From Fake to Forever (14 page)

His arms encircled her, holding her tight, and he rested his head on top of hers.

They stood there wrapped in each other and it was every bit the connection she’d yearned for. And they were both fully dressed. Who would have seen that coming?

“I have to get back to work,” Jason said gruffly. “It’s really late.”

“Yeah.”

Lots of work to do this afternoon. Lots of Allo to endure and lots of Avery to outwit. The thought exhausted her all of a sudden. All she really wanted to do was stay in the circle of Jason’s arms for the next week or two and forget about real life.

Since that wasn’t in the master plan, she stepped back and shoved him lightly. “Go. But come back. Bring dinner and I’ll tell you about my conversation with Avery.”

They weren’t divorced yet. Until then, she’d keep pushing for that connection.

Nine

T
here was literally no point in Jason going back to work if he intended to get anything done. Apparently, taking a two-hour lunch meant an afternoon of interruptions.

An interview had surfaced in the press sometime in the past few hours with more sweatshop allegations, this time from an unnamed source who claimed to be a current Lyn employee. It was not pretty. And he had the worst feeling Avery wasn’t behind this one, which meant he had bigger problems.

When Bettina pinged Jason via instant message asking him to come to her office, he groaned. He could not deal with another round of his mother’s teary, mournful snuffling over the continued media onslaught. Yes, they were maligning the company with her name on it, but it was his name, too, and if she wanted him to fix it, she needed to give him a break.

It was shaping up to be a late night at the office. There went his plans for takeout with Meredith, which he’d been actively anticipating.

“This is the last time, Mom,” he muttered to his laptop screen and grabbed a Red Bull from the small refrigerator by his desk for fortification.

When had he turned into such a liar? He’d be there for his mother forty-seven more times today if that’s what she needed. When Paul moved out two years ago, Jason had been his mother’s only ally. Gladly. After all she’d done for Jason, it was the least he could do for her. Plus, she was his mom.

Chugging the energy drink, he poked his head into Bettina’s office and she was smiling.

“There you are. Come in,” she invited and leaped up from behind her desk, rounding it more quickly than a sixty-year-old woman should be able to.

Before Jason could blink, she’d thrown her arms around him in a totally out-of-character motherly hug. He hugged her back, mystified by what had prompted such a turnabout.

“Avery told me,” his mother said when she stepped back to look at him with a misty smile. “Though why you didn’t, I’ll never understand.”

“Told you what?” Baffled, he searched his mother’s expression for some clue as to what had elevated her mood.

“About the wife you’ve been hiding from everyone.”

“About the...
what
?” Jason’s stomach tensed as his mother came in for another round of hugs.

Should he brazen it out or come clean? Well, obviously it was too late to pretend he didn’t know what Bettina was talking about.

Avery.
He swore. He’d underestimated her yet again. How had she found out? God, this was so much worse than labor allegations. He should have seen this coming.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’d gotten married?” his mother scolded, but the thrill in her voice belied the reprimand.

“Uh...I thought you’d be upset.” Since that clearly wasn’t the case, he scrambled for how to spin this new development, while simultaneously trying to figure out why Avery had struck at him in this particular way.

“On the contrary. It’s the best news I’ve had in a long time.” Her voice lowered. “I would never have said anything, but I didn’t like the idea of you marrying Meiling in some kind of loveless arrangement. But a whirlwind romance and quick wedding? That’s wonderful.”

“I’m glad someone thinks so,” he mumbled darkly.

He’d assumed Bettina would see the business benefits of his “arrangement” with Meiling. Fine time to find out differently.

His mother clapped her hands. “You must let me take you and your wife to dinner so I can meet her. Avery said she’s working at Hurst? Which I don’t understand, but I’m sure you can explain.”

He muttered another curse under his breath and shut his eyes. Bettina’s feelings were hurt that he’d let his wife work for The Enemy.

Jason was going to kill Avery. Slowly. “It’s complicated.”

She nodded, growing serious. “With your father and I on such bad terms, how could it be anything but? The divorce was hard on all of us. But you don’t have to hide the most important relationship of your life from me. Sure I’m lonely occasionally, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish great things for you. I’m genuinely happy that you’ve found someone.”

Oh, man. Bettina thought he hadn’t told her out of fear she’d be
jealous
? That wasn’t precisely the sort of “upset” he’d assumed she’d be if she discovered he’d married Meredith in front of an Elvis impersonator in Vegas, while intoxicated. Two years ago, no less.

The Lyn and Hurst executive staffs wouldn’t see his Vegas wedding as a plus, and Avery probably had more fun surprises in store for him regarding when and how she’d drop this marriage bombshell to others.

Damage control needed, ASAP.

“Thanks, Mom,” he interjected smoothly. “And for the record, Meredith is only working at Hurst temporarily. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you she was my wife when I asked you for the recommendation.”

At least he didn’t have to lie to preserve his mother’s feelings. He wasn’t hiding Meredith from Bettina by placing her at Hurst. But she needed to understand that his marriage wasn’t going to last much longer.
Before
she started naming her imaginary grandchildren.

He had a feeling this news was not going to go over well. Bettina would be very disappointed that her son wasn’t happily married after all. How had he gotten to this place?

“Mom, Meredith and I, we’re not—”

“Oh, don’t say you’re not interested in dinner. I’m dying to meet my new daughter-in-law. I want to hear all the wedding details. And you’re really horrible for not taking her on an extended honeymoon. Be sure you make that up to her.”

New
daughter-in-law? Was it possible Avery didn’t actually spill the whole story? Or even better, perhaps Avery didn’t actually know the full story. There was still a possibility of salvaging this situation. “Please, Mom. I do not now, nor do I ever, want you to explain what you think I should do to make it up to her.”

Bettina laughed. “Let me take you to dinner. Are you free tonight?”

“We had plans to get takeout.”

“Then it’s settled.” She leaned in and took Jason’s hand in hers. His mother’s skin felt paper-thin and prominent veins stood out against her wrinkles. When had she aged so much? “I worry about you. I’m glad you decided to settle down and spend your life with someone. It makes it so much easier to think about retiring.”

“Retiring?”

That word had never come out of Bettina’s mouth. His mother was one of the biggest obstacles to his plans because she’d never approve of merging with Hurst. He’d been racking his brain for a way to convince her to focus on her new swimsuit line and let him take care of the company.

But if Bettina retired...it was a whole new game.

Bettina patted his hand. “Not today. But maybe soon. I didn’t want to consider retiring, but now that you’re settled, I can leave Lyn in your hands with confidence.”

Settled.
It had a much nicer ring than he’d have anticipated. Jason’s gut spasmed at the same moment his mind spun in a billion directions.
What if he didn’t have to end things with Meredith so quickly?

Instantly, Jason’s vision of the future shifted. He could stay married. And he had the perfect excuse to avoid examining why that was such a great thing.

“You’ll be a fantastic CEO,” Bettina finished with a nod.

Right. That’s what he should be focusing on, not Meredith and her special ability to drive him insane. His mother was talking about retiring and naming him as the next CEO, a huge win for his plans.

If he was already the CEO of Lyn, the merger would go a lot more smoothly, and no one would question whether he should continue to be the head of the newly reformed company.

Because he would be
married
. To Meredith.

Who wanted a divorce, which he’d conveniently forgotten.

In the mixed-up, crazy place Jason’s life had become, the wife he’d been working to get rid of was now the wife he apparently needed to keep. His marriage had just become very valuable.

Marriage was a tool. He’d always thought so. This was nothing new, nothing different. Meredith knew this and all he needed to do was have a conversation with her about the change of plans. She’d handle the curveball, despite the fact that he’d told her a few hours ago he’d sign the papers.

His palms started to sweat. “I have to get back to work. I’ll let you know about dinner.”

Bettina’s glowing smile stuck with him the rest of the afternoon. As did the cramp in his stomach. He couldn’t sign the papers, not even if Meredith got the designs back. And he had the worst feeling she’d hear the phrase “no divorce” and it would paint him as ruthless and cold-blooded...and exactly like Avery.

At which point she’d likely express her disappointment again over who he’d become. And then he’d have to think about how he longed to be a better man, the one she encouraged him to be.

Actually, as soon as he mentioned staying married a little while longer, she’d probably smile and say something provocative about him using this as an excuse to get her into his bed.

God, he hadn’t thought that far ahead. But it only made sense that she had to move into his house, didn’t it? That’s what married people did. And how dumb would it be to suggest she stay in his guest room? But if he suggested she sleep with him, what did that imply?

Obviously, it implied he was asking her to move in with him and be his wife. In every sense. Because he wanted to be around her, live with her, sleep with her, like they were in a relationship. Something hitched in his chest as he imagined waking up next to Meredith every morning, her gaze sleepy and full of promise.

Yes.
That’s what he wanted.

No. He couldn’t let her think that. There was no way he’d ever have a marriage based on anything other than how it could help him further his merger plans. People who fell in love eventually fell out of love and damaged everything around them, and he’d never willingly do that to anyone.

Nor could he give her the impression this was a desperate ploy to get a few more days with her, though he liked that aspect of it more than he should. If only this had happened before they’d started sleeping together again, the complications would be far fewer. And he’d never have to admit, not even to himself, that he wanted to seize this opportunity to keep her around.

Fortunately, he and Meredith saw eye to eye on the purpose of their marriage.

* * *

Meredith was starving and Jason had taken his sweet time getting to her hotel after work.

He finally knocked at ten after seven.

The darkness in Jason’s gaze had her immediately itching to smooth the line from between his eyes. Tension was evident in the rigid set of his shoulders.

“Is this going to be a running theme, then?” She nodded to his empty hands. “I can start being in charge of dinner. Unless you wanted to skip eating again? Because I’m okay with that.”

He didn’t laugh.

“We’re going out,” he said shortly.

She glanced down at her yoga pants and off-the-shoulder T-shirt, which she’d changed into an hour ago. “I’m dressed for takeout.”

“It doesn’t matter. Avery knows we’re married. And she told Bettina. The secret will probably be public knowledge by midnight. If it takes that long.”

Meredith cursed. That explained his snippy mood.

The news probably wouldn’t take very long to filter down to Texas, either, and then where would she be? Her father’s lawyer had given her a very short time frame to settle this divorce, and he’d been clear—tell her father or he’d do it for her.

Now the press might beat him to it. She cursed again.

“Yeah.” Jason’s smile was grim. “That’s exactly what I said.”

“How did Avery find out? Oh,
no
. Not the—”

“Security camera.” He nodded and pressed the spot between his brows, hard. “My best guess is we weren’t as careful as we thought. Or if not that, she wasn’t out of sight when I got out of the car at Hurst the other night. Somehow she saw us together and started poking her nose into my business.”

“What does that mean? I can’t be your spy anymore. Right?”

And if she couldn’t be his spy, that meant he had to sign the divorce papers whether she got the designs or not.

Fabulous. Though she was a little sad to have no excuse to go in Avery’s place to her meeting tomorrow. Despite the stolen nature of the designs, Meredith had been looking forward to seeing what happened in a fashion-house deal.

Was that why Avery had agreed to let Meredith go—because she already knew that Meredith was Jason’s wife?

The back of her throat soured. So much for her stellar espionage skills. She’d looked forward to crowing over her victory with Jason tonight.

He sighed and propped a shoulder against the door frame as if his legs couldn’t hold him up any longer. “It means my mother’s freaking thrilled that I got married. She wants to take us to dinner tonight. I couldn’t say no.”

Dinner with Bettina Lynhurst? As what, a
couple
?

“Uh...it’s not hard.
No.
See? Easy.” Jason glared at her so hotly she shoved the door wide. “You better come in.”

How had everything become so complicated?

He brushed past her as if she wasn’t even standing there and flung open the closet to sift through her clothes. “Where’s that gold top I brought you? Bettina likes it. You should wear it with the white cropped pants and your Stuart Weitzman sandals.”