The Pretend Girlfriend (A Billionaire Love Story #1)(24)

The questions dragged on forever. Gwen discovered that, while the chair she sat in looked ornate and expensive, it sacrificed comfort for fashion. Or it could have simply been that every muscle in her had been clenched solid for the last hour, trying in vain to shield her from Henry's assault. She wondered what time it was, but didn't dare try to find out.

And then finally came the last question. Henry had been saving it, judging by the way he paused before putting it to them.

He dabbed at his lips with the cloth napkin despite not having taken a single bite of his food. He pushed the plate out of the way and planted his elbows firmly on the table, his left hand encircling the right. He stared out at them from over this doubled fist.

"So how long are you going to keep this charade up, anyway?"

Coldness filled Gwen's chest and stomach, so sudden and sharp that she couldn't at first breathe. He knows!

Terrible thoughts flashed through her mind. She'd known this wasn't going to work. Aiden was going to cancel the check. She was going to lose her apartment. I'm going to have to move back in with one of my parents...

"What are you talking about?" Aiden said.

Another electrical storm started over the table.

Henry waved his hand at the two of them, "This," he said, "Whatever this is. Did you really think this would fool me, boy?"

"I know you think you're this great judge of character, Henry, but you're dead wrong here. This is real," Aiden said.

But Henry ignored Aiden, at least for the moment, looking instead over his hands at Gwen. "Tell me now, Gwen, are you an escort?"

"Excuse me?" Gwen said, grateful for the heat of self-righteous anger as it flooded her chest.

Henry shook his head in disappointment. "Is my son paying for your services? Because if he is, I could have recommended a few women better suited to the role..." He examined her openly, his eyes appraising. And apparently not approving of what they found.

Gwen's cheeks grew hot, and her own eyes dropped to that cold medallion of AAA New York strip loin.

"Henry..." Aiden said, the warning tone in his voice plain. He spoke through gritted teeth.

"It's an honest question. Did you really think this..." Gwen could sense him waving at her again, "Was going to be good enough?"

"I assure you, Henry, this is real." Aiden picked up his fork and the steak knife and sawed a piece of his steak off. He chewed and swallowed, then dabbed gently at his lips with the napkin. "My compliments to the chef. Come on, Gwen, I'm taking you home."

Aiden stood, then grabbed the back of her seat. She let him help her up.

"Please, take my car," Henry said, "And Aiden, you can be sure I will know everything there is to know about your new paramour by the morning."

Aiden didn't look back at his father. Instead, he led Gwen by the hand back out into the hall, then into the lobby. When the driver saw them, he got out and opened the door.

Gwen didn't speak until the car started moving. She double checked to make sure the partition was up so that the driver couldn't see or hear them.

"I'm sorry about that..." Aiden started.

"I'm not in this to get called a hooker," she said.

"We both know that's not the case," Aiden said.

"He knows what we're doing."

Aiden looked up at the ceiling while he unbuttoned his shirt and tugged at the knot of his tie. "No. He suspects. There's a difference. And really, I am sorry about this. I didn't expect him to move so quickly."

She wanted to threaten him with reneging on the whole thing, but couldn't. She had yet to read the contract she'd signed so hastily, after all. For all she knew, he had clauses in there about the exact duration this... whatever it was, was supposed to go on for.

So instead she just sighed and said, "Take me home."

He did. They pulled up in front of her building. The driver started to get out, but Aiden beat him to the punch. He opened the door, even offering her a hand. She accepted, but only because she now felt exhausted from that opening skirmish with Henry Manning. She wondered how Aiden managed to do anything but sleep his days away to escape a presence like that in his life.

He walked her to the door. "You really did do well, though. I think this is going to work out just fine."

"Gee, thanks," she said as they reached the entrance. Light from the lobby and the mail room spilled out as they turned to face each other.

For just a second there, Gwen forgot herself and wondered if he was going to kiss her goodnight. Her lips tingled as she remembered the kiss they'd shared when she climbed into that limo for the first time. Without really thinking, she wet them in anticipation.

But this wasn't a real date, she reminded herself.

Aiden smiled at her and then turned away, saying, "Good night."

Gwen couldn't believe him! Or herself, for that matter. Why was it so important that he kiss me again? But it was.

"Aiden! The driver!" she hissed at him. He stopped, looked at the car, then back at her. He turned back to face her.

"Good thinking. He'll probably tell Henry everything... Okay, come here."

She couldn't help feeling a touch weak in the knees when he wrapped his arms around the small of her back and pulled her close. She found herself wondering if he kept himself in shape under that shirt. It certainly felt that way, with their bodies pressed together like that.