The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc #3)(23)

"Forget it, ok?" Jack said. He fished through his pocket for his keys. "Come on, let's go."

By the time they reached her building, Charlotte didn't know what to think. Jack hadn't said a word the whole ride, and then they sat there in silence, illegally parked.

"Don't I get a kiss goodnight?" Charlotte asked, hoping to lighten the awkwardness.

"What is your deal tonight?"

"What's my deal?" Charlotte replied. "You're the one who kisses me one night and ignores me the next."

"It would help if I had any idea what you want," Jack said.

"Me?" Charlotte exclaimed. "You want to know what I want? What about you, Mr. I-Don't-Want-a-Relationship?" She had felt torn over this for weeks, and now he wanted to blame all this tension on her? She wasn't about to let him do that.

"I'd like to walk you to your door, I'd like to kiss you goodnight, and I'd like to know if this is all business with you or not. Because I—" He looked at her with a pained expression as he cut himself off.

Charlotte felt a hollow ache deep in her chest. She hadn't considered that he might be struggling as much as she was with where the line was drawn in their relationship. She had been the one to step on the brakes the first night she'd slept over, but he was the one who was always talking about how he wouldn't fall in love. Was he starting to break his own rule? Did he care about her?

"Let's talk about this stuff tomorrow, ok?" she said. "Just don't worry about it for the rest of tonight."

"And what do you expect me to do now?" Jack asked.

Charlotte reached over to gently touch Jack's cheek. He cared about her. It wasn't the realization she had expected from this car ride, but the more she thought about it, the more relieved she was.

"Walk me to my door, for starters," she said.

"And that goodnight kiss?" he asked.

Charlotte smiled. "If we walk slowly, we've got a whole bunch of time to figure it out."





Chapter 9

Jack's secretary called shortly before noon with details of the dinner reservation for that night. Jack had chosen Boulevard, the little bistro she had told him about on their first date. She hadn't even mentioned it by name, and never would have guessed that he had remembered it. Jack sent a car to pick her up just after six thirty.

When she got to the restaurant, Jack was already waiting. He met her at the door and gave her a long hug. That light was in his eyes, and for the first time she didn't feel like she had to pretend that he really did like her. After they sat down and ordered, Charlotte teased Jack about his suit.

"What a bold shade of bleu," she said. "Isn't that what the French ambassador called it last week?"

"I think he was more interested in you than he was in the suit," Jack said.

"Oh, please." Charlotte slapped his hand lightly, as if she were scolding him.

Jack caught her hand and held it, smiling back at her. "Maybe I'll wear something wild, like a charcoal gray."

"You rebel."

"It's getting a bit late in the year for seersucker, but maybe I could give that a shot."

"If you're going out on a limb, maybe you'd like to try one of the many dresses you've made me buy."

"I don't know," Jack said. "I don't like what they do to my hips."

Charlotte laughed and shook her head. Everything felt like a real date, like they were a real couple, not two people bound by a contract.

This is what you signed up for, Charlotte reminded herself.

She knew that even if she and Jack were getting along well now, they wouldn't have a real relationship. Even if he had feelings toward her, even if she was spending more and more time thinking about him, he had told her early on that he would be an awful husband. He enjoyed her company and he liked the reaction he got out of her when he kissed her in public.

That's all, she told herself.

"Thank you," Charlotte said shortly after they had finished eating. "I know you don't get much down time, and I know you have a thousand other things you need to do, but thank you for tonight."

"Thank you for what?" Jack asked.

"For doing this with me. I know this night probably doesn't fit in with your agenda as you get ready to start campaigning, but it really means a lot to me that you were willing to go to these lengths to make me happy. It was a wonderful surprise."

Jack reached across the table and held her hand again. "Of course," he said. "I'd do anything for you. I want you to know that."

"Come on, you don't have to..." she trailed off as Jack pulled a box out of his pocket and flipped it open, holding an engagement ring up before her.


"Oh my God," Charlotte whispered. She watched the light glint off the enormous diamond, and she tried to remind herself that this wasn't real but her heart raced and she felt dizzy and she struggled to think of how she should react.

"Charlotte, I know we haven't been together for very long, but I don't want to waste another day without telling you how I feel. I can't imagine doing this with anyone else but you. Will you marry me?"

Charlotte tried to hold her composure. This is all an act, she told herself.