Then again, Faith wasn’t a woman he was dating. She was his wife.
In name only.
He really hated that voice inside his head right now.
This had to stop. It was time to put his plan into action.
Faith found Ryan’s behavior very odd. She wasn’t sure what was bothering him, but lately he’d been shadowing her like a personal bodyguard.
It couldn’t be because he was attracted to her. She’d already surmised his disappointment was that her transformation hadn’t turned out the way he’d hoped. But still, she went along with the new hairstyle and wardrobe.
Not that she’d had a choice. By the time they’d returned from shopping that day all her old clothes were missing, replaced by a closet full of almost everything she’d tried on at Saks. And Margaret was tight-lipped about where her old clothes had gone.
So she wore the new ones and had to admit, enjoyed them. They were lighter weight than what she used to wear, and lifted her spirits considerably. She loved putting on the different styles and textures, luxuriating in the feel of silk against her skin, or cashmere brushing up against her neck.
Despite the fact she now wore designer clothes and no longer put her hair up in a bun, nothing else had changed.
Interestingly enough, the office staff paid more attention to her now.
Especially the guys. Faith had no idea what to make of that. Maybe they were buttering her up and being nice to her because she was married to the boss and they didn’t want to get on her bad side.
She didn’t have a bad side. Nor had she ever paid any attention to the men before. And certainly not now.
Marriage in name only or not, she was married. She took her vows seriously, even if her marriage wasn’t a real one. And she wouldn’t entertain notions of any other men. She could barely figure out what to do with the one she married.
“Faith.”
Ryan peered out of his office. Again. “Yes?”
“We have a business dinner tonight at Markham’s Restaurant. Eight o’clock. I’d like you to accompany me. Paul Worthington is bringing his wife, Jenelle.”
Faith nodded. “All right, I’ll make a note of that.”
A business dinner. Her first social event as Ryan’s wife.
Her stomach fluttered at the thought of going out in public as Ryan’s wife. She hoped she’d handle herself appropriately. At least she had something decent to wear.
Faith showered and changed into a soft beige Chanel dress with a scoop neck, accentuated with a wide gold belt at the waist. She slipped on matching shoes and wound her hair up in a twist, leaving several tendrils escaping at the side of her face.
She had to admit the look worked. Since her new haircut, she’d bought a couple fashion magazines and played with some loose and easy styles for her new, shorter hair, just for a change of pace. The upsweep looked, well, elegant.
But underneath the clothes and hair was the same old Faith. You can change the packaging as much as you want, but the product remains the same.
“Are you ready?” Ryan stepped out of the dressing area, impeccably attired in a black suit, simple white shirt and designer tie.
Faith sighed. “Yes.”
His eyes traveled the length of her body, warming her from the inside out. His lips quirked into the hint of a smile.
“You look very nice,” he said in a voice so deep it vibrated her nerve endings.
“Thank you.”
They started for the door but Ryan stopped her. “Wait a second, I forgot something.” He went to his dresser and pulled out a long black box. “This is for you.”
Faith gasped. Inside the box lay an exquisite necklace of princess cut canary diamonds with matching drop earrings. She looked up at Ryan’s pleased face.
Surely he didn’t mean this jewelry for her. It was worth a fortune.
There must have been over fifty sparkling diamonds adorning the front of the necklace, strung on an elegant gold chain.
“You want me to wear these tonight?” They matched her dress perfectly.
“Of course.”
She peered down at the necklace and back at Ryan, shaking her head.
His brows furrowed. “They’re a gift, Faith. For you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my wife. And because I wanted to give you a gift.”
His eyes were a raging bonfire, ever darkening smoke swirling through and mesmerizing her like a hypnotist.
“Turn around and I’ll put the necklace on you.”
As he leaned forward to drape the necklace over her and closed the clasp, his chest brushed against her back. His hands warmed her skin, lightly caressing the side of her throat with his thumbs.
It was impossible to concentrate when he touched her like that. She waited for him to step away, but he didn’t. Instead she felt the press of his lips against the side of her neck, evoking desire so fierce she panicked. She quickly moved away and turned, escaping that fire only to see it still reflected in his smoky eyes.
“The necklace is lovely, Ryan. Thank you.”
He gave her a knowing smile and nodded. “You’re welcome. Put the earrings on. We’d better leave so we’re not late.”
“Paul and Jenelle Worthington are a prominent Las Vegas couple, frequently occupying the cover page of Las Vegas Style magazine,” Ryan explained on the way to the restaurant. “They’re both from old money.”
“Old money?”
“Yeah. Paul’s family has been building hotels and casinos in the Las Vegas area for almost as long as hotels have been around.”
“So, why the dinner tonight?”
He shifted the Ferrari’s gears. “Paul’s looking to retire. The Worthingtons have no heirs to take over for them, so he wants to sell ownership in some of his hotels in order to make his business more manageable.”
“And McKay Corporation wants some of those hotels.”
Ryan smiled. “You got it.”
Faith tried not to fidget as they approached the restaurant. She had frequently accompanied Ryan to business events. But this was business mixed with her first social appearance as his wife. She didn’t want to screw this up.
“What’s wrong?” Ryan asked as he whipped the vehicle around a corner.
The restaurant was only a few miles ahead. Faith inhaled deeply, trying to quell the flutters in her stomach. This was one of those times she wished Ryan didn’t drive so fast. She managed a smile. “Nothing.”