5. Adrian
5
ADRIAN
I shift in my seat, my pants uncomfortably tight as I focus on Ella. The sound of her laugh. Her flushed cheeks. Those soft lips I’d like to capture between my teeth before claiming her sweet mouth with my own…
She has no idea how insane she’s driving me.
The things I want to do to her.
The things I shouldn’t do to her.
And given the circumstances, I’d be an idiot to even consider it.
I swallow hard, leaning back as I loosen my tie around my neck. I need to calm down but that’s easier said than done with a goddess like her in front of me. Gorgeous. Stunning.
Mine.
I clear my throat. “I’ll draw up the paperwork.”
With Ella so close, it feels like I’m in a sauna. Everything’s hot. Everything’s aching. And every ounce of my being begs me to reach across this desk and capture her lips with mine. I must be losing my mind because I’ve never felt so out of control. I’m always calm. Always cool under pressure. But from the moment Ella slammed into me, I’ve been knocked off-kilter. And if she keeps looking at me like that, I’m not sure I’ll ever regain my balance.
“You’re joking.”
It’s less a question than a statement, and when her tongue slides across her cherry lips, I can’t proffer a response. Instead, a low, rough moan rumbles in my throat as my cock lurches against my fly. If she accepts—no, when she accepts—this wedding will be the ultimate test of my restraint.
“You’re not,” she mutters, eyes widening as she shakes her head. “You actually…”
Before I respond, she starts laughing again, but I don’t mind. I could listen to her all day, those sweet sounds as they cross even sweeter lips. Lips that I’ll be tasting soon enough. I’ll be sure it’s in the contract. How else can I ensure we sell a fake relationship than with a public kiss? But there’ll be plenty more private kisses. Private…
I swallow hard.
“I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard,” she says, taking in a few shaky breaths. “Thanks for that. Seriously. I had no idea you had such a comedic flair.”
I snort, clasping my hands as I lean forward. “Glad I could help. Now, as I was saying, I’ll draw up the paperwork and we can?—”
“I haven’t accepted,” she says, interjecting. “And what is with this company? First, the bait and switch, and now this? You want me to believe that you’re willing to hand me everything I want on a silver platter for one date? You know nothing about me.”
Something inside me does. Klaxons have blared in my head from the moment I saw her on the screen. And when I touched her. Breathed her in… There’s no question she’s stirred something inside me, no matter how much I don’t want to believe it. There’s something about Ella that feels familiar. Right . A magnetic pull that I can’t ignore. I won’t ignore. And I’ll put more on the line than she realizes to explore it.
“Is it that hard to believe?”
“You need to stop that. My ribs are hurting, and I really don’t want to laugh again, but you’re making it hard. Really hard.”
The same can be said about her.
I take a deep breath before letting it out. “I promise you. There’s no hidden agenda. What you see is what you get. I’m offering whatever you want for a single wedding date.”
It’s a half-truth. But if I revealed the full truth now, she’d be out the door and I’d never see her again.
She stares at me silently with her cool blue eyes that feel anything but cold. I’m sweltering under her gaze. Disoriented. This is new and I like it. I like that there’s someone who can make me feel like this. Different.
She hums, clicks her tongue, and then cocks her head, smiling. “You need me.”
I swallow. “You could say that.”
She bites her bottom lip, shakes her head with eyebrows raised. “No.” Another pause. That damn smile gracing her pretty lips again. “I want you to say it.”
I swallow, knitting my eyebrows as I reposition myself in my chair. “What?”
Ella leans forward and says, “I want you to say, ‘I need you.’ I know it must be difficult for you to admit you need someone else’s help.”
“Interesting,” I mutter, leaning back in my chair.
“What’s more interesting is how hard you’re avoiding a simple phrase.”
I shake my head, momentarily allowing myself to smile. Briefly.
“Is that all you need?”
“It’s not about what I need right now.” She leans back, folding her arms across her chest, and I’m fighting the urge to glance. What I wouldn’t give to drag my tongue across that small swath of skin. Tear every button off that blouse. Taste…
“I need you, Ella.”
I want you. And I refuse to let you walk out that door without securing a second chance to see you again.
Color spreads across her cheeks, neck, and chest as she repositions herself on her chair. “That wasn’t so hard, was it? It sounded sincere, too.”
My jaw ticks. “It was sincere. I need your help. Will you help me?”
She opens her mouth, but closes it again, briefly. “I’ll consider it. But I need a little more information. I’m struggling to believe that someone like you hasn’t found a plus-one for a wedding.”
“You’re right. Finding someone isn’t difficult, but making the relationship seem convincing to my family will be.”
“Because you’re cold, thorny, and aloof. Got it. So I’ll be carrying this fake relationship.”
I laugh. Deeply . I can’t remember the last time I laughed like this. Genuine and full-throated. “You’ll need that spark with my family.”
“ If I accept.”
“ When . Because I think you’ve already accepted my offer in your mind. You’re only refusing to say it out loud.”
“Yeah? A real mindreader, huh.” She stands up and then heads for the door.
I jump to my feet. “Okay, point taken. Ella, will you hear me out? Please? ”
She pauses after the last word.
“Please? That must’ve burned your tongue,” she says, turning around. “And now I know just how much leverage I have.”
I snort. I like her. A lot. A. Lot. And she’s wrong. What leverage she thinks she has is a hundred times that. Nothing’s off the table.
“I should have you in the negotiating room.”
“I’m not sure you could afford me. Well,” she says, swallowing as she returns to her seat, “I guess you could. Can’t say I’ve interacted with many billionaires before.”
Can’t say I’ve interacted with my future wife until now.
The voice comes from deep inside. I should be uncomfortable, but I’m not. I want Ella more than I’ve wanted anyone in my life.
“Why does it matter if you have a date to this wedding anyway? Would it be so bad if you showed up without one?”
“It’s complicated,” I say, drawing out the last word. “My brother is marrying my ex.”
Ella’s eyes widen as she gapes at me, but all I can think about are those lips. How they’d taste. How’d they feel. How’d they’d look wrapped around— Jesus. I need to calm down.
“Okay,” she says after a few moments. “That is a little complicated. But why would you go to the wedding at all? You have to be pissed at your brother. Your ex. Oh, god, is this going to be some Red Wedding type stuff? If that’s the case, you can count me out.”
I smile. How can I not? Ella’s gorgeous, intelligent, funny, and intriguing.
Mine .
“No need to worry about that. There’s no bad blood. And your reaction makes me want to do this even more. Make it even more convincing. Because I have to admit, this will not be an easy task… for reasons.”
“Okay…” Ella repositions herself, crossing her legs.
I swallow hard, and my gaze dips to them, lingering a beat too long before I meet her gaze again. Her eyes narrow as a ghost of a smile graces her lips for a brief moment. She caught me, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
“Care to elaborate?”
I clear my throat and fill her in on how all of this came to be, focusing on her eyes, ignoring the fire they ignite inside me. She seems receptive, nodding along as I let the strands of the story unfurl.
…Until I reach the part about me fabricating little lies about my non-existent girlfriend. The slight chink in the armor. The little complication that will make everything more difficult because I can’t remember everything I told my family about her. And my mother never forgets. Memory of an elephant… too bad I took after my father.
“Gabriella…” she says, tilting her head towards me. “Gabriella Barbera. Seriously? Where in the world did you come up with that?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Uh… huh.”
She shakes her head as her gaze flits to the door. For a moment, I think she’s going to try and escape again. But when she looks back at me, her lips spreading into a perfect smile, she proves me wrong. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to live up to Ms. Gabriella Barbera . Especially because you can’t even remember half the things you told your family. Seriously, Adrian you’re a CFO. I’d think you’d keep meticulous records.”
Good god, I love the sound of my name on her lips.
“Point taken,” I rasp, readjusting my position yet again. It’s a good thing I’m not standing. “But I believe you’ll be able to hold your own. I’m sure you can give a good performance. You’re an actress after all.”
Her teeth tug at her bottom lip as her nose scrunches adorably as she considers it. “I’ll need to think about it.”
Do I need to beg? I nearly ask her.
I’m not above it if it means I get to spend time with her. Give me a few days. A week. I’ll prove to Ella that we’re— my family. I should be focused on them, but instead I’m focused on her. My gaze drifts toward her neckline, to her delicate collarbone. I never realized how sexy a collarbone could be until I saw Ella’s peeking out from beneath that blouse.
“Don’t think too long,” I say, drawing my eyes back to hers. “We leave tomorrow.”
She snorts a laugh. “You’re crazy. How can you expect me or anyone else to… to convince anyone that we’re together. We literally just met. “
“I can be very convincing.” And when it comes to Ella and me, there won’t be a single question in anyone’s mind about our status. Ella included. “You have my offer. Now I need your response by tonight.”
She stares at me for a long, agonizing beat from the other side of the desk.
“Production Assistant job,” she says finally. “Full year’s salary upfront as a bonus. Meetings. Auditions…”
I nod along as she lists everything she wants. I’d be lying if I said I’m listening intently. I’m wondering what she’d look like underneath me. How she’d feel bent over my desk. The way her ass would light up from the palm of my hand. There’s not a single thing she could list that I wouldn’t rubber stamp.
“Put it in writing,” I tell her. “And I’ll sign off on it tonight.”
She sucks in her lips and then lets out a soft sigh. “One more thing.”
“Anything.”
“I want you to make good on your promise.”
I raise a brow. “My promise?” I don’t recall making a promise, but whatever Ella wants, she can have.
“I want to see your plan. I want to see what you have in place to prevent another Eugene.”
“You have my word.”
“I want it by tonight or else my answer is no.”
She holds my gaze. I have to admit the shift in Ella’s demeanor, demanding and assertive, is sexy. I like a woman who doesn’t back down without a fight.
“I need more time.” I check my watch. It’s just past noon, so less than twelve hours to go. It’s not impossible, but it doesn’t leave much breathing room, especially when I have multiple essential meetings today.
She stands up, and my heart leaps into my throat.
“Then I suggest you start now,” she says, turning on her heel.
I watch as her hips sway with each step. So. Fucking. Sexy. Before she has the chance to leave my office, I’m on the phone with Melvin.
“Good afternoon, Mr.—”
“My office. Now.”
I hang up my phone and rise just before Ella opens the door to my office. “Pack your bags, Ella. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
* * *
My phone rings as Melvin closes the door to my office. I let it go to voicemail as I finish crafting my email to Ella, attaching all of the requisite documents for my proposal. My entire day had to be rescheduled in order to focus on Ella’s demands.
I let out a deep breath as I click send and then lean back in my chair and stare at my inbox. My end of the bargain is done, and now I just have to wait for Ella to sign on the dotted line.
During the few breaks I’ve had since Ella left, I’d been stalking her online. Unfortunately, I only found crumbs. All of her social media profiles are private, and every profile picture is grainy. The only background information I could find on her was a sparse bio on her IMDB.
She’s from the midwest. Acted in a few short films and commercials. She’s a fan of Harry Potter. Even though it’s not much, I devour every bit of information I can find about her like a fiend. An addict.
I want more, and if I don’t see an email from her by midnight tonight, I’ll drive myself over to the address on her résumé and make her sign on the dotted line. I only sent the email a few moments ago, but every second that passes without a response from her is an eternity.
I sigh, minimizing my inbox and gaze at my desktop. There she is. It’s the only picture I could find of her on the internet that wasn’t grainy. She’s wearing a billowy white romper at some beach, her perfect ass facing the camera as she smolders over her shoulder.
Those. Damn . Lips.
I pound the table as the urge rises inside me again. The urge I’ve felt from the moment Ella crashed into my life. Throbbing. Needy. And requiring my attention. I palm my cock through my pants as I stare at those lips. That face. Those curves. She’s so damn?—
I kick my desk and glide backward in my chair. This lack of control is unnerving, no woman—no one—has ever had this much power over me. It’s unreal.
I stand up and move toward the wall of windows to my right. It’s almost midnight, but it looks like the city’s just woken up. Lights. Cars. People. Energy. But even with a view like this, all I can think of is Ella.
And then I hear it. My email chimes. There’s my girl. I stride back to my desk and find a response from her. The tension in my body fades the moment I realize she’s accepted. Everything is right. Everything is perfect. I scan the email and then hone in on the itemized list of all the rules she has for our fake relationship. I read it over a few times, and can’t help but laugh at the first rule—the only one bolded and in red:
RULE #1: NO SLEEPING TOGETHER
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: Everything is negotiable.