Chapter 4
Chapter Four
That same curiosity that had me going along with this little dog-and-pony show in the first place led me to then watch the cameras as Hayley followed Colton through the club. Why the fuck he made her walk up the stairs with that bag, I have no idea. Why didn’t he take it from her?
I stand from my desk, step towards the door, and open it before they reach it. When my best friend goes to walk past me, I slap him upside the head.
“Ow, what the fuck was that for?” he asks me.
“Didn’t your mother teach you any manners? You made her carry that thing up three flights of stairs?” I point to Hayley and the bag in her hand.
“I offered to take it. She didn’t want me to.” He shrugs.
“You could have used the elevator,” I remind him.
“Yeah, but that would have been too easy for her.” He smirks and makes himself comfortable on the sofa.
Turning my attention to Hayley now, I’m momentarily blown away. I was not expecting someone so… fucking gorgeous. Long brown hair and green eyes with a speckle of gold in them. Pouty lips, so fucking pouty I can almost imagine what they’d feel like wrapped around my cock.
Fuck.
“You made it here quicker than I thought,” I say, closing the door behind her.
“I told the cab driver I’d flash him my boobs if he got me here in twenty,” she replies while her eyes are fixed on her brother, who looks like he’s shitting himself. As he fucking should be.
“Did you?” I ask her.
“Did I what?” She turns back to me.
“Flash the cab driver your tits?” I walk over to my desk and reclaim my seat. I can’t stand next to her and risk her noticing the growing bulge in my pants.
“Of course. He got me here in nineteen. So…” She lifts a shoulder.
“Colton,” I grunt, and my friend looks over at me. Instead of telling him what I want him to do, I pick up my phone and send him a message.
Me:
Find that cab driver and burn his fucking eyes.
Colton:
Why would I do that?
“Because I fucking asked you to.” I glare at him before returning my attention to the woman in front of me. “Hayley, have a seat.”
When Colton stands to leave, I stop him. “Actually, that can wait. Take Riley to your office.”
“What? Why?” Hayley looks at her brother, the panic evident on her face.
“Because I want to talk to you, alone,” I tell her simply.
Hayley ignores me. “Riley, what the hell were you thinking?”
“I just thought I could make some money, help you out a bit,” the kid says.
“If I needed your help, I would tell you,” Hayley huffs. She then looks to Colton. “Do not lay a single finger on my brother.”
“Or what?” He laughs.
“Colton,” I growl. “Now.” I don’t appreciate the way he’s staring at her like she’s his next meal. Especially when I plan to make her my next meal.
Once they’re both out of earshot, she turns her now-icy glare on me. “What exactly do you want? Are you going to call the cops?” she asks. “He made a mistake. It won’t happen again.”
“No,” I tell her.
“No what?”
“No, I’m not calling the cops,” I clarify. “I prefer to deal with these kinds of matters myself.”
“Okay, so what do you want then?”
“You,” I say. Simple and to the point. This is not what I had in mind when I agreed to let the kid call his sister. I thought I’d get the money I asked for and he’d get to keep his fingers. But now that I’ve seen her, I don’t want her money. I want her.
Hayley blinks at me, and then she stands, her palms landing flat on my desk. “I. am. Not. A. Whore,” she seethes.
“Good to know.” I smile.
“Glad we got that sorted. Now, what do you actually want?” she asks.
“You,” I repeat.
“Did you not just hear me? I’m not a whore. I don’t care how sexy your voice is or how pretty your face is. I don’t care if your hands are big. I am not fucking you.”
I have to hide my smile. Because, fuck me, is this woman cute when she’s riled up. It’s been a really long time since someone has held my interest for this long.
“I never said anything about fucking. Although, I’m not disappointed that you are thinking about fucking me, Hayley. I want you, for two weeks,” I explain.
“You want me? For two weeks? To do what, exactly?” She quirks a brow at me.
“To be my girlfriend. In public anyway.”
“Why? You can’t tell me you’re hard up for dates, August.” She laughs.
Hearing my name slip out of her mouth makes my cock twitch. No one calls me August, no one but Colton. And yet, I liked when she said it. I wonder what she’d sound like screaming it?
“I can get dates. I don’t want dates. I want a girlfriend to ward off all the… unwanted attention I get at events. It’s the busiest time of the year for me, and I have a lot of engagements to attend.”
“You just want me to attend events with you?” she asks cautiously.
“No, I want you to move in with me for two weeks and attend events with me,” I correct her.
“Move in with you? I can’t. In case you missed it, I have a little brother I’m responsible for,” she huffs.
“You were just about to catch a flight to Europe for a week. You already left him alone.” Riley told me why she was at the airport after I cut the call.
“I’ll have someone watch him, make sure he doesn’t get into any more trouble,” I say.
“So, what’s it going to be, Hayley. Are you going to be my girlfriend for two weeks?
” I stand, button my jacket, and walk around the desk.
“Or?” she presses. “What’s the other option?”
“You really don’t want to know.”
Her eyes widen. “Fine, I’ll be your fake girlfriend for two weeks.” The smile on her face should scare me. She looks almost giddy. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Warned me about what?”
“I’m not a good girlfriend, August. There’s a reason I’m single.” She shrugs. “Guys can’t handle me.”
“I’m not like other guys.” I have no doubt I can handle whatever this little woman tosses my way. “Andre,” I call out, knowing he is standing right outside the door.
“Boss?” he asks, popping his head into the room.
“Escort Miss Bell and her brother home. She has thirty minutes to pack her things and then escort her, alone, to my penthouse,” I tell him.
“Sure thing, boss.” Andre nods at Hayley. “Miss Bell.”
“Wait, thirty minutes? I need more than that,” she says.
“Forty,” I tell her.
“An hour,” she counters.
I hold her glare for a moment. Then I wave a dismissive hand. “Fine. Andre, one hour, but you’re not to leave her house, and you’re going inside with them.”