Part of the Family

by Cristina Grenier

  But that would mean him travelling to Cali.

  This was insane. Beyond insane. Did he really want the media off his back so badly? Did he want women to stop chasing him through the streets and scrambling to get into his bed? Did he want his mother to stop worrying about his happiness?

  The answer was yes, to all. It had just taken half a bottle of whiskey for him to admit it.

  With a reluctant sigh, Dominic pulled his laptop back over.

  This was, without a doubt, the most ridiculous thing he’d ever done.

  Chapter 4 - The Agreement

  “This is insane. I’m not going.”

  It was the fourth time that Melody had checked on her that morning, and Makayla still hadn’t gotten out of bed. Why should she? This entire thing was Melody’s fault anyway - their drunk shenanigans, her signing up for this site, and now this….this meeting.

  “Yes, you are. Get up, Kayla.” Melody was standing in her doorway, her expression and tone demanding. “It’s not like you’ve signed your life over or anything yet. You’re just meeting the guy.”

  “I don’t want to meet him!” Kayla retorted, glaring at her friend stubbornly. “If you hadn’t told him I was going to, I wouldn’t have to worry about it!”

  This entire affair had gotten completely out of hand. First, there had been the fact that they had even used the damn site in the first place. When Kayla woke up the next morning, she’d barely remembered it - let alone using it to contact anyone. She was on the verge of deleting the damn thing when Melody burst into her room, demanding to know how many suitors she had amassed.

  The number was surprising.

  Though Kayla herself only had to message two men to join the site, more than fifty had messaged her to express an interest. The young woman herself had been horrified, but Melody insisted on going through each and every profile to see if any of them were promising. Kayla hadn’t had enough time to argue with her - she was due for her receptionist job. She’d merely taken off, refusing to think seriously of the issue for the remainder of her day.

  So, of course, when she came home and found out that Melody had actually answered one of them, she’d almost hit the roof. Kayla didn’t know how she could make it any more explicit that she was not interested in hanging out with a strange man for money!

  Since the previous week, when the man had told her - or rather told Melody - that he was coming to visit from New York so they could get to know one another better, Kayla had resolutely refused to even look at his profile, determined to stay as far away from the meeting place as humanly possible.

  Meanwhile, Melody worked on slowly wearing her down.

  Just the previous night, she got Makayla to agree to meet the man, but this morning, she had completely and totally reneged. What was she thinking? She had taken off work for this! She was going to dress up for this! It was almost as if she was thinking of actually going through with it! “Kayla, come on.” When she refused to move from the bed, Melody grabbed her laptop from the dresser - where it had firmly stayed ever since her best friend had betrayed her - and opened it, quickly navigated to the page Makayla insisted she didn’t want to see.

  “Look. Look at him!”

  Kayla squeezed her eyes closed in rebellion. “I won’t!”

  Melody gave an aggrieved sigh. “Jesus Christ, Kayla, you’re so stubborn. Fine, I’ll pick one where he’s not naked.”

  Against her will, the young woman’s eyes popped open in shock. “He’s naked in his profile picture?”

  “Ha!” Melody shoved the laptop into her face in triumph. “Look!”

  She couldn’t avoid it - not this time. The computer screen was barely five inches from the end of her nose.

  She was immediately struck with the intensity of a pair of vibrant green eyes that stared almost challengingly back at her. Dark hair was slicked back from an almost absurdly handsome face with a strong chin and high cheekbones. He wore a deep navy suit over broad shoulders, and Makayla swallowed thickly, immediately looking for something to mar his visage of what seemed like perfection.

  “Just because he’s good-looking doesn’t mean we’ll get along. He could be an asshole.”

  “Yes, a very rich, super tall, incredibly good-looking asshole. Might be worth it if you want Columbia that badly.”

  “Mel!” Makayla turned to look at her friend in shock, but Melody only grinned savagely.

  “Come on Kayla. What’s the harm in meeting him?”

  There could be a lot of harm - including but not limited to her embarrassing the shit out of herself after he’d come all this way. “Melody, this is a bad idea. I can just defer my entry for a year. I’ll figure something out by this time next year and I-”

  “Kayla.” Melody cut her off in a surprisingly calm tone, her expression earnest. “You’ve been waiting your entire life for this. Do you really want to wait another year?”

  No. No, she didn’t.

  Taking a deep breath, Kayla eyed Melody skeptically. “I’m only going to meet him. Nothing says that I’m going through with this.”

  Melody beamed like she’d just told her that her favorite store was having a fifty percent off sale. “Awesome! Now, hurry up! You’re going to be late.”

  Somehow, an hour later, she was seated at a restaurant that she was certain someone had sold their soul to for a reservation. They were supposed to be having brunch, but with the sparkling chandeliers and spotless linen tablecloths, they might have been at a state dinner. Or, at least, she might have. The man she was supposed to be meeting hadn’t arrived yet.

  Kayla did her best not to fidget. She could only hope that she looked alright - she didn’t really own any enticing pieces of clothing, so Melody had lent her a short, black number that didn’t show too much cleavage. She’d done her best to tame her hair into a bun atop her head, and she was even wearing a bit of makeup. Mel had tried to get her to don a full face, but that wasn’t really Kayla’s thing.

  She looked about as appealing as she was going to get - which did absolutely nothing at all to quell her nerves. Honestly, who wouldn’t be nervous about meeting a stranger under the same circumstances she was.

  This entire thing was just…

  Oh Christ.

  He was here.

  In that moment, it took everything Kayla had not to rise and bolt. She clung to the edge of the table as she watched a tall, broad-shouldered figure clad in a tailored suit speak briefly to the hostess. The woman was younger than her, and she seemed rightly flustered at the sight of the man addressing her, but she quickly pointed in Kayla’s direction.

  And then her fate was sealed.

  When the man turned to see her, their eyes locked for the briefest of moments and Kayla’s breath caught. Was it fair that he was even more attractive in person than in his photo? She had hoped that maybe she’d be faced with some balding, bespectacled man twice her age so she could back out almost immediately, but she could have imagined things wouldn’t be so easy.

  As he began towards her, Kayla’s heart leapt into her throat and, for a moment, she swore she stopped breathing. Then, all at once, he was there, standing beside the table - so close that the alluring, spicy scent of his cologne wafted over her; and Kayla, who could have sworn she couldn’t give a wit about sex, felt her thighs clenching unconsciously in response.

  “Makayla Price?” His low tenor thrummed through her - like caramel dripping from a silver fucking spoon.

  If she hadn’t been certain before, Makayla knew now: She was in trouble.

  “Yes.” She was surprised when her voice answered him fairly steadily and she held out her hand to shake his. “You’re Dallas Howard?”

  At the title, the man winced slightly. “I’m sure you’ll forgive my use of an alias. I didn’t want my private life to become public knowledge. Dominic West.” He reached out to enfold her slender hand in his larger one and awareness sizzled up her arm and sent a shiver down her spine.

  A moment before his words sank in ful
ly.

  Dominic West. Dominic West.

  Makayla stared at him for almost a full minute, her hand still enfolded in his as her brain worked rapidly to process what was going on here.

  There wasn’t a person she knew who hadn’t heard of Dominic West - who didn’t have several of his products in their home. The man was a household name - known for building an international, multi-billion dollar company from the ground up when he was only in his early twenties. While no one ever really got a good shot of him in public, his name was a goddamned legend.

  And now she was holding his hand.

  Kayla didn’t have to ask if it was really him. She could tell by the careful expression on the man’s face that he was waiting for a somewhat violent reaction. Makayla, however, wasn’t prone to hysterics. That was Melody’s job.

  But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t now intimidated on an entirely different level. “I...pleased to meet you.” She finally managed in a small voice, trying to keep from collapsing into her chair. The moment West released her hand, she took a steadying breath before sitting down with as much propriety as she could muster.

  No sooner had she taken her seat than West was summoning the waitress. When she arrived at their table, he began speaking with her about the menu. In French. Makayla watched, rendered utterly speechless and trying (in vain) to keep the arousal from snaking its wicked tendrils into her belly.

  Since her first encounter with sex, she had never thought she would be a sexual person. Sex was a pastime that people who had nothing better to do enjoyed - and she had plenty she planned to do with her life.

  But, she would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that it was obvious why Melody had chosen this guy.

  “Do you prefer beef or lamb?” When he spoke to her in English, she all but jumped, torn from her silent assessment.

  “Um...lamb, please.” He nodded curtly, as if approving of her choice, before finishing his conversation with the waitress. When the woman had moved off, he turned his attentions back to her, and Kayla could feel her cheeks burning.

  “So...I suppose there’s no going around the matter delicately: we’re here because you need something, and because I want something.”

  Jesus, how did he make it sound so erotic? “Well, yes, I suppose. I...I want to go to Columbia.”

  “And what field do you plan on working in?” He replied, pouring them each water from the bottle of Perrier the waitress brought.

  “Cardiology.” She replied almost immediately. She’d known as much when she took biology in high school - when one of her favorite teachers had suffered from problems and she knew she wanted to learn more about helping him and people like him. “I’ve known since I was seventeen.”

  “And you’ve always wanted to be a doctor?” He inquired, arching a dark brow as he gazed at her in a way that made her feel as if he could see right through her.

  “For as long as I can remember.” Her answer was sure - it was one she was used to telling people whenever they asked. “Have you always known you wanted to change the world with high quality products?”

  Her question visibly surprised him and the corner of his full mouth turned up in amusement. “Not on such a grand scale, but some part of me had hoped.”

  “Must have been a really big part,” she agreed quietly, taking a sip of her water as she cast her eyes down towards the tablecloth. It was hard to look at him - when she did, her stomach started doing somersaults that she was sure wouldn’t work well with food.

  “Why did you sign up for the site, Makayla?” His question caught her completely off guard. If there was one thing she thought was expressly understood, it was why they had both signed up.

  “I...well, I can’t afford Columbia.” She answered as honestly as she could. “I don’t have many options and I thought that this might be a...interesting way to meet a sponsor.”

  “And it never crossed your mind that you’d be selling your body for your tuition?” His almost casual comment was enough to make her cheeks flush scarlet as the young woman’s eyes widened.

  “I specifically said in my application that I am not open to anything sexual!” She might as well have trumpeted that detail for the entire restaurant to hear. Several people did, in fact, look around to see who had raised their voice, which only embarrassed her more.

  Dominic, however, didn’t seem to be surprised by her little outburst. “So I read,” he acknowledged her preferences with a slight inclination of his head before continuing. “But I might point out that even if things remain purely platonic, the agreement between us would stipulate your body - that is, your presence at my side - for a wide array of social functions. You would be required to live with me and to sleep in the same bedroom.”

  Kayla’s mouth dropped open in shock. What the hell? “Why?” She didn’t see why they needed to sleep together if they weren’t going to be doing...that.

  Dominic’s green eyes gleamed with an emotion she could only guess was impatience. “You want money to attend Columbia and live in New York City, which I can provide without question. I need a woman who can, for all intents and purposes, pose as my significant other, deter media and other interference and convince my mother that I am happy and well.”

  Wait, convince his mother? He was asking her to lie? This wasn’t just about being some pretty piece on his arm - he wanted her to pretend to be his fucking live-in girlfriend. Things had just gotten very real very quickly.

  “That’s...that’s asking a lot.” She finally managed, hoping she didn’t look half as shocked as she felt. Somehow, she didn’t think even Melody would have seen this coming.

  “Is it? I feel it’s only the bare minimum, considering how much I’d be compensating you.”

  “Compensating me?” Kayla hissed, now acutely aware of how loud she could be when she was affronted. “I just want tuition for school!”

  “Columbia Medical School tuition clocks in at about fifty thousand a year,” Dominic ticked off her additional needs on his fingers, one by one, “You’ll need money for transportation and for day to day expenses. For any functions you might need to attend or trips to further your education. Atop that, I’d be paying all your expenses when you travel with me, and for any events we might attend together.”

  Makayla felt a little lightheaded. “For that, I believe that your company and your secrecy are a small price to pay; or don’t you agree?”

  She had no idea what to say. Was she supposed to disagree? Her intention hadn’t been to rob the man blind, but now he was talking about incorporating her into what she suspected was already a lavish lifestyle just because she wanted to go to school in the city. Truth be told, Kayla didn’t know if she could handle all that - no matter how hot the guy was.

  Kayla took another deep breath, trying to steady herself, before she came up with a suitable reply. “Look, Mr. West...I’m not out for your money. I’m not used to living a lavish lifestyle, I don’t have any requirements...I’m not going to be high maintenance. That’s just not the type of person I am.” She toyed with a few loose curls that had fallen around her face. “Maybe...maybe you should look for someone else? Someone more suited to that kind of...thing?”

  She knew she sounded like an idiot. He had come all the way across the country to meet her and now she was backing down. But, Kayla didn’t know what else to do. The mold he was talking about - she couldn’t possibly fit into it. Biting her lip, she stared resolutely into her lap, wondering if his anger would be enough to tip her over the edge or her own embarrassment would get her there. Either way, she was sure it was going to take her a long time to recover from this little mishap.

  “I disagree, Makayla.” Her head jerked up as she gazed at him in surprise.

  He was smiling. Not angry, but smiling - and dear God, what a smile it was. All perfect teeth and arrogant class. “It’s because you don’t want my money that I think you would be perfect for this position.” His eyes swept over her from head to foot and she was all at once
acutely aware that only a three foot wide table separated them. “And it doesn’t hurt that you’re twice as lovely in person as in your pictures.”

  “Thank you.” She managed, her voice barely above a whisper. This conversation wasn’t going at all the way she’d pictured it would and, in all honestly, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. “You’re...um...you’re pretty attractive yourself.”

  Probably the least suave thing she’d ever said in her life.

  Dominic, far from scowling, only laughed - a deep, rich chuckle that made her toes curl. “I’m glad you think so, Makayla. But I might remind you that we’re not going to be sleeping together.”

  Her cheeks pinkened at his words.

  She hadn’t been thinking about sleeping with him!....Had she? Makayla was pretty certain it was hard for any woman in her right mind to keep from thinking about it when they were around a man like Dominic.

  “With that in mind, I’ll draw up the papers this evening.”

  Makayla almost choked on her water. “Papers?”

  “Of course. I’m a businessman, Makayla - everything has to be done in writing.” Dominic smirked. “Incorporating your needs and mine, as well as our boundaries, I’ll draw up a contract and have it sent over to you tonight. Assuming you accept, I can have you in New York by the time the semester starts at Columbia in three weeks.”

  Three weeks. Three weeks?

  Though Kayla had known the semester was starting soon, her plans had never gotten this far. She hadn’t thought she would actually take West up on his offer. Or that she’d even make it through this lunch without embarrassing herself completely! And yet, here she was - facing the prospect of an actual proposal from the man before they’d even eaten.

  “I…” She managed, unable to tear her eyes from his intense, piercing gaze. “I don’t know if-”

  “It’s a simple answer, Makayla: Yes or no? How badly do you want this?”

  Her mouth snapped shut.