Natalie Anderson - Claiming His Convenient Fiancée

‘Oh, it is,’ Sarah answered as she glanced at Alejandro’s hand curling around Kitty’s despite the fact he was facing the other couple. ‘I never thought you’d be another of Alejandro’s notches,’ she ‘whispered’ conspiratorially.

‘I’m not!’ Kitty flared at the thought and replied swiftly before thinking better of it. ‘I’m only here because he’s bullied me into staying.’

Sarah’s eyebrows lifted and she laughed a little too loudly. ‘Bullied?’ Her pointed laugh chimed loudly again. ‘Yeah, it really looks like that.’

Was it Kitty’s imagination or had Alejandro tensed?

‘We haven’t seen you in so long,’ Sarah added when Kitty didn’t elaborate. ‘You left London in such a hurry.’

The woman was such a cow to bring that up. Of course she’d left in a hurry. She’d been hurt. She’d just found out James hadn’t wanted her at all. He’d only wanted the wealth he’d assumed came with her. And when he’d found out all the cold hard cash had gone, he hadn’t bothered to break up with her before searching the field for her replacement. He’d been trying them all out behind her back. Now, barely six months later, he was engaged to another woman. A beautiful, wealthy one who didn’t seem at all bothered about his cheating past.

This time Kitty didn’t imagine the sensation. Alejandro’s fingers definitely tightened about hers again. But he didn’t break his conversation and turn towards her.

‘You’re finally over James then?’ Sarah queried.

She knew it hadn’t been her fault, but it still hurt. She’d truly thought he loved her. That he’d got her, and found her attractive. But it was only the money he’d loved. And she’d been so starved for attention, so desperate to believe that a guy finally wanted her, she’d not seen through his fickle facade.

She’d been such a fool. And she was a fool now for letting this woman get to her.

Because she was too angry.

She straightened, channelled her inner Great-Aunt Margot and rewrote the rules.

‘Oh, yes.’ Kitty smiled sunnily at Sarah. ‘You know, I didn’t want to make things public yet,’ she ‘whispered’—every bit as loudly as Sarah had. ‘As you’ve alluded to, it has been a stressful week.’

Sarah’s eyes widened and she leaned closer. ‘Make what public?’ This time her volume really did lower.

‘Our relationship,’ Kitty answered as if it was obvious.

‘Your...’ Sarah’s jaw slackened in shock, then she almost squeaked. ‘You mean with Alejandro? You’re why he bought this house? He bought it for you?’

It was amazing how the smallest suggestion could snowball into something so out of control so quickly.

‘It’s a secret, you understand,’ Kitty murmured guiltily, not quite correcting Sarah’s assumption and hoping Alejandro was still deeply involved with his conversation and not eavesdropping.

‘The two of you are that...serious?’ Sarah’s voice rose.

She was so obviously thunderstruck at the notion that Kitty was suddenly irate. Why was it so shocking that an attractive man might want her? Just for once she wanted to knock the superior smirk from this woman’s face—and every other person who’d looked at her as if she were a loser freak. ‘We’re—’

Sarah’s eyes narrowed on the way Alejandro was holding Kitty’s left hand so firmly. ‘You’re never engaged,’ she breathed.

‘We’re...er...’ Kitty suddenly realised a metaphorical crevasse had opened at her feet. She was in real trouble.

That was when Alejandro turned.

If only the earth really would open up and swallow her whole.

‘Kitty’s just told me the news.’ Sarah reached out and put a hand on his wrist and shot Kitty a sharp look before Kitty could even draw breath. ‘Congratulations.’

Kitty couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

And then Sarah did it. She asked so loudly that several heads turned. ‘Are you two really engaged, Alejandro?’

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