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The Unreal Boyfriend: Chapter Two

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Hi again! Hope you enjoyed Chapter One of The Unreal Boyfriend.

Before the book releases on the 30th, I'm excited to share Chapter Two with you as well. Here it is.

The Unreal Boyfriend Chapter Two

Bernadette shrugged into her coat and put on some lipstick. Then she practised a happy face in front of the mirror.

Good. She looked genuinely okay. Paige should be the only person she had to be extra careful with. Her best friend had a knack for guessing if she was feeling low. Still, she’d managed time and again to convince Paige there was nothing to worry about.

“Bernadette! We need to change my bedsheets!”

Bernadette exhaled harshly. Now that she was about to leave for Lara’s third birthday party, her mother had started to find things to hold her up and spoil her fun.

She grabbed her bag and left her room. “We’ll do it tomorrow, Mum, before I do the washing.”

June plopped herself in her favourite armchair in front of the TV and glared at her. “All you know how to do is to enjoy yourself. Look at you, all dressed up to join your rich friends for yet another party, and you can’t even give your mother enough money so I can go out and entertain myself.”

“Not when your idea of entertainment is pouring all of your cash into poker machines,” she retorted.

“Playing the pokies relaxes me! Isn’t that important for someone who’s had a heart attack? Anyway, I keep telling you to ask those bazillionaire friends of yours to help you out with a better-paying job. Then you won’t have to be stingy with me. And don’t forget you owe me your friendship with them. If I hadn’t taken you with me to the Shiptons’ house when you were little because there was no one to look after you while I worked there as a housekeeper, you wouldn’t have met Paige, and you wouldn’t have become best friends with someone from a wealthy family. And if you hadn’t become Paige’s best friend, then you wouldn’t also have met her rich husband and his rich friends. Come to think of it, you should tell Paige that I want to meet her again to say hi. She really owes me something too, you know, because if I hadn’t brought you to her parents’ house, she would have been a lonely only child with no one to play with—”

“I’m going,” Bernadette interrupted, heading for the door. “I’ve cooked your lunch and dinner. You just need to heat them up in the microwave.”

“If you let your Auntie May get you a date with her husband’s nephew, our problems will be lessened. We could be rich, too! But I just don’t understand why you—”

Bernadette shut her apartment door behind her and ran for the exit. It didn’t matter that this happened almost daily since her mother had reappeared in her life and moved in with her a year ago. Time and repetition only increased her hurt.

She got in her car and slumped on the driver’s seat. At least she’d soon be at Lara’s party. Any break from her mother’s favourite pastime of making her feel guilty for almost everything was very welcome. Unfortunately, today was also the day she’d get to meet Holly.

She sniffed and turned on the engine. She couldn’t decide if she’d rather suffer her mother’s incessant whining or see Derek with his girlfriend. But she wouldn’t think of not being there to celebrate Lara’s birthday.

She drove down Parramatta Road, grateful that the traffic wasn’t as bad as she feared. Congestion had been increasing more and more on Sydney’s roads, and she’d worried she might be late in getting to Rick and Lexie’s house.

She normally enjoyed driving so she could be alone with her thoughts. But right now, all she could think of was the possibility of witnessing Derek cuddle up with Holly. Ugh. Now she was getting a headache.

Hey, good! She could have a valid reason to leave the party early!

She snorted and pushed the button on the console to turn on the radio. Love song. Gah! She’d rather have silence.

Her mind strayed back to her mother as soon as she’d turned off the music.

June’s mild heart attack a year ago had suddenly turned Bernadette’s world upside down. Estranged for eleven years, June had called Bernadette from the hospital, saying she didn’t have anyone else to turn to in her time of need.

Seeing June unwell and looking years older than her age had shocked Bernadette. And to her surprise, she’d found herself open to a reconciliation. When June had expressed remorse for kicking her out of the house a day after her seventeenth birthday for choosing to go to university and only work part-time, instead of working full-time so she could hand more money to June, Bernadette had been ready to forget about the past.

But after two or three months of relative cooperation, things had started to get more difficult. June had gone back to moaning and whining that being a single mother had robbed her of her hopes and dreams. As if June was still supporting Bernadette! To the contrary, Bernadette had been doing everything for her mother, including cooking, cleaning, washing—practically all the housework. June even refused to look for a job, claiming she wasn’t ready to return to the workforce in any capacity as the stress would be detrimental to her health. Yet June nagged Bernadette to make more money so they—June, in particular—could have “a better life”.

Bernadette was already earning a good salary, having worked her way up in the insurance industry. But June wasn’t even impressed that Bernadette was now a senior underwriter in one of the biggest multinational insurers in the world. As far as June was concerned, Bernadette wasn’t doing enough to milk the relationships she had with her “bazillionaire” friends. To June, that was a sign of stupidity, especially when they “needed the money”.

Bernadette was nearing the end of her tether. The only thing holding her back from throwing June out was the fact that June was her mother. Somehow, she couldn’t do to June what June had done to her eleven years ago.

Perhaps it was because she sympathised with her mother, even if June’s attitude caused her grief. Being aware that her mum had had a difficult life, having been raised by different foster families, Bernadette somewhat understood June’s own emotional scars. And even though June hadn’t wanted to get pregnant at eighteen, June had done her duty of making sure they’d had a roof over their heads, putting food on the table and sending her to school.

Compare that to the father Bernadette had never known. Apparently, her then-teenaged dad had walked out on them when she was only six months old, unable or unwilling to stick around. At least June had raised her even if she wasn’t a wanted child.

And, truthfully, despite everything June had done, Bernadette still sought her mother’s love and approval.

She sighed. Would the need ever go away?

A car honked behind her and she noticed the red traffic light had turned green. She pressed the gas pedal and continued on her journey. As she got closer to Rick and Lexie’s, she shook herself and tried to relax. She wouldn’t want to inadvertently wear her heart out on her sleeve in front of her friends.

Soon she was parking her car about a block away from the Donnellys’ house. Judging by the number of cars parked in the area, most of their guests had arrived. She grabbed her present for Lara—a life-sized stuffed koala she’d crocheted herself from a pattern she’d bought online—and got out of her car. Was Derek already there? With Holly?

Well, time to meet the girlfriend of the man she had the hots for.

She made her way to the house, pasting a smile on her face as she neared it. The gate was open and she spotted Lexie and the birthday girl by the front door, greeting guests.

“Auntie Bernie!” Lara said, waving enthusiastically.

“Hello, sweetie! Happy birthday!” She hugged the child and exchanged kisses with Lexie.

“Is that for me?” Lara asked, pointing to the gift-wrapped present. “Mummy said I’ll open all my gifts later.”

“Yes, it’s for you. I made it myself. Hope you like it.”

Lara grabbed the parcel and grinned. “I think it’s a toy!”

“What do you say, Lara?” Lexie prompted.

“Thank you, Auntie Bernie. Do you like my fairy dress?”

“Yes, it’s very pretty.”

“And my wings?” Lara turned around to show her back. “Mummy got lots of wings for my party. You get one, too!”

“Thank you. Yes, I believe we’re all wearing wings today.”

“Yes. Including my daddy and my grandpas and Julian and Nate and Tanner and Uncle Brad and Uncle—”

“Everyone, including the boys,” Lexie interrupted with a laugh.

“Mummy, I want to give Auntie Bernie her fairy wings now.”

“Okay.”

Bernadette followed Lara to the big family room at the back, where Lara’s grandmother was handing out costume wings. Bernadette selected a pair and slid her arms into the elastics, adjusting her dress around the armpits. “How do I look?”

“Good!” Lara said with a pleased grin. “Now you can go to the garden.”

“I’d love to.”

Lara led Bernadette to the Donnellys’ large backyard. It was already full of people, with both kids and adults wearing fairy wings of different shapes, sizes and colours.

Bernadette’s gaze landed on Derek immediately. He was sitting near the pool area with Tristan, Brad, Erin and a couple of people she didn’t recognise. Well, those two strangers appeared to be together, so the woman couldn’t be Holly.

Maybe Holly couldn’t make it? Or maybe Derek had changed his mind about introducing her to the gang today? Wouldn’t that be good?

“Bern!”

“Hey!” She greeted Paige with a kiss and noticed a stunning brunette standing beside them. Her mouth dropped open as she recognised the face. It was Holly Stirling, the singer who’d won a popular talent show three years ago and was now one of the biggest stars in the world. Bernadette even loved her songs. She was such a fan.

Oh, hell. This was Derek’s Holly?

“Um, Bern, you know Holly Stirling,” Paige said. “Holly, this is my best friend, Bernie—Bernadette Luna.”

Holly extended her hand for a shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Bernie.”

“The pleasure’s mine, Holly,” Bernadette responded, her eyes still wide even as her heart constricted.

“I’m so happy to finally be meeting Derek’s friends,” Holly said with a smile. “We kept on talking about it, but it just hadn’t happened until now because I’ve been so busy these past couple of years.”

“We’re glad it’s finally happened,” Bernadette said brightly, her acting chops kicking in.

Holly chuckled. “I did tell Derek I’ll take the blame for him keeping my identity from you guys. I just had so much pressure coming from so many different directions that I’d asked him not to mention to anyone that he was going out with me. Even up till now, I’m still trying to adjust to the craziness of showbiz. And if the media discovered my relationship with him, it would just add to the pressure. Luckily, Derek’s also keen to keep the media from hanging around him in case they sniff out the dealings of his well-known clients. As you know, if the media finds out that he’s a buyer’s agent for some of the most recognisable celebs on the planet, he’ll have trouble keeping his clients’ affairs a secret from long-range camera lenses. Plus, he’s naturally very private, but I’m sure I don’t have to tell you guys that.”

“Yeah,” Bernadette murmured.

“And,” Holly said secretively, stepping closer to her, “we’re still pretending we’re not together. We’re telling people I’m here as Rick and Lexie’s guest, not as Derek’s girlfriend. I’m only coming out to Derek’s closest buddies because you guys have been insisting on meeting his girlfriend Holly.”

“Oh, right. Sure, no problem.” Any hope Bernadette had had that Derek wasn’t serious with his on-again, off-again girlfriend had faded fast. Ouch.

“Hey, Bernie, you’re here!”

Her heart skipped at the sound of Derek’s voice before sinking back to her stomach like lead. She managed to come up with a grin, though. “You’re a naughty one, keeping Holly Stirling away from us for so long,” she said in a low voice.

Derek let out a laugh that sounded forced. “Well, here she is, finally.”

“Careful, Derek,” Holly said under her breath. “Don’t stand close to me. A caterer already saw us talking privately inside the house and she’s been whispering to her workmates ever since—and sneaking glances at you.”

Derek casually moved away from Holly to inspect Bernadette’s wings. “Obviously, we have the same taste, Bern. Your wings are exactly the same shape as mine, just a different colour.”

“You two are so cute,” Holly said with a giggle. “The gorgeous prince and princess of the fairy kingdom.”

Bernadette chuckled nervously. Wow, she wasn’t expecting such a comment from Holly—

“Would you like a drink, ma’am?” a caterer asked Bernadette.

Ah, Holly was merely trying to deflect attention away from her and Derek. Okay, Bernadette was fine with helping throw off a scent. “Shouldn’t we be king and queen since Lara would probably want to take the princess role?” she said in a teasing tone before eyeing the selection of beverages on the tray carried by the hired worker. They all seemed alcoholic.

“Bernadette can’t handle much alcohol,” Derek informed the caterer. “Or you’ll find her passed out on the floor before you can count to ten.”

“Oh,” the server said. “Should I get you something else, ma’am?”

“I’ll get it,” Derek said. “You want your usual?”

“Yes, please,” Bernadette answered.

The server gave their little group a nod of acknowledgement and walked away to offer drinks to the other guests.

“Thank you, Bernie,” Holly said. “Hopefully, that would give that woman and her friends something else to think about.”

“No worries,” Bernadette murmured. If only Holly knew just how much she’d want to trade places with her in Derek’s heart, Holly might be horrified at what she’d just put Bernadette through. Pretending to be Derek’s girlfriend. Imagine that!

“Shall we go get your drink?” Derek asked.

Bernadette nodded and followed Derek to the makeshift adult drinks bar at the far end of the garden, away from the kids’ play area.

“Holly Stirling, huh?” she said softly. “So she’s not on-again, off-again, after all, hey?”

Derek didn’t answer, and she wasn’t sure if it was because she’d hit the mark or Derek simply didn’t want to be overheard by the other guests who were coming up to greet them.

Let it go, Bernie. No point wallowing in that question.

Easier said than done. Pretending to her closest friends that she wasn’t touched by the pain of disappointment would be hard. But for the rest of the day, she had to do her best.

By five in the afternoon, Bernadette felt proud of herself. The guests had left except for the gang, and here she was, chatting comfortably even though Holly and Derek were sitting right in front of her.

She couldn’t help but keep glancing at Derek, though. They hadn’t had a chance to talk about their little act. But then again, what was the need for a discussion? She was the one who’d effectively volunteered her services to Holly and Derek’s cause when she’d followed Holly’s lead of trying to confuse the caterer. Fortunately, the party was officially over, and the hired help had gone. Act well and truly finished.

“This was the most relaxing time I’ve had in a long, long while,” Holly declared. “I’m still enjoying myself, but I’m afraid I have to go. Dante, my manager, is about a minute away to pick me up. We have to go through a few things for a round of interviews tomorrow for my new release.”

“I’d walk you out,” Derek said, “but it might be better if I don’t. Paps might still be hiding out there.”

“Sorry about that,” Lexie said. “I’ll walk you out.”

Holly waved a hand dismissively. “No need to apologise. There’s nothing anyone can do about the paparazzi.” She hugged everyone goodbye, expressing her thanks for a wonderful day.

To Bernadette’s surprise and relief, Holly and Derek only kissed each other on the cheeks, not the lips.

“Catch up with you guys again soon,” Holly said as she hurried to the side gate with Lexie.

“See yah!” Bernadette said cheerfully along with the others. Her glance strayed towards Derek, and she found him gazing at her in a way that made her heart race.

She couldn’t look away, and she felt a pinching in her chest when Derek broke their eye contact.

Why, oh why, did he have to look at her like that?

Paige casually leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I survived the day,” she said under her breath.

“I still can’t believe you agreed to pretend to be Derek’s date today.”

“You know me. Ever ready to be of assistance,” she said dryly.

“Sorry, hon. I know it’s not as easy as you make it out to be.”

She smiled at Paige. “I just need to keep looking for my Mr. Right. He has to be out there somewhere, unless I’m permanently cursed.”

“Stop saying that about yourself! You’re going to find love and you know it.”

Bernadette merely sighed. She’d be kidding herself if she didn’t admit that she was hurting a lot at that moment. Out of all the men she’d met, she’d been hoping against hope that Derek was her Mr. Right. Clearly he wasn’t, so she had to try harder to kill the love bud that kept growing fast and unstoppable like a weed. Luckily, she seemed to have found an effective poison for it now: Holly.

“I think I’m gonna go, too,” she said to Paige.

“Oh, please stay. There’s plenty of food left and we’re partying till dinner, like we usually do.”

“I really just want to go home.”

Paige squeezed her arm. “Okay. We’ll have lunch sometime this week. Just the two of us.”

She nodded, rising from her seat as Lexie made their way back to them.

“Gosh,” Lexie said. “I’d hate to be someone constantly on the media’s radar. A guy sprang up from nowhere after Holly crossed the road to get to her manager’s car. Holly had to speak with him just to make him back off.”

“Now you know why I’d been so quiet about Holly,” Derek said. “I’d get in trouble with my clients if paps followed me around and got a photo of them checking out properties.”

“Still, how could you have kept this from us for so long?” Tristan asked with a frown. “Since when have we become untrustworthy?”

“Hey, you know it’s not that I don’t trust you. I was just keeping my promise to Holly not to tell anyone. That’s all it was—me keeping a promise.”

Tristan shrugged, still scowling. But he did clink Derek’s beer bottle with his when Derek held it up as a peace offering.

“Hey, guys,” Bernadette said. “I think I’m gonna head home, too. I have this headache that’s starting to get bad.”

Her friends murmured their sympathies, and she refused to change her mind despite their pleas to stay for dinner.

When she turned to Derek to say goodbye, their gazes locked for a moment—long enough to make her blush.

Oh, for heaven’s sake, Bernie, the man has a girlfriend! And what makes you think you can compete with Holly Stirling?

“I’ll walk you out, Bernie,” Lexie said.

“Okay,” she said gratefully. She had to leave now. She couldn’t take much more of any of this.

Lexie steered her towards the house instead of the side gate. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about Holly the moment you got here. It was just that other guests were arriving and I couldn’t tell you—”

Bernadette put an arm around Lexie’s shoulders. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

Lexie returned her hug and squeezed her tight. “Before you go, I have something to tell you about the paparazzo who approached Holly.”

“I’m sure he’s not interested in me,” she said with a laugh.

“I heard him ask Holly if she was going out with Derek McCarthy, the owner of Alpha Property Buyers Advocates.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. The man said he had photos of Derek leaving Holly’s house at eight in the morning last Wednesday, and that several publications were bidding for them.”

“Gosh, Derek wouldn’t be happy about that.” And Bernadette didn’t like the picture that invaded her head. Her chest felt heavier.

“No. But the pap also said that he was giving Holly a chance to give him the true story because he was a big fan, so he wanted to be as fair to her as possible. So Holly said she was definitely not dating Derek McCarthy. She said she simply had a meeting with Derek to interview him as a potential buyer’s agent for her brother, who was overseas, but that her brother has since decided not to buy anything yet. She also said she was sick and tired of all the fake stories being published about her, and pleaded with the pap not to sell the pictures.”

“I don’t blame her for lying,” Bernadette murmured.

“Me neither. Anyway, the guy tried to make a deal with Holly. He’d pull Derek’s pictures from sale, but he wants a couple of exclusive photos of her that he could actually sell. But before anything else, he wants proof that Holly and Derek aren’t an item. He said it was too juicy a piece of information to pass up if it was true. So… well… Holly said that Derek has a girlfriend and it wasn’t her. And guess who she mentioned when the pap insisted on a name.”

Bernadette’s mouth dropped to the ground. “No way.”

Lexie placed a comforting hand on her arm. “I’m so sorry, honey. This just sucks for you big-time. But obviously Holly thinks you’ll be okay with it after the help you gave them today.”

“Serves me right for being too helpful, huh?”

Lexie smiled sympathetically.

“Bernie!” Derek came rushing to them, eyes wide. “Thank God you’re still here.”

Bernadette’s lips twisted. She already knew what Derek was going to ask. Could she go further with their act?

And why on earth was she even considering it?

“I just got a text from Holly and…” Derek raked his hair, his face a picture of mortification, uncertainty and apology.

She sighed and gave him a smile. It wasn’t Derek’s fault he couldn’t return her feelings. Besides, she liked to think she was magnanimous enough to continue doing a good friend a big favour. What had she got to lose? Her heart was already used to suffering, especially when it came to him, anyway. So no big deal, right?

And might as well be useful so she could forget being so… unwanted.

***End of Chapter Two***

Not long to go now before you can read the rest of Bernadette and Derek's story. Here are the preorder links for The Unreal Boyfriend.

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The store link to Google Play will be available very soon.

The Unintended Fiancé is FREE for a limited time!

If you haven't read The Unintended Fiancé (Captured by Love, Book 4) yet, it's free until the 30th of November. Grab your copy now before it goes back to its regular price. You can get your free copies from the following stores:

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The Unreal Boyfriend: Chapter One

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 Only a handful of days to go before the release of The Unreal Boyfriend on the 30th of November! Before the big day arrives, I'm excited to share Chapter One of Bernadette and Derek's story with you.

Here it is. Happy reading!

The Unreal Boyfriend Chapter One

“Jump.”

Bernadette Luna grinned at the utterly handsome Derek McCarthy, thrilled at the glint she saw in his chestnut-brown eyes. “How high?”

“As high as you can,” Derek answered with a quirk of his lips.

Bernadette inhaled deeply, staring at the dark brown hair she was itching to run her hands through. Forcing herself to peel her gaze away from Derek, she looked around. A few of their friends were helping the little kids play basketball on the other side of the giant jumping castle, not paying any attention to them. So she bent her knees, raised her arms like chicken wings, and launched herself into the air.

Her eyes widened as she felt her right foot land awkwardly, and a little yelp escaped her throat as gravity pulled the rest of her body towards the soft ground. Drats! She quickly smoothed down her billowy skirt that had ridden up her thighs, praying that no one had gotten a peek at her underwear.

“You okay?” Derek asked.

She laughed to cover up her embarrassment. “See? This is exactly why I hate being in these inflatable things.”

“At least I’m not jumping all around you like some mean boys did when you were twelve years old,” Derek teased.

“I guess. And at least you’re not chanting ‘we saw your pink panties’,” she said dryly.

Derek helped her up, not giving an indication if he’d had an eyeful of her… well… pink undies.

Frankly, she wouldn’t have minded if he had. In fact, she’d love it if Derek saw her naked—as long as he was naked with her in a room with a bed. Ugh, how bad did she still have it?

“So let me get this straight,” Derek said. “You hate jumping castles because you lost your footing in one before, and you couldn’t get back up because mean boys were jumping all around you while they teased you mercilessly about your pink panties?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Seventeen years ago?” Derek asked softly.

She flushed. “That sounds silly, doesn’t it? But didn’t I just prove to you that bouncy houses and I don’t get along?”

“Come on. Time to get over this silly fear. Jump higher.” Derek clapped his hands like a coach encouraging his charge.

Bernadette raised an eyebrow. She’d like to think Derek was somehow flirting with her. Sure, it was usual for him to be this friendly and fun, but he’d never spent this much one-on-one time with her before. She had a feeling it meant something. “Am I your case to solve now?”

“You’d disappoint Tanner if you didn’t enjoy this castle, too. Look at him. He’s so loving it in here.”

She chuckled and turned her attention to the birthday boy, the son of Paige Grant—her best friend—and Tristan Grant—Derek’s best friend. The one-year-old’s laughter was infectious as he sat in the far corner between his grandmothers, watching his two-year-old and three-year-old playmates shoot small beach balls into a plastic hoop with the help of their daddies and uncles.

Without saying a word, she attempted another jump… and stumbled towards Derek.

He caught her, his hands gripping her upper arms tightly.

“I’m okay,” she said, giggles bubbling out of her. “I’m starting to seriously believe I’m cursed when it comes to jumping castles.”

“And you’ve been in how many in your lifetime?” Derek asked, his hands sliding down to her wrists.

“Two,” she said a tad breathlessly, the warmth from his touch travelling throughout her whole body. Derek was probably only wanting to make sure she’d gotten back her balance, but so what? Derek McCarthy was holding hands with her—almost. After a year and a half of being secretly in love with him, she’d allow herself to enjoy this moment.

“Two, huh? Yeah, maybe the jumping castle fairies have something against you,” Derek said teasingly.

“Auntie Bernie, Uncle Derek! Watch me!” said the three-year-old son of Lucas and Jade Renner-Bilton.

Bernadette felt bereft when Derek let go of her hands to watch Julian jump.

“See, I didn’t fall!” Julian said proudly.

Bernadette clapped. “That’s great, Julian. If I jump and fall again, will you help me get up?”

“Of course!”

“Julian helped me when I falled,” Lara informed.

Bernadette grinned at Rick and Lexie Donnelly’s cute daughter, whose third birthday was up next in two months. “Wow, Julian helped you when you fell?”

Lara nodded vigorously. “You can do it, Auntie Bernie.”

“I can jump, too!” shouted Nate. Gavin and Natasha Redford’s son started bouncing up and down, and his cousin, Carter and Cassie Garrett’s daughter, Chelsea, took his hand to jump with him. The two-year-olds shrieked in laughter as they lost their balance and tumbled together.

Aw.

“Mama! Dada!” Tanner suddenly cried out, his face lighting up as Paige and Tristan entered the jumping castle. The birthday boy snatched his arms from his grandmothers’ grips and crawled with speed towards his parents.

Bernadette sighed. Gosh, these kids were making her clucky! She glanced at Derek, the guy she hoped to be The One. The man of her dreams was putting his phone against his ear.

“Holly, what’s up?” Derek said to his caller.

Bernadette’s breath hitched. Holly? Suspicion quickly rose up inside of her as she watched him from out of the corner of her eye.

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow night,” Derek said before hanging up.

“Who’s Holly?” Tristan asked.

“Oh, just… a friend,” Derek said casually.

Tristan smirked. “I bet it’s your on-again, off-again girlfriend. Now we have a name for her.”

Bernadette gulped. No.

But Derek remained silent, not contradicting Tristan’s declaration.

Bernadette took a sharp breath. Of course she’d misread Derek’s extra friendliness. She had a habit of doing that, then reality would always whack her in the face. Good thing she’d learned how to deal with disappointments a long time ago—pretend she didn’t care.

She kicked hope out of her chest and placed her heart back in its protective box. Then she plastered a smile on her face.

There.

Paige stood close to her and murmured in her ear. “The girls are plotting to get Derek to introduce us to this invisible on-again, off-again girlfriend.”

Bernadette kept her lips curved up. “Why?”

“Why not? We’re all finding it very strange that he hasn’t so much as shown us a picture of her after all this time. Besides, I think it’ll be good for you. You’ve been holding yourself back from getting serious with other guys. Being face-to-face with Derek’s girlfriend might help put out the torch you’ve been carrying for him.”

Bernadette sighed. Paige knew her better than anyone. “So what is the plan?”

“Don’t know. The girls are discussing it right now.”

Bernadette peered through the castle’s window. The other women were huddled at one of several outdoor tables decked out in Disney-themed decor in the large garden of Tristan and Paige’s country property. The sun was shining brightly on this beautiful spot in the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, but her mood was becoming bleak.

She didn’t particularly want to meet Derek’s girlfriend, but she supposed it would be better to know what was being planned so she could prepare herself for it. “Okay. I think I’ll join the girls.”

“Sure,” Paige said.

“Hey, where’re you going?” Derek called out as Bernadette headed for the exit. “We’re not done yet.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “I’m just taking a break.”

“But we’re going to have a dancing competition, right, kids? We’re all gonna see who can dance the best without falling down.”

Julian started shaking his hips. “Dancing contition is fun, Auntie Bernie!”

“Dancing competition, bubba,” Lucas said, ruffling Julian’s hair.

Julian scowled at his dad. “I’m three already! Bubba means baby. Marissa is a baby. Aimee is a baby.” He pointed first to Jarryd Westbourne and Marilyn Grant’s five-month-old daughter, then to Brad and Erin Mead’s six-month-old child. “The baby in Auntie Geri’s tummy is a baby,” he added.

“Sorry,” Lucas said with a grin. “But you’ll always be my bubba, no matter how old you get.”

Julian rolled his eyes. “Fine. Can we do the dancing contipition now, Uncle Derek?”

“When Auntie Bernie comes back.”

“Don’t go, Auntie Bernie!” Lara said. “We’re dancing now!”

Chelsea ran to Bernadette and clung to her hand. “Please?”

Bernadette relented and walked back to the group. “Okay, then.”

“Yay!” the children cried.

Derek played a fast song on his phone. “Okay, everybody. Dance!”

Bernadette let out a laugh as Derek took her hand and twirled her around. At least Derek was being a wonderful friend who went out of his way to make her feel like a valued part of a big family—something she didn’t get from her own flesh and blood.

She appreciated the man, even though he unknowingly kept on breaking her heart over and over again.

* * *

Derek released Bernadette’s hand to dance with Lara, ignoring the curious glances being thrown at him by his buddies. What a time for Holly to call him. And how stupid of him to have called her by name. He bet his friends wouldn’t let up until they’d learned more about the woman he’d told them he’d been dating on and off for years. He could only hope he’d continue to get away with simply fobbing off their questions about her.

“So you’re seeing Holly tomorrow night, huh?” Tristan said, one of his arms around Paige’s waist while he carried Tanner in the other as he danced with his family. “Exactly when do we get to meet Holly?”

Derek filled his lungs with air, careful not to look like he was sighing, and even more careful not to give in to his strong desire to check out Bernadette’s reaction.

He’d been thoroughly enjoying Bernadette’s company today. And, as usual, he found her laughter thrilling… and her long-lashed chocolate-brown eyes captivating… and her sweet smile fetching…

“Dude, we’re dying of curiosity here,” Lucas said.

“Nothing’s changed,” he answered in a bored tone.

“You should have brought Holly here today,” Tristan said.

“Hey, no one told us we’re having a disco here,” Marilyn said, walking inside the bouncy house with her husband Jarryd. “And who’s this Holly person you’re talking about?”

Argh, the last thing Derek wanted was for anyone else to hassle him about Holly, no matter how close he was with everyone in this tight-knit group.

“Holly is the name of Derek’s mysterious girlfriend that he couldn’t wait to introduce to us,” Tristan said with sarcasm.

Marilyn’s jaw dropped. “Really? Holly, huh? So when do we finally get to meet her?”

“I’ve told you guys before,” Derek said patiently, “there’s no reason for you to meet her at this point. We’re still only casual.”

“Look,” Marilyn said, “I know it’s really none of our business, but I honestly don’t understand it. You’ve always introduced girlfriends to us in the past, even if you weren’t serious with them. So what’s so different about Holly that you don’t want us to meet her?”

Derek shrugged. All this bullshitting about his relationship with Holly was taking its toll on him, but it had to continue. “It’s just one of those things. I don’t know where to take it with Holly yet and, like I’ve said, I don’t want her to think our relationship is serious enough to introduce her to you guys.”

“But you’ve been dating the woman for over two—or is it three?—years now,” Marilyn said. “If you’re still not serious about her after all this time, then shouldn’t you… I don’t know… set her free and move on?”

“And aren’t you misleading her anyway by still keeping her around when you know you’re not serious?” Tristan pressed.

Derek shook his head. “It’s actually the same for Holly. She’s not serious about me, either. We’re just in an on-and-off relationship because it suits us to have a casual connection every once in a while.” This time, he couldn’t help glancing at Bernadette. She was dancing with Nate, and her long, silky black hair covered her face from his sight. Argh, he wished he wasn’t being grilled about Holly right now.

“So,” Paige said, “do you mean that you and Holly get together simply out of convenience?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” He refrained from looking at Bernadette again.

“I think it would help both you and Holly if we meet her,” Marilyn said. “It couldn’t be fun being in an emotional limbo for over three years.”

Derek snickered. “Who said we’re in an emotional limbo? And before you get on my case because you bet on me for our Captured by Love game, I can tell you I’m not the next guy going down on one knee in front of a woman.”

“Literally all of us here had bet on you to be the next person to propose to someone,” Marilyn said with a wink. “Actually, the girls and I were just talking about that. Since it won’t be fun if we all win—or lose—we decided that we’ll also bet on when you’re going to give up your bachelorhood. Whoever nominates the closest date to your actual proposal will win.”

“Hey, I like that idea,” Lucas said. “So this is an additional game?”

“Yes. The wider game is still ongoing, since there are now over a hundred people putting in their bets for charity. Nine different bachelors have been named to win this round. But this separate game is just for our gang because we all put our money on Derek to be captured by looove next.”

“Okay,” Tristan said. “The date I’m nominating for Derek to propose to someone is this time next year—Tanner’s second birthday.”

Derek snorted. “Are you kidding me?”

“Hey, I married Paige within months of meeting her. I’m sure that you proposing to someone in a year is not that impossible.”

“Your relationship was supposed to be fake!”

“Don’t let me down, bro. I haven’t won a single Captured by Love game yet. I’m counting on you.”

Derek groaned. “Don’t anyone tell me their dates anymore. I don’t wanna know.”

Everybody laughed, but they did let him off the hook and got busy doing funny dance moves with the children.

Derek watched Bernadette surreptitiously. Her movements weren’t as energetic as everyone else’s. He hoped she was only watching her balance, and that the conversation about Holly hadn’t depressed her.

Had he done the wrong thing by seeking her out and spending a lot of alone time with her today? He knew she’d had a crush on him not long after they’d first met on Tristan and Paige’s wedding day, but he was also certain she’d gotten over him quick smart since she’d been dating other guys. Hopefully she hadn’t read much into his actions. He didn’t want to give her the wrong impression.

Well, in a way, he’d been giving her the right impression since he very much wanted to enjoy her company. But he should stop and watch himself in case the others started to notice. He wouldn’t hear the end of it otherwise, and it really wasn’t fair to Bernadette.

“Excuse me, Paige. We’re ready for lunch,” a man in a pirate costume said by the castle’s doorway.

“Oh, great! Yes, please,” Paige said.

Mr. Pirate rang a handheld bell. “Boys and girls, who wants to join me at the captain’s table, har har?”

“Me!” all the kids cried, raising their hands.

“Great! Follow me and we will eat delicious food while I tell you a very exciting story!”

“I’m not hungry,” Chelsea said, crossing her arms against her chest.

“Everyone eats first before we start playing again,” Carter said firmly to his daughter.

With some coaxing, all the kids agreed to eat their lunch with Mr. Pirate and his able assistant, and the adults made their way to the long buffet table brimming with mouth-watering dishes.

“So,” Tristan said to Derek as they settled themselves on one of the outdoor settings after filling up their plates. “Is tomorrow night with Holly just a booty call, or are you trying to work something out with her?”

Derek bit into his mini burger, buying himself a few seconds to think of a good answer that would put a stop to this topic.

“Seriously, Derek,” Marilyn said, joining them. “We can’t figure out your relationship with her.”

He held back a sigh. Tristan and Marilyn were among his oldest friends and they’d always been open and honest with each other. But he simply couldn’t share this particular matter with anyone, not even them. “Right now, our on-and-off relationship works for us. We’re only on when we want to hang out with each other, and we’re off for the rest of the time. But because we’re both busy with our work, we always end up just dating each other instead of other people.”

“So what’s with flirting with Bernie all day?” Marilyn asked casually.

His eyes widened. Had he been that obvious? “I wasn’t flirting with her.”

Tristan snorted. “Come on. You’ve been all over her today.”

“I honestly wasn’t,” he insisted, running a hand over his face.

“You know,” Marilyn said, “I’d thought in the past you’d be married by your mid-twenties—well before any of the other guys. You took relationships more seriously than they ever did in our younger days. Yet here you are, thirty-three years old and the only remaining bachelor in our group. I really think you’re hiding something.”

Derek glanced sharply at Marilyn.

“Why don’t you want to introduce Holly to us? Before her, you’ve always taken your dates—even the non-serious ones—to our get-togethers. But you’re so reluctant to let us meet Holly. Why?”

“I already told you why.” What else could he say?

Tristan let out a heavy breath. “I know what Marilyn’s saying. In the beginning, I kept buying your story that you simply weren’t serious enough about this Holly person to warrant introducing her to us. I got distracted from looking more closely into your situation because of my past drama with Paige’s parents, and then getting married and having a baby. But now I smell that something’s off with all the excuses you’ve been feeding us.”

Derek shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Marilyn leaned closer to him. “What’s really going on? I can’t imagine you continuing to see the same woman for over three years and still calling it casual. That’s just not you.”

“You guys are reading too much into this. It is simply a casual thing that’s been going on for a while. Introducing her to our group might wreck something that’s working perfectly fine for Holly and me.”

Tristan’s brows furrowed. “We might wreck something? If it’s only casual, why are you worried about that? There are a lot of inconsistencies with your answers, bro, and I’m starting to get worried.”

“Really? What’s there to worry about?”

“How can it be casual and yet be exclusive? For over three years? I still can’t believe we—your best buddies in the whole world—know virtually nothing about the woman you’ve been seeing for over three years. Hell, we’ve only just discovered her name today! And if Holly’s also not serious about you, why are you concerned that she might get the wrong impression if you got her to meet us? See? Lots of holes and very weird.”

Derek’s gaze flicked away from Tristan’s probing eyes. “I told you, it’s just one of those things that happened to work like that.”

“You know,” Marilyn said, “I could always ask Gavin and Carter to check if everything’s okay with you. It’s so not you to be this secretive about your relationships, especially to us.”

“Hey, good idea, Marilyn,” Tristan said.

Derek’s heart raced. Surely these guys were only joking. But, knowing them, they just might act on Marilyn’s suggestion if he didn’t assuage their concerns. The last thing he needed was for their private detective friends to start snooping around his affairs. He couldn’t take that risk.

He let out a chuckle. “Fine. If you guys are really that keen to meet Holly, I’ll introduce her to you. If she’s free, I’ll bring her to Lara’s birthday in a couple of months.”

“Finally!” Marilyn said, looking up to the heavens.

“Good,” Tristan agreed.

Derek’s gaze involuntarily went to Bernadette, sitting at the table next to theirs. He caught her staring at him before shyly looking away.

His chest squeezed, and he frowned at the strength of it.

Damn it. He was in such a big fucking mess.

***End of Chapter One***

That's all for today. In the meantime, you can preorder The Unreal Boyfriend right now from the following stores:

Amazon.com | Other Amazon Stores | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple iBooks

The store link to Google Play will be available very soon.

Keep an eye out for Chapter Two tomorrow!

Love,

Miranda xo

 

The Unexpected Husband: Chapter Two

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How did you enjoy Chapter One of The Unexpected Husband?

Without further ado, here's Chapter Two. Happy reading!

The Unexpected Husband: Chapter Two

Tristan stared at Paige. She’d truly rattled his cage tonight. Curiously, though, his initial burst of anger at her news was gone. The exhaustion in her features was so palpable that she couldn’t possibility be faking it.

Not that he’d stopped suspecting she was in cahoots with her parents. He was merely observing that she was looking tired and down.

As for claiming he was the father of her baby, well, that was something so easily proven or refuted these days with accurate DNA testing that only a fool would try to lie about it. He’d still want that paternity test—he wouldn’t be so stupid as not to get one—but he was certain Paige was telling the truth about him having gotten her pregnant.

So he really was going to be a father. And he didn’t have a choice but to be ready. His sense of responsibility wouldn’t let him turn his back on Paige—no matter who she was—and the baby. His baby.

He was going to have a baby.

Damn it, it was as scary as hell, but he already knew he’d want to be a part of his child’s life and provide it with all he was capable of giving. He was an uncle to his older sister’s daughter as well as to his best friends’ babies. He loved those kids to bits and couldn’t imagine himself not embracing his very own flesh and blood.

He sighed, surprised at the excitement that started to grow within him.

He could well afford to have a child, and no doubt his family and friends would be happy to offer whatever help and assistance he’d need when it was his turn to look after it.

Yes, he’d be able to handle it.

But first things first. He had to straighten a few things out with Paige.

He smiled at her. “If the baby’s really mine, then I’m all in when it comes to helping you raise it. It’s not in me to turn my back on this kind of responsibility. I’m happy to work with you on this, if you’re willing to do the same. I know I can be a father to my child even though I’m in conflict with its grandparents. It will be messy but workable. The two of us just need to be in agreement. You and I don’t have to be at war with each other.”

Paige gaped at him hopefully, and the rumbling of her stomach had him springing up from his chair and calling the kitchen to check on their food.

“It should be here in five minutes,” he said.

“Thank you.”

He sat back down and regarded her. “What do you know about my dispute with your parents?”

Paige exhaled a drawn-out breath. “I didn’t know anything about it until Mum and Dad started to argue during dinner. My mum said that if they let the situation worsen, then you’d go ahead with your threat to sue them. It would then add to the cash flow woes that Shipton Enterprise was already suffering.”

Tristan sat up straighter. Shipton Enterprise was having financial troubles? Hm. That might explain Larry and Debbie’s actions of late.

“I asked them to fill me in on the issue,” Paige said, “but they refused to let me get involved in any way. So I told them the news I’d just found out myself at that point—that I’m pregnant and you’re the father. They were shocked and furious, to say the least. They convinced me it’d be a mistake to tell you about it since they were sure you’d just reject the baby.”

“You thought about not telling me?” he asked sharply.

“Yes. You were livid that morning in your hotel, when you found out I was a Shipton. So, yes, I believed my parents when they said you wouldn’t want this baby. In fact, you made me believe the same just a few moments ago.”

Tristan smiled cheerlessly. Okay, he couldn’t blame Paige for making that judgement.

“Anyway,” Paige said with a sigh, “I was all set in keeping this news from you until I overheard my dad on the phone the other day. He said it could destroy Shipton Enterprise if you won your planned court case.”

Tristan leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms against his chest. “So you’re here to ask me not to go ahead with it.”

“Not ask, beg,” Paige said quietly.

“And you’d planned to use the baby to get the outcome you want.”

Paige blushed. “Yes, in a way. Frankly, I’ve been feeling sick in the stomach all day thinking about it. If your dispute with my mum and dad escalates, I don’t want my baby to end up as a pawn, so I thought I’d try to ask you to reconsider now, for the sake of your unborn child. Would you want our baby to grow up and find out that its family members have tried to destroy each other?”

“It goes both ways, then,” he countered. “Your parents have to be as mindful of the baby when they continue to slander its father.”

Paige gazed at him questioningly. “Slander? I got the impression it’s you who refuse to negotiate.”

He cocked his head.

“Like I said,” Paige said, “my parents don’t want me getting involved, so they haven’t shared anything with me apart from the fact that there’s this big dispute going on between you and them, and that you’re close to suing them.”

“Do you really want to know?”

“Of course!”

Tristan pressed his lips together. Paige certainly seemed genuine. Maybe she really only wanted to help bring a peaceful resolution to his conflict with her folks now that she was pregnant with his baby—and nothing else.

In any case, it shouldn’t hurt to tell Paige his side of the story. At least she’d hear only the truth from him.

“I heard about your parents wanting to offload one of their clubs in Melbourne,” he said. “I wanted to bid for it before it officially went on the market, so I called them and they agreed to meet with me in your father’s office. I made an offer, which they didn’t accept, saying it wasn’t high enough. I asked if they had a problem with me buying one of their clubs because I know they were dismayed that TG has overtaken Shipton Enterprise in terms of revenue and profitability. They denied that and, to supposedly prove their goodwill, they had a contract drawn up naming me as the buyer, but showing the higher purchase price they were willing to accept. They’d even signed the document, duly witnessed by Preston Pawlish, your company’s in-house lawyer, before they handed it to me so I could think about it.”

Paige nodded, indicating her attention to and interest in his explanation.

He repressed a sigh. She really did appear guileless when she gaped at him with eyes rounded and mouth opened.

“I decided to accept your parents’ counter-offer three days later, and I called Larry to tell him my news. He said there was another interested party, and that whoever returned a signed contract first would get the club. As you probably know, my office is five blocks away from the Shipton office, so I told your dad I’d be hopping in my car to see him right there and then. He’d even said okay, that he’d see me soon. But when I got there fifteen minutes later, I was told your parents had been called to an urgent meeting. So I saw Preston instead. I whipped out my copy of the contract and signed it in front of him. He even witnessed my signature. We shook hands and Preston congratulated me. Three days after I signed, my lawyer told me I wasn’t successful with the purchase. Apparently, I was too late. The first thought that came to my mind was I must have been late by a matter of minutes—that your parents must have been in a meeting with the other buyer when I was with Preston. But my lawyer said I was late by a day. That’s simply not possible with the sequence of events. I’ve been demanding an explanation, but your parents are repeatedly stonewalling me.”

Paige stared at him, speechless.

“I still want that club, and from where I’m sitting, it should be mine. I don’t understand what your parents’ problem is—apart from they don’t want TG to get further ahead of Shipton Enterprise. But even that doesn’t make sense. Why didn’t they refuse to negotiate with me from the very beginning? And now they’re badmouthing me to people, saying I’m a liar who doesn’t want to play fair when they’re the ones who constantly refuse to explain to me what happened. So in the absence of any other explanation, I suspect they meant to harm my reputation all along, possibly because they can’t afford for my company to keep on growing at the expense of Shipton Enterprise.”

Paige shook her head in disbelief. “I’m sure that’s not the case, Tristan.”

“Well, your parents don’t seem to have any desire to clarify the situation. But that’s not what infuriates me the most. Business partners I respect have been hearing their insinuations against me. I just can’t sit here and not protect my own reputation. So if there’s anyone you should be talking to so this dispute doesn’t go to the courts, it’s your parents.”

Paige rubbed her face. “I can see why you’re so angry. Like I said, I don’t know what their side of the story is because they don’t want me sticking my nose in this. But I’ll talk to them. This is ridiculous!”

Relief—glee, even—washed over Tristan, and he inhaled sharply at the strength of it.

Paige seemed to believe him. And, curiously, it meant a hell of lot.

He gave her a smile as tension left his body.

Paige’s stomach growled again. “Shh,” she said to her belly in embarrassment.

Tristan chuckled, wanting to touch her stomach and rub it himself. Even though he’d wondered at the time if the broken condom would give him problems later, he’d chosen to believe Paige when she’d said it wouldn’t result in a pregnancy. Well, they’d been very wrong, and a little person was now growing in Paige’s tummy. His child.

He was starting not to mind. He really wanted it.

And… wow… the realisation was mind-blowing.

A knock on the door startled him, and he went to answer it.

Jade Renner-Bilton, one of his close friends, poked her pretty head inside, with the sound of a crying toddler coming out of the phone in her hand. “Oh, sorry, guys. I was looking for an empty room to talk to Julian and was hoping this was one.”

“Are the others being used?” Tristan asked.

“Yes. Some people are having impromptu business meetings, and some are enjoying much-needed privacy,” Jade said with a laugh.

Tristan snorted, wondering who among his guests were having sex right now. Sexual activities in the main areas of his clubs were expressly forbidden in order for TG to maintain its clean, fun image, and anyone engaging in them would be banned for life. But private rooms were never monitored, and he’d always given his friends leeway during private parties such as this.

“Come on in, Jade. We’re having a meeting, but our food’s coming shortly, so we don’t mind taking a break.”

“Are you sure?” Jade asked with a curious look towards Paige.

“Yes, no problem,” Paige answered.

Tristan introduced the two women to each other.

“Thanks, guys,” Jade said. “I won’t be long. It’s just a bit noisy out there and I need to see if I can settle Julian a little bit. He doesn’t want to go to sleep. He’s looking for me and Lucas.”

“No worries,” Tristan said, going back to his seat.

Jade held the phone in front of her face to talk to her seventeen-month-old son via FaceTime. “It’s time for bed, bubba. Grandma and Granddad will read you a bedtime story.”

“Mammaaaaa!” Julian whined.

“I think I got him overexcited with too much playing,” Jade’s father’s voice said with a sigh.

“No,” Jade’s mother countered. “It was the chocolate you gave him behind my back.”

“Dad!” Jade chastised.

“That was a while ago now,” Jade’s father said defensively. “And it was only a little square.”

Jade shook her head good-naturedly. “Julian, honey, sleep now. It’s way past your bedtime.”

Julian said something unintelligible.

“No, bed,” Jade said softly but firmly, seemingly understanding what her toddler had uttered.

Julian let out another garbled sentence, as if reasoning with his mother. They all laughed, which made Julian cry again.

“Can I talk to him?” Tristan asked.

“Sure.” Jade sat down on the chair next to his. “Uncle Tristan wants to talk to you, bubba.”

“Hey, buddy. Why are you crying?” Tristan asked the adorable kid.

Julian’s cries instantly ceased and a big smile appeared on his face. “Kel Tan! Ball!”

Jade laughed. “Oh, no. Now he thinks you’re gonna play with him. He absolutely loves the ball you gave him a couple of weeks ago. It’s his favourite toy at the moment.”

Tristan grinned proudly.

“Kel Tan! Ball!” Julian repeated, pointing to something out of sight.

“Oh!” Paige said, chuckling. “Kel Tan means Uncle Tristan.”

“Yes, I’m his favourite playmate. Right, Julian? How about we play sleeping bunny?”

“Play!” Julian said excitedly.

“Yeah. Sleeping bunny. It goes like this.” Tristan placed his head on Jade’s shoulder and pretended to sleep, snoring loudly.

Laughter bubbled out of Julian.

“Come on. Do it with me,” he said to the toddler, snoring again.

“Kel Tan. Want ball.”

“No. Sleep.” Tristan made louder snoring noises, squinting his eyes.

“Want ball!” Julian said, followed by an intelligent-sounding sentence that nobody could understand.

The adults chuckled again, with Paige’s soft laughter sounding particularly thrilling to Tristan’s ears. He glanced at her, and his breath hitched with the meeting of their gazes. He found that he liked her looking like this—happy, relaxed and worry-free, just like she’d been when they’d first met, before the reality of who her parents were had whacked him in the face.

A short knock broke his train of thought, and a server came in with their food.

“I better go and let you guys eat,” Jade said. “This little one doesn’t look like he’s sleeping any time soon, anyway.”

Tristan leaned back towards Jade to show himself again on the video screen. “Hey, Julian. Next time I see you, I’ll bring you another toy, okay?”

“Toy?” Julian asked happily.

“Next time. I promise. But for now you have to go to sleep. Okay?”

Julian stared at him.

“Show me how you sleep.”

Julian squeezed his eyes shut for two seconds.

“That’s right. It’s sleep time now, okay? Goodnight, buddy!” He sent a flying kiss towards the screen.

Julian promptly returned it, then shut his eyes again for a couple of seconds.

See? He’d be a great dad.

Jade stood up, chuckling. “Thank you, Uncle Tristan. I’ll leave you guys alone now. Thanks for letting me interrupt. And it was great meeting you, Paige.”

“Same here, Jade,” Paige said with a smile. “Bye.”

“Bye!” they heard Julian say as Jade walked out the room and closed the door behind her.

Tristan looked at Paige and their gazes locked. They smiled at each other and a wordless connection seemed to zip between them. They’d be great parents.

He broke the contact and turned his attention to the food. Much as he found himself softening on Paige, he still couldn’t afford to fully let his guard down.

Paige’s belief in her parents didn’t make Larry and Debbie innocent of malicious intent. What concerned him even more was the fact that Paige’s parents hadn’t wanted Paige telling him about the baby. If the roles were reversed, he’d want the bastard who’d gotten his daughter pregnant to stand up to his responsibilities.

But the Shiptons preferred to deny their grandchild a relationship with its father, over what? A contract dispute? It simply didn’t make sense. That was why he believed something more had to be at play here. And his gut told him it could be sinister.

As for Paige, well, he could feel her sincerity. But whether he was simply being swayed by his strong attraction to her, he wasn’t sure.

He shook his head mentally. Paige could be easily influenced by her parents. Her allegiance towards them could be unshakeable.

And if he wasn’t careful, he might be letting himself be lured into a trap.

***End of Chapter Two***

Not long to go before Tristan and Paige's story releases! Mark your calendars. June 13th is the date. I'll be back then to give you the links to all the stores.

In the meantime, you can pre-order The Unexpected Husband from the following sites.

Amazon.com |  Other Amazon Stores | Apple iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Thank you and take care!

Love,
Miranda xo

The Unexpected Husband: Chapter One

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One week to go before The Unexpected Husband releases! Really can't wait for you to read Tristan and Paige's story. I so love those two together.

Today is the time to share Chapter One with you. So here it is. Enjoy!

The Unexpected Husband: Chapter One

Tristan Grant forced himself to take in air, filling his lungs to capacity. But his breath was in a hurry to leave him, rushing out in a big audible whoosh through his mouth. He tried to shake off his shock by peeling his gaze from the woman in front of him and glancing around.

Streams of people strutted here, there and everywhere, and it occurred to him that the bustle of a busy Saturday night in Sydney’s entertainment district matched the scrambled thoughts in his head.

“You’ll probably want a paternity test,” Paige Shipton said. “Of course I’d be happy to get one done, but I can also assure you that you’re undoubtedly the father because I haven’t been with anyone else since our night together.”

He blinked, his gaze returning to the beautiful long-haired brunette with the most incredible amber eyes. She’d just dropped a bomb on him, and his mind was still struggling to grasp the situation.

Could Paige be telling the truth about being pregnant with his baby? Or was it a lie—a ploy to soften him up and get him to drop his planned court case against her parents?

Hah, it had to be the latter. He wouldn’t put it past the devious Larry and Debbie Shipton to create a ruse such as this. Paige’s parents were desperate enough to concoct anything that would restore Shipton Enterprise’s status as the number one provider of entertainment venues in Australia—a position Tristan’s TG Company now held.

Tristan had always played fair, but Paige’s parents didn’t know the meaning of the word. Now their twenty-eight-year-old daughter was here with shocking news, gazing at him with her captivating eyes.

His lips twisted mirthlessly. “Was this your plan all along? For me to get you pregnant when I was blissfully unaware that you were the daughter of the two people determined to make my life hell?”

Paige gasped indignantly, her hands going to her hips. “How dare you say that?”

“Wasn’t that why you went to my club in Brisbane three nights in succession?” he pressed, remembered anger pushing him on. “Come to think of it, it couldn’t have been a coincidence that you happened to visit when I was there.”

“I even admitted that I was there to compare your club to the Shipton one on the same street!”

“You said that flirtatiously while we were dirty-dancing, so I thought you were just another patron flirting with me. You didn’t tell me your surname was Shipton.”

“I honestly thought you knew who I was, Tristan,” Paige said, glaring at him with a hurt look. “We were both at the Safety in Nightclubs conference two days before I saw you at your club. I also gave a talk there as a last-minute stand-in for my dad, who was sick. How was I to know you’d left the event by the time I was up on stage?”

“You could’ve mentioned seeing me at Safety in Nightclubs when you introduced yourself to me, but you didn’t,” he said stubbornly.

“May I remind you that I was minding my own business when you approached me?” Paige challenged.

Tristan raked his hair, huffing. Yes, it had been him who’d introduced himself to Paige. She’d been dancing with a couple of girlfriends and she’d simply caught his eye. But he wouldn’t have noticed her if she hadn’t planted herself right in front of his table and moved so sultrily to the music. “You made eye contact with me a few times, ensuring I noticed you,” he said in an accusatory tone.

“I admitted I was attracted to you. That was why I was staring! Argh! How I wish I’d known what a heartless, suspicious person you are before I let myself get seduced by you.”

He ignored Paige’s apparent frustration. He wasn’t going to let her fool him again. “You came back for three straight nights, flirting with me each night, and never telling me you were a Shipton. Even when I invited you to my hotel room on the third night, you still didn’t tell me who you were. Isn’t it strange for the daughter of my toughest competitors to agree to sleep with me just like that?” he said sarcastically.

“Oh my God,” Paige said, putting both hands on her head. “Tristan, you kept inviting me back! I thought we were getting along really well. For the umpteenth time, I thought you knew who I was! I didn’t care that you were our competitor. I thought we were both adults who were attracted to each other and capable of separating our personal life from our professional life. I was happy not to talk about work so we could get to know each other on a personal level, and I thought it was the same for you!”

Tristan narrowed his eyes, hardening his heart that was starting to melt from Paige’s excellent acting. “If I’d known who you really were, I wouldn’t have taken you to my hotel room.”

Paige shot him dagger looks, arms crossing against her chest. “Are you also gonna blame me for one of the condoms breaking? What did you think I did? Pickpocketed your stash from you, compromised their quality so they’d be sure to break, rewrapped them so perfectly that they didn’t look tampered with, then put them back in your pocket—all without you knowing? And did I also make sure we had sex three times to increase the chances of me getting pregnant with faulty condoms?”

Tristan’s nose flared. He didn’t have a rebuttal for that. He had supplied all the condoms, one of which had failed to do its job.

Suddenly, the wind was knocked out of him again. If Paige was indeed telling the truth, then… he really was going to be a father. Sure, he’d thought about becoming one eventually, but not until sometime in the far-distant future.

He was only thirty-two, with no time for anything other than his demanding business, which was growing at a phenomenal rate. He most definitely didn’t envisage having a child with the daughter of the two people he was at war with—even though Paige was still the most attractive woman he’d ever met. Had it not been for the unalterable fact that she was Larry and Debbie Shipton’s daughter, he wouldn’t have minded continuing to go out with her.

Hell, even when he was this angry, he was still drawn to her. How fucking annoying!

But he couldn’t afford to trust her, so he better rein himself in and stop gawking at that beautiful face of hers. He looked away and cursed mentally, furious at this magnetism he couldn’t seem control.

“You said the timing was on our side, that you couldn’t possibly get pregnant at that time,” he said.

“Clearly I was wrong, and I’m sorry about that. But for the record,” Paige said icily, “I would never get knocked up for the sake of Shipton Enterprise or my parents. How dare you even suggest that?”

“But I bet they’re now happy they have something else they can use against me, huh? If you’re really pregnant, that is,” he said sarcastically.

“I am pregnant with your baby,” Paige said through gritted teeth, then she shivered visibly.

Tristan frowned. It was early spring in Australia, but tonight’s temperature was below average, and Paige was only wearing a light jacket. Shouldn’t a woman in her condition be taking precautions not to catch a cold? “Have you been out here long?” he asked.

“I arrived more than four hours ago.”

“You’ve been standing out here for four hours?”

“No. I’ve been going there to rest every once in a while.” She pointed her chin towards the fast-food burger joint across the road. “Tonight’s my chance to talk to you in person, and I didn’t want to lose the opportunity. I don’t have your direct number, and your office wouldn’t put me through to you. Even tonight, your doormen have constantly refused to even let you know I was here. Good thing that your friends Geri and Simon were helpful enough to call you for me. I was starting to think I’d have to leave without seeing you.”

Tristan sighed, hesitating, then gestured for Paige to go towards the entrance of his newest Sydney nightclub, where an invitation-only pre-opening party was happening. He was pleased security remained tight, because it had to. With A-listers and VIPs as guests, he didn’t want uninvited people crashing the event to hassle his popular friends. But some semblance of guilt was scratching at his chest at the thought that Paige had been waiting outside for hours.

Enthusiastic clapping and hooting were going on in the establishment as they walked in, with everybody facing the dance floor. Tristan spotted his cousin, Marilyn Grant, holding the mic and commanding attention. Joining her was their friend Derek McCarthy.

Tristan groaned mentally, guessing what the “show” was all about. He’d better escort Paige to one of the private rooms before Marilyn spotted him and dragged him into the spotlight with Derek.

“So congratulations to Lexie Donnelly, who bet on Simon,” Marilyn said to more applause. “You’ve won a few times already, Lex, but I’m sure your selected charity will again appreciate receiving the generous bets of the losers of our latest Captured by Love game.”

“They certainly will,” Lexie said. “Thanks to all the participants, to Simon for proposing to Geri, and to Geri for saying yes. And thank you, Marilyn, for not betting on Simon for this round, making me the sole winner. You usually put your money on him.”

“I know!” Marilyn said. “I was just so tired of losing. I can’t believe that when I stopped picking him to be the next bachelor to renounce the single life, he decided to fall in love and get engaged.”

“Who did you bet on, Marilyn?” someone in the crowd asked.

“My dear cousin Tristan,” Marilyn said with a sigh. “And since there’s only him and Derek left as bachelors in the original group, we need more contestants we can bet on for the next Captured by Love round. I know there are plenty of unattached guys in attendance tonight so, people, drag ’em up here so we can parade them!”

Laughing groans came from several male voices as a mini-commotion occurred, with guests cajoling and pushing their single friends towards the centre of the dance floor.

Tristan placed his hand on the small of Paige’s back, silently encouraging her to walk faster towards the corridor he pointed to.

“Hey, Tristan! You have to take your place here!” Marilyn called out.

Argh. Tristan glanced at Marilyn, ready to yell out an excuse. But he didn’t have to. Simon Alexander was whispering in Marilyn’s ear, and Tristan knew his friend had come to his rescue. They continued walking and, finally, he and Paige rounded the corner, where they could no longer be seen.

“Captured by love?” Paige asked, raising an eyebrow.

“With the current circumstances as they are, I bet I’m about to be captured for something else,” he said dryly.

Paige stopped to look at him. “It’s clear from your reaction tonight that you won’t want to be involved with the baby.”

He stayed silent. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the baby, it was just that he was still in shock—and strongly suspected he was being set up by the Shiptons.

Paige blinked repeatedly, seeming to ward off tears. “There’s nothing for you to worry about. I’m happy to raise it alone.”

Tristan frowned. “Let’s talk inside one of the rooms.”

So Paige was giving him an out? Was this part of the trick?

Admittedly, Paige didn’t have the countenance of a woman who was trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. She looked too exhausted and dejected for that. Quite frankly, though, he didn’t trust his judgement when it came to her.

But if Paige was truly being genuine… what if he took her up on her offer? Then his world wouldn’t have to go through an unexpected upheaval from something he wasn’t at all ready for, right? Not that he’d withhold financial support if the baby really was his, but he could leave it to Paige to raise the child.

A strong emotion roared within him, in total opposition to his thoughts.

* * *

Paige followed Tristan along a wide corridor, sadness squeezing her heart. She surreptitiously placed a hand on her stomach. Don’t worry, darling. I already love you with all my heart, and I’ll look after you with everything I have.

She’d already expected Tristan to reject the baby, but being confronted with the truth had still been like a slap in the face. It stung big time.

But it was a relief, in a way. Her parents were so against her telling Tristan about the baby that she’d originally agreed with them. She’d rather raise her child alone than have the constant stress and heartache of dealing with the man who wouldn’t even have touched her with the tip of his finger, much less have had sex with her, had he known who her parents were.

Since the baby didn’t mean anything to Tristan, was there even a point to using her pregnancy to negotiate with him regarding his dispute with her parents?

She should switch to plan B. Unfortunately, that wasn’t really a plan but a plea. Would he even listen? Should she even continue with this conversation?

Well, she had to try, now that she here. The future of Shipton Enterprise depended on her appealing to Tristan’s sense of fairness—if he had any at all.

Tristan opened the door at the end of the hallway and motioned for her to go in first.

Her jaw dropped. This was the first time she’d been in one of TG’s private rooms, and it was more impressive than any of the Shipton ones. The elegantly decorated space had an eight-seater dining table on one side and a leather lounge set on the other. There was a bar area and even a recliner couch in one corner. A huge TV hung on a wall.

Paige heard the glamorous woman called Marilyn rattle off the good traits of a bachelor named Derek before Tristan closed the door behind him, shutting out the noise. Clearly, the decor in this room wasn’t the only thing that was exceptional. The soundproofing was too.

“So you think I won’t want to get involved with the baby,” Tristan said as he made a beeline for the bar fridge and took out a tall bottle of water.

She smiled mirthlessly. “It’s clear you don’t.”

“I expressed doubts about your pregnancy, Paige. But if that’s really my child, then you’re not keeping it away from me.”

Paige’s breath hitched at the certainty in Tristan’s tone. She stared at him, trying to read his real meaning. His green eyes sparkled with determination even as he raked his fingers through his light brown hair.

Gosh, why did he have to be as handsome as she remembered?

And how could she feel attracted to this man again, especially at a time like this?

She shut her eyes to steady herself. When she opened them, Tristan was pacing the room, clearly agitated.

“I know this is a shock for you, Tristan. I actually don’t mind raising the baby alone. So I mean it when I say you don’t have to worry. I’m not even going to ask you for any child support.”

Tristan whirled around to face her. “You turn up here out of the blue to tell me you’re pregnant with my child, then you want me to wash my hands of it? Why the hell did you come in the first place? Why tell me at all if you don’t want me to have anything to do with it?”

Heat rushed to her face. “You don’t want the baby, so I’m not going to force it on you. I don’t want to complicate things any further than necessary.”

Tristan narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you,” he said with deadly quiet.

She frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

“Are you really pregnant?”

“Yes!” She placed both hands on her tummy protectively.

“Is it really mine?”

“Yes!”

“Then what plans have your parents concocted?” Tristan asked, his countenance immovable. “They do plan to use your pregnancy against me, don’t they?”

Paige exhaled in a gush, suddenly weary. “Mind if we sit?” She walked to the nearest dining chair, just as her stomach rumbled with embarrassing loudness.

“Haven’t you eaten?” Tristan asked, his brows furrowed.

Ahh, food. Yes, that was what she needed. She’d hardly had anything all day from her stress and worry about this meeting with Tristan. “I only had snacks. I can order a meal from here, right?”

“What would you like?”

“A spaghetti bolognese?” She’d thoroughly enjoyed the same dish at the Brisbane location of TG, where they’d first met. “And a banana smoothie.”

Tristan walked to a small corner table and picked up the phone sitting there. She listened while he asked someone to bring what she’d just requested, along with some cakes and fresh fruit.

Now she was salivating! She rubbed her tummy. Mummy’s eating soon, darling.

Tristan placed their water on the table and took the seat opposite her. “Back to our topic…”

She held Tristan’s gaze. “You’ve made it clear you’d never have slept with me in the first place had you known I’m a Shipton. That’s such a blatant rejection of who I am, so I’m saying you don’t have to deal with the consequences of the condom breaking. I don’t need the aggravation.”

“My issue with you and your parents doesn’t mean I don’t want the baby,” Tristan said, his tone suddenly softer.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Look, you took me by surprise. Hell, you shocked me, so I’m sorry if I was nasty. I’m still processing this whole thing. But if that’s my baby, then I’m more than happy to give you whatever support you need. Just level with me, please?”

What? Was he messing with her mind?

“Paige,” Tristan said, voice still gentle. “Just because I’m at war with the baby’s grandparents doesn’t mean I’m going to turn my back on it. And, forgetting about how we met in Brisbane, my conflict is against your parents only. So I’m sure the two of us can work together regarding the baby.”

Paige stared at Tristan. He wanted the baby she was carrying? She blinked away tears that suddenly pooled in her eyes. Damn it, she was touched more than she cared to admit.

And with Tristan’s unexpected declaration, should she revert to plan A?

***End of Chapter One***

You can now pre-order The Unexpected Husband from the following stores:

Amazon.com |  Other Amazon Stores | Apple iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Links to Google Play and other stores will be available on release day.

That's all for today. Chapter Two will follow tomorrow.

Till then, enjoy your day/night.

Love,
Miranda xoxo

 

The Unmasked CEO: Chapter Two

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Hope you enjoyed Chapter One of The Unmasked CEO from yesterday. Ready for the next one? Here it is!

Chapter Two

“Hi, Simon. What are you doing here? I thought you’d started your one-month leave.”

Simon smiled at Nadia, the flight attendant at Ingrid Lawrence’s flight. Thank God Ingrid didn’t want him wearing a chauffeur’s uniform or he’d have a hard time explaining. “I just forgot something in my office. I’m not hanging around.”

“So are you going anywhere special? I was surprised to hear you’ll be away for a month. I don’t remember you taking any time off before.”

“Well, I realised that too,” he said with a chuckle. “So I decided I deserve a bit of a long break. I’ll be travelling around, visiting friends and family that I haven’t seen for ages and generally just chilling out. How was the flight?”

“Smooth and uneventful. And Rolf is just so cute,” Nadia said, seemingly swooning.

“Rolf?”

“Mrs. Lawrence’s dog. So adorable and well behaved. Makes me want to get myself a puppy.”

He laughed. “Right. Anyway, I gotta run.”

“Sure. Enjoy your break. I’ll see you when you get back.”

“Thanks.”

He hurried away and went to an empty meeting room at the top of the corridor leading to the executive lounge, where Mrs. Lawrence and Geri were enjoying some welcome-to-Sydney refreshments. He’d have to hide until Elle confirmed it was safe to come out. Good thing that Elle was not only the best account manager he’d ever had, but she was also a trustworthy relative. He was comfortable sharing his secret plans with his younger cousin.

But Elle took customer satisfaction seriously. She’d given him a hard time about his lack of experience working as a chauffeur and bodyguard. He’d had to convince her that he’d do a stellar job, having been driven around by many chauffeurs himself and knowing what was expected from the dual role.

His phone finally buzzed with a text from Elle, informing him that their clients should be ready to go in five minutes. Good. They’d have to leave before the next charter flight arrived. He didn’t want to be seen by any more of his employees.

He checked a few emails from his phone for a couple of minutes, then exited the meeting room, looking around cautiously for any sign of his staff. All he saw was a brunette with long silky hair wearing a beige knit dress and ballerina flats. She was checking out the series of photos hanging on the wall outside the executive lounge, engrossed in the pictures of different cloud formations taken from the air.

This had to be Geri Blaine. He was surprised that she looked to be in her mid-twenties. He’d pictured her as a forty-something woman from the no-nonsense, efficient way she’d sounded on the phone. He also hadn’t expected her to be this… attractive.

Simon approached her.

His footsteps made Geri turn to him with a ready, polite smile. Then her eyes—a beautiful pale blue—widened a fraction, her mouth slackening.

Aha! She was attracted to him too.

His smile widened. Geri, if this was indeed she, wore very little make-up and just a touch of lip gloss. That only highlighted the fact that she was naturally very pretty.

“Hello,” Geri said a little breathlessly, her face flushing.

He opened his mouth to respond when Elle poked her head from out of the executive room. “Simon! There you are.”

“Hi, Elle,” he said, only glancing at his cousin for a second before bringing his attention back to Geri. He was pleased to see Geri’s eyelashes batting in recognition of his name.

“How was the drive here?” Elle asked in a louder-than-usual tone.

Simon dragged his gaze back to Elle, who narrowed her eyes as she gave him an almost imperceptible shake of the head. He suppressed a sigh. Elle didn’t want him sweet-talking Geri at all.

“Geri, this is Simon James, your chauffeur for the month. Simon, this is Geri Blaine, Mrs. Lawrence’s personal assistant,” Elle said.

Simon offered his hand. “Glad to have finally met you in person, Geri. Thanks again for hiring me.”

“You’re welcome, Simon,” Geri replied, taking on a businesslike tone. “Like I said on the phone, I was impressed with your references. Some well-respected business people obviously think very highly of you.”

“Thank you,” Simon said, tempted to keep on holding Geri’s hand, but reluctantly letting it go. It was slightly clammy. That would have been from her reaction to him, right?

“Yes, Simon is very professional and reliable,” Elle interjected, giving him a telling look. “Come on in and meet Mrs. Lawrence, Simon.”

“Sure.” He motioned for Geri to go into the executive lounge first, then followed after her. He found the sprightly-looking Ingrid Lawrence sitting comfortably in one of the chairs, her dog on her lap while she watched the big TV hanging on one of the walls.

Elle made the introductions before excusing herself to print out some information that Mrs. Lawrence had requested.

“I’m glad that we have an able-bodied young man driving us around,” Ingrid said brightly, looking him up and down with interest. “Always good to have a chauffeur who can double as a very good-looking bodyguard.”

Simon chuckled. He liked his new client already. “I’m more than happy to keep the undesirables away from you as we travel around, Mrs. Lawrence.”

“Well, Rolf didn’t bark at you, so that’s a good sign. He can usually sense if someone’s not good to have around, can’t you, Rolf?” Ingrid said, scratching her dog behind his ear.

Rolf wagged his tail faster.

“I bumped into Nadia, your flight attendant,” Simon said congenially. “She said that Rolf is really cute and well behaved. I have to agree she’s right.”

“Oh, yes. I have to say, though, this pooch loves Geri more than me. Look.” Ingrid put Rolf beside her on the seat and picked up her cup of coffee.

Rolf deftly made his way to the low ottoman next to Ingrid’s seat, then jumped the short distance to the ground to run to Geri. He let out a soft whine as he looked at her, as if begging for Geri to pick him up.

“See?” Ingrid said, rolling her eyes. “It’s like he was just putting up with me.”

Geri let out a laugh. “I think he’s pleading with me to take him outside for another toilet break. I better take him out.”

Simon watched as Geri hooked a leash onto the harness Rolf was already wearing, her face lit up as she chatted to the dog as if talking to a child. And he couldn’t help but follow her with his eyes when she led Rolf to the door at the far side of the room that opened to a side yard.

“Rolf keeps Geri happy travelling with an old woman like me for weeks and weeks.”

Ingrid’s voice startled Simon, making him swivel around to face his new “boss”. Ingrid had a watchful look, her lips tugged up in a half-smile.

“I have to ask you, Simon. How will you cope with not going home for a whole month? Do you have a partner or a family that you’ll miss a lot?”

“No, ma’am. And you don’t have to worry about me not coping. One month is not that long. I’m really looking forward to driving you around. I’d enjoy playing tour guide to the both of you.”

“How did you end up being a chauffeur?”

Ah, he had a ready answer for that. “When I was about six or seven, my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told them I wanted to be a driver and drive different types of cars. Well, I’m doing that now.”

There was some truth to what he’d said. He did own several cars and enjoyed driving all of them. But when he was a kid, he’d wanted to become a pilot and fly his own planes. Being a son of self-made millionaires who believed in letting him forge his own path, he’d been able to follow his passion as well as learn business from a very young age. He’d started Alexander Jets when he was only twenty-two. Ten years later, here he was.

“It’s wonderful that you’re doing what you love,” Ingrid said. “My grandson was the one who suggested we hire the Lexus LX SUV for our road trip. What do you think of the car?”

“It’s a great car. Today’s the first time I’ve driven it, and I’m impressed.”

“Good.”

Elle came back to the room, holding a document folder. “Here you go, Mrs. Lawrence. I’ve printed everything that Geri has in the file that she’s given me online access to.”

“Thank you! Poor Geri has to cope with me changing my mind all the time about where I want to go. I find it easier to make comparisons looking at paper rather than computer screens or those tablets. But maybe we should discuss this with you, Simon, since you’re our self-appointed tour guide.”

“Sure. I’ll be more than happy to help create an itinerary,” Simon answered.

“We’re back,” Geri called out from the other door.

Simon glanced at Geri. She really was pretty. Beautiful, in fact.

“Shall we go, then?” Ingrid asked. “I’d like to get to the house Geri booked for us so I can nap for a couple of hours before I meet my grandson for dinner.”

Elle put a hand up. “I just need to speak with Simon for a quick minute, if that’s okay, Mrs. Lawrence?”

“Of course.”

Simon followed Elle to the meeting room he’d waited in before.

“Simon,” Elle said in a low voice. “Geri is not the kind of woman who’d want the mile-high experience with you.”

“Oh, really? Did she tell you that?” he asked lightly.

“Of course not. But you know what I mean.”

“I agree she’s not the mile-high-experience type. But she definitely seems like a nice girl. Remember that I’m looking for a potential long-term girlfriend now?”

Elle rolled her eyes. “As if you’re serious about that.”

“Hey, I am!”

“Sure, sure,” Elle said in a tone that said she wasn’t buying it. “But please behave yourself with Geri. I don’t want Mrs. Lawrence complaining about you, boss. And I want to have an unblemished customer satisfaction record on all my accounts so you can give me a generous bonus at the end of the year.”

“I’ve never put the company in trouble before because of my dating life, have I?” Even though he’d slept with a few of his female clients, those were all instigated by them, not him.

“No. But you’ve never spent a whole month with a pretty client while pretending you’re not you,” Elle said pointedly. “It’s different when the girls know who they’re fooling around with. But you don’t have any intention of telling Geri who you are.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to hit on Geri.” Unless she hits on me first.

“Good,” Elle said. “Anyway, I have to say I can’t wait to see if you do find yourself a real, honest-to-goodness girlfriend somewhere in your travels.”

He laughed. “By the way, you haven’t spoken to Geri or Ingrid Lawrence about Simon Alexander, have you?”

Elle shook her head. “There’s usually no reason to talk to our clients about our CEO, unless they’re the women wanting to book flights with us just to spend some time with you. But, honestly, I still think this incognito thing is hare-brained.”

He ignored Elle’s disapproval. “Good. Anything else?”

“Well, I want to say have fun, but you might take me too seriously and forget your promise not to hit on Geri,” Elle quipped before exiting the meeting room.

He was still chuckling to himself when they went back to the executive lounge. He had no idea what he’d gotten himself into, but he was truly looking forward to it. If nothing else, he was going to have a change of pace and scenery for a short period. Everyone needed a break from work every once in a while, and this was like a holiday for him.

He stopped in his tracks upon seeing Geri laughing at Rolf thumping his tail excitedly at the sight of a dog food commercial on TV. Funny how he felt so drawn to her.

He shook his head at himself. Pretty ladies surrounded him all the time, so he didn’t usually have a swift and strong reaction to total strangers no matter how good-looking they were. But his reaction to Geri surprised him. He already knew he’d like to date her.

Unfortunately, he’d have to wait for her to make the first move. Working for Ingrid was her livelihood. He had to respect it if she wanted to remain purely professional.

“I’ll load your luggage in the car, then I’ll come and get you,” he announced to the women.

“Oh, I’ll go with you,” Geri said, standing up to follow him. “Rolf’s car seat is in one of the bags and I have to set it up.”

“I can do it if you like,” he said hurriedly. The SUV was in the parking area where his staff came and went. He’d minimise the risk of blowing his cover if he loaded the luggage alone.

But Geri waved a hand dismissively. “It’s no problem.”

“Geri’s very particular when it comes to Rolf,” Ingrid said. “She wants to make sure his seat is adjusted to the exact right height that will make Rolf calm and happy. Let her do it now or she’ll just fuss around your work later.”

“Okay,” he acquiesced, not really having any other option. He took the trolley sitting in a corner and pushed it out of the room. Good thing Ingrid had selected a big car. The women’s three large suitcases and six smaller bags—plus his own luggage—wouldn’t have fit in a regular sedan.

“So you’re like a mother hen when it comes to Rolf, huh?” he teased Geri as they made their way towards the parking bays.

Geri laughed with embarrassment. “I know I shouldn’t feel like that because Rolf’s not mine, but yeah, I do feel like I’m his mama even though Mrs. Lawrence is his owner.”

“He’s so well behaved.”

“Thank you. We got him from a friend of mine who’s an expert in training dogs for shows and competitions. He helped me train Rolf every single day for several weeks before we started travelling—that’s why Rolf is so easy to handle.”

“Did you have—” His question died on his lips when Tony, one of the maintenance engineers, came out of a staff room they were passing.

“Oh, hello, Simon, ma’am,” Tony greeted them with a look of surprise as he eyed the luggage.

Ah, damn. Simon bet that Tony was thinking someone was slacking on the job for Simon to be pushing the trolley for a client.

“Going to the car? Let me push that for you, Simon,” Tony offered, already positioning to take over.

“It’s okay, Tony. Thank you, but no need,” he said with a smile.

“Okay,” Tony said. “Is there anything you want done?”

“No, thank you. We’re fine.”

“Okay. Have a good day.” Tony smiled at the both of them and walked the other way.

“Wow,” Geri said in a low voice as they continued their journey. “They’re very friendly and helpful around here, aren’t they?”

“Yeah,” Simon answered, letting out a sigh of relief. Lucky his staff called him by his first name. Imagine if Tony had called him Mr. Alexander. Fortunately, they made it to their vehicle without bumping into anyone else.

“Now, Rolf’s car seat is in here,” Geri murmured, grabbing one of the bags.

Simon opened the tailgate and started to load the first of the big suitcases.

“Hey, let me help with those. They’re quite heavy,” Geri said.

“No, thanks. I got them,” he said with a grin. Aw, she was so sweet to offer. And her smile in response was as equally sweet.

His heart thudded harder. Hm.

“Simon! I’ll do that!”

Oh shit. It was Peter, one of the regular drivers who took their clients to their hotels. Tony must have said something to him.

Simon glanced at Geri, whose mouth was hanging open at the way Peter was hurrying towards them.

Damn it, he didn’t want to be busted. Especially when he was so looking forward to spending one whole month with Geri Blaine as Chauffeur Simon James.

***End of Chapter Two***

I hope you enjoyed the first two chapters of The Unmasked CEO. Looking forward to reading what happens next? The book will release on the 24th of January and can be pre-ordered from the following stores:

Amazon US | Other Amazon stores | Apple iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Google Play and other store links will be available soon.

Have a great day!

Much love,
Miranda xoxoxo