Faking It: BBW Billionaire Romance (Fake Billionaire Series Book 1) Read online

  “So, this is over,” she said. The shock of his rejection had made her desperate enough to try to get answers. For a moment, the shock even made her think she might be able to talk him out of it. But she wasn’t going to let him see how much pain she was in. She was a professional after all, and they still had to work together.

  “Yes. All of it,” he said. “We’ll call the media and tell the truth.”

  “What? No. Not after everything I’ve just been through.” If he ordered her to stop pretending, she knew she would fall to pieces. She’d sacrificed so much to keep up this charade. Her reputation. Her job. Her heart. So much had been at stake. If they gave up on this now, the merger would fall through. If she was going to suffer the humiliation, the least they could do was get something out of it.

  “I’m putting an end to it so you don’t have to go through any more,” he said. “Don’t you see? The world I come from is vicious—”

  “And you don’t think I can handle it,” she interrupted bitterly.

  “Few can.”

  “It’s just for one more week,” she pointed out. She realized now that, even though Dane didn’t care that she didn’t come from wealth, he didn’t think she had what it took to survive in his world. And who could blame him? She had wilted under the attention of a handful of reporters. She hadn’t been prepared for his mother. He might not think she was ready, but if she secured that merger he’d see that she was.

  She’d be showing not only him, but her family. Herself. Maybe Dane would never go for an assistant like her. But she was done living her life on the sidelines. Done hiding behind the fact that her family didn’t believe in her. It made her heart ache to know that nobody in her life believed in her. Not her family. Not her boss.

  For most of her life she had never been brave enough to go after what she wanted. One weekend with Dane had changed all that. For years, her family had convinced her that she was an underachiever. Done nothing to make her family proud. Until Dane had stood up for her. Defended her when nobody else ever had. Maybe he’d defended her in the heat of the moment, but it had made her brave enough to show him how she felt about him. Not that he cared about her feelings.

  If what they had was over, she was going to show him that she was going to get on without him. She had to hold on to her dignity. Her pride. Even if every other thought was of him. Even if her body craved his. Even if her heart beat out his name.

  “We can finish this.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that, Allyson,” he said.

  “You’re not.” She sat straighter. “You might be my boss, but you can’t control everything in my life. You can’t control me. Or my decisions. If you don’t want to go through with this, fine. Just don’t back out because you think you’d be doing me a favor.”

  For a moment, he said nothing. All he did was focus on her. His eyes studying her. It was if he was looking for something. She didn’t know what it was he searched for.

  What she did know was that she still shivered under his intense gaze. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. That old desire hadn’t gone away. It troubled her to think that there was a chance it never would. There was a chance that her feelings for him might be so strong that every attempt to put him behind her was doomed to fail.

  His jaw clenched. “I guess my mother will be pleased to hear that you’re willing to go through with all this.”

  “She’s probably more pleased about the bullet you’re dodging.”

  “Right.” Dane grimaced. “Probably in our best interest we don’t tell her we ended up in bed together.”

  Her face heated. Memories of the night before came flooding back. Even now, her skin tingled in anticipation as she remembered the heat of his touch. The trail his lips branded on her body. His eyes sweeping over her as he drank her in, one inch at a time. In the music room, he had told her that their night together meant everything to him. Now she knew that, for a man like Dane, everything wasn’t enough. “Well, she freaked out when she thought we were married,” Allyson murmured. “Now that she knows the marriage is fake, I’d rather not repeat that. Best not to tell her about a fling that’s already behind us.”

  She kept her tone light, refusing to give away any hint of the dark emotions washing over her. Falling apart over a relationship that hadn’t really existed would only prove his point. That she couldn’t handle the world he came from. If she wanted to prove him wrong, she had to keep it together. Had to get a hold of herself in her personal life the same way she did as his assistant.

  If this merger worked, she’d be proving everyone wrong. It would show Dane, his mother, and her family what she was made of. She wasn’t going to be chewed up by high society. She wasn’t a gold-digger who cut corners to avoid doing the hard work. She wasn’t an underachiever. Most of all, she’d prove to herself she was strong enough to get over Dane. Strong enough to keep things professional. If she could survive the next week, pretending to be married to a man who had flat-out rejected her, surely she could survive anything.

  The office door swung open and Dane’s mother stepped inside. She eyed them suspiciously, and frowned. “You two haven’t been arguing, have you?”

  “No,” Dane muttered.

  Liliana pursed her lips. “Good. Because we need you to look like the happy couple.”

  “Mother,” Dane started, sounding exasperated. “Have you even asked Allyson if she wants to do this?”

  “I want to do this,” Allyson said forcefully. His defense turned her insides to molten lead. She forced herself to fight her reaction to him. It was all very well and good for him to come to her rescue now, but he hadn’t believed her when she’d most needed him to. Sure, he’d apologized, but he had believed that she was a thief and a liar. She let the resentment take over. Let it push away the tender feelings she had for him.

  “See?” His mother smiled. “She’s a sensible woman. She seems to know what she wants. Not to mention there will be a sizeable bonus in it for her.”

  “I’m not doing this for money,” Allyson said.

  Liliana narrowed her clear blue eyes. “Then what are you doing this for?”

  She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. What was she supposed to say? That part of her was going through with this charade because she didn’t want Dane to see how much he’d hurt her? That the other part of her didn’t know how to let him go?

  Finding an excuse to spend time with him was the only solution she could think of that didn’t tear her into a thousand pieces. It was paradoxical. Crazy. But then, so much of what they shared together was paradoxical and crazy. They pretended to be together, only to end up in bed for real. Being with him was dizzying, maddening. One brief fling was turning her inside out. Breaking down every defense she had ever put up to protect her heart. She had trusted Dane so completely that she let him in, and she had no idea how she’d ever be rid of these intense feelings.

  “I’m loyal to the company,” Allyson said blandly.

  Liliana raised an eyebrow. “Well, in that case, your loyalty is needed once again, Ms. Smith—I mean, Mrs. Prescott.”

  “What do you need?” Allyson asked, ignoring Liliana’s mocking tone.

  Liliana turned to her son and held up her hands. “Dane isn’t going to like it.”

  Dane crossed his arms. “What won’t I like?”

  “I talked to some of my press contacts and, for now, they’ll hold back on snooping any further into the story…”

  Annoyance flickered in Dane’s eyes. “But?”

  “But one contact wants a favor in exchange,” Liliana rushed on. “They’d like to do an interview with you two.”

  “Absolutely not.” He rose to his feet, glowering.

  “Don’t be so hasty, darling,” his mother insisted. “We’ll have the press on our side, and we’ll be able to control the story. I say we let them think you two got married this weekend. After the merger, you can reveal that you’ve broken it off. We make the wedding up in Greenville look
like a non-traditional wedding. One of those non-legal weddings you lovebirds rushed into, but it was never legally binding so you parted ways soon after.”

  “One of those spur-of-the-moment type things,” Allyson put in.

  “Exactly.” Liliana beamed. “See? Allyson has the idea. Do the interview and play along with all this. We get the merger, and then control the story so nothing negative blows back on Prescott.”

  “It’s a good angle,” Allyson said. “It’s more believable if we look completely crazy about each other.”

  “Young love gone awry,” Liliana said. “All you have to do is play your part in the interview.”

  Dane furrowed his brow, lost in thought. “I don’t like this.”

  Allyson sighed heavily. “It’s the best solution for all of us. We’ll have to put an end to this charade anyway. We might as well play it to our advantage.”

  “She sounds like a Mrs. Prescott already.” A cold smile played on Liliana’s lips. It chilled Allyson down to the bone. Made her wonder if Liliana knew the true nature of their relationship and was trying to twist the knife further into Allyson’s back. She wouldn’t put it past Liliana to play head games. That was probably how she had gotten ahead all these years.

  Before coming to Prescott Hill, Allyson would have thought her suspicions bordered on paranoia. But after seeing Liliana’s behavior up close, she knew what the older woman was capable of. The only way to survive in Dane’s world was to be prepared, and Allyson wasn’t about to let Dane’s mother get in her head.

  “When’s the interview?” Allyson asked.

  Another cold smile. “Tomorrow.”

  Chapter 17

  The flight from Rhode Island back to New York was short, but to Dane it felt like an eternity. An awkward eternity spent trying to avoid Allyson. He downed too much scotch, and tried to sleep while she sipped white wine and flipped through glossy magazines. She apparently was trying to ignore him as well.

  A chauffer picked them up from the airport. On the drive from the airport to her apartment, she acted completely aloof, giving one-word answers when questioned, her voice clipped.

  He’d seen many women react to him breaking up with them. Most of them showed some sort of emotion. Usually, there were tears. More often anger. Even threats. Countless heiresses had threatened to turn the Prescott business empire into rubble. Sometimes they tried, but usually when they came out of their post-breakup blues they just moved on to another target. Another business transaction masquerading as a romance.

  If his rejection of her had any effect, Allyson didn’t show it.

  “Turn off here,” she instructed the driver.

  Allyson was seated right beside him, but she might as well have been a world away. She sat with her long legs crossed, those sexy, strappy heels she had on driving him to distraction. He might have forced things to cool down between them, but she still heated his blood. Stirred something primal in him that he had no right to feel.

  He turned the day’s events over in his mind. So much had changed, and yet nothing had. After declaring their feelings in the music room, they had gone right back to being what they were. Boss and assistant. Yet they still had to pretend to be husband and wife.

  Dane tried to square away these two very different relationships in his head, but that only clouded things. Which was why breaking up with her was for the best. He had crossed a line by sleeping with her. After his unfounded accusations, the pain his doubt caused her was evident. She had been more hurt at being accused of being a thief than she had been about being unceremoniously dumped. Which made sense. They hadn’t really been together. They had only the promise of trying to get together when things died down. Now, there was no chance of that happening.

  For all the intensity of his feelings, there was very little to show for it all other than a looming scandal that they had to contain. It was only natural for Allyson to care more about preserving their business relationship than salvaging what little existed of their personal relationship. And he certainly didn’t want his rejection to cause her pain. Still, her reaction stung. He had wanted her to move on from him, but the fact that she had done it so quickly was a real blow to his ego.

  They stopped in front of Allyson’s apartment, the chauffer rushing out to get her bags.

  “We probably need to prepare for the interview,” she said, her voice cold, emotionless.

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “Well, come upstairs then.”

  That quickened his pulse. He’d dropped her off at her place before, but had never been inside her apartment. He had fantasized about her inviting him into her apartment. Into her bed. Now he had to remind himself that none of that was going to happen.

  Stepping out of the car, he opened her door. He reached for her small hand to help her out and she stiffened. Without a word, he released her. They still had to play pretend, but the chauffer wasn’t paying enough attention to them for that to matter. That old formality was coming back. Walls were going back up. Propriety would win, and he didn’t blame her.

  After he told the chauffeur to return in an hour, Dane followed Allyson upstairs to her apartment. The first thing he noticed as he entered was how small the place was. Or maybe that was just his perspective, and he was comparing it to the immense mansions and lofts he was accustomed to. Despite the size, the apartment was stylish, decorated with trendy furniture and accents. Everything was brightly colored, with brilliant greens, deep purples, and dazzling oranges. Somehow all those crazy colors seemed to work, creating an atmosphere that was distinctly Allyson.

  “My roommate moved out, so we’re alone,” she said over her shoulder as she headed into the kitchen. “One of my cousins might be moving in soon.”

  He trailed after her. “It’s good to have family around.” Especially as we’re going through this shit.

  “Yeah, well, I get along with her so that helps.”

  “I guess we’ve both just been reminded of how tough family can be,” he said quietly. “How’s your family taking all this, anyway?”

  “They’re keeping quiet,” she replied. “Not talking to the press. I think they believe that if they play along with this fake marriage, you and I will eventually get married for real.”

  “Maybe we faked things a little too well.”

  Her cheeks turned bright pink, but she said nothing. Instead of speaking she turned her attention to the kitchen cabinets, grabbing items to set down on the counter top.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against a counter, trying to will away his unease. Getting married to her for real was the most insane thought he had ever entertained. And yet, his heart was now hammering wildly in his chest. When he had first glimpsed her in her sister-in-law’s wedding gown over the weekend, something in him changed. She had been the most awe-inspiring vision in that white gown. A vision of a future that could never be.

  He’d never had such serious thoughts about any woman. Even though he wanted the kind of marriage his parents ultimately settled into, he’d never entertained the idea of marriage with any of the women his mother shoved at him. Yet here he was. Pretending to be married to Allyson. Imagining her in a wedding dress. They hadn’t even really dated, and yet he was fantasizing about something that serious. It was crazy how quickly she had gotten under his skin. He had broken up with her, but he seemed to be a hell of lot more cut up about it than she was.

  She grabbed a kettle and filled it with water. “Would you like something to eat? I’m making tea and grilled cheese.”

  “I don’t want to be any trouble—”

  “It’s no trouble,” she interrupted with a wave of her hand.

  “Okay. Tea and grilled cheese is fine. Need help?”

  She turned to him, an incredulous look on her face. “To make tea and a grilled cheese sandwich?”

  He chuckled. Some of the tension from the day began to lift. “It’s just that you do so much for me, and I’ve never lifted a finger for you.”


  “Oh.” She lowered her eyes. Her hands rested on the counter and she started twiddling her fingers. “If you’re sure.”

  “Of course,” he said. “It’s no problem. Why don’t you have a seat?”

  She did as he told her, taking a seat at the small table on the far end of the kitchen. “When was the last time you cooked, Mr. Prescott?”

  They were back to their formal selves. Which was what he wanted. If only it didn’t make his chest tighten. “I can’t cook.”

  The corner of her kissable mouth quirked up. “You’re kidding.”

  “I can make a sandwich, pour cereal, or boil an egg, but that’s about it.” He washed and dried his hands, then opened the fridge to retrieve the cheese.

  “So, you’re hopeless in the kitchen.” She giggled.

  He grabbed some slices of bread and set them out on two separate plates. “That’s what chefs are for.” He cringed, immediately realizing how privileged and pompous he must sound to her.

  She laughed, the pleasant sound thrilling him. “It would be nice to have someone do some of the cooking. Or at least some of the cleaning.”

  As he peeled the cheese slices out of their wrappers, he was reminded of how lucky he was. There were things Dane had never worried about. Food was always prepared. Wherever he stayed was always clean. Laundry was always done. On top of working for him, Allyson had to worry about those mundane domestic tasks he rarely gave a thought to. He couldn’t imagine having to come home from a hard day at the office and then having to cook and clean on top of it.

  “You work too hard,” he said. Now he understood how much strength and integrity it must have taken her to turn down his mother’s money.