The Protective Billionaire

by Christine Kersey

  A sliver of sadness sliced through him as he thought about his family, but he forced it away and focused on answering Aubree’s question. “It was just my mom, my brother, and me growing up, but my mom passed away a few years ago.”

  Aubree’s eyebrows tugged together. “I’m so sorry, Cameron. Are you and your brother close?”

  He had to hold back a laugh. “No. Not really.” Enough talk of his family. “What about you?”

  “My parents divorced when I was young. They both live in the Midwest. I have a sister who’s younger than me. I try to visit my family a couple of times a year.”

  A new thought occurred to him. “Will they be upset that you didn’t invite them to the wedding?”

  Her lips quirked up. “They would be if it was real.”

  “I guess that means you’re going to tell them the truth?”

  “Yep. Have to. But I can trust them to keep it quiet.”

  “So, you haven’t told them yet?”

  She’d meant to, although she was kind of afraid to tell them. She could hear the disbelief in her mother’s voice, the doubt that this was a smart thing to do. Then she could hear her baby sister—the one who wanted to follow in her footsteps and who was angry that Aubree wasn’t doing more to help her. Her sister would be jealous. Which was ridiculous. Because if she didn’t have a crazy stalker she wouldn’t be doing this at all. And then her dad. He would suggest that she come home where he believed he could keep her safe.

  “No,” she finally said. “I haven’t told them yet. I mean, this has all happened so fast.”

  A man entered their cabin and smiled at Aubree before facing Cameron. “We should be cleared for takeoff momentarily, Mr. Shah. Is there anything I can get either one of you while we’re waiting?”

  “Aubree?” Cameron asked with a look her way.

  Nervous about this venture, her appetite was non-existent. But she was thirsty. “A Diet Coke with lots of ice, please.”

  Cameron put in his order and the steward left.

  Now, this was the way to fly. Comfortable chairs, no other passengers, personalized service. She could get used to this. Except she shouldn’t. This was temporary.

  The steward brought them their drinks, and after Aubree put Maya in a secured crate, the plane began moving forward. Once they were in the air, Aubree leaned her head back and tried to relax.

  “Aubree,” Cameron said. His voice held a tone of uncertainty, which made Aubree straighten and turn to him. He had a small velvet box in his hand.

  Aubree’s gaze went from his face to the box and back again. Was that what she thought it was?

  “Even though we’re not really married,” he began, “if we were, I would have gotten you this.” Then he opened the lid.

  Nestled inside was a huge emerald-cut diamond ring. Aubree gasped at the sheer size and beauty of it. Was the diamond real? Of course it was. That meant it had to be worth well over a million dollars.

  She couldn’t accept it. How could she? What if she lost it? This was way too much responsibility.

  “Will you let me put it on your finger?” Cameron asked.

  Aubree could feel that her eyes were wide and she had to work to relax her face. “Uh…I…” She shook her head. “I can’t accept that.”

  Cameron’s eyebrows tugged together? “Why not?”

  “It’s too much.” Her heart beat erratically in her chest. How could he trust her with something that was worth so much? Was he nuts?

  His lips curved upward as he shook his head. “So, what? You want the world to believe we’re married but that I didn’t bother to get you a ring?”

  Her gaze went to the ring in the box, then back to his face. “Well, no. But what if I, I don’t know, lose it?”

  He tilted his head. “You’re not going to lose it, but even if you did, it’s insured.”

  “Oh.” She hadn’t thought of that.

  “Now, hold your finger out so I can put it on.”

  Not knowing what else to do, she let him slide it on her finger. Besides, he was right. Having the ring would add authenticity to their pretend marriage. The ring fit perfectly, and as she looked at the stunning gem, it almost felt like they were married. Or at least engaged.

  “Thank you, Cameron. I’ll take good care of it. And I’ll give it back to you as soon as this whole thing is over.”

  He nodded, then he said, “I should probably warn you.”

  “About what?”

  “I had my PR people give out a news release about our marriage.”

  Her eyes widened. “When did this happen? And when were you going to tell me?”

  His shoulders went back as he straightened in his chair while at the same time a look of embarrassment crossed his features. “I’m telling you now. I didn’t think to tell you sooner. I’m sorry.”

  She held back a sigh. With his family background it probably hadn’t occurred to him that she might want to tell her parents before the news went public and before the media started calling them for comments. Maybe there was still time. “When was this announcement made?”

  He looked at his watch, then gave her a chagrined smile. “About five minutes ago.”

  She couldn’t stay annoyed with him. Not with all he was doing for her. “I need to call my family.” She would call her agent as well and give him a head’s up.

  “Of course. You can get on the plane’s Wi-fi and use your phone.” He paused a beat. “Would you like some privacy?”

  She laughed. “Where are you going to go?”

  He looked toward a pair of chairs at the back of the cabin, then he took out his phone and a pair of earbuds. “I can make it work.”

  Relieved he wouldn’t have to hear her explain this insane idea to her family, she smiled. “Thanks.”

  He undid his seatbelt and went to the back of the plane, and once she was certain he wouldn’t be listening, she dialed her mom.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Cameron hoped Aubree’s family wouldn’t talk her out of this. Not now when they were on their way to LA and the announcement had already been made. He felt like an idiot for not consulting with her on the timing, but he was used to doing what he wanted without getting permission from other people first. That would have to change now. It would be a challenge to get used to thinking about others first, but he was always up for a challenge.

  Twenty minutes later Aubree sat on the chair adjacent to his. He pulled his earbuds out of his ears and looked at her with raised eyebrows.

  “I told them,” she said, then her lips kind of scrunched up like the conversation hadn’t gone well.

  “What did they say?”

  “Mom’s flying out tomorrow to meet you.”

  “What?” That wasn’t part of the plan.

  “Yeah. That’s what I said, but she insisted.” Aubree’s eyebrows rose. “In the strongest terms possible.” Then she shrugged. “It’ll be fine. She’ll meet you, she’ll see you’re not a serial killer, and then she can go home.”

  “All right.”

  Aubree’s lips stretched into a grimace like she was afraid he would call the whole thing off. “So, you’re okay with this?”

  His “mother-in-law” wanted to meet him. He couldn’t exactly tell her no. “Yeah. Sure.”

  Aubree’s shoulders sagged in apparent relief. “Thank you, Cameron.”

  He had the inexplicable urge to reach out and take her hand in his. “Of course. Isn’t that what a doting husband would do?”

  She burst into laughter. “I don’t know. I’ve never been married. And like I told you, my parents divorced when I was a kid. I don’t exactly have a lot of experience with what a doting husband does. But I think you’re on the right track.”

  Cameron couldn’t stop the corners of his lips from tugging upward. Smiling was something he found himself doing a lot when he was with Aubree. Having her in his life was a definite plus. This fake marriage idea was one of the best he’d come up with yet.

  Darn her mother
for insisting that she come out and meet Cameron. Aubree had done everything within her power to convince her that he was a stand-up guy and that she was only doing this to discourage Tyler from believing they were getting married. But her mom had said she needed to make sure that Aubree was safe. Didn’t her mom get it? She was safer with Cameron than on her own.

  That argument hadn’t worked though, and now she would have to run interference between her mom and Cameron so that her mom didn’t end up interrogating Cameron and scaring him off. The poor guy was doing her a huge favor. Didn’t her mom see that?

  “What are you thinking?” Cameron asked.

  Aubree jerked her head up to meet his inquisitive gaze. “I, uh, I really appreciate what you’re doing for me.” Then she decided to give him a final chance to back out. “Are you sure you want to go through with it?”

  He hesitated for the briefest of moments—just long enough for Aubree to think he was going to change his mind. Then he nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

  Then a new thought came to her mind. “Maybe we should talk about how we’re going to end this. You know, once it looks like my stalker has moved on.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Right.”

  Had he not thought about that part? Why not?

  Aubree’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you doing this, Cameron? Really?”

  He frowned, then he shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know. Although I have to admit it’ll be a relief to be out of the dating pool. At least for a while.”

  She had to know more. “How so?”

  He shifted in his seat like this line of questioning was making him uncomfortable. She didn’t want to make this awkward, but for heaven’s sake, he was going to be playing the part of her husband. She needed to know as much about him as possible.

  “Well,” he said with a grimace, “it’s not that I don’t enjoy the company of women. It’s more like I don’t enjoy trying to figure out if they’re with me because of my money or because they’re actually interested in me.”

  Aubree knew exactly what he meant. Not that she had two nickels to rub together right now, but some men—not only Tyler—seemed to be infatuated with her because she was on TV.

  Cameron shook his head. “I don’t mean to sound like I’m saying Poor me.”

  Aubree said, “No. That’s not what I was thinking,” while at the same time reaching over and putting her hand over his.

  Both of their gazes fell to her hand on his. Jerking her hand away, she blinked rapidly, then she brushed non-existent lint from her jeans.

  “Aubree.” Cameron’s voice was soft yet deep.

  She lifted her gaze to his, meeting those amazing blue eyes and feeling her heart do an unexpected flip.

  “Don’t be afraid to touch me. We’re supposed to be married, remember?”

  “I know. I just…” She didn’t know what she’d been about to say. That she’d felt a moment of connection with him and touching him had been instinctual? That she found herself becoming more and more attracted to him and not touching him was becoming less of an option?

  “What?” he said, his eyes steady on hers.

  “I guess my acting skills have gotten rusty these last couple of weeks.” That was a total and complete lie, but it sounded better than the truth. “I’ll do better.” Then a new thought occurred to her. “Maybe we should set some ground rules. You know, so we both know what to expect.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  So, she was going to treat this as an acting role? Cameron couldn’t exactly blame her, but he would have preferred that she had some sort of feelings toward him. Because his feelings for her were growing stronger with every hour he spent with her. And what were these ground rules she was talking about?

  “What did you have in mind?”

  She straightened in her seat. “First off, I assume we won’t be sharing a bedroom at your house.”

  “Of course.”

  Then she frowned. “Do you have cleaning people or anyone who would see that we’re in separate rooms? I mean, I don’t want word to get out that the newlyweds are sleeping in separate rooms. We don’t need that kind of gossip.”

  “I do have a cleaning service that comes in, but they’re discreet.”

  “I can always make sure my bed’s made before they come over. You know, not make it obvious that we’re not sharing a room.”

  Cameron chuckled. “True.”

  She grinned. “One problem solved.”

  He smiled in return. “What are the other ground rules? You want me to cook dinner every night?”

  Her eyebrows rose. “I wouldn’t make that a rule, but I wouldn’t turn it down either.”

  He laughed. “Maybe we can take turns.” He actually enjoyed cooking—he’d considered hiring a chef, but he didn’t like the idea of having someone who worked for him around all the time. Besides, the idea of cooking for Aubree gave him a surprising sense of pleasure.

  “I don’t know how late I’ll be getting home once filming starts, so…”

  “Right.” He’d almost forgotten about her big movie role, almost forgotten she was an actress. To him, she was his neighbor who needed his help—help he was more than happy to supply. But in reality, she was a woman on the cusp of becoming a big-name movie star. A beautiful, kind, and vulnerable woman. A woman he was falling for.

  “Anyway,” she said, “we need to talk about the physical stuff. For when we’re in public.”

  Physical stuff. Hmm. They were supposed to be married and they’d only just touched hands. What limitations did she want to set? No touching whatsoever? That didn’t sound good. In fact, he’d prefer if she okayed lots of touching.

  Clearing his throat to distract himself from what he knew wouldn’t happen, he nodded. “Right.”

  “So,” she began. “I was thinking that when we’re in public we should hold hands. You know, to show we’re deeply in love. And we should probably gaze adoringly at each other too.”

  That wouldn’t be a problem. “What about kissing?” he heard himself ask, then nearly took it back. But they were supposed to be newlyweds. Of course they would have some PDA.

  “Uh.” Aubree’s face had reddened, which Cameron found both endearing and surprising. If this was an acting role, why was this a big deal? Certainly she’d kissed plenty of men in that soap she’d been in.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She said it a bit too quickly, so she added a smile for good measure. “I mean, yeah. There should be some kissing.” Why did the thought of kissing him make her go all soft inside? This was an acting role, nothing more. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself.

  “How much?” he asked with an obvious smirk.

  Was he making fun of her? Deciding to take control of this—after all, setting ground rules had been her idea—she leaned back in her chair and slowly crossed one leg over the other. He was watching her and she liked knowing she had his full attention. Time to play the role of woman-in-charge.

  “At least once for the cameras,” she said, and held back a smile when she saw his eyebrows go up.

  “Just once? I mean, don’t you think there will be more than one camera following us around?”

  “Most likely. But like the man said, ‘Always leave them wanting more.’”

  “Who said that?”

  She shrugged as she smiled. “No idea. But I agree with it. Don’t you?”

  “I guess.” He gazed at her a moment. “To be clear, during this fake marriage, we’re only going to kiss once?”

  That seemed like a good idea to her. Any more than that and she might find her attraction to him growing too powerful to control. “Yeah. Why? What were you thinking?”

  A look came over his face—one that said he was thinking they’d kiss a whole lot more than once. Holding back a chuckle, Aubree looked toward Maya, who was sleeping in her crate.

  In a way Aubree felt guilty for kind of tormenting Cameron. But this whole crazy charade had been his idea. One that was g
oing to help her and one that she really appreciated. But it was fake. She needed to keep that front and center in her mind. They barely knew each other, so expecting her to do more than hold hands and accept one on-camera kiss was asking too much, as far as she was concerned.

  “Maya seems to be doing well,” Cameron said with a chin-lift toward the crate.

  “Yeah. This is her first flight, but she seems to be taking it in stride.” Aubree uncrossed her jean-clad legs and leaned forward, resting her elbow on her knee and her chin on her fist. “You didn’t answer my last question.”

  “What question was that?”

  She straightened with a smile. “We were talking about ground rules—specifically kissing. You never answered my question about what you had in mind.”

  He looked out the window and turned to her with a grin. “Looks like we’re about to land. Better buckle up.”

  Well aware he was avoiding her question, she buckled her seatbelt and leaned back in her seat.

  A short time later, as they taxied to the area where they would exit, Aubree noticed a group of people gathered nearby. “Who’re they?”

  Cameron looked out the window, then turned to her with a smile. “The media.”

  The media? How did they know when and where to meet their flight?

  Aubree looked at Cameron as a sense of panic rushed over her. “What are they doing here?”

  He gave her a confident smile. “You want Tyler to believe you’re married, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “What better way to make him believe it than for him to see the two of us walking hand in hand down the plane’s stairs? And what better way for him to think it’s true than to have it reported everywhere in full and vivid color?”

  That made complete sense. Even so, the idea of jumping into this role without any preparation scared her half to death. Since she’d accepted the movie role, she’d been spending lots of time rehearsing her part, but she’d done no rehearsing for the part of being married to Cameron. She would have to wing it, but she knew she could handle it. It was what she did for a living, after all.