Blackmailed Into a Fake Engagement / Tempted Into the Tycoon's Trap: Blackmailed Into a Fake Engagement

Gwen stood there for several breathless seconds. “Oh, wow,” she whispered and slid her fingers through her hair, clutching her head and closing her eyes. She racked her brain for when she’d felt this way before, but her brain would produce nothing.

She and Luc were from different worlds now. She should not give in to temptation, but she didn’t know if she could let him pass by. The combination of his honor and his pragmatic understanding of Hollywood that meshed with the masculinity and power he emanated fascinated her. Gwen had the feeling that once she gave herself to him, she would never be the same, and she wasn’t sure what her world would look like after she made love with him. Should she resist? Could she?

The next morning, Luc joined Gwen as she cared for the horses. She spent extra time with the expectant mare, now known as Pyrrha.

Pyrrha pricked up her ears when Luc stood at the door to her stall, and she walked toward him. “Hello, beautiful,” he said to her, holding out his palm.

Pyrrha whinnied and allowed him to stroke her. Feeling Gwen’s gaze on him, Luc looked at her. Irritation furrowed her lovely face. “Problem?” he asked.

“I can’t believe it,” she said.

“What?”

“Even the horse recognizes that whole alpha thing in you,” she said.

“Smart horse,” he said and grinned.

She met his gaze and clearly tried, very hard, not to smile. Her lips twitched and she began to laugh. “You’re terrible.”

“I can show you terrible,” he said, ready to show her.

She inhaled quickly and glanced away, looking at Pyrrha. “She’s looking much better. The vet says the baby’s heartbeat is strong. I just hope we can keep her happy during her confinement.”

“I’m sure you’ll have to name that foal, so you may as well start planning.”

Gwen sighed and met his gaze. “You make it seem possible.”

She made him want to make her believe in a lot of things. Himself. Herself. Luc wondered if his knight instinct was kicking in. It didn’t matter. He wanted her and was determined to have her.

Three hours later, a crew from Entertainment TV showed up with cameras and a reporter. The reporter, a brunette named Trina with big breasts and hair extensions, appeared torn between her awe of Gwen and her hopes of making an impression on Luc for career purposes.

After a few general questions, Trina gave a huge smile. “I’ve saved the best for last. I want to ask Gwen some questions about you and ask you some questions about Gwen. We’ll see who wins,” Trina said. “Mr. Hudson, go amuse yourself while I ask Gwen some questions.”

“What do you mean?” Gwen asked.

“I don’t want Mr. Hudson to hear your answers until he has answered the same questions. You can go out on the front porch,” Trina said. “This shouldn’t take long.”

Considering the temperature was hovering at nine degrees that day, he hoped it wouldn’t. For a second, he wondered if Gwen would be able to keep up their charade without his presence as a reminder.

She reached out to take his hand and pulled him toward her. Kissing his cheek, she smiled into his eyes as if she really meant it. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I won’t reveal too many of your terrible secrets.”

His gut tightened at her playful, seductive expression, and he forced himself to remember that he was staring into the face of an Academy Award–nominated actress. Luc had learned that actress was another word for liar. Gwen would be fine with Trina.

Throwing on a jacket, hat and gloves, Luc wandered outside to brave the elements. Despite the cold temperature, the sun shone brightly. He walked down the steps of the porch into the yard. Snow crunched beneath his boots.

He inhaled a deep breath and felt the chilly air sweep throughout him. Although the temperature left a lot to be desired, the sound of complete quiet soothed him. No traffic, no office sounds, no senseless chatter. Just quiet and peace.

Gwen made a good point. This place offered something more rare than diamonds. He stood there for several moments and just soaked it in.

“Mr. Hudson?” one of the cameramen called from the doorway. “Trina is ready for you now.”

Struck by the contrast of the purity of Gwen’s surroundings and the lies they were fashioning inside her home, he felt a twist of the same resentment Gwen had expressed when he’d told her the press would be invading her house.

Returning to the house, he sat down and answered Trina’s mostly inane questions. Then the entertainment reporter ambushed him. “What made you fall in love with Gwen?”

He paused a half beat, since he hadn’t formed a prepared response for this question. Then he went with his gut. “You can look at her and see how beautiful she is. That’s obvious. But that’s attraction, not love. She has amazing depth and humility. At the same time she can make me laugh. When I’m with her, the world is better than I thought it could be.”

Complete silence followed for a full moment. Luc glanced at Gwen, standing just a few feet away. He caught an unguarded expression of surprise and longing on her face. He felt the same emotions echo inside him.

Trina put her hand to her chest and gave a big sigh. “How romantic,” she said, snapping him out of his weird emotional state.

He shook his head at himself. This was insane. Sex was one thing, but these other feelings were crazy. The desolation of his environment must be getting to him. Gwen joined him by his side, sliding her hand over his shoulder.

Luc stood, ready for the reporter and cameramen to leave. “Thank you for coming,” he said. “Let me know when it airs.”

Trina also stood and raised crossed fingers. “Tomorrow night if everything goes okay and we can’t scrounge up any emergency scandals.” She shot Luc a coy look. “There will be a little surprise for you, too,” she said.

“Really,” he said, cautious. Luc had learned not to like surprises when it came to the press.

Gwen squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry. She’s just teasing you.”

When Trina and the cameramen left, Gwen closed the door behind them and turned to meet Luc’s gaze. “I thought you said you weren’t much of an actor. You did pretty well with that last question Trina pulled on you.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice thinking on my feet,” he said. “I just answered the question as if I were a man who believed in real love for myself. As if I were a man who had fallen in love with you.”

She gave a wry smile and walked toward him. “Sounds like acting to me.”

“It wasn’t that difficult,” he said, unable to take his eyes off her.

She visibly inhaled. “For some reason, it’s getting easier for me to pretend that I’m attracted to you.”

He chuckled. “That’s because you’re not pretending,” he said. “You are attracted to me just as I’m attracted to you. There’s something between us. I didn’t expect it, and I’m betting you didn’t either, but it doesn’t erase the fact that it’s there.”

“Lust, sex,” she said.

He gave in to the urge to pull her against him. “We’ll figure it out.”

The following day a delivery truck arrived while Luc was on the phone, arranging for publicity for another Hudson movie. He walked to the door and noticed Gwen returning from the barn to the house. She stared at the truck, then at him.

“Just a few things since I’m going to be here for another week and a half,” he said. The driver began to unload several large boxes.

Gwen scooted past the driver and looked at the boxes suspiciously. “What things?” she asked.

“While I’m beginning to appreciate the peacefulness of your surroundings, your technology is archaic,” he said. “That television is at least ten years old, and your Internet is too slow.” No sooner had the driver finished bringing in the boxes when Luc spotted a van turning into the long driveway.

“Roberts Satellite and Television Setup.” Gwen read the words on the side of the van, staring at him in disbelief. “Have you lost your mind? We already have satellite TV.”

“This is better, more powerful, more stations.”