Bride by Design: Flights of Fancy Read Online Free PDF Page A

will?”
    Colin was smiling sardonically. “Well, I’m sure her family could drive down more often if you weren’t here. And I’m sure she’s got other friends…”
    I shook my head. “No, it doesn’t work that way. Katie’s like the sister I never had … what about your family?” I tried to change the topic.
    Colin looked down at his empty coffee mug and shrugged. “Not much to tell. Only child, blah blah blah.” He looked up at me again. “Wait here.”
    I watched him go to the counter and pay our bill. The man thought of everything, he wouldn’t even let me offer to pay. Or wait, was this just his way of running away from the conversation?
    I didn’t know much about Colin, I rarely read the tabloids or the stories in Forbes, but I was fairly sure I’d read somewhere that he’d been adopted. Funny he didn’t mention that.
    Colin was back, and leading me out to the waiting limo.
    “No, it’s fine,” I protested weakly, “I can just take the subway.”
    “This is important,” said Colin. “We need to talk.” He sounded serious.
    “Oh? About what?”
     
     

Chapter Five
    We slid into the limo and sat opposite each other. Colin’s eyes were fixed on me, hard and unblinking. “I need to ask you something.”
    “Ok…” I was feeling wary again. So this hadn’t actually been a date?
    “When I saw you at that airport, you were so helpful to that family you’d never even met before. Are you always so helpful?”
    I smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with being helpful. People help each other out whenever they can - you never know when you’ll need to depend on the kindness of someone else. You might as well give back to the world a little and build up a bit of good karma.”
    Colin gulped. “Yeah, you never know when you’ll need to depend on someone else…” He trailed off mid-speech and continued to stare at me blankly, not seeming to see me.
    This was starting to get weird.
    “Well, why don’t we call it a night?” I suggested.
    I didn’t want him coming up to my tiny apartment and seeing what a pigsty I, a supposed design and home-beauty enthusiast, lived in. I should just take the subway and say goodbye here.
    He shook his head. “No, I have to ask you something.”
    “Sure.” That was like the tenth time he’d said that.
    “I need a favor.”
    “Ok…”
    He took a deep breath. “Remember that Manchala project I told you about?”
    I nodded.
    Colin continued, “Well, reliable sources tell me that Sir Donald is becoming a family man. He’s just had a grandchild and is getting notions that future generations shouldn’t be selfish, hedonistic people. He wants his resort to cater to families.”
    “So what’s the problem?”
    “Well, Sir D. wants a family man to design the whole thing.”
    “And you’re obviously not one.” The tabloids loved printing his photos, making snarky remarks about his “extravagant lifestyle” and “many lovers”.
    He smiled ruefully. “I’ve been too busy being a selfish, hedonistic person, exactly the kind Sir Donald doesn’t want.”
    I shrugged. “I’m sure it’s not such a big deal, your designs will probably speak for themselves.”
    Colin sighed. “No, they won’t, I’m assured of that. Sir Donald is intent on working with someone with a family, someone who knows what a family needs, yada yada.”
    “Right.” I wondered where this was leading to. “So, what’s the favor?”
    “Be my family.”
    My eyes widened. “What?”
    He took a deep breath and went on. “I need you to pretend to be my wife.”
    I shook my head, “No way, that’s ridiculous. How does that even work?”
    “Come with me to Manchala, we’ll pretend we fell in love and eloped.”
    I looked at him like he was crazy. “This is nuts. You’re kidding, right?”
    He raised an eyebrow and said, “Unfortunately, I’m dead serious. We’d only pretend to be married for Sir Donald, no-one in New York would find out. We’d come back from the trip and