Page 51 of False Pretenses

With her hand on the door to leave, she stopped when he called her name. “Yes?”

“I know you’re still nervous about my position, but I intend to win you over by any means necessary.”

A thrill of anticipation raced down her back. She knew he meant if it took his money to make her accept his status, he would use it. Now that she’d admitted to herself and him she loved him, nothing would keep her from looking past her hang-ups to be with him. Sure, independence defined her, but she was more than her net worth, and so, she realized, was he. She looked forward to learning all she could about Nathan Corde.

“That reminds me. How did things go with Piper?”

He frowned and ran a hand through his hair. “A work in progress. Piper is back with Emma, and the two have decided to move in together. Because of this, my dad has cut her off.”

Alyssa’s hand flew to her mouth. “No!”

“Yes, and my mom is in agreement with him. I think she will come around, but we have to work on Dad.”

She returned to his side and hugged him. “There’s not much time…”

“I know.” His jaw tensed. “I will make him see she’s too important to lose at a time like this. Meanwhile, I’ll make sure she never wants for anything.”

Her heart warmed to him. “What’s the chance of you taking the rest of the day off?”

A slow smile spread over his face. “The odds are excellent.”

Prologue

Eight months later…

Alyssa stretched her arms above her head and yawned. She climbed out of bed and walked over to the dresser where Nathan had set aside drawers for her. Although she slept at his house more often than not, she hadn’t officially moved in, and she wouldn’t, not for a while yet. She tugged the drawer open and scrounged around for her pills. When she found them, she popped one from the case and put it on her tongue.

“What’s that?”

She jumped at Nathan’s voice just behind her.

“Don’t scare me like that. It’s birth control.”

He frowned. “I didn’t think you were on those. I assumed you meant you were not ovulating at the time.”

“Oh, really. That’s the conclusion you came to?” She acknowledged his familiarity with the female body and eyeballed him, liking the scruff about his usually clean-shaved jaw, but that wasn’t important about now. “So why have you been happily making love to me without a condom—and for a while now?”

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. The innocent act didn’t fool her.

“You’re trying to get me pregnant, you sneak.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.” She couldn’t hold back the laugh. “Don’t you think we should talk about it before you try to knock me up?”

“Marry me.”

“Nathan! Aren?

??t you at least a little afraid?”

“Of what?”

“Of…changing your mind?”

“No.”

“What about me changing mine?”

---