by Haley Travis
I appreciated how absolutely determined he was to win. But it also felt on some level that he was focused on taking care of me. He took the fake wife thing seriously, and it was sweet. I had to admit, after going practically my entire life without anyone to rely on, having someone care for me for a few days sounded amazing.
As soon as we pulled into the lot, Taylor ran around to open my door. His muscular arm felt possessive as he tucked it around my back to grip my waist.
“Stay loose,” he smiled down at me. “Relaxed body language.”
“Got it.”
We walked into the large, gleaming dealership, as I stared around at the polished metal works of art. This was definitely how rich people shopped.
As we strolled around, browsing the cars, Taylor said, “Now, I know you don’t do a lot of highway driving, but I still want to make sure you have the safest car possible, sugar.”
I looked up at him in surprise at how natural the slightly old-fashioned endearment sounded on his lips. I liked it. Especially when he squeezed my hip in a half hug that felt deliciously possessive.
“Good afternoon,” a tall, lanky salesman said as he came over. His name tag read, “Toby”, which inexplicably matched his slightly rounder face. “Can I help you find anything today?”
“My wife needs her very first car,” Taylor said, lightly kissing the top of my head. “But I need to make sure it’s the absolutely safest one you’ve got.”
Toby led us straight to a lovely mid-size black car that was some fancy German brand I didn’t know much about.
“Now, this one isn’t as flashy as some of the little sportsters,” Toby explained, “But the safety ratings are through the roof.” He leaned toward Taylor conspiratorially. “To be honest, I got one of these for my mother last year, since her driving has become a bit, you know.”
Taylor’s meaty palm squeezed me again and a touch of stiffness crept into his voice. “My Alice is an excellent driver. It’s the other jerks on the road I don’t trust.”
“Of course,” Toby said. Then he turned to me with a bright smile. “Why don’t you hop in, and get a feel for it? The slight upgrade package comes with heated seats and an incredible audio system.”
He opened the door, pulling out a brochure from the dashboard. “Plus, it comes in all of these colors.”
I took another good look at the car, which honestly, would’ve been my dream vehicle. Flipping through the brochure, I pointed out one photo to Taylor. “It’s really pretty in this light gray.”
He shook his head. “Not gray. We need people to be able to see you. Gray blends in with the concrete, especially on low light days.”
I honestly couldn’t tell if he was acting. If he was, he was spectacular.
“Oh – look at this!” I pointed to a brilliant cherry red. “That would make it look more sporty.”
Taylor shook his head again. “Not bright red. Studies have shown that people instinctively want to pass red cars to feel superior, and that leads to more accidents on the highway.”
I glanced at Toby, who had taken two steps back. He clearly wanted no part of this.
Nodding, I flipped through the colors again, then pointed to a deep burgundy wine. “What about this? Understated, but not the color of the road. And it’s really pretty.”
“You’re really pretty,” Taylor murmured, leaning in to nuzzle my ear. That tiny touch sent shock waves of heat through me. “You don’t have to decide today, baby, but why don’t you get in and see what you think?”
He released me reluctantly and I got into the car, moving the seat forward and adjusting everything. “Oh my God,” I said, checking the mirrors and skimming my hands over every high tech button. “This is amazing.”
I looked over to see Taylor talking quickly to Toby about airbags and the solid steel construction of the car. Then Taylor turned to me. “This is definitely the safest one they have here,” he said. “Do you like it?”
Nodding, I grinned up at him. “I really do.”
Taylor looked out the gigantic windows that were darkening with some fast-moving clouds. “I don’t want your first time driving an unfamiliar car to be in the rain, sugar. How about we come back in a few days for a test drive? If you love it, we’ll buy it on the spot.”
Climbing out of the car, I threw my arms around him in a giant hug. “You are the absolute best.”
His large hands skimmed down my back, settling just above my ass. He was so warm, every inch of his hard body feeling like it was solid muscle. “Anything for my baby,” he murmured against the top of my hair.
We walked by Toby’s desk to pick up more brochures, and he handed Taylor one with the pricing. “We have some excellent financial plans,” he said. “Best deal you’ll get in the city, guaranteed.”
Taylor shook his head. “Don’t need financing. When I buy cars, I buy them outright.”
Toby blinked in surprise, and as I noticed the price of the vehicle, so did I. Placing my hand on Taylor’s arm, I said, “Thank you. This is incredibly sweet of you.”
“Don’t worry, I know just how you can pay me back,” he smirked.
The way he looked at me, the way he touched me, I could feel lust tingling through me in waves. He couldn’t possibly be that good of an actor. He wanted me. And there was no way I could resist craving such a gorgeous, powerful man.
After Taylor thanked Toby, we walked toward the exit, then I stopped to glance back at my supposed new vehicle. “I’m so excited,” I said brightly. “I can’t wait to finally have my very own car.”
“Anything for my little sugar,” he said, pulling me tightly against him. He stared into my eyes, then shifted so his lips grazed my ear. “Do you really want it?”
I paused, not sure whether he meant the car or this crazy contest. I didn’t care. I was going to agree with everything he said in order to win. “Yes.”
Taylor leaned down slowly, as I realized he was giving me every opportunity to stop him. Instead, I tilted my lips up to his.
His mouth brushed mine in a light kiss that was softly tender. Full of promise. A tremor ran through me as my arms stretched up and my fingers interlaced behind his neck.
The kiss deepened and my lips parted, breathing him in. One of his hands lowered and softly stroked my hip, then my ass, making me moan.
The cameras wouldn’t pick up his tongue slipping into my mouth, but it made me melt as he tasted me. Taylor held me tightly against that hard body as my knees began to shake.
“You’re cold again, sugar,” he murmured, finally pulling back. “You should’ve left your coat on. I’m glad your new car is going to have heated seats.”
He slipped his fingers through mine, walking me out of the dealership and tucking me into his car. “Where to now?” I asked.
“Back to the studio to get rid of this gear,” he said, rolling his eyes slightly. “And then we’re going to have to focus so that we win tomorrow’s challenge as well.”
“Do you really think we won today?”
Taylor’s dark chuckle was unusually sexy. “Alice, you were perfect. I guarantee we won that round.” He reached over to squeeze my hand. “As soon as that show goes online, the whole world is going to fall in love with you.”
Something in the way he said that made my stomach flip. It was wonderful to think of Taylor and the word love in the same sentence.
4
_____
Taylor
Last night after our debriefing at the studio, I had driven Alice home. It was perhaps a little odd that she wanted me to drop her off at a coffee shop, but she claimed to be meeting a friend.
I hoped it wasn’t that she was nervous telling a strange man where she lived. Even though there was a definite physical chemistry between us, we’d only just met. That didn’t stop me from thinking about her every single moment through the night.
I’d never been so infatuated with a woman before. I didn’t even know that I had it in me. This fluttery uncomfortable feeling was
what I imagined schoolboy crushes felt like, but I’d never experienced one before.
We met up again at the studio in the morning to get the microphones and cameras set up for our next challenge. Alice looked so beautiful in figure skimming black pants, and a light purple top that showed off those round breasts to perfection.
It was impossible to stop staring at her, but there was nothing wrong with a man admiring his wife and hopefully she’d just think I was acting. She didn’t need to know that I was quickly becoming obsessed with her.
“Hi,” she said, waving with one finger at the camera in my lapel pin. “Did you get the briefing on our next challenge?”
“Yeah, we’re buying a house,” I said. Looking around, I quietly asked, “Any idea how the others are doing?”
Alice stood closer beside me, glancing at the other two teams across the dim studio. I honestly couldn’t believe that Darlene and Gary hadn’t sprung for some more light bulbs at the very least.
“The two in jeans are Michael and Britta,” she said in a low voice. “They’re in way over their heads. I think they’re students too, but they’re completely awkward around each other. Britta put her hand on his shoulder and he almost jumped out of his skin.”
Chuckling darkly, I wrapped an arm around her waist. “Good to know. What about the others?”
She looked up at me and rolled her eyes. “Eileen and Eric. She’s an actress, super full of herself, assumes she’s going to win automatically. He’s some dopey guy I swear they pulled randomly off the street.”
Seeing that Gary had been desperate enough to call me, I wouldn’t put it past him. “Do they work well as a team together?” I asked.
Alice shook her head slightly. “Not really. They’re playing a newly engaged couple, implying that they’ve only been dating for about ten months. They think that’s going to cover any missteps.”
“They don’t have our chemistry,” I said, giving her a squeeze. Her soft giggle did something strange to the center of my chest.
“She bosses him around terribly, too,” Alice whispered. “Seriously, she’s a total bitch. I wouldn’t be surprised if he just quits.”
I would have bet anything that Darlene and Gary had something in the fine print of the contract that the contestants could not quit due to personal differences. I happened to know that they had some lawyers who would take care of such things.
“So it sounds like we’re in the lead already,” I said. “You’re much more competitive than I thought. How did you hear all this?”
Alice looked up at me and fluttered her eyelashes. “My secret supower is that I’m so quiet and still that people don’t notice I’m there,” she smiled shyly.
“You lurk.”
“Please. I collect information and use it for a higher purpose,” she said snottily, then burst out laughing.
“You’re amazing. Well done.” I said.
We drove quickly to the appointment with the agent, discussing our cover story of being newlyweds who wanted to get comfortable in a new house before having children.
As I took Alice’s hand, walking up to the front door of the charming if not overly lavish two-story red brick house, I couldn’t help imagining doing all of these life events with her for real someday.
The front door swept open before I even knocked. “Welcome, Alice and Taylor.” An overly made up woman in a dark green power suit swept us into the front hallway. “I’m Karen, and I can’t wait to show you around your new home.”
We took a slow walk around the first floor, making casual comments about the chandelier, the moldings, and the large living room.
“Look, honey,” Alice said, gripping my arm. “We could put some cushions in front of the fireplace, and curl up with a bottle of wine on a Saturday night.”
I nodded, slipping my arm around her. “Yes, it’s a beautiful fireplace, until we have children. Then we can put in one of those flickering electric light logs until the kids are over ten.”
Alice snuggled right into my side. “You’re right. I didn’t even think about child proofing. But that’s a great idea.”
We walked into the kitchen, where Alice pointed to the espresso machine. “Well, we know there’s room for your industrial-sized coffee maker.”
I gestured to the open glass cabinet above it. “You could put all of your fancy tea cups there. And one of those super fast kettles.”
Alice’s warm smile made me tighten my arm around her, totally forgetting Karen was even there.
“Watching you have your tea every morning, all sleepy-eyed with your hair messed up, is one of my very favorite things,” I murmured, kissing her forehead. She giggled sweetly, then we went upstairs to check out the bedrooms.
“You mentioned children,” Karen said brightly. “The two smaller bedrooms have a washroom between them, and have lots of natural light for kids to play.”
She led us into the massive master bedroom. “A much larger room for the parents, of course,” she smiled. “Walk-in closet, ensuite bathroom, with an old-fashioned claw foot tub and a rainfall shower.”
Alice looked incredibly impressed as she walked around. I couldn’t wait to see what she thought of my place.
“Oh my God,” she gasped as she stepped into the closet. “Who has this many clothes?”
Standing directly behind her, I wound my arms around to place my hands across her stomach. “The fact that you would say such a thing makes me worry that I’m not spoiling you enough, sugar,” I purred into her ear. “After we’re done here, maybe I need to take you on another shopping spree, buy you some new clothes.”
She swiveled her head to look up at me. “Don’t be silly, I have plenty.”
“You’re going to need a lot more if we’re going to fill up this whole closet,” I said.
Holding her against me felt so right, as her shoulders and back pressed against my chest. Reluctantly I released her, so that we could walk into the washroom.
Stroking Alice’s hair, I whispered, “I’m seeing you taking a bubble bath, reading those cozy mysteries you love.”
She turned to place her hand on my chest. “I’m picturing you in that giant shower after your workouts.”
There was something in her eyes that made me know that I hadn’t been imagining it. Alice had real feelings for me. There was no way to tell if they were just physical, or if she was falling for me as hard as I was falling for her, but for the moment, I didn’t even care.
“Karen, can we have a moment to chat?” I asked, giving her a pointed glance.
“Of course. I’ll be down in the dining room.”
When she was barely half a step out the door, I kissed Alice so roughly that she moaned loudly.
Lifting her onto the marble counter, I stood between her thighs, holding her pressed against me. Just as I leaned in to feast on those soft lips again, her palm tapped my chest. I stopped.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I wanted her to hear us kissing, but got carried away.”
Alice locked those magical hazel eyes on mine, then pulled my ear down to her lips. “I’m sorry. I can’t...um, you know. In front of the cameras.”
As my heart began to pound, it also started to melt. My shy, sweet girl wanted me all to herself.
5
_____
Alice
I didn’t want Taylor to stop kissing me, and always touching me. Yet I was nervous about something so intimate being splashed around online.
He was always so attentive and thoughtful every moment we were together. I couldn’t help but feel incredibly close to him. Every time he pulled me against that huge, hard body, all I could think about was being alone with him.
But even though we’d gone over many tiny details for the sake of the show, I hadn’t been brave enough to ask him whether there was a chance of a real relationship.
It was a ridiculous thought. Taylor was an older, obviously wealthy man. Possibly set in his ways. He was also unusually rugged and tough. What
would he want with a boring art student?
On the other hand, even if things didn’t last forever, a girl could do a lot worse for her first real boyfriend. I felt terrible pushing him away, when I wanted nothing more than to wrap my legs around his waist and pull him completely against me. I was just a little shy about the cameras.
Reaching up to tease my fingers in the back of his short hair, I pulled his lips to mine for a soft kiss. “We should probably get downstairs and put in an offer on this house, husband,” I said, smiling up at him.
