On Her Terms (The Arrangement Duet Book 2)

by Madison Quinn

  I can’t risk blurring the lines of this arrangement; I can’t risk things becoming awkward between us. The impact of that is too great. It’s one thing to kiss her in front of the press like last night or while we’re out in public in case others are watching but the one by the horses was something that just happened between us and had nothing to do with our arrangement. As much as I know I shouldn’t have done it, when her body pressed against mine kissing her was the only thing I could think of. I need to find some way to stop thinking of her like that—it will only complicate things between us.

  My dick standing is full attention at the memory of her pressed against me, of her lips on mine... I sigh, shaking my head, realizing that this here is what my sex life is going to consist of for the next year and a half or longer. As I stroke my dick, I imagine her hand on me instead of my own; her soft hand wrapped around me, as I tease her hardened nipples. I can’t help but wonder how she likes to be fucked. Would she like to be taken against this wall? I can easily picture her in here with me, even though no one other woman has ever been in here. I can imagine lifting her up against the wall, her hands would grip my arms as her legs encircle my waist. I nearly lose it when she reaches between us, stroking it one last time before placing me against her opening. Her eyes go wide as I slide slowly into her tight center; her walls convulse around me as her breathing hitches in my ear. It only takes a few quick thrusts to bring her over the edge; she screams out my name which does me in. One final thrust into her, has me emptying myself as she milks me dry…

  “Fuck!” In the reality of the shower, I find my release by my own hand instead of inside of Kenzie.

  I have no idea how I’m going to fucking last the next eighteen months if I can barely get through a day with her. It felt so good to kiss her today, to have her pressed against me and to bring that smile to her face after riding for the first time. I was nervous that she wouldn’t agree to go with me this morning without knowing our destination, especially after what happened the last time I tried something like this. But yet again her reaction wasn’t what I expected: when I told her it was a surprise, she didn’t press the issue too much. She didn’t have the near panic attack that she said she had with Hunter. The enormity of the amount of trust she has in me weighs heavy on me.

  “Sir?” Carter finds me in my study a short time later.

  “Come in, Carter.”

  “We believe we have identified Kenzie’s ex—”

  “Finally! What the fuck took so long?”

  “It took some digging; Kenzie’s name wasn’t on the deed to the house, and the residence they shared wasn’t even the address she used anywhere. We finally identified him through a picture of them attending a holiday dinner through his employer.”

  “What do we know about him?”

  “Richard Westbrook: somewhat successful advertising executive for an agency in Denver. From what we can tell, he has had a few successful campaigns, but has also had a few that went south. He has been with his current employer for about five years but has held a variety of jobs there.”

  “What else?” Now that we have a name, I want to fucking know everything about this piece of shit. I will find a way to ruin him if it’s the last thing I do. He deserves to pay for what he did to Kenzie.

  “On paper, there’s nothing that stands out. He’s 33 years old—”

  “He’s almost ten years older than Kenzie?”

  “Yes, according to the date of birth listed on his driver’s license. He appears younger, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he told her he was in his twenty’s. He’s been married twice, both ended in divorce. Minor criminal record: speeding tickets, disorderly conduct… that type of thing.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yes sir. Nothing that stood out that we have found yet, but I have Brian and Asher continuing to dig further.”

  “Very well, Carter. Email me what you have. Did the cops ever find out who broke into her apartment?”

  “Nothing, sir. They’re keeping an eye on pawn shops, but ones in that area aren’t typically helpful when it comes to police involvement. They believe it was someone residing in the building but they can’t prove it.”

  “I’m assuming they’re closing the case at this point?”

  “They’re putting it to the side until they receive a lead but otherwise…”

  “Thanks, Carter.”

  I’m not surprised the police weren’t able to find the person who broke into Kenzie’s apartment, though I would have liked to be able to give her that closure.

  I did expect something more to have come up on her ex’s background report, though, but at least I finally have a fucking name to go with the little that she has told me about him. So many times I’ve wanted to ask her what the fuck she was doing with a slime ball who wanted to control her life and who hit her, but I don’t. I know that asking her that wouldn’t bring me any answers; I can picture her closing up the moment I raise the issue. I also want to know about her childhood: what happened that she talks so little about that time in her life? I’m tempted to ask Carter to dig into that too, but at the same time, I want Kenzie to open up and tell me herself.

  Before we leave to pick her up for dinner, I call the venue we decided on for the wedding and speak with the manager. I have signed NDAs by all their staff within the hour—hearing that they will have the opportunity to host my wedding has the owner moving very quickly. I contact my travel agent and provide him with the details of the honeymoon that I want booked. If all goes as planned, in just over two weeks, PFS’s PR department will release a statement announcing our marriage, complete with a picture from the ceremony as proof.

  “Good evening, Kenzie, you look… stunning,” I can’t help but struggle with the words when she answers the door in a deep blue wrap dress that seems to hug her curves just perfectly, before becoming much looser at her waist.

  “Thank you,” she blushes and moves to close the door.

  “Hunter, Ben and Julie will be down shortly to move your boxes and take care of the kitchen. If they miss anything, they will get it tomorrow morning for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  With my hand on her back, we head to the parking garage where the SUV is waiting to take us to my parents’ house. Looking at the ring on her hand has reality setting in—I, Nicholas Parker, will be getting married in less than two weeks. Even if the marriage is arranged, and not for love, the idea that I’m letting a woman back into my personal space is frightening.

  Before the weekend I was sick, I swore I would never let a woman into my space; that I would never put myself at risk again. I learned with my ex that an NDA means nothing; for the right price she was willing to risk it all. I’ll never know if her motive was simply money or if it was to actually ruin me. I have no doubts that Kenzie is different, but the risk still remains nonetheless. I trusted my ex; I let her into my life, never expecting her to end up being a complete fake who only used me. I never expected to fall for her to the point of practically blinding me; although looking back, I think the attraction was more lust than anything else. The realization of just how blind I was has me second guessing this entire arrangement with Kenzie—what if it backfires on me again? Kenzie has proven to me that she isn’t like my ex, but what if it’s all an act? What if she is just a better actress than Harper was? What if—

  “Are you okay?” Kenzie pulls me from my near anxiety attack.

  “Yeah, fine,” I lie.

  “I’m glad you are because I’m a nervous wreck,” she admits with a small laugh.

  “You are? Why? You know my parents adore you,” I turn my focus back to her, relieved to not have to go down memory lane, analyzing all the mistakes I’ve made in my life.

  “I worry what your parents will think about our engagement—that maybe they will think it’s all too soon. Most people take months to plan a wedding, yet we’re doing it in less than two weeks. Don’t you think they will be suspicious about that?”

  “Kenzie
, calm down,” I squeeze her hand reassuringly. “My parents knew each other for less than one week before they were married so—”

  “What? Less than a week?”

  “Yes, they were married six days after they first met,” I chuckle recalling the story my parents have told us so many times. “They met at some type of a conference they were both attending. My mom was there as part of a med school class, while my father was there because a friend dragged him along to keep him from being bored. It was in Vegas, of all places. Over lunch on the first day, they were in line next to each other, and when my father realized that my mother was there alone, he invited her to join him for lunch. The story goes that they hit it off immediately; they spent the next few days spending all their free time together. Even though they lived near each other, when the time came to leave Vegas, neither of them wanted their relationship to end. Personally, I think a little alcohol was involved in the decision, but according to the both of them after the final day they were walking around the city one last time and walked past a wedding chapel. My father joked that they should get married and when my mother turned to him to say yes, they walked right into the chapel.”

  “Really? Wow… that’s so sweet!”

  “They’ve been married 35 years now and love to tell the story of how they met every year on their anniversary. They both said after spending so much time together they just knew that they were meant to be. When they returned home, they moved in together and finished their degrees while supporting each other.”

  “So, you don’t think this will sound suspicious to them?”

  “I think they are going to be surprised; I can almost guarantee that. They probably expect something like this from Cara, but they will definitely not expect it from me. I think it would raise more concerns if they hadn’t met you already, so that’s definitely going to work in our favor.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Don’t be nervous; my family adores you and they will be happy with the news.”

  “Sir, ma’am,” Carter alerts us that we are parked in my parents’ driveway. I hadn’t realized the car had stopped since my focus was on easing Kenzie’s concerns.

  “I should take this,” I slide the ring off of her finger before we leave the car. “I’ll put it back on at dinner right before we share the news.”

  She nods and I slip the ring into my jacket pocket before sliding out of the SUV; she follows after me, and we walk into my parents’ house with my hand on her back. We are immediately greeted by Cara who quickly lets Kenzie know how much she loves the dress she is wearing tonight. I watch as she takes Kenzie’s hand and leads her into the great room where everyone is waiting for us. I sit down next to Austin who, unlike the last time we were here, looks much more like himself and immediately starts talking about the baseball game that was on yesterday.

  “Everyone, dinner is ready,” my mom announces a short time later.

  Kenzie waits for me before heading into the dining room. As we sit down I can sense the nervousness returning to her as her leg shakes under the table.

  “Stop worrying,” I lean over and whisper to her before placing my hand on her knee, trying to calm her down. She smiles at me although the tension doesn’t leave her body; I leave my hand on her knee, under the excuse to comfort her, even if it’s more because I don’t want to not touch her.

  Small talk is made while we pass around the plates of food; once again, Kenzie comfortably joins in on conversations, and my family does everything they can to include her at dinner. One of the first times I brought Harper here for dinner, it was beyond uncomfortable; I swear you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. At the time, I chalked it up to her being nervous about meeting my family, but looking back I realize how little of an effort she even made to get to know them.

  I can’t picture her ever going shopping with Cara like Kenzie did, and she certainly never would have let Cara dress her in those awful outfits that Kenzie wore. Watching Kenzie comfortably chat with my family, eases my earlier worry and leads me to think that perhaps, I am making the right decision.

  When dinner finishes, I take Kenzie’s ring from my jacket pocket and slip it under the table. While Kenzie is talking with my mom about something, I bring her hand beneath the table onto her lap. To anyone who is paying any attention, I’m sure this just looks like I want to hold her hand. However, once our hands are hidden by the table cloth, I slip the ring back onto her finger and give her hand a gentle squeeze preparing her for the announcement I’m about to make.

  “I have some news that I would like to share,” I take a deep breath and say during a lull in the conversation. All eyes are immediately on me; I’m sure everyone expects me to share some news about a company PFS has brought on or something like that. I doubt anyone expects what I’m about to say. “Earlier today, I asked Kenzie to marry me, and she said yes.”

  “Wow…” My mom leans back in obvious surprise. “I’m thrilled for you both; this is so exciting.”

  “Never thought I would see the day, bro but congrats,” Austin slaps me on the back.

  “Congratulations, Son,” my dad said.

  “So, have you picked a date yet?” Cara asks. “I can’t wait to start planning!”

  “We will be getting married two weeks from yesterday,” I reply and watch everyone’s jaws hit the floor for the second time in only a few minutes.

  “Oh my God! Are you pregnant, Kenzie?” Cara asks loudly.

  “No! Definitely not,” Kenzie quickly stammers.

  “Cara!” mom scolds her.

  “I’m sorry… I just thought…”

  “It’s okay, Cara. No, we are not planning a quick wedding because Kenzie is pregnant,” I confirm, almost chuckling to myself at the irony of that question, given that Kenzie and I haven’t even had sex.

  “Two weeks… that’s not much time, Nicholas,” my mom points out.

  “It’s not a lot of time, but we both want a very small wedding so there won’t be a lot to plan. The venue for the wedding has already been booked—”

  “Where are you getting married?” Cara interrupts.

  “On a beach on the coast of the Carolinas,” I answer.

  “Wait until you see the pictures, it’s absolutely beautiful there. The beach is very private and is surrounded by rocks and the ocean,” Kenzie describes the pictures we viewed online almost perfectly. I can see the smile in her eyes as she describes the beach where the ceremony will take place.

  “You’ve already booked the location?” my dad asks, his eyes questioning.

  “Yes, we’ve been talking about getting married for a couple of weeks now, so we knew the type of wedding we both wanted. Before I proposed today, I found a few venues that I thought Kenzie would like and afterwards we both chose one that happened to be our favorite.”

  “How did he ask you, Kenzie?” my mom asks.

  “He completely surprised me,” Kenzie goes on to tell how I picked her up this morning, took her horseback riding and then proposed over a picnic lunch.

  “Nicholas, can I speak to you for a moment?” My dad asks.

  “I’ll be right back,” I whisper to Kenzie before kissing her gently on the cheek and following my dad into his office. I was expecting him to ask to see me, no doubt to ensure that I have had Kenzie sign a prenup.

  “Let’s have a drink to celebrate your engagement, Son,” he pours me a small glass of scotch. We clink our glasses before taking a drink.

  “Before you ask,” I decide to put everything on the table before he can even bring it up. “Yes, Kenzie has already signed a prenup. She is aware that she is not entitled to half of my company if our marriage were to end.”

  “While I’m glad to hear that, and appreciate you thought this through, I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into,” he takes another drink before continuing. “Marriage isn’t easy; it’s not something you do one day and never think about again. Marriage takes work—you have to be committed to spending
the rest of your life with that beautiful woman out there. You need to make the time in your busy schedule to ensure she knows every day how much you love her. You need to make sure that you spend time together, and I don’t mean at all these business dinners that you go to. Once in a while, you need to spend time just with her. Even if that’s just curling up on the couch and watching a movie; it’s important that you take those couple of hours out of your busy schedule to let her know that she is important to you. Marriage is not another client that PFS takes on: one that you pay attention to in the beginning and then let it do its own thing and monitor it through financial reports every month—”

  “Dad, I wouldn’t—”

  “I’m not saying you are planning to do any of this. I am just sharing my experience with you. It’s easy to let life take over and for your marriage to take a back seat to everything else going on, especially with PFS as successful as it is. I don’t want you to lose what you have right now; anyone can tell by the way you two look at each other how in love you are. Don’t ever stop looking her like that, Nicholas.”

  “I won’t, Dad.”

  His words startle me; that’s the second time that someone has said that they can tell how in love Kenzie and I are by the way we look at each other. When my mom first said it, I chalked it up to us being good at acting but my father seeing it is surprising. He’s not the romantic type, so for him to say what he said confuses me. What is it they are seeing between me and Kenzie? How are we looking at each other that make people think we are in love? Of course, it’s great for publicity and supports our arrangement further, yet I can’t help but wonder what it is people are seeing. Could they just be seeing two friends who care about each other? That must be it—they must be confusing that with love...