Chapter 2

That night, the housekeeper hands me a small silver pill case.

"Alistair has a congenital heart condition that affects his heart rhythm. Emotional stress can trigger an episode. He doesn't like taking his medication, so Mrs. Holloway wants you to keep an eye on him."

She pauses at the door and lowers her voice.

"It's gotten worse since he and Miss Wynn broke up two years ago."

So that's what this is.

They don't pick me to be a fiancée. Turns out, they pick me to be a glorified bodyguard.

The next morning is my first day at Aldworth.

I haven't even set foot on campus yet, and my name is already everywhere.

The restaurant owner's fat daughter. The girl getting through college on the Holloways' money. Alistair Holloway's mystery fiancée who shows up out of nowhere.

And, of course, the girl who steals Serena Wynn's spot.

Serena Wynn is campus royalty.

She's one of the cheerleaders, always surrounded by people, and everyone at Aldworth knows her as Alistair Holloway's great love, torn apart by his family.

With their looks and grades, they seem practically made for each other.

Then there's me.

When I show up to pick up my workout gear, the girl behind the counter stares at the size chart for a solid thirty seconds.

"Huh. Thought the 4XL would never get claimed."

A few people nearby laugh.

I grab my gear, pick up a campus map, and figure I'll walk around before classes start.

Then it starts pouring.

I duck into the first building I can find. It turns out to be the boxing club's gym.

Fists thud against heavy bags, and the smell of rubber and sweat hangs thick in the damp air.

A guy is training alone inside.

He wears a black tank top that shows off his shoulders and back, with both hands wrapped in tape and a faint scar across his brow. He's just finished a round, his damp hair pushed back from his forehead.

If Alistair is the polished type, the face you'd see on a student council campaign poster, this guy is the opposite.

All muscle and trouble, the kind of presence that makes you want to step back and stare at the same time.

He's rewrapping his hands when he looks up. Across the dim gym, his eyes find mine.

My heart slams against my ribs.

That's strange. Why does he feel so familiar?

"Lost?" His voice is low, still a little breathless from the round.

"Just waiting out the rain."

“The gym isn't open right now.”

"Oh. Right. I'll go."

I press a hand to my chest and turn to leave.

Behind me, a sharp metallic snap cuts through the air.

The chain holding up one of the heavy bags breaks clean off.

A two-hundred-pound heavy bag swings down toward a guy crouching by the equipment rack.

My body moves before my brain catches up.

I lunge forward and catch the torn strap with both hands.

The bag jerks to a stop in midair, less than four inches from the back of his skull.

The broken chain swings overhead with a sharp clank.

Then a taped hand closes over the strap next to mine, steadying the weight.

He's right beside me, his palm hot against mine.

"Let go." His voice drops. "I've got it."

"I'm fine."

I swing the bag back onto its hook. My student ID slips out of my shirt pocket and lands at his feet.

He bends down and picks it up.

"Tate Jennings."

He looks at me, then up at the bag. The surprise on his face fades, and the corner of his mouth lifts like he's just figured something out.

"Alistair's fiancée?"

He steps closer, his breath warm against my face. The dangerous edge in him suddenly shifts into something playful.

"Let me introduce myself, fiancée."

"I'm Kieran Holloway, Alistair's older brother."