Chapter 1

Madison pulled her car into the parking spot, relieved she found an empty space so close to the building. Even though it was only mid-morning, the temperature had risen to an uncomfortable level. A long walk would make her look like a melted ice cube by the time she entered Jameson Technologies. And she couldn’t give a bad impression. She needed this job.

Three weeks of handing out résumés and filling out applications, and she hadn’t gotten anywhere. She’d promised Carrie she would pay her half of the rent this week, but her bank account was empty.

She shoved the car into park, and it sputtered, choked, and then died. Running the air conditioner always made it feisty. At least the poor thing didn’t die on her while driving…most of the time.

She picked up her satchel and stepped out onto the pavement. Heat assaulted her, and she ran a self-conscious hand through her hair. The last few days her horoscope had the theme of something new on her horizon. This was it. Her something new was this job, she was sure of it. She squared her shoulders and tried to put more confidence in her step.

The tallest building in Crimson Ridge stood before her in all its horrific, shiny glory. The impersonal glass reflected the sun into her eyes. The rest of the business district held older buildings with detailed architecture. Jameson Technologies was an eyesore.

As much as she hated the building, she hated mooching off Carrie even more. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she neared the glass doors. Her stomach clenched.

Even though she’d never been an administrative assistant, it couldn’t be hard. As an actress, she had played several small roles, one of them a secretary. Granted, she had only been on camera for ten seconds before the building blew up, but she had answered the phone and stared at her nails, and she felt like she had embodied the part.

She pulled the smooth metal handle, and the glass door glided open. The lobby felt cold and impersonal with its sleek lines and modern fixtures. Everything was either silver or beige. Down a short hallway to the right, an elevator caught her eye, and a large reception desk sat on the left, which she approached. The woman behind the desk gave a tight-lipped smile.

“May I help you?”

“I’m here to see Mr. Jameson.” She tried to sound confident, like she belonged in a place like this.

The woman’s eyes traveled the length of her, and she pursed her red lips. “He’s been waiting for you.”

“He has?” Madison tried to keep her mouth from falling open. When Carrie told her a position at Jameson Technologies was about to open up, she didn’t realize her roommate had set up an interview. What luck.

The receptionist nodded, the corners of her mouth pulling down in disapproval. “Go straight up to his office. Twenty-third floor.”

Madison strode across the expensive tile floor to the elevator. She pressed the up button and stepped back. Her heart fluttered in her chest. If she played this right, she could be employed by noon.

Carrie was a life saver. Last night she overheard a woman at the shopping center talking about how she was quitting her job. Like a true friend, she asked around until she found out the woman was Mr. Jameson’s administrative assistant.

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Madison stepped inside and pressed the button for the twenty-third floor. According to Carrie, the woman indicated she would waltz into Mr. Jameson’s office this morning and quit. If the stars aligned, Madison would secure the position before they even called a temp agency.

Her stomach dropped as the elevator lifted and the numbers above the door rose. She smoothed her black skirt and forced herself to think about being an administrative assistant. Answering phones, filing, and…answering phones. Exactly what she was born to do.

The silver doors opened, and she stalked out into another lobby. This one was smaller, but decorated in much the same way. The woman behind the desk reminded her of a bull frog. Large round eyes set wide, a double chin, and a frown that went from one side of her face to the other. A silver name plate revealed her to be Darlene.

For a split second, Madison panicked. What was the assistant still doing here? Carrie made it sound like the woman, Darlene apparently, was going to quit first thing. But her worries fled when Darlene motioned for Madison to pass. “Mr. Jameson wants to speak with you right away.”

Darlene must be sticking around to train the next employee. A rush of excitement shot through Madison. That could be her.

She straightened her spine and walked past the desk and entered the office. Huge windows took up the entire east wall, and a fantastic view of the town spread forth. The rest of the spacious office held filing cabinets, an expensive mahogany desk, and some leather chairs. The man behind the desk was much younger than she had imagined the CEO of a large company would be, probably only a year or two her senior. His stormy grey eyes focused on her, and then narrowed.

“You’re late.” A scowl formed on his face and he stood, his gaze traveling over her. He wore a tie and a white dress shirt, which showed off his muscular physique. His jet black hair was neatly styled, probably some kind of corporate cut.

Confidence, she reminded herself.

Madison crossed the room and extended her hand. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jameson, I was not aware Carrie had set up—”

“And what are you wearing? You look like you’re going to a business meeting.” His scowl deepened, which she thought wasn’t possible.

“I uh—”

“Never mind. You’ll do.” He grabbed a briefcase from the floor and strode across the room, past her, and out the door, which he left open.

Madison stared after him. What happened? You’ll do? What did that mean?

He stuck his head back into the office. “You want the job, or what?”

Her pulse raced. She got the job! “Yes, sir!”

“Come on, then.” He motioned with his head.

She jumped into motion, following him until he stopped at the elevator. He must want to give her a tour of the place. Unnecessary, but it didn’t matter, she got the job. She felt like doing a little leprechaun dance, but settled for a satisfied smile.

They stepped into the elevator, and she became aware of their close proximity. Masculinity rolled off him. He smelled of aftershave and expensive soap, and she had to step back in order to clear her head. He was her boss. She couldn’t think of him as anything else.

He pressed the button marked B2. He must want to show her everything, from the basement up. She shrugged. Okay. After they descended, the doors opened and Mr. Jameson disappeared into the parking garage.

Warning bells sounded in Madison’s head. What was going on here?

“Come on,” he called, his voice echoing through the dim space. “We’re already late.”

She stuck her head out of the elevator and spotted him stalking toward a black luxury car. It beeped and the doors unlocked. “Wait…I—”

“What? Are you having second thoughts?” He stopped and glared at her. “I don’t have time for this. I’ll double your pay. A thousand dollars for a few hours of your time.”

Alarm rang through her. What kind of job was this? She gripped the elevator door jamb, keeping the doors open. “I think there’s been some kind of—”

His phone rang and he held up his hand to silence her. “Yeah?”

He opened his trunk and slung his briefcase into the back. “Wait, what?” His piercing gaze traveled over to her and froze. “Okay. Thanks for calling.” He jammed his finger on his phone to hang up, then he slipped it into his pocket.

“You’re not Nathan’s cousin.” His glare was accusing, and he folded his arms across his chest.

She shook her head, confused.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

“Madison Nichols. I’ve come to apply for the administrative assistant position that recently became available.” Her voice sounded paper thin to her ears.

Mr. Jameson’s shoulders slumped and one corner of his mouth twitched. “I’m sorry. I’ve made a terrible mistake.”

“I’ll say,” she mumbled.

He started toward her but stopped when she shrank back. “Listen, I’ve got to go to a family function this evening, and it would ease the tension if I brought a date.”

It was Madison’s turn to narrow her eyes. He was going to pay someone to date him? Who does that?

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Sounds weird, but I’m not really the dating type, so I was going to hire someone.” Color touched his cheeks. At least he had the good sense to look embarrassed.

When she didn’t speak, he continued. “That was Nathan on the phone. His cousin is sick…so I’m left without a date.”

She glared at him. What exactly was he asking her to do? “I’m here to apply for the administrative assistant position,” she repeated.

He clenched his jaw. “I have no administrative assistant positions open at this time.”

Heat rose to her face. The jerk. “So, now there is no job unless I agree to be your paid escort?” Her voice rose in pitch.

He sighed. “It’s only a family dinner. My father’s birthday. And it’s more like an acting job than anything.”

Her head snapped up. How did he know she was an actress?

Mr. Jameson took a step closer. “A thousand dollars, and all you have to do is eat my stepmother’s cooking, laugh at my father’s lame jokes, and act like you don’t hate me. That’s it. I swear.”

“Where does your family live?”

“Highland Falls. It’s a three-hour drive. We’ll get there around…” He checked his watch. “One-thirty. We spend some time with the family, eat dinner, and leave. I’ll have you back here by ten at the latest.”

She eyeballed him. He didn’t look like he was lying. With his clean-shaven face and well manicured nails, he appeared quite sophisticated. Was she really considering this? A thousand dollars would pay her half of the rent for a couple of months. She really needed the money. “And if I agree, maybe an administrative assistant job would become available?”

He frowned, scrubbed his hand over his chin, and squinted at her. “Maybe.”

“Deal.” Did she say yes? She must be out of her mind.

A smug look flashed across his face before he opened the driver’s side door and slid onto the seat. “Well come on, then. We’re late.”

How rude. This guy was something else. He didn’t even open her car door for her. But she figured she could ignore his rude behavior if it meant paying the rent.

She left the protection of the elevator doorway, which caused the doors to swish shut as if angry at being held open for so long. The sound of her heels on the cement echoed through the parking garage. She yanked open the passenger door and plopped down, hugging her satchel to her chest.

He scowled at her for a second. “Toss it in the back.”

As they drove, Madison figured out why they called them luxury cars. The plush seat molded to her body, the ride smooth and quiet. Mr. Jameson even seemed to relax a bit.

“There are a few things you should know, in order to play this part correctly. First, we’ve been dating for four months.”

Madison turned to him, forcing herself not to make a face. That’s why he needed a date so bad. He’d lied to his family. And now they were demanding to see his mystery girlfriend. She pursed her lips.

“We’ve been to the opera, the ballet, and we frequent the art museum.”

What kind of a person lies to their family? Her opinion of him dropped. “Uh huh.” She nodded.

“You’re refined, so it’s important you act the part.”

Did he just call her unrefined? What a colossal jerk. She narrowed her eyes. “Sure.”

“We are on the verge of being serious, but don’t worry, I won’t have to see the family again until Christmas, and by then we’ll have broken up.” He gripped the steering wheel and glanced at her. “Got all that?”

What did he think she was, an idiot? It’s not like he was teaching her trigonometry. “Dating for four months…refined…and on the verge of a break up. Got it.”

He grimaced. “You don’t have to think about the break up. That won’t happen for a few months.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “I should portray a hint of discord between us, so when you eventually tell them, it seems more believable, don’t you think?”

He signaled and changed lanes to pass a slow moving semi truck. “I suppose.”

Madison closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get into her part. She imagined herself being a woman who liked the finer things in life. Someone who would date a wealthy CEO like Mr. Jameson. Her eyes snapped open. “What’s your name? I can’t really call you Mr. Jameson in front of your family.”

“Jared.”

The name fit him somehow. A power name. Muscular. She shook her head. She shouldn’t be thinking about his muscles. “How did we meet?”

His jaw muscles twitched. “I didn’t tell them how we met, so it’s irrelevant.”

“What if someone asks?”

“No one will ask. And if they do, make something up. It doesn’t matter.” He stared straight ahead.

Madison fiddled with her fingers. He wasn’t very friendly, was he? She could see now why he had to pay someone to go out with him. If this was how he treated women, he’d be alone the rest of his life. Even with his handsome face. It’s what’s inside that truly attracts.

She wondered if he was always this uptight. There had to be something she could say to make him loosen up, or this would be a very long evening. “Since I might be working at Jameson Technologies, why don’t you tell me a little bit about your company?”

“We design and build technology like semi-conductors and virtual memory, and we invest in other innovative companies.” The corner of his mouth lifted a little. Not a full smile, but she decided it was progress.

“And Darlene, how long was she working as your administrative assistant before she handed in her resignation?”

His eyebrows raised and he jerked his head in her direction. “What?”

Her face grew warm and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Darlene had not quit yet. Great. Now what was she supposed to do? “Um, a friend of mine overheard Darlene talking. She said she was going to quit her job today. Sorry to break it to you. I guess she hasn’t done it yet.”

Deep laughter bubbled up from his chest, and he smiled – an actual real smile. He continued to chuckle while swerving into the other lane to pass another car.

She couldn’t fathom why he was laughing. Losing an employee was not humorous. She had a sneaking suspicion he was laughing at her. “What’s so funny?” she snapped.

“Darlene threatens to quit three times a week. Never actually follows through.”

Anger festered in her like an ulcer. Jared had no intention of hiring her. “I guess there’s no position for me at your company.” The words came out clipped.

Jared stopped laughing and grew serious. “I said maybe. I didn’t say yes.”

Madison clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her skin. “And because you wanted me to pretend to be your girlfriend, you lied.”

“You’re overreacting.”

Maybe she was. But he had lied, and she wasn’t going to let him get away with it. “You knew I wanted a job.”

“I’m giving you a job. What’s the matter with you?”

The condescending way he said it made her blood boil. He had manipulated her into doing this. She suddenly felt cheap. Used. And cruising down the interstate miles away from home, there was nothing she could do about it.

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. If he wanted her to play a part for his family, she sure would.

But maybe not the refined girlfriend he was hoping for.