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“She’s perfect.”
Stella beamed. “Of course she is.” She grabbed her coat and purse. She said, “You two kids have fun,” and then she left the hotel room.
Kristen sucked in a breath. “So I’m okay?”
“I already said you were perfect,” he said, his voice businesslike and efficient. “Let’s go.”
Uneasiness wove through her. From his extremely chilly behavior, she had the odd sense that she’d done something wrong. But she hadn’t. She’d agreed with everything he’d asked, including a stay in New York City that she hadn’t planned on, a shopping trip and a Christmas party.
How could he be upset with her?
She picked up the black satin wrap that matched her gown and walked to the door with him. They rode down in the main elevator of the exclusive hotel in complete silence.
In the lobby, employees nodded and said, “Good evening, Mr. Suminski. Ms. Anderson,” but other guests ignored them. They stepped outside into the cold December air and, glancing at her skimpy wrap, Dean rushed her into the limo.
She slid onto the seat. He slid on beside her. The limo pulled out into traffic.
The silence continued.
She peeked over at Dean who wore a black tux, white shirt, white vest and white bow tie. He looked clean and expensive and smelled divine. And for the first time it hit her that she was really on a date with him. One of the richest, most handsome men in the world.
The whole freaking world.
Her throat tightened. Her nerve endings buzzed. Right at that moment, sitting next to him, his money and social status took a backseat to his good looks. Never in a million years would a farm girl from Grennady ever date a guy like this. Not that the men in Grennady weren’t handsome. But there was something about Dean Suminski that made her tingle. He was so pulled together and so smart, and those penetrating dark eyes of his were like onyx.
Of course he was also distant with her. Maybe not angry, but not exactly a guy who looked like he was on a date with a woman he liked. And it was her job to fool the world into thinking they were a couple. A happy couple.
She cleared her throat and said the first thing that came to mind. “So it really is white tie?”
He faced the window, clearly unhappy that he’d have to speak. “It’s funny what rich people will think up to distinguish themselves.”
“You’re one of those rich people.” She held up her arm, displaying the bracelet. Since he was angry anyway, they might as well settle this now. “By the way, I can’t keep this.”
He turned to her with a frown. “The bracelet?”
“Yes.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not right.”
“You’re helping me.”
“We have a deal. Ten minutes after we shook hands, I signed the written agreement for computers in exchange for this date. No bracelet.”
“The miracle of technology. I call my lawyer. He writes a simple, no-nonsense agreement, emails it to me and I print it. Everything goes at the speed of light these days.”
She almost laughed at the way he tried to fool her. “Don’t change the subject. As it is, we’re equals. You start giving me bracelets and everything changes.”
He tilted his head. “How so?”
“It makes our relationship personal. Plus, it’s expensive. I don’t need it—or want it.”
When he only stared at her, she sighed. “Our deal should be professional. Things get messy when you mix personal things into business. I don’t like messy.”
He studied her face for a few seconds before he said, “It sounds like you’ve had a little experience in this.”
She said nothing.
“If you want me to understand your point of view, you have to explain.”
“I had a boyfriend who used me to get to the princess.”
He studied her face again. “Taught you a lesson, huh?”
“And not a fun one.” Actually, the idiot had broken her heart into a million pieces, made her feel like a fool and caused her to decide love wasn’t for her. She would put her whole heart and soul into making Aasera’s dream a reality because that had purpose and meaning. Love? She wasn’t sure it existed, except for a few lucky people like Princess Eva.
