Wolf's Fake Bride (Shifter Marriage Service Book 1)

They sounded like a charming pair. She had wondered why Holly had referred to the owners as “they”, but only one man had come to negotiate. It wasn’t unusual if a parent had died, that one was the executor and handled things like that alone, she supposed.

"My friend, Caroline, used to be married to him. That's when she met him, though she hadn't seen him for ages. They broke up a couple of years ago."

"Really?" Jo said.

Life was full of surprises this morning. She would not have thought anyone would have been married to the uptight little man she had met the previous day.

“Yeah, old money. Questionable how they came about it but got plenty of it. Two very different brothers, though. You’d not know they’re from the same household in a million years.”

“Why is that?”

“Just very different people. Anyway, I doubt you’ll get him down on his price. He’s known to be a tightwad. He’ll not sign on for losing any money.”

Jo stared gloomily out the window. Last night's snow had already melted. It was going to be another slushy, gray day. "You're probably right," she said.

"Cheer up," she told her. "There are plenty more houses here, much nicer ones.”

“I’m sure you are right. I can keep looking.”

Jo didn’t want to keep looking, though and had to resist the urge not to just meet the asking price. Perhaps it was just the frugality she was forced into at an early age, but she just couldn’t do it. Granted, she had plenty money to do so at the moment, but who knew how long that money would have to last. It was an upfront payment for work she was doing and she had no other income. It might sound like a lot of money to have two and a half million dollars with more forthcoming upon completion of her role, but it didn’t go as far these days as it used to.

If she played her cards right, invested some of it and was careful with the rest, she’d never have to work again. She could go out and buy a much nicer home than the one she was trying so hard to purchase at bargain pricing, but she had been cautioned to appear working class. The mustang would be presented as a leftover from a former marriage, but she would have to offset it by appearing to have modest living conditions. A fixer-upper was ideal in this situation.

“Well, you’re done. What do you think?” the girl asked, jarring her from her thoughts.

Jo examined her hair in the mirror. It looked really good. Long blonde layers cut precisely as she had asked. It was a rarity to get a good hairdresser without a few mishaps. Perhaps it was a sign that her luck was changing.

“It’s great. Thank you so much,” she told her.

Jo paid and left, checking the time. She was early, so she decided to stop by the local home supply store and daydream about what she could buy for her new house, if he pulled off actually getting it.

After a while, she gave up her interior design ideas and began making her way to the outskirts of town, toward the house and her future pretend husband. Her thoughts returned to how he had ended up in this house to meet her and a thought occurred to her. Perhaps he was the other brother? How had she not already considered that?

If so, had she already blown things by attempting to buy a house from his family. One thought swirled into another as she realized that him being brothers with the man she had met last night would mean they were both wolf shifters, and she had a rough time imagining that.CHAPTER EIGHT“We meet again,” King said warmly as he opened the door.

Today, there was no girl or driver, just the two of us. The Bryant couple was absent from the meeting. Their part was done, having matched him with someone who suited his needs.

“So we do,” she replied, looking him over quickly before he could notice.

Last time, he had been dressed in what most people would term dress casual. Today, he looked very much the part of a biker outlaw, with faded jeans, heavy boots, a t-shirt displaying Gumby on the front and a heavy leather jacket.

“Drink?”

“Sure, but just one. I’m driving.”

“Of course,” he replied, leading her to the cozy room where they had originally met.

“No staff today?”

“No,” he replied idly, pouring their drinks before returning to hand one to her and sit down in the opposite chair with his own.

Jo launched nervously into some chit-chat about the cold weather. He didn't bother to respond, just smiled at her; a slow, knowing, infinitely arrogant smile. She abandoned being coy and downed half of her wine in one gulp.

King raised an eyebrow. " Is it me that's making you so nervous?"