Secrets Of A Fake Fiancée

Their make-believe romance

feels way too real!

His proposal is a deal she can’t refuse…

Cruelly rejected by the Stewarts after revealing herself to her birth family, Morgan Young turns to Jared Robinson for comfort. The reformed bad boy proposes they pretend to be a couple to show his own family he’s settling down. And before long, they aren’t pretending! Yet just as Morgan begins to feel accepted, secrets and all, a vicious rumor about Jared’s past threatens them both…

YAHRAH ST JOHN is the author of thirty-two books and one deliciously sinful anthology. When she’s not at home crafting one of her spicy romances with compelling heroes and feisty heroines with a dash of family drama, she is gourmet cooking or travelling the globe seeking out her next adventure. St John is a member of Romance Writers of America. Visit www.yahrahstjohn.com for more information.

Also by Yahrah St. John

At the CEO’s Pleasure

His Marriage Demand

Red Carpet Redemption

Cappuccino Kisses

Taming Her Tycoon

Miami After Hours

Taming Her Billionaire

His San Diego Sweetheart

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Secrets of a Fake Fiancée

Yahrah St. John

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90436-4

SECRETS OF A FAKE FIANCÉE

© 2020 Yahrah Yisrael

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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To my friend Kiara Ashanti for always

encouraging me to write, write, write.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Epilogue

About the Publisher

One

Morgan Young couldn’t imagine a more perfect place for a wedding than this La Jolla beach on a spring evening. She was touched by the heartfelt vows her boss, Dane Stewart, had just shared with his new wife, Iris. The couple had pledged their undying devotion with their son, Jayden, standing by his father’s side. The wedding was an especially happy occasion, considering Jayden was battling a rare form of acute lymphocytic leukemia, and finding the father he’d never met had provided him with the life-saving treatment he needed. Jayden had needed a bone marrow transplant and Dane’s stem cells had been just what the doctor ordered. Morgan had played an instrumental part in bringing the boys’ parents together.

Dane, however, had no idea of Morgan’s true identity.

She was his baby sister.

Over the last year working as his assistant, she’d kept it hidden. Morgan hadn’t intended to remain mum this long. On her deathbed, her mother, Crystal Young, had finally told Morgan her father was Henry Stewart. Crystal had had an affair with him decades ago. Morgan wanted to get to know him, but then she’d done her homework and learned of the man’s previous infidelities and his estrangement from her half brother Ayden. Morgan wondered if Henry ever considered the consequences of his actions.

She was going to find out tonight.

“Can I get a whiskey?” Morgan asked the bartender from where she’d been perched watching Dane and Iris cut the cake and share their first dance.

“That’s an awfully strong drink,” a deep masculine voice said from Morgan’s side.

She cocked her head and her breath was stolen from her chest. The voice belonged to the most handsome man she’d ever seen. He had skin the color of shortbread, stunning smooth bone structure, midnight eyes framed by bushy brows and a wide sensual mouth. His hair was short and his tuxedo fit his tall frame perfectly. He towered over her. Morgan was five-seven, so she figured he was over six feet.

“I can handle my liquor.”

He regarded her. “Is that right?” When she didn’t respond, he looked at the uniformed bartender. “I’ll have what the lady is having.”

“Coming right up.”

“So, what brings you here?” the stranger asked, turning to Morgan. “Are you a friend of the bride or the groom?”

“Both.” Morgan sipped her whiskey.

“Really? I’m surprised Dane would have let a beautiful woman like you get away.”

Morgan chuckled. “Dane and I are more like brother and sister.” The stranger had no idea how true that statement was. “And he couldn’t have picked a better wife. Iris is an amazing mother. The way she’s dealt with Jayden’s condition is nothing short of heroic. Jayden’s very fortunate to have a mother like her in his corner.”

The bartender returned with another glass and slid it toward the stranger. He accepted and drank a generous swallow. “Sounds like you speak from personal experience.”

Morgan glanced at Henry Stewart, who was dancing with Fallon Stewart, Dane’s sister. An ache formed in Morgan’s chest. “I do.” She downed the rest of her whiskey and placed it on the bar. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some urgent business to attend to.”

It was time she finally told Henry she was his daughter. Now was her chance.

Jared Robinson stared after the stunning beauty as he sipped his whiskey. Who was she? She claimed to know Dane and Iris, but he had never seen her before. Of course, the last time he’d seen Dane had been on a pit stop Dane made to Austin last year. He’d indicated he’d met someone, but hadn’t gone into much detail. Jared didn’t have to wait long to find out; as an A-list movie star and America’s Sexiest Man Alive, Dane’s every movement was tracked by the media. The press caught wind that Dane had fathered a child via sperm donation. Who could have predicted Jared’s former running buddy would fall hard and fast for the mother of his child? But fall Dane had.

Jared had no intention of going down the wedded-bliss path. He was merely here on sufferance, paying his respects to his friend. He and Dane had once been the screwups of their respective families. When they were younger, they’d been rabble-rousers, constantly getting into trouble. His father, Clay, had thought putting Jared in a boarding school would tame him, but that only gave Jared more access to females.

Jared had a way with the ladies and was unapologetic about it. He liked them in all colors, shapes and sizes. But today, there wasn’t anyone at the wedding who could hold a candle to the woman he’d shared a drink with.

Straight jet-black hair hung gloriously down the woman’s back. She had caramel brown skin, big expressive hazel eyes and a beautiful full mouth tinted with peach gloss that Jared wouldn’t mind placing his lips on. She wore a blush gown with crisscross spaghetti straps that showed off her slender back. She was easily about five foot six or seven with a lithe body. Jared wanted to get to know her better, but she’d rushed off. He would remedy the situation before the night was over. After suffering through Dane’s wedding, Jared was entitled to a little fun and she was it.

Morgan was determined. Tonight, she would reveal her true identity to Henry Stewart. She had no idea how he would take her revelation, but it was time to find out.

She was thwarted by the wedding planner, who was now ushering the guests toward the front driveway to send off the happy couple in a classic Rolls-Royce decked with streamers. Morgan was swept away in the melee. She now stood near the car and was handed a sparkler. From her vantage point, Morgan saw Dane and Iris kiss Jayden and hug their families.

Morgan’s eyes welled with tears. She should be standing over there with them. She shouldn’t have waited so long to tell the Stewarts the truth. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel like an outsider with her own family only a few feet away. She was about to push people aside, when Dane stepped away and came toward her. To Morgan’s surprise, he wrapped her in his arms.

“You’re part of the reason this was all possible,” Dane whispered in her ear. “You helped get us back together. Thank you.”

Morgan couldn’t stop a tear from escaping. “You’re welcome.”

Seconds later, Dane was gone, helping Iris into the Rolls-Royce. Morgan watched her half brother drive away to his happily-ever-after. She sighed and then glanced up to see the rest of the Stewarts watching the car wistfully.

Now was her time. She had to seize it.

Smoothing her hands down her dress, she made her way toward them. Morgan’s legs felt wobbly as if she were a newborn foal. Dane’s sister Fallon and her husband, Gage, were chasing after their son, Dylan, who was always on the move. Morgan didn’t see where Ayden and Maya had gone, but Henry and his wife, Nora, were still there in all their finery. Henry wore a tuxedo and Nora was in a one-shoulder black gown. Neither of them acknowledged her presence until Morgan cleared her throat.

“May I help you?” Nora asked, raising a brow.

Morgan ignored the look of disdain Nora gave her. Whitney, Dane’s publicist, had hooked Morgan up with a designer who loaned her the dress she was wearing, so she wasn’t sure why Nora was finding fault. “I was hoping to have a word with Mr. Stewart.”

“Tonight is a time for family,” Nora responded. “If you want to talk business, it will have to be another time.”

“It’s okay, Nora.” Henry smiled down at his wife. “I can be magnanimous. I mean, Dane got married tonight. That is worth celebrating.”

Nora sighed. “All right, but don’t be long.” She picked up the sides of her gown and walked toward the reception area.

“Thank you,” Morgan said as she and Henry stepped away from the crowd and headed toward the beach. When they stopped, Morgan allowed herself time to really look at her father.

She’d seen only pictures, and although she’d studied them religiously trying to see parts of herself in the man, it was different seeing him in person. Henry had more salt than pepper in his closely cropped hair and his eyes were just like hers, hazel gray. Morgan figured her father was slightly under six feet, but no less impressive in her mind.

“All right, young lady, the floor is yours,” Henry stated. “What can I do for you?”

Morgan swallowed. Her mouth felt dry and full of cotton. “Yes… I.”

“Well? Spit it out. I don’t have all day.”

Although she’d waited her whole life for this moment, there was no easy way to say what she had to say. She just had to spit it out. “I’m your daughter.”

Henry’s eyes grew wide with alarm. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Morgan replied. “I’m your daughter.”

“Like hell you are!” he bellowed. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, young lady, but you’re off the mark. My daughter Fallon—” he pointed across the lawn “—is standing over there.”

“You have another,” Morgan stated. “With Crystal Young. You met her in Las Vegas when she was performing as a showgirl at the Tropicana. You spent one night together and I’m the result.”

“No, no!” Henry shook his head furiously. “You’re wrong!” he yelled and then glanced around to see people were starting to watch their interaction, so he lowered his voice. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I have never been unfaithful to my wife.”

Morgan’s ire rose. “C’mon, Henry. Nora wouldn’t be the first wife you cheated on.”

“So, what, you’ve done your research?” Henry huffed, “That means nothing. My first marriage with Lillian is public record.”

Morgan noticed the crowd watching them had grown and Nora and Fallon were charging toward them. “So you’re going to deny you spent the night with my mother at the Tropicana?

Henry glanced up at Nora, who was only a few feet away. “Yes. I don’t know who you’re talking about. You’re mistaken.”

“I’m not mistaken!” Morgan yelled. “You’re my father.”

A hush came over the crowd and suddenly even the reception music paused. All eyes were on the two of them. Nora had a look of utter shock on her face while Fallon’s was more of disbelief.

Henry headed toward his wife. “Nora!” But she was running through the grass. He turned to his daughter. “Fallon?”

Fallon held up her hand and shook her head. “I don’t want to hear it, Daddy. Not now. I’m going after Mom.” Seconds later, Morgan was left alone with her father.

Henry spun around to face Morgan. “You!” He pointed at her. “You did this! On what should have been one of the happiest days for our family, you come here and cause discord. I don’t know who you are and I will never claim you as my daughter. You should leave because your presence is no longer wanted.” Without another word, he raced after Nora.

Morgan stared at Henry’s back as he literally ran away from her. When she could no longer see him, she looked up and saw everyone at the reception was watching her.

Everyone.

Waiting for her to do what? Make more of an embarrassment out of herself than she already had? Well, they were in for a rude awakening. The party was over. Lowering her head, Morgan shuffled away as fast as she could and went straight for the bar. As she walked by, the crowd parted like the Red Sea. As if she carried some sort of plague. And maybe she did. She was glad she’d at least waited for Dane and Iris’s departure before confronting Henry.

Had she been hoping to be accepted with open arms? Of course not. But she hadn’t expected complete and utter rejection, either.

When she made it to the bar, she eyed the bartender and mouthed the word whiskey to him. He understood and immediately came over with the bottle. When he began pouring the requisite two thumbs she motioned for him to continue. Only when the tumbler was full did she tell him to stop.

Morgan took a swift mouthful. The liquid burned going down and it felt good. She doubted it would wash away the stain of being humiliated, but it was a start.

“You didn’t get the reaction you bargained for?”

Morgan glanced up at the stranger from earlier. Their exchange seemed like a lifetime ago even though it had been little more than a half hour since they’d shared a drink. She eyed him warily, noting he’d dispensed with his tie and undone several buttons on his shirt. “I’m in no mood for any commentary from the peanut gallery.”

“Perhaps you should have had some earlier,” he responded, his mouth quirking. “I could have told you you’re timing for that revelation was lousy.”

Morgan took another generous sip of her drink. “There was never going to be a right time. And I’d waited long enough.”

“Apparently not long enough.”

“Do you have to berate me? I’ve dealt with enough recriminations tonight.”

He smiled. “Of course not. I’m sorry. How about we start over? My name is Jared.”

“Jared.” She turned to face him. It was hard to be angry at someone as good-looking as him. Morgan leaned over to clink her glass with his and saw it was empty. She motioned to the bartender. “Get Jared another drink. We’re getting to know each other.”

Jared was just the sort of distraction she needed to help her forget this terrible night.

Two

“My name is Morgan.” The beauty gave Jared only her first name. He was surprised Morgan wanted to stay, considering how her father’s rejection must have hurt and Henry had asked her to leave. She was licking her wounds and looking for a distraction and that was fine with Jared. He could use some unadulterated fun without any pesky emotional attachments. He didn’t do serious.

His longest relationship had lasted three months. His girlfriends were short-term with a shelf life of a month. After the thrill in the bedroom was gone, it was on to the next beautiful woman. And Morgan wasn’t just beautiful. There was a fragility to her, which spoke to his masculine side. He was no hero, but he wouldn’t mind being hers for the night.

Another whiskey appeared and Jared accepted without hesitation. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Morgan.” He tipped his tumbler to hers.

Their eyes met and held for endless seconds over the rim and Jared could swear he felt his stomach turn upside down. He was the first to look away and put down his glass. “How about a dance?”

“So everyone can watch me?” Morgan inquired, taking a large gulp of whiskey. “No, thank you.”

“I’m sorry to tell you, but everyone was watching you the moment you announced to the world you were Henry Stewart’s daughter.”

A hint of a smile touched Morgan’s lips. “I can’t argue with that.” She swallowed the remainder of the whiskey and took his hand.

“You need to go easy on the whiskey,” Jared replied. “Otherwise, you’ll have a helluva hangover tomorrow.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

Jared wasn’t sure, but for some reason he felt compelled to stick around and find out.

Jared’s hand threaded through Morgan’s and a riot of sensations shot right through her belly like a fire to dry tinder. Morgan glanced up to see if Jared felt it too and he had. His eyes were dark and cloudy. Nervously, Morgan followed him onto the temporary wooden dance floor on the grass.

Jared pulled her into the center, ignoring all the openmouthed stares around them, placed his hands on her hips and began to move. Morgan wound her arms around his neck and joined in his sinuous rhythm. Jared was an excellent dancer.

“You’re pretty good at this.”

Jared flashed her a grin. “You’re not bad yourself.”

“I learned how to dance as a child.”

He smiled as he thought of a young Morgan in ballet slippers. “Did you have a dance mom making you take ballet and tap? Or was it hip-hop?”

Morgan laughed. Her childhood was a far cry from what you saw on television. She didn’t have Clair Huxtable from The Cosby Show as her mother. “Nothing as grandiose as that. I hung around backstage while my mom danced at the Tropicana in Vegas.”

“Intriguing. I’m sure there’s a story there.” He used his thumb to push up her jaw and their eyes met. Attraction and lust were in those onyx depths.

“It’s not one I plan on telling anytime soon.”

“A woman with secrets,” Jared surmised. “I like.” He pressed forward until their bodies were flush.

Incendiary sexual heat slid up Morgan’s spine. She wasn’t used to this. Usually when things between her and a man heated up, she cooled off. But not tonight. Jared wasn’t like other men she met. She dropped her nose to his chest and opened V of his tuxedo shirt. She inhaled his spicy scent. It was very intoxicating.

When he splayed his hand across her nearly bare back, Morgan stumbled, but Jared was right there, swaying them back and forth, pretending they were dancing. Morgan knew what this was—it was seduction. When his hands went lower and settled on her bottom, Morgan was shocked, but she didn’t complain.

“You want to come to my room?” Morgan didn’t know what possessed her to make such an outrageous proposition, but once it was out there, she couldn’t take it back. With Jared, she didn’t feel fearful like she did with other men. Maybe it would be okay to allow herself the one night. Maybe he could banish all the bad memories and she could finally be who she was meant to be.

Jared glanced down at her. “I don’t know, Morgan. You’ve had a lot to drink and something tells me you don’t normally operate this way.”

Morgan glanced up at him in confusion. He could tell she was new at this? Was that why he wasn’t rushing to take her up to her hotel room and have his wicked way with her? She’d already fumbled on revealing her true identity. Apparently, she couldn’t even pick up a man, either.

She pushed away from him and Jared frowned. “Morgan, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry to have bothered you. I was mistaken about your interest.” She walked off the dance floor. She was grateful the crowd had begun to fade so no one witnessed her second rejection of the night. Morgan made her way back to the bar.

“Morgan, wait!” With his long strides, Jared caught up to her in no time. “It’s not like that,” he said when he finally met her back at the bar where she ordered another whiskey.