“I’d like to hire you for a weeklong commitment that involves some travel, and I’m willing to pay a premium for the short notice,” I explained. “But what I’m requesting is somewhat unorthodox, even for your industry.”
Ellie hummed, bringing the mug to her lips. “Okay, I’m officially intrigued. What would I need to do?”
I paused while she drank, giving myself one last chance to back out of this. But my grandfather’s parting words played through my mind:
Show me you can have a work-life balance, and the position’s yours.
Maybe my plan was a tad overkill, but I’d never been one to half-ass things. It was all or nothing.
So, I chose the direct approach. “Be my fiancée.”
The comical widening of Ellie’s blue eyes was all the warning I had before a mouthful of mocha sprayed me in the face.
a fiancée for hire
. . .
Ellie
Ellie’s Guide to Professional Cuddling, Tip #6: Never underestimate the power of a good cuddle.
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 bepretendingto 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.”
