My Best Friend's Bride (6 page)

The server left them with a polite nod, saying he’d check on them in a bit.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Jill said. Her eyes were just as pretty as he remembered, warm brown with hints of honey around the irises. He’d spent a lot of time considering their color back in high school. Probably more time than he should have, considering her apparent disinterest in him. If he’d understood that better ahead of the prom, as opposed to afterward, he might have saved himself a heap of trouble. “I’m perfectly capable of paying for myself.”

Hunter’s lips twisted in a smile. Either she was still bent out of shape about that kiss, or she was steaming over the changes he’d made to the contract. “A
thank-you
would have been nice.”

“Thank you,” she said without the slightest hint of gratitude. “But that was unnecessary.”

Hunter lifted the ketchup bottle from the table and liberally doused his fries. He’d ordered his burger with the works, so that didn’t need fixing. “That’s right. I’ve heard. You’re pretty famous now.”

She primly laid her napkin in her lap. “I do all right.”

“A
relationship expert,
” he said, emphasizing the words. He re-capped the ketchup bottle and returned it to the table. “How’s that working out for you?”

Jill pressed her lips together, her cheeks firing red. After a beat, she spoke in an annoyed tone. “Really well.”

Hunter lifted his burger and mumbled, “Hmm…”
 

Jill looked at him askance. “Hmm?”

He sank his teeth into the burger, savoring a bite. “Mmm, this is good!” He dove in again, before nabbing a French fry. “Want one?” he asked, holding it toward her.
 

She somehow managed to contain herself. “No, thanks.”

Hunter shrugged and shoved the steaming piece of potato in his mouth, thinking it tasted like heaven. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was. It must have been Jill that got his metabolism going, and boy had she ever. He used to privately think of her as an ice princess. She’d obviously experienced a deep thaw since high school. Maybe that was her problem with men now. Too eager. A lot of men couldn’t handle that. Hunter prided himself on not being one of them. Eager women were easy enough to deal with. It was the serious-minded ones that gave him headaches. The ones who wanted to talk things out, again and again, and never understood why he wasn’t being “honest” with them. He would be, if he could only understand what they wanted him to be honest about. Each time he shared his confusion, it sparked a fight, and fights led to even greater frustration. Yep, he’d take eager over serious-minded any day. At least eager helped his metabolism. Hunter set down his food and took a sip of lemonade, watching the prongs of Jill’s fork dance around her salad. Either she was a very picky eater or had somehow lost her appetite. “Not hungry?” he asked.

She loaded up her fork and brought it to her mouth. “Starved.”

“That’s what a good physical workout will do for you.”

Her cheeks flamed again. “Hunter! About that—”

“I was talking about the tennis,” he lied. “You and Brad did play earlier?” He raised his brow, feigning an innocent expression. “What were you thinking about?”

She shook her head and chewed vigorously. After a few more rabid assaults on her salad, she said, “This is never going to work.”

“Jilly.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“But I thought everybody—?”

“That was years ago.”

“Brad still—”

“Brad is different. He’s my friend.”

“I can see how that puts him in a different category than me. I’m just the man you’re going to marry.”

She set down her fork and stared straight at him. “Yes, and why is that, Hunter? What would make you even want to agree to it?”

“I have a very good heart,” he said sincerely. “The doctor says my other parts are in working order too.”

To her credit, she didn’t react to this other than to say, “What’s working of yours—and what
isn’t
—is actually of very little concern to me.”

Now, this was a turn Hunter didn’t expect. Jill clearly liked kissing men and didn’t mind running her hands all over them—even in broad daylight! That’s when another idea occurred. Jill was playing Hunter and had someone else on the side. Another guy she was involved with, maybe even someone she cared for deeply. Then why wasn’t Jill marrying
him
?
Could it be that the other man was somehow unavailable? Possibly already married? Or maybe her publisher was vetting the candidates and mystery dude hadn’t passed muster? Which would mean that Hunter himself would have to. Hunter felt an irrational flash of jealousy over the entire imagined situation. He’d never come in second to anyone in his life and didn’t intend to start now. He most certainly wasn’t going to put his reputation on the line by getting cuckolded in public. “There’s someone else, isn’t there?” he asked, hoping he’d masked the tinge of insecurity in his voice.

“What?” she asked in shock.
 

“You’re involved. Not with Brad, with someone else.”

“No! It’s not that. Is that what you think? Just because I don’t want to…?” She fumbled with the words until his meaning dawned. Jill tilted her head to the side, looking slightly amused. “Oh…my…goodness. You’re not actually—?”

“Of course not,” he said gruffly. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Then why would you care?”

He gathered his wits about him. “Because, Jilly… I’m sorry, Jill. If we’re even going to discuss this arrangement as a real possibility, I believe we need to be up front with each other. Totally frank. No holds barred.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“And I’d rather not have a wife, even a pretend one, seen as catting around on me. It wouldn’t look right. It probably wouldn’t help your position with your publisher either.”

She smiled and clucked her tongue. “You are.”

“Am what?”

“Wow!” She tried to stifle a giggle with her napkin, but failed. “Wow…wow…wow. I wouldn’t have believed it, if I hadn’t seen it. World-class womanizer Hunter Delaney is actually jeal—”

“Hunter, my boy, I thought that was you.” A slim, silver-haired man appeared at their table dressed in golf attire. “I thought I spotted you out here from inside the grill.”

Hunter blanched and stood to greet him. “Mr. Abrams! I didn’t realize you were golfing this afternoon.”

“Hate to waste a beautiful day.” He shot Jill an admiring look. “I can see you’re not wasting it either.”

“I’d planned to go right back to the office after—”

“You know you’re not expected to work on a Saturday. Although I do admire your gumption. Getting a jump on those mock-ups, are you?”

The man stepped toward Jill and extended his hand. “Max Abrams. I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure.”

“Sorry, sir!” Hunter raced in. “This is—”

Max’s blue eyes twinkled. “The lovely Jillian Jamison, in person, yes. Impossible to miss her.” He smiled at Jill. “I’d like to be among the first to offer my congratulations.”

She firmly shook his hand. “Congratulations?”

“Don’t be coy, darling,” Hunter told her. “I’ve already filled my boss in.”

“Have you now?” Jill asked forcing a grin. “How…wonderful.”

“It is, isn’t it?” the older gentleman said. “And the timing couldn’t have been better.”
 

“Oh?” Jill asked.

“We don’t need to burden Jill with business details,” Hunter told Abrams.
 

“No, please,” Jill said, smiling at Max. “Burden me. I’m keenly interested in all that Hunter does.”

Hunter stared at her and murmured, “Such a loving and supportive fiancée.”

“That’s so nice to see these days,” Max said warmly. “Not always the case with dual-career couples.”

Jill pulled her gaze from Hunter to address Abrams. “Sad but true. There can be petty…” Her lips puckered in a frown. “…jealousies.”

Hunter coughed loudly. “Don’t let us keep you, Mr. Abrams.”

“Please, have a seat, Hunter. I didn’t mean to disturb you. And what’s with this Mr. Abrams nonsense? We’re practically partners now, you know. Don’t you think it’s about time you called me
Max
?”

Hunter sat unsteadily as Jill gasped with surprise. “My goodness! It seems more congratulations are in order.” She raised her lemonade glass toward Hunter. “
Partners.
I had no idea.”

“Well, of course, I may be jumping the gun just a little bit,” Abrams said with a wink. “Though I’m sure my prognostication will come true before too long. Once Hunter lands that Kaleidoscope Kids account, and now he’s well positioned to…” His words suddenly fell off and worry lines wrinkled his brow. “Oh, dear. I hope I haven’t let any cats out of the bag. Perhaps Hunter was keeping this as a surprise?”

 
“A big one!” Hunter reached out and took Jill’s hand on the table. She squirmed and tried to pull away, but he held on. “The very best! For my new bride!”

“Of course. Dear me. My apologies for talking out of turn.”

Jill blinked and smiled politely at Abrams. “I’m speechless.”

I’ve got a really big heart,
Hunter had said. That lout! He was nothing but one gigantic phony. Hunter wasn’t interested in her fake marriage deal due to any form of altruism, not toward her—or his best friend, Brad. He was merely out to benefit his career. Jill didn’t know exactly how Kaleidoscope Kids figured in, but Max’s intimation about the timing of Hunter’s engagement being perfect had to mean something. Once again, it was all about Hunter! Nothing about him had changed since high school. Okay, apart from the smoking way he looked. Certain physical qualities had definitely improved with age, like the definition of his chest and the musculature of his arms.
Ow!
Why did he have to hold on so fiercely? She tried to tug away again, but his grasp clamped down on her.
 

“No worries,” Hunter said kindly to Max. “She was bound to learn the truth sooner or later.” Then he turned to Jill and said cheerfully, “It was a wedding gift, darling. My long-hoped-for promotion is right on the horizon! I just didn’t want you to know until everything was one hundred percent sure.”

“Yes, well…” Abrams nodded and backed away. “I suppose I’ll leave you two alone to discuss this new revelation.”

Hunter put on his most professional tone. “I’ll have my preliminary sketches ready for you by Monday morning at eight.”

“That’s terrific, son,” Abrams replied. “I’ll look forward to seeing them. Jillian,” he said, slightly bowing his head. “It’s been a pleasure.”

“Equally, Mr. Abra—”

“Please…”

She grinned in understanding. “Max.”

Abrams smiled and added, “Diane and I will have to have you over to the house sometime soon. So we all can celebrate.”

“We would be delighted.” Hunter pinched her hand harder. “Wouldn’t we, darling?”

“Ye-es!”
Jill practically shrieked, wincing in pain.

Abrams sighed. “It’s so refreshing to see young people in love.”

The second he’d gone, Jill jerked away her hand and started massaging it furiously with her other one. “What on earth were you doing” she hissed in low tones. “Trying to crush me into compliance?”

“Crush…?” His mouth fell open. “Oh gosh, Jilly… Um, Jill. I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“I’ll live.” She shoved both fists into her lap. “Not so sure about you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I smell a rat here, and my nose has always been very good. A lot better, evidently, than your
heart.
”

“Ah.” He inhaled deeply. “I get what’s going on. Your feelings are hurt.”

“What? No!” She was still whispering so as not to call attention to them. “Are you insane?”

“You were actually kind of flattered I’d deign to help you. Now that you see there’s something in it for me, you’re bent out of shape.”

“I never said that. There’s been something in it for you all along. Just not as much as you’re asking for. Fifty percent of the advance money, Hunter? Don’t you think that’s a little aggressive?”

“Not really,” he said calmly. “I look at it as insurance.”

“Insurance?”
 

“I don’t plan to keep that money. The truth is, I don’t need any of it. I’ll need it even less once I make partner at the firm. I plan to give it back at the end of the year.”

“Then what—?”

“I want a lock on this, Jill. A guarantee that you won’t walk after six weeks.”

“You read that article too?” she asked with dismay.

“Brad filled me in.”

“Remind me to thank him.”

“To my way of thinking, there’s no point in even staging this charade if we’re not going to make it stick.”

“For one year,” she reinforced.

“Twelve months, yes,” he said. “That’s a lot longer than six—”

“I can count, you know. Believe or not, I’m pretty good at math.”

“As I recall, you were pretty great at everything. Everything I was privileged to know about, that is.” He gave her a sideways glance and added playfully, “You obviously have some skills you were keeping under wraps.”

Jill cheeks burned. “If you’re alluding to that kiss, that was strictly for Cassandra’s benefit.”

“In that case, I hope she swings by more often.”

Jill huffed.
 

Hunter casually lifted his lemonade. “I don’t see why you care so much that I’m getting a promotion out of it. It’s pretty clear that you are too.”

There wasn’t a lot she could say to that, because—darn it—he was right, though she was loath to admit it. Her success as a credible writer hinged on this fake marriage deal. So who was she to cast stones at Hunter’s motivation? In the grand scheme, did it really matter?

“Why don’t you get out that contract,” he offered reasonably, “and let us have a look at it?”

Jill voice constricted in her throat. “Contract?”

“You know, that two-page deal-with-the-devil you crafted?”

Deal with the devil, indeed. Just look at him sitting there smugly like he’s the one in charge.
How in the world had Hunter managed to turn things around?

“I… I’m not sure I have it.”

“I thought Brad told me he was bringing my copy over to review with you this morning?”