The Boss's Fake Fiancee Read Online Free PDF Page A

about to lose your job, ’Lis.
    “May I?” He started to close the door to the office.
    She nodded unsteadily, heart racing, and then got to her feet so her eyes weren’t positioned exactly at his groin. The door clicked shut, and the room suddenly seemed ten times smaller. Melissa’s office was the end of the hall, a light, open space with a tinted-glass window looking out onto 32nd Street. But right now it felt like a tiny, dark bubble.
    Garth, of course, did not sit.
    “The picture,” he prompted. “You’ve seen it, I assume?”
    Melissa nodded miserably. “Just now.” She indicated the phone in her hand. “Apparently my mother has, too. And my brother. And my other brother. And Tori, and then—”
    He cut her off with a raised hand. “Please. I get it. Everyone in the tri-state area has seen the damn thing.”
    “Actually, Tori called from Scotland, so it’s way beyond a tri-state sort of thing,” Melissa replied. She instantly wished she could withdraw her words, as Garth pushed his thumbs into his temples and blew out a loud breath.
    “Again, thanks,” he bit out.
    “Sorry.” She lowered herself back into her seat.
    End of job. End of career . End of whatever fantasy she’d begun to develop about Garth having feelings for her.
    “What did you tell them?”
    “I haven’t had a chance to call them back yet. They left messages while I was on the subway to work.”
    “Good,” she thought she heard him say under his breath. But that was absurd. Why would he care what she told her parents?
    Melissa drew in a deep breath. She had to tell him what she’d done. She had to. Even if it meant her job. If she didn’t come clean, her conscience would eat away at her soul.
    Yet the words didn’t come. Her mouth flopped open and then closed, like a fish.
    “This whole thing is a nightmare,” he said, as he began to pace back and forth. “If I get my hands on that Stanley Hartwaddle—”
    “Stanley who?” Melissa asked.
    Garth waved a hand. “You know, the reporter. Stanley Hartwaddle. The one who published that ridiculous thing. I still can’t believe people are actually falling for it. I swear, I got at least ten calls on my way to the office, and those are the people who should know better.”
    Melissa frowned. “It’s not that ridiculous,” she said. A tiny bit of her guilt was replaced with annoyance at his dismissive tone.
    “Of course it is,” Garth snapped. “Engaged? Me and you?”
    A little more of the guilt slipped away. “What are you trying to say? It’s not like I’m some kind of monster, you know.” Melissa fluffed her bangs and sniffed. “These things do happen.”
    Garth stared. “You’re not going to get all sensitive on me, are you? That’s the last thing I need.”
    “Sensitive? I’m being sensitive ?” Annoyance bubbled over into irritation.
    “Melissa…” He spoke slowly and calmly. “All I said was that people should know better than to think I’d be dating someone like you.”
    “Someone like me?” she squeaked, eyes popping wide. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
    Garth pressed a hand over his eyes. “I didn’t mean anything wrong by that. I’m just saying that I usually date women a little, well, tougher. You’re too nice.”
    Melissa crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s the worst attempt at a compliment I’ve ever heard.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “I’m not some kind of namby-pamby nice girl,” she said. “I happen to be extremely tough.”
    “You’re offended that I said you’re nice?” Garth’s scowl blackened.
    “You’ve got to admit that it’s not entirely crazy that people would believe something like this,” Melissa threw back. At some point during this conversation she had lost her fear of Garth, and was now simply furious with him for being so dismissive. “After all, we do work closely together. And it isn’t as though there are a lot of women around the office. When you think about it,