“Stay safe, my friend.”
The line went dead and Raphael stared at Francine with the knowledge he could kill two birds with one stone. He’d help her attend her sister’s wedding, she’d give him cover for being in the area. She could be his reason for heading to an unusual place he’d typically never go, as a couple scouting a possible wedding venue or honeymoon spot.
The Ossuary Valerian Space Station wasn’t the first destination couples thought of to celebrate nuptials or a honeymoon, but it wasn’t without precedent. Those seeking the unusual or something different often set weddings there. He could make it work, if Francine would go with him as his pretend fiancée. The stop on Alpha-Prime would be business related. He could get better information on the bounty for Victor, such as who or what entity had drawn it up and why.
“I have a proposition for you.”
Francine’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I can help you attend your sister’s wedding in a week. In return, you can help me out on our way back.”
Her lovely eyes narrowed. “How would I do that?”
“What if we go to your sister’s wedding and I pretend to be your escort slash fiancé? My family name would certainly keep you from getting kicked out and sent home on an expensive flight that they’d only bill you for. They wouldn’t take a chance on that with the Boudreaux name involved, would they?”
“I doubt it, but you never know.”
“I can certainly make them believe I’m a member of the royal Boudreaux family.”Because I once was.
“Really? You would do that for me?”
“Of course. Besides, I doubt anyone would call me out on it.”
Francine shook her head. “Even as vengeful as my parents are with me, I can’t imagine anyone in my family’s household would dare risk embarrassing someone with the last name Boudreaux. And if they do bother to check, it will be several days later when they try to elicit a business meeting or some other connection with the royal Boudreaux family. By then we’ll be long gone.”
“Perfect. I’ll ensure you have a gigantic jewel-encrusted engagement bracelet, necklace or maybe even a finger ring, whichever you prefer.”
“Ring, I think.”
He nodded. “A ring it is. We’ll arrive close to the start of the ceremony to avoid any possibility of someone contacting a member of the Boudreaux family to check on my non-existent status.”At least not anymore.“We’ll also attend the reception, but leave early, just in case someone does manage to get hold of a royal Boudreaux family member on the wedding day.”
“Do you really think it will work?”
He leaned close, inhaling her uniquely seductive scent. “Would you be offended if I told you that I’ve used this ploy before with a female bounty hunter in order to catch a particularly lucrative bounty?”
Francine giggled. “No, not offended.” If he wasn’t in love with her before, her sweet laugh pushed him over the edge and into uncharted territory. He’d never been so intrigued by anyone. So enticed. So out of his depth with the promise of possibility.
Francine sobered. “You weren’t truly engaged or in love with the female bounty hunter, were you?”
He made a huffing sound of denial. “No. Not even close. She was merely a means to an end, just like I was for her. We split a very nice bounty after spiriting our quarry away during the reception without ever sharing a single kiss or even holding hands.”
Francine’s smile resurfaced. “Okay. Good. I’ll call tomorrow and schedule the time off from work.”
“I’ll make a few arrangements so that when we arrive, no one will suspect that you aren’t the intended bride of an Ichor-Delta royal Boudreaux family member.”
“Excellent. Thank you so much, Raphael. This means a lot to me.”
“My pleasure.”
“What do you want me to do for you in return?” she asked.
So many things.
Raphael cleared his throat. “After the reception, I need to meet someone at one of two possible locations, where no one will suspect what I’m doing. I thought we’d pretend to check out a couple of places for our fake future nuptials and honeymoon. What do you think?”
Francine stared at him intensely for a few seconds before saying, “That’s perfect. I’m happy to help you out with anything you need, but how long do you think it will take? I want to ensure I take enough time off from work.”
His mind spun with possibilities at the mere idea of spending several days pretending to be her fiancé. “A day or two after the wedding, three at the most.”
