by Stone, Anna
Ruby opened her eyes, immediately raising a hand to shield them from the harsh sunlight streaming through the window. It appeared to be late morning. She looked around the room. It was one of the premium suites at the hotel of the bar she’d been at the night before. She’d only been in a suite like this once. Only the real high rollers could afford them, which made them out of reach for most people, even her usual clients.
She glanced at the bed next to her. She was alone. At the very least, she remembered who she’d been expecting to find—the woman from the bar. She racked her brains for a name. Yvonne . After meeting at the bar, she and Yvonne had made their best effort to finish the bottle of scotch. Everything after that was a blur. Did they have sex? That was unlikely, considering Yvonne’s insistence that she didn’t ‘do’ escorts. And Ruby never mixed large quantities of alcohol with sex.
So why did she have the feeling she’d done something reckless?
Ruby brushed her hair out of her face. As she did, she felt the metal of a ring graze her skin. That was odd. She didn’t normally wear rings. Still half asleep, she brought her hand up before her face. Her left hand.
On her ring finger was a gold band.
Oh no.
Ruby sat bolt upright. Bad idea. A wave of nausea came over her, but this time it didn’t pass. She scrambled out of bed, her legs tangling in the sheets, and made a beeline for the nearby bathroom. She shut the door behind her and fell to her knees in front of the toilet, just in time for the contents of her stomach to come back up.
Once she was sure her stomach was empty, Ruby flushed the toilet and went over to the sink, her head still spinning. As she rinsed out her mouth, she heard a knock on the bathroom door.
“Ruby?”
She froze. She knew the voice from the night before. Yvonne. Ruby braced herself on the vanity countertop as dizziness overcame her again.
Yvonne called her name again. “Are you in there? ”
“Yes,” Ruby croaked. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
Ruby listened to Yvonne’s footsteps recede from the door as the world righted itself again. What the hell had happened the night before? She recalled their conversation at the bar. Yvonne had told Ruby that she had an inheritance she couldn’t claim unless she was married. And now Ruby was in the bathroom of Yvonne’s suite, wearing a wedding ring.
No. No way.
Ruby took a few deep breaths. She needed to find out what was going on. She splashed some cold water on her face and looked at it in the mirror. She was a mess, her hair in disarray and her eyes puffy.
Why was she even thinking about how she looked? She had far bigger problems.
Ruby took another deep breath and opened the bathroom door to find Yvonne sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked just as mesmerizing as she had the night before. Once again, she was dressed in a black dress, a simpler one this time. Her dark hair was pulled back into a bun, her hazel eyes greener in the daylight. Her arms were crossed, and she studied Ruby with narrowed eyes, her expression inscrutable.
Ruby’s eyes flicked down to Yvonne’s left hand. Sure enough, she wore a gold wedding band that matched Ruby’s. Ruby’s stomach flipped. For a moment, she thought she was going to throw up again.
“Ruby.” Yvonne gestured to a chair in the corner. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
“I’ll stand.” She might have to run to the bathroom again.
Silence hung between them. Yvonne continued to study Ruby, her demeanor calm and inscrutable. Why wasn’t she freaking out about the situation like Ruby was?
Finally, Yvonne spoke. “You don’t remember last night, do you?”
Ruby shook her head. “Not a thing.”
“That makes two of us.”
Ruby frowned. If Yvonne didn’t remember anything, why was she so calm? She didn’t seem at all flustered by the fact that she was now married to a stranger. What was going on?
“The last thing I remember is pouring us both another round of scotch,” Yvonne said. “Then I woke up to find a ring on my finger and you in my bed. I found this on the table.” She held up a piece of paper. It was a marriage certificate with both their names on it. “Apparently, we thought this was a good solution to my inheritance issue.”
Fractured snippets of the night came back to Ruby. They’d left the hotel bar, to go god knew where. They’d drunk some more. Eventually, they’d ended up in a little ‘chapel’ standing before a celebrant dressed as Elvis. Ruby didn’t remember anything in between, like when and why they’d decided to get married.
Ruby shook her head. “We need to undo this.”
“If that’s what you want,” Yvonne said. “We can get an annulment on the basis that we were unable to consent to the marriage because of our inebriated states. We fill out some forms, and it will be like this never happened.”
Ruby breathed a sigh of relief.
“Of course, there’s another option.”
Ruby froze. “What do you mean? ”
“We can take advantage of the situation. We can remain married. Come to some kind of agreement.”
“You want to stay married?”
“Only until I can get my inheritance. Of course, I’ll make it worth your while.”
Ruby shook her head. It was a crazy idea. Besides, Ruby knew better than to get into an arrangement with a client, especially after the last time she’d done so.
Nothing could possibly make this worthwhile. Right?
“How would you make it worth my while?” Ruby asked.
“It’s simple. Once I get the inheritance, you get a share of the money,” Yvonne said. “How does one million sound?”
Ruby’s eyes widened. “A million dollars?”
“Of course, there are additional perks to being my wife. I’m sure a woman like you is accustomed to luxury, but the luxury I can provide you with goes beyond the gaudy glitz of Vegas.” She waved her hand around the room. “You’ll have everything you could possibly want.”
Ruby twisted the ring around her finger absently. That did sound tempting.
“One of the conditions of the inheritance is that I need to stay married for a year in order to get the full amount. But once the year is up and the money is in my hands, you’ll get your share, and we can get a divorce and go our separate ways.”
A year. That was a long time. But one million dollars was so much money. There were so many things Ruby could do with it. If she was smart, she could set herself up for life.
“What do you want in exchange?” she asked
“For you to be my wife,” Yvonne replied. “At least, to outside eyes. In order to claim my inheritance, I need to have a witness to the fact that our relationship is genuine, so we’ll need to convince the world that we’re a real married couple. You’ll come live with me, in my apartment. For the majority of the time, you’ll be free to do as you please. Your life will be your own.” Yvonne crossed one slender leg over the other. “But when I need you by my side, as my wife, you’ll be mine.”
A thrill whispered through Ruby’s body. “I don’t know.”
“I’d give you time to decide, but unfortunately, time isn’t something I have to spare right now. I fly out of Vegas tonight. You have until 4 p.m. this afternoon to think about it.”
It was already almost midday. That wasn’t enough time to make such a big decision.
Wait, am I seriously considering this?
“In the meantime,” Yvonne continued. “I’ll fill out the annulment paperwork. If you decide you want to go through with the annulment, I’ll submit it. But if you want to take up my offer, we’ll remain married, and you’ll fly home with me.”
Ruby nodded. She was so overwhelmed that it was all she could do.
Yvonne rose from the bed, smoothing down her dress. “I have to go meet my friends for lunch. Keep the room for the rest of the day. Order room service, do whatever you like.” Yvonne locked her gaze on Ruby. “Consider it a taste of what lies ahead if you agree to our arrangement.”<
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Ruby’s breath caught in her chest. Yvonne’s look had that effect on her. And it made her want to say yes.
“I’ll see you this afternoon, at the bar where we met,” Yvonne said. “You do remember where we met, don’t you? ”
Ruby nodded.
“Good.” Yvonne paused. “For the record, I spent the night on the couch. We did not sleep together.”
With that, she turned and left the room.
Ruby wandered over to the bed in a daze and lay down. Her head was swimming from both the hangover and Yvonne’s offer. One million dollars? A year, married to a stranger, and an incredibly sexy one at that?
She glanced at the ring on her finger. Why was she hesitating? She desperately needed the money. Her credit cards were maxed out, and it was only a matter of time before she went home to find an eviction notice on her door. It should have been a no-brainer. She’d done jobs like this before, jobs that were long-term and exclusive. But the last time she’d done that kind of gig, her client had turned into something more. They’d started a relationship.
And that relationship had shattered her.
Ruby shook herself. This wasn’t like the last time. This time, it would be a business transaction only, with no feelings involved. Ruby definitely wasn’t going to let feelings get involved. Although she was wildly attracted to Yvonne, that was just on a physical level. Ruby found Yvonne’s presence irresistible, but it was nothing more than that.
She looked around the room. One million dollars would probably make things worth her while. Judging by the lavish suite Ruby was in, as well as the way Yvonne dressed, the woman was seriously loaded. Was one million dollars even worth anything to her?
Ruby picked up the marriage certificate from the nightstand where Yvonne had left it. It had both of their full, legal names on it. Ruth Josephine Scott . Yvonne Lin Maxwell .
Ruby frowned. Why did that name sound familiar? Ignoring her hangover-induced nausea, she got up from the bed and located her purse. She pulled out her phone and typed Yvonne’s name into a search.
As she read the results, everything started to fall into place. A smile tugged at Ruby’s lips. She was no more certain of whether she wanted to accept Yvonne’s offer or not.
But if she was going to do this, she had to make sure Yvonne really made it worth her while.
Chapter 3
Y vonne sat at the bar, nursing a cup of coffee. She was tempted to order something stronger, but after the previous night, she’d learned her lesson.
Yvonne hadn’t been lying when she’d said she didn’t remember the events of the previous night. She’d never do anything as rash as marrying a stranger while sober. When she’d woken up, she’d wondered if Ruby had conned her somehow, seducing Yvonne into a marriage in order to steal her fortune. That was, until Ruby had come out of the bathroom, clearly just as surprised about the situation as Yvonne.
It was a crazy situation. But now that the opportunity had presented itself, Yvonne wasn’t going to let it slip away.
She checked the time. It was just past 4 p.m. Ruby would be here any minute. Yvonne had brought the required forms for the annulment, but she doubted she’d need them. She was certain that Ruby would say yes. Although Ruby had appeared unsure earlier, something had sparked behind her blue eyes when Yvonne had mentioned the money .
And the same thing had happened when Yvonne had said that Ruby would be hers .
Did the idea appeal to Ruby? It certainly appealed to Yvonne. Although she had no intention of their arrangement being anything but business, she couldn’t deny that she was attracted to Ruby. Was there a chance that Ruby was the type of woman she pretended to be?
Did Ruby truly have a submissive side?
It didn’t matter. This was purely a financial agreement. A transaction. It could never be anything more. Yvonne needed to focus on the reason she was doing this—to get her inheritance.
Although Yvonne didn’t need the money, she wanted it, for good reasons. Not to mention, she hated the idea of her half-brother getting what was rightfully hers. Nicholas had already stolen all her father’s love and attention growing up, and now he was going to get this too, on top of all the money her father had left him. And her brother was, quite simply, an asshole. He’d made Yvonne’s life hell growing up.
She finished off her coffee. As she did, Ruby walked through the door.
Yvonne couldn’t help but stare. Ruby had cleaned up since the morning and was looking just as captivating as the night before. She sauntered over to Yvonne and slid into the seat next to her.
“You look like you’ve come to a decision,” Yvonne said.
Ruby smiled slightly. “Not quite.”
Yvonne stifled a frown. “You haven’t decided yet?”
Ruby caught the eye of the bartender and ordered a drink, taking her time. Yvonne narrowed her eyes. What was the woman playing at ?
Finally, Ruby turned back to Yvonne. “I’m not going to lie. Your offer is very tempting. But I’m just not sure it’s worth my while.”
Yvonne raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to negotiate with me?”
“I’m just saying, I think you need me more than I need you.”
Yvonne pushed her irritation aside. Apparently, she’d underestimated Ruby. “What do you want? More money?”
“We both know that a million dollars is nothing to you.” Ruby crossed her arms. “I know who you are, Yvonne Maxwell . You own Mistress Media.”
So Ruby had looked Yvonne up. That explained it. “I don’t own it outright. I’m one of the owners. There are five of us.”
“The details aren’t important. What’s important is that you own a stake in one of the biggest media empires in the world. You’re worth millions. Billions, even.”
What Ruby was saying was true, but all Yvonne’s money meant nothing when she couldn’t access it, like right now. It was why she wanted her inheritance in the first place. Once it was in her hands, all her money troubles would disappear.
Yvonne folded her arms across her chest. “How much?”
“Ten million,” Ruby said.
Yvonne scoffed. “I don’t think so.” Ruby had guts, to say the least. Yvonne didn’t know whether it made her like Ruby more or less. Unfortunately for Ruby, negotiating was what Yvonne did for a living.
“Fine. Eight million.”
“Perhaps I wasn’t clear,” Yvonne said calmly. “You’ll be living with me, in my apartment, with every expense paid for, for an entire year. And not just the basics. Everything . Clothes, shoes, jewelry. Expensive dinners. Luxury cars taking you wherever you want to go. Or even a car of your own, if you’d like.” Yvonne locked her gaze on Ruby’s. “You’ll be my wife, after all. If you’re going to play the part, I’m going to give you everything you need to make it so. You’ll have everything you could ever want. Everything you’ve ever desired.”
For a moment, the determination in Ruby’s eyes was overshadowed by lust. Was it lust for a life of luxury? Or lust for something else?
Someone, perhaps?
Ruby pressed her lips into a line, her resolve returning. “What I desire is eight million dollars.”
“Two million,” Yvonne said firmly. “And you’ll get your own credit card to spend as you please. Within reasonable limits, of course.”
“I’m not going any lower. A whole year of my life is a long time to give up, even if I’ll be living it in luxury.”
Ruby was right. If Yvonne was going to exploit someone, she might as well compensate her fairly. And what was a few million in the grand scheme of things? If Yvonne played her cards right, she’d have millions at her disposal soon enough. And that wasn’t counting the billions she already held in assets.
“Five million.” Yvonne held up her hand, forestalling Ruby’s reply. “And I’ll sweeten the deal. The fine print of my inheritance states that I get half of it after being married for three months, and the other half after a year. I’ll make you the same deal. You get two and a half mi
llion at the three-month mark. Make it to a year, and you’ll get the rest. ”
Ruby hesitated.
Yvonne had her. “Five million. That’s my final offer.” She didn’t give Ruby a chance to speak. “And in exchange, I expect you to play the part of my wife to perfection .” Yvonne leaned in closer to her. “You will be my wife in every sense of the word.”
This time, the lust that flashed behind Ruby’s eyes lasted long enough for Yvonne to know she hadn’t imagined it. And this time, it was no clearer whether it was about the money or Yvonne herself.
Yvonne sat back. “To the outside world, that is.”
Ruby glanced away, chewing her lip in thought. Yvonne waited in silence. She already knew Ruby’s answer. She already knew she had Ruby hooked.
And she couldn’t deny the satisfaction it gave her.
Finally, Ruby spoke. “Five million dollars. Half at three months, half after a year. I’ll be your wife. I’ll be more than your wife.” Her voice fell to a sultry whisper. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be.”
Yvonne ignored the twinge of desire she felt at Ruby’s words. “Just so we’re clear, I don’t want anything from you except for you to act as my wife in public. That’s all . This is purely a business arrangement.”
“Sure, I hear you.” But Ruby’s smile suggested otherwise.
Was that going to be a problem? Yvonne hoped not, because she didn’t have any other options.
“We have a deal.” Just to drive home the point, Yvonne held out her hand for Ruby to shake.
But when Ruby slipped her hand into Yvonne’s, it had the opposite effect. Her soft touch was electrifying.
Yvonne broke off the handshake. “I was planning to fly out in a couple of hours, but we’ll catch a red-eye later tonight instead. That will give you time to pack. Only the essentials, of course. I’ll buy you everything you need when we get back home.”
Ruby nodded, her face suddenly filled with uncertainty. Was it just now dawning on her what she’d agreed to? Yvonne didn’t have time to deal with whatever Ruby was going through. She had business to take care of.
She finished off her coffee. “I need to let my friends know I won’t be flying back with them.” She’d break the news of her marriage to them first thing in the morning at work on Monday. “After that, I’ll be in my suite. Come find me if you have any questions.”
