Page 60 of The Billionaire Is Back

After spritzing myself with a little business perfume, I pick up my bags. My dad dashes out from his bedroom as soon as he hears me in the hallway, closely followed by Magnum and Dudley. “Let me get that for you, honey.”

“I got it, Dad.”

“No, I got it.” He wrests the suitcase from my fingers and takes the carry-on bag from me as well.

“Oh, he’s here!” my mom calls out from the foyer. “Oh, good, it’s a limo! I’m so excited for you, Claire Bear. It’s just likePretty Woman! Except for the hooker part. You’re happy, right? You’re fine. We aren’t worried about anything, are we?”

I try not to trip over the dogs as I slowly make my way down the stairs behind my dad, who is struggling to carry both bags. “Let me take one of those bags, Dad.”

“I got it, honey!”

“Oh, there’s Grady getting out of the car,” my momannounces, peering out the window beside the door. “My goodness, does that young man look good in a suit! You two will look wonderful together, Claire. You do.”

I could have done without the excessively reassuring tone in her voice. “Okay, good. I’m not worried and I’m kind of excited, I guess, but this is just a business trip. For both of us. We’re just pretending to be in a relationship because Grady wants to impress someone on the board of some company he’s trying to buy. It’s fake.”

“The company?” my dad asks, setting the bags down.

“What? No, the company isn’t fake. Our relationship is. I mean, that’s a secret.”

My mother wrinkles her usually very smooth forehead. “Your relationship is a secret, or the feelings are?”

I give my dad a hug. “Huh? I mean I’m not really his girlfriend. We’re just pretending.”

“But your feelings are real, and that’s a secret,” my mother says, half statement, half question.

“No, our real feelings are strictly business. The relationship is fake—it’s a…bake relationship. There will be no kissing on the mouth. So, it is kind of likePretty Woman. Except that I don’t need to be saved. I’m allowing him to help me because I do not have the liquid cash flow to spend on a remodel, but I’m also helping him in return.”

My mom narrows her eyes at me. “You do know that Vivian and Edward made love several times and then got together at the end of that movie, right?”

“Well, I’ve only seen clips because John Hughes didn’t write or direct that one, but why don’t we just say that this is nothing at all likePretty Womanand leave it atthat.” I give my mom a quick hug and then lunge for the front door.

I’m dragging my bags out onto the porch just as Grady strolls up the path, and gosh darn it, I don’t know if that suit is Emporio, Giorgio, or Groucho Armani, but that boy looks fine. My tummy does somersaults when he removes his aviators and gives my parents an earnest, boyfriend-y wave.

The limo driver hustles over to pick up my suitcases.

“Hi!” I say, holding out my hand to shake his. “I’m Claire.”

“Jim,” he tells me. “A pleasure.”

“Very nice to meet you.” I pump his hand up and down. “How’s traffic?”

“So far so good. Should make it to the airport on time.” He carries my bags to the limo.

Now I have to deal with Grady, who is grinning at me handsomely.

“You’re late,” I say.

“You’re stunning.”

I giggle and roll my eyes because I’m just wearing jeans and a blouse, but I mean, my hairisvery shiny today. “You’re forgiven.”

We stare at each other for a minute, both notice that Mrs. Bowden is watching us as she pretends to dust around her front door frame. I also note that she’s got her earbuds in. She’s probably talking to one of her friends about us.

Grady leans in and says in a hushed voice, “Permission to pretend to hug my fake girlfriend? So the neighbors won’t question the nature of ouraffiliation.”

“Permission granted.” I hold my breath because if he smells as good as he looks, I will start humping him before we reach the driveway.

I hold my arms out and come in for a hug-plane landing, but the bastard’s hands slip around my waist and then slide up my back.

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