Love Script (6 page)

Even if she didn’t want him here, she had to admit she could have used his prudence, and his strength.

Her bags were a lot heavier than they looked.

The cheesy cal waiting music came to an abrupt stop and miraculously a real person answered her cal . The woman spoke in a calm, clear voice as she gave Laney precise directions. Laney felt a little better after hailing a cab, but her anxiety spiked again when road work contributed to heavy traffic.

She checked the time nervously. She’d never been on a cruise before and had no idea when they stopped al owing people to check in. As the cab crept forward, she was suddenly scared she would miss the boat altogether.

After a while, traffic improved, and they were actual y making progress. She released a long exhale when the port loomed ahead of them. Unable to bear looking at the meter, she took the cabbie’s word on the total. She winced as he swiped her card. When her bags were unloaded, she began the long walk to the pier. There was a swirl of activity around her. Glancing around, she noticed she wasn’t the only starry-eyed person present. Several groups of people were roaming about with glazed expressions. She clutched her instructions closer to her.

As Laney neared the pier, she saw several long lines snaking around in a dizzying maze. She identified her line and pul ed her suitcase to the end of the line, behind a tal man talking on his phone.

Only when she was safely standing in line did she release a wel -deserved sigh. She was breathless and mental y wiped out. If she’d second-guessed taking this cruise earlier, she now disregarded those thoughts. She would need a vacation just to calm down from the adventure getting here.

Standing in line with her rol ing suitcases waiting for check-in, Laney felt a heavy sense of sadness.

She was going to spend the next ten days on a romantic cruise alone. How pathetic. Perhaps she should have let Danny join her. At least she would have been entertained.

The line moved up, and she braced herself to pul her bags, but the stranger in front of her was so absorbed in his phone conversation he didn’t step up. She gave him a second to realize that he was holding up the line, but he was too busy staring down at his shoes to pay any attention. She tapped him on the shoulder. He wordlessly held up his index finger, the universal signal that translated to, “Whatever I’m doing is more important than you.” She huffed as she waited for him to wrap up his conversation.
Why
, she thought,
were some people completely incapable of
multi-tasking when a cell phone was in their hand?

Laney fidgeted in her heels. She loved these shoes; they made her calves look firmer than they actual y were, but they kil ed her feet after long periods of time. If this creep in front of her would pay attention, she could have a better view of how long the line was, thus how long she would be in pain.

She glanced down at her heels again but this time got distracted. The guy in front of her had a great ass. She had never been into white guys, but this jerk was actual y worth looking at. He wore dark slacks that could only be tailor-made to fit. They cut across his butt and thighs loosely, yet couldn’t hide the muscular body that lay underneath.

What’s wrong with me?
she muttered. She tapped the guy on the shoulder again, and as before, he waved his index finger.

“I know, Roger,” he was saying, “but come on. I’m dying here. You have to dig up something for me.

You have no idea how bad things are here. I’m about to be stranded at sea with no—”

Laney had had enough. Refusing to be ignored, she took action. “Excuse me, sir.”

Nicolas Sinclair watched in shock as a delicate caramel-colored hand snatched his phone out of his grasp and snapped it shut in his face. He turned around to confront the woman but was brought up short. She was cute. She was short. She was pissed.

“Look, guy,” she said with a scowl, “I’ve tried to be polite but now I’m just ticked off. If you can’t move up with the line then you need to step aside.”

“Excuse me?” He was amazed at her gumption.

She barely reached his chin, yet she was breathing fire at him.

“My feet hurt and I’m about one second from walking up and down your ass,” she snapped.

“Look, lady.” He whipped the sunglasses off his face. “Perhaps some other day, I might be inclined to put up with this shit, but I’ve about had my fil of female hysterics.”

Nick was beyond annoyance. Right now, he didn’t care if her boyfriend was The Rock; he was going to put the woman in her place. He had expected a war on his hands, but the woman looked suddenly horrified. She was staring at him in utter shock, and he had a strong feeling it had nothing to do with what he had just said. “Wel ?” he snapped.

“You started this.”

“I’m—I’m so sorry, Mr. Sinclair,” she stuttered. “I didn’t see you.”

“I think you saw me just fine—” he paused. “How do you know my name?”

“I’m Laney Parks.” She looked at him expectantly. “I work for Sinclair Corp.” He just stared at her.

“I assist Mary-Knight Tyler.”

His mind spun slowly.
I’m waiting for my
assistant, Laney, to type them up. She’s going on a
cruise to the Caribbean with her boyfriend.
It was final y starting to click. This was the assistant Mary-Knight always complained about? The one who was forever messing up her reports and sending out incorrect budget updates? This was the infamous assistant?

“Sinclair!”

Laney and Nick turned at the same time to see a handsome older man and woman waving in their direction. Nick had to do a double-take. Yes, the man was definitely Wil iam Zelman, and the woman holding his hand so lovingly could only be his wife.

Nick again did a double take. He forced his face not to look so obviously dumbfounded. Wil iam Zelman was married to a black woman.

Nick looked at Laney Parks and back at the Zelmans. Sliding his sunglasses back on, he slapped a bright smile on his face and waved at Wil iam and Vivian Zelman. “Wave,” he said between gritted teeth.

“What? Are you talking to me?” Laney looked up at him quizzical y.

“Yes. Please wave to that couple.” He turned her around and pointed at the Zelmans. “
Wave
.” Laney shaded her hands over her eyes to get a better look at the couple. She waved at them and smiled, not quite sure what she was doing but confident she looked like an idiot. She was also confident Mr. Sinclair had lost his mind. He placed his arm around her shoulders and pul ed her close to his side.

The older man cupped his hands around his mouth. “Join us for dinner?”

Nick waved. “It would be our pleasure.” He turned to Laney and pul ed her bags along the line. “Why haven’t you checked these in?”

“I didn’t know I could.” She grabbed his arm.

“What just happened back there?”

“Are you here with someone?” he asked.

“Why?” she countered, a bit defensively.

He grimaced. “What was your name again?”

“Laney Parks,” she repeated.

“Ms. Parks, we need to talk.”

Panic rushed into her voice. “If it’s about that threat I made earlier, I apologize. I had no idea what I was saying.”

He shook his head. “Where is your boyfriend?”

“How do you know I have a boyfriend?”

“Can I get one straight answer out of you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He sighed. “Ms. Parks, I’m going to ask you a question, and I need you to answer me, okay?

Where is your boyfriend?”

He said the words slowly, like he was talking to a child. Laney instantly took offense. She placed her hands on her hips. “Where is your girlfriend?” she snapped.

He shook his head and gently took her hands into his, wanting to keep them away from her hips. The last thing he needed was for the Zelmans to see him get into an argument with the woman they assumed was his wife. He pul ed her hands up to his chest.

Laney tried to pul away but he held strong.

“Ms. Parks, there are people watching us. I need you to listen to me.”

She looked at him cautiously.

“Where is your boyfriend?” he asked again.

She hesitated before answering. “He’s at home.”

“Are you here alone?” he pressed.

“Why?”

“Yes or no?” he said with strained patience.

“Yes. Why?”

“I’l explain in a minute.” They were final y at the front of the line. Nick gave the cruise officials his ID, waited for her to complete check-in and paid for her bags to be taken away before taking her hand in his and escorting her onto the boat. He was careful to make sure they were long gone before the older couple was even out of line. He listened halfheartedly as attendants cal ed safety instructions to the passengers. He pul ed her none too gently down one corridor after the next until they arrived at a paneled door. Laney pul ed her hand out of his reach.

“Mr. Sinclair, I don’t know what you take me for, but I am not that kind of person.” She turned and started walking in the opposite direction.

Nick grabbed hold of her hand. “Ms. Parks, this isn’t what you think. Please just give me five minutes of your time.” He watched her back away from him. “I promise nothing inappropriate wil happen. If it makes you feel more comfortable, I wil stand on the opposite side of the room.” When she eyed him warily, he tried to smooth his features, attempting not to look as precarious as his situation. “Five minutes,” he said. “That’s al I’m asking for.” Laney had no idea what he was up to, but something told her he wouldn’t harm her. She looked at his hand, which encircled her wrist. He immediately dropped it and held his hands out to his side in surrender.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “Five minutes. That’s al .”

He nodded and slid his keycard through the electronic lock. The door opened to reveal a wondrous room fil ed with lavish fabrics, the intoxicating smel of fresh flowers and a huge bed.

Sunlight poured in from the private balcony, kissing the room with its warmth. Laney walked in hesitantly.

Nick let her close the door. It took a few minutes but eventual y she did so.

She looked around the room in fascination. “I could fit my entire apartment into this suite. This is gorgeous.”

As promised, Nick walked across the room and stood with his arms crossed. “Ms. Parks, I’m in need of your help.”

She looked at him but said nothing.

“That man you waved to is a very important business contact. Sinclair Corp has been after his account for years. His name is Wil iam Zelman—”

“
That

was

Wil iam

Zelman

of

Zelman

Enterprises?”

He lifted his brow. “Yes, it was. I see you’re familiar.”

She nodded.

“For years, agencies have tried to lure him away from Proctor Inc. but to no avail. Recently, it has come to my attention that Zelman is upset with a failed campaign. This is a prime opportunity to steal him away from Proctor. The problem is Zelman is extremely hard to get to and even harder to persuade.”

“What does this have to do with me?” she asked, cutting to the chase.

Nick smiled. “It would seem that Zelman has a soft spot for family-oriented men. I’ve met him several times, and he’s never cared to share a conversation with me until I told him I was married.” Stating the obvious, she said, “But you’re not married.”

“I know, but
Zelman
doesn’t know that. At any rate, I arranged to be on this cruise to soften him up a bit to Sinclair Corp. The problem with my plan is that one of my competitors has the same idea in mind.”

“Let me guess. He’s not married, either.”

“You are correct.”

Laney took this al in. She was suddenly wishing she had stayed home. “What do you want from me?”

“I need you to pose as my wife,” he said.

The sudden bluntness of his words made her laugh. “You can’t be serious!”

“Oh, I’m very serious.” He removed his sunglasses and tossed them on the bed. His blue eyes held her spel bound. Never had she been more captivated by a man’s eyes. She’d been too upset before to pay any attention, but now their intense blue hue stunned her.

“I need you, Ms. Parks. I am wil ing to compensate you for your trouble.”

She shook her head. “This is absurd. I came here to relax and be alone, not play pretend for my boss.”

“I’l compensate the price of your tickets and pay you $10,000 just for sticking to the script.”

“Script?”

“You’l keep his wife busy while I work Zelman over.”

“Keep her busy?” she echoed.

“Yeah, talk about women stuff. Go shopping together. That kind of thing.”

She frowned at him. What he was suggesting was not only foolish but reckless as wel . “I’m sorry, Mr. Sinclair, but I can’t help you.”

“You’re Mary-Knight’s assistant, right? You can’t be making that much. Ten grand is more than you’d earn in one month. I think we can help each other.” One month? Try two months. He made a good point. That kind of money could actual y pay off one of her credit cards or pay off her car. No! What he was asking for was wrong. It was a shady way to do business and she was ashamed to know she worked for someone with such low ethics.

He must have read her mind because he went for the jugular.