The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee, page 1
The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancee
J. S. Cooper
Contents
About the Book
Mailing List
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Excerpt from About Last Night
Chapter 13
Excerpt from To The Rude Guy in Apartment Five
About the Book
I pretended to be the girlfriend of one of the richest men in New York City.
It was only meant to be the one time. It was the week before Christmas; I was shopping with my best friend, and we were hungry and wanted to dine at a swanky new restaurant on the Upper West Side.
But the hostess misunderstood me when I mentioned Max Parker’s name. I’d been complaining that he was the reason why I’d lost my job. Who was I to correct her when it meant that “my relationship” had caused a table to suddenly open up?
And then the next week I accidentally let it slip that Max Parker was my boyfriend to get into an exclusive club. And then there was the time when I saw that Chanel handbag and Prada shoes. I mean, it didn’t really hurt anyone, did it? It was just a little white lie.
How was I to know that my fake boyfriend would find out that I’d been using his name? Now he’s blackmailing me into playing his fake fiancée in an arrangement that could only be classified as risqué. Turns out if I want to keep my apartment and not move home with my parents, I’m going to have to play along with his game. Only he’s going to have to go along with my rules as well, and he doesn’t know that I’ve got a plan of my own.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Copyright © 2020 by J. S. Cooper
Mailing List
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Prologue
“Excuse me, are you Charlotte Johnson?” A deep voice came from behind me.
Startled, I jumped as I walked into my apartment building.
“Yes?” I turned around cautiously, looking at the man behind me. He had a New York Yankees baseball cap on and dark sunglasses. I studied him for a few seconds trying to recognize him, but he was covered up so well that I could barely make out his face. “Can I help you?”
“I’m with the New York Post, and I wanted to ask you some questions.”
“Questions?” I blinked and swallowed hard. Oh shit! “Questions about what?”
“About your relationship with Max Parker,” he said confidently and quietly. “Do you mind if I interview you?”
“Um, yes, I mind.” I thought quickly. “Unfortunately, I’m not in a position to talk to the press at this time.”
“Oh?” He cocked his head to the side. I wished that he would take his glasses off so I could see his eyes.
“Yes, he’s a very private man, and our, um, relationship is so new that he, uh, doesn’t want us to ruin it by talking to the press.”
“So, you’re confirming that you are dating him?”
“Well, I don’t like to say anything.” I bit down on my lower lip. “How do you know I’m dating him?”
“Didn’t you see the article today?” He held up a newspaper for me to see, and my heart stopped as I read the headline.
“What article?” I said stupidly as if I wasn’t looking at the paper right in front of me.
“The article about you and Max Parker . . . ” He paused for a few seconds, clearly wondering if I was as thick as two bricks. “And the fact that you’re on the way to an engagement.”
“What?” My jaw dropped. This had really gotten out of control.
“I wanted to know if this was a shotgun wedding?”
“Shotgun?” My heart was racing now.
“Are you getting married because you’re pregnant?”
“Pregnant?” I tried not to laugh. No, I’m not pregnant—I’ve never even met the guy! I wanted to shout at the man in front of me, but I didn’t dare say anything.
“Is it true that he has a ten-inch cock?”
“Excuse me?” Had he just said cock? What sort of reporter asked these sorts of questions?
“I said, is it true that he has a—”
“That is enough.” I raised my voice and held my hand up. “You should watch how you’re talking to me.” The man lifted one eyebrow and smirked as I spoke. “My boyfriend, Max Parker, won’t be happy to hear that you’ve been so rude to me.”
“Your boyfriend or your fiancé?” The man took off his sunglasses and his eyes pierced into mine. “Why don’t you call him now and see what he has to say?” His bright blue eyes seemed to be mocking me as he stared at me. As if he knew that there was no way for me to call Max Parker. And it was then that I recognized him from the club I’d been at the night before.
“You!” I pointed my finger at the man who had been so rude to me the night before. “It’s you!”
“Yes.” His lips curled up and his eyes mocked me. “It’s me.”
“Are you following me?” I tried to ignore the heat that had suddenly overtaken my body. I was not going to be attracted to this reporter, no matter how hot he was.
“Am I following you?” He angled his head to the side. “I just want to get the story of the decade.”
“Story of the decade?” I rolled my eyes. “I hardly think my love life is the story of the decade.”
“No one cares about your love life.” He shook his head and smirked again. “The real story here is how you trapped the Max Parker.”
“That asshole deserves to be trapped,” I muttered under my breath. “Preferably under a ten-ton elephant.”
The man leaned forward. “Sorry, what? I didn’t hear that.”
“Nothing.” I turned and hurried toward the elevator.
“Are you as kinky as he is?” He looked me over consideringly. “I heard he’s into some really dirty stuff.” He licked his lips slowly and deliberately, and I shivered slightly.
“I’m not talking to you anymore.”
I could hear the man walking behind me, and my anger intensified. I prayed for the elevator to hurry up.
“Why don’t you just leave me alone? I’m not interested in talking to the media!” I glared at him.
“Yes, I’m sure you’re not.” His voice was sarcastic. “I’ll bid you adieu, Charlotte Johnson.” He nodded his head and then grinned at me. “Until we meet again.”
“I sure hope that that’s never.” I tilted my nose up and gave him my dirtiest look.
“Really?” He looked at me and grinned. “I have a feeling that we’ll meet again.” He gave me a once-over and winked. “And you be sure to tell Max Parker that he owes you a spanking for being a naughty girl.”
“Excuse me?”
Without warning, he leaned forward and kissed me on the lips, his mouth pressing possessively against mine. I couldn’t stop myself from kissing him back and my body melted into his as his fingers played with my hair. When he pulled away from me, I was breathing hard.
He chuckled. “I said I think you better tell your boyfriend Max Parker you’ve been a very naughty girl.” He winked again. “I don’t think he would like to find out that you’ve been kissing strangers and giving them hard-ons.”
He chuckled at my shocked expression and then walked away without another word. The elevator arrived with a loud ding, and yet I couldn’t move.
I stood there, completely speechless.
Chapter One
Two Weeks Earlier
“Who the hell does Max Parker think he is?” I rolled my eyes at Anabel, my best friend, and continued moaning about the man who had ruined my life. “He thinks that he can just buy up businesses and fire people, just like that? He just doesn’t care about humanity.”
“Well, his job is to make money, not to care about people.” Anabel offered me a small smile, her green eyes concerned as she reached over to grab my hand, carefully avoiding the large latte that sat in front of me on the small table. “But I agree with you, he’s an asshole,” she added quickly, knowing that I didn’t need her to play devil’s advocate. She knew how I felt about people who cared more about money than human lives. “How about we go and grab lunch and forget about him?” She took a sip of her green tea and gave me one of her sweet, placating smiles. Anabel was used to my mini-meltdowns, and while she always tried to be a voice of reason, she always had my back.
“I don’t know.” I sighed as I thought back to my bank balance. I could picture the computer screen in my mind as I’d stared at the lonely sum of two hundred and six dollars in my checking account and five hundred dollars in my savings account. How the hell I had so little money after having worked full-time for two years was beyond me. I ignored the feeling of doom in my stomach as I wondered how I was going to pay my rent the next month.
Damn that Max Parker!
“Now that I don’t have a job, I have to watch my spending,” I said, ignoring the fact that I had three plastic bags full of clothes and soaps in my hands. Bath
“My treat,” Anabel said with a wide smile as she grabbed my hand. “I owe you a birthday lunch, so let’s just grab it today.” Her bright green eyes looked into mine with such an encouraging, hopeful look that all I could do was smile back at her. Her long light brown hair hung down her back, and I tried not to envy her natural beauty. Anabel looked like a model. She was absolutely stunning and everywhere we went men stared at her, hoping for a chance—not that she ever gave them one. She was so completely focused on her career as a lawyer that love wasn’t on her mind at all. She also seemed to be oblivious to the fact that she was so beautiful. It was crazy.
I, on the other hand, tried very hard each day to make sure I looked as good as I could.
“Hmm, okay,” I agreed, even though she didn’t owe me anything. For my birthday, she’d taken me to dinner and given me a bottle of Gucci perfume, but I wasn’t going to argue with her. Anabel was making big bucks at a law firm, and if she wanted to take me out, who was I to say no? “If you’re sure.”
“Of course, I’m sure.” She grinned. “I know just the place. It’s this new restaurant that just opened up on Seventy-Eighth Street. There might be a wait, but we can look at photos of Max Parker online and stare at his balding hair and fat face and have a laugh. But I’m open to your suggestions as well.”
“Ha ha ha, I bet he looks like a short, fat troll.” I had no idea what Max Parker looked like, but I assumed all billionaires looked the same.
“I bet he does.” Anabel grinned at me. “Oh, I should invite Emily. She’s back in town.”
“Yay! I was going to ask you if she was back.”
Emily was Anabel’s roommate and one of our mutual best friends from college. She was straight up and very honest and one of the funniest people I knew. If anyone could make me feel better about my day, it was Emily. Lunch with Emily and Anabel would be fantastic. They would get me out of my funk in no time. In college, we’d been known as “The BFF Gang” because where one of us went, the other two weren’t far behind. I had been so caught up with what was going on with my job that I hadn’t texted her to see if she was back yet, and that made me feel slightly guilty.
“Yup, she got back last night from her camping trip. Do you want to text her or should I?”
“You text her and I’ll look up places. Let’s try somewhere really swanky and fun. And then when she gets there we can go stare at pictures of that ugly loser, Max Parker, and curse him to hell.”
I growled as I said his name. I would have punched him if I could. It all seemed so dreadfully unfair to me. This man had essentially lied to my bosses when he’d bought their small boutique design shop. He had said he would keep on all the old staff and just expand the business. At least, that’s what my boss of two years, Sally, had said when she’d sold off the company to the Parker Corporation. But he hadn’t even waited a week before he’d fired all five employees, effective immediately. Right before we were meant to get our annual bonus and during the holiday season as well. Did he not know that Christmas was meant to be a holy season, a time to be a good person? Not that he cared.
I’d never met the man but I hated him. Hated him about as much as I’d ever hated anyone. I knew it was irrational, but I’d had plans for that Christmas bonus. Plans that meant something, and he’d gone and ruined them.
“Okay, Emily is in. She wants to know if you have a place in mind yet?”
I shook my head. “Still looking, sorry.” I offered Anabel an apologetic smile. “I was killing Max Parker in my mind again.”
“Soon, you’ll have us hunting him down.” She grinned at me and wiggled her eyebrows. “What we do after that, I don’t know.”
“Hmm, let’s think.”
“Well, Emily must be a pro with a gun after her camping trip.” Anabel giggled. “I think she said she was going to hunt for her food.”
“Emily? Hunting?” I burst out laughing. “Yeah, right. I thought she was going glamping?”
“I think she thought she was as well.” Anabel’s eyes widened in glee. “Turns out she was wrong. Wait until you hear about her trip. Let’s just say, your day isn’t so bad. You didn’t almost shit on a rattlesnake.”
“What? Oh, poor Emily!” I laughed and Anabel and I giggled together, picturing our flighty friend squatting down to use the toilet. “Oh, Anabel, you always know how to make me feel better.” I shook my head and giggled again. “Hunt him down, indeed.” I looked around surreptitiously to make sure no one had heard us, just in case we had some nosy neighbors. I could see two older ladies, with uptight expressions, looking at us from the corner of the coffee shop. We had been laughing loudly, and I’m sure they disapproved, but I didn’t care. “He’d be so lucky.”
“Yes, he would.” A light appeared in her eyes. “He wishes he could have three hotties all over him.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “Poor old man probably can’t even get it up.” I grinned. “You know what, let’s try that swanky place you heard about. I’m having trouble concentrating on finding a place on Yelp. This will work out better.”
“Awesome.” Annabel texted quickly then looked at her watch. “Emily says she will meet us there in an hour. I have to get my legal secretary to send a file request to opposing counsel for a deposition hearing next week. Do you mind if I take my laptop out and do some work for the next ten minutes?” She gave me an apologetic look.
I shook my head. “Of course not.” I smiled. “The fact that you dropped everything to come and have a coffee with me means everything. You really are my best friend, Ana.”
I picked up my latte and took a sip before grabbing my notebook and a pen. I didn’t want to get sappy, but I knew that Anabel understood why I was so upset. I flicked to the first page of the notebook and stared at a Polaroid photo of a grinning fifteen-year-old me sitting on Brandon’s lap. He was laughing as well, his head back, and his eyes wide and there was glitter falling all around us. He’d thrown it as a practical joke. It had taken me weeks to get the glitter out of my hair, but I hadn’t been mad. I was never mad with Brandon. Nothing he had ever done had ever upset me. Until the end. Then he’d just up and broken my heart. I quickly turned the page to stop looking at the photograph, as I didn’t want to think about him now. I didn’t want to get upset. I needed to focus on my future.
I was going to make a list of all the different types of jobs I was going to look for now I was out of work. I had been a junior graphic designer when I worked for Sally, but my true love was acting. Was now the time to try to make it as an actress?
I nibbled on my lower lip and tried to quash those thoughts. My parents would kill me if I told them that I was going to focus on that instead. They were helping me pay my student loans back, and I knew that they’d make me come back home if I didn’t get a stable job. Even though, at twenty-five, I was far too old to have to do what they said. What twenty-five-year-olds went back home to live with their parents? I ignored the voice inside my head that was screaming. Fools like you who try to become actresses with no savings—that’s who, Charlotte! I’d come to some sort of compromise. Maybe I could audition and find a part-time job, but it would have to be a job that paid me well enough to cover my rent and bills.
All of a sudden, I didn’t feel so good about my new two-thousand-dollar a month apartment overlooking Central Park. At the time, it had seemed like a steal. It was almost unheard of to have your own apartment overlooking the park. Granted, it was only a studio, but I didn’t care. A studio with no roommates was better than an apartment with roommates in my opinion. But now I had to figure out a way to get a job within thirty days that paid me well. I had very little work experience and a degree in history from Columbia. I sighed as I realized my options weren’t looking too great at all.
