by Tia Siren
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to insult you. I don’t want to be real or fake engaged to you. It was one night. That’s it. It was never meant to be anything more than that.”
“I know I’ve caught you off guard. This is all very sudden and unexpected. Take some time to think it over. I can pay you if that’s what you want.”
I closed my eyes, begging for patience. “I don’t want your money. You can’t buy me. I’m ready to go.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll take you home.”
We left the restaurant and silently waited for the valet to bring the car around. The ride home was quiet and awkward. I didn’t know what to say. I was still shocked by his proposal. I realized I was the one who was insulted. He actually thought I would jump at the chance to be fake engaged to him because I wanted revenge.
He pulled up in front of my building, and I quickly jumped out of the car, not waiting for him to open the door for me. I slammed the door behind me.
“Amber, wait,” he called out.
I ignored him and kept walking. I wanted to crawl into bed and forget about the whole night. I knew it had been a mistake to go out with him. I needed to learn to trust my instincts. Harry was as bad as his brother but in different ways.
I was so done with the Martin men. Assholes.
Chapter Fourteen
Harry
I hated that I was here. I hadn’t heard from Amber since our dinner date had bombed. I really hadn’t expected her to react so badly. I knew it wasn’t exactly a romantic marriage proposal, but she didn’t have to freak out. I didn’t see William dropping to one knee. The fact she thought there was still a chance for them was disturbing. I had thought she was over the brief affair. Clearly, I had been wrong.
It was my dear brother I was headed to see. I had to meet William, which I was not looking forward to. I had a feeling the next couple months were going to be filled with meetings I wasn’t going to enjoy. It was a dog and pony show I wanted no part of. Unfortunately, I was stuck. Choosing to shun the family now would only seal my fate and leave me a pauper.
I took a quick look in the rearview mirror before getting out of my car. I wasn’t trying too hard to impress anyone, but I wanted to look good. I knew I would see Amber. I wasn’t sure how I was going to play it just yet. Cool and casual, cold and aloof, or warm and friendly? I decided to play it by ear and see how she reacted when she saw me.
I wasn’t ready to give up on my plan. It was a damn good plan, and if she could get past the absurdity of it, she would realize that. There was still hope she’d had time to think about it and saw my solid reasoning for our fake engagement. Hell, I was prepared to beg and tell her it would be a huge favor to me if she would agree.
That would require me to charm her. I looked forward to working on that.
“Good morning,” I said, greeting the staff as I walked through the building. I did my best to make small talk with those I recognized. I had always been seen as the nice one of the family and wanted to keep it that way.
I scanned the department, looking at the people working and searching for Amber. I saw her head at her desk and made a beeline for her.
“Hi,” I said, my most charming and disarming smile plastered on my face.
Her head jerked up. “Harry!”
“In the flesh. How are you?” I asked, hoping to get a dialogue started.
“I’m fine. It’s too early for lunch,” she blurted out.
“I’m not here for lunch.”
“Why are you here?” she asked.
I smiled and waggled my brows. “Because I missed you?” I offered. “I haven’t seen you in a couple days and had to see your beautiful face. Didn’t you miss me?”
“Stop,” she said, looking around. “You can’t say that here. If anyone overhears you—”
“If anyone overhears that I miss you or I think you’re beautiful, what could be the worst that happens?”
“You know what will happen. Rumors will start, and people will assume I’m sleeping with you,” she whispered.
“Well, that’s true in the past tense, not present, but I’m more than happy to oblige.”
She shook her head. “I thought I made it clear this wasn’t happening.”
I loved how hot and bothered she got. She always rose to the occasion. Amber was very serious about guarding her reputation within the company. I couldn’t understand her need to be so perfect. I certainly didn’t care what anyone thought.
“What isn’t happening? Us? Our engagement? You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“Harry,” she said in almost a whine. “You’re being difficult on purpose.”
I chuckled. “I love to watch you squirm.”
She shook her head. “I don’t. What do you want? I can’t go to lunch.”
“Can you go to dinner?” I asked hopefully.
It hadn’t been my plan to ask her out, but now that I was standing in front of her, I realized I wanted to see her again. The woman was captivating. Maybe it was her spunky attitude. I loved dueling with her. It was exciting and refreshing.
“No!” she said a little too loudly. Her face turned red, and her head whipped to the side to see who was watching. “Harry, please. I work here. I can’t have these people spreading rumors about me and undermining everything I have worked so hard to get.”
I laughed. “Relax. I’m not here for you. I’m meeting William. You really need to settle down. You’re going to give yourself an ulcer, or worse, a heart attack.”
“Oh,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Why didn’t you say that in the beginning? Why would you put me through all that?” She glared at me.
I smiled. “Because I like to see you get all flustered and overheated.”
“That’s not nice.”
“Amber?”
“What now?” she shot back.
“Have you thought about what I said the other night?” I asked.
“No, I haven’t. I already gave you my answer. It’s a bad idea, and I don’t want any part of it.”
“Why not? It’s not a terrible idea. There are plenty of perks that would help us both out.”
She shook her head. “No, there isn’t, and you should be ashamed of yourself for wanting to trick your family.”
“Trust me, they deserve it, and they don’t really care. It’s all about the image. Images are supposed to be faked and manufactured. No one is who they say they are.”
She looked up at me. “I am.”
“No, you’re not. You’re in love with your boss and you slept with his brother. Your image is the perfect, professional employee. How is that not a lie?” I said, not wanting to be rude but needing to knock her off that high horse shehad climbed on.
Her mouth fell open. “Keep your voice down. And I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”
“Regardless, it did. Even now, you’re trying to maintain an image to keep up appearances and protect your job. That’s all I’m trying to do. I’m trying to protect my job, which is to be a member of the family and draw a paycheck.”
That seemed to knock the wind out of her sails a bit.
“Well, I hate lying to people. You’re right though. I am a fraud. Thanks for pointing that out,” she quipped.
“You’re not a fraud. You’re human, just like the rest of us.”
She sighed. “I suppose, but it doesn’t mean I need to keep lying.”
“Did you at least consider it? My proposal. I think if you at least think about it and realize there is really no one getting hurt by our little lie, it’s not so bad. You can go back to your regular life afterward. We’ll have fun in the meantime. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“No.”
I laughed. “I’m not giving up, not until you’ve properly thought it over and weighed the pros and cons.”
“Well, you are going to be waiting a long time. I have other things to think about. Your proposal isn’t worthy of my time,” she said in a haughty ton
e.
“Harry,” William said, walking out of his office.
“You’re lucky,” I whispered. “Saved by the ex.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” William said in a snide tone. “I assume you’re here for me, or did you and Amber have something to discuss?”
I chuckled. I loved hearing the twinge of jealousy in his voice.
“Yes, I’m here for you. Aren’t we supposed to be getting fitted for tuxes or picking out tuxes or something? I was ordered to report for duty for something tux related.”
“Yes. Sorry, I was on a call. I’m ready if you are,” he said, looking from me to Amber, who was focusing on her computer screen.
I turned to look at him and was surprised to see the jealousy on his face. Maybe I had been wrong. Maybe William did care for Amber. She was convinced he did. I found it hard to believe, but he was acting like a jealous lover. Could it be my big brother had a heart?
Another thought slammed into me. If he really did care about Amber and she cared about him, I had stepped right in the middle of what was a very twisted relationship. I didn’t necessarily hate William, and I didn’t want to hurt him. I felt like a total ass. I had slept with the one woman my brother cared about.
“Let’s go,” I said, wanting to remove myself from the situation as quickly as possible.
I turned and started down the hall without even looking back at Amber. I felt like a total dick.
I did my best to make small talk in the back of the limo. William wasn’t interested. I knew the only reason I was going along for the choosing of the tuxedos was because William had been told I had to be his best man. It was all about keeping up family appearances.
After being shown a variety of cuts and styles, I wasn’t surprised when William settled on a traditional black tuxedo.
“Blue?” I asked when he chose a blue tie and vest.
“It isn’t blue. It’s Tiffany blue,” he clarified.
“Like she had the color specially made?” I asked in surprise.
I didn’t know that was possible, but it didn’t shock me to learn his wife would be arrogant enough to have her own color made.
“No,” he sneered. “Tiffany blue, like the store. The blue box. Seriously, you don’t know?” he asked with that superior attitude I was so familiar with.
“Yes, I get it. I wasn’t aware it was an actual color.”
William nodded. “It is. Our wedding colors are Tiffany blue, white, and black. Tiffany chose them.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“She has superior tastes. The wedding will be beautiful.”
“And completely over the top,” I quipped.
“This wedding is more than an exchange of vows. Anyone who is anyone will be there. It is the social event of the year. That’s a lot of pressure on her,” he defended.
I shrugged. “I’m sure between Mom and the wedding planner, they’ll get everything planned out. All you have to do is show up.”
He actually smiled. “That’s the plan.”
“You sure you want to do this?” I asked, hoping to get him to talk to me a bit.
“Yes. What’s going on between you and Amber?”
“Nothing.”
He shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Will, there’s nothing going on between us.”
“You’ve shown up at the office more in the past week than you have in a year. I know you aren’t there to see me,” he said, taking a seat on the couch.
“I like hanging out with her. She’s easy to talk to and really laid back.”
He looked at me, and I could see he didn’t believe me. It was funny in a maniacal kind of way.
“You can tell me. I don’t know why you think you have to hide it from me. She works for the company, but it isn’t like you work there. There aren’t any fraternization rules. Date her. Do whatever,” he said in a nonchalant manner.
I could see right through his bullshit. He was jealous. I considered telling him we were just friends but then thought better of it. If I did convince Amber to go with my plan, I didn’t want there to be any doubt about whether it was real or not.
“There’s nothing to say.”
“Suit yourself.”
“What do we do next?” I asked.
He grinned. “I don’t know. I was told I needed to pick out a style. I did that. I think my part is done.”
I laughed. “Well, that was a little too easy. Maybe we should rethink the tails.”
“No. We have to have tails. Tiffany wants it formal.”
“Tiffany wants a lot of things it sounds like,” I said, not trying to be mean.
He shrugged one shoulder. “Whatever makes her happy. I’m lucky to have her.”
“I suppose you are. Do you need me for anything else?”
“No. I have to get back to the office,” he said.
We rode back to the office in silence. I hopped in my car and left. I had already made my plea to Amber. I needed to sit back and wait a couple more days before I approached her again. If I was too pushy, I would scare her off for good.
Chapter Fifteen
Amber
I couldn’t seem to get Harry off my mind. The man was persistent. I had been pleased to get through work yesterday without him popping by. I had been on guard all day, waiting to see if his head would appear over my cubicle wall. Part of me was disappointed I didn’t see him, but I was happy as well.
“Hello?” Courtney said, waving her hand in front of my face.
“What?”
“You’re spacing out again. What has you so stressed you can’t even listen to your best friend tell you about her shoe dilemma? This is important business. I need your full attention,” she teased.
I laughed. “Sorry. You have my full attention.”
“Eh, I was only teasing. I’m keeping both pairs anyway.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you are.”
“So, tell me, what’s the latest with Harry Hotpants?” she said, waggling her brows.
I rolled my eyes. “You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.”
“Tell me and let me be the judge of that.”
“He wants us to get fake engaged. Apparently, his family is tired of his womanizing ways and has ordered him to settle down or he gets cut off. He wants me to pretend to be his fiancée for a few months to make them happy.”
Courtney raised an eyebrow. “That’s actually kind of genius.”
“No, it isn’t! He wants to lie to his family, and he wants me to help him do it. I think it would be considered fraud.”
She shrugged. “Not really. He is only telling them what they want to hear. Fraud would be him lying to a judge or something to inherit the estate. I think you should do it.”
I shook my head. “No way. William would never forgive me.”
“So? Who cares what William thinks?”
“I do!”
“You shouldn’t. He certainly doesn’t care what you think or feel.”
“Now you sound like Harry,” I said. “He suggested this would be a good way to get revenge on William.”
Courtney smiled. “I like the way he thinks.”
“If William finds out I hooked up with Harry, or if he believes I am engaged to Harry, he will never talk to me again.”
Courtney slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh, my God. I thought you had gotten it through your thick head that William is never going to happen. He isn’t for you. He is a scoundrel. Let Tiffany have him and count your blessings you dodged the bullet.”
“It isn’t that easy. I mean, I see now William didn’t truly love me, but what if there is a chance for us? I don’t want to completely ruin my chances of being happy with him by hooking up with his brother.”
“You’re batshit crazy. Like, you are cooking bunnies in stewpots crazy. You’re obsessed with this guy. Let it go!”
My mouth dropped open. “I’m not obsessed.”
“Yes, you are. He’s the forbidden fruit.
Except, in his case, he’s rotten fruit. You want him because he is so far out of your reach, it would be a challenge. You’re not proving anything to anybody. Leave him alone, Amber, please,” she begged.
“Every time I think I have put him out of my head, I find myself wondering about the what ifs. I mean, if there is even a slight chance, I don’t want to ruin it.”
Courtney was smiling.
“What?” I asked, trying to think of what I had said that would have her smiling like a complete fool.
I didn’t have to wonder long.
“Can we talk for a minute?”
I looked up to see Harry standing next to our table.
“What the hell?” I asked, dumbfounded. “How did you find me? How did you know where my parents’ diner is?”
He smiled. “I have my ways.”
“Are you stalking me?”
“Not yet, but I can if that’s what turns you on.”
Courtney burst into laughter. “I’m going to go see if your mom needs any help. You can have my seat,” she said, sliding out of the booth.
I glared at her, but she only smiled and waved before making an obscene gesture with her mouth in reference to Harry’s good looks.
“Harry, I don’t know what you’re doing here, but if it’s about the engagement, I’ve already told you no.”
“Did you at least think about it?” he asked, looking into my eyes. I hated when he did that. He was too good looking for my own good.
I didn’t get a chance to answer. My mother was making a beeline for us.
“Hi,” she said, greeting Harry with a warm smile.
“Hi,” he replied, smiling back at her.
“I’m Teresa, Amber’s mom,” she said, introducing herself.
Harry extended his hand. “I’m Harry Martin.”
“Good to meet you, Harry. Can I get you something today?”
He looked at me and then turned back to my mom. “How about a burger and fries?”
My mom nodded her head. “I can do that.”
“Do you have mushrooms?” he asked.
She grinned. “Of course.”
“Great! Make it nice and messy,” he said, looking at me and grinning.
“Messy is our specialty!”
“Sounds good. Thank you, Mrs. Bradley.”