Chapter 8
CHAPTER
EIGHT
Josie
“Ms. Gallagher, someone by the name of Hunter Caldwell has transferred one hundred thousand dollars to your account. We just wanted to check a few things. Our internal compliance requires us to ask a few things when sums this large are transferred.”
I nearly fell off my chair. “That’s my fiancé… I think our wires got crossed somehow. But don’t approve it.”
What was he thinking? He’d said that he’d take care of all extra costs that arose because I was married to him, but I hadn’t explicitly agreed to this. And we weren’t even married yet. After ending the current call, I pulled up Hunter’s number on my phone but disconnected before it rang.
No, I wanted to talk to him about this in person. The money weighed on me the entire day, as I shifted through statutes for my clients, billing hours like crazy.
I was on track to become partner—my bosses had heavily hinted that I was in the running to be promoted by the end of this year.
I couldn’t wait for that to happen. It came with a hefty salary increase.
I’d already budgeted the extra dollars for the first year—I was going to reimburse my parents for helping me with law school.
I left work at seven o’clock and headed to Hunter’s office. I wasn’t even sure he would still be there, so I called him.
“Hey, fiancé,” I greeted when he picked up. “Where are you?”
“Not sure you want to know.”
“Oh?”
“On second thought… wait a second. Ryker’s been killing me with planning my bachelor party for the past hour. Care to rescue me?”
I chuckled. “You can’t rescue yourself?”
“Not after I just asked him to be my best man.”
“Right… that does require outside intervention. Where are you?”
“At the Greek restaurant near my condo.”
“I need about twenty minutes to get there. Think you can handle Ryker on your own?”
Hunter groaned. “I’ll try.”
“Won’t he be suspicious that I’ll just show up there?”
“No, he’ll just think we’re madly in love.”
“Of course he will. Can you order a moussaka for me? I’m starving.”
I took a cab to the restaurant, pressing the side of my head against the cool window. When we’d visited that house, I could practically see myself living there, raising kids, growing old… with Hunter. My heart was getting involved in this already, and that was dangerous.
When he’d suggested I decorate the house, I’d been dying to say yes but couldn’t.
That house already felt like a home. I didn’t want to get even more invested in it.
It would just make it harder to say goodbye.
Or… maybe we’d become a real family. Could that happen?
Could he fall for me? Jesus, thinking like that was going to lead me to heartbreak… and yet, I couldn’t stop.
When I climbed out of the cab in front of the restaurant, I drew in a deep breath and nearly choked. New York was stifling hot in July, even in the evening. And the humidity was inescapable. My hair had already curled at the temples.
The restaurant boasted Corinthian-style columns and alabaster statues at the corners. Hunter and Ryker were sitting at a table for four on the left side of the room.
“Hello, boys.”
Ryker tilted his head, smiling. “I see I’m on my way to becoming the third wheel.”
“Don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I can’t contradict you,” I teased.
“Well, I’ve got what I came for anyway.”
“Giving me white hair,” Hunter said in a grouchy tone. Ryker laughed. Even I laughed.
“I haven’t seen him in such a good mood in a long time. Someone’s in love.”
Ah… if only.
Ryker rose, kissing my cheek, then trapping my right hand between his palms. “Josie, you’re my only hope. I need you on my side on this.”
“You charmer, you.”
“Hey, I’m The Flirt, and proud of it. Don’t you get me mixed up with Cole.”
I laughed, shaking my head.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“I can flirt just to prove I’m worthy of my nickname.”
“Go ahead.”
Hunter’s eyes snapped fire.
“Or maybe not. Someone’s jealous.” I batted my eyelashes at Hunter. “What? I’m not marrying Ryker, am I?”
I winked at him before focusing on Ryker.
“Hunter wants to have the bachelor party the night before the wedding. I have big plans, and I don’t think that would be wise,” Ryker said.
“We’re just going to have some drinks,” Hunter grumbled. Ryker smirked. They were definitely not just going to have some drinks.
“Are you going to return him to me in one piece?” I asked Ryker.
“I cannot promise that.”
“Without a hangover?”
“Also can’t promise that.”
I turned to Hunter. “So, since you’ll probably be hungover and in bad shape, I can’t have that on our wedding day. You should have your bachelor party the weekend before.”
Hunter narrowed his eyes. “You were supposed to come here to rescue me.”
“Yes, but Ryker’s case is so much more convincing than yours.”
“Thank you, Josie,” Ryker said jovially.
Hunter still looked grouchy as Ryker bid us goodbye. I slid into the chair he’d just vacated.
Hunter asked one of the waiters to bring the moussaka he’d ordered for me. I was so hungry that I’d completely forgotten why I’d wanted to see him in the first place, but I remembered after a few mouthfuls, once the couple next to us asked to pay.
“I got a call from my bank,” I said.
A grin appeared on his face.
“Of course. As we agreed.”
“I don’t remember the agreeing part.”
His grin broadened. “I suggested it, you gave me shit. I persisted. You said I was very convincing.”
Damn it, this was where I was supposed to have a smart comeback. Instead, I was lost in those blue eyes. I couldn’t look away from his lips. They were so full. They always had been, but after knowing how they felt against mine, I couldn’t unthink it anymore.
“Tess called today to inform me she wanted you all to herself one afternoon this week to go dress shopping for the wedding. You will need that money.”
“Has it ever occurred to you that Tess will never believe I’d let you pay for my wedding dress? Or let you give me money, for that matter? She knows me too well.”
“She also knows me well, and I have no doubt that she’s sure that if you were really mine, I would make sure you’re taken care of and want for nothing.”
God, that was sweet. A bit tyrannical, but sweet.
“You’d have a hard time convincing me.”
“I remember you saying my kiss threw you off your game. Want to test that theory some more?” Hunter moved from the chair opposite me to the one next to me.
He was slightly towering over me, and by the delicious glint in his eyes, I could tell that if I pushed, he’d kiss me just to prove his point.
I shook my head. “This is insane.”
“I know.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him, but he seemed unfazed.
“I didn’t authorize the transfer. Aside from my personal reasons, it would be a huge red flag for the immigration office, Hunter.”
His smile fell. “I didn’t think about that.”
“It would look as if you’re paying me to marry you.”
“You’re right.”
“So… this arrangement will have to work differently. I will deal with my wedding dress. As to all the other dresses I’ll need for functions and so on… you and I can go shopping before every event. It would make me feel better than having a joint account or credit card.”
He stared at me. “That’s my punishment, right? I hate shopping.”
“Right. Of course, you do.”
“You can bribe me into coming.”
“How?”
“Promise me a peek while you’re changing.”
His eyes smoldered. I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t have a comeback. Was he joking? But that heat in his eyes… Oh, God, he wasn’t joking.
There were two sides to Hunter. One I knew: my friend, my rock. The other: the man. Pure masculinity. Pure testosterone. I was more aware of that now than ever. My body reacted to it on a primal level.
“Cat got your tongue?” he whispered playfully.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Just tell me what you want.”
He placed his hand over mine. Holy shit. My skin sizzled everywhere he touched me… and everywhere he didn’t, as if my entire body was anticipating his touch—craving it.
“Shopping. Tomorrow” was all I managed to say.
Hunter’s grin turned triumphant. Damn, I loved making him smile. “We have a deal.”
Hunter
The next afternoon, we headed to a shop Tess recommended on Fifth Avenue. The street was packed, but there were only a few other patrons in the shop. The salesperson led me and Josie to a changing room all the way at the back.
There was a leather armchair directly in front of the changing rooms, and on the small coffee table next to it there was a bottle of water and a glass. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
Josie turned to me. “The Ballroom Galas only start in September, but we’ll be attending other functions in the meantime, right?”
“Yes.”
“Are they as elegant as the galas?”
She’d come to a few over the years.
“I don’t know how to answer that. I always wear a tux.”
She laughed, patting my shoulder. “Okay, I can handle this.”
She went directly to a salesperson and they spoke about lengths and styles and God knows what else before the woman disappeared. Josie closed the curtains.
I poured water in my glass and nearly toppled it over when I heard a zipper. She was undressing. I drew in a sharp breath, focusing on my glass.
The woman—Honor was the name on her badge—brought a handful of dresses, handing them over to Josie. When Honor left, she didn’t draw the curtains to the changing room all the way together.
I played with the rim of the glass, determined not to look.
Five seconds later, I lost the battle with myself and glanced up. I was getting more than an eyeful. Was she doing this on purpose? To torment me? No, that wasn’t her style.
The right thing to do would have been to tell her that I had a direct view, but as of late, when it came to Josie, I couldn’t seem to be able to do the right thing.
She was gorgeous. I got an eyeful of her legs and?—
Fuck me .
The panties she was wearing… were those even panties? They covered nothing of her ass. The front was semitransparent.
I glanced at the glass in my hand again, attempting to calm down. It was useless. I had a raging hard-on.
I fought to get it under control, and by the time she came out, I’d succeeded somewhat, but I was hanging by a very thin thread.
She was wearing a red dress that was just… perfection.
“What do you think?”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Does it fit the bill?”
“Definitely.”
“Okay. We’re done, then.”
“Buy more. More than the ones she brought you. About ten. You’ll be situated then for a few months.”
“Okay.”
Forty minutes later, Josie came out wearing the last dress. White with silver streaks, showcasing every curve. She was so goddamn sexy in it that I nearly swallowed my tongue. Her breasts were peeking out of the top of the gown, her neck and shoulders on full display.
“I love this dress. But I want something to cover my shoulders.”
“I can call Honor to find something.”
“No, just give me that scarf, I think it will work with all the dresses. I can throw it over my shoulders and just knot it in the front.”
She pointed to a mannequin with a silver scarf around its neck. I brought it, but instead of handing it to Josie, I wrapped it around her shoulders myself.
I rested my thumbs on her clavicle, desperate to steal a touch under the pretense of playing the fiancé.
“This took longer than we thought,” she said.
“I’m not complaining.”
“How so?”
“You didn’t close the curtains completely.”
She gasped. “Naughty fiancé.”
“That’s not naughty, Josie.” I dragged my thumbs up the sides of her neck, stopping at the nape, coming closer. “If I’d been naughty, I would’ve come after you in that changing room and kissed you until you moaned.”
“Hunter, you can’t say these things,” she whispered. Her cheeks turned pink. Her pulse accelerated. I felt its thrum under my thumbs.
“Of course, I can. I’m your fiancé.”
“You’re impossible.”
“Just wait until I’m your husband.”
The skin on her arms broke out in goose bumps. Her breath caught. Her reaction to me was intoxicating. A touch wasn’t enough anymore. I needed a kiss.
The salesperson was coming our way. I could pass this off as a kiss for the public, right?
I sealed my mouth over Josie’s the next second, and every doubt I had subsided, because she was kissing me back with a fervor that nearly brought me to my knees. When she sucked on my tongue, instinct overpowered every rational thought.
I wanted to kiss, claim, fuck.
I had no idea how I managed to pull back, but I did.
Josie averted her gaze, turning to Honor, who was looking between us with a wide smile.
“We’re taking everything,” I informed her.
“I’ll just change, and you can pack this up too,” Josie said.
She busied herself for longer than necessary inside. I didn’t feel too guilty, because Josie had enjoyed the kiss. It had been there in her body language, the way she’d kissed me back. The way she’d pressed her thighs together.
I poured myself another glass of water while Josie changed, even though she’d pulled the curtains all the way together this time.
Dammit, I was a jerk. What was I thinking, convincing myself it was okay to kiss her just because she liked it? Why wouldn’t she enjoy kissing? That didn’t mean it was okay for me to do it.
But ever since we’d decided to go through with this, it was as if a switch had gone off in my brain.
Every time I looked at her, all I could think of was that she was mine.
Which, of course, she was not. But I was beginning to realize I’d have to constantly make an effort to remind myself of that.
She was my best friend, and I knew better than to push that line.