CHAPTER ONE

ELLEN CASSIDY

“What would you like to order?”

I stare at the menu and then back at the waitress. She’s pretty, with a sweeping skirt and hair that glows. Despite her position as a waitress, I have a sneaky suspicion that she looks better than I do on this date.

“Give me another moment, please.” I reply, glancing across the table.

Cade stares at his own menu and shrugs. It is an easy movement, slow and graceful and I feel my insides tighten. He looks good in a suit, with his freshly styled hair and the heart-melting smile that he shoots right at the waitress.

I can see the waitress blushing and I can’t say that I blame her.

“I think I’ll have the steak, thanks. Medium-well.” He flashes another smile.

With a sigh, I glance at the menu yet again. Unable to decide what I really want, I choose something simple, “Just the chicken salad, thank you.”

The waitress nods and saunters off, her skirt swirling as she does, swinging her hips a bit more than necessary. She wanders into the kitchen and Cade’s eyes follow her all the way through the doors.

I frown and lean against the table. I gently take Cade’s hand in my own and, surprised, he meets my eyes. We gaze deeply into each other’s eyes for a long moment, before I smile a sweet smile, and hiss in low tones, “If you keep staring at the waitress’s butt, you’re going to blow it.”

“What? Her butt? Yes, thanks. Did you see it?” He grins easily and I let go of his hand, drawing back quickly across the table.

“You’re going to blow our cover.” I know that I sound petulant, but I am in no mood to have my date check out other women while I am sitting right here – not even if it is a date that is fake as hell.

Cade sighs and leans back into his chair, looking around the restaurant, “All right, all right.” He glances at me with a smirk. “So does that mean I am free to check you out?” he asks, looking me up and down. Despite the table, despite my clothes, I suddenly feel very naked, as if he is looking right into me.

“I mean…” he continues, “you are my girlfriend, after all.”

I shiver at the thought of his eyes all over me, his hands following close behind. I firm my resolve and shoot him a dark look.

“This is purely a performance, Cade.” My voice is quiet, hard, but my insides feel as if they have melted into a puddle, twisted into nothing, because I cannot stop imagining his hands on my skin, his lips on mine, and it is driving me insane.

Cade shrugs and lifts his glass of wine, sipping it gracefully. I am struck by the uncanny feeling that he can see through my clothes, into my thoughts and he knows exactly what I am thinking. He sure acts confident enough for it. Confident, wealthy and in no hurry to settle down.

“The wine is great,” he smiles, lifting his glass. “You should try some.”

I lift it thoughtfully, bringing it to my lips. It is the perfect combination of light flavor and alcohol and I find myself taking another sip. It is delicious, but I suppose that is to be expected from a restaurant that is this well-known and has a wait list a mile long.

“Good?” he asks with a knowing smile.

I take a breath, remembering that he is supposed to be the love of my life. I smile, “Excellent choice.”

Cade smirks in triumph, and I glance away, taking in the atmosphere. It is gorgeous, opulent and lovely. The room itself is large, with high ceilings and sweeping chandeliers. There are several tables, all dressed with crisp, white linen and elegant table settings. The cutlery is polished and the flowers and candles that decorated each table were breath-taking. I had not known where to look when I had first stepped into the room.

The wait staff are all dressed perfectly, and look more suited to modeling careers, if I am being honest. Lavish drapes and low, soft music finished it all off. The service is superb, the wine is delectable and the company…

I look back at Cade, where he surveys the room just like I had. He is handsome, there is no denying it. If this wasn’t a strictly professional arrangement… I swallow, fighting the urge to bite my lip. I don’t want my lipstick to smudge.

“Here you go, ma’am.” The waitress appears at my side and sets down my salad.

“Thanks.” It looks delicious, even for a simple salad and I feel my stomach rumble quietly with hunger.

Next comes Cade’s plate and he smiles, “Thank you.” His voice, low and soft, manages to sound seductive even through the crowded room. The minute the waitress is out of earshot, I shoot him a glare.

“What?” He raises an eyebrow, “I was being polite. Let’s start, shall we?”

I have to admit that the food is absolutely amazing. The chicken seems to melt on my tongue – it is so wonderfully done. The vegetables are crisp and full of flavor, and pair with the wine wonderfully. It is an experience all right, one that I am not used to.

It isn’t often that I go out for dinner and I have never been at a restaurant this fancy in all my life. I nervously smooth down my dress, a simple black number, and try not to focus on the fact that I feel completely out of place in a fancy establishment such as this one.

Cade might be able to afford it quite comfortably, but for me, this would have been totally out of my reach were it not for him. I glance at him enjoying his steak as if he was eating a sandwich from his own kitchen. Casual and so completely at ease. I touch my hair for a second, reminding myself that it, at least, was looking good.

My days as a hairdresser tend to come in handy for times like this, when I need to look good in a pinch, or at short notice. Long days have left me feeling pretty tired, but I made a promise to come out tonight and I fully intend to keep it. Besides, the food is great and I am slowly getting used to the company.

Cade smiles at me, looking me over. Again, the sense that he can see all the way into me is burning through my mind and my clothes. I want to cover up, to hide from his gaze. Instead, I meet his gaze head on.

“What’s the matter, babe?” I ask.

The emphasis on the last word is not lost on him and he smirks, a slow, predatory smile.

“You seem distracted, sweetheart. Am I boring you?” He smirks again, staring me in the eyes until I feel a shiver beneath across my skin and down my spine.

I shrug and a small smile tugs at my lips, “Only a little.”

He chuckles at this and I find that I love the sound. I want to hear it again. I suddenly realize that I have never seen him laugh, really laugh, in all the times he has come into the salon. I don’t know that much about this man – not really.

I know how he likes his hair styled. I know that he likes it when I massage the shampoo into his hair. I know he is stylish and wealthy and that he likes it when I do his hair, seeing as I know how he likes it done.

I know that he is a bit of a flirt. In fact, he is a lot of a flirt. He’s never mentioned a relationship to me. Then again, maybe he doesn’t do relationships. He hadn’t seemed to have an interest in settling down until now. But he is charming and sexy and I know that I cannot keep my eyes off him when he walks into a room, and he knows it. He knows that he has ladies eating out of the palm of his hand and he is not afraid to use that to his advantage.

“Well, I’ll have to see if I can change that, hmm?” He’s still smiling and for some reason, I feel like my heart is stopping, like it has been caught in my chest and cannot be released. I take a breath, a deep breath, but when he stands up in the middle of the restaurant, it all rushes out of my lungs.

His meal is half eaten. He moves to one knee. I have never seen anyone look so graceful. He lifts his hands, and in them, I see a ring box, black velvet and perfectly designed. Even though I knew this was going to happen, I can’t help the way my heart catches in my throat, the way my hands fly to my mouth in surprise.

And for one beautiful moment, I am taken away. I am left breathless and in awe. He smiles and it seems so genuine. He flips up the lid and reveals the most perfect ring that I have ever laid eyes on. It is stunning, sparkling even under the low lights. It’s beautifully made and I can tell from one glance that it will fit me just right. I can also tell that it was expensive, very expensive.

I am suddenly touched by the effort, the thoughtfulness, the way that he is doing this, when he didn’t have to make it such a big deal.

“Ellen Cassidy…” His voice is low and warm, “Will you do me the honor of becoming my bride?”

The tears that well up in my eyes are not scripted. “Yes.” I manage to say, “Yes, of course!”

He stands and takes my hand, lifting it to his lips and presses them against my skin in a kiss. Then he slips the ring on my finger and, just like I suspected, it fits like it was made just for me. It fits like an engagement ring should and it sparkles.

And for a moment, I am perfectly, blissfully happy, because this is just how I imagined it. What I had never planned for was this being nothing more than a business transaction, a fake date and a fake relationship.

Cade is playing his part well, but it’s still a part. I stare at the ring, and Cade strokes my cheek and lifts my chin. Before I know what is happening, I feel his lips on mine and electricity jolts through my body. His lips feel incredible, his kiss warm, the feel of him more perfect than I ever dared to dream about. Perfect. He’s perfect.

For just a moment, everything is perfect.