Free The Fiancée Fiasco by Alyssa Kress

fact more alluring.
    Win waved a batter-smothered spatula at her. "If you want breakfast, you better get yourself properly dressed."
    "I'm on my way." Roseanne turned on her heel. She definitely wanted breakfast. Something told her stoves and ovens worked for Winthrop the same way chair wheels and computers did.
    Ten minutes later, showered, with her hair slicked down, and dressed in a pair of dark slacks and a silk blouse, Roseanne reentered the living area.
    By now the table was set for two. Orange juice had been poured into two large glasses and a Texas-sized slab of butter sat in a silver throne beside a heaping stack of pancakes.
    "Have a seat," Winthrop told her, coming to the table with a pan of sizzling bacon. He put two strips on each plate and returned to the kitchen.
    As she sat, Roseanne let the smell of bacon and pancakes pervade her senses. "I haven't had a home-cooked breakfast in ages." This cozy scene was light years from the hastily grabbed pastry and coffee that was her normal breakfast fare.
    Win left his apron in the kitchen and came to the table. "Coffee?" He held a pot in the air.
    "Please."
    He leaned over the table, pouring easily from the opposite side. "There's cream in the refrigerator if you take it."
    "No, thanks." She watched as he returned to replace the coffee pot in the maker. There was something different about him this morning. More relaxed. Getting that proposal out the door must have been a big relief.
    "I thought you'd be in your office by now," she remarked as he seated himself opposite her at the wooden dining room table.
    "Nope." He helped himself to four of the oversized pancakes. "I gave everyone the day off, including the boss. Can I give you some of these?"
    "You sure can. Better make it two to begin with, Win. I'm not a Texan."
    He smiled at her. "I'll keep that in mind."
    Damn but his smile was nice.
    "You must be happy with the way your proposal turned out." Taking some butter, Roseanne melted it over the top of her pancakes.
    "Among other things that I'm happy about." The amazing smile appeared again.
    Roseanne felt a twist of apprehension. She almost forgot her hunger. Surely Winthrop hadn't gotten any ideas about that little kiss last night...
    "You wouldn't believe how the stock market opened this morning." Win nodded toward something past Roseanne's shoulder.
    She turned to see the television set, tuned to a financial program, flickering noiselessly across the room from them.
    "Our stock's up half a point from yesterday," Win cheerfully announced.
    The stock was up half a point. Roseanne turned back from the TV to regard Win's grinning face. So that's what had put him in such a happy mood. Not that little kiss.
    Well... good .
    "Half a point," Roseanne repeated dryly.
    "Yep. I'm wondering if word got out already that we're engaged." This morning he looked quite happy with the idea of people thinking he was engaged to Roseanne. Half a point of stock price had changed his entire perspective on the matter.
    "I doubt word got out," Roseanne replied bluntly. "I can only think of two people in all of Houston who think we're engaged."
    Win's smile turned knowing. "Is that all? I can think of about a hundred. And every one of them own or has owned stock in my company."
    Roseanne halted in the act of reaching for the syrup. "A hundred! How do you figure that?"
    "The owner of the Chinese restaurant we went to yesterday afternoon has a large and interconnected family, all heavy investors in the stock market. He saw us together yesterday, put two and two together, and spread the word." Winthrop looked vastly pleased with himself, as though the whole thing had been his own idea.
    "So, it's working." Roseanne wondered why she felt more piqued than triumphant.
    "It's working," Winthrop confirmed, "like a charm. Today I thought we should do something together. You know, something more public."
    "Did you now?"
    "Yes." Winthrop didn't seem to notice her distinct lack of enthusiasm. "I had an