Page 6 of Billionaire Temptations

“Is she a high-end fashion model?”

I turned and gave him a suspicious look. “Yeah.”

“I know her. I’ve been to a couple of parties here.”

“Great.” I rolled my eyes as I inserted the key and opened the door. “Wow!” I exclaimed as I stepped into the foyer.

“Pretty nice. Isn’t it?”

Over to the right of the foyer was the kitchen with a few white cabinets and black granite countertops. The living room washuge; every wall was nothing but windows that overlooked the Hudson River. It was absolutely breathtaking.

“You should see the view at night with the city all lit up. It’s amazing,” Max said.

I turned from the window and glared at him. “Explain! NOW!” I yelled.

He put his hands up and fell back into the black leather chair.

“Okay. Okay. Can you at least sit down?”

I sat on the couch across from the chair, waiting for him to explain himself.

“I have three months until my twenty-sixth birthday to get engaged to be married, or I won’t get my trust fund. It was a rule that my parents put in place when the trust fund was set up. It’s what my grandparents did for my father, and so now he believes because it worked for him, it’ll work for me.”

I waved my hands back and forth at him. “Wait a minute. In order for you to collect your trust fund, you have to be engaged by your twenty-sixth birthday? Did I just hear you right?”

“Yes, and I’ll be twenty-six in three months, so I would say that time is running out. Emma, I’m sorry to drag you into this, but I need your help. Trust me, I didn’t plan on this. A couple of nights ago, I was drunk and apparently sent a text to my dad saying that I was bringing my fiancée home for them to meet. If you help me with this small favor, I will help you.”

“Really? And what could you possibly do to help me out?”

“I’m going to pay for your entire tuition at Parsons. You will never have to worry about that again.”

My eyes widened, and my mouth dropped. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. I’m in a bind, you’re in a bind, and we can help each other out. All I need is for you to pretend to be my fiancée for three months. After I collect my trust fund, then you are to break the engagement off.”

I couldn’t believe what he was asking. He was only the guy I spoke to at a club in Miami last night, and now I’m his supposed fiancée. Too much shit was spinning around in my head.

“So that’s it? Are there any rules or stipulations to go with this ‘arrangement’?”

“The only thing is you have to attend family and social functions. That’s it. We won’t be going out on dates, and we won’t be having sex. Unless you want to, then by all means, I’m all yours.” He smiled. “Listen, Emma. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m not ready to settle down, and frankly, I don’t have any desire to. My dad wants me to uphold the Hamilton image and create this perfect little family. Meanwhile, he’s off fucking his thirty-year-old secretary and the twenty-something intern he just hired. I’m rich, successful, and soon to be even more successful, and I don’t need to be tied down to someone who will complicate my life.”

The plan he was proposing didn’t sound so bad, and he would make my lifelong dream of attending Parsons a reality if I pretended to be his fiancée for a short period.

“Three months?” I asked just to be sure.

“Yes. Three months. Just until I turn twenty-six.”

I placed my hands over my face and took in a deep breath. I was already here in New York. Nobody had to know about this. It would be our little secret for three months. Three months wasn’t so long.

“Okay, Max. You have yourself a deal.”

He stood up in excitement. “Really, Emma? You’re sure about this?”

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

“Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. I’ll write you a check for your tuition. Since we’re having dinner tonight at my parents’ house, we have to get you a ring.We have to keep it real, and you can just wear it when we’re together and around family.”

“Now?” I asked.

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