by Mora Early
Emma pulled her hand from his and wrapped it around her wine glass. “Oh. I hadn’t even thought of that. What about the staff?”
Josh lifted his own wine glass and swirled the thick red wine. The rich aroma of berries and figs wafted up to him. “What about them? They’ve all signed NDAs long before this. And even if someone does blab, what are they going to say? You’ve been seen at the house plenty of times. We’ve been alone on multiple occasions. Who’s to say what we were doing in my office? Or yours, for that matter?”
The tide of pink deepened to red, making the freckles stand out. He had an intense urge to run his finger over them. The truth was, now that he knew Emma and Madame Butterfly were the same woman, that the intensely passionate creature who’d burned like a flame in his arms was also the quiet beauty with the sharp mind, he felt a rather fierce desire to touch her all the time.
There was a definite upside to the rather bizarre situation Josh had gotten himself into. Now that Emma was his fake fiancé, he had every excuse to touch her. It was, after all, part of the charade. She went completely still as he cupped her cheek in his left hand, brushing his thumb softly down the sweep of her nose and across the peach and rose colored expanse of her skin. He rested his thumb at the corner of her mouth. He considered rubbing over the satin of her lips, but decided not to push his luck.
“Relax,” he murmured. “Everything will work out fine.”
She licked her lips and swallowed nervously. A surge of blood rushed to Josh’s groin at the moist part of her mouth. “This is crazy,” she breathed. “You’re crazy. You realize that, don’t you? We’re lying to everyone. We’re going to get married in a church! Oh god, I’m going to hell.” Her long, dark lashes fluttered. Josh felt the brush of the tiny fans against his fingertips. She pressed slim fingers to her forehead.
Josh dragged his hand away from her face, adjusting his suddenly too tight slacks. He cleared his throat. “I didn’t realize you believed in hell.”
“This is never going to work. We know nothing about each other! Mia will figure that out in a second. She’s a good reporter. Why did I agree to this?” She took a deep sip of her wine.
“Because you stole from me and you’re attempting to make amends?” That sounded better than ‘I’m blackmailing you’. Emma’s green eyes narrowed slightly. She wasn’t buying his verbal spin. God, she was gorgeous. How had he kept his hands off her this whole time?
He’d thought she was a diffident flower, that’s how. He’d been coaxing and cajoling her until she felt comfortable around him. Now that he knew she was far from the mouse she’d portrayed, that she, in fact, had actively seduced him, well... It was a lot harder to keep his wayward thoughts in check.
“Make amends, my Aunt Fanny.” Especially when she pursed her lips in that librarian’s pout like she was doing now. It would take a stronger man than Josh Owens not to picture that soft, plump mouth sliding down his shaft. The appendage in question leapt in approval. Josh gritted his teeth.
“I thought your Aunt’s name was Margaret. See? I do know things about you.” He knew the way her mouth tasted, and the feel of her nipple pebbling against his palm. But she was so jumpy. If he said as much, he thought she would bolt. Once they’d done the actual deed... the ceremonial deed, that is, she’d be less anxious. Then Josh could see to it that they both enjoyed their time as pseudo-man-and-wife.
Emma ran a fingertip around the edge of her wine glass. “You know the things your little hounds sniffed out. That’s all.”
“Ouch.” He pressed a hand to his ribs in mock pain. “That hurt. And I’m sure Ben would be devastated to hear it.”
“Ben Cummings? He’s your closest friend, right?” Mia Miyamoto slid back into her seat with an apologetic grin. “I apologize for the interruption. That was my father.” Her lips trembled a little. The young reporter was still in mourning for her mother.
Josh waved off the apology. “No worries. And yes, to answer your question. Ben’s been my best friend since high school.”
Mia nodded. That was clearly not news to her. “And what does he think of your bride-to-be?”
“He asked me if he could marry her instead.” Josh winked at Emma. Her lips turned down at the corners.
“Ben never said that.” Josh saw a flare of panic spark in her eyes as the words flew out of her mouth. He reached for the wine bottle and poured a healthy dollop into her glass.
“He did. At the luncheon the other day. Right after I introduced you to William Ransler.”
Mia smiled indulgently. “So, it’s safe to say the best friend approves. What about you, Emma? What do your girlfriends think of Josh?”
Emma paused before answering as the waiter arrived with their meals. Josh watched the rapid fluttering of her eyelashes and wondered what machinations were going on behind those emerald eyes. “Well,” she said, when the young man finally left them to eat, drawing the word out slowly. “Maisie is a big fan. She thinks we work very well together.”
“Maisie Ransler?” Mia’s thin black brows jumped to her hairline. “Are you two close?”
“We’re friendly.” Emma concentrated on swirling several strands of spaghetti around the end of her fork. Josh saw the fine tremble in her fingers. Emma never really talked about friends outside of work. And according to Ben and Magnus, she’d been a loner as a kid too. Except for her brother.
Josh inclined his head to Mia. “Emma’s real partner-in-crime is her brother. And he is not my biggest fan.” Under the table, Emma’s foot pressed against his. For the ‘partner-in-crime’ quip, no doubt. He winked at her. Mia leaned forward, her ravioli barely touched, dark eyes sparkling with interest.
“Emma? Is that true?”
“Not at all.” Emma broke a roll open and slathered it with a thick pat of butter. “In fact, when Josh first...” She trailed off, touching her fingers to the ring on her left hand. “When he first proposed, I was a little bit reluctant. Todd’s the one who convinced me to say yes.”
Josh didn’t miss the slight emphasis she put on ‘proposed’. He smiled, acknowledging the dig. He was a bit surprised to hear the information about her brother, though. The way the kid had flipped when he’d lost the watch, Josh had been sure Todd would blame him for the loss. Mia, however, pounced on another part of Emma’s answer.
“You were reluctant? Why?”
“Well, it happened very quickly,” Josh offered in explanation. He didn’t want to give Emma an opportunity to tar him in the tabloids. If his plan imploded, she might think she’d gotten off the hook.
Emma licked at the sheen of butter on her lips. Was she trying to drive him insane? He couldn’t tell if her skittishness around him was an act. She sure hadn’t been skittish at the ball. God, he wished this whole thing was over with. The interview, the wedding day, everything... so he could just pick Emma up, carry her to bed and stay there for a month or so. Maybe by that point he’d know something about her.
“Actually, there’s more to it than that.” Emma smiled at Mia. It was a one of those conspiratorial ‘just between us girls’ smiles. Josh’s fingers tightened around his fork.
Mia was practically crawling over the table to sit in Emma’s lap. “Oh?”
“Well, I mean, we did only meet a few months ago... and I was working for him at the time. But Maisie’s right, we do work well together. No, my concerns were because we’d never gone on a date. Not even one!”
Emma was good. Mia’s eyes flew wide and darted to him. “You proposed to a woman you’d never even been on a date with?” Josh could see the gears turning in the petite reporter’s brain. He just couldn’t tell how she would spin the story Emma was feeding her. He could come across as romantic or foolhardy. The question was, how should he play it?
He glanced at Emma. Her green eyes were sparkling. He thought she was probably enjoying making him squirm. And maybe he deserved it a little. For the press conference. “I did. But can you blame me?” He snagged Emma’s hand and brought it to his lips, b
rushing his mouth over her knuckles. Emma blushed again. Mia sighed. Josh grinned. “Dates are for trying to figure out how you feel about someone, whether or not you’re compatible. I knew that already.”
“How?” Mia scribbled something on her notepad. She had a recorder on the table near her plate, but occasionally jotted things down as they spoke as well. Emma’s eyebrows twitched, as if they wanted to rise but thought better of it. She wanted to know what he was going to say too.
He wasn’t the actor Emma was. He couldn’t weave lies out of whole cloth and reinvent his persona. He had to stick as close to the truth as he could. “From the first moment I saw her, she saved me.”
Truth. He’d seen Emma in the hallway at Picture Perfect and Emma had turned her striking gaze on the redhead who’d had herself attached to his arm and sent her scurrying off to attend to some business matter, freeing Josh from her overly aggressive clutches. He smiled at the startled expression on Emma’s face. Her full lips were slightly parted and her lashes fluttered quickly. She had saved him.
From an unpleasant confrontation with a rejected redhead. A disastrous charity ball. His project going up in flames. She was still saving him, right now. It almost made him feel bad about the blackmail. Except, she had lied to him. She had seduced him and then ditched him. She had played him.
Mia underlined something on her pad several times. “Are you saying it was love at first sight?”
“Something like that.” Attraction at first sight, at least. He’d noticed the feminine curve of her hips and her silky hair. And those green eyes. Mia’s dark eyes slid to Emma.
“And Emma? Was it love at first sight for you too? What were your first impressions of Josh?”
Emma smiled, really smiled, for the first time since she’d arrived at the restaurant. “I thought he was arrogant and bossy and had more money than he knew what to do with. I was not impressed.”
Mia chuckled. Josh thought Emma was probably telling the truth. Her dislike of the abundantly wealthy was something she took pains to hide, probably because of her job, but it was there all the same.
“So, what changed your mind about him? How did you go from not being impressed to the future Mrs. Josh Owens?”
Oh, she just disguised herself, snuck into his home, seduced him, and then stole from him. But he couldn’t help inclining his head toward Emma, just as eager to hear her response as Mia was. Sure, he knew it was all a charade. But Emma was a damn fine actress. She patted her mouth with her napkin before answering.
“It wasn’t any one thing. I couldn’t pinpoint a single moment and say ‘Here, this is where I decided he wasn’t a jerk.’” She flashed him a playful green gaze, taking the sting out of the word. “But there are... moments... Certain things he did that eroded the original picture I had in my head of who he was.”
Josh sipped his wine, dropping his gaze to the tabletop. Emma sounded so sincere. How could he believe anything she said when he knew how glibly and how well she lied? It was a good thing this was only a sham relationship. Because he doubted he could ever really trust Emma.
Not knowing how well she’d fooled him before. She served a purpose for him right now. And he was fiercely attracted to her, an attraction he planned to pursue. But the possible relationship he’d once contemplated with the sweet, shy party planner with the hidden core of strength in her was smoke now. Burned by her betrayal.
“So, what were some of those moments?” Mia asked, biting the end of her pen.
“The finger painting, I think.” Emma chuckled. “When he called me at eleven o’clock at night to discuss the ball and told me he wanted to have finger painting. That, and Amber.”
Josh’s forehead wrinkled in a frown. “The barista?” He couldn’t imagine why Emma would bring her up.
“Exactly.” Emma directed that at him, but turned back to Mia for the rest of her reply. “He not only knows her name, but he lets her pick his drinks. And he doesn’t complain, even if she makes him something he hates.”
Josh tapped his finger on Mia’s pad. “Don’t put that in there. She might read it. Can you make a note of that? She’s a minor, too, so you can’t use her name.”
Mia cocked a dark brow at him and then turned to Emma. “I see what you mean.”
“There’s a perception of Josh as this ruthless Hollywood tycoon who uses women like other men wear socks; someone who delights in crushing the little guy under his heel. But it’s only held by people who don’t know him personally.” Emma sipped her wine. “It doesn’t take long before you get to know the real Josh Owens. And once you do...” She trailed off, shrugging and smiling fondly at Mia. The reporter sighed again, clearly caught up in the romance she was weaving in her head.
“You’re going to ruin my reputation, sweetheart.” He flashed his teeth in his Hollywood grin. As much as he disliked the way he was largely portrayed in the media, that didn’t mean it had no advantages. And it wasn’t all unfair.
The part about his treatment of women was bullshit, and was at the root of all this trouble with Ransler. But he was ruthless when it came to getting what he wanted. He wasn’t about to apologize for that.
Emma lifted her glass to him. Josh wasn’t sure what to make of the gesture. Mia stuffed a ravioli in her mouth and just about swallowed it whole in her haste to get to her next question. “You mentioned Josh’s reputation for being... aggressive, shall we say, when pursuing women. Is that what happened with you?”
“Aggressive?” Josh clenched his jaw. He wasn’t sure he liked the insinuation the reporter was making with that term. Emma picked up on the tone in his voice, or the tense expression on his face, and reached over to touch his arm. It was a small gesture of comfort, intimate. Convincing.
“Quite the opposite, in fact. I had no idea he had the slightest interest in me.” She shot him a look from beneath her long lashes.
Mia practically clapped her hands. “When did you realize? When he first kissed you?”
Emma shook her head. “I had to ask him to kiss me, the first time.”
Well, that was true. Though he hadn’t known it was Emma he was kissing at the time. If he wanted to get technical, the first time he’d kissed Emma, and not Madame Butterfly, had been completely his own idea.
“It’s all like one of your movies, Josh.” Mia beamed at him.
Yeah. Just like one of his movies. Only Josh didn’t make romantic comedies. He made dramas. Action flicks. And horror movies. He hoped this didn’t end like one of them.
Chapter 3 ~ A Really Important Question
Emma stared at herself in the mirror, running trembling fingers over the heavy satin of the dress. The attendant, a pretty brunette named Erin, had left her alone to go find ‘the perfect shoes for this dress’. It had been awkward maneuvering into the dress, which slipped over her head and had no buttons or zippers, but she’d managed it with Erin’s help.
She couldn’t be really going through with this. Could she? Dressing up in disguise to crash Josh’s masquerade was one thing. Tricking Aunt Margaret, or even the counselors from that juvenile detention camp Aunt Margaret had sent Todd off to, those were nothing compared to what Josh was asking her to do. He was asking her to con the whole world. But what choice did she have?
“None,” she whispered to her reflection.
Though, she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen the woman in the mirror before. The top of the dress hugged her slender frame, the darts giving her a bit of the pointy fifties boob. Yet it didn’t look ridiculous. The satin clung to her ribs and hips before falling in a dramatic sweep to the floor. Or, it would, once Erin had finished hemming it to fit her diminutive height.
Emma brushed gentle fingertips over the seed pearl filigree beneath her breasts, tracing it all the way around her back. She straightened her shoulders, tugging at the thick straps. What seemed like a hundred years ago, a young girl had put on a hideous, puffy 80’s wedding dress and for a moment imagined all the possibilities of what her own wedding – her real wedding �
�� was going to be like. And now here she was... faking it again.
Would she ever have a wedding with a groom who actually wanted to marry her? Emma trailed her gaze over the bare arms of the woman in the mirror, catching sight of the glint of the diamond ring on her finger.
She laid her hand on her shoulder, palm down, and took just a moment to pretend it was all real. The ring, the dress... the man. Just a tiny second to pretend this wasn’t as screwed up as it could possibly get, that Josh really had proposed because he’d thought of her as his savior from the moment he’d clapped eyes on her.
The door opened, ending her tiny daydream. She’d been expecting Erin to glide in, but the young woman who entered was shorter than the attendant, buxom and pretty with laughing hazel eyes that seemed somehow familiar.
“Wow, Benji was not kidding.” The newcomer tossed her purse, a Louis Vuitton, onto one of the spindle carved chairs and sailed across the room to Emma, impressive breasts leading the way. “You are the cutest thing pretty much ever!”
“Um... thank you?” She stared down at the dark haired woman, studying her broad cheekbones and straight, short nose. Emma twitched a little as the woman raised her hand and whacked herself on the forehead.
“Duh. Sorry. I’m Suzanne. Ben’s sister. Don’t worry, I’m sure he hasn’t mentioned me.” She stuck out her hand. Emma shook it slowly, trying to process the gush of words that had come out of the other woman’s mouth.
Finally, they penetrated her brain. “Oh! Ben. Of course. I’m sorry. He hasn’t ever mentioned you to me. But, in his defense, he and I don’t know each other terribly well.”
Suzanne flapped her hand. “It wouldn’t matter anyway. I’m sort of the black sheep.” While Suzanne began circling her, admiring the dress and spreading out the long train, Emma took a moment to study Suzanne.
She looked to be a few years older than Emma, maybe 29. She was dressed casually in khaki capris and a blue blouse that accentuated her curvy frame. Her brown hair was a few shades lighter than Ben’s, though Emma recognized the work of a stylist when she saw it. A good stylist, though. Suzanne didn’t look anything like a black sheep.