Chapter Six
Ian
I hope you’re having a good day. My lunch meeting got moved to dinner. Can you please be ready to go at 6:00? It’s at the country club. I’ll be home early.
I glanceat the message as I walk into the house, sniffling back my tears. It was sent earlier, but I didn’t look at it until now. The last thing I want to do is go to a business dinner tonight after spending the afternoon with my dad at the cemetery, but I have to uphold my end of the deal, so I need to get my shit together and leave the mourning to later.
“What happened?” Ian asks, making me jump.
I didn’t park in the garage, so I wasn’t aware he was already home.
“Nothing,” I say, wiping my tears and forcing a fake smile.
“Don’t lie to me.” He closes the gap between us and pulls me into his arms, glancing down at me with concern etched on his features. “It’s clear something is wrong, and I can’t help if I don’t know what it is.”
My heart stutters in my chest. I’m not used to other people caring. It’s not that no one cares, but I normally don’t let anyone see me like this. Even at the gravesite with my dad, I didn’t cry. It wasn’t until after we left and I was alone in my car that I allowed myself to let go.
“I just came from visiting my mom’s grave,” I admit, shocking myself for letting Ian in so easily. “It’s the first time I’ve been there since she passed away.”
Ian envelops me in a comforting hug, and I allow myself to cry all over again.
“I knew it would be hard to see her grave,” I tell him through my sobs. “But I didn’t think it would feel like my heart was being ripped out of my chest all over again.”
“You should’ve told me,” he murmurs. “I would’ve come with you.”
“I appreciate that, but my dad actually went with me.”
“Your dad lives here?”
“Yeah, I grew up here.” Speaking of which … “He saw my ring, so I had to tell him about you.” Not exactly the truth, but not quite a lie either.
Ian’s eyes go wide. “You told him?”
“That you’re my fiancé? Yes.”
I had to sign an NDA, agreeing not to tell anyone that our relationship was a lie, so it makes sense that I would tell my family and friends that I’m engaged. He just doesn’t know that instead of telling my dad for Ian’s benefit, I have my own agenda that happens to line up with his.
“How did he take it?”
“He wants to meet you.”
Ian chuckles. “I’ve never met the parents before.”
“My mom would’ve liked you,” I say with a small laugh. “She would’ve thought you were ridiculously handsome and asked a million inappropriate questions.”
The thought of my mom not being here to ever meet the man I choose to be with—if that day ever comes—has me feeling sad all over again.
Ian must pick up on my emotions because he says, “If you’re not up for going to dinner tonight, I can cancel.”
“No, I’m okay. It’s not for a few hours, so that’ll give me time to get myself together.”
“Come with me.”
He takes my hand in his and guides me upstairs, through my bedroom and into the bathroom. Ian lets go of my hand and turns the water on, then pours liquid in that immediately creates bubbles. The flow is strong and the tub is already halfway filled by the time Ian has lit a couple of candles and set them around the edge.
“While I go downstairs and get you a glass of wine to help you relax, get in and get comfortable.” He presses a quick kiss to my lips and then disappears.
In a state of shock and awe, I undress and then climb into the tub, sighing as the heated water instantly calms me. Since the water is high enough and the bubbles are thick enough to cover the important parts, I switch the tap off and lean back, closing my eyes.
“Knock, knock,” he says a few minutes later.
“You can come in.”
He strides in and sets the glass of white wine on the edge, then walks over to the wall and presses a button that makes the jets in the tub turn on, hitting my back like the best massage.
“Better?” he asks.
“This is perfect,” I choke out. “Thank you.”
I can’t remember the last time—if ever—someone took care of me like this. Not since my mom died and never like this.
Ian leans over and kisses me again, this time softer than the last, and butterflies flutter in my belly. As our lips curve around each other, I wonder if Ian was right about taking things slow because with every kiss and touch, it feels like we’re toeing the imaginary line we drew, and if I’m not careful, he might just cross on over to my side. And I’ve yet to figure out if that’s a good or bad thing.
“Close your eyes and relax,” Ian murmurs, his lips brushing against mine once more. “If you need anything, let me know.”
He stands, ready to give me time to myself, but before he can leave, I grab his bicep, halting him in place.
“This whole thing between us … it’s strictly physical, right?”
He looks at me for several seconds before he nods once. “Of course. Get some rest.”
“Okay, good,” I say. “Just making sure we’re on the same page.”
“Definitely on the same page,” he agrees.
But as he walks out the door, I can’t help but feel like although we’re on the same page, we both might be in denial of the book we’re reading.
The rideto the country club is quiet. And not the comfortable kind of quiet. It’s awkward, and I hate it.
And since I’m not one to beat around the bush, when we pull up to the country club, before Ian can get out, I stop him and ask, “Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” he says too quickly.
“Really? Because you were all over me, and then the moment I clarified our relationship was strictly physical, you got all weird.”
Ian sighs. “Truth?”
“Always.”
“I’ve never felt a connection with a woman the way I do with you,” he says, palming the side of my face. “And when I mentioned wanting to take things slow, it was because I’d like to see where things go with us for real. But you’ve made it clear twice that’s not what you’re looking for, so …” He shrugs. “I just need a moment to get my head on straight. But it’s not your fault I caught feelings for the only damn woman who isn’t available.” He chuckles softly.
I consider telling him that it’s not one-sided so he doesn’t think he’s the only one who has felt the connection, but before I can get the words out, a valet attendant steps up to my door and opens it.
“Can we continue this conversation after dinner?” I ask, hoping it will help make things less uncomfortable.
He went through all this trouble to have a fake fiancée on his arm, and I don’t want our personal issues to affect his work engagement.
“Of course,” he says, leaning over and kissing my cheek. “And in case I forgot to tell you, you look beautiful tonight.”
With my arm linked in his, we walk up to the hostess stand.
“Kingston,” Ian says, causing me to do a double take because did he just say …
No, I have to be hearing things, right?
“Yes, sir,” she replies. “Mr. and Mrs. Kingston are already here. I’ll show you back.”
I’m so shocked by their conversation that I nearly trip over my heels and Ian has to save me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, continuing to follow the hostess back.
“Who is?—”
Before I can finish my question, a masculine voice calls out my name. And not Stacey, the name Ian thinks is my real name. No, he says Anastasia. My real name.
“Dad,” I whisper, my eyes meeting his.
“Dad?” Ian unhooks his arm from mine and takes a step back. “Wait, Anastasia?”
“Julian, what’s going on here?” Dad asks, looking at my fake fiancé.
“Who’s Julian?” I ask. “You mean Ian?”
But the second I say the names, my entire world turns on its axis because there’s only one Julian that I know of …
“This sounds like a rendition of ‘Who’s on First?’” a woman says with a giggle.
I quickly glance at her and notice she’s standing next to my dad. I recognize her from their wedding announcement. She’s Selene, my dad’s wife—my stepmom.
But I don’t have time to focus on her because I’m too busy mentally kicking myself in the ass for not doing proper research. I mean, I looked up the key players at Kingston, I know the names of the COO and CFO, as well as several other employees, but I was so busy tying up loose ends at Benson that I didn’t bother to look up pictures and details.
I told myself I would delve deeper once I was here and knew exactly who I was dealing with. I mean, the company has hundreds of employees working at Kingston’s headquarters. It would’ve been a waste of time to look up people who weren’t relevant. But that was dumb on my part because look where it’s landed me—fake engaged to Julian Parker, the COO of Kingston Limited.
“Samuel is your dad?” Ian—err, Julian—questions.
“Yes,” I snap, ready to go off on him until I glance at my dad, who’s looking at us in confusion because he knows I’m engaged, yet I’m arguing with my fiancé over our names. “And this is your boss, right?” I say with a fake smile, trying to cover my tracks before my story is blown to pieces.
Julian glances at my dad. “I thought your daughter’s name was Anastasia,” he says, stating the obvious, but not connecting the dots yet.
“It is,” I answer for my dad.
A look passes between Julian and me as he realizes that we’re both guilty of the same thing—lying about our real names.
“Wait a second,” Dad says, looking at Julian. “Is this your fiancée?” Then, to me, he adds, “You’re engaged to my COO?”
“Did you two not discuss the important things, like family and work?” Selene pipes in, looking at us in bewilderment.
“We did. Just not the specifics,” Julian says, pulling me into his side as I connect my own dots.
Julian wanted a trophy wife for the same reason I wanted a fake fiancé—to show my dad that he’s a family man because just like me, Julian Parker is trying to become the next CEO of Kingston Limited—which means … I’m officially fake engaged to my enemy.
“To be honest,” I lie, “we’ve been so caught up in each other that we didn’t discuss things like that. I knew he was a COO, but I didn’t know he worked for you.” I glance up at Julian, trying like hell to look like I’m in love before I look back at my dad. “We’ve been totally lost in each other, in our own little bubble.”
“So, this engagement is real?” Dad asks, sharp as always.
“Of course it is,” I tell him, laying my head against Julian’s chest to emphasize my claim. “I’m in love with this man, and I can’t wait to marry him.”
Dad nods slowly, his gaze flitting between the two of us, and I hold my breath, waiting for him to call us out on our shit. But then his face spreads into a smile, and the corners of his eyes crinkle with happiness.
“Well, all right then,” he says, glancing at Julian. “Congratulations, son! I guess I have you to thank for bringing my daughter home.”
He opens his arms, and Julian releases me to give my dad a hug.
When they separate, Dad looks at us both and chuckles. “Since you guys haven’t discussed work, I’m assuming you haven’t told Julian about what we talked about today.”
“I haven’t had time,” I say, shaking my head.
“Work?” Julian raises a brow. “I thought you wanted to be a stay-at-home wife.”
My dad barks out a laugh. “My daughter, a stay-at-home wife? That’s funny. Are you going to tell him, or should I?”
“Tell me what?” Julian asks, his eyes staying trained on my dad.
When I don’t say anything, Dad chuckles. “I hired Anastasia to work for me as a marketing analyst. She wants a chance to prove she can be the next face of Kingston. Your fiancée is your biggest competition to become the next CEO.”
Julian slowly turns toward me. “Is that so?” he says with a devilish smirk that sends a shiver racing up my spine. “Well, soon-to-be wifey, it looks like we have a lot to discuss, don’t we?”