Penthouse Prince

by Nelson, Virginia

  “You really have to lay off that. I’m not telling you about my child. And, yeah, I could use an hour before dinner. You know, do the hair and makeup thing. Put on the fancy clothes, sharpen my talons.”

  He ran a hand through his dark, curly hair, and she envied his hand in a sick and twisted way. “I will send someone over to do the hair and makeup thing, as you so elegantly put it.”

  “I can do my own hair and makeup.”

  He scanned her, head to toe. “I’m sure you can. Probably. Maybe. Not that there’s any evidence to support the supposition at this time, but who knows? You seem like a clever girl; you might pull it off. But if you’re pretending to be my fiancée, you wouldn’t have to, so I’ll send someone over.”

  She shrugged. His money to waste. More money than brains—a catch phrase barely remembered from her grandmother—came to mind.

  He pushed open the door to the dressing room—

  And flashes from a camera going off blinded them.

  He yanking the door closed and leaned on the wall. “Shit. Well, hmm.”

  “There really was a photographer.” She didn’t quite manage to hide the surprise in her tone.

  “Of course there was. I told you, you can trust me.” He pulled out a cell phone and made a call. He spoke fast, apparently his normal way, then hung up and dialed again. Within moments, the sounds of a scuffle filtered through the door, and he straightened away from the wall and held a hand out to her. “All clear.”

  “You managed to clear the shop with a phone call?” She followed him out of the dressing room.

  “Two, but yes. Perks of being wealthy.” He nodded and held out his business card to the shopkeeper, who looked a bit awed. “I want everything we selected sent to my penthouse immediately. Make sure it’s freshly pressed and ready to wear, understand?”

  A brisk nod and pleased smile was all the answer Camden got before he swept her out of the shop.

  “You didn’t pay for that stuff,” she said.

  “Another perk of being rich. They know where to find me. There are lots of perks to being rich. It almost makes up for the downfalls.” He shoved a pair of sunglasses on his regal Roman nose and continued to tug her along. “Change of plans…you’re staying with me.”

  “I can’t stay with you!” She dug in her heels and locked her knees, grinding him to a halt. His brows popped up over the shades in askance, and her heart raced. She needed to get home to Kaycee, set up the neighbor to keep an eye on her for a few days, and try to figure out how to explain this mess to a five-year-old.

  Someone holding a camera rushed down the sidewalk in their direction. Okay, time for her to get moving again.

  Camden seemed to have the same idea. He didn’t release his hold, kept their fingers twined together, and glided back into his power walk as if she’d never broken his stride. “See, we’re going to have to talk about the kid. I mentioned that would happen. Actually, we should pick her up. Give me the address. Save me a Google search.”

  As he deposited her into the car, flashes of a distant camera caught her eye. She thumped her hand on the dash. “Dammit.”

  He slid into the driver’s seat and popped the car in gear. “So where do we pick the kid up?”

  “That’s a terrible idea. I didn’t agree to it.”

  “Would you rather the press discover the kid and get to it before we do? They’re scrambling, as we speak, trying to figure out who you are, I’d bet money on it. How long do you think you have before they’ve solved the mystery and, because of you, find her?”

  Like it would hurt him to lose a bet? The man probably bathed in money like that rich duck in the cartoon. However, he made a valid point. She couldn’t let the press find Kaycee. If they picked too hard at that nugget of her past…

  “Seventy-sixth and West.”

  He gunned it out of the parking spot, his smile only a little victorious.

  “Doesn’t this mess with your engagement story? Living in sin with your fake fiancée, now adding a kid they may or may not realize is hidden in your house? Wouldn’t it be easier to back out now?”

  “Nope. Hey, Dad wanted me to settle down, start a family. He probably didn’t plan on me fast forwarding to the children bit before I got hitched but, hell, I’ve never done things the way he planned.” In and out of traffic he slid, not bothering to glance her way.

  She sighed and flopped back into the seat. “Maybe I should tell you a little about her. Just so you know what not to say, that sort of thing.”

  He nodded, and his eyes still didn’t leave the road. “Deadbeat dad? I shouldn’t mention him because it hurts the kid to realize Daddy doesn’t care enough to pay his bit, see the kid, all that sob story stuff? Oh, wait, you got pregnant too young. He didn’t want the kid, but you kept it? Now you’re doing it all on your own, blah blah, cue the powerful yet moving soundtrack? I hear that happens a lot.”

  “No, Mr. Know-it-all. Her dad died serving our country in Afghanistan when she was only a baby. He was a hero.”

  His foot eased off the gas a bit, and he seemed to reconsider what he’d said.

  “You’re a widow,” he said. “To a soldier. I’m so sorry.”

  She snorted. “You really must stop assuming.”

  “Tell me I’m wrong?” The challenge in his voice irked her. “I didn’t nail any of it?”

  “She’s my sister. I’ve been raising her since our dad died. So there, smart ass.”

  He hit the brakes hard, and they snapped forward against their seatbelts. She recovered herself, then realized he’d stopped the car and was staring at her.

  Chapter Four

  He tried to recover his calm, but she’d surprised him. Again.

  The ability to throw him off balance made her unique. Few managed it. She was a damned saint. Who actually raised their sibling, called it their own kid, because their father died serving in the military? She was Lifetime Movie material.

  People like that were snacks for the sharks that swam in his waters.

  Yet she kept him on his toes, and he wasn’t the least of his contemporaries. A glance shot her direction revealed her stealing a peek at her phone, her fingertip hovering as if she wanted to make a call, but she hesitated.

  “So, your sister…?”

  “Is a kid and doesn’t remember our parents. I’m the mother she’s always known, will always know. I’m her protector, and she needs kept out of this little lie. She’s at an age where a father figure is something she’s starting to notice the lack of in our household. We’re not confusing her with this.” She pocketed the phone and gazed out the window, still not looking at him.

  He recognized it as her not giving him the whole story—more surprises for her to blindside him with later. He’d pick at it, figure it out before it became need-to-know information…

  “We can set her up in my place,” he said. “Hook her up with a nanny for the duration of your work, and you can be with her whenever we’re in the suite. Not a problem. I’m sure I can hire—”

  “If we’re paying someone to keep an eye on her, I know who we’re using. My neighbor. She doesn’t work. She’s on Social Security, has the time, and needs any bonus money she can pick up. You can hire her.”

  Finally, the flash of her eyes turned his way, and he identified a clear challenge in her green gaze. “Sounds like we’re installing a few people. Guess it takes a village, in this case. Fine, we hire the neighbor. I’m assuming you can close the deal swiftly, get them both situated as easily? You know, so we can get back to my problems, the ones you’re hired to help me solve?”

  “Fine.”

  His phone rang over his speakers, and he flicked a button on the dash before answering. “Talk to me.”

  A familiar voice yelled, “Where in the hell are you? Stories are flooding the Internet—you’re with some woman while Tasha is in Cannes with someone else—people are calling for a statement and I’ve got nothing. What harebrained scheme are you trying to pull, and why am I not
in the loop?”

  Lowe. Fuck.

  As his best friend/lawyer/head of his public relations team, usually Lowe Richardson knew before Camden what irons he roasted on the fire.

  Except today.

  Today proved exceptional on many levels.

  The snicker from his passenger reminded him to give only what information she needed to know rather than his usual brutal honesty. “I’m engaged, Lowe. The rumors are true, but the fiancée is an unknown who I’ve been seeing without alerting the media. Letting the world know today, shortly after my father had the great pleasure of making her acquaintance, was a tactical move on the part of our office because the wedding is coming soon. Handle it.”

  Camden reached forward to hang up, but Lowe spoke before he could disconnect. “Does the fake fiancée have a name, or are we keeping it under wraps for now?”

  Good old Lowe.

  The guy figured out fast where this was going. Quick on the uptake, earning the zeroes in his salary.

  “Her name is Jeanie.”

  “Jeanie Long,” the fake fiancée in question added.

  “She’s with you? Now? In the car, and you kept the call on speaker?” Doubt rippled over the car radio.

  “Yes, we’re off on an errand, and we’ll be back in about an hour. Meet us at the office at my place. You can meet her. It will be swell.” He flicked her another glance, then added for her benefit, “Lowe is my best friend, and you’ll be seeing a lot of him over the next few days.”

  “Hi, Lowe,” she muttered.

  “Jeanie…so you’re moving her into the penthouse? Do you know her, or is this something we’re playing out as we go?” It sounded like he was clacking at hyper speed on his computer.

  “Just met. She’s a great kisser; her wardrobe is being delivered, so someone should pick it up from downstairs and see that it gets put in the penthouse. I’m going to need a hairdresser and makeup person waiting for her, as well. We’re playing it as we go, but we’ve got the details hammered out. Welcome to the party.” His fiancée caught his attention as she gestured at a building, and he noticed her blush. He didn’t comment on it, instead tamped down on his own little thrill at her reaction. Yes, his little employee could lock lips…but could she pull this act off?

  He slid into a parking spot, then watched her get out and head into the building, not a single glance cast back his direction.

  “She still there?” Lowe asked.

  “Nope, just got out.”

  “What in the flying fuck are you trying to pull, here? Tell me she’s not a hooker. I saw that movie, and it doesn’t go that well in real life, I promise.”

  “She’s not a hooker, she worked for me. Came up to my office, some complaint about her boss. Her timing was perfect. Dad was right behind me, and she played along until I could get her to sign a contract.” He tapped his fingers on his steering wheel and resisted the urge to follow Jeanie—to see where she lived, what she used to surround herself daily. How a person filled her personal space said a lot about the person. Their nature, their likes…

  “A contract?” He could hear Lowe smacking his hand into his forehead. “You typed up something, called it a contract, and now you’ve got some woman lying for you?”

  “Pretty much. That’s the synopsis version, anyway. Some photographers found us while I took her shopping. Gave them a little show. Dad’s not buying this, but he’s letting it play out. I think he’s just waiting for me to flop this, so he can revoke the shares. I bought you time. Use it wisely.”

  He reached for the button again but stopped when Lowe spoke in a quiet tone. “You can’t buy a wife, Camden.”

  “I just did. Meet me at the penthouse.”

  He hung up, then snagged his tablet and Googled her.

  …

  “A vacation?” Kaycee lit up. “Is there a hot tub? A zoo?”

  Jeanie smiled and tucked a blond curl behind the child’s ear. “Could be. I haven’t been to the hotel yet. I promise, it will be very fancy. You can order whatever you want to eat. But I have to work, some, while we’re on this vacation, so you’re going to stay with Lori.”

  Wrinkling her nose, Kaycee bounced on her heels, which made tying her shoes all the harder. “Can I bring Mr. Lumpkins?”

  Snagging the tattered bear, Jeanie then passed it to her before she glanced around the apartment. “Yeah, you can bring him.”

  If she were to take along something on this fiasco, what one item would bring her comfort?

  Stroking a fingertip across a picture of their dad, she realized there wasn’t a thing, not one little thing, she needed besides Kaycee. Her sister was the one remnant of their dad, of the illusion of family and security. The one fragment of Jeanie’s life from before it fell apart.

  “Dad, I wish you were here. I’d love to hear your perspective on this whole mess.”

  “Are you talking to the pictures again?” Kaycee tugged at the end of her skirt then demanded, “I have to go potty. Take me first.”

  Complying, she waited for her to finish before closing the bathroom door and making sure all the lights were off. She didn’t know when she’d be back home. This gamble might eat her life for a while, removing her from all she’d worked so hard to build and tossing her into a sea of the unfamiliar.

  It would be worth it. Daddy had always said anything worth having required risk.

  Pretending to get married? To a man like Camden? Risky. But maybe it was Kaycee’s chance at a life like Jeanie wasn’t able to provide on her own.

  I’m engaged to one of the richest men in the world. Oh, shit, how am I going to pull this—

  A knock at the door interrupted her racing thoughts, and she opened it to Lori.

  “Hey,” Jeanie said. “You ready to go?”

  “As ready as I’m going to be. I packed three outfits, some pajamas, and some books. If this runs longer than three days, I’m going to need to come back here for more clothes and to water my plants.” Lori looked calmer than Jeanie felt, her hair tucked back in a neat white ponytail and her soft face not marred by a single worry line.

  “He says he’s giving me a car. I’ll give you a set of keys to it. That way, you can go where you want when you want. Just don’t leave Kaycee. This whole thing is so weird. I don’t want her alone without either you or me at all.” She twisted the handle to the duffle full of toys for Kaycee and reached for the rolling suitcase full of clothes for her sister.

  “Jeanie, look at me, girl.”

  The quiet words snapped her attention to Kaycee, who seemed oblivious to the adults, instead making a zooming noise with her one-eyed bear as she used it as an airplane. “Don’t say anything, Lori.”

  The hand closed on her upper arm, and she breathed out a jagged sigh.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea? You’ve worked so hard for so long, and this just seems…”

  “Risky?” She accepted the hug from Lori before backing up to consider her kind face. “Yeah, this is risky and crazy and I don’t know how I happened to be in the right place to get mixed up in it, but Derek would have fired me if I hadn’t talked to Camden. His offer has nothing to do with me as a person and more to do with just being there when the opportunity presented itself. He doesn’t know me. He doesn’t want to. He wants to fool his father. If fooling the dad means I tuck back a few grand to buffer me looking for a new job, fine, great. Not to mention, he said he’d fire Derek. If he does, I might be able to get my job back in the call center when all of this is over and done, and we’ll have a security blanket for a while. Whichever, it’s more than I hoped for when I headed to work today. We roll with it. If, for some reason, they find out about Kaycee, though…” Panic swelled, a ball of worry she tried to swallow.

  “What if you like him?”

  The question shocked her past the fear. “Lori, I hardly think that’s my biggest worry this week.” Brushing aside the words with a wave of her hand, she grabbed the rolling bag and called to Kaycee. “Hey, kiddo, let’s blow this Popsi
cle stand.”

  Bounding over to take their neighbor’s hand, Kaycee beamed up at Lori. “We’re going on vacation. I’ve heard of those. They’re fun.”

  Lori sighed before returning her somber gaze to Jeanie. “You might like him. She’s been your priority for so long, I don’t know that you remember you’re still young. Love’s not impossible—”

  Jeanie snorted. “This isn’t a fairytale where the prince falls in love with the pauper and sweeps her off to his castle to rule over the evil stepmother. This is reality, where a really rich man who thinks he can buy anything bought some of my time because he’s lying to his own father. Don’t get your hopes up, okay? This is work, even if it’s the weirdest job I’ve ever had. Nothing more.”

  The memory of his kiss, of his hand trembling, of how he smelled and how her heart raced, all of that might make her wish for a happy ever after, but she couldn’t share that with Lori.

  Camden James was a liar of the worst kind. Leopards didn’t change their spots. Liars are liars…and they stay liars. Her mother taught her the hard lesson when she wasn’t much older than Kaycee, reinforcing it a hundred times over.

  It wasn’t a lesson she would forget any time soon. No matter how great her Penthouse Prince might seem, it was pretend. She’d spent enough time with a five-year-old to know the difference between make-believe and the cold, hard reality of life.

  Chapter Five

  Closing the door to the rooms Camden assigned Lori and Kaycee for the duration of their stay on Easy Street, Jeanie took a bracing breath. Wandering down the hallway, she tried to remember which way led back to the living room and instead found the library.

  Who in the hell has a library in their penthouse apartment?

  Then again, who in the hell had an eight-bedroom home on top of the city?

  Stroking the bindings of books, she jumped when a throat cleared. “Sorry, I—”

  The man staring at her took her breath away. His high forehead softened by dark curls falling in an almost boyish charm drew her gaze to his startling gray eyes, lined by equally dark and heavy lashes. Model handsome, his smile reeked of charm. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m guessing you’re Jeanie.”