“Don’t you have brothers and sisters?”
“One brother. But there’s eleven years difference between us, so it was almost like being an only child.”
“Oh. Well, I guess there are advantages to a large family, though some days it’s hard to remember them.”
He smiled again, and she figured he’d make his fortune on the basis of his smile alone. Or his eyes. His Paul Newman blue eyes crinkled slightly at the corners.
“Um, yes, well, I have six sisters and one brother.”
“So there are eight of you. That’s quite a large family these days.”
She felt as if she was babbling, and she’d had everything planned out so rationally. “Yes,” she agreed, and clamped her mouth shut.
That eyebrow again. He looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
“Sharon, my baby sister, is getting married soon.”
“The youngest? How old is she?”
“Twenty-two. She finished college in December.”
He frowned, and she caught her breath. “You and your sisters must’ve been born close together because you don’t look much older.”
He was good with the flattery. She supposed it must be his stock-in-trade. “I’m thirty-three. My brother is older.”
“And you already have your doctorate? I’m impressed. Did you study in France?”
“Yes, at the— Never mind,” she hurriedly said. If she wasn’t careful, she’d get distracted and never tell him what she really wanted.
“You want to stick to the subject?” he asked, smiling again, a twinkle in his eye.
With a sigh, she said, “Yes, please. This is difficult enough as it is.”
“To ask me to escort you to your sister’s wedding? That’s not asking much. I’ll be glad to take you.”
Elise seriously considered accepting his offer. Then she could tell him just before the wedding that she actually needed him to appear to be more than just her date—but that would be wrong.
With another sigh, she said, “Thank you, but that’s not exactly what I’m asking.” She cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m asking you to be my fiancé.”
Chapter Two
He couldn’t believe it.
He’d been suckered in, like an inexperienced teenager.
Damn it, he was thirty-six. He’d been chased by the best, and he’d fallen for this green-eyed witch’s simple plan.
He schooled his features to give nothing away. “I’m not interested in marriage, Dr. Foster.”
As he started to rise, her hand reached across the table and grabbed his wrist. He didn’t know whether to believe the look of horror on her face. If she was acting, she was damn good.
“No! I mean, neither am I!”
He raised his eyebrow again, still not convinced it wasn’t a trap. Too many women had seen his millions as a ticket to easy street.
“I meant I want you to come to the wedding as my pretend fiancé. I only need you until after the wedding. I like being single. I have my career. It’s only a pretense!”
She sounded desperate, he’d give her that. But he didn’t see why it would be so important to her…unless she had an ulterior motive. “Why is it necessary?”
“Look, I… Oh, never mind. It was a crazy idea. I’ll figure out something.”
Now it was his turn to reach out and stop her from rising. Was he crazy? He was backing away from the exit sign. “Just explain. You owe me that, at least.”
Her cheeks were red from what might have been embarrassment and she kept her gaze lowered, denying him the sight of those beautiful green eyes. A strand of hair, curling slightly, had escaped the clasp and dangled beside her cheek, urging him to tuck it behind her ear. Most of all, her full pink lips, without lipstick, trembled.
“I’m tired of being harassed,” she muttered.
“Harassed? By whom?”
“My family!” she almost shouted, her eyes blazing with what appeared to be anger as she finally looked at him. “They won’t leave me alone. I chose not to marry. Not to be a—a satellite to some man. I have my own career and I’m happy with my life. But they won’t leave me alone!”
The cold anger in his own heart eased slightly. He was beginning to believe her again. “What do they do?”
“You mean other than calling me every day to suggest I’m a loser old maid with no prospects?” she returned, sarcasm having replaced the anger.
“Every day?”
“I have six sisters plus my mother. And she has two sisters. My grandmother died last year, so she can’t join in—but she would if she could.”
“No wonder you weren’t enthusiastic about large families,” he said, relaxing a little more.
Tears pooled in her eyes. “I love my family. But—but they’re driving me crazy!”
Leaning forward, he captured her hands in his. “But, Elise, this would only be a temporary solution. Then what?”
“You don’t understand. It’s the prospect of a wedding that stirs them all up. And this is the last wedding. Every sister will be married. There won’t be any more weddings on the horizon to get them excited. Chance, my brother, certainly won’t be marching down the aisle. So if I can just get through this one, I’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I don’t see them all that often. For several months after the wedding I can tell them you’ve gotten a role in Hollywood. Then I’ll tell them we can’t marry because you’re always gone. It’s simple.”
James didn’t quite believe her last statement. But the prospect of pretending to be Elise’s fiancé had some appeal for him. A great deal of appeal, actually. He was fascinated by her emotion, her soft lips, her green eyes.
Recognizing a danger signal when he saw it, he let go of her hands and sat back. “When is the wedding?”
“In three weeks. That would be enough time to—to learn about each other, wouldn’t it? I mean, I can write out everything you’d have to know.”
Her scholarly approach tickled him. She thought she could write a report and they could convince everyone they were lovers? He grinned. “Well, now, I’m a method actor, sweetheart. I’d have to spend time with you to do a good job.”
The reluctance on her face assured him he’d been wrong about Elise
