Hysteria tickled my throat, and an overwhelming urge to laugh worked its way upward.
He wrapped an arm around my waist and held out his free hand to Brendan. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Keegan. Tessa’s fiancé.”
Chapter Three
Tessa
The world around me faded to black, and my legs quivered. I bit back a whimper and was half glad the stranger had his arm around my waist to stop me from crumpling onto the ground.
This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Maybe I was dreaming, and if I clicked my heels three times, I’d wake up at home.
Brendan smiled and shook the stranger’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m glad you could make it. Tessa said you were away on business till the New Year.”
The man gazed down at me. “I couldn’t let Tessa do such a big job on her own.”
Cold fear clawed at my chest. “How—”
“Never mind how.” He nudged his hip against mine. “Are you surprised?”
“You could say that.” My words were nothing more than a strangled whisper. I needed to talk to this man on my own. Find out what kind of cruel joke he was playing and who had put him up to it.
No one in my life knew about the fake fiancé story I’d spun to win the job. “Brendan, Barb, could you give us a minute? I’d like to bring my fiancé up to speed on a few things.”
Brendan’s confused eyes darted between Keegan and me, obviously sensing something was up. “Barb, let’s go look at the honeymoon suite again. See where we can pink it up.”
“I knew you’d come to your senses.” Barb grabbed Brendan’s bicep and pulled him toward the stairs.
A rush of anger heated my veins and pummeled my brain, resulting in a headache that threatened to crack my skull in two. What was this guy after? Whatever it was, he wouldn’t get it. Half-dragging him, I marched into Brendan’s office. Fury and fear hammered inside of me, seeking a way out.
I slammed the door shut and spun around to face him.
“Who are you, and what the hell do you think you’re doing?” My voice shook, and I didn’t attempt to hide my anger. Being sweet and polite to someone who’d dropped a world-ending lie at my feet was pointless.
Mr. Alpha Male settled himself on the swivel chair behind Brendan’s desk and glowered. “Your fiancé. Don’t you recognize me?”
I pressed my white-knuckled fists onto the desk. “Who. The. Fuck. Are. You.”
“Keegan Devlin, Devlin Events.” He leaned back in the chair.
“Who?” Thoughts charged through my mind, searching for his name. After a few seconds, a neon light went off in my head, and I realized who he was. “You—you pitched for the wedding. Violet’s assistant sent me a list…”
“So much for anonymity. I did some digging. I was curious how someone with your stellar reputation managed to get this gig.”
Blood buzzed through my ears, throwing off my equilibrium, and I steadied my thighs against the desk to stop from keeling over.
He clasped his hands together and leaned across the desk. A grimace contorted his handsome face. “You’re a con artist and a liar.”
I gave my head a vehement shake. After everything Shane had put me through, the last thing I’d ever do was con anyone. How was I going to get myself out of this mess? Beg for his silence and explain what had happened? Explain how foolish I’d been to fall for promises of forever? Offer him my body in exchange for his silence?
The suspicious glint in his eyes told me he wouldn’t give a shit if I got on my knees and kissed his feet.
“I might be a liar, but I’ve never conned anyone out of anything.” I curled one of my hands into a fist, hankering to punch his perfect nose. “What do you want? If it’s money you’re after, you’re too late. Someone already took every penny I had.”
I pushed away from the desk before I caused him some grievous bodily harm and paced the narrow space. The ancient floorboards groaned with every step as if sensing my distress. There had to be some way to persuade him to leave. Something I could give him.
“What do I want?” Keegan stood, prowled across the room, and situated himself in front of a grimy bay window. He locked his hands behind his back and stood there like the lord of the manor. “Let’s see… I want you to resign, and I want my company to come in and, as it were, save the day.”
“Exactly what the world needs,” I said, not even attempting to hide my sarcasm, “a wedding-planning superhero. What are your powers? Decorating a cake in ten seconds?”
He shrugged with seeming indifference. “You scammed your way into a contract. A contract that belongs to my company.”
Sandpaper grated my parched throat, and I stopped pacing. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when I was so close to making a success of things. “Look, I’m sorry if your feelings are hurt. This isn’t personal. It’s business. I need this job. If I lose it, I’ll lose—”
“Your dignity?” He sneered then smirked. “I’d say you’ve already lost that.”
Acid laced fury ate its way up my esophagus, burning holes in my throat. I wanted to scream that if I lost this wedding, I’d lose everything.
“I’m good at my job.” My words did nothing to conceal my desperation. “Whatever you’ve heard, it isn’t true.”
“Seems true enough for the couples who paid deposits for wedding receptions that didn’t happen.” He regarded me coolly, hatred shining through his eyes. “A thief as well as a liar. Your parents must be so proud.”
“I’m not a thief,” I said on a low breath. My plan was
