The Pretend Fiancé: A Billionaire Love Story

by Lucy Lambert

  He took a deep breath, held it in for a moment, and let it out slowly. It was an exercise from Harvard, rather than from Henry. It gave you a moment's thought. And there was also stuff behind it like oxygenating your brain and things like that.

  "What is Catherine doing here?" Gwen said.

  "Gwen, you know how I've been letting certain executives take over the day-to-day at Carbide... Wait, you two know each other?" There did seem to be some sort of familiarity between them.

  Catherine chose this moment to assert herself. "Yes, we spoke earlier today after literally bumping into each other outside the hotel."

  "We had espresso," Gwen added. Catherine confirmed the amendment to her story with a nod.

  Aiden didn't remember Gwen telling him about grabbing coffee with anyone. She keeps hiding things from me, he thought. What else is there? This wasn't the time for that, however.

  This was the time to explain why Gwen had come back to their suite and found him alone with another woman. Which he remembered that he'd begun explaining to her before that little reveal about them having already met.

  So he finished with the knot of his tie and then pulled his cuffs back into place before re-launching that train of thought.

  "As I said, I told you that I left Carbide Solutions in the capable hands of several executives. Catherine is one of said executives."

  "Then why is she here and not running the company for you?" Gwen replied. She still hadn't come into the suite, instead leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. That paralyzing look of hers lost only a small amount of its potency.

  Before Aiden could provide that bit of information, Catherine cleared her throat. "Maybe I should answer that one. As I said to you earlier, Gwen, we can only do so much. There comes a time when Aiden, Mr. Manning, I mean, needs to personally take care of certain things. Signing documents, modifying the company charter, giving the final say on various dealings."

  "And all this couldn't just be scanned in and emailed back and forth?" Gwen said. Aiden could tell she was trying to hang onto her anger, but that she wanted to let it go.

  Catherine smiled. "Some, yes. And that's what we've been doing. However, despite all the modern technological marvels, some things you still need to get done in person."

  "And that's what we've been doing," Aiden jumped in. "So why don't you come inside, Gwen? The couch is much more comfortable than the doorway."

  "I'm sure it is," Gwen said, looking between them again. He knew that she burned to ask him more, that she did her best to hold herself in check. However, she walked into the room. Catherine let go of the door and it shut with a click, sealing them all inside, cutting them off from the hallway.

  Aiden made a point of sitting on the couch and then gesturing for Gwen to join him. After a moment's pause, she did. He put his arm over her shoulders and felt how rigid she was. And was that beer he smelled? Aiden realized he had a few questions of his own.

  "Have a nice time out?" he asked, trying to break through her shell.

  If anything, she stiffened even more. "Yes, lovely, great. I love wandering around a place at night where I don't speak the language."

  An awkward silence descended over them. Catherine took a seat in a wingback across from them, crossing her legs. She smiled.

  "So you guys are engaged! That is just amazing," she said.

  "It's the best decision I've ever made," Aiden said, giving Gwen a side hug.

  "And you two just look great together," Catherine continued.

  "Thanks," Gwen replied. Aiden could feel her bristling next to him.

  "Well, thanks again for coming, Catherine. Have we gone over enough for today? I'm pretty exhausted," Aiden said.

  Catherine started moving around the pile of papers organized into rough piles on the coffee table in between them, checking forms and titles against some mental checklist.

  "I think we've covered everything I wanted to show you today." She picked up the thin leather briefcase that she'd leaned against the chair when she first came in and began putting the papers back into it.

  "Here," Aiden said, moving to help. He picked up a ream, banged the bottom against the table to straighten the pages, and handed it to her.

  "That's it, then. Just let me know when you're next available. I have some documents on the Bethel Steel acquisition you need to sign off on," Catherine said.

  "Right, of course. I'll look at my schedule and let you know," Aiden said, making a point to stand up and walk towards the door. Catherine followed, with Gwen standing by the chair Catherine had just vacated.

  Aiden opened the door and stepped aside for Catherine, who didn't proceed directly through the opening.

  "It was nice seeing you again, Gwen," she said, "Unexpected, but nice."

  "You too," Gwen replied.

  "Let me know when you're ready. I'm available any time you want me," Catherine said to him.

  "Thank you again for coming out to Switzerland, Catherine. As I said, I'll let you know." He'd never wanted someone to leave a room so badly in the entirety of his life. And he'd grown up in a house also occupied by Henry Manning and visited far too often by Judith.

  "Until then," Catherine said, finally gliding through the doorway. Aiden let the door shut behind her. He started to turn back to Gwen, paused, and threw the deadbolt into place.

  "So..." Aiden said, turning to his fiancé.

  ***

  Gwen gripped the top of the wingback chair so hard that it hurt her fingers. It wasn't that she needed support standing up. It was more she needed something to channel her feelings through that wasn't even breakable object in the room flying through the air at Aiden's head.

  And the way he acted all innocent didn't help matters. Not at all.

  "Signing papers? Giving the final word?" Gwen said. She tried tempering her righteous feminine fury by reminding herself that she'd been kissing another man not ten minutes earlier. Kissed by another man! Gwen corrected. I wasn't doing any of the kissing.

  The thought did little to temper her temper.

  "Yes, that's all we did," Aiden said. He looked like he wanted to come closer, but didn't think it safe to do so. He was probably right in that assumption. "Catherine is one of my employees."

  "And I've never met her before because...? And also, why were you upstairs, and why were you putting your tie back on when you came down?" She waited for his answer. And it needed to be a good one. A very good one. If she suspected even the hint of a lie...

  "Apparently at dinner some wine got spilled on it. Probably from your mother's acrobatics. Catherine noticed and I went upstairs to grab a fresh one before you could get back and see."

  It did make sense. Wine did sort of fly through the air during that embarrassingly cartoonish episode.

  "Besides, she's gone now. And all we did was sit down here and look over the papers. You saw them. That's all she was here for."

  "But not all she wanted," Gwen said.

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "You don't come to a business meeting dressed like that. And I can tell you she wasn't wearing that dress earlier. And that look she gave you when she left..."

  "What are you talking about?" Aiden said, a red flush creeping up from beneath his shirt collar, "What are you trying to say? What look?"

  "Oh, come on! You can't be that clueless! She wants you. Bad, if I'm any judge."

  "You're wrong," Aiden replied. He leaned up against the wall beside the door and rubbed at his face, breathing between his fingers.

  Gwen felt all her rage and sense of betrayal wash away, replaced instead by this bubbly mix of love and amusement for and over Aiden. He might be handsome and smart and an able businessman, but when it came to women and relationships he had no clue. Catherine could have flirted with him while wearing a bikini and he wouldn't have noticed her interest until she sat on his lap.

  "You really need to pay attention to this sort of thing. Just think of what she said: she's available any time you
want her. She doesn't want to talk about some corporate merger. She wants to know when you're wanting to merge with her. I'll bet you twenty solid American dollars that she wasn't wearing any underwear beneath that excuse for a dress. Well, maybe a thong..."

  "Stop, just stop, please! Oh, God! I'll give you any amount of money you can think of to be quiet," Aiden said, the flush in his face draining away, leaving him pale and shaky. He went over to the full-sized fridge, pulled out a sample-sized whisky, and downed the tiny bottle.

  Now this was turning into fun, Gwen realized. He really had no clue that Catherine wanted him. Her heart swelled up, her love for the handsome oaf increasing.

  "You know, if you want we can call this whole engagement off. Judith will be thrilled. And then you can go be with Catherine. I mean, I think she's probably the most beautiful woman I've seen who wasn't being projected onto a screen. She seriously made me consider lesbianism..."

  "I can't take it anymore, just stop," Aiden said, seriously considering grabbing another expensive, tiny sample liquor bottle.

  "How long have you known her, anyway?"

  "She was a couple years below me back at Harvard."

  "Wow. So she's had a crush on you for that long and you haven't noticed? I think I need to re-evaluate a few things."

  "I just can't believe it..." Aiden said, his shoulders heaving as he leaned against the wall again for support.

  Gwen went in for the kill. "You better. You two would make the most beautiful babies. Know what? I'm going to find out what room she's in and set you guys up. You can get started on the baby making tonight, if you like. I won't mind... Where's the phone, anyway?"

  Before she could continue with her plan to go find the phone, Aiden rushed her. He fell to his knees in front of her, holding both her hands in his. His palms were hot and shaky.

  "Gwen, please believe me when I say I had absolutely no idea..."

  "She's so pretty, Aiden. You seriously never noticed?"

  "She's pretty, I guess. But she has nothing on you. You're the most beautiful woman I know. You're the only one I look at, or want to look at, wherever we go. And the only beautiful babies I want to make are the ones I intend to have with you..." He squeezed her hands tight, making sure he had her full attention, "I love you. Only you. And I'll never love anyone else. Do you understand?"

  Gwen sniffled, her eyes stinging. She felt wetness on her cheeks as she sank to her knees in front of Aiden and looked into his eyes. "Of course I understand, you handsome oaf. My handsome oaf."

  "Always," he replied.

  "Were you serious about that last part? The babies? You want to have babies with me?" Gwen said. There was something about when the man you loved and who intended to spend the rest of their life with you told you he wanted to have children with you that sent her body quivering with desire to start on the process right away.

  "Yes. Are we finished fighting yet? The floor is actually pretty hard against my knees."

  "Mine too," Gwen said between sniffles. Her knees did hurt. When Aiden stood, he helped her up.

  "So," Aiden said, draping an arm over her shoulder, "Did you have a good night? Work things out?"

  Her breath caught in her throat, remembering all that flirting with Ben and that kiss he stole from her. She knew she should tell him, but it would ruin this moment they were having. She didn't want to fight or yell anymore.

  "Yeah, I worked a few things out." She didn't say anymore. She wouldn't say any more.

  And she'd definitely not let anything else happen between herself and Ben Somersby.

  Chapter 13

  A night of sleep did wonders for Gwen. Waking up next to Aiden in the morning, his arm draped over her. Several hours of unconsciousness acting as a buffer between the many events of the previous day and the start of the new one.

  All that left Gwen mostly on the positive side as she swung her legs off the bed, stood, and stretched.

  "Sleep well?" Aiden asked, stirring.

  "I think so," she replied. Looking at him, she instantly recalled all of his efforts to win her back and she smiled.

  However, her reminiscing didn't stop there. When she remembered what she and Ben had done, her smile crumbled. Why couldn't that bit have been part of a nightmare?

  Aiden stretched as well, and then lowered himself to the floor to do a morning set of pushups. Normally, Gwen liked to watch the show. All those muscles rippling in his back, the way his arms shot him up and down so fast like a pair of pistons. It was usually enough to make her want to go back to bed. For a while at least.

  That usually happened after a bit of playful teasing about the absurdity of doing pushups the moment you rolled out of bed.

  This morning, however, the only feeling the sight aroused in Gwen was guilt.

  "Are you sure? You seem a little bit off, somehow," Aiden said as he launched himself to his feet. His naked torso flushed with the results of his recent physical exertions.

  "Fine, just fine," Gwen said.

  "If you say so. Would you like to order room service? I'm thinking maybe a day in, just the two of us. We don't even have to get dressed if you don't like."

  "That does sound nice..."

  "But? I can feel a but here," he rubbed at his eyes and then grimaced, "I really just said that, didn't I? I blame it on not being totally conscious yet. My point still stands, though!"

  A sort of melancholy amusement worked its way up through Gwen's stomach, resulting in a wan smile. "You are adorable. It's just that I'm not really feeling the staying in thing right now."

  "That's fine. I understand," Aiden said. He pulled on a white undershirt. Gwen experienced a twinge of regret at letting him cover up that amazing body of his. The feeling lasted only a few heartbeats.

  She sat down on the bed again, experiencing the urge to set her head down on the pillow and do her best feline impression to pass the day away by sleeping through most of it.

  "Are you sure you're okay?" Aiden said, coming over to stand next to her. A tuft of bed head hair sticking out from the side of his head ruined the effect of the concern on his face.

  Gwen sighed and her shoulders sagged. I woke up so nicely and yet I still managed to ruin the day before it even started. Yeah, go me.

  Two conflicting urges lay at the heart of her mood. The first implored her to get it over with and tell him what happened. The second suggested putting it off as long as possible until she found a way to not have to tell him in the first place.

  "It's nothing," she said.

  Aiden didn't give up though. He picked something up from her mood, her expression. "Is this about Catherine, still? Because I thought I did a pretty good job of convincing you that there's nothing between us last night."

  "It's not about her."

  "Because if it is, I'll go fire her right now. Just say the word. I don't think the board will take kindly to that, but they'll just have to deal with it." He said it in a joking tone, but by the cast of his face, she knew that he was also dead serious about it.

  And for just one awful second, Gwen actually considered it. It might distract her from thinking about certain other things, you see. At least for a time.

  However, she knew she wasn't the kind of person to cost someone their job just to try and temporarily elevate her own mood.

  "That's really sweet... in a twisted sort of way. But no. I get the feeling that Catherine's as good at her job as she is hot."

  "She is..." Aiden said.

  "Hah! I knew it! You think she's hot," Gwen jumped in.

  Even with the bedroom still shaded by the curtains, she still so how Aiden's face went white. He began stammering something, trying to rush to his own defense.

  She laughed. It felt good to laugh. The feeling didn't last nearly as long as she wanted it to, though. "Oh, stop that. I believe you. I walked you right into that. Sorry, I couldn't resist."

  The color returned to Aiden's face, and he rubbed at the stubble on his cheeks, making a sandpaper noise. "This is w
hat happens when I delay my morning dose of caffeine... So, let's start again. If you don't want to stay in, that's okay, fine. We'll go out. Just let me know where you want to go. What you want to do. We can go yodeling on the mountainside, if that's your thing."

  "It isn't. And I'm not sure I want to go out, either."

  Aiden threw his hands up into the air and paced away from the bed. "Contradiction, thy name is woman!"

  "You really didn't just say that, did you?"

  "Blame it on the lack of caffeine again. Really though, if you don't want to go out and you don't want to stay in, I'm not certain what's left. Let me know when you do think of something. I'm going to start the coffee before I say anything else that I shouldn't," Aiden said, disappearing down the stairs.

  The rattles and clinks that drifted up to her shortly thereafter confirmed that coffee was his objective.

  Gwen pulled her feet up onto the mattress and then drew her knees tightly against her chest. This at once comforted her and pressed dangerously against her bladder. Contradictory woman indeed, Gwen thought.

  She thought again about the misadventures of the previous day. About Judith's diabolical scheme to get her parents smashed at a five star restaurant. About how said parents fell right into said trap.

  That led to her realizing that if they hadn't gotten drunk, she wouldn't have been mad at Aiden. She wouldn't have stormed from the suite in a huff, wouldn't have ended up at the bar, and finally, Ben wouldn't have kissed her.

  Well, she hoped they were both good and hung over. It was the least they deserved.

  And then she knew what she could do today. She went from the bed to the bathroom, where she showered and got ready for the day. By the time she went downstairs, she was dressed and ready to go.

  Aiden looked up at her from his seat at the little dinette table, a cup of coffee sending curling streamers of steam into the air beside him. He took in her shirt, her jeans, her hair.

  He still wore his briefs and undershirt. And that tuft of hair still stuck out from the side of his head. "Was I supposed to be dressed?" he said, standing up.