Fake It For Me - A Fake Wife Billionaire Romance

by Layla Valentine

  Edmund used a handkerchief to stop the bleeding. Jada assumed the thing had cost more than her car and felt a bit bad for ruining the silk fabric.

  “Sorry about that.” She pointed to what was now definitely a rag. “Was it expensive?”

  “Extremely.”

  Jada looked at him with wide eyes and an open mouth.

  “It’s fine. I have a zillion more. It’s just a handkerchief.” He smiled at her as he kept the pressure on her wound.

  The taxi pulled up to the back parking lot of the office building and let them out. They still had to walk over to the elevator and to his office.

  “Umm…” Jada barely managed to get herself out of the taxi and wasn’t sure she could make it to the office door in under an hour.

  Edmund looked over and saw Jada struggling to stand. Without a word, he scooped her up in his arms and started walking toward the door. Jada was shocked, but her attempts to tell him to put her down fell on deaf ears.

  “Save it. You’re not the speediest thing alive right now, and I’d rather just carry you. It’s easier, and besides, you weigh, like, nothing.”

  Jada didn’t know what to say. She was up in the air, pressed against the CEO’s chest, and he was carrying her to his private office. This didn’t feel very business-like. She didn’t argue, though.

  Edmund carried her to the elevator like it was no big deal and continued to hold her as they sped up to the top floor. Jada couldn’t tell if it was her heart beating so hard or if it was his.

  The elevator dinged, and Edmund walked to his office door, Jada still in his arms. He asked for her to open it, and she obliged. Still not having set her down, Edmund carried her to a part of his office she’d never seen before. There was apparently a bathroom hiding behind a portion of the wall, and it was all black and chrome and ridiculously manly.

  Edmund set her down on the toilet and said, “I’ll get my first aid kit. Do you think you can roll up your pant leg?”

  Jada scooted farther back onto the toilet and looked at her injured leg.

  “No. The end is tapered. Got any scissors?”

  Edmund returned to her side with the first aid kit. He looked down at her leg and lifted her heel to rest on his lap. Gripping the material firmly in both hands, he tore the rest of her pant leg open. The two halves of fabric hung around her knee.

  “Well, that works.” Jada was silently impressed by Edmund’s strength and determined that she really shouldn’t have been surprised considering how muscular his arms were.

  “This might sting a little.”

  Edmund cleaned off the wound as gently as he could, but the antiseptic burned like a mother, and Jada hissed in pain as it killed any germs present.

  With the gash cleaned off, it wasn’t nearly as serious looking. The biker had managed to give Jada what was essentially a tire rash, having rubbed off the top layers of her skin. It would heal up just fine, and she probably wouldn’t even scar, which she appreciated.

  Jada looked at the pile of discarded cleaning supplies in the trash and had to laugh.

  “Something funny?” Edmund, with gloved hands, rubbed a thin layer of antibiotic ointment onto the scrape.

  Jada grunted a little as the pressure from his fingers ran over the freshly torn skin.

  “Just that this is not what I had planned for today, and I’m guessing you feel the same.” Jada smiled down at her nurse.

  “Well, no. I was hoping dinner somewhere was going to be the end of the day. But I’m glad I was able to help.”

  Edmund unwrapped a long strip of gauze and began to layer it around her leg. Once the dressing was in place, he used white medical tape to fasten it.

  “When you get home, you should take this off and let it get some air.” Edmund finished up with her leg and snapped off the gloves, shooting them into the trash like a goof.

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  They smiled at each other, and then the bathroom got really quiet.

  They stared at each other for a while. Jada’s heart hit the inside of her sternum with such force that she was sure it was trying to launch itself at Edmund. With all her might, Jada tried to focus on anything but the forearms resting near her leg, still propped up in Edmund’s lap. He’d rolled up his sleeves, exposing the tan flesh beneath, and that made Jada’s very stupid, primitive brain send worrying signals down south. There was just something about a guy rolling up his sleeves.

  “How’s it feeling?” Edmund’s voice shook Jada out of her thoughts.

  “Crappy, but better. Thank you. It was really nice of you.”

  “I wasn’t just going to drop you somewhere and make you deal with it alone.”

  Jada nodded her head; thinking was still proving difficult.

  “So, now that you’re patched up”—Edmund moved her foot to the ground—“how about some Chinese?”

  “That sounds amazing.”

  Twenty minutes later, the Chinese was delivered, and there was more food than the two of them could ever possibly eat.

  “You ordered too much.”

  “So? I’ll have leftovers.”

  Jada laughed and grabbed one of the crab dumplings out of the box. “Pass me my Kung Pao, would ya?”

  Edmund walked the dish over to Jada’s spot on the office couch. He’d sat down at his desk, giving the two of them plenty of room.

  “Here you go. Spicy fan, huh?” He gave her the box and walked back to his desk.

  “Yup. The hotter the better.”

  “Me too.”

  Jada gaped at him, a piece of shrimp held precariously in her chopsticks. As Edmund looked up from his garlic chicken, he stopped mid-bite and raised his eyebrows at her expression.

  “What?”

  “Good God, have we found something we have in common?”

  Edmund considered the comment for a moment and then let out a chuckle. When he’d swallowed his bite of food, he laughed again and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin.

  “I think we have.”

  Jada laughed and slapped her good leg. “So, Indian food?”

  “Yes, I like it, and?”

  “What number do you do?”

  The spicy meter on Indian food was often set to a number system, but each restaurant’s range could be different. There were some that went from one to five, while others went all the way up to 10. The important thing here was what number Mr. Thought-He-Liked-Spicy-Food chose.

  “Well, I still like to taste it, so I typically do an eight or nine, or a four if the scale goes to five.”

  Jada grinned. “I approve.”

  “Oh thank God.” Edmund exaggerated a sigh of relief and went right back to devouring his food.

  He could really put it away. The leftovers he’d spoken of would be few and far between. Edmund managed to eat all of his chicken, the rest of the crab rangoon, the container of egg drop soup, a bunch of rice with soy sauce, and of course his fortune cookie.

  Once he’d finished the cookie, Edmund said, “So my fortune reads, ‘When you work for the future, it carries you forward.’”

  “In bed.”

  Edmund looked up at her with the strangest look on his face, and Jada couldn’t help but laugh at him hysterically.

  “What?! Please, don’t tell me you’ve never done that before? You always add ‘in bed’ to the end of a fortune! You just do!”

  With that, Edmund began to laugh himself. “No! I’ve never heard of that before. What does yours say?”

  Jada cracked open the flaky cookie puzzle and pulled out the tiny piece of paper. In her best fortune voice, she read aloud, “When moving through life, always check the back door.”

  The both screamed out “in bed!” and burst into laughter that lasted a good two or three minutes. By the time they were slowing down, Jada could barely breathe.

  “Oh man, that was too good. I’ve never had one that good before.” Jada sounded exhausted and wiped tears from her face.

  “That was pretty amazing.”

  A
s the energy in the room settled down, they both seemed to realize how late it was getting. The time had flown by like the bike messenger.

  “Wow, it's late. I should probably be getting back home. After all, I have a Sunday filled with nothing to rest up for.” Jada smiled and slowly creaked her way off the sofa.

  “Are you going to be all right? I can escort you home, if you need me to.” Edmund stood up from his desk and came around to stand in front of her.

  “I’ll be fine. It doesn’t hurt as badly anymore, and I really just think I need to sleep.”

  “Okay. Well, I’ll have Jacques take you home.”

  Jada held her hands out to shake him off. “No, no. That’s not necessary. I’ll just grab a cab.”

  “I insist. I don’t want you getting attacked by another crazed biker on your way home.”

  He smiled and turned away to call for the driver on his phone.

  “Thank you. It’s not necessary, but thank you.”

  “Anytime.”

  Edmund rode down with her to the limo, and between him and Jacques, Jada barely needed to do anything to get herself into the car.

  “I’ll see you Monday, then.” Edmund’s voice was low and quiet.

  “Yup. Back to ye olde mill.”

  He chuckled and closed the door for her. A pat on the roof told Jacques to take off, and Jada was home in no time.

  Her apartment seemed so small and empty for some reason, and changing with her leg was no easy feat. The destroyed pants were difficult to get off, but they eventually flung free from her, and she tossed them right in the garbage. The rest was much simpler, and when Jada had finally gotten comfortable with an old ratty T-shirt on, she settled down on her bed and grabbed the book that was lying there.

  “Hero” spoke to her soul, and her heart expanded as she reread the words she’d read so many time before.

  Putting the book to her chest, Jada imagined Edmund reading the same words at the same time.

  Chapter Eleven

  The night was heavy with dreams.

  It was so black, and so cold. Jada’s skin prickled against the freezing wind, and her hands shook. In the distance, she could see the outline of some large shape. She walked closer, her red heels clicking on the linoleum under her feet. Jada looked down and realized the floor looked like the floor of the office. Black and white tiles were neatly laid out like a checkerboard. The clicking sound rang in her ears and echoed in the overwhelming quiet around her. The shape slowly became clear. A house, small and white, poked out from the black. The dark gave way as she walked closer and closer to the building. This dream town was always so dark, especially on nights of the new moon.

  The cold air around her had changed. Lost in her own thoughts, Jada didn’t register it right away. Now that she was approaching the delicate porch of the small house, it was warm all around her. The house was a pale green with white trim and a white door. Jada walked up the wooden steps, hearing them creak beneath her feet. Her red shoes were vibrant on the white stairs. Jada loved those shoes, wore them every chance she got. She felt so fiery, so alive and sexy in them, confident enough to entertain her desires.

  Jada felt her skin tingle as she walked up to the door and put her hand on the old brass knob. She loved the house. It was so quaint and charming, and tonight she loved it more than anything. He was waiting for her inside; she knew it. She would walk inside, take off her coat, hang it on the rack, and he would be waiting for her.

  Her coat still swinging on the rack, Jada started to unbutton her blouse. The silk was real and felt amazing against her skin. The vibrant red color matched her shoes, and the small crystal buttons gleamed in the soft candlelight. He always remembered the candles, never forgot them, and she loved it. They were so warming against the cold autumn air.

  Jada tugged up her shirt, pulling it out from her black pencil skirt. Her flesh tingled as the warm air tickled her. She dropped the silk blouse to the floor and reached to her back for the zipper on the skirt. The zipper always stuck, but as she pulled on it now, it opened easily. She shimmied out of the black wool fabric and let it land at her feet. As Jada stepped out of the skirt, she juggled with the idea of leaving her stockings on. The garter around her hips was underneath the straps of her panties.

  Jada reached an arm around her back and groped for the clasp of her bra. The red silk shone brightly against her tanned skin. She found the clasp easily and sprung it free with one hand. Jada threw it behind her as she rounded the corner to her bedroom. She felt on fire as she drew closer to where she knew he was lying.

  The long hall seemed to stretch as Jada walked to her door. When she finally reached it, she lifted a hand to push the door open. It weighed so much, and the effort to open it left her breathing hard. Her room was filled with candles, the warm glow heating the air. The soft red of the walls was romantic and inviting. The bed was immense, and there, against the satin fabric, his tan skin glowed.

  He was amazing, tan skin pulled taut over his well-developed muscles. He was taller than her, taking up the entire length of the bed. His long legs lay gently open to the sides, and a section of the beautiful satin sheets was pulled up between them, resting just below his hip bones. Underneath her sheets, his skin was bare. Smooth, round biceps flexed as he pulled the sheet close. His strong thighs tightened as he became aware of her presence.

  Jada’s eyes scanned up across his body. His abdominal muscles were so strong, it was like they were carved from marble. Every muscle on his body stood out as the light from the candles jumped across his skin. Jada pictured it pressed against her own, and what a lovely sight it was. Every inch of him was a perfect golden bronze, as if no part of him was ignorant of the sun’s rays.

  His broad shoulders were next for her to feast upon. He was strong, his frame so large that it was a wonder he fit through her tiny doorway. So commanding; his presence alone made Jada want to give in to any desire he professed.

  But his face, though protective and fierce, was kind. His deep blue eyes were wells she could have fallen into. His thick black hair was short and messy, his strong jawline covered lightly with stubble. His bangs, shaggy around his face, hung devilishly in his eyes. His features were cut from the same marble as the rest of him, and in his eyes, Jada could see the desire building.

  He lifted his head and his eyes found hers. Jada might have melted, if it weren’t for the piercing desire to touch him. The cocked grin he wore only egged her on. That smile was only for her, a perfect reflection of the pleasure to come. He lifted his arm and gestured for Jada to come to him, his huge forearms flexing as he moved his wrist. She happily obliged, but not too quickly.

  As Jada walked forward, his gaze dropped to her breasts, which rose and fell as she breathed hard. The room’s heat was enveloping her, and his scent was intoxicating. Rich and spicy, it was a penetrating drug that made her skin hum and her body ache for him. She edged closer, until they were almost touching, watching his hands drift toward her breasts. Her heart pounded and she felt her body prepare itself for him. Dizzied by the ache, Jada didn’t see as he thrust himself up on his knees and let the sheet fall.

  He stood there, firm and proud before her. Jada tried to focus on his eyes, but her gaze slowly fell. His muscles were tighter even than before, his skin glowing in the light. His hips stood at her waist, his muscles were taut, flexing, holding his weight and yet ever ready to move forward.

  Jada’s body warmed. His proud form stood just out of reach, and she saw the desire in his blue stare. The tension between them built to unbearable levels, and Jada could barely steady herself in her heels. He took her weight, then, and lifted her onto the massive bed.

  His skin felt soft and warm against her own, and Jada breathed hard. Her own curls hung long and smelled of lavender shampoo. He breathed deeply and sighed in pleasure.

  “I’m glad you like it.” Jada’s voice was foreign, deep and husky with desire.

  His fingers felt like hot rods wrapped in smooth skin as they
swept back and forth across Jada’s soft skin. The connection between them was fiery, intense, and somehow still sweet.

  As she let out a deep breath, he pulled her to him. He was powerful with desire, and their bodies connected in a moment of joyful union. Jada felt ecstatic as his mouth came down to her neck. He lifted Jada’s chin with his hand and pulled her lips to his. His lips were soft and hot against hers, and she loved the feeling of his wet tongue between her lips.

  He looked down at her, his eyes like dark swimming pools swallowing her up, and then he lowered his head, dark hair falling into his eyes. As Jada watched him move, she felt her heart pull at her in a welcome need for this wonderful man.

  Their loving union was building further, and together they crashed over the rocky shore, breathing in the foam, the ocean, and sensual bliss.

  Chapter Twelve

  The next few days went by without incident, excitement, or a barrage of emails. Back at the office, Jada referred to the boss solely as Jackson, but in her head, she always laughed and thought about his real name. Jada’s team developed the project for their big client successfully, and the presentation went really well. A couple days before the ceremony, Jada got an email letting her know the fitting was arranged for that afternoon, that she’d been excused from her afternoon duties, and she should say that she simply had a doctor’s appointment. The remarkable thing about the email was that it was signed simply “Edmund.”

  Jada smiled at the monitor and nearly giggled. It was totally pathetic, she knew. Sure, the staff lunches had continued, and he’d been really sweet looking after her the other night, but it all seemed too fragile to last. She just wasn’t ready to believe anything nice about him yet.

  Soon enough, it was dress-fitting time, and Jada gathered up her briefcase and went to the parking garage. Matheson hadn’t said anything, thank God, and she checked the email again to confirm the address.

  On her drive to the bridal store, Jada wondered why Edmund hadn’t come with her. He always arranged these little trips as a pair. Why was this run just for her?