Pretend Girlfriend: A Reverse Harem Romance, page 1
Contents
Title
Copyright
Books by Cassie Cole
1 - Joanna
2 - Joanna
3 - Theo
4 - Joanna
5 - Landon
6 - Joanna
7 - Joanna
8 - Joanna
9 - Joanna
10 - Joanna
11 - Austin
12 - Joanna
13 - Theo
14 - Joanna
15 - Joanna
16 - Joanna
17 - Joanna
18 - Landon
19 - Joanna
20 - Joanna
21 - Joanna
22 - Joanna
23 - Joanna
24 - Austin
25 - Joanna
26 - Joanna
27 - Landon
28 - Joanna
29 - Joanna
30 - Joanna
31 - Joanna
32 - Theo
33 - Joanna
34 - Joanna
35 - Landon
36 - Joanna
37 - Joanna
38 - Joanna
39 - Joanna
40 - Joanna
41 - Joanna
42 - Joanna
43 - Austin
44 - Joanna
45 - Joanna
46 - Joanna
47 - Joanna
48 - Joanna
49 - Theo
50 - Joanna
51 - Joanna
52 - Landon
53 - Joanna
54 - Joanna
55 - Joanna
56 - Joanna
57 - Joanna
Epilogue
Bonus Chapter
Sneak Peek - Baby for the Billionaire
About the Author
Pretend Girlfriend
Copyright © 2024 Juicy Gems Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior consent of the author.
Edited by Gail Gentry
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www.cassiecoleromance.com
Books by Cassie Cole
Standalone Novels
Pretend Girlfriend
Baby for the Billionaire
Shared by the Firemen
Nanny for the Athletes
Shared by the Pilots
Match Point
Roommates With Benefits
The Inheritance
Bosses With Benefits
Nanny for the Mercenaries
Shared by the Billionaires
Nanny for the Santas
Nanny for the Firemen
Nanny for the SEALs
Shared by the Cowboys
Nanny for the Billionaire
Her Lucky Charm
Naughty Resolution
Unwrapped
Frostbitten
Snowbound
Hail Mary
Extra Credit
Nanny With Benefits
Triple Play
Tiger Queen
The Study Group
Undercover Action
Trained At The Gym
Christmas Package
The Naughty List
Smolder
Sealed With A Kiss
Full Contact
The Proposition
Saved by the SEALs
Shared by her Bodyguards
Triple Team
All In
Five Alarm Christmas
Drilled
Broken In
Pyromancer’s Path
Warrior’s Wrath
Mage’s Mercy
Tinker’s Trial
Ranger’s Risk
Shadow’s Savior
1
Joanna
“You want me to do what?” I snapped.
The customers at the surrounding tables glanced over at my outburst for a moment, then returned to their meals. Jack, my brother, spread his hands.
“It’s just for one night.”
“What happened to hooking me up with someone real?” I asked. “That was the last promise you made to me. At Christmas.”
“I’m still working on it,” Jack replied. “But in the meantime, you should do this. Pretend to be Landon’s girlfriend for a night. Two hours tops.”
“I have a date tonight. An actual date.”
“Is he hot?” Jack asked.
“There’s more to a person than their appearance, you know.”
Jack snickered. “That’s a no.”
“He’s somewhat handsome,” I said. In truth, my Bumble date tonight was just okay looking. Not ugly, but only average. A five, maybe six out of ten.
“Are you going to sleep with him?” Jack asked. “Or do you still have that stupid point system?”
“My point system is foolproof,” I said. “It has never steered me wrong before.”
Jack snorted. “Only if we ignore Mateo. And Shaun. Oh! And that guy you brought home for Christmas two years ago, the one with the mullet.”
“Chris didn’t have a mullet! His hair was just… longer in the back.”
“There’s a name for that kind of hair, Joanna. A mullet.”
I was indeed still using my point system. Every time a date showed a positive trait, I awarded him a certain number of points—the greater the trait, the more points. If they collected ten points during the evening, I would consider sleeping with them. It was a way for me to logically evaluate a potential sexual partner without letting my in-the-moment emotions control me, and I still relied on it every time.
“No, I’m not using that dumb system,” I lied. “And my date will be here in five minutes.”
“Then you should skip to the part where you agree to this.”
“Why would I do this for a complete stranger?”
“Because,” Jack said with a sly smile, “Landon works at DefTec.”
Yeah, okay. That was a reason to pay attention. Defense Technologies, or DefTec for short, was a huge defense contractor based here in Chicago. I’d been trying to get a job there for months. So far, I’d been turned down for every position I applied for.
“What does Landon do at DefTec?”
“He’s a member of the in-house counsel.”
I sat up a little straighter. “Little brother, you now have my full, undivided attention.”
“I knew you’d come around.” Jack flashed a smile. “Tell me I’m amazing.”
“No.”
“Do it. Or I won’t give you his info.”
Just then, my phone vibrated on the table with a text message.
UNKNOWN: Hi, Joanna? This is Landon. Jack gave me your number.
I held the screen toward Jack.
“Okay,” he admitted. “So I may have already told him you’d do it.”
I let out an annoyed groan. “What if I said no?”
“I knew you wouldn’t, because you’re a smart woman who would see how good this will be for your career.”
“Why does he need someone to pretend to be his girlfriend for a night?”
“I don’t know.” Jack gestured at the phone. “Ask him yourself. I’m just the middleman.”
“You’re a butthead,” I muttered while texting Landon back.
Me: Hey Landon, Jack just caught me up to speed. You need someone to pretend to be your girlfriend for a night?
Landon: That’s the core requirement, correct. Interested?
Me: First tell me why you need a fake girlfriend. Because I can’t wrap my head around why someone would do this in the first place.
“What’s he saying?” Jack asked, leaning across the table. “Let me see.”
I shoved his face away. “Leave me alone, butthead.”
Landon: LOL, I don’t blame you for asking. My family can be… difficult. My brother is getting married next week. I just got out of a long-term relationship, and they’re going to make my life a living hell trying to set me up with everyone they know. If I bring a date to this family dinner, it’ll give me some cover.
Me: What do I get in return?
Landon: Jack said you’re applying for a position at Defense Technologies. I checked the job listing today: there are over a hundred applicants. I can make sure your resume goes to the top of the pile.
Me: Say less. When is dinner?
Landon: Tomorrow night, McCallister’s Bistro. Mom got a reservation for 7:00, but let’s meet at the bar at 6:30 to make sure our story is straight.
Me: Deal. See you then.
“See?” Jack said triumphantly. “I knew you would jump on this opportunity. Now will you tell me I’m amazing?”
“You’re all right,” I admitted. “I’ll call you amazing if I get that job.”
Now that I had agreed to it, the whole thing seemed even more crazy. I was a theater girl in high school, but that was ten years ago. Back then I worked with a script, memorizing lines and then reciting them for weeks in the mirror until they were perfect. This dinner was happening tomorrow, and it seemed like I would be winging it. It was a disaster waiting to happen. Something I never would have agreed to a year ago.
But now, after being rejected for three positions at DefTec? I was willing to try anything. Even something really stupid.
“I kind of want to go to the restaurant and watch from a distance,” Jack said. “The re’s no way this won’t be entertaining.”
“If I see you anywhere near McCallister’s tomorrow,” I warned, “I’ll stab you with a steak knife.” I picked up the butter knife on the table and held it toward my brother.
He held up his hands. “Point taken.”
I was still holding out the butter knife when a man behind Jack cleared his throat. “Um, are you Joanna?”
It was my date for the evening, Theo. I recognized his face from Bumble.
But he was way hotter in person than on his dating profile.
2
Joanna
Listen. I’d been on a lot of Tinder and Bumble dates. Way too many, if I were being completely honest. And in every single case, the guys had hand-picked photos for their profile that showed them in the best possible way. They were never as attractive in real life. That’s just how online dating went.
This guy was different.
It was definitely the Theo I had chatted with on the app, but it was like he had actively downplayed his appearance on his profile. In real life, everything was more striking: the broadness of his shoulders underneath his button-down shirt; the chiseled jawline; the wavy brown hair and thin beard; the sharp almond eyes. It was like receiving a wagyu filet after expecting a greasy cheeseburger.
Theo the Beefcake starts with two points.
“Theo, hi!” I said.
Jack looked up at my date, then turned to me and grinned.
Theo frowned down at both of us. “Am I interrupting something…?”
“This is my brother,” I quickly said. “He was just leaving.”
“I was. Right. Sorry about that.” Jack stood and clapped Theo on the back. “She likes eggs for breakfast. Scrambled hard.”
“Thank you, Jack,” I hissed.
Theo watched him leave, then sat down in his chair. He was a big man in all the best ways. After Jack had been sitting there, it was like a boy being replaced by a man.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “My brother is annoying.”
Theo shrugged. “No worries. I get it.”
I cocked my head. “Get what?”
“Having someone else here to check out your date. Making sure everything is kosher and that I’m not, like, a serial killer or something.” He pointed with his thumb at the table next to us. “That’s why I had Marie come here first to get a good look at you.”
I gave a start. “Wait, seriously?”
The woman sitting alone at the table next to us glanced over in confusion. “Huh? My name is Helen.”
“Good answer,” Theo told her. “Keep your cover.” Then he leaned across the table and whispered to me: “I’ve never met that woman before in my life.”
A good sense of humor? Three more points for Theo the Hunk. For those keeping score at home, that meant he was already halfway into my pants before the date had even begun.
Giggling, I said, “That wasn’t why my brother was here.”
“What was he doing, then?”
“Something much, much dumber. It’s a long story.”
Theo flashed a perfect white smile. “Dumb long stories are my favorite kind.”
“I promise to tell you about it later,” I said.
Theo squinted suspiciously at me, but then shrugged. “Fair enough. What are we drinking tonight? I’m in the mood for a cocktail.”
Our drinks arrived: a strawberry martini for me, and a whiskey sour for him. Then we settled into the same small talk that happened on every first date:
The weather in Chicago lately (beautiful.)
The traffic on the interstate (awful.)
Which Metra lines we took to get here (MD-W for me, UP-N for him.)
Chicago sports team fandom (Bears and Blackhawks for me, Cubs and Bulls for him.)
“You don’t like football or hockey?” I asked. “Ouch. Minus two points for Theo.”
He arched a dark brown eyebrow. “I’m being graded, huh?”
“Nah, just joking. I’m not keeping score.”
I was absolutely keeping score.
“As long as you don’t root for the White Sox,” Theo said, pointing at me with his drink, “then we won’t have to go back in the alley and fight.”
“Baseball is boring. Everyone’s just standing around the whole time!”
Theo sucked in his breath. “An extreme disrespect of America’s pastime? Minus fourteen and a half points for Joanna.”
“Hey! That’s a lot of points!”
“Be glad it’s not more. I’m being very fair.”
I stuck out my tongue at him.
“I’m surprised you’re not watching the game tonight,” Theo said. “The Blackhawks are in the playoffs, right?”
“The puck doesn’t drop for another hour,” I answered. “If the date is going poorly by then, I’ll go home and watch the game.”
“Ouch. I’d better front-load all of my charm, then. How was your martini?” Theo asked. “My whiskey sour tasted like cough syrup.”
“It’s good!” I replied. “I’m going to order another.”
Theo caught the attention of the waiter. “Two more strawberry martinis.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You’re ordering one?”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s kind of a girly drink.”
He made a face. “Judging someone based on the drink they get is dumb. Unless it’s something really weird.”
“Like those insane Bloody Marys with way too much food stuck in them?”
“Yes!” Theo exclaimed. “I saw one the other day that had a cheeseburger slider on it. That Bloody Mary needs to settle down.”
I chuckled at that as our drinks arrived. Theo held his martini up for inspection. The pink, feminine drink looked out of place in his large hand as he took a sip.
“It tastes like candy!” he said with a grin.
“Candy that gets you drunk,” I added.
“Why don’t men know about these? You ladies have been keeping your delicious drinks a secret.”
“The cat is out of the bag,” I said.
“I’m never drinking straight liquor again. I don’t care what anyone thinks.” He smacked his lips happily.
Not afraid to buck traditional gender stereotypes? That’s another point for Theo.
“Your profile said you work at a dentist’s office,” I said while taking my own sip. “That sounds interesting. What do you do?”
“Paperwork, mostly,” he said with a grimace. “It’s actually really boring. If I talked about it for more than ten seconds, you would deduct another two points from my score.”
I laughed, but I felt a little disappointed. I had hoped that Theo was a dentist. I’d never dated anyone in a big-wig profession like that. But if he was a full-fledged dentist, he definitely would have bragged about it.
“Well, it can’t be more boring than my job,” I said.
Theo leaned back in his chair. His chest was so broad with muscle that the buttons of his shirt drew tight. “You’re a lawyer, right?”
“I have a law degree and I passed the BAR exam,” I said. “But I’m just a paralegal.”
Theo gestured with his drink. “I bet you’re doing good work, at least.”
“My boss is an ambulance chaser. We sue people. I hate it.”
“Oh.” Theo blinked his almond eyes. “Well, what do you want to do?”
“I’ve got my eye on a job at a defense contractor.”
“Yeah? Like, you’d be the lawyer for missiles and shit?”
“Hah, not quite. I would be doing contract law. But I actually kind of like that sort of thing. Drawing up the contracts for weapon purchases. Missile defense systems, aircraft maintenance agreements, that sort of thing. It was my favorite part of law school.”
“Sick. You should definitely call yourself a Missile Lawyer though.”
I laughed again. Theo didn’t seem like the sharpest pencil in the box. The hot ones were always kind of dumb. But he was friendly, and I was drawn to him. No point deduction for being dumb.
“Got any good first date questions?” he asked.
“First date questions?”
“You know. The kind of get-to-know-you questions you reserve for a first date.”
“I have a few,” I admitted.
Theo crossed his thick arms over his chest. “Hit me with your best one.”
“Let’s see. Have you ever broken a bone before?”
“Oh yeah, a bunch of times,” he replied. “You want the full list? First time was when I was five.”
“How about the last time you broke a bone?”
“Last year.” Theo shook his head. “I was riding my bike home from the day game of a Cubs double-header. A pickup truck ran a red light and hit me.”
