3. Adrian
3
ADRIAN
I’m screwed.
Who knew finding a fake date for my brother’s wedding could be so hard? Then again, I’ve been focused on work, ignoring the self-inflicted complication until it finally smacked me in the face. My six-month buffer has crumbled along with the likelihood of my finding someone to play the part of my fake girlfriend.
“What’s her name again?” Asher asks.
I cough. “Gabriella.”
Asher folds his arms as he leans back in his chair. “Gabriella?”
I give a tight shrug and then glance at my computer monitor. “Gabriella…” Swallow. “Barbera.”
There’s a brief silence. I can hear my heart beating. I think I can hear Asher’s thoughts. And then he laughs. Deep and rumbling. I can’t remember the last time Asher laughed like this before.
But I can’t blame him. If he were in this position, I’d likely respond the same. I screwed myself, plain and simple. My little white lie not only has a name, she has an entire backstory that I’ve fed piecemeal to my family. She loves hiking and kayaking. Eats a vegetarian diet, dabbling in veganism now and then. Loves Star Trek and Harry Potter and has a dog named Scout. And that’s all I can remember off the top of my head. I have no idea what else I told my mother about her. Every time she’d ask about her, I’d make something else up. I should’ve made a cheat sheet because, at this point, I’m sure my family knows my girlfriend better than I do.
Girlfriend. Jesus. I contemplated faking a breakup with my… fake girlfriend, but after reading the email my mother sent me a while back, I knew I was in too deep. She’s planned all sorts of activities for us based on the story I’d spun her. She’s so excited to meet her that I think she’s more invested in that than the wedding.
I glance at Asher as he pulls himself off the floor. “Are you done?”
He wipes away tears. “You can’t call it off?”
I shake my head and then spin my monitor around for him to read my mother’s email. He scans it for a few moments.
“Jesus. Your mom is invested.”
“Yup.”
“How did you let it get this far?”
I run a hand through my hair. “I’ve been a little busy running the company while you’ve been running around with Lilah.”
Asher smiles as he sits back down. “Never thought I’d hear an excuse cross your lips.”
“Not an excuse. It’s a fact.”
“And the most pertinent fact in all of this is that you’re the one who got yourself in this situation in the first place.”
I clench my jaw. “And I’m asking you for a little help.”
We spend the next fifteen minutes brainstorming a way to get me out of this mess, but we’re no closer to a solution than when we started.
Asher leans back, staring at the ceiling for a few moments. “I could give Sofia a call. She’s in town for a few weeks, and I’m sure she’d be game to play pretend. But if you touch her…”
I sigh. He can’t be serious. “My family knows Sofia.”
Asher relaxes. “Right. Too bad. Could’ve been an easy fix.”
Why didn’t I keep this simple? No concrete details. Just a girlfriend and nothing more. But that wasn’t a possibility with my mother. Once she learned I had a new girlfriend, she dug in her claws, wanting to know every last detail about her since I told her she couldn’t meet her. She’s filming on location and wouldn’t be back until just before the wedding.
My fake girlfriend is a movie star… what was I thinking?
“I’m going to have to come clean.”
Asher studies me for a few moments and then nods to my computer screen. “Good luck breaking that news to your mother. She’s acting like she just gained a new daughter. Two including Sariah. Hire one of our actresses for a weekend. They’d love something like this.”
He’s not wrong. Backing out now is impossible without casualties, my ego included. But I need someone who’s completely unknown.
“And deal with the press? Paparazzi? No thanks. I’d like to stay out of the limelight.”
“Then maybe you should’ve picked a different gig.”
My jaw clenches as I meet Asher’s gaze. I shake my head and then turn back to my monitor. I’m not going to make any more progress on this, and I have more pressing matters to figure out: Another forwarded complaint from HR about Eugene.
Nothing enrages me more than letting something this big slip under my radar. It’s enough to burn down everything Asher and I built. I only found out about the complaints against him a few days ago. He’d been shuffling them around, sweeping them under the proverbial rug, and it was dumb luck that they were found in a routine audit. Thank fuck for Melvin, HR Manager extraordinaire.
I should’ve trusted my gut with Eugene. He had the vibe of a predator, but I ignored it because he performed. He brought us talent, and he had a stellar record. But I should’ve paid more attention to his inability to retain assistants, flying through them at a rate that put Asher to shame. I’d assumed he was as demanding. A perfectionist. Not this. Not… This is on me. I’ve made a mistake I won’t repeat, and I plan to put in frameworks so it never happens again.
“Forget the wedding. We need to take care of Eugene.”
Asher’s playing with his phone, and judging from the big grin on his face, he’s texting Lilah. Sexting, more likely—based on their whirlwind romance. It’s a struggle for those two to keep their hands off each other.
Asher pockets his phone, his smile disappearing from his face. “Anything new to report?”
I grit my teeth. “No, but he needs to go.”
“You’ve got my backing. Can’t believe we let this slip under the radar.”
“Both of us have been a little distracted.”
He sighs, stretching. “True, but it’s not sitting well with me.”
I nod. “It’s going to be a messy severance.”
“Not as messy as if he stays. He could tear us apart from the inside.”
When I found out about the reports, I had cameras installed in his office, so there wasn’t a single inch of it unmonitored. Mics everywhere. I wanted all the evidence I could find at my disposal to ensure this asshole never worked in the industry again. The man is everything that we’re fighting against.
“He’s in another interview now, and I’m about to check the feed.”
“I’ll leave you to it.”
“You’re not going to review the tapes with me?”
He shakes his head. “I trust that you’ll take care of it. Besides,” he says, patting his phone in his pocket. “I have some unfinished business to attend to at home.”
I sigh. “Give Lilah my best. I’m glad that her morning sickness passed.”
“Same,” Asher says with a wink before leaving my office.
I turn to my monitor and open the live feed to Eugene’s office. He’s perched on the edge of his desk, intruding on the space of the woman in front of him. The default camera doesn’t provide the best angle to see her, but her body language tells the entire story. Tension spreads in my jaw as every muscle in my body clenches.
“Temperament,” Eugene says, his voice somewhat muffled as he continues talking.
I catch bits and pieces, but it’s enough to make me rage. I should’ve monitored every interview, reviewed them at the very least before now. I should’ve made this a priority. I make no excuses—this is on me. But I’m going to make this right. For this woman and everyone who ever came in contact with him.
When I change the camera to see the woman, my heart stops. I can’t breathe. Can’t think. My head pounds. Every muscle in my body contracts and expands at once. I see stars. Galaxies. The multiverse vibrating and…
“ Fuuuuuuuuck,” I rasp, clutching the edge of my desk.
Who is this angel? She’s gorgeous. Stunning. Like no woman I’ve ever seen, and she’s causing a chain reaction inside me. It’s primal, this feeling. Like something that’s finally been activated after a lifetime of disuse.
But the expression on her face ignites something just as powerful. Rage, like I’ve never felt because she looks both disgusted and dejected and…
And it’s all my fault. Eugene. Motherfu ? —
I snatch my phone from the cradle and mash the button for security. It connects after the first ring. “Eugene’s office. Now,” I growl, slamming the phone down without an answer.
I’m sweating. Blood thuds in my ears as my vision tunnels. I’d like to think I called security to escort Eugene out of the building, but the truth is that they’ll be there to prevent me from going to jail. There’s no telling what will happen when I see him. Losing his job should be the least of his worries now that he’s made my girl uncomfortable.
My girl?
I take in a deep breath as my rage recedes to a simmer. I’m not sure what’s come over me. I’ve never felt anything like this before. It must be the stress getting to me.
But when I open my eyes and see her, I know it’s a lie. She’s getting to me. She has me. And now I need her. I drag my fingertips across her face on the screen, and then I’m on my feet, sprinting out of my office.
Everything’s a blur around me as I race toward Eugene’s office. No sounds, no surroundings. Only her face each time I blink. I can’t shake it or the rabid animal clawing its way out of me. This is crazy. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. Whatever this is. I’ve never felt so connected, so drawn to another person. It’s like there’s a magnetic pull that’s guiding me direc— shit!
I slam into something solid, and for a brief moment, I’m disoriented, wind knocked out of my lungs. And then again when I glance down and see an angel looking up at me.
“I-I’m sorry.”
That voice. It’s sweet like honey and just as smooth and I can feel it wrapping itself around me, around my fucking cock. Jesus, two words out of that sweet mouth have made me harder than I’ve ever been in my entire life. Who knows what would happen when she speaks a full sentence?
Those lips. Perfect plush pillows. Vibrant blue eyes. A face that’s crushing me. Obliterating me. So gorgeous it’s painful.
“Never,” I rasp, resisting the urge to kiss those lips. To reach out and brush them with my fingertips. “Apologize.”
She stares at me with a dazed expression as she wets her lips absently. My jaw clenches as I fight the urge yet again. I’m about to fire a predator, and here I am, becoming one. I shouldn’t be looking at her like this. Should be thinking these thoughts. Wondering how soft her thighs would feel wrapped around my head. How sweet those lips would taste—feel, wrapped around my— ffffuck .
What is happening? There’s hardly a single thing in this world that could shake me, but she’s rocking my world so effortlessly. She has no clue about the storm she’s stirring inside me. The battle I’m losing. She’s waking up a part of me that’s lain dormant my entire life. A monster. And there’s nothing it would rather do than shred those clothes and claim her.
But when Eugene speaks, my blood ignites as flames rise behind my eyes. The security team better show up soon, or not even the jaws of life will be able to pry me off of him.
“Adrian,” he says. “A pleasure to?—”
“Don’t say another word,” I say in a low, tempered voice that belies the rage coursing through me. The only thing keeping me from knocking him out is gripping my suit like a life preserver. As much as it pains me, I remove her hands from me and slide between her and Eugene.
“You have two options. Leave now and save what little dignity you have left, or go back into your office and wait for security. As of this moment, you’re no longer employed at BlackeThorne.” His mouth bobs but I cut in. “And if you say another word, I’ll ensure that you never work in this industry again.”
Even if he doesn’t say another word, I’ll guarantee it anyway.
There’s a soft moan behind me. So. Fucking. Beautiful. I’ve never heard such an angelic noise. I’d give an arm and a leg to hear it again. Hell, I’d rip all my limbs off if it meant I could listen to that sexy sound on repeat.
A grin flashes on Eugene’s face, ripping me out of my crazy thoughts. He thinks I’m joking. He’s lucky I’ve tabled option three: Throw him the fuck out myself.
“You don’t want to test me.” The words rumble out of me like a freight train. He’d better heed my warning and choose his next words carefully.
He raises his hand and jabs a finger at me as his lips move. He’s lucky that I don’t snap it off and even luckier that he doesn’t say anything. Best decision he’s made. Eugene turns around, grabs a few things from his office, and then leaves.
I turn around, finally having another chance to look at the beauty in front of me. She’s tiny. So fucking petite in her petal pink blouse and black skirt. I grit my teeth, ignoring the need building in me when I catch a glimpse of the lacy bra underneath the silk. Those soft cherry lips, plump and pouty and perfect as she drinks me in, completely unaware of the sinful thoughts circling my mind.
“Are you okay?” I ask, resisting the urge to cradle her face in my hands and kiss her.
She shifts in front of me, arms around her waist. “Kind of. I’m better now that he’s gone.” She nods toward Eugene as he waddles down the corridor. “Thanks,” she says softly.
I extend my hand to her as an excuse to touch her. “Adrian Thorne.”
Her eyes widen momentarily before she extends her hand.
When I take it in mine, it’s like there’s an electric current sparking through me, jabbing me straight in my chest. Her hand is so soft and delicate. And as much as I try to fight it, all I can think about is how it would look wrapped around my cock.
“Ella,” she says in that sinfully sweet voice. “Ella Bridges.”
This has to be some joke. It’s too perfect to be real. How is it that my Gabriella— Ella —walked into my life at the right moment? I don’t believe in signs. In miracles. But the one looking up at me with plump lips and a button nose is hard to ignore.
Now all I need to do is convince her.
And no matter how much it pains me, I swallow every emotion I feel toward her, ice returning to my veins. I can’t explore the feelings coursing inside me. Not now. I can’t scare her away.
I have to put as much space between me and Eugene as possible. I can’t risk losing this… this… I don’t even know what to call this.
I can’t let her think BlackThorne is filled with people like Eugene. That I’m like Eugene. I take a deep breath, calming my heart, and then squeeze her hand one last time before letting it go.
“Follow me,” I say. “I have a proposal for you.”