He didn’t swoop in. He didn’t do anything. He perched on the edge of the table and smiled down at me. “I think you have the most promise for this job of any woman who has applied. We just need to get the details ironed out.”
I cocked her head. “Like what?”
He leaned closer. “Look, Gabi. I’m not gonna lie to you. I don’t want to go through with this marriage business, either. I think it’s the stupidest idea on the planet.”
“Why are you doing it, then?”
He rolled his eyes toward the door. “My lawyer and PR team made me. Well them and my brother. They say I have to clean up my image and settle down. They say I have to show the public I’m not some womanizing hound.”
My green eyes snapped. “Are you a womanizing hound?”
He bit his lip. “Look. If we’re gonna do this, we better be honest and upfront with each other from the beginning. I can see you play it out front, too, and I appreciate that, so I’ll give you the same consideration. I never wanted to get married. I’m the love ‘em and leave ‘em kind. Shit, that’s what got me into this situation in the first place.”
I cast my weather eye over him one more time. So that’s what this was all about. The love ‘em and leave ‘em kind. I understood guys like that too well.
“Well, it’s not like a real marriage, is it?” I remarked. “It’s just business arrangement.”
He pointed at me. “Yes! A business arrangement. Exactly, and it’s only for a year. Did they explain that to you during the application process? It’ll be over before you know it.”
I glanced down at my own foot bobbing in mid-air. “I don’t know. A lot can go wrong in a year.”
“You said you were desperate. You said you couldn’t get another job.”
I shrugged. “Yeah. That’s the only reason I showed up at all. If it gets me back on my feet, that’s all I care about. I mean, now that I’ve met you, I don’t hate the idea. I thought....”
He inched closer. How did he get so close? God, he smelled good. “What did you think?”
I turned bright red. “I thought you’d be some kind of geezer. I thought you’d be ugly and... you know.”
His voice dropped to a sultry purr. “And what do you think now? Do you like what you see?”
My eyes migrated up his pant leg, past that rounded bulge to the hard abs and chest under his jacket. Yeah, I liked what I saw. I liked it a lot. “I guess it’s not too bad.”
He smiled again and showed me all his bright white teeth. “I like what I see, too. Do you think we might get along all right for a whole year? You wouldn’t get bored with me, would you?”
My eyes widened. “Get bored with you?”
He set both hands on the table edge next to his hips. His eyes made languid circuits over my face and mouth and neck. They dallied down my chest to the spot where my buttons hid my cleavage. “How would you like to go out with me tonight—not on a job interview—just the two of us, you and me? Get to know each other a little better.”
My eyes glided the rest of the way up to his face, and we locked our gazes on each other. “What would we do?”
“I dunno. What do you like to do on a date? We could go out to dinner. I know a couple really nice restaurants. We could go see the fireworks in Times Square.”
“I didn’t know there were fireworks going on in Times Square tonight.”
He bit back a smile. “Maybe there isn’t. Then we could go out to the harbor and take a walk on the pier. That’s a nice way to spend some time with someone you’re trying to get to know better.”
“Are you trying to get to know me better?”
He leaned so far forward his body came away from the table. He murmured into my face. “I’m doing my best. Come on, Gabi. Tell me what you like. Do you like going back to a guy’s place on the first date, or are you more of the kiss and don’t tell type?”
My cheeks burned, but I didn’t gasp in horrified astonishment. I could only sit there and stare up at him. He held me hypnotized with his soft voice and his burning eyes. If he got any closer, his lips would touch my mouth. Then what?
Before I could answer, he put out his hand. His warm fingers landed on my bare knee. They swirled once over my skin. They burrowed just an inch under my skirt hem. He gave my leg a squeeze, just enough to send a jet of burning hot excitement up my legs in between my thighs.
“I don’t like to take a girl home on the first date, either,” he whispered. “I like to give them a good time and take them home wanting more. I like wining them and dining them until they can’t stand it any longer. I like to savor every last little morsel of their delicious company if you know what I mean.”
Oh, I knew exactly what he meant. I couldn’t mistake what that hand on my knee meant, and I wanted it. I wanted that hard man right now.
As quickly as his hand was on my leg, the quickly it was gone. He got up off the table, walked around it, and picked up his clipboard. He made a big show of checking over a bunch of job application forms under the clip.
He waved the clipboard sideways. “Well, Gabi, I think we can safely say this interview is over. You can have the job if you want it. It pays thirty thousand dollars a month for twelve months, plus bonuses for press conferences, photo shoots, and a generous spending allowance every month.”
I stared at him aghast. “Thirty thousand a month! Are you out of your mind?”
He set down the clipboard. “I would have to be if I agreed to this nonsense. I wouldn’t go through with it at all if we didn’t have a candidate as good as you. What do you say? You’ll have to go through a legitimate wedding ceremony. Once that’s over with, you can relax and kick back in my penthouse until the end of the year.”
“Will you be living there?”
He shrugged. “Unfortunately, I have to live at the same address as my.... you know, my wife. That’s the only way to make the thing look legit. I have a separate guest wing. I’ll live there while you take the master bedroom.” He glanced down at my chest and rolled his tongue around his mouth. “If that’s what you want, of course.”
I looked away, but I couldn’t hide my red-hot cheeks. My heart hammered in my chest. Was I really doing this? Thirty thousand a month? Jesus.
“All right. I accept.”
5
Gray
I peered through a window on the second floor of the courthouse building. Police officers shut down the whole block outside. They linked elbows to hold back the roaring crowds. Girls craned their necks across the barricade to snap photos of the courthouse decorated with white roses. Reporters trained their video cameras on the building, the crowd, the decorations—everything. My PR team let every major news outlet know what was going on. And of course, my brother had to be in attendance.
An immaculate white limo crawled through the crowd. The screaming girls crushed the police officers forward until they tumbled into the street. They pressed their bodies against the car so it could barely move.
At last, it eased up in front of the curb. My heart thumped in my chest. I had to keep cool right now. I had to stay calm until I got through this.
The police fought back the crowd until a tiny pocket of space opened around the limo door. Two police officers blocked the door when it swung open. A white figure in streaming lace and satin bows stepped out and glanced up at the courthouse towering above her.
I reeled on my feet. Rockets exploded in my head. She looked even more stunning in that dress than I dared imagine. She looked right at me hidden behind the window.
I couldn’t look anymore. I hurried back to the clerk’s office. My brother and best friend Felix waited there for me. I tugged my jacket down and adjusted my tie. I took a wide stance next to Felix and crossed my hands in front of me to await my fate. Lewis stood on the other side of me, two secret service flanking him.
They had to sweep the whole place before he arrived. Totally shut it down. The crowd outside was for both of us. Lewis was only forty when he took over the White H
ouse. Forty and single. Everyone loved him.
“Here we go little brother,” he leaned across Felix to whisper to me.
“Yeah, all thanks to you.”
“Never saw myself as a matchmaker, maybe it will be my next profession.”
Felix laughed, “You mean when you’re done being the leader of the free world.”
“Yeah, early retirement and all that.”
Minutes passed. The noise outside escalated to a deafening crescendo. All at once, the courthouse door swung open downstairs. The noise broke up the ringing staircase. Then the door banged shut, and the noise died to nothing.
High heeled shoes echoed up the stairs. Sweat stung my neck. She was coming closer. A white apparition floated up the stairs and stopped right in front of me. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. I could only stand there and stare.
Her face hovered under an organza cloud. Her eyes cut me to the core. Was I really going to marry this girl? How did I ever get lucky enough to find someone like her? She must be one in a million.
She crossed the foyer. She took one step after another on a beeline straight for me. She knew exactly what she was doing.
The clerk bustled forward. “If you don’t mind, miss, we need your signature on the register.” He pointed to a book laid open on the table nearby. “Just print your name here, and sign and date here.”
She bent over and scribbled. When she stood up, her eyes snapped to my face. No hesitation. How did she stay so calm when I wanted to break down right there? I was supposed to be some kind of iron man. She showed me up.
The clerk took his place. “Now, if you’ll come forward, we’ll get started.”
She crossed the last few inches to stand at my side. Without thinking, I took her hands in mine. My hands shook, but she held me rock solid. I could count on her. I could rely on her to support me at a time like this. I could calm down, now that I had her in hand.
The clerk rambled on about something. I didn’t hear much of the ceremony. I swam in her eyes. I delved into her soul. I understood everything I needed to know about her at that moment.
All of a sudden, I heard the clerk say, “And do you, Gray, take this woman Gabriela as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?”
I swallowed hard. Well, did I? Did I really take this woman as long as I would live? I was losing my damn mind. She was beautiful, but this was forever.
Or was it?
I couldn’t get my voice to work. She squeezed my hands to encourage me, and I croaked out, “I do.”
The clerk went on with the ceremony. “And do you, Gabriela, take this man Gray, as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?”
That bright glowing smile spread across her face. The veil did nothing to dilute its stunning beauty. “I do.”
We exchanged rings. The icy gold burned into my finger. Already I sensed it infecting my blood with its alchemical magic. What did I get myself into? Just putting that ring on and saying those words did something to me. I couldn’t stop it. I was married. This was not just a business arrangement. This was real—really fucking real.
I slipped the ring on her tiny finger. Did she feel it, too? Did that ring change her in the same way? We took an oath before God and the State of New York. We couldn’t turn it into a lie. It really happened, and we really were married.
The clerk said, “You may kiss the bride.”
I froze in my tracks. What should I do? Should I stick my tongue down her throat right there in the court clerk’s office? I would have stood there all day trying to figure it out, but Gabi rescued me. She darted forward and pecked me on the lips. Lightning quick, she was gone, back to her place.
As soon as the clerk said, “I now pronounce you man and wife,” I turned away. I took Gabi’s hand and led her downstairs. The courthouse door swung open, and a solid wall of sound blasted us in the face. The crowd trampled faster and harder than ever. The reporters rushed up the steps to snap a million pictures.
Pete and Jason appeared on either side of us. The police formed a ring around us and escorted us through the frenzied crowd to the limo. I held the door open while Gabi slipped inside. I took my place at her side, and the door closed on the chaos.
Gabi let out a shaky breath. “Thank God that’s over with.”
“It’s not over yet,” I replied. “We have to do the photo shoot. Then I’ll take you back to my place.”
I looked out the window, but when I sat back in the seat, I discovered her studying me. Her mesmerizing eyes sucked me in. I couldn’t look away. I had to stare at her and get lost in her.
“Was that your brother in there?”
I laughed, “Yeah and my best friend, Felix.”
She shook her head.
“What?”
“You mentioned your brother was an important guy, you failed to mention he was the President of the United States!”
“Oh, well yeah. And a shareholder in my company.”
“Fabulous.” She turned away and looked out the window.
We were married, for better or for worse. Did she regret it? Did she hate herself for giving in this way? Holy shit, she looked good in that dress. I wanted to preserve her like this forever. I wanted to keep her clean and spread my cloak on the ground for her to walk on. I wanted to protect her from everything happening outside.
All too soon, the limo pulled up in front of Central Park. We got out and I showed her where to go. We stood under the trees while the paparazzi shot a lot more than a million pictures. They called out orders. “Turn left. Smile wider. Face each other. Now kiss.”
I found myself face to face with the most stunning woman I ever met in my life, and I had to kiss her. We eyed each other for a long moment. Did she quail at the idea of kissing me in front of the cameras?
If she did, she showed no sign. She glanced down at my mouth. She searched my eyes for any answer. I had to do this. I had to make a convincing show of loving her beyond anything in the world.
I didn’t give myself time to question. I swept my arms around her and planted my lips on her mouth. She collapsed in my embrace, and her whole majestic body responded to my attention. I bent her over backward. I didn’t really mean to. It happened by itself. One of her legs flew up, and her weight rested on my arms.
I gazed down into her eyes while our lips mingled in cosmic unity. Her eyes reflected the blue sky and the ruffled foliage overhead. My blood boiled. I opened my mouth, and her lips parted at the same moment. My tongue darted inside.
God, she tasted so incredibly sweet! I could go on kissing her and kissing her and never stop. I could undress her right now in front of all these people.
I had to get out of here. I had to have her.
6
Gabriela
The elevator door opened, and I stepped out into the biggest suite I’d ever seen. The ceiling towered so high I couldn’t see the top. Enormous windows gave a sweeping view of the whole city spread out at my feet, and more windows let light stream down from overhead. Potted palm trees rustled in the corners.
I held my breath. “What is this place?”
Gray took my hand one more time. I could face anything with him holding my hand. “This is my penthouse. Come on in.”
He led me down the marble steps to the huge living area. I couldn’t call it a room. It must cover the whole top floor of this skyscraper in the middle of Manhattan. He stopped me at a sparkling wet bar set against one wall. He took out a bottle and popped the cork. He poured fizzing champagne into two flutes and handed one to me. “Here’s to you. You were incredible today. Thank you so much for doing this.”
I couldn’t stop smiling at him. “I should be thanking you. I really needed this job.”
He tossed his champagne down in one gulp. I took a sip. “Don’t worry about it. Let me show you around. As you can see, this
is the living room. There’s a kitchen on the other side of this wall, but you’ll probably never go there.”
“Why not? I’ve got to eat.”
“I have my own chef. He’s very good at Italian food. I’m certain you won’t be disappointed.”
I beamed at him. “Thank you. That’s very kind.”
He pressed my hand. “I want you to be comfortable here. If there’s anything at all you want, you let me know.”
I took another look around. “I’m sure I won’t want anything here.”
He tugged me forward. He snatched a remote control off the wall and pressed a button. “This is the garden. Feel free to go out there whenever you feel like it.”
What I thought was a solid wall slid back to reveal a towering indoor garden full of flowering trees, water features, and a coy pond. Gray already walked away, down a flagstone path, between the shrubs to a wooden trellis. “Back here is the hot tub. It’s always turned on, and it’s self-cleaning so you can use it anytime, day or night.”
“Wow,” I gasped.
“That’s nothing. Follow me.”
He escorted me back inside. We trekked across the living room to a private alcove. High bookshelves surrounded a few comfy wing-backed chairs. “This is my study. I don’t expect you to read all these books.”
I laughed. “It does look like a great place to curl up on a winter’s night.”
He shot me a big smile. “That’s what I like to do, too. Maybe we could do it together sometime.”
He touched a button on the wall, and a hidden door slid back. I gaped at what I saw. A giant bedroom spread to the far wall where more massive windows separated the room from the open sky. A big four-poster bed dominated the center of the room and flowing taffeta curtains all in white draped to the floor. White bows festooned the whole room, and sprays of roses wafted their scent in every direction.
A wall of cut glass divided the bathroom suite from the rest of the chamber. An open wet-floor shower stood in one corner next to a full-sized jacuzzi bubbling and steaming near the windows. Gray ducked behind the wall and pulled back a wooden panel next to the tall shelf of fresh towels. “The sauna is in here. Just turn it on at the switch on the wall.”
Triplets Make Five Page 27
