Accidental Proposal (A Year Agreement Book 1) (7 page)

“Are you a rapist?” she finally asked after a few minutes of silence.

“No.” I tried not to roll my eyes at her.

“Are you a killer?”

“No.”

“I will only get in the car if you tell me your name.”

“Liam, Liam Stanford.” I waited to see if she would recognize me, but surprisingly, she didn’t. I stepped aside and gestured to the car door. Hearing her sigh, I smiled inwardly and opened the door for her. Once I was in, I waved my driver forward and watched Jenna out of the corner of my eye. She was leaning against the door, trying to stay as far away as possible. About ten minutes later, the car came to a stop and I got out, waiting for Jenna. I figured since it was late and cold, we could talk over some coffee. Opening the front door to Starbucks, I waited impatiently for Jenna to notice. When we finally got inside, she went straight to the counter, which had a very bored barista behind it. After hearing her order, I walked up behind her and purposely stood close by, telling the girl my order.

I noticed when she pushed her chest out toward me, but I ignored her as I paid. I walked to a table, glad no one else was here at this time of night; I wasn’t surprised this place was open at 11:30. It was New York, after all. A few minutes later, the barista girl came and brought us our drinks and left, but not before practically pushing her breasts into my face. Normally I would go for it, but not today or with someone so young.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Jenna finally asked, taking a sip of her drink.

“I want you to be my wife,” I stated bluntly. Better to get straight to the point. I watched as she choked on her drink.

“W-What did you just say?” she choked out.

“I want you to be my wife.” I took a sip of my coffee and leaned back, watching her. It wasn’t that hard to understand. The air suddenly rang with Jenna’s laughter. “Why are you laughing?” I bit out.

“Because you’re joking.” When I didn’t agree that I was, she fell silent. “Are you being serious? We don’t even know each other! Hell, I just met you minutes ago!” she yelled.

“Keep it down!” I hissed. I didn’t want anybody else to know about this. It was going to stay between the two of us.

“How can you ask me that after you just practically proposed to me?” she replied. “You have to be joking right now, Liam. I am not going to marry you!”

“Yes, you will. I am not asking you to be my wife forever. I am asking you to be my wife for a year. Nothing more, nothing less.” I only needed her so my parents could get to know her. Then, when I took the business, she would be gone. I couldn’t care less where she went after that. I explained to her why I needed her and what she would get afterwards. I could tell she was really thinking about it, and I grinned mentally.

After dropping her off at her apartment, I knew she would say yes. This place was a dive and in a terrible part of town. A part of me wanted to make her say yes right now so I could get her out of this place faster, but I didn’t. She needed to make this decision on her own. Driving back home, I leaned back in my seat and rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. I knew if she took the deal, she was going to make it harder than it needed to be.

I pulled into the garage and sighed. I was right. Jenna was making this harder than it needed to be. She didn’t seem to get I was only doing this because I had to, not because I wanted to be with her. During the last few nights, I’d purposely stayed away from the house because I didn’t want to get questioned. I didn’t have everything figured out yet, and I couldn’t answer her questions.

Yes, last night shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t have brought Breanna over and slept with her with Jenna in the house. But, at the time, I wanted Jenna to know I wasn’t going to be all cuddly and nice when I didn’t have to be. This deal was strictly professional. It didn’t help though, when she would look at me with those piercing green eyes of hers or when she smiled. I wouldn’t ever admit it out loud, but her stubbornness was refreshing. I liked that she argued with me.

Shaking my head at myself, I walked into the house. I would not fall for Jenna, I promised myself. As I walked down the hall, I heard music and saw light coming from the living room. Frowning, I walked toward the living room and saw credits rolling for a movie. I didn’t see Jenna asleep on the couch until the light from the TV flashed across her face. Her long eyelashes framed her cheeks, and her pink lips were curved into a smile like she was having a good dream. Staring at her sleeping made something ache inside of my chest.

I glanced at the clock and saw it read 12:30. As gently as I could, I slid my hands under her butt and her upper back. I lifted her up and carried her toward her room. I felt her move in my arms, and I froze but relaxed a second later as she snuggled deeper in my chest. I softly laid her on the bed, pulling the blanket off of her sleeping form and placing the covers on top of her. I brushed a stray blonde piece of hair away from her face and smiled softly at her. I had only known her for a week, but she already had a small hold on me.

“Goodnight, Jenna,” I whispered softly down at her before making my way out of her door, shutting it softly, then heading to my room.

Chapter Seven

Jenna

“But, Mommy, I want to go with you!” my five-year-old self said. My little hands were on her wrist, trying to pull her back toward me. Her blonde hair fell around her face as she knelt in front of me. Her green eyes stared into mine, and I tried not to cry. It was dark, and I was tired. I wanted to go back to bed.

“Honey, I will be back soon. I just need you to stay right here until I get back,” she said, putting her hands on my little shoulders.

“I don’t want to stay here,” I whined again, holding my teddy bear in one hand and her arm in another.

“Jenna. Be a good girl and listen to Mommy,” my mom said sternly. Her soft tone was replaced with something else. She had been doing that a lot lately, being nice one second, then being cold and rude the next. It wasn’t always directed toward me, but these last two days it had been. I looked down at the ground and nodded softly. I would always listen to Mommy. “I want you to know I love you, Jenna. I’ll be back soon.” She stood up and laid a quick kiss to my forehead. Giving me one last look, she turned and walked away, leaving me on the doorstep of some house.

I watched her go, clenching my teddy bear tightly against my chest as tears rolled down my chubby cheeks. Even though I was only five, I somehow knew she wasn’t going to come back. I watched her until I couldn’t see her anymore. I sat down on the steps and stared in the direction she’d gone. Hours passed, and soon the sun started to come up. My tears had stopped and dried on my cheeks, my eyes drooping shut every minute, but I would force them open in case my mommy came back.
Mommy will be back.
I sat there, waiting to see her tall figure come around the corner.

I woke up with a start and felt tears rolling down my cheeks. I wiped them away, feeling my chest ache. I hadn’t had that dream in a while. I used to quite often when I was younger, but over the years it disappeared. With a soft sigh, I slumped back in my bed.
Wait? I’m in my bed?
I jerked up and looked around my room.
I don’t remember coming in here last night.
I remembered watching a movie and falling asleep on the couch, not here. Confused, I got out of bed and walked out of my room, oblivious to how my hair looked and that I was only in my PJs.

Surprisingly, Liam was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee and eating what looked like eggs. I saw it was only seven in the morning. I headed to the coffee machine, in dire need of some. My head hurt and my eyes ached. It felt like I’d cried in my sleep.

“Good morning,” Liam said from behind me, surprising me. I almost spilled the coffee I was pouring.

“Morning,” I croaked out, my throat dry. I brought my cup to my lips and took a quick gulp, wetting my mouth and needing the caffeine.

“Did you sleep okay?” I was really surprised that he was talking to me, but not wanting him to stop, I turned around.

“I did, thank you. Did you help put me in my bed last night?” I asked, leaning against the counter in front of him. He looked up, and I saw him look over my attire, then back to my eyes.

“I did. I came home late and found you asleep on the couch. Thought you would be more comfortable in your own bed.” As he talked, I couldn’t help but like the way his voice sounded. It was kind of deep but smooth and seemed to wash over me like water.
Wonder what his morning voice sounds like?

Shaking the thought away, I replied, “Thank you, my bed is a lot more comfortable than the couch.” I sent him a smile, to which he nodded. Hey, it was progress.

“I hired an assistant for you,” Liam said a minute later. I raised my eyebrow at that. I needed an assistant? He must have seen the look on my face. “She’s not really an assistant. More of a, what do you girls call it…makeup fashion person.” He waved his hand around. I bit back a grin at his words. “She’ll help you pick out clothes, do your makeup for special occasions, and later help with your schedule.”

“My schedule?”

“Yes. When we come out with our engagement, people are going to want to see you and meet with you. You’re going to have to be a social elite. Being a Stanford, you have to attend events and become involved in certain activities.” The idea of having to become a social elite didn’t sound so good. I didn’t want to go to parties and talk to snooty rich people. Just the thought of it made me want to crawl into a hole and stay there.

“I have to?” I asked, giving him my puppy dog eyes.

“Yes, you will. And nope, puppy dog eyes don’t work on me,” he said, standing up and gathering his plates.
Damn it.

“Fine,” I said defensively. “What is my assistant’s name?”

“Lennon Anderson. She will be here around nine, and she will be taking you shopping for some clothes. This Saturday we are going to my parents’ so they can meet you.”

“Isn’t that a little too soon?” I asked. I wasn’t ready to start meet his family and immediately start lying to them.

“No. My mother keeps pestering me about meeting you, and so does my sister,” Liam said, setting his dishes in the sink. “I am thinking tomorrow we will go out and get a ring.”

“A ring?”

“Did you hit your head last night? Yes, an engagement ring, Jenna.” Oh, right. It was way too early for this much information.

“Right. I knew that,” I said, sending him a sheepish smile.

“I have to go to work. Let me know when Lennon gets here.” He nodded at me, then left. I stared after him, trying to absorb everything he’d just told me. I had an assistant, I was getting an engagement ring tomorrow, and Saturday I had to meet Liam’s parents. Wow, I could easily freak out right now. And, on top of that, Liam had an actual conversation with me.

With everything running through my mind, I headed back to my room to get ready before Lennon arrived. I spent the next two hours taking my time to get ready. I showered, shaved, made my bed, did my dishes as well as Liam’s, and got dressed. I slipped on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a thin teal-colored sweater. I would like to say I have pretty good style, but not having much money, I usually just bought cheap items. Most of my clothes were really worn and/or came from the Salvation Army. I guess by having an assistant dressing me and having money, my style would get better.

Right as my butt hit the couch, the sound of knocking on the front door had me right back up again. I unlocked the door and opened it up, revealing a short, pretty, dark-haired girl. Her hair was dark brown and went past her upper back. Her skin looked porcelain, but with an olive tone. I knew she must have a mixed heritage. Staring up at me was a pair of pretty brown, almost hazel eyes.

“Hi, you must be Jenna. I’m Lennon!” She beamed at me, sticking her hand out to shake mine.

“Oh, hi, yes, that’s me. Nice to meet you.” I shook her hand and stepped back. “Come in.” I followed her to the living room, and she jumped onto the couch.

“So what did Liam tell you about me as your ‘assistant’?” she asked, looking at me.

“Um, just that you’d be picking my outfits and helping me get ready for events, then my schedule later on. That’s about it.” I was surprised she called Liam by his first name, honestly.

“Of course, that sounds like Liam,” Lennon said, rolling her eyes. She must have seen my confused look. “I grew up with him.” Oh, that made sense. She didn’t look to be twenty-four, though.

“Ohhh.”

“I can tell from that tone that you don’t really like him?”

“No, I do. He’s just…” I tried searching for the right word.

“Confusing? Cold? Shuts everyone out? Yeah, I know what you mean. But once you get to know him, he’s the greatest person you could ever meet.” She smiled at me. When she talked about Liam, I could tell they had history together. Whether it was romantic or just friendship, I didn’t know. “And I want you to know I know about the deal. I didn’t want you to worry about that around me.” That was one less person I had to lie to. “Anyways, ready to go shopping? We are going to make you look sexy.”

I couldn’t help but grin. There was something about Lennon I liked. I don’t know if it was her carefree vibe or her slight quirkiness. I knew I would like her, even if I had only just met her two seconds ago.

“Okay, let me call Garrett to come around,” I said, grabbing my phone.

“Hey, Jenna. What can I do you for?”

“Would it be okay if you came and picked me up? Lennon, my new assistant, is taking me shopping.”

“Sure, no problem. Be there in just a minute.” With that, he hung up.

“He’ll be here in a minute. What are we going shopping for?” I asked.

“Everything! We need to get you dresses, skirts, blouses, heels, makeup,” she rattled off. I stared at her as she listed off what we needed to do today. Well, good thing we were starting a little after nine or we wouldn’t be finished by tonight. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but don’t worry. I will prep you with everything you will need to know. And you’ll look great while doing so.” She grinned at me cheekily.

I quickly went back to my room to grab my bag before meeting Lennon at the front door, which was open. She was talking to Garrett.

“Hey,” I said, interrupting their conversation.

“Hey, Jenna. Ready to go shopping?” Garrett asked, his voice changing to a high pitch at the word “shopping.”

“OMG yes!” I said back in the same annoying, high-pitched voice. Beside me, Lennon laughed, and he chuckled.

“Well, right this way, m’lady.” He stepped back and gestured toward the car. Lennon and I slid into the back seat as Garrett started the car and drove down the driveway. “So, Oak Ridge Mall?” Lennon answered for me, since I didn’t know.

“This mall has the best stuff. It’s a little pricy, but that’s not a problem,” she said, waving her hand.

“Can’t I just get some new pairs of jeans and a few shirts?” I asked. I really didn’t like dressing up at all.

“No can do. Liam talked to me and said I can only let you get ‘fancy’ clothing. His words, not mine.”

I guess I couldn’t say I hated shopping, since I’d never done it extensively, but the sound of going to thousands of stores to try on stuff didn’t seem fun to me.

“Come on, Jenna, doesn’t shopping for hours sound like a blast?” Garrett asked in a high-pitched voice again as he looked at me in the review mirror.

“Very fun,” I replied sarcastically.

“It’s going to be fun, don’t worry,” Lennon said.
Yeah, right.
We pulled up to the entrance of the mall, and Lennon got out.

“Do you want to tag along, or do you want me to call you when we are finished?” I offered to Garrett.

“Shopping with two girls…I’ll come and pick you guys up later. I have to keep my masculinity intact, but have fun,” he said, shaking his head.

“I’ll try. Call you later.” With that, I got out of the car and shut the door before following Lennon inside the huge mall.

For the next couple of hours, we went to a ton of different stores, trying on practically everything they had. I stopped counting how many times I had been inside a dressing room.

I was carrying about six bags that were full of clothes, and Lennon said we still had a few more stores to go to. So far shopping hadn’t been too bad, actually. Lennon was fun to hang out with, and there were a few times where I was almost on the floor laughing from her stories.

I learned about a little bit of her childhood with Liam and another guy named Blake. Apparently they all met when they were in seventh grade. Lennon had moved here from New Hampshire in the middle of the school year. Liam and Blake were already best friends, since their parents were friends, so when Lennon was getting picked on by some kids, they came to her rescue and they had been friends ever since, along with Liam’s sister, Julie.

When I asked about Blake, I watched as her eyes glazed over when she described him. He was apparently tall, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. He was also muscular and apparently went to the gym on a regular basis.
Blake worked at his father’s construction company. They built everything from hotels to apartment buildings, even most of Liam's hotels.
As Lennon described him, I knew she had a crush on her best friend. I hadn’t met the guy, but I already knew I would like him.

I also learned that Lennon was a professional stylist/makeup artist. She had done everything from makeup for actors and actresses to Victoria’s Secret models. Right now she had a small vacation, so she’d agreed to be my stylist for a while. As we walked into “one last store,” which were Lennon’s words even though she’d said that the last three stores, she turned to me.

“I don’t want to intrude on your personal life or anything, but what made you take that deal of Liam’s? I still can’t believe he’s stooped so low to take over his father’s business,” she asked, leafing through the rack of clothes.

“Well, I…I have some money issues, and I know it wasn’t that best decision I have ever made, but the deal sounded good at the time. I never really thought of what I would have to do or what would be expected of me. I don’t know what I was thinking at the time, agreeing to be his wife,” I admitted. “It has only been five or six days, and I already regret it.”