The Pretend Fiancé: A Billionaire Love Story Read online

  Before they could continue, they both felt the burst of outside air from the lobby doors opening. Aiden knew before looking that it was her. He could feel her eyes seeking him out, finding him, latching on. He reached up to straighten his bow tie before remembering he'd already done so a moment earlier.

  Everyone else sensed her presence, too. The valets and butlers and auditors and guests all quieted and looked in her direction.

  No one had a sense of presence like Judith Manning. Not even Henry could so command a room just by walking into it. She swept towards them, the hem of her dark dress whisking just above the floor. She kept her hair dyed black, and despite her advanced age only a few wrinkles crossed her sharp, severe face.

  When he was little, Aiden used to have nightmares about Grandmother Judith. He thought she was a witch, and that she'd swoop in through the window one night to take him away and throw him into an oven like in an old fairy tale.

  An inkling of that primal, childish fear ran its cold fingers down his spine as she drew closer, and he had to steel himself against the sensation. He pulled himself up straight and fixed his eyes on hers. He also noticed a manila envelope pinned between her arm and side.

  "Grandmother!" he said, "I was beginning to get worried! I'd like you to meet Gwen..."

  Judith broke in, her sharp eyes narrowing as she examined Gwen. "Gwendolyn Gladys Browning, of Albany, New York. Daughter of David and Barbara Browning. Yes, I know all about her."

  Reflexively, Gwen glanced around to see if anyone had heard Judith utter that middle name she hated so much.

  Aiden's chest tightened. He knew right away that Judith hated Gwen. He could hear it in the tone of her voice, in the hardness of her eyes. And clearly Grandmother Judith had been doing more than a little detective work. It reminded him of the first time Henry had met Gwen. Of the suspicion and tension and ill promises.

  But that was no matter, he told himself. Judith could hate Gwen all she liked, because Judith had no say in any of this. Not anymore, at least.

  "It's so nice to meet you," Gwen said, trying to break some of the tension, offering her hand to Judith.

  Judith eyed the appendage without accepting it. "I'm not so sure it is, at that."

  "Oh... Okay, then... Well..." Gwen said.

  Aiden began desperately searching for some way to end the interaction. It felt like all the heat had seeped out of the room. And his stupid bow tie was too tight, making it uncomfortable to breathe.

  "We have matters to discuss, Aiden," Judith said. "Urgent matters that need tending to right away."

  Aiden pulled up his cuff to take another glance at his watch. Pretty much everyone seemed to be here, now. It was almost time. They'd have the ballroom prepared by now.

  "I'm afraid it will have to wait," Aiden said.

  "And I'm afraid it can't!" Judith replied, leaning in close, "I will not let you disgrace yourself and this family..."

  "Whoa! This place is snazzy! Hey, girl!"

  "Beatrice!" Gwen said, rushing to meet her friend.

  Aiden could have kissed Beatrice at that moment. Her arrival broke the tension, and he felt his shoulders relaxing. "Excuse me, but I have to go. We can discuss your issue after the party," Aiden said, silently adding: or never at all, with any luck. Especially since he had certain other plans for how to spend the time after the party with Gwen involving champagne and a lack of clothes.

  It felt oh so satisfying to leave Judith gawping and wagging her jaw, unable to say anything.

  "Hi, Beatrice," Aiden said, approaching the two hugging women. Beatrice had a couple large suitcases on wheels behind her.

  "Hello, handsome!" Beatrice said, somehow enfolding Aiden in a huge hug despite her rather petite frame. It had been a few months since Aiden had last seen her, and he'd almost forgotten just how exuberant and forceful Gwen's best friend's personality could be. For a moment there, he wanted to introduce Beatrice to Judith and then just stand back and observe the outcome. He didn't know which of them he'd pity more.

  Beatrice finally released him. "This place is so swanky," she said, not bothering to control the volume of her voice. Aiden could practically feel the valets and butlers getting miffed at the noisy American who so brazenly violated the code of quiet.

  "I'm sure that's what they were going for," Aiden said. He could also feel Judith's eyes drilling twin holes into the back of his tuxedo jacket.

  "Gwenny! Why didn't you tell me Beatrice had arrived?" Barb said.

  "Hello, Beatrice," David added.

  They'd both checked into their separate rooms (and Aiden had double checked with the auditor that they were in separate rooms) and come down right away it seemed, neither wanting to give any advantage to the other.

  "Gwenny was a little busy," Beatrice said, giving Gwen an evil look. She hugged Barb and David while Gwen shook her head and muttered something about not being five years old anymore.

  "I hope your car ride over was better than mine," Barb said, tilting her head back to David in a pointed motion.

  "Well it couldn't have been any worse!" David broke in.

  A valet at the other side of the room caught Aiden's attention and motioned toward a set of opulent doors leading into the ballroom. The party was ready. Aiden waved back, his fingers shaking and a lump forming in his throat. Now that the moment was here, it was all happening so fast!

  Like a well-oiled machine, the valets and butlers went into immediate action. Some approached guests still loitering in the foyer, directing them towards the ballroom. Others went to the stairs or the elevator to alert people who'd gone to their rooms.

  "Aiden, we must speak at once!" Judith said, appearing at his side and plucking at his elbow. She waved that manila folder in his face.

  With everything happening around him, Aiden's irritation replaced his normal apprehension at being in his grandmother's presence. Before she could say any more, Aiden took her by the arm and led her over to Barb and David, who'd just begun another bout regarding who was going to sue whom for lawyer fees.

  Aiden smiled at them. "David? Barb? I'd like to introduce you to my grandmother, Judith. Don't worry, she probably already knows everything about you."

  As Aiden walked away, he again didn't know who to pity more. And there was also a twinge of guilt over pushing them together like that. He just needed Judith out of the way for a little while longer.

  Gwen and Beatrice were talking excitedly, catching up about affairs back in New York. Aiden watched for a moment, taking in every detail of Gwen's face as she smiled and laughed. He loved the way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she was happy. He loved the way she held herself, the way her body moved. And there was something just so incredibly arousing about that modest dress he'd made her wear that made him frustrated about having to wait until after the party to tear it off her.

  Thinking about the party, he ran his hands up and down his jacket again. His left palm found what he wanted: the small bump of the object hidden within his inside pocket.

  More nervous energy burst inside him, leaving him trembling. "Gwen? Beatrice? The party's about to start," he said.

  Chapter 2

  There had to be close to three hundred people in the ballroom. Still, it didn't feel crowded. The valets and butlers moved about between the tables ringing the room, dispensing champagne and wine and hors d’ouevres from the silver platters they held.

  Four massive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling lit the huge room, illuminating the masterful woodwork, the perfect paint, and the large mural that occupied the ceiling.

  A small orchestra currently sat at rest while a DJ up on a stage played some new dance hit Gwen didn't recognize.

  Despite the grandeur of the room, Gwen's world had contracted to just the few square feet occupying the space around her. More precisely, to the space she shared with Aiden as they held each other close.

  "This is such an incredible way to end our trip," Gwen said, resting her cheek against his chest so that she could
hear his heart beat and closing her eyes so that she could better feel his presence, smell his cologne, and just be near him.

  "I thought so, too," Aiden said.

  They'd been dancing and having a good time for a couple hours now, at least. Catching up with old friends, listening to the orchestra when its turn came to play. Avoiding her parents and Aiden's grandmother. Judith sat fuming in a corner somewhere, clutching that folder she'd been hanging onto this whole night.

  Gwen didn't let those thoughts encroach any more on her mind. She just wanted to be in the moment, to be happy here with Aiden on their last few nights before heading back to the States.

  "So you like it? All this, I mean?" Aiden said.

  "Of course! I love it!"

  She didn't love how her fancy and adorable pumps had turned into twin torture devices sometime in the last half hour. Her feet burned and panged with every swaying step of their dance, but she (somewhat successfully) ignored the pain.

  "Good," Aiden replied, nodding to himself.

  "But there's actually something I'd love even more," Gwen said, looking up into his eyes.

  "And what's that?"

  "You and me alone in that big suite. In that big bed. Just the two of us..."

  "That would be nice," Aiden said.

  "So why don't we ditch this party and head upstairs? No one will notice... Not for a while, at least." The more she thought about it, the more she wanted it. The more she wanted him. "Come on," she said.

  "Not yet," Aiden replied.

  Gwen didn't know what to say to that. Was he really refusing her?

  "Why not?"

  "Just wait a little bit longer, for me, please. I promise you it will be worth it," he said.

  Ignoring the pain, she went up on her tiptoes so that she could whisper into his ear, "And I promise if you come upstairs with me right now, it will be worth it." She finished by sucking his earlobe in between her teeth and then slowly letting it pull back out.

  Aiden shivered, gooseflesh breaking out on his neck, and she knew she had him. Her body responded to his, heat building deep and low inside of her.

  "Not yet," he said, crushing her with his words.

  "What is wrong with you today?" Gwen said, dropping back down from her tiptoes. Pain lanced up through her calves, making her wince, making her frustration boil over. "I'm going upstairs right now, whether you come with me or not. And if you don't come with me, then I'll let you know that you shouldn't bother coming at all. I think they have some comfy looking couches out in the lobby." Why did men have to be so unbelievably dense sometimes? Well, this time she intended to teach him a lesson.

  She pulled away from him, but he managed to catch her wrist before she could make a clean break. "Gwen, please stay."

  "No!" she said, tugging away from him just as an usher in a black suit ran up and whispered to him.

  She made ready to storm off through the dancing crowd. Except the crowd had stopped dancing. Now they all stood and watched, a few of them whispering excitedly to each other.

  Beatrice stood with a guy Gwen didn't recognize. Her friend's eyes were wide, and she kept glancing between Gwen and Aiden. "Holy..." she started, before clapping a hand over her mouth.

  Gwen's skin prickled. What was happening? Why was everyone acting so strangely?

  The music had stopped, too. And then the lights dimmed and a spotlight came on.

  Gwen could feel everyone's eyes on her. The people sitting at the tables around the room had stood to get a better view.

  "Gwen..." Aiden said.

  Her first thought was that something had gone horribly wrong. That maybe her dress had ripped without her knowing and she'd been dancing mostly in the nude this whole time. That something awful had happened.

  "Gwen," Aiden said again.

  "Yes?" Gwen said, her eyes skipping around the crowd, looking for some avenue of escape. She tried catching B's eyes, but her friend still looked too shell-shocked to do anything to help her.

  "Turn around."

  "What's going on?" Gwen said, turning slowly.

  Her breath caught in her throat when she saw him. The spotlight illuminated a large circle on the floor, its light showing Aiden down on one knee. He held a hand out to her. "Come closer," he said.

  She accepted his outstretched hand, her legs barely wanting to move. The pain in her feet tried catching her attention, but she blocked it out.

  "Gwendolyn Browning," Aiden said, giving her a small smile to say he'd skipped her middle name on purpose, "I've never met anyone like you in my life. I've never loved anyone like I love you. When you smile, it lights up my life. Nothing makes me happier than being with you, and I can't even imagine a life without you..."

  Aiden reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, dark box. Gwen couldn't take her eyes of it. Part of her desperately wanted to blink, to stop the dryness. That part of her lost to the rest of her, which didn't want to miss even a single heartbeat's worth of this moment.

  She felt glued to the spot, rooted there. If the fire alarm went off, she wouldn't have moved.

  Aiden opened the box to reveal the ring nestled within. The light from the spotlight glittered and scintillated in the diamonds and a bead of light shifted on the white gold band. It was the most breathtaking, the most beautiful, and the most terrifying piece of jewelry that Gwen had ever laid eyes on.

  "You complete me, Gwen. Will you complete me for the rest of our lives? Will you marry me?"

  The crowd held its collective breath, all the whispering stopped. Even the valets and ushers and butlers had shifted their trays to more comfortable positions. Not that Gwen really noticed any of that.

  The first hot blob of a tear rolled out from the corner of Gwen's eye and down her cheek. "Yes," she said, barely whispering the word. When she realized how quietly she'd spoken, she repeated it, louder.

  She couldn't hold her hand steady as Aiden plucked the ring from its box. He took her finger gently, calming her, and slid the ring down. It was a perfect fit. Gwen could feel the weight of it on her hand.

  Then Aiden stood and pulled her close and kissed her, his mouth so hot on hers. The room practically exploded with cheers and hoots.

  "I knew it! Let me see!" Beatrice said, elbowing her way through the crowd of well-wishers and grabbing Gwen's hand to get a better look. "Look at those rocks!"

  Gwen didn't say much, mostly because she had to keep wiping away tears. And also because her face hurt from the enormous smile glued to it.

  Soon enough, Aiden forced a path through the crowd and led her through it.

  ***

  Judith Manning was not impressed. Not impressed at all. She'd been the only person in the ballroom not to stand up and watch the show. She'd already known what was going to happen. Only a moron couldn't have figured it out.

  Though she had noted the way that Gwen girl's eyes popped when she saw that gaudy, pricey engagement ring that Aiden had been so obviously carrying around in his pocket this whole time.

  The girl practically had dollar signs glued to her eyeballs like from some old cartoon.

  And her parents! Judith spared a glance over at the very unhappy couple. Awful people. Insufferable. No wonder Gwen had turned out like she had with parents like that.

  Turned out to be quite the little gold digger, that is.

  "Isn't this just great!" a young man said as he sauntered by with a champagne flute sloshing in his hand. "They're just so perfect for each other!"

  When he saw the expression on Judith's face, the levity left his expression and he hurried back into the crowd, the champagne spilling over the rim to spatter on his wrist.

  She hefted her manila folder again and set it on the table. Her fingertips brushed against the smooth flap and she smiled. They could have this one night together, she thought. She could put an end to all of this just as easily tomorrow morning.

  Chapter 3

  Gwen couldn't remember getting up to their suite. It was all a series of broken image
s to her. Kissing in the elevator, Aiden pressing her against the hallway wall, his hands doing devilish things to her body.

  Gwen didn't even know if anyone had seen them or not. And she didn't really care, either.

  They got into their suite after a few fumbling attempts with the keycard, neither of them able to keep their hands off the other.

  "I love you so much," Gwen said, jumping up onto him as the door closed, wrapping her legs around his body. He caught her before she could slip off, his lips eager and warm against her throat.

  Gwen wasn't sure of the mechanics of it, but she managed to shove his tux jacket off and began undoing his shirt buttons even as Aiden mounted the stairs to get up to the king-sized bed.

  It was a bouncy, dangerous ride that Gwen loved every second of. Aiden kept one hand on the rail while the other hiked her dress up so to better squeeze her thigh and bottom.

  Catching sight of her glinting engagement ring as they reached the top of the stairs increased her vigor. She grabbed his face in her hands and pulled it to hers, forcing him into a deep, wet kiss.

  Even Aiden's knees went weak at that, nearly causing an annulment of the engagement via staircase.

  Through some Herculean effort, he hauled them up the last couple steps and staggered over to the bed.

  "Aiden..." Gwen said, loving the feel of his weight over her as they writhed together on the massive mattress. She threaded her fingers through his hair, her back arching up as he left a line of hot kisses along her neck and shoulder. His desire pressed against her, hard and eager.

  "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" Gwen said smiling as Aiden's kissing traveled down her neck, exploring every bit of skin left bare by that modest dress.

  "Get you into bed tonight?" Aiden said in a brief break from kissing.

  "The proposal!" Gwen said, giving his shoulder a light slap and then stretching out her left hand so as to better admire that amazing (and heavy!) ring. The diamonds looked flawless and perfectly cut. Just like Aiden. "This whole big elaborate European vacation. This was your goal the whole time, wasn't it?"

  "I'm diabolical that way," Aiden said.