Chapter Nineteen
Amber
It was weird being engaged, even if it was fake engaged and nobody knew. I smiled, thinking about how absurd the entire thing was. I wasn’t sure what happened from this point forward. This was his show, and I was going along for the ride.
“Amber, do you have a minute?” William asked.
I looked up from the computer screen. “Now?”
He nodded. “If you can.”
I knew it wasn’t an option. He was telling me to get in his office. I was nervous. I didn’t think he knew about the engagement. Maybe he wanted to talk to me about the other night. Tiffany had been a world-class bitch. I guessed there was always the chance he wanted to talk to me about work, but by his demeanor, I knew it was something more personal.
He walked into his office, and I followed.
“I spoke with my mother last night,” he started.
I gulped down the lump in my throat when he shut his office door. In the past, that was usually a precursor to some hot and heavy kissing. I wasn’t sure if that was what he had in mind, but I was suddenly very uncomfortable. This could have been a test. If he knew about the engagement, he might try to kiss me to see what I would do.
What I had gotten myself into?
“And?” I finally managed to say.
“She told me you and Harry are engaged. Is that true?”
“Yes,” I squeaked out.
“Don’t you think that was kind of fast? I mean, didn’t you two just meet?”
“We met years ago.”
He looked at me, and I could tell he wasn’t convinced. “You know what I mean. You only recently started talking as far as I know.”
“Well, I guess when you know, you know. It just sort of happened,” I said.
He was looking at me as if he could see right through me.
“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” he said, his eyes boring into me.
I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know anything.”
He stepped toward me. I could tell he was angry. He was angry because he was jealous. I had hoped he would be and seeing it was exhilarating. It made my heart beat faster. I knew he cared about me.
“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to marry him,” he said in a low voice.
My heart rolled over in my chest as he looked at me. It was the look that had first disarmed my defenses. He was so handsome.
“I’m not doing anything I don’t want to do, William.”
He shook his head. “I hurt you, and you rushed into his arms. You need to stop and think about what you are doing.”
“I have thought about it. I’m comfortable with my decision. Besides, you have no right to talk to me about this. You’re engaged yourself, or have you forgotten?” I shot back.
“You know I had to do that.”
I shook my head. “You’re a grown man. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. That is a sorry excuse.”
“Amber, you told me you loved me, and then two days later you jumped into bed with my brother.”
My mouth fell open. He couldn’t possibly know about that. He was guessing and making assumptions.
“No, I didn’t. You were with me and not three weeks later you were engaged to another woman.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “That is an entirely different situation. I have known Tiffany for years. We’ve always known we would be married someday.”
I scoffed. “Maybe that’s something you should have told everyone else involved. I didn’t know. I would have never slept with you had I known you were basically engaged to someone else. Try to think of someone else besides yourself.”
“I didn’t know it would happen so soon. You have to believe me,” he said.
“That doesn’t make it any better,” I said dryly.
“Don’t do this,” he begged.
“William, just because I haven’t known Harry for years doesn’t mean it isn’t real. We have deep conversations. He knows more about my family and me than you do, and I’ve known you for years. We have an actual connection, unlike you and your fiancée,” I snapped.
“Tiffany and I have a real connection,” he defended. “We understand each other and have a very good relationship.”
I laughed. “Yeah, your bank accounts. You two deserve each other. You’re both shallow and only interested in gaining more money and more power. If that’s what makes you happy, go right ahead and marry her. I’m not trying to stop you.”
“You don’t know anything about us,” he shot back. “We’re happy together. We’ll be happy together for a long time.”
I laughed. “That’s cute. You don’t know what happiness is.”
He looked at me with those dark eyes and shook his head. “I do know what happiness is. I remember the feeling quite well,” he said in a husky voice.
“Don’t you dare try to get me back in your bed, William.”
He smirked. “You wanted me a week ago. Now you’ve suddenly changed your mind?”
“I had to have dinner with you and your fiancée. That did it for me. I’m not like her. I could never be like her; nor do I ever want to be. You’re a different person than I thought you were. You are not the man I thought I loved. I’m glad I found out before things went too far,” I told him, meaning every word.
He stomped a foot. “It doesn’t have to be like this! Stop making it so difficult. Don’t marry my brother.”
“Why? Don’t you want me to be happy?”
“He can’t make you happy! He’s an immature excuse for an adult. He has no future. He’s lazy and doesn’t care about anyone but himself,” he said in a raised voice.
I shook my head. “I don’t see that. I like who he is. He isn’t lazy. He just isn’t you. Your entire life revolves around this company and making it bigger and better. Can’t you understand he doesn’t have the same desires? He likes the simpler side of life.”
I couldn’t believe I was defending Harry. I felt a strange connection to him, like I needed to protect him from his older brother who seemed to constantly put him down.
“He’s got you fooled. How did he manage to get you to agree to marry him? Has he made you some promise he can’t keep? I’m the one who will inherit the company and the bulk of my parents’ estate. If you think he will make you a wealthy woman, you’re wrong,” he sneered.
“How dare you. I’ve never been interested in the money.”
“Haven’t you? Didn’t you finally come to my bed after I showed you what money could buy? After I flew you in the private jet and took you to places you would have never seen without my money?”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry you feel that way, William. I was interested in you. You’re the one who fooled me. I thought you cared about me. You only wanted to sleep with me. You’re the one who used your money to woo me. Harry has never done that. He talks to me like a human being on equal footing.”
“I did too! I never treated you like you weren’t worthy of my affection.”
“Until now, William, when your true colors have shown through,” I said softly.
He groaned and ran a hand through his hair once again, mussing it with the motion.
“I didn’t try to persuade you to do anything you didn’t want to do. You were into me. I could feel it. I didn’t see the harm in exploring that mutual attraction. You have to know I didn’t intentionally set out to hurt you.”
“Whatever. We don’t need to talk about this ever again. Now, if you don’t need me for anything business related, I’ll return to my desk.”
I spun around and headed for the door. He stopped me before I opened it.
“I know why you’re doing this. You’re hoping to make me jealous. It won’t work.”
I turned and smiled. “You sure about that?”
The look on his face was priceless. He was definitely jealous. I loved it. I relished in the feeling for a moment before I yanked open his office door.
Tiffany was on the other side. She glared at me, then William. I would have loved to rub it in her face, but I was not interested in starting rumors. I did not want to be the homewrecker. I wasn’t the one who had barged in on someone’s relationship.
“What’s going on here?” Tiffany said with fake friendliness.
“I work here,” I shot back. “William and I work together and sometimes. That means I have to talk to him.”
I knew it was wrong, and I knew I was being a total bitch, but after the other night, I didn’t care. She didn’t like me. That was not a secret. I was not going to bow down to her because she was rich. Hell, if my fake engagement was to be believed, we would someday be on equal footing and related.
The thought made me want to laugh and vomit at the same time. I had a feeling Tiffany didn’t know about Harry and me.
“Well, I know that,” she said, hissing like a snake, stepping closer to me and farther from the women behind her who were hanging on to our every word.
“It was just business, dear,” William said, turning on his charm. “What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you today.”
Tiffany glared at me. “Obviously not.”
“Stop,” he said in a low voice. “She was going over some notes about an acquisition.”
I smiled and nodded. “Yes, I was. I’ll get the rest of the notes put together for you and have it ready by the end of the day.”
I could play along with his game.
Tiffany looked back and forth between us. I could tell she didn’t believe him or me. I didn’t care. She was William’s problem, not mine. I walked away and returned to my desk. Tiffany shot me a last look before walking into William’s office and slamming the door behind her.
It wasn’t long before the shouting started. I heard William tell her to keep her voice down. Tiffany got quiet, but then the shrieking picked up again. I heard my name several times. I was not pleased to be stuck in the middle of their tiff. I could feel everyone looking at me.
“It was just work!” I said, defending myself.
“She doesn’t like you,” one of the women said.
“She’s probably going to make him fire you,” another chimed in.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s ridiculous. There’s nothing going on between William and me. You all know that.”
“Do we?”
“I’m dating his brother,” I said, using Harry as my shield from the rumors I knew were about to start circulating.
Our fake engagement was going to work to my advantage as well. It was only fair I got something from this whole deal.
William’s door jerked open. Tiffany walked out and glared at me. I could practically feel her skinning me alive with her eyes. I glared back. I had done nothing wrong. Tiffany was taking her anger out on the wrong person. If she was mad, she needed to direct it toward William. He had created this mess. If he had been honest with me from the beginning, there would have been nothing for her to worry about. As it was, William had lied to both of us.
“That was awkward,” one of the women mumbled.
“She’s got it all wrong,” I replied. “Hopefully, she figures that out soon enough.”
William walked out of his office. He looked agitated. I felt bad for him but had to remind myself he was the bad guy. He was the one who had created this problem with his omissions.