False Pretences Page 2

  With that, he backed away and walked out of the store, leaving Lara to stare after him. Transfixed, she kept staring in the same direction until she heard the cashier clear her throat.

  “That will be twelve pounds and fifty pence, miss!” The girl at the counter said, trying to get Lara’s attention.

  Blinking, Lara reached into her purse and handed her thirteen pounds. The cashier made change and handed it to her before putting the two books in a bag.

  “Thank you for your purchase!” she said brightly, handing Lara the bag. “Please come again!”

  Lara slowly walked out of the door and back onto the streets.

  Chapter Two

  Alexander smiled as he watched the slip of a girl leave the store. There was something about her that gave him a warm feeling…a feeling he had yet to experience in his lifetime.

  A struggling writer at heart, he had a lifelong love of literature. It was always a turn-on for him to meet a woman who shared his passion for reading. Judging by the varied genres of her purchase, he could tell Lara was an avid bookworm. If one saw Lara walking down the streets of London, her classic beauty would never reveal her love of reading. She lacked the artifice he usually saw in the women he encountered everywhere he went.

  As Lara moved beyond his line of sight, Alexander averted his gaze and slowly sauntered back to the section he was stocking.

  How long had it been since a member of the fairer sex aroused his interest? It seemed ages ago that his last relationship ended.

  Alexander was a born romantic. He was always showering the women he loved with flowers, poetry he’d written, and abundant affection. Ever the gentleman, he was always the one holding open doors and pulling chairs out for his paramours. It killed him that they never took his attentions seriously and left him out in the cold. He was a relic of the past and no modern woman found his gallant behavior charming.

  He began throwing himself into his writing to ease the pain of his solitude. Sadly, no matter how hard he tried, the literary world took his work just as seriously as his girlfriends did of him. It was a crushing blow for the sweet man who wanted nothing more than a successful literary career and having a special lady by his side to share it with.

  Earlier that day, he questioned the direction his life was heading in. He was 35, nearly broke and alone. He was an assistant manager at a bookstore and lived vicariously through his more successful friends. It was no wonder that he began to question his sanity.

  Then, he bumped into Lara and suddenly his day became brighter than a thousand suns.

  Now, stocking the latest James Patterson thriller with a rare smile upon his face, he wondered if he would ever lay eyes on Lara again. He absently wondered if she was thinking of him as much as he was of her.

  Little did he know that the encounter also had an intriguing effect on Lara as well.

  Lara perched upon her stool the next day, looking upon her finished painting of Islington. She had been sitting there for a few hours, trying to find the inspiration to write her speech for the gala. Sadly, all ideas were absent from her and she had no idea what to write. Her pen had been poised while she was lost in thought, ready to scrawl words down, but the page was as blank as when she had begun earlier.

  As she tapped her pen against her teeth, there was a knock at her studio door. Setting down her notepad and pen, she headed towards the front door to answer it.

  She unlocked and opened the door to see her patron, Christian Masters, standing there with a bouquet of calla lilies in his hands. She suppressed a grin, seeing that he’d remembered calla lilies were her favorite flowers.

  “Good morning, Lara!” he greeted her with a devastating smile and a twinkle in his steely blue eyes. “How is my favorite artist today?”

  “You caught me just as I was trying to write my speech for the gala.” Lara replied, blushing as he handed her the lilies.

  “That is good news indeed!” the wealthy businessman replied, walking into the studio. “I look forward to it!”

  Lara set the lilies down and hastily put the cover over Islington. As much as Christian was dying to see the collection for the gala, it was always her rule that her work was for her and Venessa’s eyes only until it was released to the public.

  “I’m shocked that they are putting on such a huge party to honor me.” Lara said in amazement as she perched herself upon her stool, facing him. “It seems like I just arrived in London yesterday!”

  “It’s about time they noticed your excellent work!” Christian replied, admiring the finished pieces scattered about the studio. “They should have taken notice sooner!”

  “Better late than never!” Lara quipped, winking at him as he smiled at her.

  “Have you any plans this afternoon?” Christian asked, leaning casually against the wall.

  “Nothing imminent” was Lara’s reply as she hopped off her stool.

  “Would you do me the honor of joining me for lunch then?” was his request as Lara sniffed the fresh flowers.

  Lara grinned, turning to look at her patron.

  “But of course!” she answered back, taking her smock off.

  “Excellent!” was Christian’s response as he reached out to take her hand. “Shall we?”

  He led her to his waiting town car and helped her into the back before climbing in after her.

  “Launceston Place” Christian immediately said to his driver, who nodded and eased the car away from the curb.

  Lara looked out the window, feeling flattered that her patron was taking her to one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. She was a simple girl who had simple tastes…a pub would have suited her just fine.

  Yet, Christian was of a different world. He was born into one of Canada’s most affluent families and made his own fortune in web consulting. A handsome bachelor of 46 years, he was often seen with the most glamorous socialites and models on his arm at social events. Lara still wondered what he seemingly saw in her work…and, quite possibly, in her.

  During the drive to Launceston Place, she recalled the first moment they laid eyes upon each other.

  It had been six months since Venessa and Lara had moved to the United Kingdom and Venessa had managed to get them on the list of an exclusive soiree thrown by Liana Stone, a major benefactress of the Fine Arts program at Cambridge University.

  Venessa had gone off, working the room and leaving Lara to stand by herself near the bar. Lara had always been a loner, save her friendship with Venessa, and hated socializing within large groups of people.

  Clutching a flute of champage, she was about to take a sip when the man descending the staircase caught her eye. His light brown hair gleamed in the golden light and his blue eyes had a hue to them she’d never seen before.

  Realizing that she was openly ogling him, Lara quickly looked away and took a long sip of her champagne before daring to look in his direction again. When she did look up, she was startled to see him standing before her, a devastating smile upon his chiseled face.

  “Good evening!” he greeted her, still smiling. “What brings you to this gala?”

  “My friend is a publicist and managed to get us on the guest list” Lara replied nervously as he looked intensely at her.

  “Your accent is North American” he mused, taking a flute of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray. “A transplanted Canadian like myself.”

  “Yes!” Lara replied, stunned. “We moved here six months ago. I came here to be an artist!”

  “An artist?” He asked, his brows rising in interest. “What kind of artist?”

  “I paint”

  “How very interesting!” he mused, taking a sip of his champagne before locking eyes with her again. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Christian Masters.”

  “Lara Clayton” Lara replied, blushing as he took her hand and kissed it.

  “Would you show me some of your work some time?” he asked, brushing a stray tendril of her hair away from her forehead.

  “
I would love to!” she replied, undone by his gesture.

  “Excellent!” he exclaimed, reaching into the breast pocket of his tuxedo. “I will give you my card and you can give my personal assistant all of the details.”

  As it turned out, Christian enjoyed her pieces and artistry so much that he set her up in her Soho studio and offered to pay for anything she needed, whether it was for supplies or even creature comforts to make her time in the studio more relaxing. They had a viable working relationship and their collaboration was finally paying off.

  The car arrived in front of the restaurant and the driver opened the rear passenger side door for Christian and Lara. They walked arm-in-arm into the restaurant, where the hostess quickly showed them to a private table.

  “I am glad you were able to take the time to join me today, Lara!” Christian marveled, perusing the wine list. “It’s been so long since we last saw each other. How have things been going for you?”

  Lara groaned inwardly as an unwelcome thought about Andrew’s upcoming wedding suddenly came to mind.

  “Andrew is getting married to that socialite.” Lara replied, perusing her own menu. “I got the invitation a few days ago.”

  Christian put down the wine list and regarded her with concern, reaching across the table to take her hand. Lara put down her menu to look at him.

  “That must have been difficult for you.” He said quietly, squeezing her hand. “You loved him dearly and he hurt you terribly.”

  “It was difficult…I was upset that he would add further insult by inviting me.” Lara replied, her eyes tripping towards the open menu in front of her. “I honestly don’t understand him.”

  “Well if you allow me to speak frankly, he was a cretin who didn’t deserve you or your time!” Christian stated flatly, letting go of her hand. “You deserve someone who would stop at nothing to make you happy!”

  “I’m glad someone else other than Venessa thinks so!” Lara quipped, deciding on ordering an Ahi tuna salad.

  Christian looked at her sharply with an unreadable expression.

  “You know I think the world of you, Lara!” he stated, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Someday your prince will come!”

  Lara smiled at his optimism, wondering how she could have been so fortunate to have a friend and patron in Christian. She was glad they shared a special relationship and that he looked out for all of her best interests. She knew he genuinely believed she would find someone who would love and cherish her until their dying days.

  Little did she know what was really going through his mind.

  Christian sat in his Town Car, watching Lara as she walked into her studio.

  Unbeknownst to her, the patron she’d grown fond of harbored secret feelings…feelings she’d never have anticipated.

  He was itching to be her date for the gala but Lara was still not getting the subtle hints he tried to give her. Time was beginning to run out, but Christian was fairly confident that he would have her on his arm that night. After all, there was no possible suitor to stand in his way.

  He smiled in spite of himself. Lara Clayton was the rare treasure he wanted to possess and soon, he would finally have her.

  Christian Masters always got what he wanted.

  Chapter Three

  Later that night, Lara was just about to curl up on the couch to a movie when her phone began to ring. Sighing in exasperation, she answered on the third ring.

  “Hello?”

  “I am so glad I caught you!” Venessa’s excited voice came through on the other end. “I have major things to tell you about the gala!”

  ‘Oh goody!’ Lara thought, rolling her eyes at Venessa’s enthusiasm.

  “Spill”

  “I just got a call from a rep at Versace and one from a rep at Jean Paul Gauthier. Both of them are clamoring for you to wear one of their latest designs to the gala!”

  While the thought of two world famous fashion icons fighting over dressing her would have made an ordinary woman squeal with excitement, Lara simply sighed. She was never the fashion forward type and could have cared less if she wore designer clothing or not.

  “What else?” she asked, rolling her eyes.

  “The Daily Mail is hounding me over the details of the date you will be bringing to the gala!” Venessa replied, causing Lara to groan inwardly. “Apparently you were seen lunching with Christian today!”

  “Yes we had lunch!” Lara groused, shaking her head at the gossip-mongering media. “I certainly hope you told them that he will not be taking me to the gala. He had every chance to ask me and didn’t!”

  “I basically told them no comment!” Venessa said defensively, noticing Lara’s grumpiness.

  “Good!”

  “Is something wrong, Lara?” Venessa asked, suddenly concerned. “You seem grumpy tonight!”

  “I just want to go one day without someone hounding me about the gala!” Lara groused again, scowling. “I just want to live like a regular girl, not a celebrity. All I want to do is paint and sell my paintings!”

  “Aren’t you happy about your budding success?” Venessa demanded, huffing. “I thought you would be excited! I have busted my hump for two and a half years to get you where you are today!”

  “Believe me…I am more than happy about finally achieving my success!” Lara chided her, sighing “But I like my private life to stay private and that includes any romantic entanglements!”

  Venessa let out a sigh. Lara was her best friend…and she only had Lara’s best interests at heart. Ever since they were in High School, Venessa always looked out for Lara, who had been bullied and backstabbed for years. It was the perfect symbiotic relationship. Lara helped Venessa with her homework and Venessa watched out for her. They became like sisters.

  By then, Venessa had also encouraged Lara to continue with her drawings and paintings. Lara was forever sketching things in a book she carried everywhere with her. Lara herself believed that Venessa had a knack for marketing whenever she visited her at the boutique she worked at on the weekends. Venessa was a natural seller and could bring attention to any product or person she set her sights on. Each girl complemented the other well. It got to the point where they shared many things together, things no regular person could ever hope to acknowledge.

  They even had similar hopes and dreams. When they both turned sixteen, they made a pact. Lara was going to become a famous artist, and Venessa was going to be a highly sought after publicist. Now that both conditions of the pact came to fruition, Venessa kept to her end of it by being Lara’s publicist. Lara was keeping her end by promoting Venessa’s services and working on her website in her spare time.

  “You do know that achieving a private life will be difficult!” Venessa warned her knowingly. “You will now be living in the fishbowl of celebrity life whether you like it or not! Meeting men will be difficult, you will not be able to trust many people, and the paparazzi will be chasing you around like flies on shit!”

  Lara kept her mouth shut and let Venessa go on. As Venessa prattled on about the gala, Lara’s mind began to wander to parts unknown. She just wanted to spend a quiet evening at home. It had been so long since she could finally breathe and let things work out by themselves. Between her feverish painting to complete the collection and Venessa’s tireless efforts to promote her, she had yet to sit and relax.

  Her eyes tripped irresistibly to the two books on her coffee table and she began to think of Alexander, the adorable worker she bumped into at the bookstore. His ethereal eyes and smile bewitched her and she absently wondered if he was single.

  Interest did spark within his eyes as they briefly chatted. In fact, it was nice to be able to talk to someone normal for a change and he seemed down-to-earth. A sudden desire to see him again coursed through her body and she absently wondered if he was working the next day.

  “Are you listening to me, Lara?”

  Lara snapped to attention, suddenly remembering Venessa.

  “Yes…my mind…was
…elsewhere” she replied slowly, blinking.

  “Did something happen at lunch today?” Venessa demanded, quickly on point. “Or perhaps something happened yesterday?”

  “I bumped into someone at the bookstore.” Was Lara’s reply as she recalled the previous evening’s events. “Actually…someone who works there...”

  “And was this someone male and at least cute?”

  Lara bit her lip and smiled.

  “Yes” she admitted, sighing “His name is Alexander. He was incredibly cute and sweet to me.”

  “Well, I haven’t been able to find anyone remotely interesting to hire as your date for the gala.” Venessa admitted sheepishly. “I’m still looking. Why don’t you check out this Alexander and see if he would fit the bill?”

  “I’m not going up to a total stranger and ask him to be my date for the gala!” Lara groused, immediately shutting Venessa’s idea down. “How am I going to try and live a quiet life if I reveal my success to every person I meet in public?”

  “What do you think I am doing?” Venessa said sarcastically, exhaling dramatically “Putting an ad out in the personals?”

  “Are you serious? Propositioning a total stranger to accompany me to a gala? What am I supposed to do? Make an offer he couldn’t refuse?”

  “If you had listened to me and hired a male escort, we wouldn’t be in this predicament!”

  “I refuse to be seen around town with another polished jerk.”

  “Then we need to make other arrangements!”

  Lara slunk into the bookstore, her eyes frantically scanning the sections of bookshelves for Alexander. The same girl stood at the front counter and she briefly considered inquiring about the hunky worker, but immediately vetoed it. She didn’t want to appear desperate.

  She trudged through the romance section and stepped into the mystery section, already preparing to give up when she sensed someone was behind her.

  “Are you looking for me?” A familiar male voice inquired, making her jump.