The Fake Engagement

Silence met his explanation.

It was a combination of truth and lies.

He did notice her ass. They had stood by an elevator several months ago when he got this overwhelming urge to kiss her.

He didn’t.

The elevator arrived, the moment was lost, they got in, and the rest was history. But the desire to kiss her, really kiss her, had never gone away.

Glancing at her now, he saw that she looked a little blown away, but she quickly masked it.

Chapter Nine

She wanted to experience that kiss.

Life was so unfair.

The way Preston described it, she could actually visualize it. There had been a moment, many months ago, one she’d never told her best friends about because the truth was, she’d felt it was inside her head.

Was it the same moment near an elevator Preston was talking about?

She didn’t know, and there was no way to ask him because she was suddenly being taken out to go check out the town with Marsha, Trudy, Lydia, Grace, and Scarlett. The men were staying back at the house, keeping an eye on the children.

They were not using cars to get to town either. She was pleased she had used flat shoes.

Preston had given her a cell phone and told her if she needed any help, not to hesitate calling him.

She hadn’t agreed to this. He’d promised to be with her constantly.

Her stomach was in knots. The breakfast had been amazing, but she hadn’t taken the time to enjoy it, seeing as she was the object of so many questions.

Marsha moved toward her side, sliding an arm through hers. “It is such a beautiful day.”

“It is.”

It was so hot. Not too uncomfortable, at least not yet, but she couldn’t deny how beautiful the houses looked in the summer.

The glorious sunshine and snow were the two weather types that made anywhere in the world look beautiful.

“You know, I’m relieved,” Marsha said.

“You are? What about?”

“You.” Marsha rested her head against her shoulder. “When Trudy told us he’d gotten engaged, I imagined a gold-digger. I hated myself for thinking it. To even put a fellow woman in that category, but I bet you’ve seen all kinds of women in and out of his life with how long you’ve known him.”

“I have.” She wasn’t going to bring up the women he’d gotten her to buy a parting gift for. All of it had been jewelry. All of it had been expensive as well. She’d never forget the time one of the women had come back with the bracelet he’d picked out for her. It had been expensive, but to the woman already dripping in gold and diamonds, it hadn’t been enough.

It was the first time Eliza had hated her sex that day. She’d met a gold-digger only interested in Preston’s money, not in the man himself.

“Preston has always had so many big dreams. His father and I knew from the start that he wouldn’t stay in Westcliffe. He was a stubborn boy.”

“Roger always said he was a main alpha. Needed to prove that he, himself, could earn enough money to support a town,” Lydia said.

“That’s not a bad thing,” Eliza said, feeling the need to defend Preston. These women loved him as a brother, but they didn’t get him. “His company helps to keep certain places afloat.”

“He also destroys little companies,” Scarlett said.

“It’s like he found a way to be the complete opposite of his father,” Grace said.

Marsha tutted.

“It’s not like that,” Eliza said. “Yes, he had no choice but to break apart certain companies. There are people who may lose their job because of it, but it’s not due to his takeover. He tries to find the right opportunity for every single person he can. His own company employs thousands, and he gives hope to a lot of people. There are a lot of health benefits to being with him. I also know for a fact that he donates to multiple Westcliffe Heights charities.”

“He does?” Marsha asked.

She nodded. Eliza knew because she’d been the one to file the checks. She knew now more than ever that Preston may have walked away from his home with the intention of building his own company, but that didn’t mean for a second he’d ever truly left.

“All he’s done is … expand the Boone name, and he’s done it in his own way.”

“You really are in love with him,” Lydia said.

Marsha gave her arm a squeeze. “You’re doing everything right.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rushing to defend him. I can sleep happier at night knowing he’s got someone watching his back.”

Eliza didn’t like for a second how people were judging him. It kind of pissed her off. Preston wasn’t a bad guy. Sure, he was a pain-in-the-ass boss, and she’d already lied way more in the last twenty-four hours than she had in her entire life, but that didn’t matter. His family loved him, she got it, but they also judged him for his life choices.