âIâm aware.â
His sister was marrying the love of her life...or so she said. Theyâd chosen Valentineâs Day as their wedding day, which was just a little too cutesy for him, but she hadnât asked his opinion.
Nigel had met his soon-to-be brother-in-law a handful of times when heâd gone home and the guy seemed like heâd fit into the Townshend family perfectly. But Nigel was in no hurry to bring home a woman. It would take someone special to get him ready to introduce her to the rest of the clan.
An image of Roslyn flashed through his mind.
No. Hell, no. First of all, when he brought a date, they wouldnât expect her to be someone from the office. Second, he couldnât bring Roslyn because...well...
Why not? She would actually be the perfect candidate. She was poised, she could definitely hold her own and there was nobody else heâd want on his arm.
Nigel couldnât prevent the smile that spread across his face. His family would have no way of knowing Roslyn was from the office. If she came as his plus one, it would give him another opportunity to get to know her on a deeper level. He wasnât ready for that commitment his grandmother was after, but spending more time with Roslyn would give him more insight to her. A fake relationship for the sake of his family wouldnât hurt anything, right?
After that, he could explain they broke things off and nobody would have to know.
That is, if Roslyn went along with this crazy plan.
âAnd for pityâs sake, wear a tie,â Dame Claire scolded. âI know you have your own style, but this is a black-tie affair.â
âYes, maâam.â Ideas rolled through his mind on how to approach Roslyn with his proposal. âI promise I wonât do anything to embarrass you or the family.â
âOh, please,â she chided. âNothing embarrasses me, but I do have standards. I expect you and your date to be here no later than Wednesday. The wedding is Saturday.â
âIâll be there,â he vowed.
âYou both will be here,â she corrected.
Nigel laughed. Of course sheâd assume he was bringing someone simply because she said so. He told her to give everyone his love before he disconnected the call.
He stared at the phone another second and finally shot off a text before he could think better of it.
Going up against a persnickety, hardheaded old grandmother called for drastic measures.
Meet me at the office penthouse.
He hit Send, then quickly added another text.
I need a favor.
It was Saturday night, so maybe she was out on the town, but he didnât think so. Roselyn worked hard and seemed to put her career above socializing. He didnât want to discuss his familyâs drama and wedding issue via text. And he just wanted to see her...the wedding was just the perfect excuse.
Nigel didnât want Roslyn to think he was a complete jerk who only wanted to get her undressed. Heâd meant what heâd said when he told her that he respected her and planned to take his time.
Time would prove to be the ultimate foreplay, especially since sheâd already said yes to his advances.
And a trip to his home? He couldnât wait to take her back to the place where he had grown up, where heâd dreamed. Heâd continue to charm her with the grand estate of Shrewsbury Hall. The home itself rivaled Buckingham Palace with all the rooms, windows, ornate architecture and decor.
Roslyn would love his childhood home if he could get her there. He couldnât imagine any interior designer not falling in love with the rich history and all the stories behind each room and heirloom.
Nigel had to talk her into being his plus one first. Coming off their encounter last night, he hoped fate was in his favor.
Nine âMeet your family?â
Sophie knew getting physically involved with Nigel was risky, both to her heart and her mind, but flying all the way to Cumbria, England, to be his plus one at his sisterâs wedding? And for Valentineâs Day?
That was more than just taking a step in a dangerous directionâit was practically bungee jumping off a cliff. Meeting the family, attending a wedding that would equate to something from royalty and pretending to be his girlfriend for the sake of duping his family?
More lies might just do in her mental state and she wasnât sure she could keep all of them straight.