Love in Bloom (De La Fuente Family 3)

He got to his feet again, glared at the gloating dick behind the desk and his money hungry agent. “Send all the details over to me.”

And with that he slammed the door behind him as he left.

He’d fucked up big time.

Part of him wanted to say fuck it and let the team kick him out—sever his contract—but the biggest part of him didn’t want to disappoint his family like he’d do if his recent bout of stupidity got back to them. His family had supported him since school when they’d figured out he had talent out on the field.

The one thing he never wanted to do was disappoint them.

Fuck!

He was engaged.

“Miss Taylor, thank you for taking the time to come in today,” Roger Evans said as he ushered her into a chair opposite his desk. He went back to his chair and offered her a pleasant smile as he sat.

He reminded her of a toad, but she thought it best if she kept that to herself because he held a job opportunity in his hands.

This was the last place she’d applied, or rather the stadium had been and they’d sent her to the offices of the Club’s PR team. Although she currently majored in business finance, she had no PR experience so wasn’t sure why she’d be here.

The office was shiny and looked brand new. It was all bright, airy, and sleek smooth lines. It certainly dazzled visitors with the brightness and wealth found in every room.

“Would you like a coffee, or something cool, perhaps?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you. Um, I’m curious as to why I’m here.”

Roger looked excited as a child, which he was obviously trying to contain. He looked like he was ready to leap across his desk and she felt her nerves dancing in trepidation. Eventually, after some effort and quite a bit of nervous twitching, he finally got on with the meeting. “You’re just the right person for the job,” he said abruptly. “No one else will do and it pays handsomely, which I know will come in very handy for you.”

“How do you—”

“Yes, yes, we’ll come to that in good time. But basically, you’re needed for an acting job. The salary is based on what will be required of you.”

“I don’t—”

“Erin,” he paused, “please let me finish.”

She sat back, figuring she might as well let him get it all out. It seemed as though she wouldn’t get a word in edgewise.

“I need to hire you to be someone’s fiancée.” He glanced at her shocked face and continued, “His image needs to improve, which is where you come in as his fiancée. He’s known for making split second decisions, so this won’t seem such a shock to people. Well, it might, but they’ll get over it. I’ve already given him your name. You’ll become Caprice, first class bitch.”

She choked on her own saliva. No way was she touching that job, especially arranged by the freak behind the desk. She shook her head as the thought filled her mind, but froze when he mentioned the dollars involved.

Erin chewed on her lower lip—a nervous habit.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She wasn’t a bitch. She wasn’t even sure she’d be able to pull that part off. However, the money would go into her bank account, which meant that she’d have enough to survive while she finished her degree. The rest would tie her over for a short while after graduation.

Would her conscience let her do it? She wasn’t a bitch…as far as she knew, she’d never been one to anyone before and wasn’t sure she wanted to start now, whether it was for pay, or not.

The more she thought about it, the more she wondered. “Why do I have to be a bitch? Surely his fiancée would be loveable. No one gets engaged to a bitch. That doesn’t sound right.”

Roger’s toad like face grew puffier and redder with everything she said and there was a small tick of agitation in his left eye. “Look, don’t worry about the whys or whatnots. You’ll be paid month to month providing you play the part well. He’s a wild card and needs reigning in…definitely needs some of his own medicine. The ‘bitch’ stays between us. You tell him, or anyone else, then our deal’s over and you’ll receive no more money.”

Something was off with the whole thing because surely the man should know what was going on. “Did the guy agree to all this?”

“He agreed, but no reason to trouble him with the minor details about your personality. You do it well, without anyone finding out and you won’t have to worry about staying at the university, or having a roof over your head, which I know is currently on the line.”

“It sounds…wrong.” She watched Roger, anger and irritation flashing in his eyes as he tapped his fingers on the desk. It was clear that he was getting annoyed with her.