My Billionaire Rescuer Fake-Dated Me To Scare Off A Stalker — Then Refused To Stop
Part 1
The grip on my wrist was tight enough to bruise.
He smiled his camera-ready smile, leaning in so only I could hear the threat.
“You’re going to smile and dance with me,” Greg muttered under his breath.
“Otherwise, I’ll make a scene that ruins your father’s career before the night is over.”
I kept my face perfectly still.
Panic fluttered in my chest like a trapped bird.
My father was a quiet academic, utterly unequipped for the vicious games of high society.
Greg knew that, and he used his immense wealth to bully anyone who couldn’t fight back.
He had decided I belonged to him this season.
A man like him didn’t take no for an answer.
He counted on my fear of public scandal to keep me quiet.
His fingers dug deeper into my skin.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a fraction of a second.
“Megan,” a deep, calm voice said from my left.
“There you are.”
My eyes snapped open.
Standing there, looking as relaxed as if he owned the entire building, was Brian.
He was the CEO of the most powerful firm in the state, a man who outranked Greg in every conceivable way.
“You promised me this dance, I believe,” Brian continued, his dark eyes fixed on me.
“Half the room is waiting to claim you, so I thought I better step in.”
It was a blatant lie.
We had never even spoken before this moment.
I saw the intelligence in his eyes, offering me a lifeline.
“Of course,” I managed to say, keeping my voice steady.
“Forgive me, Greg, but I completely forgot my prior engagement.”
Greg didn’t let go of my wrist right away.
He stared up at Brian, measuring the breadth of his shoulders and the coldness in his gaze.
Brian simply looked back with the pleasant, level expression of a man who is perfectly willing to destroy someone.
After a long, agonizing moment, Greg’s fingers uncurled.
I slid my hand free, trying not to let it shake.
Brian offered me his arm.
I took it immediately, the fabric of his suit grounding me.
“You didn’t promise me a dance,” I whispered as he led me toward the floor.
“No, I didn’t,” Brian agreed smoothly.
“Then I am in your debt, and I hate being in debt.”
I lifted my chin, bracing myself for whatever game he was playing.
“He will only find me again later.”
“He always does.”
Brian turned me gently as the music swelled.
“Then we had better make it impossible for him.”
I looked up at him, my guard fully raised.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“A man like Greg fears very few things,” Brian said, keeping his voice low.
“He doesn’t care if you refuse him.”
“But he fears a rival he cannot bully.”
“He fears looking like a fool.”
His hand was warm against my back.
“Let him believe I am courting you.”
“Let him think I have fixed my absolute attention on you.”
“He won’t dare cross me, because the cost to his pride and standing would be total ruin.”
I went entirely silent, turning the dangerous proposition over in my mind.
“You’re offering to pretend to date me just to frighten him off?”
“I am,” he said without hesitation.
I searched his face for the catch.
“And when he’s gone?”
“When the pretense has served its purpose?”
Brian looked down at me, and something shifted in his expression.
“When he is gone, we shall see how matters stand.”
“For now, it costs you nothing but being seen in my company.”
A small, surprised laugh escaped me.
“You are very sure of yourself.”
“I am very sure of him,” Brian replied.
“Of myself, I am beginning to be a good deal less certain than I was an hour ago.”
He kept his word over the next month.
We attended every major gala, charity dinner, and gallery opening together.
He made a deliberate, public show of his attention, ensuring Greg’s malevolent eyes saw us every time.
The hardest part was that Brian was genuinely wonderful.
I found myself relaxing around him, letting my sharp edges soften.
He drew out my dry wit, the humor I usually kept hidden to avoid men like Greg.
Eventually, Greg withdrew his presence entirely.
He transferred his menace to another city, knowing he had lost the contest.
I was completely free of him.
That meant the pretense had served its purpose.
That meant it was time for the bargain to end.
We were walking through the quiet gardens behind his estate when I finally said the words.
“He’s gone, Brian.”
“You’ve done what you offered to do, more handsomely than I had any right to expect.”
I turned to face him, my chin up, bracing myself for the goodbye.
“You are released.”
“You don’t need to feel bound by a gallant impulse anymore.”
I expected him to nod and politely agree.
Instead, he stepped closer, his dark eyes locking onto mine as he said the five words that changed everything.
