Page 13 of Billionaire's Fake Plus One

“This was such a nice surprise, Rachel. I’ve missed you so much! Thanks for checking on me,” I tell her as we hug at the front door; she promises to visit again as soon as she can.

“Tell Andrew I say hi!” I call out as she gets into her car. She waves at me, then drives off. As her tail lights disappear around the curve of the driveway, a pair of headlights appear, making me freeze as Lucien’s silver Porsche descends the driveway.

9

LUCIEN

“No.” I bark, tightening my grip on the tumbler of bourbon in my hand.

“Don’t just shoot down the idea without thinking it through, Lucien. It’s fucked up, I know that, but it’s the best way for you to get through Zane’s wedding with your sanity still intact,” my closest friend, okay my only friend, Malcolm Ratcliffe assures me.

“This isn’t one of your hostile takeovers, Malcolm. I can’t just lie to Zane that I’m bringing a plus one. I don’thavea plus one. Am I just supposed to show up alone after telling him I’m bringing a date?” I’m shocked that he’d even suggest such a thing. Nobody knows me better than him. He’s been a loyal friend since our paths crossed in Princeton. The point is: he knows that I don’t do relationships. Ever since Brittany and the twins, I never see the same woman twice, and I certainly don’t introduce them to my girls or allow them to meet any of my dysfunctional family members.

“I’m not suggesting you lie and then show up alone, asshole. We’ll find you a suitable woman, who in exchange for an agreed upon sum of money, you take as your girlfriend. You’ll have to find someone desperate enough to agree to the deal, of course.”

“Of course,” I agree sarcastically, but he continues like he didn’t hear me.

“Get her to sign an ironclad NDA. Emphasis is on Ironclad, Lucien. If she so much as breathes a word about the fakeness of your relationship before, during, or after the wedding, she needs to know she’s going to spend the rest of her life in jail.”

There he goes again, showing off his ruthless nature. While I might come off as gruff and maybe a little mean, I’ve got nothing on Malcolm. Of course, he’s had to be particularly heartless to get his career as a real estate mogul to the level of success he’s achieved.

“And where, pray tell, are we going to find such a woman?” I ask, humoring him.

“That’s the easiest part, Lucien! Say the word and my PI will have a list of potential fake girlfriends for you by sunrise.”

I signal to the bartender to refill my now empty glass. “It’s not going to work.”

“Not if you’re going in with that attitude it’s not,” Malcolm growls. “Okay, forget about your competitive little brother, who is always trying to one-up you, and forget about the money hungry whore that is Brittany. Forget about them for a moment. What about your aunts? Your step-mother?”

We both shudder in horror. Ever since my father died three years ago, leaving me as CEO of Baldwin Elite Jets, his two sisters and Zane’s mother have been trying desperately to get me married off to one of the biddable women in their circle. I don’t know where they got the idea that being married to a woman they control would result in more access to my money, but here we are.

I sit up straighter, finally taking his suggestion seriously. “I see how your idea has some merit, but knowing Zane, he’s going to call my bluff and ensure I get stuck in a single bed hotel room for me and mygirlfriend. Do you know a woman who could spend a week sleeping in the same bed without throwing herself at me?” It’s not arrogance, just plain fact. Most women are after me for my money. And sure, I’m disciplined, but I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to hold out if I’m stuck in that scenario.

Malcolm takes out a black leather box from his briefcase and picks one Cuban cigar as he considers my words. He passes the box to me, but I wave him off. He shrugs as he takes the cigar between his lips and lights it. After two puffs, his eyes suddenly light up, and he smirks. I brace myself, knowing I won’t like what’s going to come out of his mouth.

“What about Wendy, Zane’s ex? The woman babysitting your girls.”

“No,” I bark for the second time in as many minutes, narrowing my eyes at him, angrily. “Willowis not an option. Besides, I don’t want this mess anywhere near my daughters.”

“You aren’t taking them with you, are you? Brittany would just love that.” I give him a pointed look. “Relax, Lucien. I love those girls almost as much as you do, I’m not going to suggest something that would negatively impact them.”

“Willow is off limits. We’re going to need to find someone else,” I stress, ignoring the hot anticipation pulsing through my veins at the thought of playing pretend with Willow. We’d have to kiss in public wouldn’t we? My hands tumbling through those rich curls of hers. Tilting her head back in just the right way to taste those plush lips… my hands shaping the lush curves of her body as I claim her. I shake my head, trying to dislodge the lustful thoughts.

She doesn’t even like me, and I’m not entirely sure if I like her either.

“Before you dismiss her entirely, think about it. She’s the perfect candidate. She’ll not only help you get the vultures off your back, but she’ll also rattle Zane and his bride-to-be. Make them real uncomfortable during theirspecialweek.” He flashes his teeth as he speaks. “Two birds. One stone.”

“And who will look after my children while we’re off disrupting my brother’s wedding?” I wonder out loud, hating just how much I loved the idea of getting under Zane’s skin.

“I’m sure they’ll love to pay a visit to their uncle Malcolm. You know how much Mom dotes on them.”

I raise my brows, knowing just how much his mother will heckle him about giving her grandchildren if the girls visit him. “I’ll think about it.”

The entire drive home, it’s all I can think about. Now that Malcolm has planted the seed, I really abhor the idea of going to that week-long wedding dateless, where I’m sure to be constantly heckled by my so-called family. The more I think about it, the more I realize that Willow really is the right candidate.

I’m already attracted to her, so pretending I’m into her won’t be much of a chore. I keep thinking of the look on Zane’s face when I show up with her, not just as my date, but as my girlfriend. He’ll have no choice but to believe it’s serious because he knows I never allow anyone to meet the girls. I never, ever, introduce any of the women I fuck to my kids.

As I drive down the winding driveway to my house, a deep blue BMW drives up to the gates. I raise my brow at the blonde behind the wheel, who waves cheerfully at me as our cars pass each other. When the house comes into view, I see Willow standing outside. That must have been her visitor.

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