8. Phoenix #3
“I do. We were both running away from our reality. We met in Nepal. We were roommates at the monastery where we stayed. Since then, we’ve been tight, even though we live on opposite sides of the country.”
“I’m sure she’s going to have questions when you get back to her place.”
“I’m staying at her boyfriend’s place.”
Fuck. “Does he know?”
“I’m not sure if she told him or not. He’s in Las Vegas on business for the next two days.”
“What’s his name?”
“Rhys Hartford.”
I laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“I know him well.”
“You’re kidding?”
“I’m not. We’re both members of the same… club. I also hang out with Rhys Hartford outside of the club.
Her eyebrows knit together. “What kind of club?”
“Let’s talk about it another time,” I say.
“Okay.”
Thank God she doesn’t press for more.
“We’re going to have to deal with Keira and Rhys,” I say.
More loose ends.
Every person who knows this is all smoke and mirrors is a potential leak, and if the board ever finds out, I can kiss the CEO position goodbye.
“Keira has known Rhys since she was a kid. He’s her older brother’s best friend. He comes off as trustworthy. Not to mention, the man runs a multibillion-dollar company. I’m sure he’s no stranger to discretion. I don’t see Rhys being a problem. The same for Keira.”
I nod. “And you’re sure she won’t talk?”
“I’m certain of it.”
I hate not being in control of every aspect of this charade, but I’m going to have to trust her.
“What about a best friend in New York?”
Her lips twist in disdain. “She decided to sleep with my boyfriend. So, we’re not on speaking terms.”
“Your ex is a cheater, your best friend is a backstabber, and you weren’t getting along with your stepmother.”
A grimace graces her beautiful features. She has the worst poker face. “Pretty much.”
“Nepal was your escape?”
“Yes. I was suffocating in New York.”
“And you found what you were looking for in Nepal?”
Her expression turns amused before she nods. “I found my voice. I don’t take crap from anyone anymore.”
Without thinking, I reach out and stroke my thumb along her bare forearm, appreciating the silky softness of her skin under my touch.
She shudders. I expect her to pull away, but she doesn’t. Instead, her green eyes hold mine.
“Were you forced to cut your hair to stay at the monastery?”
“No.” She runs her free hand through her hair.
“I wasn’t trying to become a nun. It was my own decision.
However, Keira gave me the courage to do the big chop.
She’s also rocking a pixie cut, but she’s a blonde to my jet-black hair.
” She lets out a small laugh. “It’s the second most rebellious thing I’ve ever done. ”
“Seems like you’re still wearing your rebellious badge with pride.”
“Today, I am.”
We exchange a complicit smile.
Her demeanor changes.
“What is it?”
She worries her lower lip.
“Come on. Talk to me.”
Glancing at her empty glass of wine and back up at me, she looks as if she’s weighing her options.
“What about the press? How are we going to convince them we’re so in love we have to get married? I mean, there aren’t any photos of us together—no history of us even knowing each other. It’s pretty hard to hide in the digital age.”
She might not have formerly agreed to our merger-marriage, but her question tells me where her head is at.
“That’s where the PR team comes in. They’ll come up with an airtight story. As long as we follow the script, everything should be okay.”
“This sounds very Hollywood. It’s like we’re actors.”
“In many ways, we are. We’re playing a role.”
“Right.” I detect a tinge of nervousness. Dare I say, self-doubt?
She’s quiet for a beat.
Hesitant eyes meet mine. “Not that I had princess dreams of a regal wedding, attended by thousands, but I never imagined a merger-marriage would be the first time I walked down the aisle. And, I most definitely never imagined tying the knot with a multibillionaire.”
“I never imagined walking down the aisle, period,” I say. “I love my freedom way too much to put a noose around my neck. Luckily, the countdown starts right after we exchange the I do’s . Something tells me we’ll both be rushing to the divorce court when the year is over.”
She nods. “Let’s hope we survive the year.”
After this morning, I have to wonder. But my eyes are on the prize, so I’m more than willing to put water in my wine.
“The incentive is strong for both of us,” I say.
She nods again.
I seek out easy, no strings attached hookups with women who aren’t looking for a forever guy.
Sacrificing my freedom, and therefore cockblocking my ability to sink into a warm pussy whenever I want, will be an unbearable challenge.
I’d never dream of entering a ball and chain arrangement unless it was well worth it.
Securing the CEO position is the ultimate reward.
“Today was about us getting acquainted with each other,” I say, “We can go over the contract and the prenup––”
“Very romantic,” she says.
“Let’s not pretend, Michaela. We both know what this is.
I’d be an embarrassment as a COO if I entered a deal without an airtight contract.
I highly recommend you hire your own legal counsel.
I’m not going to blindside you, but you need the guidance and blessings of a lawyer on the terms of our arrangement and what you’ll get out of it. ”
Given my legal powerhouse, I could screw her and Niels ten ways to Sunday. Her father is in the hole. Other than his house, he doesn’t have a dime to his name. If I wanted to take advantage of them, it would be easy. That’s not how I operate.
“Okay,” she says in a small voice.
I can’t read her mind, but I’m willing to bet she’s still struggling with her new reality.
“Once you’re okay with everything, we’ll set the ruse in motion.
You’re the kind of smart and sophisticated woman everybody will believe I’ve settled down with long-term.
The PR team will start working its magic.
The media gets a story we control. The board is thoroughly duped.
I’m one step closer to my goal. Everyone wins. ”
“That’s a lot of pressure,” she says. “Wouldn’t a quick Vegas wedding be easier to handle?”
“No one will believe a man in my position would settle for a Vegas wedding, unless you were knocked up. The board will see right through me. In order for this to fly, we have to put on a good show and play the part like we’re campaigning for an Oscar.”
A gap of silence stretches between us.
We should wrap this up. “Is there anything we haven’t covered?”
She clears her throat. “There’s one thing we haven’t discussed.”
“What’s that?”
“After the wedding…”
“Yes?”
“I wanted to know—” She lets out a sigh.
“I’m listening.”
Her teeth dig into her bottom lip before releasing it. She then clamps her lips together and looks up to the ceiling as if calling for strength.
It’s like she’s having a conversation with herself. “If you have a question, ask.”
Twin blotches of color appear high on her cheeks.
What’s up with the sudden shyness?
It hits me.
I pull her hand into mine and fix her with my gaze. “You want to know about our wedding night?”
She nods.
“You want to know if I’m going to bury my big cock deep inside your sweet pussy and fuck you like no man has ever fucked you before?”
Her jaw drops, her eyes widening so much, I fear they’ll take over her face.
“Only if you ask nicely, Michaela.”
I promised myself I’d behave, but I couldn’t resist.
I didn’t think it was possible to render this woman mute.
Good to know.
A second ticks by.
Then another.
And another.
She’s still staring at me.
She’s not balking at the idea, though.
I cock my head, studying her in amusement. “Something tells me you’d enjoy it as much as I would… if not more.”
She remains quiet.
I add fuel to the fire.
“Tell me this, Michaela. When was the last time you were fucked by a real man?” A veil of lust coats her green eyes.
“Someone who knows what you need. Someone who’ll tame that dragon roaring inside you.
Someone who will take control from you, forcing you to surrender and submit.
Someone who can give you what you crave, but didn’t even know you desperately needed. ”
Still nothing.
“If you beg, I’ll give it to you.”
The heat burning in her eyes dissipates.
She snatches her hand away from mine. “In your dreams, Konig. Hell will freeze over before that ever happens. And begging for it?” She rolls her eyes. “Puh-lease.”
No one’s been taking care of her like she deserves. I’d bet my fortune on it. “Care to make a wager?”
She shakes her head. “I owe you enough as it is.”
“Consider this a bonus. You wouldn’t owe me anything extra for the pleasure.”
She bats her eyelashes a mile a minute.
I’m on a roll. “I can assure you, Michaela, you wouldn’t hesitate to beg for it.”
She flinches, but regains her composure, lifting her chin in the defiant demeanor I’m getting used to. “Don’t get any ideas about our wedding night. This is a fake wedding. We will not be consummating said fake wedding. I was curious about our sleeping arrangements.”
I fight a smile. “We have time to figure it out. I haven’t decided if we’ll stay at the penthouse or the mansion in Malibu. Don’t worry your pretty little head. I wasn’t planning on touching you.”
Something flashes in her eyes. Disappointment?
“I hope it doesn’t mean you plan on cheating on me,” she says. “I wouldn’t want to be humiliated or made to look like a fool.”
How am I going to live with this beautiful woman for one year without my balls exploding? Chances are I’ll jerk off so much, I’ll injure my wrist. “I’m not a cheater.”
“If you’re not going to get it from me… where are you going to get it from?” She keeps talking without giving me a chance to answer. “Are you telling me you’re going to live a whole year without sex? I can’t see that happening.”
“I could ask you the same question,” I say.
She blushes.
Turning her cheeks that lovely shade of pink is becoming my favorite pastime.
“I’ll do whatever it takes for the sake of the hotel,” she says.
Nice way of skirting the question. “I’m a big boy. Don’t worry about my needs.”
Before meeting Michaela Knight, that wouldn’t have been a problem.
Now? Well… it’s going to be a little more complicated.
My brain knows better, but my body…? Not so much.
My cock wants nothing more than to seal this damn merger-marriage with a good, hard fuck.
I’m desperate to release my cum inside a pussy instead of the palm of my hand.
Hers would do nicely. Five months of celibacy will do that to a man.
Even before Dad’s heart attack, my schedule was so jam-packed, I couldn’t even think straight.
But this meeting isn’t about my cock. It’s about her legacy and mine.
Michaela isn’t a mail-order bride. This is a business deal.
Therefore, this arrangement comes with certain self-imposed restrictions.
But damn if I’ve gone from needing her to wanting her.
I want to tame this firecracker more than I want my next breath.
If she’s this explosive, I can imagine what it’s like in the bedroom.
Sending her running for the hills wouldn’t do either of us any good, Konig.
I coax the beast raging between my legs to behave.
She’s staring at me with a cocked eyebrow, indicating she remains unconvinced.
“I will respect the boundaries of our fake wedding and I’ll keep it in my pants,” I say.
“I’m glad to hear we’re on the same page,” she says.
“The timeline is tight,” I say, changing the subject. “Sleep on it and let’s talk early tomorrow. How does that sound, Michaela?”
“Okay,” she says. “By the way, you can call me Mikki. Everyone else does Do you have a nickname?”
“I much prefer Michaela,” I say. “I don’t particularly like nicknames, so don’t ever get it in your head to call me Nix.”
“Suit yourself.” She shrugs. “I was trying to create a rapport between us.”
“There are much better ways of doing that.”
She squirms in her seat.
I bite off a smile.
“Three hundred and sixty-five days, Michaela, and you’ll save your family’s legacy.”
She offers a shy nod.
“The meeting is adjourned.” I pause for effect. “But I’m too much of a gentleman to flip you the bird.”
Her face drops.
She didn’t see that one coming.