Fiancee for Hire Read Online Free Page B

this one with glorious chocolate fondant and three tiers with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and—”
    “No,” Mac interrupted, his voice so sharp Kelli felt her heart stutter. “No Reese’s Peanut Butter anything.” He pulled his hand from her knee, and Kelli’s skin went cold.
    She nodded in what she hoped was a show of support as the hair on her arms prickled. What the hell was that about?
    “So—vanilla?” Anna said helpfully. “Or maybe Dutch chocolate. If you’d like, I can arrange a cake tasting for you at one of the bakeries in Todos Santos, though there’s a really good one in Cabo if you’re up for a bit of a drive.”
    “That would be great,” Kelli said, glancing at her stone-faced groom. “Since we have to go there anyway to pick up my ring.”
    “Ring,” Mac repeated, nodding. “Right, of course. Gotta pick out a ring.”
    “For him,” Kelli said, kicking Mac under the table. “We haven’t talked about Mac’s wedding band yet, but obviously I’m excited to see the ring he’s chosen for me at the jeweler down here.”
    “Right,” Mac agreed, giving Kelli a light kick of his own. She looked up and caught a glimpse of his eyes beneath the sunglasses. He was scanning the room, and she watched as his gaze settled on a nearby table and narrowed.
    She resisted the urge to look.
    Zapata’s spies. We’re being watched .
    A shiver rattled down her spine. “Of course, our schedule is a little busy,” Kelli said, doing her best to project a perky and carefree demeanor. “Mac has a lot of meetings planned in the coming weeks, and I’ll be busy setting up the spay-and-neuter clinic.”
    “That’s right, you told me!” Anna said, folding her hands on the table. “It sounds like quite a project. Were you able to make contact with some of the local clinics to round up volunteers?”
    “Yes, Mac was a big help with that.” Kelli glanced at her faux groom, feeling genuinely grateful. “We’ve got a surgical facility secured, and we received an anonymous donation of supplies.”
    Mac nodded, acknowledging nothing, though Kelli knew damn well he was behind the donation. There were definite upsides to having a controlling man with a mysterious occupation and exceptionally deep pockets.
    “So when do you start snipping?” Anna asked.
    “I go in at noon tomorrow to meet the crew and develop a game plan for trapping and releasing the cats. It’s important to return them to their original colonies following the neuter to avoid territorial fighting.”
    “That’s so great you’re doing that,” Anna said. “And what will you do with your practice in Kauai once the two of you tie the knot?”
    Kelli swallowed, not sure how Mac wanted her to answer that. “Well—”
    “She’s keeping her practice,” Mac said. “Kelli worked hard to build that clinic, and since my job keeps me traveling so much, it makes sense for her to keep her home base in Hawaii.”
    “Exactly,” Kelli said, inexplicably relieved at the idea that her imaginary marriage offered plenty of space and breathing room. “And if it’s too difficult for us to be apart, I can take on a partner to run things in Kauai while I travel with Mac and do clinics around the world.”
    Anna beamed. “That’s wonderful. Sounds like you two will be very happy. So do you want to try to squeeze in a trip to the bridal boutique in the morning? I can make some calls and have them set aside some dresses in your size.”
    Kelli looked at Mac, expecting him to tell her that wouldn’t be necessary.
    “That would be great,” he said. “Sweetie, are you still thinking about something with all those buttons up the back?”
    “Buttons,” Kelli replied. “Right. All the better to keep my groom from getting his hands on me too soon.”
    She gave him a flirtatious wink and wished for anything but that.
    …
    They bid farewell to Kelli’s friend at the curb, and Mac led his fake fiancée to the Town Car he’d parked in back of the building.