CHAPTER FIVE
Grayson
“She’s perfect,” Laura said the moment Jovana left the table.
I knew exactly what Laura was saying.
Who she was referring to.
And I agreed with every word.
That was why, goddamn it, I wanted the vodka already in my hand.
I wanted my fingers wrapped around the cold, condensation-covered glass.
I wanted the fucking burning in my throat as the liquor swished past my tongue on its way to my stomach.
All because of her.
Why was Jovana so hot?
Why was her personality so irresistible?
Why was her body so incredible? From the curve of her neck to the dip of her collarbone, from the arch of her hips to those toned, gorgeous thighs.
There wasn’t an inch of her I didn’t want to lick.
Bite.
Devour.
Why I physically had to force myself not to ask her to come closer, so I could wrap my arms around her waist and pull her against me.
What the fuck was happening to me—
“Grayson,” Laura said, interrupting my thoughts.
Not only was I thinking of Jovana, but I was staring at her, too, as she stood at the bar, talking to the bartender.
“What?” I snapped, dragging my gaze away from her.
“Didn’t you hear me? I said she’s perfect,” Laura replied.
I’d heard her, all right, and had only responded in my head, so I cleared my throat and said, “I agree with you.”
“And that’s why she’s going to be your wife.”
My head whipped toward Jovana and then back to Laura.
She raised her hand the moment my lips parted and said, “Let me tell you why I’ve come to that conclusion—”
I cut her off. “There’s no reason to. She’s not an option.” As my arms crossed over my chest, I took a peek at Jovana’s ass.
If there was ever one that I could wake up to every morning, that I could clutch every night before bed, that I could stare at every day for the rest of my life, it was hers.
It was flawlessly round.
Heart-shaped.
Grabbable.
Squeezable.
But that didn’t change my mind.
I wasn’t marrying Jovana.
A woman who wanted to cook me breakfast the next morning in what she had called my magnificent kitchen, and I’d squashed that dream when I’d told her I wasn’t into dating or having a replay of our night together.
“Like I said,” Laura continued, despite my attempt to shut her up, “she has a sweet, wholesome personality, which will offset yours quite well. She’s young, but not too young. She has a relatable job that will resonate with the media. She’s adorable and fit—the world will literally just eat her up the second we release photos of you two, especially when they see the chemistry you have.”
Was this woman fucking nuts?
I knew we were here to discuss my future wife—a term I couldn’t and wouldn’t wrap my head around. The only reason I’d been able to convince the executive team to come here was because I’d told them if I had a drink, I might be more open to the idea.
But that was a lie.
I just needed a drink.
Still, I was semi-amused by her last statement and needed more clarification, so I barked, “What chemistry?”
“What chemistry,” Laura repeated. “The way you two were looking at each other, I could feel the energy pulsing. I’m sure everyone at this table could too.”
“Agreed,” Holden said.
“I second that,” Easton added.
“I third that,” Drake said.
“You have to be shitting me.” I dropped my hands on the table, unintentionally using a strength that caused a bang to echo around us. There was no way they could see the passion I had for this woman. I hid it well, I knew that. They were just filling me with bullshit so they could get me hitched to someone. “I’m not fucking marrying—”
“Before you finish that statement,” Laura said, “I need you to listen to me.” Her voice was sterner than it had been at the office. “When your partners hired me to clean up this PR disaster that you created, I made it very clear how I operate and conduct business. When I met with them and discussed my plan, everyone was on board. That’s what I need from you as well, Grayson. I can’t do my job effectively if you fight me every step of the way.” She pushed up her glasses, her eyes enlarging as she gazed at me through the thick lenses. “I need you to trust me, to know that what I’m asking of you is what’s best for your company. This is what I do, what I’m good at, and why your partners hired me.” She placed a finger on her cheek, the rest of her hand sitting under her chin. “If you want me to save Hooked, then you need to be open to what I’m suggesting.”
I turned my body toward her, my blood boiling to the point where it was ready to burst through my veins. “You need to listen to me, Laura. You think you’re the alpha of this pack, that you’re just going to come in and snap your fingers and all is going to be good in the Hooked world, but what you’re telling me to do is impossible. I can’t even stand the idea of a relationship, never mind the thought of getting married. It goes against everything I believe in.” I smiled, the words like fire as they lashed off my tongue, and they felt so good to release. “So, no, I’m not going to get married. I’m also not going to lie on my back and do what you tell me to. I’m not a goddamn dog.”
The group turned silent.
I was sure the head of HR wished she’d gone home, like our head of finance and in-house counsel had done.
But I didn’t give a shit who was here. I wasn’t going to tone down my response for anyone at this table.
“Grayson—”
“Don’t,” I warned Holden, knowing the motherfucker was going to try to smooth things out.
I didn’t want smoothing.
I wanted things rough and bumpy, just like they were.
But Holden grabbed my shoulder as he sat on the other side of me. “I get it, man. I do. I know this isn’t what you want, but I need you to think about Hooked and what we’ve sacrificed to build this company. The time you, Easton, and I have dedicated, all the long nights, the weekends.” He squeezed, making sure I was listening, that I was hearing his words. “If that means you need to play house for a little while—say, a year or so—then do it for Hooked.”
“Fuck—”
“Grayson ...” Drake’s voice was a surprise to hear, and it instantly quieted me. She hadn’t said much at the bar and had been silent during our meeting at the office. With her being so analytical, I was curious about what she was going to tell me. “Like Holden said, you’re facing an approximate one-year sentence. She’ll live in your guest room. You’ll pass each other in the morning before you leave for work and again at night before bed. You’ll be seen in public with her a few times a week. Maybe the two of you will even develop a friendship and you’ll enjoy your time together.” She glanced at Easton. “In my eyes, it’s much more difficult to keep a relationship a secret than to pretend you’re in love with someone you’re not.” As she referenced her experience with Easton, she looked back at me. “From what I can tell, you’ve been staring at her since we arrived at the bar, and I’d say you find her quite irresistible.”
Irresistible?
Was Drake somehow inside my head?
As though she heard me, her grin was small, careful, like she didn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of my verbal hits. “I believe you when you say you don’t want to marry her, but honestly, I wouldn’t have thought that by the way you look at her, so you’ve fooled me. If the rest of the world is like me and can be so easily convinced, then this isn’t going to be hard for you at all.”
That wasn’t what I’d anticipated Drake to say.
I wanted her to be on my side.
For her to admit this was comical and fucking absurd.
But what no one had addressed so far was the obvious roadblock.
“What if she says no?” I asked them. “Have you ever thought of that?”
“She won’t,” Laura countered. “Because you’re going to offer her a package that she won’t be able to refuse.”
My brows lifted. “A package?”
“Well, of course,” Laura said. “This is a business transaction with an NDA and a thoroughly laid-out contract. We need her completely on board with everything that we’re asking to ensure there aren’t any surprises, so yes, you have to offer her something.”
“Un-fucking-believable.” My hands dived into the sides of my hair while I checked the status of our drinks. Jovana wasn’t at the bar anymore—she was helping another table, smiling at the group of three men she was waiting on, her tongue slowly leaving her mouth to swipe her bottom lip.
All three dudes were gazing at that tongue.
At that mouth.
At her beauty.
And they were thinking about what it would feel like if she were doing that same motion to their cock.
Just like I was.
Goddamn it.
I shook my head and roared, “What would that package look like?”
Laura took her tablet out of her bag, tapped the screen a few times, and said, “A onetime payment of one million dollars. If she has an apartment, you’ll pay her rent for the duration of the marriage. You’ll provide her with health insurance and cover all her expenses while she’s living with you—food, utilities, a stipend for her cell phone, parking if she has a car, along with her car payment. Obviously, when the two of you go out and are seen in public, you’ll cover all costs.” She closed the tablet and looked at me. “As for the wedding and honeymoon, that’s on you as well, including the cost of her gown.”
As she read off each item, I felt my eyes bulge.
My hands fisted even tighter.
My pulse throbbed.
I had to be in another universe, or this was a fucking nightmare—anything that would justify what I was hearing, because there was no way what she was telling me could be the reality of my life.
“This is bullshit—”
“This is what’s required,” Easton said, “whether you marry her”—he nodded toward Jovana, who was still at the table of three—“or another woman.”
“What’s good about Jovana is that you’ve already slept with her,” Holden said. “If Laura found you a total stranger to wed, think of how much time it would take to develop chemistry—if you even could develop it. You know, because you’re this extra-warm and super-fuzzy guy that would just instantly cuddle right up to someone you don’t know.” He laughed.
But I didn’t find this funny.
Not a goddamn word of it.
“Health insurance? A cell phone stipend? She’s not a fucking employee.” I let out a long exhale. “Maybe a stranger would be easier,” I snapped at him. “Since Jovana already knows how much of an asshole I am, I’m sure she’s immediately going to say no.”
I watched her walk to the bar, relieved she was done with those guys, although I wasn’t sure why.
As she set what looked like our drinks on her tray, her ass was pointed at me.
Her hips.
Those exquisite legs.
Fuck me.
I glared at Laura. “Besides, she’s not the kind of woman who can be bought.”
Not when she’d turned down the $200 tip I’d offered and left herself nothing.
“You have to make it worth her while, then, don’t you understand that?” Laura asked. “That’s why we’re offering more than just money. And why I would encourage you to give her some emotional support—this isn’t just about the finances, Grayson.”
“You want me to pat her back and tell her I love her?” My words dripped with sarcasm. “All of you can fuck off.”
“Assuming she’s still single,” Laura continued, ignoring me, “she’s essentially going to be putting her personal life on hold while she heals your reputation. That’s a job, Grayson, and it’s a hefty ask of someone.” She adjusted her position, recrossing her legs. “Also, something you probably haven’t considered is that Jovana would have to tell her friends and family that she’s marrying you. Her NDA would prevent her from telling them the truth, so she’s going to have to make them believe that she’s in love with you. And at the end of all this, the poor woman is going to end up divorced, unable to tell her family why, and I assure you that any kind of divorce is something most people don’t want.” Her voice softened as she said, “Take it from someone who’s divorced—it’s a hard pill for most to swallow. At least Jovana’s young and, after you, she’ll have time to find the man of her dreams. If she wants to have a family one day, she has plenty of years to do that.”
Laura’s facade had finally cracked, and I took that into account. Her mention of Jovana’s friends and family and that they’d have to be lied to prior to our wedding and after our divorce was something even my hard ass could sympathize with.
She’d be helping to heal my recent wrongdoings. She’d be rebuilding my arm of the company, and that meant more to me than anything.
Laura was right—Jovana would have to sacrifice.
I sat back in my seat, processing everything that had been said tonight.
The benefits of going with Jovana, something I couldn’t believe I was even considering.
But Holden had a point. If I was going to move forward—and I didn’t know if I was—then marrying a stranger would create a whole new set of difficulties.
At least Jovana knew what to expect.
She knew I didn’t want this. She would know that I was backed into a corner without a choice.
Therefore, she wouldn’t expect a fucking rainbow after the Grayson storm.
That didn’t mean I liked the idea of her moving into my place.
Of having to trust a woman.
Of being tied down.
Of not being able to fish because I couldn’t risk getting busted and causing another media crisis.
Of getting married.
Of wearing a ring on a finger that I’d never planned to band.
“Shit,” I hissed, turning my attention to Laura. “How would you do this? Sit her down? Give her the logistics? Whip out a pen and have her sign the contract that’s probably already sitting in your bag?”
The crack in her appearance was gone as she said, “I’ll pull her aside this evening and set up a time for her to come into my office. I would like the conversation to take place there, where she’ll sign the NDA before anything is discussed, and you and your in-house counsel will be present, so everything is by the book and documented. We also have to get her on the app if she isn’t already and have her profile specifically on the marriage arm, and Drake”—she looked at our director of app development and engineering—“you’ll need to make sure the two of them are matched.”
“I’m happy to do so,” Drake replied.
“Before I leave this bar, the meeting will be set,” Laura said, her stare intensifying. “What I need you to do is make sure you don’t mess this up.”
My neck tilted back as if she were tugging on the rear of my collar. “Mess it up? How in the hell could I do that?”
She signaled that Jovana was on her way over, so she couldn’t answer, and I turned just in time to watch her carry our drinks to the table, working her way around the circle until she reached me.
That was when I got a whiff of her scent.
One I remembered licking off her.
Lavender and vanilla.
“I brought you all doubles,” Jovana said quietly. “My apology for having to wait so long for your drinks.” Once she placed the vodka in front of me, she tucked the tray under her arm.
“What, no bottle of Coke this time?”
She stared at me quietly. “Funny and wicked—you’re quite the combo, aren’t you.” She instantly broke eye contact and said, “I’m the only server on at the moment, so things are taking a little longer than normal. I appreciate you being so patient with me.”
We never caught eyes again before she left the table, something that oddly bothered me.
“See, I didn’t fuck anything up,” I said to Laura as though I needed to prove, out loud, that I could do this.
I didn’t know why.
I had zero desire to move forward.
But I also knew I didn’t have a choice.
There were certain things we did for Hooked, and this was one.
I just hoped these motherfuckers knew how much I was sacrificing for our company.
“You didn’t,” Laura said, “but you could have thanked her for the double. She is going to be your future wife and all.”
“How can you be so sure she’s going to say yes?” I asked.
Laura shrugged but smiled at the same time. “Oh, it’s just a hunch.”
I might have lain on my back for this one, but that didn’t mean I was going down without a fight.
“Did the hunch also tell you that I was going to thank Jovana for the drinks?” I challenged.
“No, it didn’t,” Laura replied. “I just hoped you had some manners ... and you don’t.”
I nodded toward Easton and Holden. “You picked a fiery one, fellas.”
The two of them laughed.
So did Laura.
“And you know what?” Easton said. “She’s going to save your ass, and she’s going to save Hooked’s ass too.”