Mina chatted with his mother for most of dinner, the two of them obviously hitting it off. By the time the waiters served dessert, he was seeing a whole new side of his fake bride. Not only was she lovely, but what he’d considered obnoxious was actually quite charming, to other people, anyway.
“Would you like to dance?” Spencer asked her.
“I’d love to.” She took his hand.
He led her out onto the dance floor and cupped the small of her back as he held her close. Her delicious curves pressed against him as they waltzed across the dance floor. The shimmering lights of the crystal chandeliers glittered above them and sparkled on her alabaster skin. Her big sea-green eyes gazed up at him, making him want to dive inside their deep pools.
What was it about this woman who could bring out this side of him? He had shut it down so completely, he barely even knew it still existed. All his life, Spencer had done everything in his power to lock away his vulnerability behind reinforced steel doors. But she teased it out of him, opening him up and exposing the tender core inside. Spencer didn’t like it at all.
“I see you’re getting along with my mother.”
“Tisha is fantastic.”
“Everyone is dying to have you over,” Spencer said.
“Is that a problem?” she asked as he twirled her around.
“No. You’re performing your function better than expected. I wanted you to be presentable to my social circle, and you’ve accomplished that. Well done.”
“Why thank you, Spencer.”
“It’s true. And I have no problem acknowledging excellent performance.”
“Is that what you think this is? A performance?”
“Well, isn’t it? All that talk about loving me so much you would have married me even if I didn’t have two dimes to rub together—and the romance blog. We both know none of that is true.”
“You’re right. I barely update my romance blog. It’s really only there for prospective publishers to see that I have a web presence.”
“I meant the part about the two dimes,” he grumbled.
“Why would you think that?” They stopped and applauded the band at the end of the song.
“We both know you only married me because you need money, and I have no interest in romance whatsoever.”
She looked at the ground, and her face got all scrunched up. Then she looked at him with tears in her eyes. His eyes widened in shock. He leaned back, not sure what had just happened.
“What’s wrong?” He scooped her up into the next dance.
“Nothing.” She sniffled and looked away.
“If I didn’t know any better, Mina, I would think you were beginning to develop feelings for me,” he said pointedly. “Is that true? Because if it is…”
“No. Of course not. Are you kidding me?” she said with a laugh and a roll of her eyes. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. You and I have nothing in common. I wouldn’t be interested in you if you were the last billionaire shifter on earth.”
“That’s what I thought.” He let out a relieved sigh.
She groaned and rolled her eyes again. The sides of her mouth quirked up into a smirk. He wished he knew what she was thinking. She was always so sarcastic. He could never take her words at face value.
“And you aren’t becoming attracted to me—Are you?—because your mother insists you are. I told her she was ridiculous, but she doesn’t believe me.”
He cleared his throat uncomfortably. Why would his mother say he had feelings for Mina? Everyone seemed to want to betray him. This was just an arrangement his grandfather had insisted upon. He had gone through the motions and played along. But in a year, this charade would be over. His mother, of all people, should know that.
“My mother is confused. She wants grandchildren. Now that Father and Grandfather both passed, she’s feeling her mortality. That’s all that it is. She’s seeing things that aren’t there.”
“What should I tell her the next time she tells me that you’re dying of love for me?”
“Don’t say anything. She’s healthy, but she is getting older, and I wouldn’t want to shock her.”
“I should just play along then?” Mina looked back at him with that devious glint in her eyes. “Pretend that we are a perfect couple, and we can’t get enough of each other?”
“If that’s the way you want to put it, then yes.”
“Oh, good. I’m so glad we have that all wrapped up.”
“So am I,” Spencer said. “We’re going to make an excellent team. All we have to do is pretend that we are in love, and then in a year, we can break it to everyone that we just can’t make things work.”
“Of course. Now, we’re in love, and in a year, we’ll have irreconcilable differences. Makes perfect sense. I’m in total agreement.”
“Very good, Mina.” He spun her around the dance floor. “Everything is going to work out just fine.”
Chapter 10
After the ball, Spencer and Mina retired to their own rooms. She slipped out of her ball gown and lay on her bed in her underthings, staring at the ceiling. She’d had a wonderful evening, even if her relationship with Spencer was dead in the water and was never going to go anywhere.
At least she’d met some interesting new people. And from what she understood, everyone who was anyone in the Los Angeles area would now be reading her blog. She couldn’t have planned it better herself, even if mentioning it had started out as a way to tease Spencer.
She curled up in a little ball and drew her knees to her chest. She was excited that people would be reading her words. It was what she had always wanted. But she was still lacking the most important thing: love.
She wanted to love someone so badly it hurt. Now that she had everything she could possibly need to survive, even readers for her blog, it made her feel all the more empty inside.
Spencer confirmed repeatedly they would never love each other. And maybe she should believe him. But every time she tried to convince herself, she caught sight of the spark in his eyes when he looked at her or the warmth of his hand when he helped her out of the car.
There was something there, and try as she might, she couldn’t convince herself otherwise. Even Spencer’s mother had seen it. And she should know him better than anyone else in the world.
Mina slept fitfully that night and woke up the next morning with the sun glaring in her face. She knew Spencer got up this early every day to work before most people even opened their eyes.
“I might as well work now that I’m up.” She climbed out of bed, crossed her room, and emerged into the sitting area where a brand-new laptop waited for her. She grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen, plopped down in the most comfortable office chair she had ever had the pleasure of sitting in, and got to work. She kept her head down all day, typing word after word of a love story unlike any other she’d ever written.
She’d told Kip and Bunny that her books were all about Spencer. But in this case, it was true. She wrote the story the way she wanted it to turn out: the hero who was cold at first finally opened up to the heroine and revealed his deep and abiding love for her.
She wrote fervently for hours, sitting in her pajamas and drinking coffee until the sun began to set outside her window. When she realized she’d been working all day long, she yawned, groaned, and rubbed her eyes. Her cell phone rang with Spencer’s number, and she picked it up.
“Hi, babe. You miss me?”
There was a long pause.
“I didn’t see you at breakfast this morning,” he said.
“I was busy.”
“I want to take you out to dinner to have our weekly discussion about our arrangement.”
“Oh, right.”
“I will be back at the penthouse in an hour. Be ready. I’m taking you to a five-star restaurant.”
The phone went silent. Mina stared at the phone for a moment then set it down on the desk beside her laptop.
“Fiction is always better tha
n reality.” She closed her laptop.
She got up from her desk and went to the bathroom to shower and get ready. An hour later, she was zipping up a blue formfitting dress and there was a knock at her door.
She’d worn her hair in long ringlets that cascaded down her back, and she’d paired the dress with black pumps. When she opened the door, she found Spencer in a gray-striped, three-piece suit, looking delicious as ever.
“You’re ready.”
“Yes.” She smoothed out her dress. “Do you like it?”
“You look…” His eyes flashed over her body, and that same hint of burning hunger glinted as his pupils dilated. “Presentable.”
“Why thank you, Spencer. You say the sweetest things.”
“Our reservation is in fifteen minutes.” He checked his watch. “We should go.”
Soon, they were seated at a table for two at a restaurant with a glass floor. Koi fish swam about beneath their feet, much to Mina’s delight. The waiter told them the specials as warm air blew in from the open patio doors. Mina ordered the lobster at the waiter’s suggestion, and Spencer decided to have the same.
Light music tinkled in the air, and a wine porter poured them glasses of the best white wine in the house. Mina took a sip, savoring the rich, buttery flavor. She hadn’t been much of a drinker in college, since most college students purchased box wine and cheap vodka. But with Spencer, it was all the best vintages and top-shelf everything.
After the opening course, she enjoyed cracking open the crab legs with the special instrument the waiter provided. Even though the portions were small, the flavors were delicious. By dessert, she was pleasantly full.
“What did you want to talk about?” she finally asked Spencer.
“Our arrangement.” He finished his last bite of tiramisu.
“What about it?”
In a gesture that defied her expectation, Spencer reached across the table and took her hand. She blinked several times in amazement and told herself that this was not what it appeared to be. She couldn’t let her hopes get up only to have them dashed.
When he rubbed the backs of her knuckles with his thumb, tingling excitement bubbled up inside her. She couldn’t help thinking that maybe her dreams of finding love with Spencer were finally coming true.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh?” she said breathlessly.
“Perhaps, this thing between us could work out.”
“What you mean?”
“I mean, it’s possible that this arrangement could go on for more than one year. You made quite an impression at the gala. And the ladies at the billionaire shifter club are gushing about your romance blog. Everyone thinks you are quite charming. And it has already brought me some interesting opportunities. I simply think it could be advantageous to capitalize on it.”
Mina drew her hand back, her stomach sinking. She drew her eyebrows together, not quite understanding what he meant. “Let me get this straight. You think that I could bring you business, so you want to stay married to me for longer than a year?”
“If it’s agreeable to you. We could create another contract at the end of the year. I could offer you more money. Having you by my side could potentially be quite lucrative. I’m interested to see how it develops.”
She pulled her hand away. “You certainly know how to woo a girl.”
“Am I hurting your feelings?” He looked baffled.
“I don’t have any feelings about you at all, so how could you hurt them?”
“If it’s agreeable, I’ll have my attorney draft a new contract.”
“Sounds great,” she droned. “I can’t wait.”
“Very good.”
“Was there anything else you want to discuss with me?”
“Um, well… How are things going with your writing?”
“I almost finished a novel today. I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written.”
“Oh really? What’s it about?”
“It’s about you and me—and our love affair.”
“Mina.” He chuckled. “You really are funny. People are right about you.”
“Yes. Ha ha. I am very funny.”
“I’m so glad this is settled.” He offered her his hand. “I can see this is going to be the beginning of a lucrative partnership.”
“Who would want anything else?” She linked her arm through his.
Chapter 11
Spencer meant what he said about wanting to partner with Mina. He’d already received so many opportunities after the gala that he knew he had to renegotiate their contract.
Mina truly had charmed his friends and associates, and business was coming to him left and right. But when he touched her hand in the restaurant and looked into her eyes, he felt something more than a business relationship.
No matter how he tried to squash it down, it kept popping back up, much to his dismay. The last thing he wanted was to feel anything for her or anyone else. He was a razor-sharp, cutthroat dragon businessman. He had no room in his life for the girl except for the advantages she might bring to him. Having romantic feelings for her was definitely not one of them.
Spencer knew feelings made him weak. Feelings made him slow and fuzzy-headed. Feelings caused poor decision-making. He didn’t want anything to do with them. But every time he was with her, he couldn’t help wanting more.
His heart buzzed. His brain throbbed. His inner dragon found her irresistible—the smell of her, the look of her, the way she teased and taunted him. Everything about her was intoxicating. Mina L’Amour was a silly girl, so far beneath him in every way. But he wanted her. He wanted her to the very depths of his being.
Whatever he had to do to destroy these feelings, he would.
If it weren’t for the opportunities coming at him from all sides, he would have given her the ten million dollars and cut his ties to her right away. Preventing himself from becoming weak was worth that much in a heartbeat. But he suspected, with her by his side, he could make quite a good deal more.
Spencer loved the thrill of the chase and closing a lucrative deal. There was nothing he loved more. And if Mina brought more business his way, he could put up with her and the tingling desire she’d planted inside him.
He would simply have to be more on guard than ever when he was around her. He couldn’t afford to let her get under his skin. Mina was nothing if not excellent at getting under his skin. In fact, Spencer was beginning to believe that she made a game of it. Maybe she was laughing at him. Let her laugh.
He was in full control of his feelings. He didn’t have to let Mina L’Amour affect him in any way, shape, or form. And he wouldn’t. Ever. The times that she already had were anomalies. He hadn’t been ready for it. But now he was. He was the master chess player, and she was a court jester. If anything, he could outmaneuver her with a snap of his fingers. It would be easy to keep her in check.
That’s what he tried to convince himself as he walked her to her bedroom door.
“I had a lovely evening.” He heard the words slip through his lips.
“Me too.” She reached up and slid her palms over his chest. “Dinner was delicious. Everything was amazing.”
“Mina… I…”
Compelled by the dragon within, Spencer wrapped his arms around the tiny creature. He pulled her close, crushed her against him, and claimed her mouth with an uncontrollable kiss. She gasped as she went languid in his arms, submitting to his demanding embrace.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as his tongue flicked between her lips. Their bodies screamed for each other. He ran his hands down her back and over the curve of her behind. He pressed hard against her, wanting her closer.
He was consumed by his need for her, for his bride, his wife. This woman, this tiny, silly woman—she belonged to him. His inner beast demanded it. He would make it so.
No. He could not feel this. He growled and let her go, abruptly pushing her away. He blinked several times and straightened his suit.
> “I apologize. I don’t know what got into me. I won’t let it happen again.” He turned and charged down the hall.
“Spencer,” she said, anguish in her voice.
He didn’t stop. He had to get away. He had to break the spell she had over him and his inner dragon. This wouldn’t do. He couldn’t feel this. Lust, desire, love… None of it. It was unacceptable.
He slammed the door of his room and pulled off his tie. Spencer Camden did not need love in his life, least of all from a girl like Mina L’Amour. This was just an arrangement. Just an arrangement. That was all.
Then why was his heart pounding? Why did his sweat trickle down his brow? Why did his inner dragon scream for him to charge back down the hallway, sweep her up into his arms, and take her straight to bed?
Whatever the answer, he didn’t want to know. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was staying in control. He would not lose control. He wouldn’t let her or his desire for her get the upper hand ever again.
* * *
Mina was dumbfounded as she stepped into her room, the tingles of desire still shooting up and down her spine. She’d never been kissed like that before, not ever. She’d been swept up in the moment, so ready to give in to the heat between them. But then he’d pulled away and acted as though it was a big mistake.
Mina collapsed on her chair and buried her face in her hands, more confused than before. She didn’t have much experience with men, but she knew what she felt when he touched her. And she knew he felt it too. Why did he keep fighting it? Why did he insist on making their attraction to each other wrong?
She felt terribly sorry for herself. Then she changed her mind and felt sorry for him. She was willing to feel her feelings, admit her attraction, and to fall in love. Love was the most important thing in the world, and Spencer wouldn’t let himself have it.
Mina couldn’t help wanting to help him. She wanted to help him accept the love he kept hidden in his heart. She couldn’t give up on him because she knew, deep down, he had so much to give. His mother believed it, and so did she. Even his grandfather had believed it. That’s why they were together now.