Microsoft Word - catherine mann - landis brothers 4 - rich man's fake fiancee.docx by Catherine Mann

bachelor life.
    Wouldn’t his brothers enjoy yucking it up over this mess?
    A light tap sounded on his open door. He glanced up to find his campaign manager—Brent Davis—filling the opening.
    “Are you getting enough sleep?”
    “You’re kidding, right?” Matthew waved Brent to take the chair in front of the mahogany desk.
    Older than Matthew by twenty years, the wiry manager had been an energetic force behind Matthew’s mother’s campaign and had acted as a consultant when Matthew ran for the House of Representatives. Brent had been the natural choice to head the campaign when Matthew made his decision to seek his mother’s vacated senatorial seat.
    For the first time, Matthew wondered if he’d decided to push too hard, too fast, politically. He could have hung out in the House for another ten years or so and still been on track to run for the senate by the time he was forty. But he’d been so hell-bent on not letting go of the seat that started with his father before shifting to his mom. He’d worried that someone else might get a lock on the spot that couldn’t be broken.
    Had his ambition pushed him to sacrifice anything—including an innocent person like Ashley?
    Damn it all, he was doing this to help preserve her reputation. He’d made his decision and he wouldn’t hurt her worse by changing his mind and offering her a trip to the Bahamas to hide out until the frenzy died out. While yes, he could have handled the scandal, it would have been a hell of a lot more taxing on everyone in his campaign who had worked so hard to get him here.
    Time to step up to the plate and be a man. He leaned forward on his arms, shirtsleeves rolled up, and looked Brent Davis square in the eye. “Ashley Carson and I are engaged.”
    His campaign manager froze—no expression, no movement, not so much as a blink to betray his thoughts. Matthew knew from experience the guy only did that when he’d been tossed a curve ball that whacked him upside the skull. The last time Matthew RICH MAN’S FAKE FIANCEE
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    CATHERINE MANN
    SILHOUETTE DESIRE 1878
    THE LANDIS BROTHERS
    had seen that look on Brent’s face, he’d gotten the news flash that Ginger Landis had decided to elope with her longtime friend General Hank Renshaw during a goodwill tour across Europe.
    Finally, Brent templed his pointer fingers and tapped them against his nose. “You’re joking.”
    “I’m serious.” Matthew straightened, unflinching.
    One blink from Brent. Just one, but a fast flick of irritation. “You’re engaged to the mouse of a girl in the compromising photos.”
    Anger blazed hot and fast. “Watch how you talk about Ashley.”
    Brent’s eyes went wide. “Whoa, okay, take it down a notch there, big fella. I hear you loud and clear. You’re totally in lust with this female.”
    “Davis…” Matthew growled his final warning.
    Besides, the last thing he needed right now was to dwell on that night with Ashley, a train of thoughts guaranteed to steal what cool he had left at the moment. “She’s my fiancée, my choice, deal with it. That’s your job.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me you were dating her when those damning photos hit the news?” Brent flattened his palms on the desk. “You left me to spin one helluva nightmare with incomplete informati—Wait.” He leaned back with narrowed laser eyes. “This is one of those fake deals, isn’t it? The two of you are making this up to get the heat off.”
    “I never said that,” he hedged, unwilling to expose Ashley to any more embarrassment.
    “You need to be honest with me if I’m going to help you make it through the November elections on top.” Brent tapped the stack of bumper stickers with his pointer finger repeatedly for emphasis. “In fact, you should have told me before you proposed to her in the first place.”
    On the one hand, Matthew could see his point. On the other, it seemed damned ridiculous—not to mention unromantic—to clear his bridal choice with his