Falling Hard (The Untamed Four #1)

Chapter 1

I'M A GREAT PRETENDER

On my knees between his thighs, I licked my lips in anticipation.

The heat between us was electric. Before me was a masterpiece.

I had a lot of experience with art, and take it from me, the cock in front of my mouth deserved to be on display in one of the museums around New York.

The Met, probably. Though I doubted their curators would approve of a “hands-on” experience.

Until the other residents discovered it, Zac's magnificent dick was all mine.

He was the sort of fuck buddy I always made time for.

A woman had needs! Trailing my finger along his thighs slowly, I leaned forward and teased his tip with my tongue.

Zac grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me down, and I chuckled. "Not so fast."

"You want it or not?" he asked.

My response was to engulf his cock in a single swallow, and the shock nearly sent him off balance. Then I pulled off, and the moan he gave me showed I was still the best he'd ever had.

A sharp, sudden, and annoying sound sliced through my ears, but I didn't care.

I tried to ignore it. This was lunch, the only thing on the menu, and it was under a hundred calories. I assumed.

The phone stopped, then started again. Zac nearly fell and had to lean back into the wall to steady himself. "I swear you rich women give the best head."

My mouth was full, so I agreed by sucking even harder.

The annoying device rang one more time, the piercing noise ripping through the room.

Was my ringtone always this loud, or had my phone decided today was the day to audition for a rock band?

I regretted not silencing the damn thing, but once I’d seen Zac's cock freed from his pants, all rational thought slipped my mind.

Who the hell was it?

Regretfully, I pulled away. A string of saliva clung like spaghetti. Lunch would have to wait it seemed.

"What the fuck?" he said murderously.

"Somebody might be dead; your dick can wait."

Zac stood in front of me, stroking his cock. "Are you kidding?"

I didn't waste time giving him a reaction. The text I was reading didn’t make sense.

Luke: I asked Solenne to marry me, and she said yes.

I felt sick to my stomach and almost dropped the phone. He couldn't actually be serious. Luke. Engaged. To her. Nothing about this made sense.

Luke, who I'd known all my life, had made a huge life decision and was telling me after the fact.

This had to be a prank. Luke was bored at work and pulling my leg.

This was my Luke we were talking about, the boy who still wore sneakers with his overpriced suits.

He wanted to marry a woman who didn't even know which pizza, banana and pineapple, he'd defended with his life.

I sat there for a moment, eyes locked on the screen, as the room, Zac, and even the busiest city in the world faded until there was only that text and me.

A hand rested on my shoulder, and I shoved it off in irritation. Now wasn't the time. I was too confused, and the mood had passed.

"Come on, Olivia!" Zac moaned impatiently. "I won’t wait forever."

Ignoring him, I gathered my thoughts and replied to the text message: Did I miss something? You two haven't known each other for more than six months. Is this a joke?

Luke answered right away. No joke. We’re in love and getting married.

I sat in silence, barely breathing, my mind racing to keep up with the weight of what I was reading.

"Fuck this, I'm out," Zac said, then dressed while cursing the day he ever met me. I didn't care. I barely heard him. I was drowning in a whirl of thoughts. Who told Luke he could get married?

Minutes passed as I sat alone in the ritzy hotel room staring at the fancy curtains, wondering what the hell was happening. I'd known Luke forever, and there was one thing I was certain of: He and that woman didn't belong together.

I didn't care if people called me dramatic, as they often did, the news felt like it was suffocating the life out of me. I needed backup.

Leaving Luke's last text unanswered, I messaged my girlfriends. This was an emergency. I needed them to make sense of what he was saying. I opened the group chat and typed quickly.

"Luke is getting married."

I stared at my phone, heart pounding, fingers twitching, waiting for a reply that felt like it might never come. It seemed like an hour later when someone finally replied, but it was probably only two minutes.

Mei: So, your safety-net man finally found a woman who doesn't treat him like her emotional Uber?

Instantly, I regretted reaching out to her. These jokes weren’t helpful. When I saw the dots moving in the text, I hoped it was someone else in the chat.

Demetria: When Luke tells you where they’re registered, let me know. I want to get him a gift.

What the fuck was happening? Was this some joke they were playing? Had the entire universe decided to play a big joke on me? Annoyed, I replied in all caps: MY LUKE IS GETTING MARRIED. MY BEST FRIEND SINCE CHILDHOOD IS MARRYING SOME GIRL HE'S ONLY KNOWN FOR SIX MONTHS.

To my surprise: nothing. No dots moved on my screen.

Confused, I stood and began to pace the room.

When my phone rang, it startled me. I was an anxious mess.

As I raised it to my face, I caught sight of my wild eyes in the mirror beside me.

My tanned skin was slick with sweat, blonde hair damp and sticking to my face.

I sighed when I spotted Alex's number. I'd been desperate for her to say something sensible in the group chat. Relieved, I accepted the call.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Her question made me defensive. "Me? I'm always okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because Luke is getting married."

Silence. Well, yeah, it startled me. It came out of nowhere. I've kept houseplants alive longer than Luke knew this woman, and I had no green thumb. "I'm just concerned he’s rushing into things."

"When people fall in love, they do foolish things–"

"Yes!" I yelled. "That's it … I'm worried my friend is doing foolish things. What do we know about this woman? Selene is probably after his money."

My friend went silent and then said, "I think her name is Solenne."

"Right. Selene. That's what I said. Now, how do I stop Luke from marrying her?"

"Let's meet up later after work," Alex suggested.

Shit, the mention of work reminded me I should be on my way back to Fox the other two in the group matched Alex's approach.

Mei: Things will work out in the end.

Why did it feel like I was mourning and she was trying to console me? This was insane. We needed a game plan to stop Luke from making a huge mistake. I didn’t need a shoulder to cry on.

Demetria: Don't worry too hard. You and Luke have history. Things may not be final.

Frustrated, I shoved the phone into my purse and stepped outside.

Hopeton, my driver, was already waiting and opened the door as I approached.

After I slid into the back seat, I tried to process my friends’ words.

I stared out the window, watching leaves fall from the trees and float to the ground.

The sidewalks were crowded as usual, but the people wore more layers.

Fall was here and, with their pumpkin lattes in hand, New Yorkers rushed to their destinations.

The entire ride across Manhattan passed in a blur.

When I arrived at Fox & Cie, I scanned the tall brick building that loomed above me and the polished revolving door gleaming at the entrance.

It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn’t answered Luke.

What should I say to a man who was making the biggest mistake of his life?

I'd need to think about it. I hurried into the building with my chin lifted extra high.

I was the vice president of Women's Couture.

I would never wear my feelings on my face for all to read.

If I could be counted on for one thing, it was that I had one hell of a poker face.

Even now when I felt like a balloon that had been sat on by an elephant.

Not many people could tell. Which was one of the reasons Luke hated playing cards with me.

Yet, for some reason, he still allowed me (the only woman) into his monthly poker nights.

I had a game face so good you couldn't read me, no matter how hard you tried.

"Oh, you've finally returned from the early lunch you took." My dad's words caught me off guard. I pointed to my office, not eager for the employees under me to hear me getting scolded.

Once we were both in my office, I said, "My schedule is light today. I didn't miss anything."

Dad kissed me on the cheek, then patted my back. "I know you wouldn’t skip your duties. How was lunch?"

"I didn't eat," I mumbled, lowering myself into a seat.

His eyes narrowed in confusion. "You've been gone for an hour and a half. What have you been up to?"

"Luke is getting married," I blurted out.

"Is he? Good for him. Maybe you should think about marriage too."

I stared at my dad as if he'd said something insane. "Me? Get married?"

"Why not? Luke's doing it. People do it all the time. What do you have against marriage?" He wrinkled his face, and then it seemed the answer came to him. "You’re not destined to relive that horrible marriage your mother and I had, if that’s what you’re worried about."

Rolling my eyes, I logged into my computer. "There are people who have dreamed their whole life of getting married. I’m not one of them. That isn't in the cards for me." I shook my head. "I didn't think Luke was one of them either."

"As long as he isn't marrying you, I don't see an issue.

Anyway, let's discuss those designer sketches you didn’t approve for the bridal line.

" Dad's mouth parted slightly, and his eyes widened.

It seemed a light bulb went off for him.

"Makes sense now that every year you reject most of the wedding gowns submitted by the designers.

You should let someone more objective make those calls. "

"I'm not biased. The sketches weren't good."

Dad shook his head. "I saw them. I even showed your sister, and we agree that seventy percent of what you rejected would sell out this upcoming wedding season."

He was a man, but Jacqueline was a girl's girl, and her siding with him stung. It made me consider his words. "I'll give them another glance."

Clearly displeased, Dad didn't move or speak, and I shrugged. "I have the power to approve the sketches. Do you want to take the task away from me?"

"I can, but won't. Other than the bridal gowns, your picks are winners. It's just the designers are ready to revolt if you don't approve more of their wedding sketches."

"I’m meeting with the girls tonight. I'll do an impromptu survey."

Dad nodded aggressively. "Great idea, sit with your girlfriends and hear what they think." He lowered a stack on my desk. "Give special attention to those in this pile that your sister and I approved."

Just as I went to answer, my secretary appeared behind him. Relieved for an excuse to end this conversation, I spoke to her immediately. "Yes? What is it?"

"Luke is waiting on line one," she said.

"Oh, tell him congratulations on the engagement," Dad said, then turned and left.

Glancing down at my cellphone, I realized I had missed a few calls from him. I lifted my office phone receiver and took a deep breath.

It was showtime.

"Well, if it isn't the man of the hour. Where should I buy my gift? Tiffany's? Bed Bath & Beyond? Or the Salvation Army where this engagement belongs?"