Marry Me For Money: A Billionaire Fake Fiance Novel Read online

  “Alright, alright, I’ll quit lecturing. What are you going to wear?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Little black dress. You can’t go wrong. Wear those strappy sandals. Those are sexy. Wait, how tall is he? Is he going to get all weirded out if you’re wearing heels?”

  I smiled. “He’s tall. I could wear stilettos and still not tower over him. I’d guess he’s around six-two, six-three.”

  Her eyes bulged. “Wow. That is tall. Definitely wear the strappy heels and the bandage-style dress.”

  I grimaced. “I think that is too sexy.”

  She shook her head. “No way. You look amazing in that dress. Don’t hide your body because you’re afraid you’re sending a message. Dress to kill!”

  I giggled at her enthusiasm. “I will.”

  “I’m sorry I was being a downer.”

  “It’s okay. I know you’re only looking out for me.”

  “I hope you have fun, and I hope he turns out to be an amazing man.”

  “Me too. I’m tired of the duds.”

  She laughed. “If he is amazing, find out of if he has a brother, cousin, uncle or something,” she teased.

  “Will do. I should probably get out of here. I know you have a lot of work to do.”

  “Call me and let me know how it goes, even if it’s two in the morning.”

  I laughed. “I don’t think a dinner date will last that long.”

  Mandy grinned. “If all goes well, it could.”

  I blushed at her insinuation. “No way. I’m not about to give him anything, especially on the first date.”

  Mandy shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. If there is that much chemistry between you, stopping it will be the last thing on your mind.”

  I laughed as I walked away. Terran did have a way of making my heart race, but I hoped I could resist my own desires. I would never forgive myself if I slept with him on our first date. All the years of saving myself would feel like a waste. I wanted the date to go well, but not that well.

  Chapter 9

  Terran

  I felt silly, but I had gone home after work to change for my date with Hailey. I didn’t want to appear too stuffy by wearing the suit I normally wore to work. I knew it shouldn’t have mattered, but it did. Hailey was a special woman, and I wanted to do this right.

  I took a look in the mirror and laughed. I had traded my blue suit for a black one. It wasn’t exactly a big change, but I thought the black one looked more relaxed than the blue. It was probably all in my head, and I was acting like a nervous boy going on his first date. I grabbed my wallet and keys before heading out of my condo. I was taking the Mercedes tonight, just in case there was a chance she let me drive her home after dinner.

  I wanted to make a good first impression. There was a lot riding on this date. I wanted her to be the one who agreed to be my fake fiancée. I had a feeling we would get along well. In order to really sell the engagement, I needed someone I clicked with. It was hard to fake being in love when you wanted nothing more than to be far away from the person. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to broach the topic, but I had to do it. I would play it by ear. See how the date went and then casually slip it into conversation. As casually as one can propose a fake engagement that was.

  I got to the restaurant, gave my name only to find out she hadn’t arrived yet. I went ahead and took a seat at our table and ordered a club soda. I glanced around the dimly lit dining area and recognized many faces. This was the upper crest of society. I saw a few celebrities, male and female. The men in the room were all accompanied by women who were pretty, but it wasn’t natural. There was enough silicone in the room to build several mannequins. None of the women I saw appealed to me. They were attractive by society’s standards, but not mine.

  I liked the natural look, like Hailey. She was stunning. Not perfect, but absolutely gorgeous. She didn’t try too hard. It was what made her special and unique. I heard a fake laugh, a woman flirting with the man sitting beside her at the table near mine. I was surrounded by fake people. People who wouldn’t know genuine if it slapped them in the face. This was the life I was fighting to hold onto.

  Why?

  Why was I fighting so hard to remain a part of a world I loathed? I didn’t like most of the people in the restaurant. Zach was different. He was as real as it got. He didn’t apologize to anyone. He was who he was. If I was being completely honest with myself, I was a fake. I wore my expensive suits, drove nice cars and put on airs when I was in their crowd. The moment I was free of them, the real me came out. I let my hair loose, literally and figuratively. I was just like them, hiding behind the carefully constructed image of a successful CEO.

  Did I even have a chance with a woman like Hailey?

  “Hi,” her voice snapped me out of the path of self-loathing I had set out on.

  I was about to find out if I had a chance. I quickly stood up and smiled, doing my best to keep my eyes on hers and not drifting south and staring at her mouthwatering figure. “Hi,” I said as smoothly as I could with the lump in my throat and the lack of blood flow to my brain.

  “Sorry I’m a little late,” she said nervously.

  “It’s no problem. I got here early.”

  A waiter appeared out of nowhere, waiting for Hailey’s drink order. She ordered a club soda. I liked that she wasn’t drinking. She wanted to keep her wits about her. I could appreciate that. It was something we had in common.

  “I’ve never been here before,” she said with a smile.

  I was still trying to catch my breath which had escaped me the moment I laid eyes on her in that tight black dress. I knew she had a nice figure, but hot damn, she was making the blood that should have been pumping through my body head south. I could hardly think straight. Her breasts weren’t obnoxiously huge and fake. They were perfectly round, and my best guess was they were a perfect C-cup.

  “The steak is fantastic. The chef is one of the best in the country,” I said for lack of anything better to say.

  She smiled. “Sounds good. I guess you come here a lot?”

  I shook my head. “Not a lot. I prefer a good burger over a steak.”

  She laughed, the sound washing over me. “That surprises me.”

  “Why?” I said, relaxing a little.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t stereotype. I just assumed you, Mr. Wealthy CEO, would be more of a steak and lobster guy.”

  I smiled. “Nope. I like the simpler things in life.”

  “Me too.”

  The waiter came back to take our orders. When I ordered the steak dinner, I nearly fell out of my chair when Hailey ordered the same.

  “Now you’re the one surprising me,” I said with a grin.

  “Oh?”

  “I would have assumed you being a model and all that you would eat salad all day.”

  She burst into soft laughter. “I probably should, but I don’t. I mean, I do, but not every day. I have a confession to make,” she said, a twinkle in her blue eyes.

  I leaned forward, wanting to be close when she spoke, hoping it was something naughty. “I’m intrigued. I love a good confession.”

  She leaned forward, our faces close. “I love cheeseburgers. They are my guilty pleasure after a long day on a shoot.”

  I smiled. It was definitely not what I expected her to say. “Well, one of these days we are going to have to get burgers together.”

  “Only if I can wear jeans and flats,” she said with a wink.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but how do you stay in such good shape?” I asked.

  A blush rose on her cheeks. “Good genes mostly and I do a lot of biking and hiking every chance I get.”

  I nodded my head. “That explains your athletic body and the natural tan. That isn’t something you see very often these days.”

  “What about you? You have a tan and it looks like you work out,” she said casually.

  The words hit me right in the gut. I liked that she had b
een checking me out. “I like to surf. I do have a treadmill at home, but surfing is what I really enjoy. I like to spend time on my yacht as well. Swimming in the ocean is very cathartic for me.”

  Her warm smile buoyed me. I found myself smiling back at her.

  “Do you work a lot?” she asked.

  I nodded. “I do. Too much. I keep telling myself I need to slow down. You?”

  She took a drink of her water. “I used to work a lot more, but I’ve been taking fewer jobs. I don’t like always being on the move, waking up in different cities all the time.”

  “Have you been in Los Angeles long?” I asked, wondering why I had never met her before.

  “Born and raised. Although, I did do a lot of traveling the last eight years.”

  “I’m surprised we’ve never met before.”

  She smiled. “I don’t think we run in the same circles. Actually, I don’t really run in any circle. I live a very low-key life. I avoided the club scene and tend to be a bit of a homebody.”

  I nodded my head. “Probably smart. I wished I had that kind of sense.”

  “Are you one of those guys who likes to hit the clubs every weekend?”

  I chuckled. “Not anymore. Those days are in my past. I don’t have that much time on my hands and really don’t like feeling the hangover the following day.”

  I could see her looking at me, sizing me up and had a good idea what she was trying to determine.

  “I’m thirty-four,” I said, answering her unspoken question.

  She grinned. “I would have never guessed that.”

  “Thank you, I think.”

  “So, are you originally from here?”

  I shook my head. “No. My family moved here from New York when I was very young. I’ve never left.”

  Our food was delivered, and we both dug in, making small talk as we ate. It was easy to talk to her. She was an excellent conversationalist and seemed genuinely interested in learning all about me. It was strange for me. Most of the women I dated were shallow. Our conversations were stilted, and it generally ended up with me taking them to bed, leaving when done and never calling them again. Hailey was different. I wanted to talk to her and learn everything there was to know about her.

  “Why acting?” I asked her once we were both finished eating.

  “I like the idea of telling a story that means something. I want to make people smile while entertaining. I know it sounds silly, but I love to see people happy.”

  “I don’t think it sounds silly at all. Are you hoping to be on TV or in the movies?”

  She tilted her head. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind either. I like the idea of doing documentary type movies, and those tend to be on cable networks, which is fine by me. I’ve always wanted to go into acting, but the modeling thing took off. Then it seemed like there was never any time to even think about it. Things are slowing down now, and I want to explore it and see if it’s what I really want to do.”

  I smiled. “I think there are plenty of models who have found their way to the movies.”

  “If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go back to school and get my degree.”

  “In what?”

  She smiled. “I’m not sure yet. Is it sad I’m twenty-eight and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up?”

  I laughed. “Not sad at all. You have time. You’ve had an exciting life thus far. Few people can say they’ve traveled all around the world. I think it’s pretty amazing.”

  “Thank you,” she said, blushing prettily.

  The waiter delivered the check, and I realized our dinner date was over. I didn’t want it to end. We both stared at the little black leather case, knowing what it meant.

  “Hailey, can I take you out for dessert?” I asked in a low voice, afraid she would say no.

  She smiled and nodded her head. “I’d like that.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief and slid my credit card into the case.

  “How about ice cream on the pier? We can walk and talk some more.”

  “That sounds like a great plan,” she said, her smile bright.

  I quickly paid the bill and escorted her to my waiting car, acting like the perfect gentleman and opening the passenger door for her. I still needed to talk to her about the engagement thing. I was afraid of spoiling the evening. Everything was going so well, I didn’t want her to think that had been my sole purpose for the date. Technically, it had been, but once I really started to learn more about her, things changed. I didn’t know what I wanted, but I knew I didn’t want the night to end on a bad note.

  It could wait—for now. Tonight, was mine. I wasn’t going to worry about my little problem. I wanted to enjoy the moment.

  Chapter 10

  Hailey

  The ride to the Hermosa Beach pier was quiet. I knew we were both kind of nervous, which was a bit of a surprise. I mean, I knew why I was nervous, but him? I knew of his reputation as a womanizer, so it seemed strange that he was the one acting like a nervous virgin on a first date. I knew why I was nervous. I didn’t usually go out with men like him. I tended to be drawn to the quiet, scholarly types that kept a low profile. Terran was nothing like that. He was the exact opposite of the men I tended to be attracted to. Although, I was beginning to believe a lot of his reputation had been hyped up for dramatic effect.

  He parked his car, paid the fee, and we strolled down the boardwalk.

  “Have you been down here before?” he asked.

  “A few times. I honestly tend to avoid the touristy spots.”

  “Do you get recognized a lot?” he asked.

  “I wouldn’t say a lot, but there are a few people who notice me. With the recent sportswear campaign, it’s been happening a lot more often. Maybe dressed like this they won’t recognize me,” I said with a laugh.

  He looked me up and down, his gaze heated. “I would notice you.”

  “Well, in the ads, my hair is always pulled back, so the made-up look may throw them off,” I joked.

  We walked to one of the ice cream shops. I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air mingled with the aromas coming from the many food vendors. I looked up to see the moon was high in the sky. I knew there were probably plenty of stars as well, but the lights up and down the boardwalk drowned them out. It was one of those picture-perfect nights I loved to enjoy from somewhere high on one of the hills surrounding the city.

  We each ordered our cones; I went with chocolate while he chose rocky road. I couldn’t believe I was enjoying an ice cream cone with a man like Terran. A week ago, I couldn’t have ever imagined this night. It was surreal.

  “It’s a nice night,” I commented, appreciating the fact it was warm. I hadn’t thought to bring a jacket, and my dress wasn’t exactly full-coverage.

  “Are you warm enough?” he asked, concern on this face.

  “I’m perfect,” I said with a smile.

  We walked down the pier taking our time and eating our ice cream. Thankfully, my experience in heels made it possible for me to navigate the pier without breaking my neck. We found an empty bench at the end of the pier and sat down.

  “I guess this probably wasn’t the best idea,” he said with a grin.

  “What do you mean?”

  He looked down at my feet. “Your shoes.”

  I laughed. “I could climb a mountain in these things. I’ve had plenty of hours walking in heels much higher than this.”

  “That always amazes me.”

  “What does?” I asked, using my tongue to get a nice bite of the creamy ice cream.

  “How women walk in those things. I’m sure I would break a leg.”

  I laughed again. “It’s all about balance. It’s not so bad once you get used to it.”

  “I went to a concert once and the singer danced all over the stage in what had to be a good five-inch heel,” he said with amazement.

  “Now that takes talent. I don’t know if I could do that, but walking isn’t an issue.”

  We
sat silently eating our ice cream and watching the other couples stroll along the pier, taking advantage of the nice evening. Now that we weren’t moving, and I was eating ice cream, I felt a chill wash over me, causing me to shiver.

  “You’re cold,” he stated.

  “It’s fine. It was just a cool breeze,” I assured him.

  “Hold this,” he said, handing me his cone.

  I took it while he shrugged off his suit jacket before draping it over my shoulders. “Thank you.”

  I suddenly felt very warm, and it had nothing to do with the jacket around my bare shoulders. It was him. I could smell his cologne on the jacket and practically feel him holding me as I snuggled into the material. He took his ice cream back, both of us returning to our people watching. I was no longer chilled.

  “Hailey, I want to ask you something,” he said, turning to face me.

  I saw a little ice cream on the corner of his mouth and immediately reached for it, brushing it away with the pad of my thumb. The touch was electric. I felt as if I had been shocked the second my thumb touched his mouth. My thumb stopped moving.

  His eyes dropped to my mouth as mine dropped to his. Butterflies in my stomach were flitting about.

  “Ice cream,” I whispered.

  “What?” he said, his eyes still on my mouth.

  “You had ice cream there,” I whispered.

  He looked up at me, and for a brief second, I thought he would kiss me. I hoped he would kiss me. My heart was pounding in my chest as I waited for him to make a move. His gaze pulled away from mine and stared out at the water. The moment was lost. I wasn’t sure what happened, but something had changed in an instant.

  “You wanted to ask me something?” I said, my voice strained as I struggled to regain my composure.

  He shook his head. “It’s not a big deal. Another time,” he said, dismissing the issue.