Morally Black Betrothal: A fake fiancee, grumpysunshine romance by Nicole French

Author:Nicole French [French, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Raglan Publishing
Published: 2025-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

27

CULTURE SHOCK

Simone

Shopping on Newbury with Brendan proved to be an entirely different experience than when I was alone.

It probably helped that my fake fiancé was unbelievably gorgeous in his bespoke suit, and none of the salesclerks could stop staring at him. But it was the casual mention of his name that mainly did the trick. Black wasn’t technically etched across the storefront windows, but they certainly knew who signed their paychecks. And probably who was on the cover of Forbes this month too.

“We’re here to do some serious damage,” Brendan said every time we entered a new store.

I had to stop myself from laughing at the fourth one. Meanwhile, Brendan’s unforgiving gaze shattered every clerk’s shallow condescension. Within seconds, they would dash off for a manager, who would inevitably jump into keen ass-kissing mode as soon as they spotted Brendan’s face and credit card.

Champagne. Espresso. Even a steak lunch. We were offered it all.

“Why are you asking me?” Brendan demanded once we were settled at Prioretti, a particularly ritzy boutique full of little black dresses from Italy. “I’m not the customer. She is. If my girl isn’t happy, then I’m not happy. And you do not want me to be unhappy. Understood?”

The clerk and Brendan both looked up as I stepped in front of a mirror to examine myself.

“And how are we feeling?” the clerk asked nervously. “Would we like another glass of champagne? Maybe some caviar?”

I snorted. Five for five.

“I’m good, thank you.” I was more interested in the way my Brendan was watching me through our reflections in the mirrors.

He clearly liked me in black and had insisted on several pieces at the other stores we’d been to. It wasn’t a color I typically wore unless I was at the bar. I gravitated more toward pastels and softer colors. But I couldn’t deny the way I felt in this silk dress that fit me like a second skin. Or the way I shivered when Brendan looked at me like that.

Like he wanted to kiss me again the way he had last night.

Like he wanted me to kiss him back.

“What do you think?” I batted my eyelashes. That heated regard brought out a coquette I never knew was in me.

Brendan cleared his throat, then discreetly adjusted his pants while the clerk wasn’t looking. I wanted to drool. I’d felt just a hint of what the man had going on down there when he’d pulled me onto his lap, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it some more when I was falling asleep last night.

Or in the shower this morning.

Or right now, when he was watching me like a panther on the prowl.

“We’ll take it,” he said with a mild croak and turned to the clerk. “The others as well. Have them packed up and sent to this address.”

He whipped out the same card that he’d handed to the managers of the other stores, along with his Amex. Apparently, when you spent money like he did, you didn’t have to carry your shopping bags like a normal person.

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