by Pamela Yaye
Chapter 5
Azure felt her eyes widen, and her mouth drop open. Marry you? The thought was crazy. So crazy, in fact, she refused to even consider it. Either she misunderstood him or… No, no, that had to be it. Sometimes when she didn’t get enough sleep her brain got fuzzy, and this proved that she needed to quit watching reality TV into the wee hours of the morning and turn in early.
“Marry me,” he proposed, leaning forward in his seat, “and you’ll have everything you’ve ever dreamed of. Fame, success, popularity.”
In her haste to speak, Azure stumbled over her tongue. “Th-that’s your big, juicy story? The one that’s supposed to save my job and give your family more press?”
“Yeah, that’s it.” He nodded, looked as proud as a peacock sporting new feathers.
Azure nixed an eye roll. Harper was a true gentleman, and the last thing she wanted to do was offend him, but he sucked at saving the day. “I need another drink. Where’s the waiter?”
Harper’s gaze circled the room, and when he spotted one of the male servers, he signaled him over. Harper was anxious to lay out his plan, but he waited patiently until the server refilled their glasses with water before he resumed speaking. Only Azure wouldn’t let him. She held up a hand, cutting him off midword.
“Harper, I’m not interested. I love working at Eminence and I don’t want to lose my job, but I’m not going to marry you for kicks. I don’t like hurting or deceiving people, and my parents would kill me if they knew I got married for fun!”
“Really? You did a darn good job trying to trick me.” The moment the words left Harper’s mouth, he regretted them. A frown bruised Azure’s moist red lips, and her eyes thinned into a glare. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be. You’re right. I haven’t exactly been honest, but what you’re asking me to do is unethical. Worse, this whole marriage-of-convenience thing could backfire in my face. Then I’d be humiliated, out of a job and the butt of everyone’s jokes. No way, no, thanks.”
“Hear me out, Azure. I promise to make this worth your while.” Harper felt his excitement grow. His plan was a winner, the answer to all of his problems. To become a household name, he needed to shake things up, to think out of the box, and what better way to boost his popularity than by marrying sleek and sophisticated Azure Ellison?
Harper sneered inwardly when he remembered his conversation with his dad. His father’s words played in his mind, and although he gave his head a hard shake, he couldn’t break free of his thoughts. You could learn a thing or two from Jake.... He’s parlayed his engagement into a huge news story and is attracting wealthy clients left and right....
Adrenaline surged through Harper’s veins. It was the same feeling he got whenever he stepped into a packed courtroom and delivered closing arguments. I’ve got this. All he had to do now was convince Azure, but he had the gift of persuasion, and planned to use every weapon in his arsenal to get the vivacious magazine writer on board. “This is what I propose we do—”
Azure shook her head. “Save it, Harper. I’m not interested.”
“Of course you are. You want to keep your job and advance your career, don’t you?”
“Yes, but not like this.”
Slowly, meticulously, Harper laid out his plan. “We’ll embark on a marriage of convenience but let the world think it’s the real thing. A whirlwind romance between two old high school chums,” he explained, his tone strong, convincing. “Eminence will get exclusive rights to our wedding photos, and our first interview as a married couple, as well. We’ll appear at as many social engagements as possible and play up our love story for the cameras whenever we’re out in public. Your boss will love you, we’ll be touted in the media as the newest power couple to watch and everyone will be happy.”
“What’s in it for you?”
“Free press and a leg up on the competition.”
“You mean your cousin Jake, right?”
Harper shrugged nonchalantly. “Him, too.”
“When do you want to get married?” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
“I’m flexible, but it would have to be soon, preferably by the end of the month.”
Azure’s hands were shaking, but she picked up her glass and sipped her ice water. It didn’t help. Her mouth was still dry, and her body temperature was still rising fast. Another question rose in her thoughts, one that increased her anxiety and troubled her conscience. “How long are we supposed to stay hitched for?”
“Three months sounds like a reasonable amount of time.”
“Three months!” Azure shrieked, drowning out the country music song playing softly in the background. “I can’t pretend to be your wife for twelve weeks! I could probably handle going back and forth between your place and mine for a couple weeks, but not for three months.”
“That’s why I’d expect you to live with me.”
“Every day?”
“And night.”
Azure swallowed. Good God, he’d thought of everything. But why was she surprised? He was Harper Hamilton, one of the most successful and respected lawyers in the state, and for good reason. The man was meticulous, thorough, the type of person who never slept in or ran out of gas on the freeway, or ever missed a credit card payment.
Unlike her.
Shivering, she rubbed her chilled hands together. Azure didn’t want to think about what would happen if she got fired; the possibilities were terrifying, scarier than any eighties slasher movie. With her student loans, her car payment and her ever-increasing rent, it was getting harder and harder to live the American dream. That’s why Azure had to keep her job. Writing jobs were hard to come by, and after years of pounding the pavement and doing crummy freelance gigs, Azure was thrilled to be gainfully employed. And at a popular, award-winning African-American publication no less.
“This is a win-win situation for the both of us, Azure.”
“Harper, this is crazy.”
“Crazy-smart,” he countered. “Our wedding is going to garner enormous press, but imagine what the coverage will be like once we split up?”
“Have you been talking to J-Lo’s people?”
Harper chuckled. “I don’t need to. I know how these things work. Divorce is big business. I should know. I’m an attorney!”
“I want to advance my career, and I’d love to be senior editor at Eminence one day, but I can’t marry you, Harper. I’m sorry.”
“You can’t or you won’t? I was right all along, wasn’t I? There is someone in your life.”
“That’s not it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Trust me. I’m as single as they come.”
Harper heard the angst in her voice, the hint of sarcasm. “You sound like my assistant. She’s looking for a nice, respectable guy to settle down with and—”
“A nice, respectable guy? Is there such a thing?” Azure couldn’t recall the details of her last date. It had been that uneventful. A complete waste of time. It had been months since she went out with someone, and even longer since she’d felt a real, genuine connection.
Until now, her inner voice whispered.
“Marry me. You won’t regret it.” Harper gathered steam, delivered a pitch that would impress a used-car salesman. “Being Mrs. Harper Hamilton will open doors for you, and soon you’ll have your pick of writing jobs. This marriage will be mutually beneficial—”
Azure cut him off. “Just what kind of benefits are you talking about?”
Another chuckle, this one louder and longer. “You have nothing to worry about, Azure. You’ll be perfectly safe in my home. This is a no-strings-attached deal, and I’m not looking for a friends-with-benefits setup, either. I don’t have the
time.”
Too bad, she
thought, but didn’t say. Azure scolded herself. She had to stop doing that, had to start thinking with her brain instead of her flesh. Men like Harper—ambitious, career-driven types—were obsessed with their jobs, and although Azure wasn’t in the market for Mr. Right, she wanted to be with someone who’d fully commit to her.
“We’ll be sleeping in separate rooms, and I won’t be keeping tabs on you or anything, but while we’re married, I’d expect you not to date anyone else. It wouldn’t look good.”
“I understand. Makes sense.”
“And I’ll cover all of your personal expenses while we’re married,” he explained, sweetening the deal. “That includes your rent, your car payment, gas, whatever. And a thousand dollar weekly stipend. What do you think?”
That I could be debt free by the end of the year! Azure considered his offer, gave it some serious thought. She’d be a fool not to accept his proposition. They didn’t know each other, let alone love each other, but for some crazy, inexplicable reason, Azure wanted to marry Harper. The benefits to being Mrs. Harper Hamilton were too numerous to count.
Think about what this could do for my career!
Azure swallowed a squeal. No use letting Harper see how excited she was. She was going to marry one of the most eligible bachelors in Philadelphia—a strong, virile man who every woman wanted, and every man wanted to be—and his name and connections were going to increase her celebrity. And who wouldn’t love that? If I play my cards right, this marriage-of-convenience gig could catapult me straight into the editor’s chair at Eminence magazine!
“I think I covered everything,” Harper said, his eyes narrowed in concentration. “Do you have any more questions or is the plan crystal clear?”
“Oh, it’s clear, all right. You want us to get married, pretend to be madly in love to garner good press then break up three months later so you can get sympathy press.”
“I won’t make you out to be the bad guy, Azure. Trust me. We’ll both come out on top.”
He sounded sincere, convincing, but that was no surprise. He was an attorney. One of the best in the business. And so damn suave and debonair the women seated in the booth beside them had been stealing long, lusty looks at him all night.
“So, are you in or do I have to find myself another trophy wife?”
Biting down on her bottom lip, she thought long and hard about his outlandish proposal. Her mind was screaming, No, don’t do it, but her mouth didn’t receive the message, and when the word “Yes” sprang out of her lips, it surprised them both.
“Yes, as in you’ll marry me?”
Nodding her head, like a puppet on a string, she grabbed her cocktail glass and downed the rest of her drink. The cold, sweet liquid relaxed her, eased her stress. “I’ll do it, but you’re going to have your work cut out for you, Harper. Anyone who knows me knows I think marriage is outdated and unnecessary and—”
“Unnecessary?”
“Yes, unnecessary,” she repeated, prepared to defend her opinion. “Back in the day women married to have children, to help their parents financially or because they were pressured to, but today sisters are handling their business. They’re parenting alone, skyrocketing up the corporate ladder, making a killing on the stock market and looking damn good doing it, too!”
“I agree. Couldn’t have said it better myself, actually.”
“Really?”
Harper nodded. “I definitely don’t have the marriage chip, and—”
“The what?”
“The marriage chip,” he repeated, in all seriousness. “Some
men are programmed to marry, and some aren’t. Like me. I just don’t have it in me to make a lifelong commitment, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
“Great. I think marriage is antiquated, and you’re a
commitment-phobe,” Azure quipped, shaking her head. “This publicity stunt is doomed to fail. None of my friends will ever believe you swept me off my feet or that we’re madly in love.”
“They will.” His tone was firm, filled with resolve and determination. “I guarantee it.”
“You guarantee it? How can you be so confident?”
Harper’s gaze was intense, and his smile packed one hell of a punch. “I convinced you to marry me, didn’t I?”
Chapter 6
“Ellison, where the hell have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you!”
Azure froze—hands, legs, erratically beating heart. Berating herself for her lack of self-control, she abandoned her search for sugar cubes in the staff room cupboards and faced her temperamental boss, who was standing in front of the door like a five-foot-five human barricade.
Sighing inwardly, Azure pushed a hand nervously through her hair. This was what she got for leaving her office. Feeling sluggish, and needing a midmorning caffeine fix, she’d quit writing her latest article and headed straight for the staff room. Now she was paying the price for being addicted to coffee.
Feeding her boss a smile, Azure picked up her steaming mug of java from off the wooden table and sipped her latte. Sure, the freshly brewed coffee tasted divine and warmed her chilled body, but it wasn’t worth being reamed out by her boss in the deserted staff room.
“Where have you been?” he repeated, spitting out the words in his thick New Jersey accent. “Been waiting for you to put in an appearance all morning.”
“I was in my office finishing up my latest proposal.”
His eyes were full of judgment and scorn. “Dig up any dirt on the Hamiltons yet?”
“No, but I’m working on it.”
“You’re not working fast enough,” Leland snapped, folding his scrawny arms. Her boss was a chain smoker, who’d rather drink coffee than eat, and every time he scowled his pale, hollow cheeks caved in. “Set up another meeting with Harper. And fast.”
“I already did. We’re having dinner again tonight.”
Leland raised a fuzzy eyebrow. “I heard you two looked awfully cozy last night at that quaint little steak house on Sixth Street.”
Azure opened her mouth to ask how he knew they had dined at the out-of-the-way restaurant, but thought better of it. Leland wouldn’t tell her. Her boss had more spies than the CIA and spent most of his day behind his desk, whispering into his cell phone. “Men like Harper Hamilton aren’t easily fooled,” he began, his voice taking on a grave tone, “so to gain his trust you’ll have to use the Delilah method.”
“The Delilah method?” Azure repeated, frowning. “What’s that?”
“The key to getting close to Harper. That little vixen Delilah used persuasion and seduction to trick Samson, and those tactics still work today. Just ask any local politician!”
Leland snorted like a potbellied pig playing in a fresh pool of mud.
Azure was disgusted but wore a blank expression on her face. Knowing what she was about to say would pique Leland’s interest gave her great satisfaction, so Azure spoke slowly, drawing out every word to maximize the effect. “I don’t need to use tricks to earn Harper’s trust,” she said, her lips overwhelmed by a smile. “We really hit it off last night, and—”
“Is he interested in you romantically?”
Azure gave a nervous laugh. “I don’t know.”
“Of course you do,” he insisted, crossing his arms. “A woman always knows.”
“Oh wow, look at the time,” Azure said, gesturing to the wall clock above the door. “I better get back to my office. Harper promised to call me at noon, and I’d hate to miss his call.”
Leland pointed a bony finger at her. “I’m giving you until the end of this week to dig up some dirt on the Hamilton family, and not a day more. If you can’t give me what I’m looking for, I’ll find someone else who will.”
Then he strode out of the staff room and out of sight.
Azure was glad to see him go. Back in her cubicle, she took her tape recorder out of her purse, put in her earpiece and hit Play. When she heard Harper’s deep, masculine voice, a sigh escaped her lips. Azure told herself she had to listen to the interview to make notes, but it was a lie. She’d listened to the recording last night in bed, that morning while she was getting ready for work and again on the train. She couldn’t get enough of his voice, couldn’t get enough of the feelings and sensations his words evoked.
“I’m proud of the work my family’s done for the Tuck Me In Foundation,” Harper said, the pride in his voice shining through, “and this year we’re hoping to raise a million dollars for children in foster care.”
Azure liked that Harper wasn’t like the other guys she’d met from rich families who thought they owned the world. He cared about people, especially neglected children, and had a heart of gold. Harper Hamilton was one hell of a gorgeous man, too, and for the next three months, he was all hers.
Her office phone rang, so loud it drowned out Harper’s rich, soothing tone. Azure pulled her earpiece out with one hand and snatched up the receiver with the other. “Good morning. Azure Ellison speaking.”
“Alice, I’m so glad I finally reached you! I’ve been ringing you all week, but with no success.”
Azure slumped back in her swivel chair. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d spoken to her parents, but when she heard her mother’s voice, her good mood evaporated. And every time her mother called her by her given name, she remembered the cruel taunts of her middle school classmates. “Hi, Mom,” she said, feigning excitement. “How are you and Dad doing? Everything okay?”
“We’re fine, honey. Your dad’s out playing golf with some friends, and I’m on my way to a Botox party, so I can’t talk long.”
Azure shook her head. Her mother was never going to change. Against aging gracefully, she tried everything under the sun to keep wrinkles at bay. It didn’t matter how much it cost, her mother gave it a try. And more often than not, it made things worse, not better.