CHAPTER SEVEN
Grayson
“I called you in today to give you a proposition,” Laura said, keeping her eyes focused solely on Jovana, who had looked like a deer in headlights since she’d arrived, especially when she was signing the NDA. “One that you’re probably going to find rather unorthodox.” Laura had her hands on top of a folder containing the contract, where every detail of our potential arrangement had been laid out.
My legal team had worked through the night to make sure every i was dotted, every t was crossed, that their verbiage outlined the duties the other party—whether it be Jovana or someone else—and I were responsible for.
And it set a term.
One year.
That was my sentence.
Admittedly, as I stared at Jovana from the head of Laura’s oval table, it wasn’t a bad sight to have to look at for the next twelve months.
Every time I saw her, she was even more gorgeous, and I found it impossible to pull my stare away from her.
But that didn’t mean I was pleased with this proposition.
That I hadn’t stayed up all night, contemplating a way out of it.
Or that I was going to be the ideal boyfriend and fiancé and husband.
I didn’t give a shit how badly I wanted to kiss her last night. How hard my cock had been while I’d held her by the back door of the bar. How I’d gone home and jerked off in the shower, thinking of her incredible body and her tight, wet pussy and the softness of her skin and her incredible taste.
But this was a business transaction.
Nothing more.
And before she signed that contract—if she decided to sign—I planned on telling her that.
“I’m eager to hear what it is,” Jovana replied to the crisis manager, her voice soft, her eyes darting to me and then back to Laura.
“I promise I’m going to get to that proposition soon, but before I do, I want to give you a little backstory, so you understand what prompted this meeting,” Laura said. “I don’t know if you’ve recently been following the media or if you’ve seen any of the articles or Alerts that showed Grayson on a yacht in Saint-Tropez?”
As Laura paused, Jovana’s face flushed.
Oh, she fucking saw them, all right.
And I was sure if we weren’t in Laura’s office and if Jovana weren’t so well mannered in front of my team, that would have earned me another middle finger.
“I subscribe to Celebrity Alerts,” Jovana said, swallowing, “and, yes, I received the one about Grayson.”
“Then you know exactly what I’m referring to and how that Alert—combined with the photos and videos and the subsequent article in Boston College’s newspaper, causing an influx of TikToks and reposts—has implied that Grayson has a very strong opinion when it comes to marriage.”
Implied.
Oh, she’s fucking good.
Jovana nodded.
“Since you’re not a member, I don’t know how much you know about Hooked, but Grayson founded the marriage arm for the app, so the result of that footage going viral hasn’t been very positive for the company. If I’m being frank, Hooked has found itself in a bit of a media storm.”
“I’ve seen some of the things that have been shared online.” Jovana’s hands were under the table, but the way her shoulders moved, I could tell she was fidgeting. “I just don’t understand why I’m here.”
I didn’t blame her for being uncomfortable. The whole fucking setting was stifling.
“Hooked has hired me to ease the media storm, and in order to do that, I have to create a different narrative that shows Grayson in a more”—Laura glanced at me—“relatable manner.” She smiled at Jovana. “Once things shift and the storm calms and the media stops discussing Grayson’s antimarriage announcement and his extracurricular activities”—she cleared her throat—“Hooked can continue to grow the way they intended.”
“So, how does that involve me exactly?” Jovana asked.
Laura’s hand touched the table, not far from where Jovana’s bottle of water sat, the PR crisis manager’s way of warming up her guest. “Dear, Grayson needs to get married.”
Jovana’s brows instantly rose. “Wait ...” Her mouth dropped as she stared at Laura, her hand flattening against her chest, pushing as if she were trying to control the beating of her heart. After a few moments of silence, she looked at me and said, “Are you suggesting that person be me?”
“Yes,” Laura answered. “After spending the evening researching you, learning you’re an influencer, and seeing the presence you’ve established and the reputation you’ve earned among your followers, we feel you would be a perfect fit.”
Jovana’s eyes didn’t move. They stayed on me. Her expression aloof, but her posture telling me that the news was shooting straight up her spine. I watched it circle in her head, the pieces clicking together, until she eventually focused on Laura.
Before Jovana could respond, Laura added, “But the marriage wouldn’t happen immediately. Assuming you’re interested in the position, which would be treated like a business transaction, Grayson would publicly court you for one to two months, and then he would propose. You would move in with him. A wedding would occur. Honeymoon.” She tapped the folder. “Everything is spelled out in here, but I want to highlight some necessary requirements that I really want you to take note of.” She pushed her glasses higher. “Remember, the purpose of this is to change Grayson’s narrative, so you’d be required to go on dates with him in places where you would be seen. You would have to convince your family and friends that this is a man you’re in love with. We would want him featured on your Instagram feed, even having a presence in some of your TikToks.”
I knew all about influencers. We’d hired several in the past to market Hooked.
I just thought the bar was her only gig.
“You want me on fucking TikTok?” I burst out.
Laura glared at me. “Jovana has a large social media following. Having you appear in her feed would be a tremendous benefit for Hooked.”
My head shook, immediately rejecting the idea.
The last thing I was going to do was dance to a goddamn song for the entire world to see.
Laura crossed her hands. “The most important part of this arrangement is that in everyone’s eyes—and I’m talking the media, your family, friends, colleagues—this will look like a real, honest, love-filled relationship.”
“You’re asking me to lie.”
Jovana’s words and tone were as cold as the water sitting in front of me.
“We understand our request isn’t easy, and you’ll be well compensated for that.” Laura pushed the folder toward her. “The top page summarizes the financial aspects of this deal.”
Jovana didn’t open the folder.
She took several deep breaths. “Why me?”
“The idea came to me at the bar last night. If I could have physically chosen a perfect partner for Grayson, it would be you, and that thought was only confirmed when I researched you. You’re kind, Jovana, and that’s the first thing I saw when I viewed your social media. You’re also sweet. Humble. Wholesome. The media will love you—they already do, by the looks of your accounts and how much interaction you get.” Laura took a drink of her coffee. “The moment you start hinting that you’ve fallen in love, you’re going to get so much support from your following. They’ll eat it up. Think of what that’ll do to help build your influencer status. Women thrive off a beautiful love story, and I assure you, it’s going to look like a fairy tale to anyone watching.”
Where Laura had apparently spent the whole night googling Jovana, I’d drunk myself completely stupid until I barely remembered my name.
“So, you’re an influencer?” I grabbed my water, swishing it around in my mouth, hoping it would help dull my hangover. “And a server?”
Jovana’s stare slowly moved over to me. She leaned forward, her arms resting on the table. “You don’t know anything about me, do you? Like, for starters, my last name.”
“Let’s not address Grayson’s lack of—”
“No, she’s right,” I replied, cutting Laura off, not needing her to lie on my behalf and fill Jovana with bullshit that wasn’t true. “I don’t know your last name. I don’t know where you live. I don’t know—”
“Anything besides what I taste like,” Jovana whispered. She was quiet for a moment before she addressed Laura and said, “I would like to talk to Grayson. Alone.”
“Now?” Laura asked.
Jovana nodded. “Yes. Now.”
“We still have so much to discuss,” Laura said. “The terms of the contract, the responsibilities. I’d like to go over the legalities and make sure all your questions are answered.”
“We’ll have time for all that,” Jovana said, pleading with the crisis manager. “It’s important I talk to him before we discuss anything further.”
Laura looked at Hooked’s in-house counsel, like she needed her approval, which she ended up getting when the attorney nodded at her.
“We’ll be right outside,” Laura told us, and she left the room with the attorney.
Once we were alone, Jovana pushed a few inches away from the table and crossed her legs. “Did you know about this last night?”
“Yes.”
She sighed. “And you didn’t think it was important to say something to me about it when we were alone?”
I laughed.
And while I did, she looked at me as if she didn’t recognize me.
“Listen, for one, I had to keep that shit under wraps or Laura and my partners would fucking kill me. Two, I couldn’t say anything to you about it until you signed an NDA. Because what if I discussed it with you and then you went and gossiped to your friend behind the bar. That would defeat the whole purpose of us doing this. Get me?”
“Get you?” She held the edge of the table with both hands. “You made me follow you to the back door last night. You basically caged me in with your arms. You rubbed your lips across mine. For what, Grayson? To see if I would make a move? To test me? To decide if you wanted me to be your fake wife?”
Wife.
Goddamn it, that word made me fucking shudder.
“The team said we had chemistry. I wanted to know if they were right.”
“Why?”
“What are you, five?” I barked, which was the same age as Belle, Holden’s daughter, and every word that came out of that little girl’s mouth was why, why, and more why. Hearing it from Belle was cute. Hearing it from Jovana was getting on my fucking nerves.
She either wanted to sign the contract or didn’t.
“Because I don’t know how to fake it.” I pulled at my collar, wondering why the hell I’d changed into a button-down when I’d originally had on a polo. I certainly wasn’t trying to impress her. “If I felt nothing toward you, the media would know, and then again, I’d be doing this all for nothing.”
“You’re telling me you felt something?”
I felt something, all right.
But it was more than just something.
I felt everything.
Every pulse.
Breath.
And all the emotions that churned inside her.
Because even though that was all happening in her, it had also been happening inside me.
“I felt how hot your body is,” I admitted, unwilling to give her anything else.
Her eyes widened, her head shaking, her teeth bared as though she were about to take a bite of something. “That’s all you’re going to say? That my body is hot?”
“And you smell nice.”
She laughed, and it got louder as each second passed, to the point where she covered her mouth with her hand. “And here I thought you actually felt something for me last night.”
“I did.” I swallowed, remembering it had taken every bit of my power not to kiss her in that hallway, not to beg for her to come home with me. “I felt the hard-on in my fucking jeans.”
Her lips stayed open, forming an O as she gazed at me. “You’re an asshole. Even bigger than I thought.”
“Except you’re wet right now ... aren’t you?” I smiled. “You’re forgetting that I know your body and I can tell.”
“Grayson—”
“No need to lie. I can see the truth all over you.” I got up from the head of the oval and walked around to the back of her seat, where I held the top of her chair, turning the wood until she was fully facing me, and then I rested my hands on the armrests. “Let’s get something straight right now. I told you the first night that we were together that I wasn’t the dating type. It’s not something I do. I’m never with women more than once.”
“Unless you’re on a yacht for a whole week, then sleeping with a woman more than once is okay, am I right?”
I smiled. “There were enough women on that boat that I didn’t have to repeat.”
“I despise you.”
“Good. That means at the end of all this, assuming you sign the contract and accept the ungodly amount of money I’m going to pay you, you won’t expect me to fall in love with you, because I promise love isn’t at the end of this fucking rainbow, Jovana.”
“What’s at the end, then?”
“Divorce.”
She crossed her legs, and her arms followed.
Silence ticked.
And as she kept quiet, I could see the goddamn wheels in her brain spinning.
“You know, this is actually kind of funny,” she said.
“How so?”
“Your reputation is hanging on by a thread.” Her smile turned sinister. “Your company is losing memberships by the second. Your team had to hire a PR crisis manager just to get you under control and flip your script. You would think that, considering I’m the one doing you a favor, you’d actually be nice to me.”
I growled, “I don’t do nice.”
“Except you need me, and you know that and”—she slowly licked across her bottom lip before moving to the top, nipping the center with her teeth—“that fucking kills you.”
“I don’t need you.”
But I did.
In every way.
My body screamed for her.
My hands ached for her.
“No?” Her posture became more relaxed, and the confidence she was clearly feeling caused her grin to grow even larger. “Not only am I the humble, wholesome girl who could save your reputation and help rebuild the marriage arm for your company, but with my following, I could grow that arm. When my followers see the happiness on my face and our lovey-dovey marriage, they’ll be begging to sign up to Hooked.” She sat up a bit taller. “So, let’s get something straight.” Her pause reinforced that she was using my own words against me. “I don’t care how antirelationship you are, how the thought of marriage has you breaking out in hives, I’m not going to put up with your nonsense. Your nastiness. Or one of the things you do best, which is dismiss my questions so you can trump them with your own.” She lifted her foot and placed it on the center of my thigh, pushing until I backed up. Once she was satisfied with my new location, about six inches from where I stood before, her foot dropped to the floor. “If you want me to even consider helping you, I need to know what’s in it for me.”
“Money.”
“Do better.”
The anger that was building in my chest made me spit, “You want fucking more?”
“Not money-wise, but yes, I want more.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
My hands squeezed together so hard, I had to shove them in my pockets.
I didn’t trust them. Not when I was around her. Not when I wanted to touch her this badly.
Shit, I no longer trusted myself.
Because that mouth, the spiciness, the rebelliousness that I was hearing, made me want to lift her onto the table and fuck her into submission.
With each new side she revealed, she got even more beautiful.
Even this side that was more aggressive than I’d ever seen.
But I couldn’t concentrate on that right now.
Not when she had me by the balls.
No one ever had me by the balls.
But she did.
She knew that.
And she was loving every second.
My jaw clenched, my teeth ground. “What do you want, Jovana?”
“Where do I even start?”
“Don’t get fucking smart with me.” I took a breath, attempting to tame the hardness in my pants. “Tell me what you want so we can get this over with.”
She raked her fingers through a few sections of long curls, unfazed by the rage that was boiling through me. “I want you to grovel.”
Grovel?
And this was exactly why I didn’t date or go at it with a woman for more than one round.
I didn’t want the demands. The control. The emotions.
This wasn’t going to work.
“Fuck that.”
“Then there’s nothing to discuss here. I’m just going to go home.” A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Is that what you want?”
Every exhale got louder, my nostrils flaring each time.
She knew I didn’t have a choice. That I was cornered.
That my hands were clenched because the domination was shifting, and I couldn’t stand it.
“I didn’t think so.” She stood from her chair and took a seat on the sturdy table. “It’ll pack a harder punch if we’re a little more eye level.” She gripped the edge of the wood on either side of her. “Go on, I’m waiting.”
“You’re something else.”
“Just wait, Grayson. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
I took a step forward, and then another, and I was instantly sucked into her scent.
The lavender, the vanilla—they came out of nowhere, even though they’d been here the whole time.
Aromas that were typically calming, but they were doing the opposite.
And I didn’t just feel that sensation in my cock; I felt it in my chest.
My hands.
My fucking mouth.
“I need you, is that what you want to hear?” I halted, waiting for a response. I didn’t get one. I just saw a satisfaction building in her eyes. “I can’t do this without you.” I drew in a breath, knowing the next sentence was going to fucking sting. “I’m willing to do anything to make you want to marry me.”
What the hell has gotten into me?
Why am I doing this?
How is it possible that I’m even saying these words?
Fuck.
“Tell me what you want, Jovana.” I took one more step, realizing how close we now were. My hands came out of their pockets and landed on her cheeks. Cupping them. Aiming her face up at me. “You want me to touch you softly instead of holding you with all my strength?” I gazed at her lips. “You want a man who’s going to lick your pussy every night?” That wasn’t part of the deal, it certainly wasn’t in the contract, but I wouldn’t be opposed. She had the best fucking pussy I’d ever eaten. “You want me to promise you the entire world?” I leaned my face toward hers.
Her eyes stayed open and scanned mine as my face continued to get closer.
I couldn’t stop it. Not the movement nor the momentum.
The desire to taste her was far too strong.
If she was going to get something out of me, then I wanted something for myself.
Her lips.
Her tongue.
The sound of her moaning the second my hands glided to her tits.
But once I was only a hair’s breadth away from her mouth, her fingers went on top of mine and she squeezed, stopping me from coming any closer.
“I don’t want any of those things, Grayson.”
“What the fuck do you want then?”
She leaned her neck back, presumably to see a wider angle of my face. “I want a man who’s going to lift me over puddles. And a man who’s going to order me an entire platter of desserts in my favorite flavor. And a man who’s going to take my dad to a Red Sox game because my family is as important to him as they are to me.” She pulled my hands off her cheeks and slid down from the table, moving away from me until she was at the head, taking the chair where I’d previously been sitting. “Send Laura in on your way out. I’ll finish this meeting without you. And if I decide to move forward and sign, she’ll let you know.”
Jovana was now suddenly in charge?
While I stood here with a throbbing hard-on?
I didn’t think.
“I’m not leaving—”
“Either you leave or I do,” she said. “The decision is yours.”
There was no decision.
Jovana knew that.
And she fucking loved it.
If I were as childish as she was, I would have flipped her off on my way out.
But I wouldn’t give her that satisfaction ... even though she knew she’d already won.