The Billionaire Prince’s Fake Girlfriend by Leslie North

10

Ben was worried about Jane. They’d been working steadily the past two days, since the “wrong Katherine” debacle, and Jane’s pace had been punishing. Through her relentless efforts, they’d cleared all nine other candidates on the list, zeroing in on their original likely prospect, Katherine Barr. It was oddly difficult to find many records for her—no property records, no employment records, nothing. They hadn’t pinned down her husband’s name, either, which wasn’t helping things. That meant more digging. Right now, Jane had narrowed the list to four possible Katherine Barrs in England. They would need to return to London anyway—Jane’s vacation was not infinite, after all—so they would dig more once they returned.

The problem was, Jane was wearing herself out. He knew that her personal terror was driving her, and her desire not to repeat a mistake. She knew how much this meant to him, and she did not want to fail. Her dedication was touching. Unfortunately, she was turning frantic in her efforts, and her whole demeanor was tinged with sadness, no doubt from churned up memories of her mother and her mother’s illness. He wanted to find his half-sister, without question. But he didn’t want to drive Jane into the ground simply to solve his problem.

He didn’t know when he’d shifted to caring about Jane so much, but there it was. Lord knew the woman would work herself to a whisper. She needed someone to pamper her, to spoil her, to take care of her when she obviously was too distracted to take care of herself. He found himself eager to fill that position.

“C’mon. Time to shut down.”

She glanced at a nearby clock. “It’s still afternoon,” she said, rubbing at her eyes with the heels of her hands. “I can still work for hours. Might just need an energy drink or something, but I’m still good to go.”

“Yes, but we’ve got plans tonight,” he said with a small smile.

She blinked at him. “We do?”

“Yes. A very successful Reinian hotelier has just opened his new flagship,” Ben said. “And he’s having a grand opening celebration—a rooftop ball. It should be something. He’s famous for his parties, and his hotels are the envy of nobles and royalty the world over.”

Jane still looked confused. “Are we meeting someone there?” she asked. “Someone who might know Kate? Or is there information there that we can...”

“Jane,” Ben said, kneeling in front of where she sat. He took both her hands in his. “You’re burning yourself out.”

She looked stubborn. “I can handle it.”

“I’m sure you can,” he agreed. “But I know that you’re doing this for me, and I can’t thank you enough. Could you take a night off, with me? I could use a break, too.”

She bit her lip, and he knew he’d gotten through. “I suppose a break would be good,” she admitted. “I mean, I usually tell other reporters that if you don’t sharpen the saw, you’re going to make amateur errors.”

He wanted to fist pump in victory, but suppressed the urge. “I took the liberty of ordering you a dress and some other things,” he said simply. “Including...”

There was a knock on the door, and he let go of Jane’s hands, winking at her. “Who’s that?” Jane asked.

Ben got up, walking across the room and opening the door. The royal masseuse was there, carrying her massage table, her bag slung over her shoulder. “Your Highness,” the woman said, with a smile.

“Charise,” he said easily, then gestured to Jane. “Here’s your victim.”

“I’ll get set up,” Charise said easily. “Is here all right, miss? Or should I set up in a bedroom?”

Jane blinked. “Um... the bedroom?”

“Right!” The woman cheerfully disappeared into the spare bedroom.

“You got me a massage?” Jane said, obviously stunned.

He couldn’t help himself. He stroked her cheek. “Charise is great, you’ll like her. And maybe we can work some of those knots out of your shoulders.”

Jane stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed. “When she’s done, you might want a nice soak in the tub,” he said. “Then I’m sending up a makeup artist and a hair stylist. Your gown and whatnot should be here by then.”

Jane’s eyes were wide. “This is amazing,” she breathed. “Thank you.”

“You’re helping me,” he said, in a low voice, next to her ear. “Now, go unwind.”

She disappeared in the spare bedroom.

A few hours later, he was showered, shaved, and dressed in his favorite tux. He walked out into the main room of the suite to find the stylist and makeup artist leaving, giving him a little curtsy. He nodded, waving and saying “Thank you” at their disappearing backs.

“Jane? You ready?” he called out, adjusting his diamond cuff links. Then he looked up and almost swallowed his tongue.

She was wearing an ice-blue gown, with a gauzy skirt and top that made her look like the world’s sexiest cloud. Her hair was swept up in a loose knot, with tendrils and curls coming out to frame her face. Her green eyes looked huge, fringed with heavy lashes, and her mouth...

God, her mouth.

His own mouth went dry as he thought about all the ways he wanted to enjoy her lips. His body went taut, and he forced himself to relax as best he could.

“Is this all right?” she asked, doing a little turn. Her high heels made her legs look like they went on for miles, despite her short height.

“That’s perfect,” he said, walking up to her. “You look beautiful.”

She smiled at him shyly, and he felt it like an arrow in his chest. Clearing his throat, he offered her his arm.

“Let’s go.”

They took the limo from the palace to the hotel. It was newly built, looking like a trio of towers that had a large joined box at the top. It was visually stunning. They exited, went through the hotel’s sumptuous lobby, and took the elevator to the large penthouse courtyard.

“Oh my goodness,” Jane breathed. He didn’t know when he’d tucked her against his side, but she’d wound her arm around his waist after he’d put his arm around her shoulders. She squeezed, showing her surprise. He liked the feeling. “This looks unreal.”

He glanced around as they stepped into the crowd. There were huge floral arrangements—nothing with chrysanthemums, thank God—and twinkling fairy lights. Liveried waiters silently made the rounds with canapes and flutes of champagne. There were ice sculptures and fountains, a huge parquet dance floor. Even what looked like a large waterfall.

The hotelier had outdone himself, Ben thought. “You like it?”

“It’s like being in a fairy land,” Jane said. “I love it.”

He smiled, warmth permeating his chest. She held her own in the dazzling crowd, looking dream-like and ethereal in the dress. She looked more relaxed, more at ease than he’d seen her since her confession about the genetic test. He wanted to help her. If it were up to him, she’d never feel scared or stressed ever again.

He didn’t know when she’d become so important to him, but there wasn’t any question: he genuinely cared about her now.

“Ben!”

He turned, surprised, only to find his two best friends, Erik and Nic, heading for him, escorting their wives. “I didn’t know you two were going to be here,” he said, hugging them.

“We didn’t know you were going to be here,” Nic replied. “On our last phone call, you said you might be out of town.”

“To be honest, I didn’t know I’d be here myself,” Ben said, putting an arm around Jane’s shoulders. Ordinarily, he’d be happy to see the lot of them, but their presence had slipped his mind. His focus had been completely on Jane, cheering her up, taking a break from their investigation. And how could he explain that? “Jane, may I present Prince Erik of Fervia, and his lovely wife Clara. This is Prince Nicolas of Mynia, and his lovely wife Summer. Guys, this is my… friend, Jane.”

“Hi, Jane,” Erik said with a grin. The guy was incorrigible. “About time you brought a date to one of these things, Ben! Thought you were going to fifth-wheel forever.”

Ben shook his head. He loved Erik like a brother, but the man lacked a filter. “Yes, well...”

“How did you two meet?” Summer asked, giving Erik a nudge.

Ben shot a quick look at Jane, who effortlessly moved in. Their story was established, but she was better at talking to others and being convincing. Well... she was technically better at lying, he realized, abruptly uncomfortable.

“We were eating at the same restaurant,” Jane said. “Actually, there was a flower arrangement with chrysanthemums...”

She told the same story they’d given his mother, and Nic and Erik laughed, knowing his allergy. “And you just wound up having dinner together?” Nic said, chuckling.

“Yes. We’ve spent a lot of time together since.”

“When did he finally tell you he was a prince?” Summer asked, swapping a meaningful look with Clara, who covered her smile.

“Oh, I knew immediately,” Jane said. “I mean, he was trying to be incognito, with a pair of fake glasses and his hair pulled back. But those good looks are hard to disguise, so I knew him right away.”

The couples studied her curiously, and he saw her cheeks pinken. He couldn’t help it. He snuggled her to his side, pressing a kiss against her temple. “She always sees through me,” he said.

Nic nodded in approval. “There is nothing sexier than a smart woman,” he said, kissing his own wife, who smiled.

“Hear, hear,” Erik agreed. “And one who won’t take you too seriously!” Clara laughed, throwing her arms around his neck and nuzzling him.

“It’s lucky that you knew, actually,” Summer said. “You’re probably the only one of the three of us who didn’t have to deal with secrets or anything like that. I mean, all’s well that ends well, but it’s hard for a relationship to survive that kind of drama, you know?”

Guilt punched Ben hard, right in his chest. The thing was, he wasn’t keeping a secret from Jane—he was keeping secrets from his dearest friends. Given how much he hated lying, he felt wretched, but this was too important and too delicate to share with them right now. Especially not in such a public setting. It seemed like the wealthiest business and nobles and celebrities of Reinia, maybe even Europe, were here at this hotel.

Jane must have sensed his discomfiture, because she grabbed his hand, squeezing it. He was amazed at how well she read him—and how comforting just a simple grip could be.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Summer said, reddening. “I suppose you had a lot going on… with your father.”

Ben stiffened.

“His stroke must have come as quite a shock,” Summer continued, and Ben tried to calm the hammering of his heart in his chest. Of course that was what she was referring to. “How is he doing?”

“He’s... um, recovering. Still on bedrest,” Ben said, hating how stilted his voice sounded. “The royal doctor is keeping an eye on him, but he seems to be convalescing nicely, if somewhat slowly.”

“I’m sure he’ll feel better soon,” Summer assured him.

Ben felt even more wretched. He’d just meant to take Jane out, help her relax. But now...

“I’m sorry to drag him away, but this guy promised me a dance,” Jane said with a bright, affectionate smile. And then she kissed his cheek. It distracted him from his tumultuous emotions, surprising him enough to keep him moving. His friends cheered as she tugged him out to the floor. A slow dance was playing, and she moved into his arms easily, like she’d been doing it for years. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she twined her wrists behind his neck.

“Are you all right?” she said against his ear, and the heat of her breath made him want to hold her tighter. “You looked stressed.”

“I hate lying to them,” he said. Of course she’d noticed. And of course she’d done what she could to help him feel better. How lucky was he, to have found her when he did? “I hate keeping secrets.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, stroking the nape of his neck. “It won’t be forever.”

They swayed together to the music, and he molded her to him. There they were, faking a relationship... one that felt increasingly real.

As they danced in the warm summer night, he found himself thinking...

What if I want it to be forever… with her?