by Nana Malone
“Well you haven’t helped out your cause,” she reminded him gently. “Come on, humor me. What would you do?”
He sighed loudly. “I don’t know, maybe be a professional rugby player. Honestly, I’d probably be a driver for the racing team.”
Kinsley tried to picture Jarred as one of the brawny players she liked to watch on TV and shook her head. Well, he was handsome enough to be one. Or even more likely she could see him as a driver for the company’s team.
“What about you?” he asked, his eyes on the road. “What would you be?”
“I think a world traveler,” Kinsley replied with a heartfelt sigh. She would love to have enough money to go on holidays all the time. “You know, see other places, other cultures and blog about them. I think that would be the ultimate job.”
“Someone has to suffer through that I guess,” Jarred chuckled.1 “It might as well be you.”
They fell silent as Jarred turned into a gated driveway, the gates thrown open to allow the cars to enter. Cars were already lining the drive as Jarred maneuvered into an open spot, shutting off the engine. “This isn’t going to be a fun night,” he said sharply, looking over at Kinsley. “I wish I could tell you differently, but I have no idea what my father is going to say or do, so just bear with it, okay?”
“Hey,” Kinsley started, laying a hand on his shoulder. “I’m tougher than I look. I work for your father remember?” She wasn’t scared of Mr. Maloney. Intimidated, yes, but she wasn’t going to tell Jarred that. She felt, well, she wasn’t exactly sure what she felt about the man next to her. He was hurting but put on one hell of a show, but he was hurting.
He nodded but didn’t speak as they climbed out of the car, Kinsley taking a few deep breaths as they walked up to the massive brick house. It was gorgeous and far more expensive than probably her flat was. Every window was lit up on the inside and a man stood at the entrance, dressed in full butler attire as they reached the doorway.
“Master Maloney,” he said as they walked into the interior of the house. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too Timms,” Jarred replied, a rare true smile on his lips. “You’re looking good.”
“Thank you sir,” Timms said, with a slight bow. “Your father and his guests are in the dining room.”
Jarred nodded, his smile fading as Kinsley hurried to his side, grasping his hand. He looked over at her and she smiled, giving him false courage that she didn’t even have. They were going to get through this night and she was going to be the best damn fiancée she could be.
Jarred started down the hall and she struggled to keep his pace, feeling the rigidity of his body in his grip on her hand. What was the big deal between him and his father anyway? Was this really about Jarred not living up to his father’s expectations or was there something else? Something deeper? Kinsley was dying to find out.
They walked into the dining room and she was momentarily taken aback by its sheer size, as well as the extremely long table down the center of the room. All around the room were portraits of what she could only describe as ancient ancestors in gilt frames, not a one of them smiling. The room’s colors were dark as well, giving a whole not so friendly vibe to the room itself. Great, not exactly where she would have expected to have to put on the performance of a lifetime. Her boss was standing near the sideboard as they walked in, hand and hand, his smile going to that of confusion and surprise immediately.
“Jarred,” he said, the other guests all turning to view their arrival as well. “And Ms. Wells. This is a surprise.”
“Dad,” Jarred said tightly, his grip becoming tight on Kinsley’s hand. She tried to keep a smile on her face and look like a woman in love, but doubted it was coming across that way to the guests. “This is Kinsley.”
“Yes, I know,” Mr. Maloney said, arching a brow at Kinsley. “I have to say I am surprised to see you together. My assistant never crossed my mind when you said you had met someone.”
Kinsley felt Jarred release her hand and put his arm around her waist instead, pulling her against him gently. She felt the small electric thrill run down her spine at the closeness, thinking about how his body had covered hers the other night when he was pissed. “It’s more than that Dad,” Jarred said, a grin slowly covering his face. “We’re engaged.”
A gasp went up in the room as Kinsley laid her head on his shoulder, wanting it to look as if they were a couple in love. If anyone in this room was going to believe that they were really engaged, then she was going to have to play this up a bit.
“Well,” a striking blonde in a tight red dress announced, her lips pursed. She was standing near the cart where the alcohol was, a champagne glass in her hand. “This is quite a surprise. I would have never guessed you to move on so quickly Jarred.”
“What, like you Susan?” Jarred said, his gaze narrowing. Kinsley realized that this was the ex-fiancée, the woman who had left Jarred a few months ago. Rachel had been all over that gossip when it happened. From what Kinsley remembered, Susan was from a wealthy family and it hadn’t been a surprise when the two had hooked up. After all, they moved in the same social circles and their families knew each other. She was really beautiful and Kinsley was feeling a bit intimidated at the fact that Jarred’s ex was now going to be a person they were going to have fool tonight. They had lived together, perhaps loved each other. She was going to sniff out the fraud in a hot minute if Kinsley couldn’t play this up well enough. It wasn’t the fact that she would lose the money, but more about the embarrassment for both of them. After all, she could lose her job over this given how pissed off her boss was if the word got out that they had played this up. Not only that, Jarred could stand to lose his inheritance.
Susan laughed lightly as a tall dark haired man came to stand behind her, his hand possessively on her hip. “Jealous Maloney?”
“Not in the slightest,” Jarred laughed, his hand rubbing Kinsley’s hip invitingly. “I wish you a very happy future, both of you.”
“Hear, hear,” Mr. Maloney broke in, lifted his brandy glass. “Congratulations to you all. This dinner has become a celebration of sorts. Come on in, let me introduce your lovely fiancée around Jarred.”
Jarred’s hand did not leave Kinsley’s waist as he escorted her deeper into the room, where she greeted all the guests. The names started to run together and when they arrived in front of Susan and her new husband, the elder Maloney laughed. “Well I guess I don’t need to introduce you,” he said with a chuckle. “Can we play nice tonight?”
“Of course Harrison,” Susan said smoothly, looking at Kinsley with a curious expression. “After all, we have always been like family. Isn’t that right Jarred?”
Kinsley wasted no time leaning into Jarred’s touch, a playful smile on her face as she looked up at him. “I can’t wait to be a part of your family. It can’t come soon enough.”
Jarred looked down at her, his expression intense and Kinsley sucked in a breath, feeling the heat all the way to her toes. He was looking at her like he wanted to devour her and Kinsley couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if this was real. Did people really have this soul searing intensity between them? She had never experienced it before, though she had seen the look pass between Rachel and Jamison a time or two. But from Jarred, she could melt into the wooden floor any moment. Though the little voice in the back of her mind told her this wasn’t real, she couldn’t help but wish it was. He leaned down, his lips brushing her cheek. “I can’t wait to make you mine,” he said softly.
Kinsley’s pulse raced as a wave of longing and need pulsed through her. Everything would be so much easier if she wasn’t this attracted to him. Somehow she doubted any other man would affect her the way that he did.
“Well,” Mr. Maloney said as Jarred straightened. Kinsley swallowed and looked back at her boss, seeing a wide smile on his face. He believed them. Based on the frown on Susan’s face, she was starting to believe as well. This was working. “Let’s all sit down to dinner. I wou
ld love to learn more about how the two of you met.”
11
Jarred leaned back in his chair, his arm draped over the back of Kinsley’s chair, his fingers barely grazing the back of her neck. They had finished the first course of his father’s famous seven course meal, a long drawn out affair as a nod to the previous generations. He couldn’t believe how well this was working out so far, but more importantly, he couldn’t keep his hands off Kinsley. Ever since she had touched him in the car, his fingers were itching to touch her in some way. While he wanted to say it was because he was attempting to prove to his father that he was madly in love with this woman beside him, Jarred knew that his thinking wasn’t exactly the truth. He fucking wanted her.
“So Kinsley,” his father said, steepling his fingers together over his empty plate and giving them both his best businesslike expression. “How did you and my son meet? I’ll be the first to admit I never thought my assistant and my son had much chances at all to form a relationship.”
Kinsley looked over at Jarred shyly, her eyes shining in the dim lighting. Jarred felt a jolt of need straight to his gut at the simple look she was giving him, like he was the best damn man on the planet. How was she doing this? “Mr. Maloney, we met at the company picnic. Jarred tripped over my basket, spilling all my food out of it and by way of apology, bought me lunch. Of course he was an outrageous flirt. But I found him endearing.”
Jarred gave her a grin, mainly because he was pleased with his choice. Kinsley was going to rock this and the innocent expressions she could maintain was going to erase all doubt in his father or anyone else’s minds.
“That sounds very odd of Jarred, except for the flirting part,” Susan said from across the table, doubt in her voice. Bloody hell. Susan was the wild card that Jarred hadn’t anticipated. She knew him better than anyone and she was right, it didn’t sound like him at all.
“Odd yes,” Kinsley continued as the salad course was brought out to the table. “I have to agree I was surprised as well. After all, Jarred does have a reputation in the tabloids, doesn’t he?” Jarred watched as she reached over and touched his arm lightly, giving it a small squeeze. “I didn’t know what kind of guy I was really going to find, but I’m glad that I took the chance.”
Her expression was so genuine that she stole Jarred’s breath away momentarily. She was beautiful and he wanted to suddenly be that guy she was describing. They were just words, but then again they cut deep. Had he ever been that type of guy?
“Well, I still think it’s very sudden,” Susan continued, looking at Jarred with some disdain. “After all, I would have expected him to not want to move on so suddenly after, well, you know.”
Jarred wanted to explode into laughter, thinking that she was one to talk. Hell, she was married now.
“After what?” Kinsley asked innocently. “Oh. You mean after your engagement? I’m just glad you turned him loose. After all, I couldn’t have found the man I love had he married you.”
Holy fuck. Jarred stared, shell-shocked, the room suddenly quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
“Well,” Susan said with a nervous laugh as she looked at her glowering husband. “Of course. The same could be said for myself. After all, I am much happier with Baron.”
The look on Baron’s face told Jarred that he was bored with the conversation while the rest of the table waited on bated breath. “Seems as if we both have gotten what we wanted then,” Kinsley finally said, looking up at Jarred. “I’m so happy with Jarred. He’s changed everything about my life.”
That was an understatement. Jarred knew he’d turned her life upside down, but for the first time in his life, he was glad he had. Kinsley was holding her own, turning out to be far better at this than he’d anticipated. He almost felt as if he needed to give her more money for handling Susan the way she had tonight.
“Hear, hear,” his father said, raising his glass. “You did good son, picking out this gem. Now young lady. I just wish I’d known earlier.”
“When will the happy nuptials take place?” one of the other guests asked politely as everyone turned to their salads. “Have you chosen a date yet dear?”
Kinsley laughed lightly and looked at the woman, giving her a warm smile. “Well, we want it to be a low-key affair so we were going to elope.”
Jarred grinned. Damn, she was good. No fuss, no worries on the pressure of when they were going to actually get married.
“Absolutely not,” his father said, frowning. “Every generation of Maloney has gotten married on this property dating back to the 1600’s. My son will as well.”
“Don’t you think it’s time to break tradition?” Jarred asked, looking his father in the eye. “This is our wish.”
His father shook his head. “No Jarred. You are my only son. You will get married at the estate, end of story.”
Jarred blew out a breath and started to object before Kinsley touched his thigh under the table. “Of course,” she said. “I would hate to break tradition. Jarred and I’ll need to discuss this if you don’t mind.”
“There’s a levelheaded woman,” his father chuckled, picking up his fork. “She’ll be good for you son.”
Jarred said nothing, Kinsley’s hand on his thigh having him think of all the things she could do to him under this table. His body felt like it was on fire, his pulse pounding in his ears and he silently urged her to move her hand upward, to his aching cock. One touch and he could very well explode. She was having an effect on him, one that he wasn’t quite sure he completely understood.
Despite the constant tease, the next few courses went well, the chatter at the table not directed at Jarred or his farce of a relationship. He watched as Kinsley charmed the table, Susan glowering on the other side because she wasn’t the center of attention. Jarred hated to admit it, but he was fucking glad that she wasn’t. What had he ever seen in her to begin with? Kinsley was much more than she could ever be.
When the dessert course came out, his father rose from his seat, his glass high in the air. “I can’t begin to explain how much my heart is warmed by the sight of my son finally happy with a beautiful, intelligent woman. I wish you both many years of happiness.”
Kinsley looked back at Jarred and he tipped his glass toward her, his eyes silently thanking her repeatedly. They had done it. She had single handedly won over his father in a matter of hours. He doubted anyone else would have done the same.
“Kiss. Kiss.” The chant rose up from the table, followed by laughter as the alcohol started to take effect. Kinsley’s eyes widened slightly and Jarred looked around the table, seeing the glee in Susan’s eyes. She didn’t expect it to happen. Well damn, he was going to prove her wrong. With his hand, he cupped Kinsley’s cheek, the softness of her skin in sharp contrast to his own. Her breath quickened as he leaned forward, his lips brushing hers ever so lightly before he devoured her with his mouth, tasting the champagne on her lips. She gasped against his lips and his tongue swept in, the rage of need flooding his veins. He couldn’t get enough of her, her taste intoxicating.
When he heard someone clear his or her throat, he pulled back. What the hell had just happened? For several moments, he and Kinsley had been locked in a cocoon of lust and need and heat.
He focused his gaze on her flushed face and red lips. For a second, he considered apologizing, but couldn’t get the words to form on his tongue. He wasn’t sorry. Hell, he wanted more, much more.
12
Kinsley gave Mr. Maloney a smile as he escorted them to the door, glad for the moment when she could take a deep breath and consider her job done. Her nerves were scattered, especially after the searing kiss Jarred had given her.
“I expect you will no longer want to be my assistant,” her boss was saying as Jarred opened the front door. “Which I’m not sure I could have my soon-to-be daughter-in-law working fetching me coffee.”
“Oh no,” Kinsley said abruptly, frantically looking at Jarred. She could not lose her job. “And sir, I don’t ac
tually fetch you coffee. One of the admins does that. I just make sure the kind you like is there when you arrive.” She doubted he knew just what her job was as his Executive Assistant.
“I’m sure Kinsley will still like to work for now father,” Jarred interjected, wrapping his arm around Kinsley’s waist. “If you will allow her to have some time to help me with my work at the company.”
“Of course, of course,” her boss replied, giving them a smile. Kinsley saw no malice, no falsehood in his expression, telling her that Jarred’s father was clearly happy that they were engaged. The thought didn’t sit well with her. She’d known what she was getting into, but now that they had accomplished their goal, the lies tore at her. She liked him. She didn’t want to lie to him. “Then I shall see you tomorrow Kinsley.”
“Yes sir,” she forced out and followed Jarred outside into the cool night.
They made it to the car before Jarred let out a large breath. “You were fucking awesome tonight,” he said.
“I, thanks,” she answered, fidgeting with her clutch. “I hope I didn’t overstep any boundaries or anything.” Susan had pissed her off to no end. Where the courage came from to do so, she had no idea.
“God no,” he said, glancing over at her with a smile on his handsome face. “You handled Susan better than I ever could. You should be an actress.”
Kinsley gave him a halfhearted smile, wishing she could relish in the fact that she had performed great tonight. But the touches, that kiss, they had been far more than just acting. Throughout dinner she had wondered what it would be like to be with him, to have him constantly wanting to touch her instead of pretending. He was charming, devilishly handsome, every girl’s naughty fantasy and for a very short while, he was hers. How was she going to handle it when this was over? That was the problem with pretending. It was way too easy with Jarred to get attached. And what if he kissed her again? What if things went beyond kissing? She couldn’t handle it. It was hard enough to stay detached when they had shared a kiss or two. But shagging? Kinsley knew she would stand to have more to lose if they went down that path.