Fiancee For Hire

By Cynthia D. Bates

Guy Jamison lives the highlife, but one clause in his father’s will is about to take it all away. Unless he marries by the age of thirty, his trust fund will be cut off. He has to prove he can be a family man and not the wealthy bachelor he prides himself on being.

Asia Campbell is a hard-working woman not afraid to do whatever it takes to provide for her ailing mother. By day, she’s a struggling actress, and at night, she’s on the arm of wealthy men, but she has her rules—no sleeping with them.

One encounter with Guy Jamison and it’s all about to change with an offer she can’t refuse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AboutFace Media
• Release date: Mar 25, 2015

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Fiancee for Hire

by

Cynthia D. Bates

Ebook Edition

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

AFM

Copyright © 2015 by Cynthia D. Bates

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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Books by This Author

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Love on the Riviera

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Fiancee for Hire

Guy Jamison lives the highlife, but one clause in his father’s will is about to take it all away. Unless he marries by the age of thirty, his trust fund will be cut off. He has to prove he can be a family man and not the wealthy bachelor he prides himself on being.

Asia Campbell is a hard-working woman not afraid to do whatever it takes to provide for her ailing mother. By day, she’s a struggling actress, and at night, she’s on the arm of wealthy men, but she has her rules—no sleeping with them.

One encounter with Guy Jamison and it’s all about to change with an offer she can’t refuse.

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Chapter One

Guy Jamison half-listened to his lawyer reading over the will and paid more attention to the paralegal moving about at the back of the office. For the past five years, this had been the routine. One month after his birthday, he would get his yearly funds released into his account, but in order to receive the funds, he needed to endure his lawyer babbling on about his father’s last dying wishes. He’d heard it several times, so why would this year be any different?

The long, toned legs of the beautiful woman deserved much more of his attention, at least for the next month. That was his rule—to have fun with a woman a few weeks and then send her on her way. Life was too short, and he didn’t want anyone slowing him down. Now, while he dated the woman, he would remain monogamous. But when it was over, it was over and he’d move on to the next.

Brunette hair flipped over a shoulder, and Guy caught the woman smiling back at him. She closed the filing cabinet door and made her exit. His gaze stayed on the open blinds to the conference room as she walked down the hall, her skirt much too short for business attire and an obvious attempt for attention. Well, she had it… all of it.

…unless married by your thirtieth birthday. The lawyer’s words cut into his fantasy of the woman.

Guy nearly choked on Carl’s words. Excuse me. What?

All monies will discontinue unless Guy Jamison III is married by his thirtieth birthday, Carl repeated while tapping the papers on the edge of the table.

This is absurd. Guy glanced at the near balding man, his dad’s lawyer. He always brought Alex, his own lawyer, along with him. Alex?

The younger man adjusted the sleeves of his three-hundred-dollar suit and avoided Guy’s gaze. This stipulation was not to be revealed until your twenty-ninth birthday. Had you already been married, this portion would have remained invalid.

This is bullshit, and you know it. How can my father determine when I should marry? Guy slumped back in his seat.

He’s not. He determined if you should continue receiving an inheritance. If you’re not married by this time next year, this payment will be your last. Carl pushed documents in Guy’s direction.

Alex intercepted the legal papers and read them over. It’s the usual amount, Guy.

Guy shot his lawyer a look and all but snatched the pen Alex held out for him. He scribbled his signature on the appropriate line and pushed the form back toward Carl. By now, the entire estate should have been released. All ten billion. Not this silly three million.

I assume the transfer will in my account within forty-eight hours, as usual? Guy rose from the table and adjusted his blazer. He hadn’t bothered with a suit and tie, just a blazer to go with his dark jeans.

Yes, of course. Carl nodded.

Good. If there’s nothing else… Guy started toward the door.

I’ll handle anything else, Alex said.

As much as Guy paid the man, he had better. He made his exit, and his mind swirled with thoughts of how to get out of his predicament.

Once in his car, he placed a call.

What, Guy? You know I’m working, his sister answered.

Come on, Trish Ann. Don’t you have a moment for your baby brother?

Not really, but I know you won’t stop calling otherwise. What woman did you dump this week and won’t leave you alone now?

Guy ran his fingers through his sandy brown hair and leaned back in the seat of his Lamborghini. Conversations with his sister were never easy.

I just left Carl’s office.

Oh, is it that time of the year already? Funny, I was too busy working all year to care about our yearly allowance.

Then you should know that next year we’ll be cut off.

A laugh filtered through the line. Ha. No, you’ll be cut off. I held up my end of our father’s last wishes. I’m CEO of his legacy, remember? I took over without being prompted. What is it dear ole dad wanted you to do but haven’t?

Get married.

Wow. She paused. That wasn’t expected. Her change in tone filtered through the hands-free device. Maybe it is about time you settled down.

You’re not helping.

Guy, what exactly is it you want from me? You’re a playboy going on thirty with no career. Maybe it is time you settled down and got your life together, or did you think to live off of your inheritance forever?

Her words stung. Of course he didn’t. At first, he had only planned on taking a year off to enjoy himself, but he’d gotten caught up in people simply doing things for him. With money, people did your bidding. He didn’t need to be like everyone else in their last year of college, stressing over job interviews, because deep down, he knew no matter what, he’d already had a job with his father until he died just after graduation.

Guy let out a sigh. No, I didn’t. I’ll call you later.

He ended the call, upset with himself for even bothering with his sister in the first place. Trish Ann wouldn’t have sympathy for him. Why should she? She graduated from Stanford with a business degree and returned home to follow in their father’s footsteps.

No matter. He shook it off and sat up straight. His thirtieth birthday wasn’t for another eleven months. He had time to turn his life around and find someone to marry.

Chapter Two

Mount Caramel Church, how may I direct your call? Asia said in the best southern accent she could muster from her hours of practicing the line in front of her mirror.

The woman sitting at the middle of the table leaned over to the man on her right then to the woman on the left. They spoke amongst themselves as if Asia wasn’t in the room.

As if being at an audition for a daytime television role wasn’t stressful enough.

Finally the one in the middle, the casting director, glanced in Asia’s direction. Can you say the lines again, but this time more black?

She cringed on the inside. More black? What did three white people know about being black? Black was the skin tone she walked in the building with. She adjusted her attitude and repeated the line, this time without the accent and in her normal voice.

The director frowned. I'm sorry, but we're looking for someone a bit more… ghetto.

Thank you for your time, Asia said when she really wanted to scream, A ghetto assistant who works at a mega church, really? All black people aren't ghetto. Don’t you watch television? What about Olivia Pope, Viola Davis, or Michelle Obama? Instead, they got the fake smile plastered to her face as she walked out the room.

She fumed on the inside. This was the third time that week. She’d have to have a talk with her agent about the roles she’d been submitted for. Sure, she could have smacked her lips and rolled her eyes and given them everything they wanted, but she’d also be helping to uphold their definition of what black was.

Not that she was against playing the part of a girl from the hood. Heck, Halle Berry played a crack head, but the character needed to fit the role. The role said church assistant, not glorified welfare chick or drug dealer’s girlfriend.

Asia didn't make eye contact with the actors eagerly waiting their turn to go in the room as she continued out the building. She snatched off the number sticky tapped to her shirt and pitched it in the trash before walking to her car.

Like clockwork, her phone rang.

Hey, she answered, knowing who it would be at that hour without bothering to glance at the display.

How'd it go? a woman's voice asked.

I think I have a good chance at it, she lied. Her two-inch heels clicked across the asphalt away from the production office to her vehicle. She paused a moment, catching her reflection in the driver side window. Her brown skin with almond eyes and light makeup frowned back at her. The business casual outfit of khaki capri pants and a purple blouse had been a waste.

Well, I’m rooting for you, the woman said.

Asia opened the door and sat down. How is she today? She waited a moment before sticking her key in the ignition to her Kia. When it fired up, she let out an internal sigh of relief. She needed a new engine but could only afford Band-Aid fixes. That morning, it choked to a start, so starting up on the first try now was a highlight of her day.

The usual. Don't you hear her fussing? Muffled sounds in the background filtered through the line.

Asia laughed. Go ahead and put her on the phone, Lisa.

There was a pause, and then an older