His Stand In

• Title Page
  
• Chapter One
  
• Chapter Two
  
• Chapter Three
  
• Chapter Four
  
• Chapter Five
  
• Chapter Six
  
• Chapter Seven
  
• Chapter Eight
  
• Chapter Nine
  
• Chapter Ten
  
• Chapter Eleven
  
• Chapter Twelve
  
• Chapter Thirteen
  
• Chapter Fourteen
  
• Chapter Fifteen
  
• Chapter Sixteen
  
• Chapter Seventeen
  
• Chapter Eighteen
  
• Chapter Nineteen
  

His Stand In

by

Rebecca K. Watts

Smashwords Ebook Edition

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

PWP Romance

Passionate Writer Publishing

www.passionatewriterpublishing.com

in association with PWP Media

His Stand In

Copyright © 2014 by Rebecca K. Watts

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.

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to the retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

Also by Rebecca K. Watts

Mr. Right.com

Fire and Desire

********

PWP Romance

Christian Bradley was at his wits end. Even with a net worth in the billions he couldn’t buy a peace of mind. What he needed was a filler—someone to pretend to be his other half and put a halt to all the gold diggers vying for his time. One look at the exotic features on the brown beauty and Christian knew she held the answers to all his problems.

Egypt James was so broke she was merely days away from being evicted. It was a broke she’d gladly accept as long as it rid her of her cheating ex-husband. A fresh start is all she needed. The offer she received from her white dripping hot employer was something she never bargained for.

Passion’s fly when Christian moves this enticing unknown woman into his home with the proposition of marriage. Though it was supposed to be for a short while, he starts to realize he can’t be without her.

His Stand In

Rebecca K. Watts

Chapter One

Christian Bradley’s mouth dropped at the images of TMZ’s top story. He and an unknown woman stood outside of a restaurant with the caption, “Most eligible bachelor has women around the globe.”

He racked his brain trying to recall the blonde tanned beauty he’d allowed a photograph with. The memory came back to him. A model approached him for a selfie while he was attending to business in Chicago. She stopped him coming outside of a restaurant from a business meeting.

This debacle was the main reason he loathed going anywhere without his cousin Trish Ann. A beautiful woman already on his arms to keep the ones looking for a quick buck at bay. But, as of three weeks ago she could no longer help. The reporters did their diligence and broke the story on Trish Ann being a relative. In no time women were back to throwing themselves at him.

He regretted the day he ever agreed to the interview with Forbes a year prior. Yes, he’d become a billionaire but what did his relationship status have to do with it? By no means was he disinterested in women, but he just couldn’t find the one to challenge him mentally as well as peek his sexual interest. In all the dates he went on all the women had been concerned with how much he made and using him to elevate their status.

His ex, Natasha was the perfect example. She was a model and who best for a model to date than someone rich. Natasha’s number one priority was moving in and running up his credit cards. When it came to actually spending time with him, she was never available. So, he made himself unavailable by working longer hours and eventually having the movers come in and remove her from the premises. With the nice check he cut her she didn’t put up a fuss.

Christian clicked off the flat screen and ran his fingers through his dark brown perfectly trimmed hair. He slumped in his seat in thought that was soon interrupted by footsteps entering his office. His very pregnant administrative assistant padded across the wooden tiles of the floor and over to him.

“
Mr. Bradley, your 1:00 o’clock interview is here.”

He glanced at the digital numbers on his computer. Where had the time gone? He’d been so busy with paperwork that he’d lost track of the time and even lunch. Expanding his hotel chain to the north consumed majority of his time.

“
Thank you, Patricia. Please offer them some water and send them in.”

She nodded and turned towards the door, then stopped and spoke over her shoulder. “It’s not the end of the world you know.”

He let out a grunt and she continued out.

Easy for her to say. Patricia had been his right hand and from the moment his father passed away five years earlier. Upon his death he’d inherited a fledgling chain of hotels. Christian took the challenge head on and soon pushed the hotels from a two star rating to five star luxury suites in Atlanta to include resorts down in Florida.

Through it all Patricia had become his confidant and friend. Now, she had to go ahead and decide to start a family. Don’t get him wrong he isn’t insensitive but the timing was all wrong. He just sealed the deal with Chicago but New York still needed a lot of work. And, it was still the matter of the paparazzi hounding him.

Christian shook off his frustrations. He’d go through the motions with this next interviewee but there was no way he was hiring them. He’d just have to work out an offer so good that Patricia and her husband couldn’t refuse. Hell, he’d let her work from home if need be.

*****

Egypt James switched from wringing her hands to smoothing out the pants to her business suite. It was her third interview that week and she was at her wits end. The cousin who promised her a place to stay decided to back out once her boyfriend got out of jail. As of that morning Egypt moved into an Extended Stay and only had enough money for two weeks. If this job didn’t fall through she didn’t know what she’d do. At twenty-four she’d find herself on the street. Her degree couldn’t save her.

She never saw herself as a stripper but it looked like Magic City would be her next stop if one of the businesses didn’t contact her soon.

“
Ms. James.” The pregnant woman smiled at her. “Would you like some water?”

“
Yes, ma’am.” Though the woman looked to be only in her thirties, Egypt was always taught to respect her elders.

“
Coming right up.” The woman waddled off down the hall.

Egypt felt sorry for her. The baby looked to be due at any moment. Sadness almost enveloped her as her mind drifted to the child she lost. Six months earlier she’d left the clinic one of the happiest women in the world. She took off work early and couldn’t wait to tell her husband. What she got was a surprise of her own. David’s car was in their garage, and he and a woman Egypt recognized from the video shoot the day before was in her bed.

She woke up in the hospital to find out she passed out from the stress of catching the cheater in the act, and she lost the baby. When she was discharged she went straight home and packed up most of her belongs from their mini mansion in the Indiana Geist area and moved into the Conrad Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.

David became enraged and cut off all her income and caused problems at her job. His excuse for cheating was because he was a music producer and it was part of the game. That maybe, but it was a game she refused to partake in. She was an educated woman with a degree in business not some groupie. And, until he got her fired she was the manager for one of the largest insurance companies in the city.

The bastard had the nerve to give her an ultimatum. “Come home and he’ll forgive her for leaving or make it on her own.”

She opted for the latter and went for an annulment being they were married less than two months. David tried dragging it out but even with all his money he didn’t have a case, especially since Egypt didn’t want anything from him.

As soon as the ink was dry she packed up her Honda, the one she paid for on her own income and drove down south to Atlanta. She wasn’t even at her cousin’s house a full week before her baby daddy made an appearance fresh out the state prison.

“
Here you go Ms. James.” The woman reappeared and handed her a bottled water.

Egypt cracked it open and took a long swallow. “Thank you. I really needed it.”

“
There’s no need to worry. Mr. Bradley is all bark. You’ll be fine. Follow me please.” The woman moved towards a large double wooden door and Egypt followed.

She gave herself a silent pep talk before entering the room. One glance around the office and Egypt could tell this man had money, lots of it. Unlike her ex this man had a refined taste with his décor and nothing flashy. She laughed on the inside at the comparison—Mr. Bradley’s Cherryman Verde Modern White Executive desk to David’s Gucci leather one. Both expensive but one had way more class.

Mr. Bradley cleared his throat and she had a hard time looking at him. The man was gorgeous and seemed all too young for his position. She had no doubt he was only in his late twenties. He gazed at her with his green eyes and square jawline. A familiarity washed over her. She’d seen him somewhere but couldn’t put her finger on it.

“
Please have a seat Ms. James.” He clasped his hands in front of his broad frame and placed them neatly on the desk.

“
Thank you.” She positioned herself in one of the oversized luxury chairs.

“
I see you were previously a manager. If so, why do you want to be an administrative assistant?” He jumped right in.

Because I want a freaking job!
“I’m currently looking for a change of pace from the insurance industry.”