by Parker, Ali
I looked at her and smiled. “But I want to.”
“I don’t want you to.”
I was enjoying our little game of tug-of-war and decided to poke her a bit more. It was fun to tease her.
“I like it. And, if anything, I’m your boss. Don’t you have to accept the gifts I give you?”
Her mouth formed a little O. “No, absolutely not. That’s harassment I’m sure.”
“But you’re my fiancée,” I reminded her.
“Grayson, please stop. You’re only being difficult to irritate me,” she said with exasperation in her voice.
I smiled. “Maybe.”
“Well don’t. Whatever this is between us, it’s strictly professional.”
I let my eyes roam over her body. “Are you sure about that? It didn’t feel very professional last weekend.”
She gasped again. “Stop!”
I burst into laughter. I couldn’t help myself. I knew damn well she was no innocent virgin. Why she was pretending to be so shocked was beyond me?
“Hannah, I think we’re going to have a lot of fun together.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what your idea of fun is, but I don’t think I agree.”
“You sure about that? You can’t tell me you didn’t have a little fun. I know you did. I felt how much fun you had,” I said in a husky voice, taking her back to that night when I had made her come several times.
She closed her eyes, inhaling air through her nose. “Stop.”
“Come on. Don’t you want to do that again? I do. I don’t live far. We can go back to my place,” I whispered.
“I have to go.”
I burst into laughter as she walked to the sidewalk, her hand waving in the air. She got a cab fairly quickly and was speeding away before I knew it. She never looked back. Clearly, she was not happy with me. For some crazy reason, that gave me a great deal of pleasure. She was a challenging woman. I was going to have a hard time keeping her under control. I was going to enjoy asserting my authority in the boardroom as well as the bedroom—assuming she let me take her to bed again.
I shouldn’t even be thinking that way, but I was. I needed to keep my heart in check. I could feel myself caring a little too much about her and what she was thinking and feeling. I couldn’t afford to let myself get involved with a woman—especially her. There was something about her that was drawing me in far more than I cared to admit. I could practically see caution lights flashing around her, telling me to stay back.
Would I actually listen?
Chapter 16
Hannah
There was something about wearing an engagement ring that was exciting, even if the engagement was nothing more than a business deal. I couldn’t stop looking at the ring on the ride into work. I was Grayson Bancroft’s fiancée. Even if it wasn’t the real thing and we weren’t going to have a happily ever after, I couldn’t help but be a little excited over the dream of it. It was a little like a Cinderella fantasy, except I wasn’t exactly poverty-stricken, and my prince was kind of a jerk. It was the concept of being treated like a princess.
I had my own money, but not nearly as much as Grayson, and I was not nearly as comfortable with spending money on large, unnecessary purchases. It was a ring, not a good pair of Jimmy Choos or something like that. I did love the ring. Deep inside that man’s very cold, ruthless heart, I had a feeling there was a heart of gold.
Every once in a while, I caught a glimpse of that one side of him he tucked away. I got to see it on Saturday, briefly, but I saw it. Something had made him into the hard soul he was today. Something or someone had caused him to hide away his heart and erect steel walls around himself to keep everyone out.
I wondered if there was even a slim chance of me being the woman who tore down those walls. I knew it was probably very unlikely, but I couldn’t help but want to try. I wanted to know what it was like to be his real fiancée. To be loved by him. I pushed the thought out of my head. I was not that kind of a woman. I wasn’t the woman the men fell head over heels in love with. Hell, I couldn’t even get them to call me back after a second date. The men I had dated didn’t like my assertiveness or my success. They wanted me to be some soft mealy-mouthed little creature and that was not my style.
Grayson didn’t seem to mind my personality a bit. Maybe that was because he was so dominant he didn’t even notice my own strong-willed nature. I smiled at the sparring we always seemed to do whenever we were together.
“Should I drive around to the backside?” the driver asked, snapping me out of my daydream.
“What?” I asked.
He pointed out the window to the group of reporters holding huge cameras and standing in front of my flagship store.
“Should I go around?” he asked again.
My eyes bulged. “Uh, no, this is fine. I don’t think they’re here for me,” I mumbled.
He stopped the car and then I climbed out only to find they were most definitely there for me.
“Miss Adams, how long have you been dating?”
“When’s the wedding?”
“Can we see the ring?”
The questions were shouted as I stood there, my mouth hanging open like a total fool. “What?” I murmured.
“Your engagement to Grayson Bancroft. Were you surprised? Can we get a picture of the ring?”
I immediately tucked my hand behind my purse and pushed my way inside the store where Amber was waiting for me. She quickly locked the doors behind me.
“What the hell was that?” I growled as I strode through the still-dark store toward the elevator that would take me upstairs.
“That was—you didn’t tell me you were engaged!” she squealed.
I stopped walking and turned to look out the huge glass windows of my storefront. The reporters had their cameras pressed against the windows, taking pictures of Amber and me as we talked.
“Not here.”
I got on the elevator with her beside me. The second the doors closed, she pounced. “You didn’t tell me you were going to do it.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “It all happened so fast. How did the media find out?” I asked in somewhat of a daze, the flashing bulbs had left me seeing stars in front of my eyes.
“I don’t know, but I heard about it on the local radio station this morning while I was getting ready. I hightailed it over here. You’re famous.”
I shook my head, the elevator stopped, and we stepped out. It was still early with only a couple of people in their offices. I could feel the eyes on me as we walked toward my office. Once inside, I closed the door, blocking out the looks and the whispers happening all around me.
“I can’t believe this is happening. Why do people care?” I mumbled, taking my seat behind my desk.
“Uh, duh, he’s only the most eligible bachelor in New York, hell, probably the country. It isn’t often you find gorgeous and filthy rich in the same package. Most ladies know they’ll have to marry some big geek or a really old dude to get a rich guy. Grayson is the total package. You have to admit he is hot.”
I grinned. “He is an attractive man.”
“Attractive. That isn’t the right word. Hot. Steamy. Devastatingly gorgeous. Even those words don’t quite come close enough to describing how good-looking he is. It’s the way he moves, the way he looks at everyone and absolutely that deep voice that is smooth as silk,” she said in a wistful tone.
“Dang, you really have a thing for him,” I teased.
“You’ve broken a lot of hearts and stirred up a lot of attention. I think you need to be ready to handle that kind of a mob from here on out or at least until something big happens,” she said with a smile.
I shook my head. “No way. I can’t deal with that. I can’t have people following me and doing that to me. They’re going to hound me!”
Amber shrugged a shoulder. “Grayson isn’t a low-profile guy. Plus, the fact he’s never had a serious girlfriend for them to write about makes you a unicorn.”
>
My eyebrows shot up. “A unicorn?”
She smiled and nodded. “You’re the woman who snared the man who could not be snared. They want to know all about you. They want to know why you’re special enough to capture his attention. Is it your looks? Your personality? The way you dress? Inquiring minds want to know. The women out there want to know what they were doing wrong, so they can snare the next hunky rich guy.”
I groaned. “If they only knew. I didn’t snare the man. I screwed my company up so badly that I had to sell myself to the devil to keep control. I don’t think people would find that story nearly as romantic.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t think you’re going to be telling anyone that, and we know he isn’t.”
“How weird is it going to be when this is over? I’m going to be painted as the victim or the bitch who broke the billionaire’s heart. I cannot believe I let myself get into this. There’s still time to back out. I think I’ll call him, then hand him the keys to the front door and walk away. I don’t think I can go through with this.”
She was shaking her head. “Uh-uh, no way. You love this company. This company is your baby and there is no way you are walking away from this.”
“Amber, I’m going to be completely honest with you.”
“What?”
I took a deep breath. “I’m not a good actress. I don’t fake anything very well at all. I see it, I say it. Grayson is a man who gets to me. I can’t shake him, and we haven’t even started the fake engagement thing—not in earnest.”
She was nodding her head. “Okay, and?”
“And, I have a feeling if I have to fake it with him, you know, going on dates, spending time together, and appearing happy for the cameras, it’s going to get confusing.”
She shrugged. “It’s fake. You’re acting a part. Nothing more.”
“I don’t think so. There’s something about him. I can’t separate feelings like that. If I try and master this charade, I’m going to end up very hurt. I’m always so unlucky in love. I’m going to end up getting my heart shattered into a million pieces,” I confessed.
She shook her head. “No, this isn’t love. This is you loving your company enough to sacrifice some of your time. Don’t let your heart get involved.”
“I can’t help it. It’s already involved.”
“Well close that bitch up. She needs to stay out. You need to keep your head on straight. You can’t let yourself fall in love with him … because you’re right. You will end up getting hurt, and I don’t want to see that,” she lectured.
“I know you’re right, but you’re not the one being touched and kissed by him. You’re not the one on the receiving end of his fake affections,” I argued.
She laughed. “I would trade places with you in a minute. That man is gorgeous. I will happily accept some of his kisses, and other parts of him are more than welcome to touch me,” she said with a wink.
I immediately felt jealous. “No!”
She burst into laughter. “You’re jealous.”
“Well, he is my fiancé.”
“No, he isn’t. You need to pull back. Protect your little heart, Hannah.”
I took a deep breath. I knew she was right, but I had a feeling it was too late. He’d already gotten to my heart and every minute I spent time with him, the condition worsened. I knew what I had to do. I had to stop spending time with him. No more kisses or little touches here and there. Absolutely no more of those hot little looks and the dangerous innuendos.
I was throwing an icy cold blanket around my heart to help stave off the man’s invasion. He was bad news. I didn’t want to be dealing with a broken heart, especially considering he was my boss. I had to be able to see him in meetings and not bawl my eyes out over the lost love, even if it was only one-sided.
“You’re right. It’s over.”
She smiled. “Good. Now let me check out that ring.”
I held out my hand, listening to her ooh and aah over the stupid thing. It wasn’t like it was a real engagement ring. It was just a piece of jewelry.
“I better get to work,” I said on a long sigh, expecting it to be a hectic day.
“Me too. I’ll make sure security knows no one is to get up here unless they actually work here.”
“Thank you.”
She stood and stopped at the door. “It’s going to be okay, Hannah. You’re doing what’s best for you and your future. This will all die down and your life will go back to normal. It’ll be a rough ride, but you’re going to be okay. You’ve always got me.”
I smiled. “Thank you. You are my ride or die.”
She burst into laughter. “I’ll happily ride, but I’d prefer to skip the die part if you don’t mind.”
I giggled as she walked out and shut my office door. I placed my hand flat on my desk, staring at the flashy ring. I dreaded the coming days. I was a private person. I didn’t want people trying to take pictures of my hand. I felt like the ring was something for him and me. Even if we didn’t have a romantic story to go with the ring, it was still our story. It gave me a little glimpse into who the man was and that I wanted to keep all for myself.
I sighed, wondering if he was being followed and hounded as well. I hoped he was. He deserved it. He was the one who started this whole mess in the first place.
Chapter 17
Grayson
The media was a royal pain in my ass, but it was a necessary evil to make sure my family knew I was one step closer to producing the first heir and securing my seat at the head of Bancroft Estate. I was the rightful heir and I would do whatever it took to keep my spot.
I had my secretary declining all calls and referring them to the public relations department. I was a little surprised by the amount of interest. I hadn’t quite expected it to be that interesting to the general public. I had tried to call Hannah earlier to make sure she was handling things okay on her end, but she wasn’t taking my calls. I smiled thinking of her being mad at me—again. She was always pissed at me for one reason or another.
“Mr. Bancroft?” my secretary buzzed.
“Yes?”
“You have a visitor.”
“I’m busy.”
The door swung open, surprising me. I looked up to find my mother staring me down as she strode toward me. She was not happy. I knew that look. A woman who raised six rowdy boys was not the type to be told no.
“Mom?” I blurted out.
“Grayson,” she said in a tight voice, slamming the door behind her.
“What are you doing here?”
She held up a newspaper before smacking it down on my desk, then sat in the chair across from me. I read the headline about the Bancroft billionaire’s whirlwind romance and engagement and grimaced. I was in trouble.
“What’s this?” she asked, knowing exactly what it was.
It was the same approach she had used when we were kids and she caught us in the act of doing something. She always asked the question, giving us a chance to explain ourselves and confess before she doled out her punishment.
“Uh, I’m engaged,” I offered in a weak voice.
She nodded. “I see that. Imagine my surprise when I read about my oldest son engaged to be married to a woman I’ve never met or even heard about.”
“It happened fast,” I blurted out.
“Well, I would say so. I didn’t know you were dating anyone. In fact, I think I asked you two weeks ago if you were seeing anyone special and you told me no.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I wasn’t sure where the relationship was going. I didn’t want to say anything in case it ended up being nothing. I’m sorry, Mom. I should have told you. I didn’t want to disappoint you if it didn’t work out.”
She eyed me carefully. I knew she was struggling to believe me. “I would never be disappointed over something like that. I know you’re not an easy man to love and you don’t exactly open yourself up to anyone.”
I bit back a retort. “I wanted to make sure she’s
the one.”
“I’d like to meet her.”
I nodded. “Soon. I’ll arrange for you two to meet very soon.”
“I’d like you to bring her to dinner, tomorrow night.”
I gulped. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Okay, I’ll see if she’s available,” I mumbled, knowing there was no way I could tell my mother no.
“When are the kids coming?” she blurted out.
“Mom!”
“Oh please, I know that’s on the agenda. Don’t act innocent.”
I was not going to get into the specifics of my child-rearing with my mother. “Mom, I do have to get to work. I have a meeting in a few minutes.”
She stood up from her chair. “Fine, I get it, you’re sending me on my way. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
I got up from my chair and walked around the desk to give her a quick hug. “I’ll be there.”
“Your brothers will be there as well. Your family is very interested to meet the woman who finally managed to capture your heart. This should be interesting,” she said with a smile as she strolled out of my office.
I sat down and put my head in my hands and groaned. I wasn’t expecting things to happen so fast. Somewhere, in the back of my mind I had hoped I could have a quiet engagement without everyone in the world knowing. It was going to be messy and difficult when things had to end once I secured my inheritance.
I thought about the pomp and circumstance my mother would demand. She’d insist on throwing an engagement party and introducing Hannah to everyone in our social circle. She was going to have to smile and nod and tell happy stories about our time together, even if it was all a lie. Hannah was not going to be happy. Somehow, that gave me a little bit of satisfaction. I was going to enjoying poking my prickly fiancée.
I grabbed my phone and called her cell, not wanting to go through the office channels. When she answered, I could tell by the strain in her voice she knew it was me. I chuckled softly, earning a growl from her.