20. Phoenix
Phoenix
T he intimate wedding and garden reception under a large, fancy canopy were a coup—simple, elegant, and upscale. The chefs at the Pompadour pulled out all the stops.
Thank God the official photos are behind us.
I swear the photographer must’ve snapped a thousand photos.
Not that I’m complaining too much. We’re paying a premium for one of the top photographers in LA.
So far, it’s clear the guy is worth his weight in gold.
Him and his team are still buzzing about, setting up their equipment in preparation for the cake cutting.
After the obligatory rounds of thank you for coming , my wife escaped upstairs.
My wife.
Those are two words I never thought would ever slip from my lips.
Even though I’m a willing participant in this fake marriage, I was this close from losing my shit during the ceremony.
Knowing the countdown started when the priest uttered, “till death do you part”, is the only thing that prevented me from panicking at the idea of tying the knot with a woman.
Michaela owns my balls for only one year.
After that, I’m back to being a free agent.
Thank God I have an exit strategy in place.
Speaking of the little dragon, what’s taking her so long?
I stride back inside and climb the stairs two by two to the top floor of my father’s Malibu Colony Beach mansion and make my way to the guest room he assigned to her.
As far as Dad, Slate, Wilder, and Roman are concerned, Michaela and I have a platonic marriage.
I didn’t feel the need to update them on the latest developments.
I knock.
She cracks open the door and pokes out her beautiful face. She’s still radiant. And all but her lipstick, her subdued makeup is still flawless. “What are you doing up here?” She gathers the fabric of her white silk robe.
“Is that any way to talk to your husband?”
I peer over her head. “You don’t have to act when it’s the two of us.”
“I disagree. It’s best to stay in character.”
She rolls her eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m changing.”
“Why? You stop traffic in your wedding dress and tiara.”
The stylists at the Pompadour’s boutique worked their connections to track down a stunning designer dress at the last minute.
They’re definitely getting a bonus. When they suggested a tiara adorned with Swarovski crystals as the ultimate regal accessory to complement a princess dress, Michaela hesitated.
I told her she should go for it. I’m glad she did.
She looked like a queen walking down the aisle.
“Thank you for the compliment. And thank you again for my perfect dress and all the incredible jewelry.” She brings a hand to her 2-carat diamond studs. I also got her a magnificent wide diamond bracelet made in Italy. “I felt like a princess today.”
“I’m a generous husband, but then again my queen deserves it.”
She purses her lips. “Well, your queen loves the way her king spoils her.”
I shouldn’t like hearing those words this much. “So back to my question. Why are you changing?”
“It’s tradition to slip into a less princesscy dress for the party.”
“Okay.” I push open the door and let myself into the room before closing it behind me.
“Phoenix, you can’t be in here,” she says. “People will notice we’re both missing.”
A muscle in my jaw clenches and my cock twitches in my tuxedo pants as I take in every delicious inch of her. My eyes travel down her body, stopping a little too long on her exposed legs and her dainty toes painted in a soft shade of pink.
“Come on, kitty cat, loosen up. It’s tradition for the groom to escape for a little alone time with his bride.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “According to which manual?”
“ Phoenix Konig’s Guide to the Perfect Fake Marriage .”
We both laugh.
“People have been buzzing around us all morning like busy bees,” I say. “Now that it’s the two of us, we can talk openly. You can change. I won’t look.”
“Fine.”
Every muscle in my body locks tight as she sashays to the other side of the room, giving me an eyeful of her fine ass. The temptation to find out if she’s wearing virginal white panties and a matching bra underneath the robe is overwhelming.
“Do you think we pulled it off?” She leans against the dresser.
I mimic her by leaning against the door. “I’m certain we did. Your uncle and my extended family are clueless.”
“Uncle Ian was miffed I kept our relationship a secret.” She bites a manicured nail. “I told him I was so swept away, my feet weren’t touching the ground and my head was in a blissful cloud. Hence, why my mind was so preoccupied and I failed to announce my new relationship status to the world.”
“Damn, woman, you deserve an Oscar once this is over.”
“At the very least.”
“The official wedding photos will hit the internet within the hour. That should seal the deal in the public’s eye.”
The publicist refused to wait. I wasn’t going to argue with her.
“No hiccups so far?”
I shake my head. “It’s smooth sailing… let’s see if it still holds true later at the party.”
“We got this.”
I nod.
This woman who was a stranger less than a week ago is now my most formidable ally.
“We did it as a team.” I push off the door and stalk to her.
Without her high heels, she’s a tiny dragon.
“We did,” she says with a smile, looking up at me.
My eyes drop to her chest. The outline of her breasts is visible under the silky fabric of her robe.
No bra.
I’m entranced as her chest lifts each time she takes a breath. This close, her tempting perfume envelops me. As if drawn to her like a magnet, I lean in and inhale her scent. A hint of headiness mixes with the floral notes of her perfume.
Heaven.
Something stirs beneath my skin.
I’m in trouble, but fuck if that stops me.
I lean the rest of the way, tangle my hands into her short hair, and stare down at her.
She stares back.
Unable to resist, I place a soft kiss on her mouth. It’s meant to be nothing more than a thank you, but when our lips touch, I can’t pull away.
She moans into my mouth, as if testing my resolve.
I’m just a man.
I’m not that strong.
I turn us both around and cross the room until her back hits the wall.
The kiss is as reckless as it was the last time I had my mouth on hers behind closed doors. Swept up in a cyclone of desire, I ravish her mouth. Her taste explodes on my tongue, turning the fire raging inside me up twenty notches.
Damn.
I deepen the kiss.
She responds with as much ardor.
Our tongues mingle in a sexy dance as our hands roam all over the place, our breaths heavy.
She places her hands against my chest, pushing away from me.
“What is it?”
“You promised we wouldn’t do more than kiss.” Her voice trembles.
I kiss her ear, then her neck before saying, “We are kissing.”
She twists out of my grip and hooks closed fists at her hips, her mouth screwing up into a defiant expression. “That’s not the kind of kissing we agreed to.”
“I’m aware I’m married to a woman I can’t fuck, but kissing should at least be on the table. And none of that chaste stuff either. I’m talking about kissing you thoroughly like you deserve.”
“Don’t say things like that, Phoenix.” Her green eyes are as dark as a forest, her pupils dilated with lust.
You want this as much as I do, kitten. “Why not?”
“Because. You shouldn’t.”
“That’s a weak excuse,” I say.
She sinks her teeth into her full bottom lip and sucks it into her mouth, pondering on her answer. “Things could get complicated.”
I run my eyes over the curve of her cleavage. Lifting a finger, I draw a line between her breasts before cupping one of them.
She shivers.
She may protest, but her body isn’t.
Every muscle in my own body aches with the need to sink my cock deep inside of her. I’m sure I’ll pay the price for my greed. Once won’t be enough and I’ll have to find my way back inside her sweet pussy. Good thing I’m a master negotiator.
“After what happened in my office, things are already complicated, kitten,” I say.
“We can keep pretending there’s nothing between us and grow frustrated with each passing day—with me acquiring a bad case of blue balls—or we can live out this attraction.
” I allow for a pregnant pause. “I vote for the latter.”
Her eyes flick from mine to my lips and back up again.
“They’ll hear us.”
That’s the hold back?
She needs a little nudge.
“Given the sheer size of the mansion, the music playing and the animated conversations outside, I doubt anyone will hear us. And, let’s not forget, the free-flowing champagne plays to our advantage.
If we were able to get away with our naughty fun at my office, this will be a piece of cake.
And, if we were to get caught, it wouldn’t shock anyone.
We’re newlyweds madly in love, remember? ”
Her eyes shift from left to right.
She’s thinking.
I can help.
I lay my cards on the table. “Since Wednesday, you’ve been an obsession. You have no idea how many times I’ve jerked off to the image of you climaxing all over my fingers. I want you naked, and writhing, and moaning, and coming again.”
“Phoenix…” My name is a plea on her lips, and it’s my undoing. “Don’t say that.”
“You’re repeating yourself, Michaela, but your protest does little to veil the lust I read in your eyes.”
She bites against her lower lip so hard, I fear she’ll draw blood.
I soldier on. “I want to fuck you so bad and shoot my load so deep inside you, I can’t think straight.
I’ve never—and I mean, never—wanted a woman like I want you.
” I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her to me until her body is flush with mine.
“I can’t fake this,” I say, pressing my hard-on against her.
Helpless eyes stare wide behind a curtain of long, fluttering, dark lashes.
“And you can’t fake this.” My hand travels underneath her robe to the middle of her legs. “For fuck’s sake. You’re naked.”