My bold statement affected Charles as nothing else I’d said so far. Even then, it was just by the slightly paler shade of his face that I knew the words had struck home. The consortium wasn’t public knowledge. It wasn’t even private knowledge, beyond those in it and their most trusted financial managers.
“And who told you about that?” Charles finally asked. “I must issue them a stern reprimand.”
I had no doubt Charles would do more than that, but I wasn’t in the business of giving up my sources.
“I have a project for you, Charles. It’s a perfect match for your group. With the glacial rate of political action around the world, it’s up to the private sector to halt the destruction of the oceans and the failure of the world’s ecosystems. The primary problem facing any company is that each of them is too small to create any noticeable change on their own, and they’ll just get taken advantage of by the other companies.”
“That is the problem,” Charles said. “But political will is building behind international agreements to turn things around.”
I shook my head. “Too slow, Charles. You and I both know it. It’s little better than hand waving at this point. I’ve developed a plan that will overcome the hurdles faced by both companies and governments.”
I had leaned forward while speaking. The topic never failed to inflame my passions. Taking a moment to cool off, I sipped on the whiskey.
“I sense a ‘but’ coming,” Charles said.
“But it requires massive flows of capital at the beginning before it can be self-sustaining. More than I can summon on my own. Even more than the both of us can invest together. It needs the support of your consortium, of the greatest store of wealth collected in the history of the earth.”
Charles didn’t respond right away, and I gave him time. It was a lot to take in. The project had taken the better part of five years of full-time work by a team of researchers to build, and another two years to validate.
Finally, he frowned. “You expect me to trust you with such a massive sum of money?”
“I do. Once you have a chance to go through the proposal.”
Charles crossed his arms over his chest. Not a good sign.
“You aren’t the only one of us to research the other, Dylan Hunter. You are the Shark of Saginaw. You’ve made a career of backstabbing business partners and stacking deals in your favor. This would be the biggest coup of your career, to siphon most of the wealth of the world’s richest and take it all for yourself. Are you angling to become the world’s first trillionaire?”
I winced. “I was a different person back then, Charles. Younger, more brash, and focused on winning. Now, I’m concerned about my legacy and want to give back to the world some of what I’ve taken from it.”
Charles stood and walked to the side of the lounge to look over the calm waters and palm-covered hills.
“I’ve talked to those you’ve ‘partnered’ with to prepare for this meeting, Dylan. The one thing I was repeatedly warned about was your ability to make anything sound reasonable and sincere. But not a single time in your life have you ever demonstrated that you’re capable of operating in an equal partnership without trying to dominate it. Not even in your personal life, according to my sources. So why should I trust you to put others over yourself now?”
I’d expected resistance from Charles, but not that he’d already be so entrenched against me from the beginning. He’d hid it so well until now.
I could have come here and said anything at all and he would have turned me away. The bastard probably wouldn’t even have given me the time of day if I’d asked.
It was hard to fault the man too much. I had a long history of only looking out for myself and enriching myself at the expense of others.
His blow about my personal life hurt. Not that I’d ever wanted to be held down by a wife, but I’d never found my equal. By sheer force of personality and habit, any relationships I’d had were one-sided affairs. No woman could ever stand up to me or my desires.
At least, I’d thought none could.
The woman from the ferry flashed into my mind. Penny. She’d been unafraid to snap back at me, and she certainly wouldn’t take any shit from me.
A burst of inspiration hit me. The deal was dead if I didn’t do something drastic.
“If that’s really the way you feel, Charles, then you should meet my fiancée. She’s more than a match for me, and I love it. I’m a different man than I used to be.”
That got the older man to swing around. “You? Fiancée? I hadn’t heard about that.”
I smiled the smug smile I would have used if I’d been telling the truth. It just so happened to be the same smile I used when I was getting away with a lie.
“You aren’t the only one able to hide things from the world.”
Charles smiled and nodded. “Fair enough. Is she on board?”
“Not at the moment. She had some things to take care of on the island. How about we go for a cruise tomorrow? You can bring Sandra.”
“We can do that. But just to be clear, Dylan, this isn’t some test. It will take a lot to persuade me to invest in your project.”
I let my trademark charm bubble to the surface. “Then let me persuade you, Charles. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
As I saw the other billionaire off the yacht, I let the confidence that had carried me from the trailer park to Forbes buoy me. All I needed was a fiancée. And I knew exactly who she would be.
Chapter Three
Penny
My phone lit up beside me and played Sam Hunt’s latest hit for the fourth time in the past hour.
Body like a back road, drivin’ with my eyes closed, I know every curve like the back of my hand.
The only reason I hadn’t thrown the phone into the pool yet was because I liked the song. That wouldn’t be the case much longer if I associated it with work.
“I can’t believe work is calling me again,” I muttered mostly to myself, but also as an excuse for the other sunbathers within earshot.
I picked it up and silenced the ringer. The only reason I hadn’t put it on airplane mode and left it in my room was because Mom should call soon. Instead of my favorite person in the world, Craig’s flat face and contact info filled the display.
What is it about total vacation with no access to phone or email did he not understand?
Craig was bad about intruding on his employees’ personal time—his philosophy was one of twenty-four-seven availability, and you’d better not dare mention the words work-life balance to him. Still, back at the office, he’d seemed to understand that I would be on the literal opposite side of the planet and not responding to phone calls for the week.
Maybe he just forgot.
I was tempted to answer it to give him a piece of my mind, but that would ruin my mood more than just ignoring the calls.
As soon as the phone stopped buzzing, it started again.
“Are you fucking serious?”
I swiped to answer and was already filling my lungs with breath to scream at Craig.
“Honey, are you there?”
“Mom?” The forceful breath I’d taken in slipped away, and I relaxed back into the lounger. “Yes, Mom. I’m here.”
“Are you okay? You haven’t been kidnapped into a prostitution ring, have you?”
I rolled my eyes but also grinned. “Yes, mom, and they were nice enough to let me keep my phone and answer it. The top guy’s name is Tung, and he’s my boyfriend now. Aren’t you so happy for us?”
The silence on the other end of the line was priceless.
“I’m kidding, mom. I’m at the resort, sitting by the pool, basking in the glorious sun. Everything’s going according to plan. It’s wonderful here.”
“So you haven’t found a boyfriend yet?”
“Oh, my God, Mom. No. I just got here.” Her endless nosiness into my dating life was as annoying and pointless as ever.
She didn’t let it drop. “Well, are the
re any hot single men there? Or even just single men? I mean, I love you, sweetie, but you aren’t getting any younger.”
Why did my mind flash to Dylan Hunter’s perfect face when she asked that question?
“No, it’s a nice, relaxing resort, Mom. Not exactly a singles’ club. It’s all couples here except for me.”
In fact, the gracious Thai woman at the front desk had seemed confused that I was checking into a room by myself for two weeks.
It didn’t take a Mensa membership to figure out what Mom would ask next. It was always the same pattern.
“Make sure you get out and meet people. You need to find a nice man to have kids with. I don’t want to be a rickety skeleton by the time you give me grandchildren.”
She’s lucky I love her. Otherwise, I’d just stop talking to her.
“Mom, it’s not like I’ll be having babies this vacation, okay? Cool your jets.”
I bet Dylan would make the cutest kids.
I had to wrench my mind away from the billionaire for the umpteenth time since that morning. He’d invaded my thoughts, hiding behind every twist and turn.
The phone buzzed and beeped in my hand, and I glanced at it. Craig again on the other line.
Seriously? Did the office burn down? Maybe I should answer one of these.
“Are your accounts okay for the next round of bills, Mom?”
The voice on the other side took so long to answer that I had to check to see if the call had dropped.
“I’m not sure. Your father is coming down with something. He’s trying to fight it off, but if he has to go to the doctor…”
I swore under my breath. It was a sign of how worried Mom was that she didn’t chide me for it.
“I’ll see if I have any room left on my credit card,” I said, wincing. It would be another five years before I could take another vacation. One thing was certain—I was going to enjoy the hell out of this trip while I was here. “What about Charlotte and Emma? Are they doing okay?”
Mom’s voice brightened at the change of subject. “Charlotte’s doing well at her internship, and Emma’s got great marks in most of her classes. You’ve inspired them to want to travel. It’s all they can talk about now. I told them to start saving now.”
That made me laugh. “Them? Save? Yeah, and maybe I’ll fall in love tonight. That’s just not going to happen.”
“Don’t say things like that! It can happen, Penny!”
“Sure, Mom,” I said. “I should go, though. I’m sure this is costing me a ridiculous amount of money. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetie. Enjoy yourself over there. I wish we could have come with you.”
“Me too. Next time.”
I set the phone beside me and settled back. With a finger pressed into my arm to see how red it had gotten, I judged another ten minutes before turning over to get even sun exposure. I didn’t want to have a lopsided burn on my first day on the island.
I reacted to another beep from my phone without thinking about it.
I really need to put this thing away.
The connectedness of the world was interfering with my relaxation.
The subject line of the email did a lot more than that.
“Layoffs?”
My throat closed up as I opened it and read. And stared.
Chapter Four
Dylan
There she is.
Penny looked just as delectable as I remembered. More, even. She was wearing a bikini that revealed and emphasized those killer curves. I had to fight down the surge of blood that rushed through me.
I made my approach by staying behind the lounge chairs to keep the element of surprise and have the biggest impact. Once I reached her, I sat in the lounger next to her.
“I was jealous of the lounge chair when you said you had a date with it, but I’m even more jealous now I see what you’re wearing for this date. Strawberry daiquiri?”
I held out the frozen drink, convinced I’d nailed the approach.
Penny was staring straight ahead, and she didn’t even blink as I delivered my line.
Is she ignoring me?
No, that couldn’t be it. I’d felt the heat between us on the pier. She’d walked away, but it wasn’t because she hated me. Penny didn’t even notice my presence.
In fact, she looked rattled, like she’d just received the worst news possible.
“Penny?” I asked, making my voice less cocksure and more empathetic. “Are you all right?”
That finally got through to her. She blinked and looked in my direction.
“I’m fine.”
If there were ever a classic female “I’m not fine” fine, that was it.
Then she really looked at me, and her eyes widened.
I held out the daiquiri with a reassuring smile. “You look like you could use a drink.”
This time, Penny took it and drained three-quarters of the frosty beverage in the first gulp.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Penny shrugged. “It’s nothing. Nothing you can help with, anyway. Forget it.”
I didn’t know her well enough to pry, but there was no way that it was nothing. I wanted to find out. First, I had to make her comfortable. Negotiation tactics 101.
“What are you doing on the island? Staying for a while?”
“I’m taking a vacation that’s way overdue.”
The stress in her voice was still there. She sounded like a woman in need of relaxation.
I can help her with that.
No woman could spend a night with me and not have the best sleep of her life afterward. I almost convinced myself that I wanted to do it for her, and not because of the deep-seated lust she’d awakened in me.
“What’s held you back from taking one until now?”
Penny sighed. It was a layered, gusty sigh, the kind I hadn’t heard in a long time. Rich people, the ones I spent my time around, didn’t sigh like that. It carried years of worries in one exhalation. It brought me back to the trailer I’d grown up in and my mother standing at the kitchen counter, sighing as she looked at the bills.
“I shouldn’t burden you with my problems,” she said. “Complaining helped no one.”
I frowned. “I asked. I’m not going anywhere. And I disagree. The right complaint at the correct time into the proper ear has shaped world history.”
Penny took a sip of her drink, looking at me as if I was a puzzle she was determined to solve. “Okay, then. You asked for it. My dad’s pension was torn to shreds six years ago, and since then, my parents have barely been able to keep themselves fed. I’ve been giving them as much help as I can while still being able to pay the bills, but it’s tough with such a huge student loan hanging around my neck. This is my first day off in six years.”
I whistled. “That’s a long time without a break. Still, I admire your work ethic. You must be doing great at your job, at least.”
The compliment didn’t evoke the response I expected. Penny’s face grew red, and whatever words she tried to speak came out in a strangled mess. Before I could say anything, she recovered enough to say, “I’ve always worked hard, but office politics are not my strong suit. I’m too abrasive.”
“Abrasive? You have a quick wit and aren’t afraid to tone it down. No matter who you’re talking to and how powerful they are.” Penny flushed at my words. “That’s not a problem. That’s an asset, and anyone who can’t see that is an idiot. You would thrive at the top of a company, and middle managers can sense that and keep you down so you don’t bypass them.”
The redness on her cheeks made her even prettier. “Well, fuck those assholes.”
The short exchange was enough to convince me to go ahead with my plan. My entire legacy depended on how she would respond to my next words. It was time to propose to the woman who’d entranced me over the course of a single conversation.
“Penny, there’s something I need from you.”
The guarded look she’d had when we first
met was back. “What could you possibly need from me?”
I leaned back in the chair and tilted my body toward her more, signaling with subtle body language that I wasn’t a threat to her, that I wouldn’t take advantage of her. It was the type of communication often overlooked by those trying to make a deal, handled by their subconsciousness instead of used to manipulate the other person.
I was a master at nonverbal communication.
“I need a fiancée for a week or two. A fake fiancée. All you need to do is pretend as if we’re in love to help me close a business deal.”
Whatever she thought I would say, that wasn’t it.
“You need me to do what?” The flush on her cheeks was back, and darker. Her eyes darted from my eyes to my lips to my crotch and back in a frenetic loop as if she didn’t know where to look.
“I need you to be my fiancée. I’ll give you ten thousand dollars.”
Chapter Five
Penny
My mouth acted before my brain could even catch up.
“No, I couldn’t do something like that…”
I trailed off as the implications of Dylan’s offer sank in. With that much money, I could pay off most of my credit cards, which would at least leave me breathing room to find another job.
His eyes grew even more intense. I couldn’t decide where to look, but he had no such trouble. His gaze bored into my eyes as if he could see through to my soul.
“Fifty thousand.”
Again, my instincts responded before my rational mind could even process the dollar amount. “Is your solution to being turned down to always throw more money at the problem?”
He didn’t waver. Dylan was no longer joking around. “A hundred thousand.”
This time, words failed me. I just stared at him.
He can’t be serious. That’s so much money.
The certainty that this was a cruel joke burned at a fever pitch inside me. Even still, dare I say no? Wasn’t the small chance of his being serious worth the potential embarrassment if it were a prank?
Secrets Abroad: A Fake Fiancée Romance Page 2