Page 47 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

“I don’t think I should eat anything while I’m wearing this dress.”

“If you get something on it, we’ll just buy another one.”

“This dress cost four-thousand dollars!”

“So?”

She shook her head. “It’s going to take a minute for me to get used to your way of living.”

“I have a feeling it will happen faster than you think.”

Anthony drove us to a swanky restaurant. It was the kind of place where celebrities went to be seen. The maître d’ practically tripped over himself to seat us. I couldn’t help but notice the envious looks I got from other diners as we walked through the room.

Kaira looked stunning in the dress, and I wasn’t shy about showing her off.

We sat and she seemed more focused on the menu, her eyes widening at the prices.

“Roman, this is insane,” she whispered, leaning toward me.

“Just order what you want. Or I’ll order you a plate of snails. I mean, they’re delicious here, but not everyone’s a fan.”

She caved and ordered the branzino. I even managed to convince her to order dessert, on the condition we share it. By the time we finished the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream on top, the restaurant staff had all but rolled out a red carpet for us. I left a generous tip before guiding Kaira back to the car, where Anthony was waiting. He’d eaten his steak in the car.

When we finally returned to my house, Kaira let out a long breath and leaned against the doorframe of the grand foyer. Anthony had helped carry in the many, many shopping bags. They were now all over the hall, adding splashes of unfamiliar color to my life.

“That was overwhelming,” she admitted.

“Good overwhelming or bad overwhelming?” I asked.

She smiled, and it was so genuine that it made my chest tighten again. “Good. Definitely good.”

“Good,” I echoed, my voice low.

“Thank you.”

“Only the best for my favorite gal.” I had said it as a joke, but they weren’t untrue. I had enjoyed spending time with her, making her smile and checking her out in different outfits.

Maybe it was a good thing I was attracted to my fake fiancée but I suddenly felt like I was in trouble.

17

KAIRA

The day had been a whirlwind of luxury and unfamiliar splendor. Roman had been like my fairy godmother, only sexy as hell in his tailored suit. He took me from shop to shop in a surreal dream. From the soft slide of silky dresses over my skin to the attention from the high-end boutique clerks, it was all so foreign yet exhilarating. But now, standing in Roman’s expansive foyer surrounded by bags stamped with designer logos, I felt a tingling realization of the new world I was stepping into.

I didn’t know if I was cut out for this kind of life. My meager suitcase was among the bags. It stuck out like a sore thumb.

“So, uh, I guess I’ll take the bags to my room,” I said. “I can’t wait to get out of this dress.”

“We’re not done yet,” he said.

“I think we’ve done enough,” I replied, trying to sound lighthearted but failing to mask the exhaustion creeping into my bones.

I didn’t want to be alone with him. There was something about him that made me feel like I was dancing with the devil. I didn’t trust him. More like I didn’t trust myself. He had worn me out. The shopping marathon had been fun, but I never knew how draining shopping could be.

He shook his head, an amused smirk on his lips. “We need to update our socials. If the world is going to believe this, we’ve got to sell it. Nothing is official until we’re Insta-official.”

I raised a brow. “And by ‘sell it,’ you mean…?”