by Holt, Layla
“Okay, I’ll do it!”
A grin spread across Jaime’s face. “Really?”
Ariana nodded as joy exploded inside her. She’d been dreading having to say goodbye to Jaime and now she didn’t have to. Not for the next month anyway. Suddenly, the prospect of spending the holidays in Asencia became very exciting.
“Yes, and I can’t wait for you to meet everyone!” she said.
“Tell me about your family,” Jaime said.
Ariana bit her lower lip. This was the time to tell him who she was. To give him a chance to back off, if he wanted.
“You told me that your brother has a family. Two daughters?” Jaime prompted and the moment was gone.
“Yes,” Ariana said. “You’ll love them. They’re the sweetest girls you ever saw. I’m trying to convince Sala, my sister-in-law, and my brother, to have two more babies.” She let out a laugh.
“Aren’t you running the risk of one of them pointing out that it’s time you got your own?” Jaime said.
“They see me as the last born still. It hasn’t yet crossed their minds that I too should be procreating,” she said. “Well, except for my mother, that is.”
“I can’t wait to meet them all,” Jaime said, sounding genuinely excited.
A thought crossed her mind and the excitement of the moment disappeared like a candle whose light had been snuffed out by a sudden gust of wind. “Your mother is never going to believe that we’re engaged!”
He smiled lazily. “Oh, she will. I have quite a reputation for doing as I please.”
His words sounded like a warning. A loud warning. She was going to have to be very careful with Jaime Cohan. He probably did not know what the word commitment meant.
“Shall we tell my family on Sunday?” Jaime said.
She nodded. She’d already committed herself and couldn’t back out now, but the thought of what she had agreed to was beginning to weigh heavily on her. Suddenly she couldn’t wait to leave and be alone to think it over without Jaime and his masculinity there to distract her.
“Okay,” she said, already dreading facing Mrs. Cohan and the rest of the family. She fidgeted in her chair.
“Time to go?” Jaime said, surprising her at how attuned he was to her moods.
“Yes please,” Ariana said.
They stood up and left the café.
“We have one more stop before we leave,” Jaime said. “The candy store.”
“I can’t believe I forgot about that,” Ariana said. “That’s the one thing I was looking forward to.”
“And there I was thinking that it’s me you were looking forward to seeing today,” Jaime said easily.
He was charming all right. He could make her forget that what they had agreed to was a fake engagement. She could easily mistake it for the real thing.
“If you were my real fiancée,” Jaime said, “I would know what kind of engagement ring you preferred. As it is, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask.”
“Whatever you want,” Ariana said. “I don’t have a particular type. Don’t break the bank for me. It’s just for show, isn’t it?”
He looked at her funnily, before they entered the candy store. Caroline! That was her name. Ariana remembered her as one of the employees profiled on the Candin Inc social media pages. She was in the midst of putting on her coat when they walked in.
“Lucky!” she said. “I was about to close.” She shrugged out of her coat.
“Hey, this is Ariana,” Jaime said. “Ariana, this is—”
“Caroline!” Ariana said. “I saw you on the social media pages of Candin Inc.”
The other woman laughed.
“I hope the fame is not getting into your head,” Jaime said. “Changing you into someone we won’t recognize.”
Caroline laughed even harder, until tears flowed down her cheeks. “Can you imagine that at my age? Still, it’s nice to be recognized.”
Jaime turned to her. “Ready to place your order?”
“I don’t know where to start,” Ariana said, greedily taking in the sight of all her favorite chocolate bars displayed in the store.
“How about I pack for you several of each?” Carol asked.
“Yes, please.”
Ten minutes later, Jaime walked her to the parking lot. He took her hand. It felt natural and right to have her hand enclosed in his big one.
“We have to practice acting like a couple,” Jaime said. “But I also like touching you.”
“You’re a flirt, Jaime Cohan,” Ariana said. Jaime had a way about him that made her relax. He made her take things a little less seriously.
“I’m not flirting. I mean it.”
She ignored his serious tone. She preferred to think of what they were doing as a game. She couldn’t handle anything more than that.
Jaime did not let go of her hand when they reached the car. Instead, he slid his hands around her waist, molding her body to his. Every nerve ending in her body hummed and when she raised her gaze to his, her heart stopped at the passion reflected in his eyes.
Time stopped as his gaze dropped to her lips.
Before she could react, Jaime brushed his lips against hers. Instinctively, her hands went to his wide shoulders. She parted her lips, taking the kiss to another level. He tasted of coffee and a new, totally Jaime taste that invaded all her senses.
Heat sizzled over her skin as he deepened the kiss and tightened his hold against her. Jaime was big and strong and being in his arms made Ariana feel safe, as if nothing could ever hurt her again.
She moaned into his mouth as a surge of desire took hold of her. She forgot everything except how good the kiss felt. Jaime bit her lower lip softly, jolting her back to the present.
What was she doing? Kissing Jaime wasn’t part of the deal. She pulled away.
A flush of embarrassment crept across her face. She couldn’t look at him. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
Jaime cupped her right cheek. “Hey, relax, it’s just a kiss. Not a big deal.”
His words played over and over in her mind as she drove home. A kiss was not a big deal? Their differences were beginning to show. Where she came from, a kiss was a very big deal. It implied commitment. A relationship.
What had she gotten herself into? Ariana felt as though she was playing a big people’s game whose rules she was not familiar with. What she needed to do was set her own rules. That was the only way this fake engagement was going to work.
Chapter Five
Jaime touched the jewelry box in the pocket of his jacket. His weekend uniform was a t-shirt and a pair of shorts but he figured that giving a woman an engagement ring called for a more formal attire.
As he descended the stairs, he was met by the delicious scents of food emanating from the kitchen. He followed the aroma of food to the kitchen, greeted the kitchen staff and stepped out to the back terrace.
“You look smart, Jamie,” his mother said from the table.
His father lowered the newspaper he was reading to look at him. “What’s the occasion?”
Living in the same house meant that he’d seen them multiple times throughout the morning. He grabbed a chair, turned it around and saddled it. He rested his arms on the back of it and faced his parents.
“I’ve got some news and I hope you’ll be happy for me,” he said. A wary look came over his mother’s features. Had he made that many worrying announcements in the past that he had conditioned her to worry?
“What is it son?” his father said.
He smiled. “I’m going to propose to this wonderful woman today.” He fished out the small red jewelry box, opened it and flashed them the ring.
His mother’s jaw dropped and his father carefully placed the newspaper on the table. They ignored the ring.
“How can you propose to a girlfriend that you don’t have,” his mother pointed out.
“But I do. It was love at first sight.” Jaime suspected that his statement was not that farfetched. Ariana was the kind
of woman that a man fell in love with at first sight.
She was the rare kind of woman that inspired poets and singers crooned about. Exquisite looks, sense of humor, easy to be with...she was the whole package. When he was with her, he became Jaime again, rather than the half man he’d become since Afghanistan.
Since meeting her, he’d not had a single episode. He knew it would come back but, in the meantime, he was enjoying feeling like a normal person again.
His mother narrowed his eyes. “Please don’t tell me you’re talking about Ariana?”
“Who is Ariana?” his father boomed.
“She’s this girl that mother hooked me up with. I owe you everything mother. Ariana is perfect.”
“The only thing you owe me is to be careful with Ariana. She’s sweet and naïve and I’d like her to remain that way,” his mother snapped.
Jaime adopted a hurt expression. Hs mother had a right to worry but not in this case. He would never do anything to hurt Ariana. She had come into his life unexpectedly and, somehow, they’d just clicked, like two pieces of a puzzle.
They would help each other get through the holidays and, afterwards, they would go their separate ways.
“Are you serious about proposing to her?” his mother asked.
He nodded and showed her the ring again.
She looked conflicted, as if she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to say what was on her mind. “You’re going to make a fool of yourself son. How can you propose to someone you just met?”
“I’m sure Jaime is not the first person to propose to a woman that quickly,” his father said.
Jaime stared at his father, surprised by the support. They rarely agreed on anything.
“It’s not just that,” his mother said, looking uncomfortable. “Has she told you anything about herself, where she’s from?”
“Yes, I know she’s from Asencia. That’s another thing I wanted to tell you about. I’m accompanying her home for the holidays,” Jaime said.
“There’s nothing else that she told you?” his mother said.
Jaime was growing impatient. “If there’s something you want to tell me, just spit it out mother.”
She cleared her throat. “Ariana doesn’t know that I know this but Lillian, her host, is a good friend of mine.”
“And?” Jaime prompted. What could be so bad about Ariana that his mother thought he ought to know? What mattered about a person was their personality and character. Everything about Ariana had impressed him so far.
There was nothing that his mother could tell him about her that would make him have second thoughts about going ahead with the fake engagement.
“King Ramona and Queen Christie of Asencia have two children. A son, Crown Prince Daxton and a daughter, Princess Ariana of Asencia, as she is known.”
It took a few seconds for Jaime’s brain to register what his mother had just said. He felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. His jaw dropped to the floor. Ariana? A Princess?
“She never told me,” Jaime said.
“So you see, she would never agree to a rushed marriage proposal,” his mother said.
Jaime got up. “I’ll see you soon for lunch.” He left the house, deeply in thought.
It all made sense now. The hesitation when talking about her brother. The regal aura about her. The reluctance to talk about her family. He went to his car and turned the ignition key, his actions automatic. What next?
Ariana being royalty changed everything for Jaime. She was not a regular woman and a fake engagement would not be a fun, casual thing. She was a Princess for crying out loud! Jaime let out a groan of frustration.
His plan, which had been so perfect, suddenly lost all its appeal. He’d imagined roaming the streets of Asencia with Ariana, having fun eating lunch in nondescript cafes, walking the beaches of the coastal towns, losing himself in another culture.
Of all things, Ariana had to be a Princess. Her life in Asencia was structured and without privacy. She must have laughed at his reluctance to be featured on a social media page when, as her fiancé, his face would be splashed in newspapers all over the world.
How did she figure they would get away with being fake engaged for a month and then go back to their own lives? Becoming Ariana’s fake fiancé meant forgoing his privacy for the next couple of years. As drawn to her as he was, there was no way he was exchanging his privacy to be Ariana’s fake fiancé.
There wasn’t anything in it for him. Dealing with his mother pestering him about dating was child’s play compared with fake engaging a Princess.
“THERE’S SO MUCH TO do,” her mother said over the phone, completely flustered. “We have to make an announcement. What did you say his full name is?”
“Jaime Cohan,” Ariana said, still unsure on whether she had done the right thing in telling her mother about the engagement. She planned on telling Jaime who she was before they went to his parents’ home for lunch.
“Oh Ariana, I can’t believe you never told me you were dating someone,” her mother said. “I’m surprised but happy. You’ll come back home in triumph.”
Ariana’s heart skipped a beat. That there was the one reason she had agreed to Jaime’s crazy proposal. She would return home with her head held high, unlike the manner in which she had left, in a cloud of humiliation.
“Okay, I have to go, there’s a lot to do,” her mother said. “Ariana, I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you, mother.” Guilt flooded Ariana. She had just lied to her mother that she was engaged. It was one thing to say yes to Jaime but telling her mother had made it so real. So frightening.
When Ariana disconnected the call, her palms were wet with sweat. What had she done? She glanced at the time. Quarter to one. Jaime would pick her up soon. She grabbed her purse and headed downstairs.
She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. What if Jaime broke off their engagement after she told him who she was? She grinded to a halt at the bottom of the stairs.
She shouldn’t have told her mom about the engagement before telling Jaime who she was. It was a stupid thing to do but she’d been so excited. Soon everyone would know.
As it was, the Press Secretary was probably working on the press release. What if Jaime cancelled their engagement? A sheen of sweat broke out on her face. She would be humiliated a second time! What had made her tell her mother about the engagement prematurely?
Her mother had said something about Kyan and Evalla, and to prove to her that she had moved on, Ariana had blurted out tht she was engaged. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
She opened the front door and stepped out at the same time as Jaime’s car pulled in. When it stopped, she made for the passenger side, more nervous than she had ever been in her life.
Ariana knew that something was wrong as soon as she entered the car. Jaime was not smiling, and he refused to meet her gaze. “Hi.”
He turned to her then, his expression unreadable. “Hi Princess Ariana.”
Ariana gasped. She couldn’t think of anything to say. Her brain had turned to mush. She stared at the windscreen of the car.
“When were you going to tell me Ariana? At the airport when the Royal security detail surrounded us?” Jaime said, his voice bitter.
“I was going to tell you just now,” Ariana said softly.
“How convenient,” Jaime said.
He killed the engine and they sat without speaking for the next few minutes. Sick with fear that he would break their fake engagement, she sat with her hands fisted on her lap.
“I can’t do it,” Jaime said, confirming her worst fears.
She stifled a sob. She should have known that it wouldn’t work whether she’d told him before or not. Unlike popular belief, very few people wanted a personal association with people in the public eye, like herself.
Ariana had been in denial. She should have known that Jaime would not want to be involved with her. Her life was too public while he was a man who valued his privacy.
“I can’t be fake engaged to you Ariana,” Jaime continued. “I’m sorry.”
Tears danced in her eyes. “I understand.”
“I’ll tell my mother something came up,” Jaime said.
She wasn’t going to cry. Now until she was safely in the house. “Please do. It was nice to meet you. Bye.” Ariana pushed the door open ad got out. She made for the house, making herself walk as if she was in no hurry.
Only after she entered the house and shut the door, did she allow the tears to fall. She had to hold the record for the most dumped princess.
Chapter Six
Jaime could not face his family. After leaving Ariana’s place, he went to work. As expected of a Sunday, Candin Inc was deserted except for a few cars in the parking lot and those most likely belonged to the security people.
He shouldn’t have been feeling as disappointed as he was considering he hadn’t known Ariana for long. Add that to the fact that they had nothing real between them and the hurt he felt made no sense. He was probably just disappointed that he would not visit Asencia.
His family would throw a fit if they knew he was in his office on a Sunday. After his father’s stroke, they’d all made a decision to take weekends off. Jaime waved to a few security guards as he made his way to his office.
As soon as he sat down, Jaime texted his mother and excused himself and Ariana from the family lunch. Then he switched on his computer and turned his attention to work.
Lucky for him, his department was busy. There were emails from overseers of their current projects updating Jaime on their progress, emails from people and organizations wanting to partner with them as well as budgets to prepare for forthcoming projects.
Hours later, Jaime’s cell phone vibrated on his desk and as he shifted his gaze from the computer screen, he realized how late it was. He picked up his phone and smiled when he saw Max Foster’s name on the screen. He’d started out as Dean’s best friend but the brothers now all claimed him as a close friend.
With a smile, Jaime answered the call.
“I can’t believe you’d keep something like this from us! I called Dean and he didn’t know either,” Max said.