CEO Needed A Wedding Date And Hired A Struggling Dad, Never Suspecting She’d Fall Head Over Heels
The Hiring of Logan Hart
Dia Anderson never expected her Monday morning to begin with her assistant barging into her office breathless. Clarissa held a framed invitation like it was a ticking time bomb.
“Your brother’s wedding,” Clarissa huffed, “is in 2 weeks in Tuscany, and your mother called again.”
“She says if you show up solo one more time, she’s cutting you out of the family Christmas photo.”
Dia leaned back in her leather chair, exhaling through her nose.
“She’s bluffing. She loves my shoes too much to photoshop them out.”
Clarissa didn’t laugh.
“You’re the CEO of Anderson Tech. You built an empire and you’re still the family disappointment. That’s talent.”
Dia rolled her eyes.
“I don’t have time to find a date.”
“You don’t need a date,” Clarissa said, placing a folder on her desk.
“You need a fake boyfriend who can wear a tux, smile for photos, and survive a weekend with your family.”
Dia lifted one brow.
“You’re suggesting hire someone to pretend to be my boyfriend at my brother’s wedding?”
“Exactly.”
Her fingers hesitated over the folder. That sounds insane, right? So does explaining for the fifth year in a row why your last relationship ended in a merger.
Dia opened the folder. She saw a few headshots and resumes of actors and models. One guy looked like he had a restraining order. Then she saw him.
Logan Hart was 33, a construction manager, and widowed. He had one daughter, age six. He had no acting experience, but he apparently came highly recommended by a friend of Clarissa’s nanny.
Dia blinked. His photo wasn’t polished like the others. It was a candid shot. He was holding a little girl on his shoulders. Both were grinning with ice cream smeared on their faces.
He didn’t look like a polished fake boyfriend. He looked real.
“You want me to bring a single dad posing as my successful boyfriend to my brother’s wedding in Italy?”
Clarissa leaned in.
“I’m saying you’ve dated every finance bro in Manhattan and none of them made you smile. Maybe it’s time to try something different.”
Dia didn’t smile, but she did pick up the phone.
Logan Hart stood in the middle of the penthouse lobby holding his daughter’s hand, looking wildly out of place. His jeans were worn. His shirt was clean but stretched. His work boots were scuffed.
Still, his posture was proud. His jaw didn’t flinch when the security guard gave him a double take.
“Daddy,” his daughter whispered, tugging at his hand. “Are we going to meet the fancy lady now?”
“Yeah Emmy,” he said softly. “We are.”
When the elevator opened, Dia stepped out in heels that could kill a man. She wore a navy suit that looked like it belonged on the cover of Forbes.
She paused when she saw him. He was taller than she expected. He had solid sun-kissed skin and deep-set green eyes that met hers without flinching.
“This is Emily?” she asked, crouching slightly.
Emily nodded.
“My daddy says I have to be on my best behavior.”
Dia smiled, surprisingly warm.
“Well, I think your best behavior will be just fine.”
Logan cleared his throat.
“Thanks for agreeing to meet. I wasn’t sure what to expect when Clarissa called.”
“I need someone believable,” Dia said straight. “You’re not polished. You’re not fake. That’s what I want. Someone who won’t look like I paid him just to show off.”
Logan blinked.
“You did pay me. I haven’t eaten yet.”
He chuckled under his breath. For the first time, Dia noticed the way his laugh made the tension in her shoulders ease.
“I’ll pay for your time, cover your daughter’s care while you’re gone, and book a separate guest suite in Tuscany. All I need is a charming believable partner who can survive my mother.”
He looked down at Emily.
“Only if she’s taken care of.”
“I already arranged a professional nanny. You can meet her. She’s certified and background checked. Emily will be staying at a luxury villa nearby with full-time care.”
Logan hesitated.
“Why not just bring a real date?”
Dia’s eyes glinted.
“Because I don’t have one and I’m not about to give my family more ammunition to dissect my love life. You’re a buffer, nothing more.”
He nodded slowly.
“You want perfect? I can do real. I’m not going to charm your whole family, but I’ll treat you with respect. That work?”
“It does.”
She extended her hand.
“You’re hired.”
He shook it. His hand was rough, warm, and steady. For the first time in months, Dia felt something shift.
The plane was private. Of course it was. Dia didn’t do commercial. When Logan stepped on board, he nearly turned around and walked back out.
“Wait, this is yours?”
Dia was already sipping champagne in a silk blouse.
“It’s the company’s, but yes, I use it.”
Emily ran up and pressed her face to the window.
“It’s so shiny!”
Logan rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’ve never even sat in business class.”
“You’re not here to blend in with my world, Logan. You’re here to be the man I would fall for. Just be yourself. That’s the whole point.”
He sat across from her with his arms crossed.
“You ever even dated someone with a kid?”
“No.”
“You ever dated someone who works with his hands?”
“No.”
“You ever dated someone who can’t name a single bottle of wine on this plane?”
She tilted her head.
“No, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play the part.”
“I’m not going to play anything,” Logan said. “If you want real, I’ll give you real. But don’t expect me to be impressed by your money or your shoes or your company jet.”
Dia stared at him and then smiled.
“Good. I’d hate to be boring.”
