The Substitute Read online

  “So you want me to piss your mother off? After you freaked out about upsetting her?”

  “That’s different,” she said, picking up his tie off the bed. “You get to make an exit from this horror show. I have to live with her for at least another thirty years.”

  She looped the tie around his neck and in that instant he knew he was in deep, deep shit. He forced his breathing to remain normal even though his heart raced. Did she even know how sexy she was right now, knotting his tie at the base of his throat?

  She finished her task and appraised him. “I guess you’ll do.”

  “You guess?”

  She turned her attention to her suitcase and started digging around for something.

  “We need a story,” he forced out.

  “What?”

  “People are going to ask questions. We need to tell them the same thing. Does your family know how you met your fiancé?”

  She turned her head and gave him a wry grin. “So you acknowledge his existence now?”

  He almost laughed out loud. How he’d enjoyed riling her up about her fake fiancé.

  “You showed me his blurry picture, right? But I still question his existence, if only based on the fact that the man has to be an idiot of epic proportions.” Why did he admit that? Focus, Josh. Focus. There was only a week left until everything was lost. He needed to do what he’d come here to do and that was it.

  She glanced down. “No. They hardly know anything.”

  “So how did we meet?”

  “Friends set us up.”

  “Where was our first date?”

  “At Six Seven Restaurant, overlooking the sound.”

  “Classy and romantic. And how did our first date go?”

  She stood, holding a pair of sandals in her hand. She flashed him a teasing grin. “You were smitten with me. I found you barely tolerable.”

  He stared into her twinkling eyes as she looked up at him. “And did any of that really happen on your first date with your fiancé?”

  Her smile faded, making him regret the question. “No. We met at a bar downtown for drinks. He declared us compatible. We each paid for our own tab and agreed to try dinner the next week.”

  “Sounds very…calculated.”

  “That’s Jay for you.”

  He wasn’t sure how to respond. Based on what little he knew of her, he couldn’t imagine her happy with someone like that. “When did you guys move in together?”

  “We didn’t.” He expected her to sound bitter. She only sounded resigned.

  Rather than commenting, he moved on to the next question. “What do you do?”

  She sat on the bed and slipped on her shoes. “I’m a fundraiser for an environmental nonprofit.” She glanced up, blowing away a strand of hair that fell in her face. “My mother finds it tacky that I’m paid to beg people for money. She says I could at least have chosen a well-respected cause. Suffice it to say, she wishes I would do something else.”

  “I bet.”

  “They know Jay’s an investment banker…that he works long hours.”

  “What else did you tell them about Jay…ahem…I mean me?”

  She smiled slightly as she stood, brushing out her skirt. “That you bought a condo in downtown Seattle overlooking the sound because it was a good investment. I was going to move in after the wedding. You’re from Seattle. You have one brother and two parents… Oh, and they aren’t coming to the wedding.”

  “Why not?” he asked, astounded.

  “They booked a cruise and got the wedding date mixed up. They would have lost nearly ten thousand dollars.”

  He whistled. “Damn, it must be some cruise…”

  “It’s a private yacht in the Mediterranean. And Mom had already booked the botanical garden, so she couldn’t change the date since we’re getting married in June. She was lucky she got the date at all.” Noticing his blank stare, she added, “That’s where the wedding and reception are. The Powell Gardens.”

  “And my brother?”

  “He’s not coming either. He couldn’t get away from work.”

  “Wow. Was anyone from this jerk’s side coming to the wedding?”

  She cringed. “A couple of friends. But obviously they aren’t coming now.”

  From what Josh had heard he wasn’t surprised. What an ass. “Let’s try to stick together tonight. That way there’s less of a chance we’ll get our stories mixed up.”

  She lifted her eyebrows. “Don’t you worry. I have no intention of leaving you alone. I have no idea what you are up to, but I’m going to keep an eye on you.”

  He flashed her his charming smile and held his hands out from his sides. “I already told you; I’m trying to avoid my family drama.”

  “By jumping into mine?” She sounded even more skeptical than before.

  “Hey, anybody else’s family drama is preferable to your own. Besides,” he flashed her what he hoped was a beguiling grin, “I told you that this is mutually beneficial.”

  “Part of me wants to believe you, but nobody goes to this much trouble for someone they hardly know.”

  “Megan!” Her mother’s muffled voice called up the stairs and through the closed door, louder than before.

  “Maybe I’m just a nice guy.”

  She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes as she studied him. “No. I don’t think so.”

  He laughed. “You don’t think I’m nice?”

  “Not in this. You’re up to something. But let me warn you,” she wrapped her fingers around his tie and pulled him closer until their faces were no more than a foot apart, “if you screw me over down there, I will make you suffer for the rest of your natural life. Do I make myself clear?”

  The sight of her—her eyes wild and wicked with the promise of retribution—had the opposite effect of what she’d intended. His heart began to race and he had to restrain himself from closing the distance and kissing her. “Megan, I’m here to help you.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently rubbed the tense knots. “You need to relax.”

  She released his tie and brushed his hands away. “I’ll relax after we’ve broken up. And we’re breaking up tonight.” And with that, she stormed out the door.

  Oh, shit.

  Chapter Six

  Josh stopped her in the hallway. “Wait. Why are we breaking up tonight? I thought we were going to wait.”

  She shook her head. She didn’t have time for this. Her mother was going to be plenty furious as it was. “My mother’s party is the perfect place—in front of all her friends. There will be tons of witnesses to see that I’m the innocent in this and you’re the jerk. There’s no way she can blame me.”

  “Don’t you think you’re being hasty?”

  And there it was again, the voice in her head that said something was screwy here. “You make it sound like you don’t want to break up. What the hell kind of family drama are you facing in Kansas City, anyway? It’s got to be pretty bad for you to throw your plans away and become my substitute fiancé. You don’t even know me. And don’t give me some bullshit answer.” She knew she could demand all she wanted, but she was at his mercy. She had no leverage in this negotiation whatsoever and they both knew it.

  His eyes softened. “Have you have ever been in a situation where you couldn’t see a way out, so you gave up and left it to fate to work everything out?” His eyes widened in mock surprise. “Oh, wait. You do know what that’s like. You’re living it right now.”

  Now he was just pissing her off.

  He put his hands on her shoulders. “Believe it or not, that’s what’s going on with me too. You said I looked determined when I sat down on the plane. I came to Kansas City because my family business is a mess and I’m making a last-ditch effort to save it.”

  When she didn’t answer, he continued.

  “Megan, I sat down on that plane and realized I didn’t have a clue how to save my business. Then you waltzed into my life. I swear to you, I inadvertently told your
parents I was your fiancé. But once your parents thought it was true, I figured what the hell? After all, you were in a messy situation too, and I had just given my life over to fate. I believe in karma. Maybe if I help you out, fate will help me out too.”

  She had to admit that he was pretty convincing, but something was off. “If your business is really failing and you’re here to save it, why would you want to hang out at my parents’ cocktail party tonight?” Then she gasped. “Oh! You’re planning to sell your snake oil to my parents’ wealthy friends!”

  “What?”

  She poked her finger into his chest. “If you so much as hint that you aren’t an investment banker, or you try to sell insurance or vacation timeshares or crappy Tupperware to my parents’ friends, I will make you suffer. Is that understood?”

  He clasped her hand between both of his, giving her a sweet smile. “Perfectly. But you’re not giving off a very loving vibe right now, sweetie. You don’t want your mother to think I’m breaking up with you because you’re a bitch.”

  “What? How dare you—”

  Before she could react, he kissed her again, pulling her flush against his body. This kiss was different than the one he’d given her downstairs. The previous kiss hadn’t exactly been chaste, but it had tested the line of inappropriate in front of her family. This kiss dropped all pretense. His hand tangled in her hair and his tongue parted her lips with an intensity and urgency she hadn’t expected. And while some sane part of her knew she should resist, the rest of her eagerly welcomed it.

  “Uh… Megan…” Her brother’s voice broke through her lust-filled haze.

  That’s when reality set in. She was kissing this man, someone she’d only known for a matter of hours, in the upstairs hallway in her parents’ house. She tried to pull away from Josh, but his arms held her tight against him as she glanced over her shoulder.

  Kevin stood at the top of the stairs, his bag in hand, looking very uncomfortable while he studied the wall. “I need to change.” His gaze returned to her. “And you’re in the way.”

  Josh dropped one of his hands, but kept the other around her as he pulled her out of Kevin’s way. “Sorry,” he said, sounding like he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to do.

  Kevin moved toward them, looking into Josh’s eyes. “At least I know you love her. Megan likes to paint a pretty picture of you, but Gram and I talk…and what we’ve pieced together has left me with some major doubts about you.” His eyes grew cold. “Fair warning, buddy. If I find out that you hurt my sister in any way, I’m going to kick your ass. Is that clear?”

  “Kevin!” Megan protested, even though guilt flooded through her for deceiving him. “I’m not fourteen years old, you know.”

  Kevin’s face softened as he turned his attention to her. “Megan, you can be ninety and you’ll never stop being my baby sister. I will always kick the ass of any guy who hurts you.”

  Pulling away from Josh, Megan rushed to her big brother and threw her arms around his neck, hanging onto him for dear life. “Where were you last month?” Her voice cracked with emotion.

  Kevin pulled her back and glared at Josh. “What happened last month?” His voice took an ominous tone.

  Oh, crap. What had possessed her to say that? But she hadn’t seen Kevin for years and she’d forgotten what an intimidating presence he had. Sometimes it was nice to think someone else, like her alpha male big brother, could help her with her problems. But at the moment, she needed to dig herself out of the hole she’d just dug. The problem was that Kevin tended to be perceptive as hell. Megan gave him a reassuring smile. “Nothing.” She dropped her hold on him. “I’m just all emotional with Mom and her big wedding plans.”

  “Did he—?”

  “No.” She grabbed Josh’s arm with both hands and leaned into him. “He’s great. A project at work had some issues, so it was a terrible month. I don’t know what I would have done without him.”

  Josh kissed the top of her head.

  Kevin studied them, looking like he was still unsure whether to believe her.

  “Megan!” her mother shouted.

  “Crap,” Megan muttered. “She’s up to level three. She raised her voice.”

  Kevin didn’t look like he wanted to let the subject drop, but he waved to the stairs behind him. “You better get down there. Her split personality is in full bloom.”

  “Great.”

  Kevin grimaced. “She may have been Miss Georgia, but she would have been much more effective as a third-world dictator.”

  Didn’t Megan know it? She started down the stairs, but Josh snagged her hand and she looked back at him, searching his face for an explanation. What had happened back there? Her conversation with Kevin hadn’t done a thing to make her forget that kiss. She had to admit to herself she’d never reacted to a kiss like that and part of her wanted to throw herself at him, even here on the steps, for a repeat performance.

  Then it hit her.

  She was an idiot. Josh had given her the single best kiss of her life to keep her brother from hearing their argument. That was the reason…the only one.

  She tried to drop his hand, but he hung on, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and pulling her into an embrace. She tried to resist, but he leaned into her ear and whispered, “Your mother is watching.”

  She forced herself to relax.

  “I’m sorry about what just happened,” he continued, “but your brother was about to overhear us. In fact, from the look on his face and the way he wouldn’t let it drop, I think he heard some of our conversation. I didn’t mean to violate you like that. I was desperate.”

  “I know,” she whispered back, fighting her disappointment at his confirmation. Had it really meant nothing to him? But of course it hadn’t. It was a ruse. As gorgeous as he was, he’d probably kissed plenty of women, beautiful blonds like the flight attendant. To him, kissing was likely as routine as flossing had been for Jay.

  “Megan!” her mother said.

  She broke loose and walked into the kitchen, Josh on her heels, prepared for the lecture that was sure to come.

  Megan’s mother’s nose wrinkled with a disapproving grimace. “Really, Megan. This party is for you and Jay—er, I mean Josh.” She shook her head, and—if possible—looked even more perturbed. “And why didn’t you bother to tell us he preferred Josh? We would have put it on all the invitations.”

  Josh slipped an arm around her back, his hand resting on the rise of her hip. “It’s all my fault, Mrs. Vandemeer. On both counts. I insisted Megan help me figure out what to wear tonight, which made her late coming downstairs, and I told her to use Jay on everything for the wedding. My parents prefer it and I wanted to honor that even if they couldn’t be here with us.”

  Megan couldn’t believe how well the lies rolled off his tongue. She’d definitely have to keep that in mind. He might be helping her now, but he had some ulterior motive for doing so. Some instinct told her it had something to do with his mission to save his family business, but for the life of her she couldn’t make the connection.

  Nicole Vandemeer’s face softened. “Aren’t you just too precious? Defending Megan like that. And I insist you call me Nicole.”

  “Thank you, Nicole.” His hand tugged Megan closer and he leaned his cheek on top of her head. “And I can’t help but defend her. She’s my damsel in distress.”

  Megan wanted to kick him in the shin again for the pun he’d made for her benefit, but her mother would notice.

  Megan’s mother got a dreamy look in her eyes. “Which makes you her white knight. This just makes the princess theme more perfect.”

  “More like my court jester,” Megan mumbled, loud enough for only Josh to hear. But then she absorbed the second half of her mother’s statement. “Wait. What princess theme?”

  Her mother scowled, picking up a tray of white bowls shaped like flowers and white candles. “Take these outside and set them up.” She handed the tray to Megan. “Be sure to light the
m too.”

  “Mom, what princess theme? You didn’t say anything about a princess theme last fall.”

  “Now don’t you worry, Megan. I’ve got everything under control.” Without another word of explanation, she walked into the dining room, leaving Megan with the tray in her hands.

  “Megan,” Josh said in a low voice. “Let’s take the candles outside.”

  She glared up at him. “Why? So you can brown-nose her some more?”

  “That’s not fair. I was defending you.”

  She shot him a hateful look. “I don’t need you to defend me.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that. After all, consider why I’m here in the first place.”

  “Exactly,” she spat. “Why are you here?”

  Josh’s face was expressionless as he took the tray from her. “I’m here to help you and you’re doing your best to make it difficult.”

  “I don’t trust you.”

  “Which you’ve made abundantly clear. The way I see it, you have two options. One, we play this out, or two, I leave right now.”

  He was right, which irked her to no end. Why was she so irritated with him anyway? Unless he was a secret cultist looking for recruits, so far he was harmless enough. And he was right. He was helping her out of a situation she should have taken care of herself a month and a half ago. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  An infectious grin spread across his face. “Now was that so hard? Come on.” He turned and headed for the French doors, leaving her to trail behind.

  When she stepped out the back door, she gasped, stopping in her tracks next to an equally stunned Josh.

  “What the hell…?” he muttered.

  “Oh. My. God.” The house had a multilayered deck with a pool at the edge. The yard had been re-landscaped a few years ago and more features had been added since Megan’s visit last fall. A pool house/cabana had been installed, and the pool deck had been extended and was lined with flowerbeds and potted flowers. Several bistro-sized tables with chairs were arranged around the pool, and a buffet table covered in pale pink organza and a gathered white organza overlay was set up on one level of the deck. But that wasn’t what had so stunned them.