A Fiancée for Hire
. . .
Ellie
Well, I hadn’t expected to be proposed to today.
Not that Cade Westbrook had gotten down on one knee or flashed a ring or even popped the question at all.
He was too businessy for that.
If I were the gambling sort, I would’ve bet the thought of marrying me nauseated him. Which made it extra mind-boggling that he’d even suggest it.
And now I’d covered him in mocha. From my mouth.
Kill me.
Picking my jaw off the floor, I choked out a couple odd sounds before being able to form actual words. “… You want to marry me?”
Cade scowled, wiping his face with a cloth napkin. “No. You’ll be pretending to be my fiancée, and only for a week.”
The emphasis he put on “pretending” made me feel less bad about spraying mocha in his face.
I squinted at him, not following at all. “Why do you need a pretend fiancée?”
“An opportunity’s come up at work,” he answered.
“I’ll spare you the details, but I need you to go with me on a short holiday my brother’s planning and convince him and his friends that we’re getting married.
Once word reaches my grandfather—which it will, because we’ll be on his yacht and he has ears everywhere—he’ll finally take me seriously for this promotion. ”
I stared back at Cade, struggling to understand. I’d never heard of a promotion that required someone to get engaged. That sounded like a human resources nightmare.
“But why hire someone?” I asked, eyeing his nice dress clothes and handsome face. He even leaned back in Kitty’s delicate wicker chair like a king residing over court instead of a man drinking mediocre coffee at a failing cat café. “You don’t seem like you’d have any trouble finding a real wife.”
His upper lip lifted in clear disdain. “I’m not interested in a wife. This is purely business.”
I couldn’t help feeling a little intrigued. I’d never roleplayed as a fiancée before.
“How soon do you need an answer?” I asked.
He checked his watch. “In the next few minutes would be ideal. We board the yacht tomorrow afternoon.”
Tomorrow?
I opened my mouth, then closed it. “You’re kidding, right? I have sessions booked for this week. I can’t abandon my clients.”
Cade smiled wryly. “I’m sure they’ll survive.”
“But I made a commitment—”
“I’ll quadruple your hourly rate.”
My eyes bugged out.
Quadruple?
Oh, right. He was penthouse-rich.
“It—It’s not about the money,” I stammered, even though that was a bold-faced lie. I could desperately use the money. Just thinking about paying off Whiskey’s vet bills had me salivating. “Well, it’s not only about the money. My clients are counting on me, and I still have some dignity left.”
“I don’t. I’m desperate. My grandfather has grown sentimental in his old age, and this is the only guaranteed way to get this promotion without spending months or even years convincing him otherwise,” Cade explained.
“I’ll reimburse all your missed sessions and provide anything else you need. Name it.”
His easy dismissal of my commitments was insulting, making my eyes narrow. “You think you can just flash a little money and I’ll jump to do what you say?”
Cade cocked a brow. “How does five hundred grand sound?”
My lungs abruptly lost the ability to breathe.
This had to be a joke. Or a cruel prank or something. No one just offered someone five hundred thousand dollars to go on a vacation with them.
Cade must’ve taken my shocked silence for hesitation, because he sighed. “Fine. Make it a million. But I’m not going higher than that. It’s only a week of—”
“A million dollars?” I cried, jumping to my feet and knocking my chair over. “Are you insane?”
My shout caused all the cats to scatter into hiding spots, and Grace looked up from her book with a glare. I winced back in apology.
Cade sat patiently, unbothered by my outburst, and my cheeks heated as I righted my chair.
“I don’t need a million dollars,” I muttered, growing flustered and plopping back into my seat. “That’s too much money. And there’s no way any of this is legal or ethical.”
“Who’s it hurting?” he asked. “I’m getting the promotion I want, and you’re getting more than enough money to take care of your cat. I remember bits and pieces of what you said while I was falling asleep, but Hughes told me about his surgeries.”
I frowned. “I didn’t take Hughes for a gossip.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Cade’s mouth. “Money talks.”
I shook my head. Was this really happening? It seemed like some crazy gift from fate.
“And for any clients you have scheduled this week, I’ll pay in advance for their next ten appointments each,” Cade added while I tried to wrap my head around this. “That should help ease your guilt for cancelling on them with short notice.”
I could only stare. “That’s very generous of you.”
He leaned back further, letting the silence stretch as he studied me. “Yet you still seem unsure.”
I was unsure. It sounded way too good to be true. Underneath the table, I pinched my wrist to check if I was dreaming.
Ouch.
“I’m not not interested,” I admitted, because I’d have to be a moron to turn down that much money. Especially when he was paying me to take a vacation. “But won’t your family know something’s up when you’re suddenly not engaged after the trip? What’ll happen to your promotion then?”
“I’ll keep up the ruse for a while without bringing you around.
Say you’re traveling and doing charity work.
” He waved a careless hand. “It’ll last just long enough for my grandfather to realize I’m irreplaceable in the new role, and my family won’t be surprised when the wedding’s called off. I’m not the commitment type.”
No kidding.
“Okay, well, I still don’t need a million dollars.” I grimaced. “That’s too much money to even fathom. I wouldn’t know what to do with it.”
His lips twitched. “Pick a figure, then.”
The words were spoken casually, like a million dollars really meant so little to him. Meanwhile, I’d fight a vending machine if it tried to eat my quarter.
“You’re right about Whiskey. He does need surgery,” I said slowly, trying desperately to think about what else I needed money for. “And I do have a lot of debt.”
Cade crossed his arms. “All your debts will be cleared, and I’ll cover any future surgeries your cat needs. What else?”
I blinked and looked around Kitty’s place. She’d been stressing ever since the heater went out last winter. “Um, the café needs a lot of repairs that Kitty can’t afford. Maybe you could give her a donation?”
“I’ll write a check. Next?”
Disbelief had me shaking my head. “You want to give me more? This is a pretty one-sided negotiation.”
“I’ve been working toward this promotion for a long time, and I need you just as invested in this plan as I am.” He cracked a tight smile. “I also don’t have the time or luxury to haggle with this. You can rob me blind if you want to.”
But I didn’t want to rob anyone. Wiping out my debt and paying for Whiskey’s surgeries was everything. Helping Kitty was the icing on top.
I blew out a breath. “I don’t really need anything else.”
“Let’s not focus on needs, then. What do you want that money can’t buy?” he pressed. “There’s gotta be something. Membership to a club here in the city? Weekly reservations at the most exclusive fine dining? I can get you on any list, and I’ll cover the tabs.”
The mention of lists snagged my interest. “Any list?”
Cade only raised his dark brow in a silent challenge.
“I guess there’s one list I can think of.” I chewed on my lip, hoping I wasn’t overstepping. “But you’ll probably think it’s silly.”
“Name it.”
I took a deep breath, then let it out.
Well, here goes nothing.
“It’s called Chateau de Chaton, and it’s this really fancy cat daycare and spa that I walk by on my way to crochet club.
I think Whiskey would benefit from the socialization and cat yoga.
Plus, he’s always had a taste for finer things,” I rambled, smiling when I pictured him enjoying their greenhouse.
He loved lying in the sun. “… But their waitlist is over a year out, and you kind of need to know someone to get in. And it’s really expensive. ”
Cade stared blankly back at me for longer than was comfortable.
“A cat daycare?” he finally asked doubtfully.
“And spa,” I added under my breath, shifting in my seat.
He blinked before slowly shaking his head. “Consider it done.”
I perked up. “Really?”
“Like I said, I have no problem making this worth your while.” Cade pulled out his phone. “And none of this even comes close to the million I already offered. I’ll get your cat off the waitlist and cover all expenses for as long as you want him to go there. Anything else?”
Still shocked, I mutely shook my head as a smile took over my face. Whiskey was about to be the most spoiled cat in the galaxy.
After Cade sent a message on his phone, his gaze returned to me. “So, are you in?”
I chewed on my lip. “You said it’s only for a week, right?”
“Seven nights.”
I still hesitated, because there had to be a catch. “I want to say yes. It’s just… This feels weird. Like I’m being bought.”
“You are being bought,” he said bluntly. “It’s no different than the app you work on. I’m hiring you for a week, and I need to know you’ll be committed to this contract.”
It sure felt different. I was used to helping people and spreading a legacy of kindness and comfort.
Cade was asking me to lie to strangers for a week.
Giving myself a moment to consider it, I sipped my mocha and looked around for Whiskey. He’d found Mac in the corner and was sniffing the stiff bodyguard’s foot. Seemingly satisfied with what he smelled, Whiskey rubbed against Mac’s ankles, weaving between his legs.
Mac straight up ignored him, standing still as a statue with his hands in his pockets and his dark gaze watching our table.
I cleared my throat to hide my smile and refocused on Cade.
I wasn’t sure why I was hesitating when this was the answer to my prayers.
Besides, Sadie had readily jumped into the life of crime without looking back, and this wasn’t nearly as dangerous.
I’d be agreeing to take a fancy vacation on a yacht while pretending to be engaged to an attractive rich bachelor.
I took a deep breath and set my mug down. “Where do I sign?”
One side of Cade’s mouth lifted in a smirk.
“My legal team is working up a contract as we speak. I sent them the specifics to fill in, and there’ll be another NDA to sign.
My assistant will run the papers over by the time we finish here.
In the meantime, start memorizing everything inside this file. ”
He must’ve signaled to Mac—or maybe the bodyguard had been eavesdropping this entire time—because he peeled away from the corner to approach our table. Whiskey trotted along behind him.
Mac placed a leather portfolio on the table in front of me without a word, then strode back to his spot standing beside a big cat tree while Whiskey stuck around. My little fluffball propped his paws against my leg to proudly drop a gift into my lap.
“Oh.” I held up the dark shoelace and frowned at Whiskey. “This isn’t yours, is it?”
Whiskey’s big blue eyes peered back up at me innocently, and I sighed before facing Cade.
“Sorry. He thinks he’s bringing me a gift, but I’m trying to teach him that stealing is wrong.” Biting my lip, I glanced guiltily across the room and raised the shoelace higher. “Is this yours, Mac?”
Mac trudged back over, gaze flicking between the gift and his laceless boot. “… How the hell did he take that without me noticing?”
I winced. “He’s a sneaky little guy.”
Mac snatched the shoelace back—while glowering at an unbothered Whiskey—before shooting a glare at Cade and retreating to his corner.
Cade kept busy on his phone while I paged through the portfolio. It contained information from his childhood, a family tree, and a list of his staff at the penthouse.
I was reading through his schooling—of course he’d gone to a posh East Coast boarding school called Weston Academy—when Cade asked a question without taking his eyes off his phone. “What’s your full name?”
I looked up from the page with a frown. How could he have forgotten it already? He must’ve seen it on the app. “Ellie Darling.”
He sent me a dry glance over the table. “Your real name.”
My frown deepened. “That is my real name.”
Cade went completely still. “… Your legal name is Darling? You’re joking.”
“I wouldn’t joke about that.” I pressed my lips together. “Do you need to see my birth certificate to believe it?”
He slowly shook his head. “I thought it was a stage name. Like a stripper.”
“I’m not a stripper!”
Not that there was anything wrong with stripping. I even felt a bond with the profession, since professional cuddlers also struggled with societal stigmas. But we deserved respect in our own right, too.
“I didn’t say you were.” Cade rubbed at his temple, briefly closing his eyes. “Now I’m concerned that you put your real name on an app like that. You know it must be full of creeps, right?”
I gave him a pointed look. “Says the guy who’s paying me to pretend to be his fiancée.”
His eyes opened just enough to squint at me, lips twitching. “Point taken.”
Fighting my own smile, I flipped to a new page that showed some impressive internships. “Should I prepare something like this for you, too? With my family and schooling and everything?”
“No need,” he answered shortly. “Tell the truth or make up whatever you want, and I’ll go along with it. Just… choose a different profession.”
My brows shot up, and I instantly went on the defensive. “Are you ashamed of my job?”
“It’ll raise too many questions with my family. We can just say you’re a consultant instead. Keep things vague.”
“Vague and boring,” I muttered, scrunching my nose. I made a mental note to think of something more fun than that by tomorrow.
Cade went back to typing on his phone. “My assistant will reach out to you to book an appointment to get your hair dyed tonight. Let him know if you have a preferred salon.”
I frowned. He wanted me to dye my hair? “Uh, no thank you.”
His thumbs froze, gaze rising from the screen. “No thank you?”
“I’m not dyeing my hair.”
Cade’s dark eyes narrowed, and I felt distinctly more like prey than a business partner. “No one will believe I’m engaged to someone with blue hair.”
“Well, that’s just too bad. Like you said, you need me more than I need you,” I said pointedly. With a small shrug, I leaned back in my chair, hoping it made me look just as effortlessly powerful as it did for him. “So, you either get me with blue hair, or you don’t get me at all.”
If there was one thing I’d learned about Cade Westbrook in the short time since we met, it was that he liked being in control. But if he expected me to just roll over and obey all his commands, then he’d hired the wrong girl.