Page 136 of Boyfriend of the Hour

“You don’t have to go,” he said. “To the gala. Carrick…he’s just a preview of what my parents are like. If you don’t want to put up with it, you don’t have to. I can make it work.”

I considered him for a long moment. I wasn’t going to lie. After interacting with Carrick and learning a bit too much about Nathan’s family, the entire idea was starting to feel like an icicle shoved through my chest.

“But…wasn’t that the point of all this?” I asked. “To show your parents and these business people that you’re actually well-adjusted and happy? Unless you think Carrick is going to blow things…”

Nathan sighed, obviously not thrilled with the idea himself. “He’ll behave himself in public. Spencer usually does too. And my parents won’t misbehave in front of board members.”

“But what if Carrick tells them what he said to you?”

Nathan nodded. But still looked uneasy.

“What? What is it?”

He bit his lip. “I think it’s going to take something…more…to convince my parents I should stay in New York. Not just a roommate. Or a girlfriend.”

I tipped my head. “Shit. It’s not working?”

He sighed. “My mother wants all of her sons close. But there is something my father wants more.”

“What’s that?”

He swallowed thickly. “An heir. In the form of a grandchild.”

I stilled. “Dude. Um, I don’t think we can fakethat.”

Nathan gave me a look. “I know that. But if you’re willing—and you can say no, Joni. You canalwayssay no with me—it might be more convincing if you weren’t just my girlfriend. But maybe my fiancée too. If we told them we were getting married. And that we wanted to start a family soon.”

I couldn’t move. Now, he wanted people to believe we were truly in love? That we wanted a whole life together, with a house and kids and the whole nine yards?

I could pretend that. I could probablylivethat for real.

The thought was terrifying.

“After what Carrick said, do you really think anyone would believe it?” I had to ask. “Do you really think they would believe someone like you would want tomarrysomeone like me?”

I hated that I had to ask. But the question was too obvious not to.

Nathan seemed to think on that for a long moment too.

“If they don’t believe I care for you, then it’s because they don’t want to believe it,” he said finally.

“Or maybe you’re just not a very good actor,” I said, half-jokingly. “It’s a good thing, Nathan. It means you’re honest.”

“So are you.”

Was I?

Right now, I wasn’t so sure.

But I did know one thing.

“You asked me to be there, so I’m going,” I said. “We have a job to do, and I’m going to see it through on Saturday night. Apparently, with a ring on it.”

I touched my hair and examined my empty fingers and the nails that were already starting to chip. I was running out of funds to keep up with these engagements.

“I’ll get one,” Nathan said. “Something nice. Something you can keep later. For…whatever you need.”

I didn’t even want to ask how much that would cost him. Or admit to myself how good it might feel to wear something like that from him.