The Game (Wagered Hearts Series, #3)(8)

She smiled when she saw me and reached in to kiss my cheek.

"Rob! It's so good to see you again," she said.

"Likewise," I replied. "You look amazing as usual."

She batted her eyelashes at me and sat down on the chair opposite mine. "Always the charmer. So what brings you to LA?" she asked.




"You, actually," I said, scooting forward on my seat.

She lifted a perfectly arched eyebrow and fixed me with her big blue eyes. "Oh?"

"Yes, I've been thinking about you a lot lately," I said. I figured I should try to butter her up some before I asked for her help. After all, I hadn't seen her for several months.

Her smile faltered slightly. I couldn't tell if it was in disappointment or irritation, but plowed on regardless.

"You see--"

"Hold up," she said, holding up her hands in front of her. "I appreciate you coming to see me after all this time, but I have to be honest with you. I was actually about to call you myself."

"You were?" I asked.

"Yes. I'm just going to cut right to the chase. I'm sure you've heard the news about me and Harry Barnes. It's not true, by the way, but when has the truth ever mattered," she added bitterly. "Anyway, I find myself in a bit of a pickle. You see, I need to ask you a favor."

She paused, taking a deep breath as if gathering her courage. "I'm listening," I said, trying to encourage her to speak.

"I need you to pretend to be my fiancé," she rushed out. "Only for a few months until the scandal fades away."

I sat in stunned silence. Of all the things she could have told me, this was the last one I'd expected. I marveled at my luck.

"It would only be for a few months and you would be generously compensated," she added.

"Is that so?" I asked.

A little bit of color rushed up from her neck to her cheeks, and I found the sight of her embarrassment charming. The Emilia Holliday I knew hardly let anything embarrass or upset her composure, so it was nice to actually see her showing some vulnerability.

"I know it sounds ridiculous, believe me, and I'm pretty embarrassed to have to ask you, but I need your help. You wouldn't need to do anything, really. Just attend some events with me, pose for some pictures, and at the end of eight months or so, once the scandal has died down, we can both walk away."

"I'm flattered," I said. The truth was, I was ecstatic. This was much easier than I could have ever anticipated. Emilia's shoulders slumped slightly, obviously expecting me to turn down her offer.

"Listen, you don't have to say anymore," she began. "I completely understand it's crazy. I just ask that you keep this conversation private."

"I was just going to say that I'll agree to the fake engagement," I said.

Her face lit up and she beamed at me. "You will?" she asked.

"Yes. But we need some guidelines."

"Of course. I've already come up with some. It's all included in the contract," she said a little sheepishly. "I just want to make sure all the I's are dotted and T's are crossed. I don't want any misunderstandings and hurt feelings."

"I agree. I want to make it very clear that this is a fake engagement, and there's not going to be the possibility of anything more. The last thing I need or want is to be getting married. As long as we're clear on that, then I'll agree."

"Don't worry about me getting any romantic ideas," she said. "This is strictly business for me. Thank you so much for your help."

"You don't have to thank me. You're actually doing me a favor too," I admitted.

"How so?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing--to pretend to be my fiancée--before you spoke."

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You're kidding."

"Not at all. It's actually pretty funny that we're both sort of in the same boat when you think about it."

"I know why I need one, but why do you need one?" she asked.

"Let's just say I want to teach my mother a lesson."

"And you thought of me immediately?" she asked.

I hesitated before speaking. I didn't want to offend her with my answer. The truth was, she was the last person my mother would want me to settle down with. She wasn't the refined, prim and proper Miss I'm sure my mother preferred. Quite the opposite in fact, which was what made her perfect for the role.

"Sort of," I hedged. "I saw your picture in one of the magazines and remembered our time together. I figured it'd be easier to pull this off with someone I already had a connection to."

She nodded in understanding. "I see," she said.

"Well, I'm glad you called me. I think this can be beneficial for the both of us," she said, a smile playing on her lips.

Her phone rang and she looked at me apologetically before answering. I stood up from my chair and stretched my legs, smiling at how easy it had all been. Hopefully by the time our fake engagement came to an end, my mother would be so relieved, she'd never bother me about settling down again.

"I'm sorry," I heard her say, once she had ended her conversation. "I've got to cut our meeting short. I've got another appointment to go to, but if we're all agreed, I'd like to meet up again in a couple of days at my lawyer's office and get all the paperwork out of the way. I'll send you a copy of the contract we've drawn up so you can look it over."