The Billionaire Bachelor_Clean Billionaire Romance

by Judy Corry

  Frustration bubbled inside Drew, so thick and hot he thought he might explode. This situation was ridiculous! Why couldn't things just go his way for once? Was this another punishment for what happened the night Aiden died? Was he truly cursed to forever be on the outside of everything he'd ever wanted?

  Bad things always seemed to happen when he finally thought he'd gotten Kate. Were they doomed to live like this forever?

  "Are you going to have trouble following through with my request?" Alexis cocked an eyebrow.

  Kate set her hands on the armrest of her chair, as if readying to stand. "No. It's fine. I'll just do my new job, and I promise not to interfere with Drew and your finale anymore."

  Drew covered her hand with his, her skin soft and warm. "None of this is your fault. You know that, right?" He dipped his gaze down to hers; her eyes were wide and sad.

  "That isn't what matters right now." She glanced down at his hand on hers. He squeezed it, and she gave him a tired smile. "Part of my job is to make you look good. I won't mess it up this time."

  She stood and glanced back at Alexis. "If that's all, I'll get back to work now."

  "Yes, thank you, Kate. I'll let Oliver know about the switch."

  Drew got up to leave as well, figuring he was done.

  "Actually, I still need to discuss a few things with you, Drew. It’ll just be a few more minutes."

  "What else do you want?" Drew released a long breath as he sunk back in his chair. What else would she say to ruin his day?

  Alexis waited for Kate to shut the door. She said, "As you’re aware, we weren't able to get any footage of Gwen and Dion as we'd hoped. So, in light of everything that has happened, you’re going to have to continue with the charade of dating Gwen." She clasped her hands together. "How did it go with her anyway? Did she seem happy to see you after what happened the weekend before?"

  "Didn't you watch the footage? I'm sure you know as well as I did that Gwen wasn't buying any of it. More like playing along to earn her twenty minutes of fame when this is all over, since she knows she won't be getting my money."

  "I did notice that."

  "So, what do you want me to do?"

  Alexis drew in a deep breath before looking him straight in the eyes. "I need you to call Gwen and smooth things over."

  Drew's heart plummeted. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

  "She's not going to go for it this time.”

  Alexis shook her head. "I'd make a heavy wager that this is exactly what she would want."

  Drew shook his head. He didn't want to do this. He wanted to do just what the gossip magazines were saying. He wanted to date Kate. He was so tired of everything else getting in the way of his desire.

  But he also didn't want Kate to be dragged through the mud any more than she had already. She'd been through more than enough this past year. He didn't need to be responsible for any more hurt to come into her life.

  "So, will you do it? Will you find a way to make things better and keep my show from tanking?" Alexis asked, staring at him above the rim of her glasses.

  Drew blew out a long breath. "I'll do it."

  Alexis left Drew alone in her office, so he could call Gwen.

  The phone rang twice before Gwen's frustrated voice came through the line. "So you left me yesterday to sneak off with your mistress? What a great way to live up to your nickname, Saint Drew," she scoffed.

  Drew breathed out his nose slowly, trying to remain calm, before deciding he might as well kick this thing in the butt. "Actually, we figured we'd give you some extra time alone with Dion."

  He heard a sharp intake of breath, and then there was a pause as Gwen tried to think of something to say.

  Drew was done playing games. "I know you and Dion are secretly dating. I came back to the safe house a week ago and heard you guys in the bedroom."

  More silence.

  You have the right to remain silent; anything you say can and will be used against you.

  Though her silence spoke louder than any words would.

  Finally, she said, "I knew something was up when you suddenly wanted to spend the weekend together again, yet you didn't even want to look at me at all. That's why I told Dion to check the studio after you left."

  She hadn't necessarily admitted anything, but she definitely knew they'd been set up. I guess he didn't have to feel too bad about telling Gwen he knew about her and Dion. But Alexis probably wouldn't take that as much of a consolation since his bad acting skills had ruined yet another plan of hers.

  "So how long have you and Kate been planning this? Was it before we met or after?"

  Drew shook his head. She actually believed the tabloids? "The tabloids are full of crap. Kate and I weren't secretly dating in those photos." ‘In those photos’ being the operative words. What they'd done last night had seemed a lot like they were dating. "The only one who cheated here is you."

  "Okay. So you say there's nothing going on between you and Kate, but it's obvious that you want there to be."

  Drew wasn't about to respond to that. Gwen wasn't saying anything about Dion and her. He wouldn't say anything about his hopes in regard to Kate, either.

  "Anyway," Gwen continued. "I'm guessing you've already talked to Kate."

  "Yes." Well, Alexis did it for him.

  "And I'm guessing she's not happy about the magazines."

  "Nope."

  "So, what if we just pretended to be happily dating—" She gasped as if something spectacular had just dawned on her. "Or, we could even pretend to be engaged." Her voice grew more and more excited, her words spilling out. "Yeah, celebrity couples do it all the time. We could ask Alexis if we could get engaged on the after-show, and then pretend to date for a while. It would be awesome for the ratings, and then we could do a ton of paid interviews or meet and greets and get all kinds of promotional opportunities. This could be a really good way to make a lot of money."

  "But unlike you, I was actually in this for love, not money."

  "Whatever." She seemed to think for a moment. "I bet Alexis would be a lot happier to take on Kate's screenplay if you give her the ending she's wanted all along."

  "How did you know about Kate's screenplay?"

  "Dion told me."

  Drew sighed and thought about it. Getting her screenplay on the big screen had been Kate's goal all along when she'd taken the job. Maybe a fake engagement would be a good idea, especially when both of them knew it was merely a business transaction. It would probably be the thing to keep Alexis most happy. And if Alexis was happy, she'd take a more honest look at Kate's screenplay and be more likely to take it. Or at least pass it along to someone who would.

  He hated the thought of lying to everyone. But he also didn't want to dash Kate's chance at finally accomplishing her dreams. That's what had started them on this whole process. And that's what would keep him going even when things weren't exactly the way he wanted.

  "So, what do you think?" Gwen sounded way happier now than she had at the beginning of their conversation. Could he stand to be around her for a bunch of paid appearances if it helped make Kate and Alexis happy?

  "It’s something to think about," he admitted.

  "It's a great idea. I'm actually surprised we didn't come up with it sooner."

  "Well, until a few minutes ago, you did think your affair was a secret."

  "Right…"

  Drew rolled his eyes. But whatever. He was over it. He was over her. Maybe it would be manageable to try a fake engagement for a little while. There would be a lot of positives for a lot of people. Kate would still have her job. Alexis would get the ending she'd wanted all along. Gwen would get the fame she'd pined for from the beginning, and she'd still get her sleaze-bag boyfriend Dion. The viewers would be happy to see an engagement at the end of the season, even if they didn't think Gwen was the one for him. And Drew, well, Drew would be fine. He didn't want to give Alexis a reason to turn down Kate's screenplay. And when everything was over in a couple
of months, after they'd made enough appearances and slowly showed the public signs of trouble in love-land, he'd find a way to end the charade and then finally be out of the limelight.

  There was just one little nagging voice in the back of his head that whispered about how it would all be a big lie, and that his integrity would be on the line. But it was just a small voice. He was sure he could ignore it for a few months.

  Drew found Alexis in the conference room after nailing down a few more particulars with Gwen.

  Alexis was bent over her laptop at the large Cherrywood table. Drew leaned against the door frame. "It's all set up. I talked to Gwen, and she's more than on board about continuing our relationship. She even suggested a fake engagement. She thought it would be the perfect idea for us to get engaged on the after-show."

  Alexis's head popped up. "She did?"

  Drew rolled his keychain around his finger. "She was pretty easy to work with once I mentioned Dion."

  "You told her?" Frustration flashed in Alexis's eyes. "I was thinking about trying to set another trap for them."

  Drew waved his hand. "She already knew something was up. That's why they left so early yesterday."

  Alexis leaned back in her gray chair. "Okay. So you're going to fulfill your contract with a proposal then?"

  Drew still wasn't sure he wanted to do this, but he nodded and said, "I want you to know that the only reason I'm okay with doing any of this is because of Kate. I don't want to give you a reason to fire her or not take an honest look at her screenplay. I'll give you the finale you've been dreaming of. I'll help make the ratings the best they've ever been. Just promise me you'll help me make sure Kate is happy when all this is over with."

  "Spoken like a true businessman."

  "Does that mean you'll keep an open mind?"

  She nodded. "I'll do you one even better. I'll see what I can do about getting the gossip magazines to forget all about Kate and her divorce. I'll smooth things over for her."

  Drew smiled the first smile he'd had all morning. "Thank you, Alexis. I appreciate that."

  "It's the least I can do for you sacrificing even more of your time to give me that proposal." Her eyes lit up. "What if we went back to the Caribbean and re-shoot the whole engagement, pretending that it went that way from the start?"

  Drew shook his head, not understanding how she was already focusing on that. He was still back at helping Kate. "How are we supposed to do that? We filmed that months ago."

  "We still have the set pieces from that day in Antigua. We can arrange to get Gwen's dress back from the designer. I'm sure Siegfried will be more than happy to loan it out again for the show. It's great advertising, after all."

  Alexis spouted one idea after another, her countenance brightening with each one, clearly excited at the prospect of having the dream proposal finale she'd been hoping for.

  "If we get everything lined up, we could be in Antigua as early as next week." Alexis's eyes shown bright through her glasses.

  "Next week?"

  "You don't have any big plans for next week, do you?"

  He'd cleared most of his schedule last night after Kate left, with hopes of leaving all of this behind.

  "My schedule is clear." But could he really do this? It was suddenly becoming more and more real. He would be getting engaged in one week—albeit a fake engagement—but still. He rolled his shoulders back, rocked his neck from side to side to relieve the tension.

  "Great. We'll make sure everything is perfect." Then she dismissed him, telling him she'd be in touch with the details once they were nailed down.

  Drew left the conference room and went in search of Kate. He needed to make sure everything was okay between them. She'd been crying when he'd walked in on her and Alexis's meeting. She was probably worried he believed the tabloids. He may have doubted for a moment, but now that he'd had time to think about it, he decided that he knew her well enough that she couldn't have done any of those things. He needed to make things right. It was all happening because of him, anyway.

  But when he made it to her desk, she wasn't there.

  "Alexis told her to take a couple of days off." Oliver walked up behind him, sipping from his coffee mug.

  "Was she upset when she left?"

  Oliver nodded, blowing into the mug. "You could say that. She looked like she'd been crying for a while."

  Drew shook his hand at his side, trying to decide what he could do to make her feel better. He couldn't just drive over to her place. There were probably paparazzi all over, waiting for the next incriminating photo.

  He thanked Oliver and then went to his truck to go home. He'd just have to give her a call and hope it was good enough. Though all he really wanted to do was run to her, hold her in his arms, and tell her that everything would be okay. Things would blow over and everyone would eventually move on.

  He just had to get through the fake proposal first.

  30

  Kate

  Kate's phone started buzzing for about the twentieth time since arriving at her parents’ house to hide out. She was about to shut it off when she saw Drew's name and photo on the screen.

  "Hello?" Kate said tentatively, not knowing what to expect from this call. Did he believe the gossip about her? Did he think she was only after him for his money, no better than Gwen?

  Drew sighed, relief evident in his voice as he spoke. "I'm glad you picked up. How are you doing? I feel terrible about what's happening right now."

  "I'm fine," she lied. She was a mess.

  It had been like a nightmare when she got to work this morning and Oliver had asked her if she'd seen the latest trending story on social media. How had they gotten those photos of them? She still couldn't believe that her face was plastered all over the Internet next to Drew's. And who was the insider who'd told the reporter all those private details about her life? She couldn't think of anyone that would have said anything about her divorce, not that many people even knew about it. She'd only told her family and Drew. Had Nolan said something? Or his new girlfriend? She realized she had no idea who Nolan had told about it, or what he had said. It made sense that he would have told everyone outright lies about the situation to save face for himself.

  What a disaster this was!

  "How was your conversation with Gwen? When Alexis sent me home, she said something about you calling her."

  "Gwen took it pretty well after I told her I knew about Dion."

  "Of course." She waited for him to continue.

  "I, uh…" Her stomach shrunk when he hesitated. Something was up, but she had no clue what it could be. He and Gwen wouldn't get back together, would they? He cleared his throat and continued. "Gwen suggested we stage an engagement, and when I told Alexis about it, she was all over it. Alexis is hoping to film it in Antigua next week."

  What? Her stomach compressed so much it could probably turn coal into a diamond.

  "And how do you feel about that?" She held her breath, not sure she wanted to hear his answer.

  "I can see why Gwen and Alexis are excited about the idea."

  "Yes, but how do you feel about it?"

  The line was quiet for a moment before Drew finally said, "I'm not excited about it. But I think it could be worth it in the end. I mean, it’s not like I'll really be engaged, so I won't have to pretend in front of Gwen anymore. And I see it as a way to get the paparazzi off your back. I'm pretty sure they'll leave you alone after they find out nothing was going on between us."

  A pang knifed at Kate's heart. Nothing was going on between them? She'd thought something might be going on. At least, after that kiss last night and their plans to run away, she'd really hoped something was changing.

  "Wait, did I say something wrong?" Drew asked when she stayed quiet.

  Kate swallowed and faked a happy tone. "Nope. I'm glad you've figured out a way to make everyone happy. I hope it all goes really well."

  Her phone started beeping with another call from a number she didn't recogni
ze.

  "Hey, my sister is calling me. I probably better answer it," she lied to get off the phone. She couldn't continue this conversation much longer before her voice would start breaking down. She could already feel more tears stinging at the back of her eyes, and a sob building in her throat.

  "Okay," Drew said. Kate thought he sounded worried, and maybe a little confused. "Again, I'm really sorry about all this. Apparently, it's hazardous for anyone to be seen with me right now. I hope you have a better day."

  "Mmm-hmm," she managed to say before hanging up. Then she put her phone in airplane mode. She couldn't handle any more people that day.

  Where did they get all these old photos from? Who would give these out? Kate wondered the next day, as she scrolled through another article about her and Drew's supposed affair. She had always hoped to see one of her stories make headlines—she'd just assumed it would be one she wrote, not one about her. But such was the life in Hollywood—you never really knew which story would sell.

  But how had they found out so much about her and Drew's past? Somehow, the celebrity gossip sites had found photos of Kate and Drew from years ago. One was a snapshot taken from Drew and Aiden's high school graduation. In the original photo, Kate had stood between the two boys with their arms around each other. In the past, every time she'd looked at it, she would think, the three musketeers. But online, someone had completely cropped Aiden out of the picture, making it look like it was just Drew and Kate posing together.

  How had they gotten that photo? The only people with a copy of that particular snapshot were Drew, Aiden, and herself. Maybe her parents too, but they would never sell them to a tabloid. Drew wouldn't have sold her out either. And neither of them had put those up on social media. And of course, Aiden hadn't leaked them.

  Then something occurred to Kate. She quickly did a search on her browser to look at Aiden's old social media accounts. Sure enough, after minutes of scrolling, she found all of their old photos, and they were now being viewed by the whole country.