Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

Chapter 26

26

ROMAN

I looked at Kaira, desperately hoping she’d pick up on my silent plea to tread carefully. In all honesty, Ruby had an uncanny knack for sniffing out secrets. I was more than a little concerned about how much she could glean from our awkward exchanges.

“Nobody’s pregnant,” I said, attempting to paint over our unease with a brush of fatigue. “It’s just been a long day, that’s all. We weren’t expecting company.”

Ruby studied me for a moment, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to see through to my soul. I knew that look well. It was the same one she’d given me countless times when I was sixteen and got caught coming home drunk.

And she was not stupid. When I was younger, I used to believe she was clairvoyant. She had this eerie ability to see the truth despite all the smoke screens. She was doing it again now, searching my face for a hint, a clue that would give us away.

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling like a teenager under her intense scrutiny. “Really, Ruby, it’s just been one of those days,” I reiterated. My voice sounded strained even to my own ears.

“Roman Jameson Andrew Kelly.”

I grimaced. Yep, it was a flashback to the night she found me passed out cold in the front yard after I failed to make it all the way inside.

I glanced at Kaira, who looked terrified. And amused.

“Aunt Ruby?—”

“Don’t you dare try and Aunt Ruby me. What’s going on? Did you cheat on her?”

“No!” I answered quickly.

Aunt Ruby turned to look at Kaira. “Tell me, sweetie. What did he do? You tell me and I’ll set him straight.”

Poor Kaira had a deer in the headlights expression.

There was no point in denying the truth. Aunt Ruby would sniff it out eventually.

“What we aren’t saying is that our engagement is not real.”

She frowned. “Excuse me?”

“The engagement isn’t real. We’re faking it. It’s just for show.”

She looked at me like I was crazy.

“What do you mean it’s not real?” she shrieked, flinging herself backward onto the couch as if I’d just confessed to robbing a bank. “You’re engaged ! You’re having a wedding! There’s supposed to be a cake ! With layers, Roman! Layers! I want the little bride and groom on top of the cake!”

I rubbed the back of my neck, fighting a grin. She was eccentric, but she always managed to make me smile.

Kaira was holding her cup in front of her mouth, clearly trying to hide her own smile.

“Aunt Ruby,” I began, attempting to calm her, but she cut me off with a dramatic gasp.

“Does she know it’s not real?” she demanded, sitting upright and pointing an accusatory finger at Kaira, who was perched on the edge of her seat looking utterly bewildered.

“Yes,” I said, chuckling despite myself. “She knows.”

“Oh, thank God,” Ruby said, throwing a hand over her chest in mock relief. “I thought you’d tricked the poor girl into pretending to be your fiancée. Although honestly, that would’ve been less insane than both of you willingly going along with this madness!”

Kaira finally found her voice. “It’s just for six months. Roman needed help, and I… well, I agreed.”

“Six months?” Ruby repeated, her bracelets jangling as she gestured wildly. “This is lunacy! When it all implodes in your faces, don’t come crying to me. Playing with the media like this? With your reputation, Roman? Have you lost your mind? And Kaira.” Aunt Ruby put her teacup down. She turned to Kaira with a frown on her face. “Have you thought about how difficult it might be to go back to your normal life after this? The media doesn’t just let go once they’ve got their claws in you. Not when it comes to our family. Do you really know what it’s like to be associated with a man like Roman?”

Kaira stiffened. “I’m not sure I’ll miss any of this,” she said, gesturing to the grand sitting room. “I like my home. I might not be a Kelly and have a big mansion, but that’s not always a bad thing.”

Ruby’s expression softened. “I don’t mean the house or the lifestyle, darling. I mean the public eye . You think they’ll leave you alone just because the engagement ends? Think again. You’ll be ‘Roman Kelly’s former fiancée’ for years. Paparazzi, tabloid rumors, the works. Are you ready for that? Anytime you’re out getting a cup of coffee they’ll make a headline out of it. If it’s a slow news week, the sharks will circle.”

Kaira’s eyes widened as the realization sank in. It was clear neither of us had considered that angle. We had been so focused on now , we never thought about after .

Ruby stood, brushing imaginary dust from her skirt with an air of finality. “Well, it’s your lives. You can do whatever you want. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She winked at Kaira. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a charming gentleman who happens to own a vineyard in Napa. I’ve got a rich, handsome suitor in every corner of the world, you know. Keeps me young.”

With that, she sashayed out of the room, leaving us both sitting in stunned silence.

Kaira finally broke the quiet. “Your aunt is… a character.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “She’s always been like that. Larger than life. My mom was nothing like her.”

Kaira leaned forward. “Oh yeah, what was she like?”

“She was Ruby’s opposite in every way,” I said, my voice softening at the memory. “Soft spoken, conservative, gentle. Normal.”

“What was her name?”

I hesitated, caught off guard by the question. It had been so long since I’d spoken her name aloud. “Rowena,” I said finally, the name feeling foreign on my tongue.

“That’s a pretty name,” Kaira said, smiling. “Unique.”

I nodded, but the conversation was starting to make me uncomfortable. I got to my feet. “We have things to do today. I’ll have some clothes sent up to your room.”

“I have a ton of clothes up there already,” she said. “I haven’t even worn them.”

“I want something else.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”

“It’s the job.”

She gave me a dirty look. “We should probably get more specific about what the job is,” she muttered. “And what it isn’t.”

I knew exactly what she was referring to. Yes, it was worth a conversation, but I wasn’t ready to have it just yet.

“The job is exactly what I said it was. I have a delivery arriving soon. You’ll want to do the hair and makeup thing.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re going into the city and there will be photographers.”

Kaira groaned. “I’d rather not.”

“Do I need to I remind you of the terms of our agreement?”

“No. I’m your pawn. Someone you can dress up like a doll when you want to.”

“I’ll meet you in the foyer in an hour,” I said. “Maybe you’ll be less sulky by then.”

She shot me a glare before sulking all the way up the stairs.

I exhaled and rubbed my hand down my face. This was getting messier than I had anticipated. The boundary lines of our agreement kept blurring into something more personal and less contractual.

I got up walked to the window. We had jumped headlong into this farce of an engagement without fully considering all its implications. The media was a beast I was accustomed to but Kaira was not. She had the innocence of someone unscarred by the sharp claws of public scrutiny. I could shield her here on the estate, but once this was over, she was on her own.

Earlier that morning, I had done a lot of thinking. There was a dress we hadn’t bought during our shopping excursion, but I realized that was a mistake. I had called the store and ordered it to be delivered along with whatever accessories the salespeople thought would work with the dress.

The delivery arrived fifteen minutes later. I gave it to a staff member to take up to her. I hated that I was anxious to see her all dressed up. Was I treating her like a doll?

Either way, I liked spending time with her but last night had messed things up. The sex was one thing, but the way I acted after was abysmal. I had left the room without a word. I knew that was cold. She did not deserve to be treated like that.

I left the sitting room and walked to my study. I paced the small space feeling caged. Kaira had been a pleasant distraction when this all started. We had a simple agreement, business-like and mutually beneficial. But last night had changed something fundamental between us. The lines were hazy, our roles confused, and now I found myself in uncharted emotional waters.

I wasn’t just her faux fiancé anymore. There was something more, something deeper that I hadn’t anticipated. It was why I had gotten so distant after we rocked each other’s worlds. She made me feel things that scared me.

There was no way in hell I could act on those feelings.

I quickly changed into another suit and went to the foyer to wait for Kaira. I didn’t think she would stand me up but I wouldn’t be surprised if she made me wait as a way to pay me back for my rudeness earlier.

Later, when she descended the grand staircase, she looked incredible. The dress I’d chosen for her fit her perfectly. She had left her hair down and put on just enough makeup to enhance her natural beauty. The sight left me momentarily speechless.

“You clean up well,” I said, my tone light but sincere.

She gave me a dry look, clearly unsure whether or not to accept the compliment. “Wouldn’t want to disappoint the photographers.”

“I mean it,” I added, stepping closer. “You look stunning. I don’t know why we walked away from this dress the first time.”

Her cheeks flushed slightly. “Thank you.”

“Please tell me you’re comfortable in it.”

She smoothed her hands over the front of the dress. “Yes. It’s not something I would normally wear, but it’s okay.”

I chuckled. “It’s better than okay.”

“I can’t believe you remembered it.”

“I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.”

She seemed surprised by my confession.

“Shall we go?” I asked.

“Do I have a choice?”

“No.”

We headed out to the car where Anthony was waiting. The drive into the city was quiet but not unpleasant. Kaira seemed more at ease than usual, though I couldn’t quite tell if it was genuine or a performance. After the way I’d walked out on her, she had every right to be upset with me.

Then again, why would it have bothered her? She wasn’t falling for me the way I was for her. I couldn’t hurt her feelings if she didn’t have any.

When we arrived at the restaurant, the ma?tre d’ greeted us with an overly enthusiastic smile, clearly recognizing me. I made the necessary introductions to a few friends already seated at our table, and Kaira stayed close to my side without me having to say a word.

Almost like she wanted to be there.

She charmed them easily, answering their questions with poise and laughing at their jokes as though she’d known them for years. For a moment, I let myself relax. I could almost believe this whole thing was real.

As the evening went on, I found myself watching her more than I should have, captivated by the way she carried herself. She was blending in better than I could have imagined.

With every passing second, I was falling harder for my fake fiancée.