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  “I need a date to a party on Friday, someone who will be willing to pretend we’ve kept our relationship secret for a while.”

  “Sandra told me you have a girlfriend.”

  “So you have been talking about me?” His lips spread into an even bigger smile, if that was possible. “My cousin doesn’t know everything.”

  “You know Sandra. The conversation goes where she wants it to go. She said Eva suits you perfectly. I am surprised you didn’t hook up in high school, though I guess you were into Tamara then.”

  “I’m breaking up with her in about two hours. We agreed on the time already. I decided before you walked in the door, but it left me dateless for Friday. I need to impress people then, but I don’t want to pretend with someone I need to walk away from.”

  She gritted her teeth. This was why she’d never date a rich man. She refused to be so easily replaceable. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I need to show that I’m dating a smart woman with class and things in common with me.”

  “I can’t help you. Don’t be serious. I’m not an actress, rich boy. That’s Eva.”

  “Actress isn’t what I need or want. I need someone genuine, and we can help each other.”

  How was she going to impress anyone? “Look, Eva’s gorgeous. Jaw dropping. A bombshell. Everyone wants to be her. Every guy wants to date her. Why not wait and break up after the event?”

  He stopped moving. “Please, Penny. Eva’s demanding, and expects more from me than I want to give. Please save me.”

  His sad, pleading expression reminded her of a lost puppy in need of saving. She had returned to high school in less than ten minutes. College hadn’t meant a thing. “You win, Jay. I’ll be your backup girl, though no one might believe you chose the nerd over the award-winning actress. I have one condition—well, two.”

  “Name them.” Gone was the pleading face, replaced by one of triumph. His eyes twinkled and that damn dimple stared back at her. He’d find someone else in no time, leaving her safe from his charm.

  “One, you show me this magnificent place for me to live today. I don’t want to be homeless or go to my mother’s house. I can’t go back there. You’re a better alternative.”

  “Done.” His eyes sparkled.

  “Two, I don’t have a fancy dress back here yet. My stuff is still up north. Tell me what to wear and I’ll figure something out.”

  “I’ll get you something. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I buy my own clothes, Dimples.”

  “We can consider it part of the favor.”

  “Then we can forget this. Tell me what to get.”

  “We’ll be at a charity event on Collins for dinner, dancing, the press. You know.” He shrugged, as if it were an everyday thing having your face in the newspaper—and for him, it was.

  This conversation wasn’t going so well She asked him, “What will the papers say about us? ‘Most eligible man in Miami, heir to the Marshall fortune, dates his high school math league partner.’”

  He shook his head, telling her, “Or ‘Marshall, on the fast track with his own company, listed in the upcoming July issue of Forbes as one of the biggest up-and-coming financial titans, shows class with a caring woman.’”

  The press in Miami? He couldn’t be serious. She would not be wearing designer anything. Penny pasted a smile on her face. She’d carve out time to hit a few thrift shops tomorrow, searching for something. The press would call it “vintage” if she found the right one. It worked for prom, and it would work again. Besides, it was not like she had much money these days. Going from fifteen thousand part-time to forty-five thousand full-time meant she’d stay frugal. She would have enough to eat and maybe a few extras, once she started getting paid. The tight budget, for once, had an end date. Payday.

  She jiggled her empty cup before telling him, “Let’s get going. I need to secure a place with a down payment and security deposit. I called ahead to three places with availability before getting on the plane. The list is at the rental office.”

  “Give me five minutes to make a few calls, Penny. I have a plan. I promise it will work out for you.”

  She nodded, getting up. “I’ll go get my list. Be right back. Remember, the key factor is budget. I won’t be living anywhere near the beach.”

  He nodded, though she couldn’t be sure he’d actually listened. Jay had never worried about a bill a day in his life. She needed to be settled in her own place before her mother showed up to swindle her out of every dime she made. Penny had contributed to her mother’s lavish lifestyle while she herself had struggled in college with student loans, but a stark look at her nonexistent checking account sobered her up. Looking back, she’d been doubly stupid, but she’d face this and climb out of her financial black hole.

  No one would keep Penny Knightheart down. She’d figure out how to win at being an adult.

  3

  Jay pointed her to his motorcycle, a shiny, sleek black Harley with silver that sparkled in the sun. The back wheel looked as if it were made for the bike to do wheelies. Why would prep boy ride one of these? The blackness without loud, obnoxious stickers portraying any affiliation didn’t fit at all with him. Where was his expensive, fast foreign car? Her mouth fell open while she played with her throat. Penny stared at him confused while he handed her a helmet. “Wow. When did you start driving a Harley and how does your mother let you?”

  “I don’t need her permission, and for two years now.”

  Shuffling a step backward, she couldn’t shake the dazed look she must be giving him. Did the scar come from falling off a bike? “Dimples, you had sexy rich boy down pat. Did you need to add dangerous bad boy to the list? You’re going to have to stop at some point or my entire gender is going to be at your feet.”

  “Most women don’t matter.” He packed his tablet under the seat and tied his sneaker. “Not you, though, Pen. You’re refreshingly forthright, and I can be myself with you. I’m tired of people using me to get what they want. You always wanted me to be better, to help myself. Now hop on. We’re going to look at what I picked out for you first.”

  She stared at the helmet, suspecting this outing would land her in a hotel or a hospital bed tonight, but the idea of not caring about anything sounded too good to be true. “I took statistics in college and worked a desk on highways last year. Six thousand, six hundred and eighty-six people died in Florida last year from motorcycle deaths.”

  He handed her the helmet. “Put this on. Ninety-nine percent of all people driving a motorcycle don’t get into accidents.”

  “Yet if you do, the fatality rate is higher than any other traffic accident.”

  “Unless you go into a canal,” he replied, adjusting her helmet to her head and flipping down his helmet visor.

  “Or drink.” He adjusted his seat a little, giving her a nice view of his shapely butt. Not one ounce of fat there. He didn’t seem to notice her staring when he told her, “Relax and enjoy yourself. We’re not drinking this afternoon, and it sounds like you need a little adventure.”

  Adrenaline rushed through her while she stifled a giggle. Even now it was obvious Jay was not used to rejection, but she wished she had his confidence. Truth was she would jump off a building if he asked her to.

  She slid onto the seat behind him, and the engine purred beneath her. She pressed her chest into his back and stared at his well-built muscles. Her fingers ached to run down his body. to touch him everywhere. Her quickened breathlessness unsettled her, and she needed to cool down.

  He glanced over his shoulders at her and told her, “Put your arms around me and hold on.”

  “Right.” Her blush would go down her entire body, but he’d never see it. Her heartbeat overpowered her thoughts while she wrapped her arms around Mr. Perfect, making her forget whatever she’d intended to say.

  She closed her eyes when he turned onto the street and squeezed her arms around him. The wind rushing onto her back sent a shiver down her that mixed with
adrenaline and sent tingling throughout her entire body. She gasped when he turned onto the highway, intending to go faster. The fluttering in her belly increased with the speed and the wind rushing through her hair. The warm tropical breeze didn’t help at all in the speed. Hot. Wind. Her skin sparked everywhere while she squealed. She blinked. They were heading into the Grove. Out of her price range, unless he meant near the end in the small Bahamas section, where the rich were slowly kicking out all the less well-off folks.

  Two minutes later, he skipped the poor-people town and headed to the ocean. Smelling the salt air meant she’d never live here, though she hugged him tight while on this ride. She shook her head when he pulled into the parking lot of a white high-rise. This place would be millions of dollars. Not anytime soon on her budget. When he parked, he offered her his hand to help her stand. Gripping him firmly, she swung off the bike, though her knees wobbled. Keeping his hand, she slowly steadied herself.

  He had no idea how shaken and aware of him the ride had left her, because he pointed to the building, telling her, “Don’t knock it until you’ve seen the place, Penny.”

  She would have. “If I refuse, would you take me back to the coffee shop?”

  “It’s affordable. You’ll see.”

  Why not? She had three days. It wasn’t like she could afford the place, but arguing with him would not change anything. Standing up straighter, she brushed off her jeans before she told him, “Might be my only chance to see how the other half live.”

  “Other half? Penny, we’re your friends. Michael and Sandra both have nice homes. Eva’s place is huge.”

  Eva. The soon-to-be ex. “Don’t think on her too much. You’ll get a new girlfriend soon enough.”

  “You don’t need to be sweet, Penny. The truth is I have a lot on my plate at the moment. Distractions, like a new woman, mean I have to give someone time that I just don’t have. Let’s get upstairs.”

  He put out his arm to escort her and bowed his head playfully. She accepted his arm, and stopped a sigh from escaping her lips. “Why not a woman?”

  His arms stayed firm at his sides and he answered fast, “I have to focus on work.”

  She had to do the same. She smiled. “Work is important to both of us at the moment. Lead away, Dimples. I should be stressed out and pulling my hair out like I planned, but here I am visiting your palace.”

  “Relax. I think you’ll like this place.”

  She could imagine living here. The white brick walls mixed with an art deco flavor tickled her fancy. The black pot in the center of the entry room had to be artistic, though not her taste. Someone rich and famous had to live here. “I forgot about fun, so show me.”

  “Flirty is new.”

  “I’m not. I’m still nerdy.”

  “No, you’re the same good person I remember.”

  Her cheeks burned when his blue eyes stared at her. She rubbed her arms at her side, and he studied her for that second. Could he see what he did to her? Was she glowing? And why did that look make her want to hold on to him tighter? She was a problem solver, not a beach girl with no brains and overexposed skin that eventually pruned with premature sun aging. She was not going to be her mother and marry the plastic surgeon. A smile grew on her face and she dropped her arms to her sides. She’d never be her mom. Penny preferred to figure things out on her own. She accepted who she was now and needed to tell him. No more hiding. What could she say? “Next sci-fi convention is in October up in Orlando. Do you dare show up at one of those?”

  Biting her lip, she stared down at her feet. That wasn’t exactly the first step toward being her real self that she’d imagined making.

  He squeezed her arm as he steered her into the white building, pointing out the swimming area with sun-bleached wooden deck chairs. Wood died fast in tropical heat, making that luxury available for those who could afford to replace everything each year. He guided her up the stairs to see the pool area overlooking the ocean, before he said, “We’ll see where we stand in October, but sounds interesting. I’m up for new adventures these days.”

  Jay had changed, and for the better, though he still had that rich-boy attitude toward getting what he wanted. Sighing, she relaxed, noting at least his voice lacked the haughtiness of privilege.

  “What made you grow up?” she asked.

  “All the people that mattered to me left. At UM I made good connections, but I missed my cousins, dramatic Eva, country Wyatt, and you. We were a diverse bunch with different interests. At UM, I met people like me. Cool, but not as interesting.”

  His father had always struck her as a serious businessman. Maybe that came with age, the genetic disposition to be focused, but she’d bet something else happened. What didn’t he say? The doorman nodded at Jay. “Seeing 42-B, sir?”

  “Yep. Here to show my friend.”

  Hmm. The man in the gray suit behind the desk never stood up while Jay hit the button. She smelled a setup. Why would they know each other? A doorman’s job was to stop intruders. Jay waving at the man meant he knew him. Or did the rich people get to just walk in? No. Doormen only stopped people like her? Jay had obviously been here before, as his face garnered a smile and he waved.

  Jay must be about to manipulate her into something. It clicked in her head. Rich boy always did whatever he could to get something he wanted. She’d keep her guard up. She followed Jay into the elevator, where he held up a white key.

  “I hope this place is what you’re looking for.”

  “How do you have a key?”

  “I want to talk you into living here first.”

  “Yeah, right.” She shook her head. “I’m never going to be able to afford a place like this. You’re crazy if you think that charm of yours means I blindly follow you into this fairytale.”

  “My life isn’t a fantasy, Pen.” The doors opened into the open floor of a condo. She stepped into the ultra-modern apartment. The pale wood floors shone as if they had just been polished. The entry room was larger than the entire apartment she had in college. Outside she could see Biscayne Bay and a scattering of boats bobbing along, as if life never seemed to touch them. Walking forward, she saw an open space. He pushed a side door open, revealing a kitchen area. The empty place housed more space than any condo her mother had dragged her into.

  “Come on, Penny. I want to show you the private roof, overlooking Miami.”

  “I can’t afford this, Jay. I knew out there I couldn’t, but this place is easily ten thousand square feet.”

  “Excellent eye. Nine thousand, four hundred and ninety-eight square feet, and the roommate is looking to share with someone who won’t be home much because they are working.”

  She crossed to the bay window. Below was an Olympic-size zero-entry pool with a spa. “I am an engineer, not a rock star. Let’s go. I don’t have time for this. The person who lives here cannot be looking for me to move in.”

  She turned to go back to the elevator, but he caught her wrist to stop her.

  “Do you like this place?”

  “It’s beautiful.” She twirled around, taking a look at the stairs going to a second floor inside the building. The place had enough space for two living rooms and a restaurant to fit into the kitchen. The oven alone would be fun to play with. “Living here would be a dream.”

  He put his hands in his pockets. “Then live here. You were going to pay, what, $1000 a month to live somewhere else, and not have the view, the address, or anything you’d get here?”

  “I was hoping for $900.” She noticed the outside balcony here painted Miami in serenity, warmth, and light. She’d only lived in the west, where the normal people not on vacation dwelled. She gazed away from him to calculate what she needed. “I’d then look for a roommate, and a nicer place, cutting the budget back to where I want it to be, and save money for the future.”

  “Take a roommate now.”

  “This place would never be in my budget.”

  He leaned on the wall next to her before he adm
itted, “This is my property, though I’ve never lived here. I’d like to. I need a final break from my parents, too.”

  She added it up, but it didn’t figure. “You are not suggesting—”

  “Wait, let me finish.” Before she could argue, he led her through the door to a room, then through a second door. “This could be my room. It’s clear on the other side of the place, giving you privacy. The first room upstairs would be my office where prying eyes don’t follow me at every turn.”

  “Do it, then. Move here. I’ll visit.” She searched his eyes, hoping to understand why he hadn’t moved here. She needed to ask what happened to him, but before she could string the sentence together, he led her forward again. They did a quick walk-through of all the rooms, the living area, dining area, and to the other side, opening a second door. “What’s going on?”

  “This is the master bedroom without a den for a workspace. My money is tied up with my new venture for the next four months, and every time I work from home or get a place without anyone, my plans have been compromised. I’ll need someone to pay some of the lot fee, say seven hundred and fifty dollars. You get to save. I get to move in. We both know each other, and we’d stay out of each other’s business. Unlike my mother, you won’t steal my ideas, and you cannot invite her here at any time.”

  No. “I’m not living with a harem of women traipsing through my living room every day.”

  He stayed still and his eyes turned to steel. “Won’t happen. After Eva I have sworn off women. Besides, I need to focus on work. I don’t trust anyone anymore, but you won’t hurt my business or me.”

  “Who would dare harm a hair on your head?” She blinked.

  “Then help me. Stay here. I need to focus on work and prove I can do this on my own.”

  Live with Jay. His seriousness on that didn’t match what she knew. She’d watch him date countless females while she lived in the other room with the door closed. Women threw themselves at money. Women like her mother, though his mother had stolen from him too, it seemed. Feeling compassion for him weakened her. The ocean wouldn’t keep her calm and collected for that long. “No. This won’t work at all for me. Take me back to our coffee shop now.”