Jackie Merritt - Hired Bride

Of course, right now she didn’t know which was worse—lying or telling the truth. If she was honest with herself, she could not deny that she was exceptionally attracted to Zane—and becoming more so with every minute they pretended to be a couple. But she didn’t try to kid herself about how he might feel about her. Their arrangement was business and nothing more. Tomorrow he would pay her, and other than the off-chance of running into each other when she went to his house to bathe Alamo or to take care of other chores, they would never see each other again.

The thing that seemed so unfair about it all was that she had not been even slightly attracted to another man since her widowhood. Why her hormones should suddenly come to life over Zane Fortune, a man she could never have, was an annoying mystery. He was a Fortune, and she was…well, what was she, other than a woman alone who struggled daily to feed and clothe her children? Yes, she could dress herself up as she’d done today and put on a pretty good show of sophistication, but down deep she wasn’t a bit sophisticated. She was ordinary—very, very ordinary—and Zane Fortune was anything but.

It was time she returned to the party, and Gwen left the bedroom. She said a pleasant hello to everyone she saw as she made her way through Ryan’s fabulous home to reach the same door through which she’d entered the mansion.

A short plump woman with a lovely silver streak in her black hair approached her. “Hello. You’re Zane’s friend, Gwen Hutton. I’m Rosita Perez. You probably met my daughter Maggie. She’s married to Dallas.”

“Why yes, I did meet Maggie.” Gwen offered her hand for a handshake, and Rosita Perez took it in both of hers, startling Gwen into a stammer. “It’s, uh, very nice meeting you, Mrs. Perez.”

“Call me Rosita,” she said as she turned Gwen’s hand over and peered at her palm. “Ah, yes, just as I suspected.”

“You suspected what?” Gwen said cautiously. Was this woman a little light in the upper story, or what?

“You’re in love,” Rosita said calmly. “And you will be married right after the new year. What’s this I see? Children! How wonderful! You and Zane will have four children.”

Gwen yanked her hand back. “Mrs. Perez, everything you think you saw in my hand is as far from the truth as it could get. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”

“You’re quite wrong, my dear,” Rosita called out cheerfully as Gwen hastened away.

Outside, Gwen tried to calm her shaken system with breaths of fresh air. Without a doubt Rosita Perez was the strangest person she’d met here today. Zane’s relatives might be curious about his latest girlfriend, but at least they were polite about it.

Latest girlfriend? Gwen’s spirits dropped another notch. She was a hired girlfriend, and she had better not forget it for even a moment!

In the next heartbeat she saw Zane walking toward her. Apparently he’d been watching for her. How was she going to get through the rest of today and then tomorrow morning with him being so consistently attentive, when she couldn’t seem to rid herself of feelings for the man that just kept going deeper?

Well, she had to do it, that was all there was to it. She had to smile and talk and act as though he wasn’t the most incredible guy she’d ever met. Inwardly she groaned. Why was this happening to her?

Zane walked up to her and smiled. “Is your room satisfactory?”

“It’s a lovely room. Zane, I met the strangest woman in the house. She’s Maggie’s mother, Rosita, and when I offered to shake her hand, she took mine and read my palm.”

Zane let out a whoop of laughter. “So you met our local oracle.”

Gwen’s jaw dropped. “Are you saying she’s a genuine soothsayer?”

“I’m only saying this, Gwen. Rosita Perez has accurately predicted many an event, and folks around here have come to respect her predictions.”

“You don’t mean it,” Gwen said weakly.

“What did she see in your palm?”

“Uh, I’d rather not say. I don’t believe in that foolishness, anyhow, so it doesn’t matter what she told me.”

“Really,” Zane said with a small chuckle. “Know what I think? I think Rosita told you something that shook your underpinnings, and you wish she hadn’t. Come on, be a sport and tell me what she said.”

“Think what you want. I’m still not telling you what she said to me.” Gwen noticed people filing into the second tent. “Shall we join the others?”

Zane nodded amiably, but he would have given almost anything to know what Rosita had told Gwen. Maybe he could pry it out of Rosita, but he’d much rather hear it from Gwen.

As they strolled toward the dinner tent, he realized how much he was enjoying the day. And his enjoyment was mostly thanks to Gwen. That was food for thought—some very pleasant thought, he discovered.

Throughout the meal people kept rising and offering toasts to the newlyweds. Gwen’s—and everyone else’s—champagne glass was filled again and again. Gwen became more mellow and relaxed with each swallow she took of the most delicious champagne she’d ever tasted. She realized, if a bit fuzzily, that she was truly enjoying herself. It was becoming much easier to smile at Zane, and even to flirt with him. It was, in fact, almost possible to forget that she was being paid to flirt with him for the benefit of his female relatives, and to pretend that this was a real date.

When he laid his arm across the back of her chair, she smiled and leaned his way. He whispered in her ear, “This is great. I’d bet anything that a good half of my family is wondering when our wedding is going to take place.”

“Right after the new year,” Gwen murmured dreamily.

“Pardon? I didn’t catch that.”

Gwen felt heat in her face. “Uh, it was nothing.” How could she have repeated Rosita’s prediction so carelessly? It certainly was not going to come true, for pity’s sake. Watch yourself, Gwen Hutton!

The bride and groom got up to dance the first dance, and soon others were dancing as well. Zane talked quietly, for Gwen’s ears alone. “I should dance with you first, then do a little circulating.”

“Whatever you say.”

A few minutes later she was on the dance floor with Zane, and he was holding her as a lover held a woman. It had been a long time since Gwen had done any dancing, especially this kind of dancing, and she unconsciously stroked the back of Zane’s neck as they floated around the dance floor, all but glued together.

The intimate caress startled Zane for a moment, but then he told himself that Gwen was merely putting on a good act. Rationalizing didn’t stop his body from responding, however, and he brought her closer still and deliberately inhaled her arousing scent. However this whole thing had started out with Gwen, business deal or not, he knew now that he wanted her. She hadn’t only impressed his family and friends today, she had impressed him.

“You’re very beautiful,” he whispered.

“Thank you, kind sir. You’re beautiful too, you know,” she said teasingly.

“You think I’m still pretending, Gwen, but I’m not. You really are beautiful.”

The hoarseness in his voice jolted Gwen a bit, but she could only think that if he wasn’t pretending at this moment, then he was handing her a line.

“I know all about your reputation with women,” she whispered, “so please don’t insult me with false flattery just because we both drank too much champagne.”

For a few seconds Zane was at a loss. He certainly hadn’t expected that sort of reply, and it hurt that she would bring up his reputation at a time like this.

“Don’t you recognize a sincere compliment when you hear one?” he finally asked.