Bargain in Bronze

“Oh, the body matched,” Nina said as she carefully put the charm back into the velvet-lined case. “Better than Beckham’s. That tall, lean-but-muscled type.”

“Jeans?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Nina straightened another of the beads that had slipped in the display tray.

“Dark hair? Dangerous smile? Foreign air? Gray tee?”

“Yeah,” Nina said. She frowned over her tray, amazed at the detail in Stella’s guesswork. “How’d you know that?”

“I was wrong about the likelihood.” Stella laughed.

Nina turned to look at her crazy customer and found her standing in the middle of the shop, a foot away from—

Oh hell.

Her vital organs froze in mid-vital movement—her heart held just above a beat, her half-inflated lungs seized, and her useless brain just blanked completely.

He was in her store. Right in the middle of it, facing Stella and her foxy-eyes. Tall and gorgeous and watching her and from the roguish expression on his face, he’d heard every incriminating word.

Wince, wince, wince.

“Oh, yes,” Stella said. She winked as she walked out of the shop. “That blue would be perfect. Blue, silver, and steel.”

Nina forced herself to swallow, hoping to kick-start the rest of her system.

“Have I cost you a sale?” he asked with concern that was far, far too kind and eyes that were far, far too amused.

She drew a sharp breath. “It’s fine.” Nina quickly shut the drawer of beads and locked them away. “I’m sure she’ll be back.” Stella came in with wicked regularity. “How can I help you?”

She welded on her best Shop Assistant Smile, determined not to be disappointed, but he looked too at home in this haven for romantics. “I’m used to helping men with their purchases for their girlfriends, wives, lovers, mothers…” she trailed off and sucked up some more stoicism to get through. “Some buy for all those women at once.” Yeah, some of the guys even admitted they were there buying for both wife and girlfriend. They were the ones who asked for a bulk discount.

“I only have the mother and she’s not in England at the moment,” he answered, his attention riveted to her, that breathtaking half-smile not fading any.

Nina had to clear her throat from the army of frogs threatening to invade. “So you wanted to get her a bracelet?”

“No.”

Right. Nina’s heart clattered as her brain began to work overtime on reasons why he was here. But the one she most wanted to believe just couldn’t be real. Maybe she was hallucinating? Was he really walking toward her with that smile and those stunning, sparkling eyes?

“So what did you want?” Ugh, the frogs had attacked and she was all raspy.

“I was thinking about tonight.” He calmly walked over to the cabinet where she still stood frozen—her limbs had yet to recover muscle-power.

She gnawed on her lower lip, holding back the nervous questions so near the surface. Couldn’t she fake some cool?

“Do you think you can get out of your prior engagement?” he asked.

Nina breathed out a shard of old, cold pain. She already was out of her prior engagement. She’d called it off with Corey’s friends the moment she’d found out. What she had tonight was the face-saving social situation. “I really need to show up. Dignity.” She reminded herself as well as him. “And don’t you have a duty to fulfill?”

“What if I have a solution for our problems?” he said, his voice lowering the nearer he got to her. “We could face them together.” He leaned closer. “You could be mine.”

“Your… what?” Her voice went girlishly high as goosebumps rippled over her skin.

“My girlfriend—for the night.” His eyes glittered wickedly as he laughed. “Come with me to the dinner and make it fun.”

Her heart skipped too many beats, sending her brain into a dizzy spin—because lord, wouldn’t that be good? “That’s ridiculous. We don’t know the first thing about each other.”

Girlfriend? Had the guy really said that?

“I have to dine with my aunt this evening.” He looked woeful, but she was sure it was a put-on.

“That’s your duty date?” His aunt?

“It’s tougher than it sounds.” He rested his hand on the glass cabinet between them. “I don’t want to have to deal with questions and pressure.”

She didn’t believe him, his eyes had that twinkle. “You’re afraid of a little old lady?”

“She’s a lot more than little and old. Having a girlfriend to distract her would deflect a lot of heat for me.”

What, like he needed some kind of bodyguard? As if. She had no doubt that a guy like him could handle dozens of little old ladies—he’d charm them in a second with a simple smile. But she couldn’t help but be curious. “Would she be expecting you to have a girlfriend?” she asked cautiously.

He laughed, but to her amazement he gave a guilty wince at the same time. “I’ve told my family I’m involved with someone and that it’s serious.” He pulled his lips in as he waited for her reaction.

Good grief. He’d “told” them that—but it actually wasn’t true? “But you’re not?” Not involved with anyone? Really?

“I’m not.”

Oh. She breathed. Hoped her pulse would settle after its happy skip. “So why tell them that?” Curiosity chained her now.

“To stop them asking all the time.” After a long pause, he sighed and gave her more. “Because my family would like me to return to Spain and I want them to understand that my home is here in London. I’m settled here and not moving. If they thought I was seriously involved with someone here, they might accept that.”

So he wasn’t usually “seriously involved”? She shouldn’t feel so joyous about that—but man, she so did. “What were you going to tell her when you turned up alone tonight?”

“That my girlfriend was working.” His shoulders lifted easily. “But it would be better if she was there. If you were there.”

Stunned, Nina took a moment to digest the idea.

“Do you think I ought to get one of these bracelets for my aunt?” He’d moved closer—to glance into the cabinets.

“Possibly,” she said warily.

“You’re paid on commission?”

What was he implying? Nina straightened her spine. “I’m not sure what kind of woman you usually keep company with, but my company cannot be bought.”

“And you only window shop yourself, is that right?” He was smiling again, drat him. It made certain things irresistible—namely, the way her body, and will, melted before him.

“Very occasionally,” she answered with as much dignity as possible. Because she so didn’t do any kind of shopping.

“And you don’t wear one of these bracelets.” He looked at her arms.

“I don’t want to be burdened by bling baggage.” No baggage at all—certainly not boy baggage. The plan was to travel and have that “solo girl abroad” fun.

“You’d prefer something simpler?” He gazed at the picture of the cords of silver strung with colored rings—jewels, glass, plaited gold.

She too looked at the display pictures and the gleaming cabinets filled with hundreds of shimmering beads. “Yes,” she admitted.

“Something less heavy?”

She nodded.

“Mmm,” he said. “I don’t think my aunt would wear these either.”

“And clearly your aunt matters,” Nina said dryly. “Given you’re too scared to spend time alone with her.”

He chuckled, his shoulders lifting. “I’m tired,” he said. “If I didn’t tell her there was someone, she’d parade a string of suitable senoritas before me.”

He had to be kidding. “And would that be so bad?” Nina asked sarcastically.

“Si.” He snapped back the blunt answer.

Nina laughed, not believing him at all. “She wants to see you happy—isn’t that nice?”

“No,” he said with a laugh. “It’s not about me.

It’s about me providing an heir.”

Really? That was even more unbelievable. “And you’re not willing to oblige?”

He shook his head and the momentary stark expression told her it all—this was one “No commitment/no kids” man.

Nina narrowed her eyes. “Do you need the fake girlfriend because you’re actually gay? It’s okay to be gay, you know.”

“I do know. But I’m not. You know I’m not.”

He met her eyes with a heated look—a look that had her thinking of big beds and long nights.

Awareness didn’t shiver through her, but steamrolled its way over every cell, smashing her feeble resistance to his mad plan. But she still couldn’t believe he really wanted this.

“You can get any woman you want as your date. You don’t need me,” she said, her voice stupidly raspy again. No way would a man this fine have an aunt hunting down suitable dates—he’d have his pick already.

“It’s nice of you to say that, but I don’t want any woman as my date tonight. I want you.”