you should have asked her to be your pretend girlfriend?” Amanda said carefully. “You have such a good rapport and a real connection. She could pull it off much better than me.”
Joshua gave a resolute shake of his head. “Me and her are not like that. She’s like a sister to me. I needed to be with someone who challenged me.”
Amanda raised her eyebrows, not sure what to make of that. She was just about to do some more digging now that he was in a better mood, when he abruptly stopped and pointed across the hall to a pair of elevators.
“We’ll take the elevator up to the suite,” he said brusquely. “I don’t like being round all these fake people longer than is necessary.”
Romance: The Tiger's Hired Mate: BBW Tiger Shifter Romance Standalone (Spicy Shifters Book 2) Page 3
