Romance: The Tiger's Hired Mate: BBW Tiger Shifter Romance Standalone (Spicy Shifters Book 2) (3 page)

“But you want me to masquerade as your girlfriend,” Amanda countered.  “Why?”

Joshua shrugged his broad shoulders.  “Natasha would like to believe she ripped my heart in two.  It gives her tremendous satisfaction to make men suffer.  I’ve been single since we split, not because I’m still not over her, but because I choose to be.  However, the media and Natasha believe otherwise.  It will be rather amusing to me for her to see me happy and madly in love with the girl of my dreams.  I expect you to play your part well, Miss Brooks.  You must convince her and the guests that you are head over heels in love with me.  So, what do you say?  Will you do it or not?”

It wouldn’t be too hard, Amanda mused.  Her eyes lingered on the graceful curve of his neck and she imagined trailing kisses along that powerful jaw of his.  A warm tingle suffused her, but she stopped herself from drifting too far away into fantasy.  It seemed utterly bewildering that someone like him would be interested in her, especially after being with a flawless beauty like Natasha.  In fact, it made no sense at all. 

In the office he barely acknowledged her existence, while he was more than happy to chat with Sabrina, beaming at her compliments and flirting outrageously with her.  Around Amanda though, he became closed off and unapproachable.  He’d actually flinched a few times when he’d entered the outer office, coming on her unawares.  No, she wasn’t the type of woman that would interest him.  Men liked him preferred something far more glamorous.  This proposition was some kind of sick joke on his part. 

By rights, she should walk out there and then.  She stayed where she was though, for once letting her brain make the decisions rather than her heart.  So what if he was using her?  If she did what he asked and carried it off, it could open up a whole vista of possibilities she couldn’t begin to imagine.  Swallowing down her dignity was a small price to pay.

“It looks like I don’t have much of a choice,” she said in a reluctant voice.

“There’s no need to look so miserable about it,” Joshua said sharply.  The dark anger she’d seen earlier resurfaced and she went rigid in her chair.  “I’m not going to chain you up inside a cave and drop rats into your hair.  You’re getting a two week paid vacation at one of the most expensive weddings of the decade,” he sneered.  A shadow flitted across his face.  “You have more choice than you can ever begin to imagine,” he said more gently.  Amanda could taste the bitterness in his tone and frowned.

“I’m very grateful, Mr. Tarran,” she said with feeling.  “Don’t worry, I won’t let you down.”

Joshua gave a sharp nod.  He retrieved his i-pad from the corner of the desk and switched it on.  Amanda sat in awkward silence, unsure what to do.  After a few moments Joshua looked up at her and scowled. 

“You can go now,” he said with an imperious wave of his hand.

Amanda bridled at the gesture but kept her cool.  She’d just saved her job and was about to get the biggest career break of her whole life.  She needed to remain professional and focus on playing the loving girlfriend.  Her heart sank.  If Joshua was going to be like this for the whole two weeks, she was going to have to give an Oscar winning performance. 

“Thank you, Mr. Tarran,” she said dutifully and got to her feet.

“Don’t thank me, just don’t mess this up,” Joshua replied, returning his attention to his i-pad.  “Make sure you’re ready to leave on Friday.  You’ll get an advance on your salary too.  Go and buy yourself some suitable outfits.  Remember, you’re going to be on show for two weeks so make sure you make a good impression.”

Amanda nodded stiffly and headed for the door.  Any notion she had that he might be remotely interested in her died there and then.  He was playing a bigger game and she was just a pawn.  Well, if that was the case so be it.  She didn’t need a man to be happy.  She needed no one but herself.  As she left the office, her mind raced with the implications of what she’d just agreed to.  All she could do now was hope for the best and hope she did enough to please the high and mighty Joshua Tarran.  If nothing else, it was going to be a pretty interesting two weeks.

* * *

Joshua pretended to study his i-pad as Amanda left the office, waiting until she’d closed the door before tossing it aside and putting his head in his hands.  He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a muffled groan.

“Why am I such an arrogant dork?” he hissed to the darkened room.  “Moron!  Moron!  Moron!”

He heaved himself out of his chair and stalked over to the drinks cabinet.  Amanda’s perfume still lingered in the air, and he breathed in deeply, savouring her scent.  As he poured himself a scotch on the rocks, he replayed the scene that had just unfolded, wincing at his behaviour.

He had been far too arrogant, pretending to be the big man.  She must have thought he was a complete and utter jerk.  In fact, he’d been surprised that she’d even accepted his strange proposal.  He’d been both relieved and terrified when she did say yes, that now he was completely confused.

He took a swig of his drink, enjoying the sharp burn as it slipped down his throat.  It calmed his nerves and he started to think a little clearer about what had just happened.  He couldn’t help the way he acted around her.  The girl was intoxicating, provoking feelings inside him he hoped he’d mastered a long time ago.  He let out a bitter laugh.  Clearly he wasn’t the big player he liked to present to the world.

He sighed heavily and wandered back to his desk.  Sinking back into his chair, he pictured Amanda sitting opposite him.  His mind travelled over her curvy, perfect body and her cute little face.  He longed to run his fingers through her silky hair, trailing kisses along the side of her face and neck, pressing her against his body and enveloping her in his arms.  The touch of her lips and the taste of her soft skin unleashed a deep primal hunger.  For one wild moment, he was tempted to call her back in right now and express his true feelings.  He ached for her, and the pain was unbearable.

“Idiot,” he said under his breath.  “You’re an idiot.  She’ll think you’re crazy.”

Worse still, she might reject him out of hand.  That was a thought too terrible to contemplate.  Even more frightening was the possibility that she would accept him, but only so she would gain access to his wealth and all the freedoms and luxuries it offered.

The old cynicism that coiled like a serpent round his emotions quickly dampened his ardour.  His father had taught him long ago to control his feelings.  People were easily blinded by money, no matter how nice or honest they might be.  “Always remember, people don’t always see the man standing in front of them, just the passport to all their impossible dreams,” was one of dad’s old adages.

That had certainly been the case with Natasha.  But Amanda, it seemed different.  Ever since she’d started working for him, she’d had a profound effect on him that no woman had done before.  His chest got tight whenever she was near by, and he became tongue-tied and awkward.  Even saying ‘good morning’ to her had required phenomenal effort. 

Before long, this strange power she had over him began to make him angry.  The only way he could handle all these feelings was to retreat behind his cold, sardonic exterior.  This was his safe place, where he could stay in control.  The way he treated her when he behaved this way was like a knife wound to his stomach, he couldn’t deny that, but it was a brutal necessity.

Her soft, hazel bright eyes stalked his imagination, filled with cutting intelligence and sensual promise.  His resolve crumbled, and he pictured them together, wrapped in a loving embrace, his hungry tongue exploring every inch of her warm, creamy skin. 

“Damn you, Amanda,” he whispered huskily.

His dad had warned him this day would come.  The one woman that could tame him would step into his life and everything would change.  Amanda was the one, all his instincts screamed.  This was it, the moment he had prepared for all his life.

Still, he hesitated.  He could be wrong.  He was about Natasha after all.  She had bewitched him too, albeit on a purely physical level.  He could be making the same mistake with Amanda too, hence this charade with the wedding.  He needed to get to know her, understand what made her tick and to reach in to her very soul.  Only then could he reveal the deep secret that had kept him a slave all his life. 

Fear paralysed him.  He had held onto his secret nature for so long he wasn’t even sure he could even attempt to share it with another living being.  All he could do was wait and see how events played out.

Closing his tired eyes, he finished his drink and growled softly.

Chapter 3: Pleasure Island

              If the hotel Joshua had offered to host the wedding celebrations at was his idea of shabby, Amanda couldn’t begin to imagine what he actually considered to be luxurious.  Sitting in Joshua’s private plane, Amanda watched their descent on the video screen and tried not to let her mouth hang open.  Not only was the hotel situated in the vast expanse of Indian Ocean on one of the most beautiful tropical islands she had ever seen in her life, to her mind it was also the one of the largest and palatial edifices ever conceived.

Overlooking a bay of sparkling blue water, and flanked by the dark, vibrant sprawl of rainforest, the Shere Khan Hotel was a sweeping citadel of pristine white stone.  Amanda drank in the magnificent jumble of grand towers, huge courtyards and elegant stambhas.  Enclosed parks flourished with neatly trimmed lawns and lush vegetation, and exquisite blue domed apartments surrounded crystal bright swimming pools.  It was like some kind of fantastical dream world, a passionate love letter to beauty and opulence.

“The Shere Khan is my humble effort to stimulate the jaded palettes of the ultra-wealthy,” Joshua had informed her in his droll way.  “Nestled away on the virtually unknown island paradise of Maho, my little hotel caters to every single whim and need of its exclusive clientele, for the right price of course.  You see, Miss Brooks, the rich are afflicted with a terrible disease called boredom.  The Shere Khan does a damn good job of relieving the symptoms, but the illness can never truly be cured.  People are never satisfied.”

There had been the same underlying bitterness in his tone when he’d explained this that she’d detected back in the office, on the day he’d made his extraordinary proposition.  It struck her that despite his fabulous wealth and power, Joshua seemed to be carrying a deep unhappiness inside him.  It both sparked her sympathy and curiosity.  She wanted to know more of this troubled, complex man.  He had an irresistible veil of mystery around him that she was eager to peer behind, if only he gave her chance.

She’d certainly not had much chance to get to know him so far.  Ever since she’d agreed to attend Natasha Grant’s wedding, he’d been nowhere near the office.  The next time she saw him in the flesh was when a limousine had turned up at eight am on the appointed day to take her from her apartment to the airport.

Joshua had been waiting in his private jet, and barely grunted two words to her before retreating to his private cabin.  Much to her chagrin, he’d left her with a pile of paperwork to get on with for the duration of the journey.

Amanda turned away from the monitor and looked around the compartment she was sitting it.  Joshua’s jet was a flying mansion in itself, with spacious living apartments, cocktail bar, conference room and fully functioning galley with its own chef.  Joshua emerged from his quarters from time to time to briefly explain about the hotel and to check on her work, but for most of the trip he stayed sequestered away playing on his PS4, as Amanda found out when she went to see him to clarify something.

Despite her luxury surroundings and the prospect of arriving at the hotel, she was regretting taking him up on his offer.  It was now painfully clear he had not even a flicker of interest for her, neither romantically or as a potential friend.  She’d been hired for a specific role, and she was beginning to doubt she’d have any chance of convincingly playing the loving girlfriend. 

She virtually knew next to nothing about the man, and she had no idea of how to interact with the wealthy and cultured people she was no doubt going to be mingling with.  She would make some ghastly faux pas, she just knew it, and end up humiliating herself. 

It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been laughing stock so she was tough enough to handle it, but Joshua would also be humiliated as a consequence and she severely doubted he’d be as philosophical about it as she would be.  He would fire her for sure, and she’d be back to square one like she was when she escaped from Scott.  It was not fair.

Joshua’s sudden arrival stirred her from her broodings.  He sauntered across the cabin, looking damn fine in his pale blue summer shirt and turned-up tan coloured chinos.  Navy slip-ons encased his bare feet, and he wore a pair of uber-cool steel-rimmed shades over his eyes.  Amanda felt a warm flush in her cheeks and tried not to ogle the firm contours of his torso that were complimented by the shirt.

“Well, Miss Brooks are you ready for your date with destiny?” he asked breezily, coming to stand over her.  He gazed around distractedly, not even deigning to look at her.  Amanda felt a surge of irritation.

“Amanda,” she said quietly.

She saw his eyebrows knit together behind his shades.  “I’m sorry?”

“My name’s Amanda, it might be a good idea to call me that rather than Miss Brooks.  It might help allay any suspicions.”  She didn’t bother to hide the caustic tone in her voice, convinced beyond doubt now that this whole ridiculous enterprise was now doomed to failure. 

A wry smile spread across his face.  “Not a bad idea, Amanda.  You can call me Joshua, naturally, or sex god, if you prefer.”

Amanda gave him a nonplussed look.  “I think Joshua will suffice.”

“As you wish.”

He stayed with her as the jet came into land.  Unsurprisingly, the hotel had its own private airfield located at the rear of the complex.  It overlooked a private marina that was brimming with an armada of luxury yachts and pleasure boats, no doubt belonging to the guests who were attending the wedding. 

Joshua had explained that the hotel was closed to everyone who had not been invited, and that there were going to be a staggering eight thousand people in attendance.  Judging by the colossal size of the Shere Khan though, Amanda imagined it could more than easily fit that amount of people in one of its stair closets.

As they came into land, a welcoming committee had begun to gather.  Looking at their pristine white and blue uniforms, Amanda took them to be members of the hotel staff.  They waited dutifully whilst the airstair opened out to allow her and Joshua to descend.  Joshua went first, naturally, and Amanda followed him a little hesitantly.  The journey had taken a little over twenty-four hours, and now she realised with a jolt that now it was time to begin the charade she honestly had no idea what to do.

“Just relax, and act natural,” Joshua said softy, seemingly picking up on her anxieties.  It wasn’t an order, and there was no trace of the usual brusqueness in him.  The gentle timbre of his voice made her relax a little.

“You look great, by the way,” he added, as he stepped off the airstair and onto the tarmac.

The compliment came like a bolt out of the blue, and she had to stop herself from staring after him in disbelief.  The intense heat and bright sunshine had already left her a little disorientated after the air-conditioned interior of the jet, and now Joshua’s sudden attention to her almost bowled her over.  She tingled with pleasure as she glanced down at the outfit she’d chosen for the arrival. 

It was a tasteful white summer dress with a blue and green floral print.  It was one of the dresses she’d paid for with the advance Joshua provided for her.  She’d fallen in love with it straight away and had to have it.  She’d also purchased a couple of flattering evening gowns and some casual wear. 

The money she’d spent was only a fraction of what Joshua had given her however, and though she wouldn’t dare tell him, she’d used the rest to hire a private live-in carer to help Mr. Jacobson cope with his wife while she was away.  She felt a little guilty at not using his advance for what it was originally intended for, but helping the Jacobsons felt like the right thing to do.

By now, she had joined Joshua on the tarmac and mentally prepared for what was to come.  The eyes of the hotel staff were all on her, and her resolve began to falter.  She had to fight the urge to bolt back into the plane.

Without a word, Joshua brought his large hand up to envelop hers.  The sudden contact sent an electric thrill up her spine.  He was taller than her, and being so close now, she was enveloped in his physical presence.  He radiated strength and power and his presence gave her a surge of confidence.  Without meaning to, she gave his hand a squeeze.  He glanced at her, a dazzling smile on his face.

An attractive, petite woman advanced from the welcoming committee and met them as they approached.  “Joshua,” the woman said with a friendly smile, her alpine white teeth contrasting nicely with the moccasin hue of her skin.  “It’s so good to see you again.”

“And you too, Rebecca,” Joshua replied warmly, kissing her on the cheek.  The gesture of casual affection sent a spike of jealously through Amanda, and she scolded herself for letting her emotions get the better of her.

Rebecca’s attention fixed on her, and a gleam of curiosity flared in her eyes.  “You’re very welcome too, ma’am.”

“Rebecca, let me introduce you to Amanda.  Amanda, Rebecca is the manageress here.  She makes sure the Shere Khan runs with clockwork precision, as well as attending to a myriad more vital duties.  Without her, my whole empire would grind to a halt.”

“Quit with the balcony, Josh.  It’s too early in the morning,” Rebecca replied, grinning broadly.  She must have seen the look of shock on Amanda’s face because she laughed out loud.  “Sorry Amanda, but I’m sure you’re used to his pretty speeches by now.”

“Don’t apologise,” Amanda said, warming to the woman.  “I know exactly what you mean.”

“I am still here you know,” Joshua drawled.  “Do you mind ripping into my character flaws when I’m not around?”

“Sorry, darling,” Amanda said playfully.  “We didn’t mean to make you feel self-conscious.”

Joshua leaned forward and kissed her softly on the neck, brushing her hair out of the way with just the lightest of touches.  A tremor of desire went through her body at the feel of his lips on her skin.  Her breath quickened, suddenly caught off guard by the dizzying effect he was having on her.

“I forgive you,” he said, all sardonic humour erased from his voice.  “I need bringing down off my high pedestal from time to time.”

Amanda wanted so badly to kiss him hard on the lips, but resisted the urge.  This was all a performance, she told herself sternly.  He wanted to make it look convincing in front of Rebecca, and he could turn on the charm whenever it suited him.  Scott had been just the same.

Thinking about her ex deadened the happy glow in her tummy.  All men were the same, she reflected grimly, and she was an idiot to think Joshua was any different.  This was all a big game, nothing more.

“We have prepared your private suite, Joshua,” Rebecca was now saying.  “Everything is how you like it.”  She paused and gave Amanda a meaningful look.  “Of course, we thought you were coming alone, but that’s no problem.  I take it you’ll be sharing the rooms?”

“Yes thank you, Rebecca,” replied Joshua.  “I’m sorry I didn’t give you advance notice, but I asked Amanda to come with me on the spur of the moment, didn’t I baby?  It was very good of you to come along at short notice.”

“I’m just a regular Mother Teresa,” Amanda said, a cutting undertone to her voice.  Joshua gave her hand a hard squeeze and she caught the warning side-glance he gave her from behind his shades.

“It’s no problem at all,” Rebecca assured them.  She tilted her head and a playful look crossed her face.  “I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.  For a while Joshua seemed completely committed to the single life.  I was getting really worried.”

“I think most men are committed to the single life,” Amanda said.  “It’s the only commitment they are genuinely comfortable with.  I really have no idea how I enticed him away from his playboy existence and make an honest man of him.”

“Oh, all that playboy stuff is just an act for the media,” Rebecca said breezily.  “He thinks he needs to be like that because people wouldn’t understand that he is actually very clever and decent.  No, I was worried because he was retreating into his own private world.  Half of Maho is given over as a wildlife conservation park and I swear Joshua would go and live out there in the forests on his own if he didn’t have a business to run.”

“Thank you Rebecca, can you please not try and scare my girlfriend completely out of her wits?” Joshua asked in mock-exasperation.

The word girlfriend made Amanda feel special, and her frostiness began to thaw despite herself.  She was now intrigued at what Rebecca was saying and wanted to know more.  Her candour and seeming disregard for upsetting Joshua was mind-blowing as far as Amanda was concerned, and it felt like the manageress was being very genuine.  She acted more like a big sister than an employee.

“No, no, I’m very interested,” Amanda said eagerly.  “Josh can be a very private person.  I’d like to hear all the details from someone who knows all his little secrets.”

“Nobody knows all his little secrets,” Rebecca chuckled, “but I’d be happy to let you in on the first couple of hundred of them.”

“Perhaps if you charming ladies have finished dissecting me, maybe we could go and wash up,” Joshua said dryly.  “It’s been a pretty long flight.”

“Of course, my apologies,” Rebecca said smoothly, becoming the perfect hostess.  “I’ll have your luggage send to your rooms.  Oh, I almost forgot, how did you two meet?”