Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
“Very well, sir.” His secretary shot Taylor a narrowed glance. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
“Please, have a seat.” Nick gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
Taylor stepped forward, chin lifted, eyes burning with determination.
Undisguised interest glimmered behind Erik’s gold spectacles.
Nick jerked his head toward the doorway. “Erik. We’ll continue our discussion later.”
Appearing more amused than disturbed over his abrupt dismissal, Erik stood. As he walked toward the door, he flashed Nick a knowing grin. He grasped the doorknob and turned, tipping his head toward the woman. “Ms. Rollins, a pleasure. And, Nick, good luck.”
Nick ignored the comment and directed his attention to his visitor. “Normally I don’t meet with anyone without an appointment.”
A small muscle jumped at the corner of her jaw, but her voice was soft and controlled. “I realize that, however, this is very important. I need you to explain what this is about.”
A pink slip sailed across the sleek surface of his desk, skidding to a halt in front of him.
Nick exhaled slowly, reaching for the crumpled notice. He unfolded the slip and scanned the printed words, suppressing a groan. This was exactly why he’d told Human Resources to wait until the end of the day.
He laid it down deliberately and lifted his gaze to the woman sitting across from him.
“This is why you’re here.”
“Yes.” Her green eyes gleamed with barely restrained fury.
Nick adjusted his cuffs, straightened the knot of his tie, and took a measured breath. “Well, Kay?—”
A flicker of irritation crossed her face before she quickly smoothed it away. “I prefer to be called Taylor. Assuming, of course, that you want to be on a first-name basis, Nick.”
“This form says Kay,” he pointed out.
“Kaye is my given name. I’ve always gone by Taylor.” Her jaw tightened slightly, betraying the emotion she was working so hard to suppress. “And if you’re going to fire someone, I’d suggest spelling their name correctly. It’s K-A-Y-E, not K-A-Y.”
His lips quirked despite himself. Definitely fiery.
“Well, Taylor,” he said smoothly, leaning back in his chair, “we have a volatile marketplace out there. I’m sure you’re aware that certain measures have to be taken for a company to remain competitive.”
Her gaze raked over him, sharp and unwavering. “Don’t patronize me, Nick . I’m not a naive little girl. I know what the marketplace is like. That’s exactly why I vetted this job carefully before I ever considered taking it.”
“If you’ll let me expla?—”
“I’m not finished.”
Her voice had a slight tremor, but she caught it, steeling herself with a lift of her chin.
“I gave up a good position to move back to Cedar Ridge. For what? So I could be dismissed after only three weeks?” Her voice softened slightly, but the strain was unmistakable. “I have bills to pay. A lot of bills.”
Nick stilled.
Bills.
The single word flattened any growing sympathy. He had no patience for people who lived beyond their means. He studied her more closely, his keen business instincts kicking in. Was she careless? Reckless with money?
“If you knew this position was scheduled to be eliminated,” she said, her voice quieter but no less biting. “Why even fill it?”
Nick frowned. “We hired you only three weeks ago?”
She nodded stiffly.
Nick inhaled slowly, pushing back the flicker of frustration. “I apologize for the mix-up.”
He made a mental note to talk to Human Resources. They been instructed to only fill essential positions. “Unfortunately, I don’t have another job for you. After this downsizing, we’ll be in a hiring freeze until at least the end of summer.”
Her face paled. She took a ragged breath, her fingers tightening around the edge of her jacket.
Despite himself, something inside him shifted.
He didn’t know her circumstances. Didn’t know if she had children to provide for, a family relying on her paycheck. He forced himself to remember that not everyone had the privilege of a financial safety net.
“Unless…”
Taylor straightened, her posture rigid. “I’m willing to consider almost anything. I’m very versatile.”
Nick blinked.
He hadn’t meant to give her false hope.
And yet… the thought forming in his mind was reckless. Insane.
He studied her again, his mind racing ahead of his logic. Could this actually work?
“No,” he said finally, shaking his head. “On second thought, I don’t think it would be a good idea.”
Her lips parted. “Listen, I really need the money. I told you, I’ll consider almost anything.”
A flush of color rose to her cheeks, a delicate dusty-pink hue that only heightened her intensity. She was beautiful. Not in a carefully made-up, high-maintenance way. In a way that was raw, real, and entirely uncalculated.
Nick leaned back, exhaling sharply. He must have lost his mind to even consider what he was about to say.
“At least let me interview,” she pushed, her voice softer now, edged with something close to desperation. “Give me that chance.”
Nick tapped his pen against the desk, his heartbeat ticking at the same rhythm. The last shred of common sense in his brain told him to send her out, to let it go.
Instead, he plunged recklessly ahead.
“Let’s start with you telling me a little bit about yourself,” he said. “That’ll help me determine if you’d be right for this… ah, assignment.”
A mixture of relief and gratitude flickered across her face.
She took a deep breath, then flashed him a small but genuine smile. Something about it caught him off guard.
“I graduated from Swarthmore with a degree in computer engineering,” she said. “I worked for ComTECH Industries in Denver for the past three years.”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “With those credentials, I wouldn’t think you’d have any problem finding another job.”
“Probably not,” she admitted. “If I moved back to Denver. But I can’t do that.”
“I take it your husband isn’t willing to move?”
She blinked, then gave a short laugh. “I’m not married.”
Nick tilted his head. “So, what’s the problem?”
“I’m an only child. My mother died when I was fifteen. My father was killed in a car accident last year.” She hesitated, clasping her hands together as if steadying herself. “My grandparents are getting older, and I’m their only family now. I want—I need—to be close to them.”
Nick studied her more closely. There was a quiet strength to her. A resilience. She wasn’t asking for a handout. She was fighting for a place to stand.
He nodded slightly. “What about evenings? Would you be free if the job required it? Or do you have to care for them?”
Taylor let out a soft, full-throated laugh.
It was unexpected.
And for some reason, it sent warmth through his chest.
“Heavens, no,” she said. “They’re independent. My grandfather had a mild heart attack last year, but he recovered. I just don’t want to be two hours away if something happens again.”
Nick’s gaze lingered on her, turning thoughtful.
This could work.
Slowly, carefully, he leaned forward.
“Well, Taylor…” He let the weight of the moment settle. “I think I may have a job for you.”
She gasped softly, her hands tightening on the arms of her chair. “You mean—you’ve already decided? The job is mine?”
“It is.” His voice dipped slightly. “That is, of course, assuming you want it.”
Hope flickered in her eyes. “Of course I do. Tell me about it. What position would I fill?”
Nick held her gaze, his pulse quickening.
Was he really about to do this?
“The position is…” His voice slowed, tasting the words before he said them, …“my fiancée.”
* * *
"What did you say?"
Taylor’s breath hitched as she stared at Nick, certain she’d misheard him.
Nick repeated himself slowly, his deep voice steady, as if measured words would increase her comprehension. “I’m offering you a job. You’d be my fiancée. Just for the summer.”
Her heart stuttered. For a brief, fleeting moment, she allowed herself to imagine it—to picture what it would be like to stand beside this man, to have his arm around her waist, his blue eyes focused only on her. With his classically handsome features, the dark waves of his hair, and the kind of self-assured confidence that made men like him untouchable, Nick Lanagan epitomized every woman’s dream man.
But that was just it—he was a dream. And what he was proposing was utterly insane.
“Shall we talk salary then?” A satisfied smile played across his lips as he picked up his pen, as if this was a business deal like any other.
“No,” she blurted, her voice stiff and unnatural even to her own ears. Her hesitation must have given him the impression she was actually considering his outrageous offer. She wasn’t.
“Mr. Lanagan?—”
Nick leaned back, eyes twinkling with amusement. “First names, Taylor. No one will believe we’re engaged if you’re calling me ‘Mr. Lanagan.’”
Irritation surged through her at the easy confidence in his smile.
“Mr. Lanagan, if this is some kind of sick joke, I’m not laughing.”
“Wait a minute.” His blue eyes flashed with challenge. “You’re the one who said you needed money.”
“Yes, but I believe I also said I wanted a job.”
“That’s what I’m offering.” His gaze locked onto hers, unwavering. “A job for the summer. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
“As your paid honey.”
“As my fiancée.”
Taylor let out a slow breath, gathering her thoughts. “Why me? You must have dozens of women who would love to play house with you.”
Something flickered across his face—a shadow, a tightening of his jaw—but it was gone before she could name it.
“Absolutely,” he said, voice crisp. “But they might expect more from me than a salary. A paycheck is all I’m prepared to provide.”
A paycheck. To play the part of a devoted fiancée.
Her gaze sharpened as she studied him, as if he were a complicated formula she couldn’t quite solve. “Why would a man in your position need to hire a fiancée? And what exactly would you expect her to… provide?”
Nick’s brows lifted. “Provide?”
She folded her arms. “Don’t give me that innocent look. You know exactly what I’m asking. Is sex part of the deal?”
For the first time since she entered his office, Nick Lanagan looked startled. Then—he laughed. A deep, rich, unrestrained laugh that sent a pulse of warmth through the air.
“No,” he said, still grinning, his voice a low baritone that somehow sent a shiver down her spine. He rose from his chair, leaned forward, and locked eyes with her. “All I’d ask is the pleasure of your company. Maybe a few public kisses. A little hand holding. Nothing more.”
Taylor swallowed, feeling slightly unsteady.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered. “I came here looking for a job. A real job.”
“At least consider my offer.”
She hesitated, her pride warring with curiosity. She should have already walked out the door. But the sheer audacity of his proposal rooted her in place.
Nick noticed. His gaze flickered with something knowing, something calculated.
She shook her head and stood, forcing herself to regain control. “I know I told you I was desperate. And I am. But even desperate has its limits.”
Nick reclined, watching her as though he had all the time in the world. “Aren’t you being a bit hasty? We haven’t even discussed how much this arrangement would be worth to me.”
“No amount of money?—”
“Fifty thousand dollars a month.”
The words hit her like a thunderclap.
Her breath caught in her throat. She reached for the back of the chair, gripping it to steady herself.
That kind of money… That kind of money could change everything.
It could wipe out her mounting debt. It could buy her time. It could ensure she didn’t have to leave Cedar Ridge and abandon the only family she had left.
A deep, rich fragrance of expensive cologne surrounded her. She looked up, and Nick was suddenly there, standing just inches away. His presence was too large, too powerful, his sheer nearness sending her pulse into chaos.
Flecks of hazel swirled in his piercing blue eyes.
A shiver ran down her spine.
“This is very important to me,” he said, his voice low and smooth. Dangerous. “Just think about it.”
She opened her mouth to tell him that time wouldn’t change anything, that her answer would still be no—but words failed her.
Nick’s presence, his intensity, stole them right from her lips.
“I don’t?—”
“I agree.” His voice dropped to a coaxing murmur. “Now is not the time to decide.”
His hand found the small of her back, firm yet effortless as he guided her toward the door. The warmth of his touch sent an unexpected tremor through her.
“I’ll pick you up at six,” he said smoothly. “We’ll have dinner. I guarantee I’ll put all your fears to rest.”
He obviously didn’t realize there was nothing to discuss.
Her mind was made up.
“What would dinner hurt?”
She could feel herself weakening, and as if sensing the shift, he pressed on. “We’ll just talk. Then, if you still decide it’s not for you…”
“It’s not,” she said, but her voice wasn’t as firm as she wanted it to be.
Nick simply smiled. That slow, infuriatingly confident smile.
“Give me a chance to change your mind.”
And just like that, she was in the hallway. The door closed softly behind her, leaving her standing there, her pulse pounding in her ears.
Taylor steadied herself against the doorjamb, wondering if she’d just lost her mind.
Nick’s proposal made no sense.
But then… neither did her reaction.
Because for one brief, dangerous moment—when his gaze had locked onto hers, when he’d stood so close she could barely breathe—she had been seriously tempted to say yes.