Secrets Of A Fake Fiancée
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“Keep them coming until I tell you to stop,” Morgan told the bartender, and slammed the entire glass down.
“Listen, Morgan. You’ve had a rough time tonight and I don’t want to add to it by being a decision you regret in the morning.”
“Then leave,” Morgan replied. “I don’t need a hero. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time and tonight will be no different. So get lost, Jared.”
Jared stared at her for several mind-churning seconds, turned on his heel and walked off. Good riddance, Morgan thought. He was probably too perfect to be her first anyway.
Jared wanted to ring Morgan’s adorable neck. Drinking away her troubles wasn’t going to solve anything, but was she willing to listen to the voice of reason? No.
And why was he being the voice of reason? Because…he’d never taken advantage of a woman in his life and he wasn’t about to start now. Morgan was emotionally on the edge and well on her way to tying one on. Jared had been that way in his youth, but not anymore. And when he was with a woman, he wanted her to remember him when he was gone because he was nothing if not a giving lover.
He left her at the bar as she requested, but he didn’t go far. Instead, he engaged in conversation with an acquaintance near the dance floor.
“So I hear you’re working at Robinson Holdings,” the older man said. Milton Brooks sat on the board of his family’s company and often was in everyone’s business.
“Yeah, in the marketing and public relations department.”
“Your brother, Chris, has been making some big moves buying that La Shore development.”
“Yes, well, Chris has an eye for such things,” Jared said, keeping an eye on Morgan. He saw Pete Harris, an unscrupulous fellow from his and Dane’s past, talking to Morgan, and Jared didn’t like it one bit.
“He has a sharp eye, that brother of yours,” the man said. “He’s destined for big things.”
His comment caught Jared’s attention and rankled him. His older brother, Chris, was the favorite son, and it grated on Jared’s nerves to hear the man’s unabashed praise. Chris had been running Robinson Holdings since their father, Clay, unexpectedly stepped down due to a health crisis a year ago. Chris had doubled revenue and business was booming.
“Chris does seem to have the Midas touch,” Jared replied. He turned in time to catch Pete putting his hand on Morgan’s shoulder and her pushing him away. Pete wasn’t taking no for answer and was getting handsy. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some unfinished business to attend to,” Jared said, taking his leave of the older man.
He quickly strode over to where Pete now had his hands wrapped around Morgan’s waist. He caught the man by the collar and shoved him away.
“Hey…” Pete began, but stopped when he saw who it was. “Oh, hi, Jared.” He held out his hand, but Jared glared at him, so he pulled it back. “Me and the little lady here were having a disagreement.”
Jared turned to Morgan. Her face was flushed, and looking in her eyes he could see she was genuinely frightened. “Back off or I’ll make you regret it.”
Pete held up his hands. “I’m sorry.” He quickly rushed off.
“Are you okay?” Jared asked, peering down at Morgan.
Morgan sucked in a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m okay now.” She gave him a halfhearted smile, but he noticed her hand was shaking as she put her glass down on the bar. “Thanks for the assist.”
“That’s what heroes do.” He offered her a wide grin.
“Well, thanks.” She mussed with her hair for a few minutes, running her fingers through it, something Jared would sorely like to do. Then she turned back around and motioned to the bartender for another drink.
Jared stepped forward and put his hand over her empty glass. “You’re done.”
Her eyes flashed fire at him. “Just because you helped me out of a spot doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do.”
“It does when you aren’t capable of making good decisions. C’mon.” He clasped her by the arm and started moving across the lawn toward the hotel entrance near the beach. “I’m going to walk you to your room and leave.”
“Really?” Morgan asked mockingly as if she knew how much he wanted her and didn’t believe for a second he’d walk away. “I doubt that.” She stalked in front of him giving Jared a view of her delectable backside in her dress.
Damn her. She was not making it easy for him to walk away and do the right thing.
When they reached the bank of elevators, Morgan pressed the up button and they waited. The atmosphere was charged. When the elevator came, they both entered. It was empty and the air between them crackled with sexual tension. Morgan pressed the button for her floor and Jared went and stood on the other side of the car.
If he came any closer, he knew he would lose the control he was battling for. Need pulsed through every cell of his body. But he reminded himself Morgan wasn’t like the other women he dated who knew the score. She was acting as if she did, but there was a certain naivete about her that told him he couldn’t act on his desire.
The elevator bell chimed. They disembarked and walked the short distance to her room. Morgan fished a key from her clutch and opened the door.
“This is where I take my…” Jared never got to finish because Morgan pulled him inside and shut the door.
Morgan didn’t know what made her pull Jared into her room. She just knew she had to. She craved his touch and was desperate to know what he would taste like. And if anyone could make her forget tonight, it was Jared. When the door slammed, she suddenly found herself pushing him back against it and angling her head for a kiss. Her mouth covered his and she was surprised to find his lips were deceptively gentle, luring hers into a sensual whirlpool.
“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Jared rasped, lifting his head. Then he was drawing her closer until their lower bodies touched, pelvis to pelvis. His hands slid through the strands of her hair, then he lowered his head and took. His lips ravished hers with gentle pressure before his tongue glided into her mouth and discovered every secret she’d kept hidden with other men.
Something unraveled inside Morgan, something she’d long suppressed.
Lust.
She gave into the cascading shivers of desire by linking her arms around his neck and leaning into him. She loved the taste and feel of him. Jared’s hands were already sliding down her hips and holding her tightly against his erection. Her breasts were pushed firmly against his chest and she could feel the ridge of his muscles underneath his tuxedo.
Jared groaned and his mouth engulfed Morgan’s, further spinning her senses out of control and making her core contract with a need she’d never felt before. Whenever she got too close to a man, she clammed up, but not with Jared. First there was the dance and now this kiss. He had her under some sort of spell, so much so she was kissing him back with greedy fervor. Their tongues darted back and forth, dancing with each other in a brilliant tango Morgan never wanted to end. Jared had her entire body on fire. She wanted more, but like a cruel joke, her stomach churned.
She pushed away from Jared as quickly as she could and rushed toward the bathroom. Morgan made it in enough time to relieve her stomach of its contents. It was a horrible feeling knowing the sexy man of her dreams was on the other side of the door and she was retching because of the whiskey she’d imbibed earlier. He’d been right. She should have stopped while she was ahead and now she was going to pay the price.
Those were the last thoughts she remembered as she laid her head on the cold tile floor and passed out.
“Morgan?” Jared knocked on the bathroom door. She’d been in there a long time and there was no amount of exhaust fan noise to cover the sounds of her being sick. He’d tried to stop her from drinking too much her earlier, but she’d stubbornly refused to listen.
Jared ran his hands over his head. Fate had set the course of the night. When he’d walked Morgan to her room, he had every intention of leaving her at her door untouched. But when she’d pulled him in and kissed him, he’d lost all self-control. He wanted her with a burning ache that pulsed in his loins, even now. Jesus, he had to get the hell out of there, but first he had to make sure she was okay.
Easing the door open, he found Morgan on the floor.
“Morgan!” He rushed over and checked for a pulse.
She was okay. Just seriously inebriated. Lifting her in his arms, Jared carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. She looked so youthful and innocent in that blush dress, with her jet-black hair spread out over the pillow. Since she’d just gotten sick, Jared suspected Morgan would prefer to be out of the dress as to not soil it further.
Decision made. Jared reached behind her, unzipped the dress and pulled it over her head. Morgan barely moved a muscle. She was out like a light. But Jared had to suck in a deep breath. She wasn’t wearing a bra. Her breasts were small and round, but enough for a handful. She had a flat stomach and shapely legs. A tiny scrap of material covered her femininity but did little to staunch his hunger. Quickly, he reached for the comforter and slid it over her naked yet beautiful body.
She was going to be hurting tomorrow. So he called room service. When a waiter delivered the bottled water and aspirin, Jared placed them on the nightstand, ensuring they’d be waiting for her tomorrow. Then he left the room. Once in the corridor, Jared leaned against the door and closed his eyes. He was thankful it had been him and not Pete. When she awoke the next morning, she’d know her hero, although tempted, had done the right thing.
Three
“Ugh!” Morgan clutched her pounding head as she rolled over in bed the next morning. “What time is it?” She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw it was nearly noon. She had slept the entire morning away. Memories from last night came flooding back. Henry’s rejection at the reception. Her throwing back whiskey after whiskey. And then there was Jared.
Oh yes, she couldn’t forget Jared.
The mysterious stranger who somehow made last night bearable. Morgan remembered their flirting, that first dance when they’d damn near dirty danced and then the amazing kiss up against her door. She glanced at the scene of the crime. When she closed her eyes, she could feel the pressure of his mouth, the glide of his lips against hers and then—the unthinkable.
She got sick. In the throes of her one and only make-out session with a hot guy, she’d ruined it by rushing off to the bathroom. But what happened afterward? She glanced at the space beside her; that side of the bed was untouched. Jared hadn’t deigned to stay the night. Why would he? Sex was probably the last thing on his mind after witnessing her self-destruction. And she’d done it in epic proportion.
Glancing at the nightstand, she saw the bottled water and aspirin. She glanced upward and silently thanked Jared for his kindness. Swallowing two tablets, Morgan washed them down with water. He could have taken advantage in her weakened state, but he hadn’t.
He’d been her hero.
Slowly, she sat up in bed and that’s when she realized the state she was in. Naked. Lifting the covers, Morgan noted she still had on her underwear, but that didn’t mean anything. Had she gotten it wrong? Had Jared done the unthinkable? She didn’t feel any different. And wouldn’t she? If they’d had sex, she would know. She was a virgin after all.
Yeah, the last of her kind, Morgan was sure. Most twenty-five-year-olds had had sex, but then again none of them had been raised by a mother like Crystal. But that was beside the point. If nothing happened between her and Jared, that meant he’d undressed her, seen her naked and left anyway. Morgan wanted to cheer in appreciation, but was also mortified to know after seeing her naked, it had done nothing for him. Then again, she doubted Jared wanted a corpse in bed.
Throwing back the covers, Morgan headed to the bathroom. As she brushed her teeth, she determined to look at the bright side. Jared was a good guy who’d saved her from a worse fate. Who knew what could have happened if he hadn’t stepped in? When she was done, she wiped her mouth, turned on the taps for the shower and stepped in. She wanted the stench of last night off her.
She wasn’t a heavy drinker. Or at least not usually. But yesterday was not ordinary. It wasn’t every day the father you’d longed for your entire life rejected you. She had cause to drink, but Morgan vowed to never put herself in another situation like last night ever again.
When she was done, she turned off the shower and began toweling herself dry. In the closet, Morgan found her standard outfit of black jeans and a black T-shirt. She dressed like that every day to stay in the background as Dane’s assistant. She was certain she wouldn’t have a job for much longer once Dane found out what she’d done, but she was a college grad. Surely, she could find a new gig to pay the bills.
In the meantime, her role in Dane’s life also gave her advantages because Morgan knew the Stewarts’s schedule. They planned on leaving today to head back to Austin. She would have to go onto their turf to fight this battle. She wasn’t going to cower and run off into the night like some poor relation. She was his daughter and Henry owed her. Owed her for all the missed birthday parties and Christmases. He owed her for not looking after her welfare and ensuring she had a happy, loving childhood.
And she was going to claim her due.
“Jared, are you listening to a word I’ve said?” his mother asked as he sat across the table where he and his parents were having Sunday brunch. It had been a weekly event ever since he was a kid. They hadn’t stopped even after his father’s heart attack and open-heart surgery a year ago.
“I’m sorry, Mom. What was that?” Jared asked. He’d been distracted the last week. He supposed it had something to do with a certain brunette he hadn’t been able to forget. He’d been sleeping fitfully, tossing and turning thinking about the hazel-eyed beauty.
Jared wondered how she was faring. News of Morgan’s relation to Dane had been leaked to the press and the story was splashed over the tabloids. Dane was on his honeymoon while Morgan had disappeared.
“I asked you if you knew where your brother, Chris was,” Mary Robinson inquired. “It’s not like him to miss Sunday brunch.”
“No. I haven’t talked to him,” Jared answered. “His assistant said he took the week off for personal business.”
“Chris is a workaholic, same as me,” his father said. “I’m glad to see he’s learned a lesson from me and is taking time for himself.”
“What about Dane?” his mother asked. “I tried calling Nora about the tabloids’ claim that Henry has an illegitimate daughter, but she didn’t answer. Do you think it’s true?”
“C’mon, Mary, you can’t believe the gossips.”
“It’s not gossip, Dad,” Jared replied.
His father frowned. “How would you know?”
“I met Morgan at the wedding. We talked and she’s a lovely young woman.”
“Who’s no doubt after the Stewart wealth. She might be shocked to learn that not everything is what it seems. Henry hasn’t been rolling in it for years,” his father said. “If it wasn’t for his son-in-law Gage and Fallon’s business acumen, the company would have gone belly-up years ago.”
“Not everything is about money,” Jared said. “Morgan just wants to be recognized.”
“So you’re on a first name basis with her?” his mother asked, quirking a brow.
“You know our son can’t resist a pretty face,” his father responded. “She must be a looker.”
Jared’s spine stiffened at the affront and he wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I’ve lost my appetite, so I’ll be on my way.”
“Run away like you always do,” his father countered.
“I’m sorry your favorite son couldn’t be here for brunch, but don’t take it out on me.” Jared walked over to his mother and kissed her on the cheek. “Mom, I’ll call you later.”
Jared didn’t bother saying goodbye to his father. They were never going to see eye to eye, so he’d stopped trying. He was curious about Morgan, but perhaps it was for the best he hadn’t seen her since that night. He hadn’t recognized himself around her and Jared suspected if he ever saw her again, he would be in trouble. He doubted he could walk away again.
Morgan sat in her car outside the Stewart mansion that afternoon. It had taken a week to get her affairs in order, which included starting the paperwork to legally change her name from Morgan Young to Morgan Stewart. It was time she took her rightful name and place in the family. She’d also sent a letter of resignation to Dane. Within days of the wedding, news had broken that she was Dane Stewart’s baby sister and the tabloids were staked outside of her small apartment in Culver City. Thankfully, she’d packed in advance and decided to drive to Austin. Flying would have drawn too much attention. She lived frugally and Dane paid her well, so she had savings to tide her over for a while.
And now here she was, waiting for security to approve her entry to the hallowed grounds. Morgan fumed in her car. She was a Stewart, after all, and was being treated like she was an outsider. But wasn’t she?
She hadn’t been raised on this estate like Dane or Fallon. They’d had everything. The best house. Clothes. Cars. Education. While she’d had nothing. She had a right to be here. Henry was going to own up to being her father. Morgan wasn’t going to leave until he did.
The security guard placed the receiver of his phone down and leaned out of the guardhouse. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m told you don’t have an appointment. You’re going to have to turn around.”
“You can’t keep me out,” Morgan insisted. “I need to talk to my father.”
“I’m sorry, miss. But you’re going to have to leave. If you don’t, I’m going to have to call the cops on you for trespassing.”
“Trespassing?” Morgan’s voice rose. “Well that’s rich. Imagine what the press will say when they find out Henry kicked his own daughter off the grounds.”
A horn sounded from behind Morgan and startled her. She turned as a red Audi pulled up beside her Honda Accord. The window rolled down and Fallon leaned out, but she wasn’t alone. Ayden, their older brother, sat beside her. “It’s all right, Drew. She’s with me.”
“Are you sure? Your father was insistent she not be let in.”
“I’ll handle my father,” Fallon responded evenly. “Morgan—” Fallon glanced in her direction “—follow me in.”
Morgan nodded mutely, put the car in gear and followed the Audi up the manicured road. When they finally stopped in front of the two-story mansion, Morgan sucked in a breath as she looked around.
After turning off the engine, Morgan exited the vehicle and found Fallon leaning against her car. She looked poised and sophisticated in jeans, a tank top, knee-high boots and a long duster. Morgan was sure the outfit was designer while her own was off-the-rack. Although Dane paid her well, living in Los Angeles was expensive and Morgan couldn’t afford designer clothes.
Ayden, meanwhile, stood nearby, quietly assessing her. Morgan wished the situation was different and he would wrap her in a big brotherly hug. Wasn’t that what she’d always wanted? A family of her own. Not just her and Crystal and the revolving door of men in her mother’s life.
“Morgan, it seems we have a lot to talk about,” Fallon said, her hazel eyes trained on Morgan. They were the same eyes Morgan saw every day when she looked in the mirror.
“No offense, Fallon, but we don’t,” Morgan said, folding her arms across her chest. “I need to talk to your father, I mean, our father.”
“I disagree,” Ayden said. “This involves all of us. Henry has a lot to answer for. It’s why we both came. For answers.”
“And I’m here to be a mediator,” Fallon added. “I know neither of you is Daddy’s biggest fan, but after your revelation last week, my mother was distraught. Inconsolable. She came home with me and Gage and has been there all week. She asked me to bring a few things, which is why I’m here.”
“I’m sorry,” Morgan said, “but that’s not my fault. I didn’t cheat on her. Henry did.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Ayden said underneath his breath.
Fallon gave Ayden a hard stare. “That might be true, but surely you could have revealed your existence in a less public way?”
Morgan sighed. Fallon had a point. “I—I didn’t know another way, Fallon. He didn’t know me from Adam. I knew he would stonewall me. And as you can see from today, I was right.”
“That’s because he’s hurt and lashing out.”
“Do you always make excuses for him?” Morgan asked.
“Yes.” Ayden nodded.
Fallon laughed. “I know Daddy isn’t perfect.”
“He’s my father, too,” Morgan responded hotly. “And it’s time he acknowledged that.”
“Let’s go inside and talk. But I warn you he’s not in the best mood.”
Morgan followed Ayden and Fallon through the gilded doors with gold-plated handles into the foyer. She was amazed at how beautiful the mansion was. The terrazzo floors gleamed and the two-story spiral staircase was breathtaking. Morgan could see the European influence in the decor. It resembled a French chateau with cathedral ceilings and baroque adornments throughout. Fallon led Morgan into a sitting room that had a massive two-story fireplace and a baby grand piano.
Fallon sat down on a chaise and Ayden took the spot beside her. Morgan envied the easy comfort they shared and hoped one day she could have the same.
“Why do you think he’s your father?” Fallon asked.
Morgan sighed. She didn’t care to explain herself, but apparently she had to. “My mother met Henry when he was attending a tech convention in Las Vegas. They spent one night together. I’m the result. It’s as simple as that.”
“Why didn’t she ever come forward? I mean, she could have gone to court and gotten my father to acknowledge you and pay child support. It’s what I would’ve done.”
“If you recall, my mother didn’t fight to ensure Henry took care of me, either,” Ayden interjected. “It’s not easy coming forward.”
“Thank you, Ayden.” Morgan appreciated the backup considering their background was similar when it came to their father. “I doubt my mother knew how to find him. She said she didn’t know who he was until a magazine article came out on Stewart Technologies, but she never told me until she was dying in the hospital.”
“I’m so sorry,” Fallon replied.
“It’s all right. My mother and I didn’t have a great relationship, which is why I wanted a father so badly.”
“Then why didn’t you tell us the truth sooner?” Fallon inquired. “You’ve been working for Dane for over a year.”
“Fallon’s right. We would have accepted you,” Ayden said.
“I wanted to, but I was scared of how I would be received. Dane is a huge superstar. Considering his position, he might have thought I was trying to shake him down or something.”
“Well, aren’t you?” a harsh tenor voice sounded from behind them.
Morgan turned to see Henry. She didn’t know how long he’d been standing there listening to their conversation.
Her father sauntered into the living room and Morgan felt his negativity from where she sat. It enshrouded him like a dark cloak. He looked foreboding even though he was dressed casually in navy trousers and a checkered button-down shirt. “You’re here to claim what’s yours? Isn’t that right?”