by Cat Johnson
The room was decorated like a library, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and all, but all Jen cared about was that save for them, it was empty of people. With the party in full swing, she’d met more guests than she could ever hope to remember. She’d smiled so much her jaw hurt.
After closing the door behind them, Caroline said, “I thought you could use a breather.”
“Yes. Thank you.” Jen sat and sagged against the sofa cushions, not about to question this unexpected show of support from Bran’s sister.
“Grandfather can be an acquired taste.”
Jen snorted out a laugh. “Very true.”
“And of course, we couldn’t expect him to be happy with Bran’s little game.”
“Little game?” Jen tried to control her voice as panic hit her. Had Bran confided in his sister or was this a trick? Lying sure did make a person paranoid.
“Sweetie, it’s more than obvious what’s going on here.”
Jen swallowed away the dryness in her throat? “Is it?”
“Yes. It’s just Bran being Bran, rebellious to the core. When he graduated from college, Grandfather wanted him to take over the company. Instead, Bran took over the running of the family’s not-for-profit foundation. The latest thing is that Grandfather wants him to settle down—get married, start a family—so now Bran’s bringing you to family functions, knowing full well grandfather would find you totally inappropriate.”
“Oh.”
“Jen, it’s nothing against you. I like you. A lot actually. You’re the most refreshing thing that’s happened around here in a long time.”
“Thanks.” Jen tried to absorb that in this alternate universe of rich people she’d been thrust into, these were all supposedly compliments.
“Look. Here’s what I’m saying. Short of a Kennedy, or maybe British royalty, Grandfather wouldn’t think anyone good enough to marry into this family. He’s definitely not going to be happy if Bran marries someone from a family he didn’t handpick and approve. Understand?”
“Yes.” Fake relationship or not, Caroline’s words still hurt. Maybe because those few kisses Jen had shared with Bran had felt so real.
“You should have heard the rant tonight before you arrived about your parents being professors. I almost died laughing when he said, ‘He’s going to marry into a family full of damn, liberal academics, and poor ones at that’.” Caroline did a decent imitation of the old man’s outraged voice.
Jen’s brows drew low. “How does he know what my parents do for a living?”
“Oh, sweetie, I’m sure there’s been no stone left unturned. He has an investigator on retainer. If you have any secrets, they’re not a secret any longer.” Caroline’s blonde brow rose high. “Do you? Have secrets, I mean.”
“Not that I know of.” At least nothing before this week when she’d signed that secret contract. And if that had been discovered, Jen was certain she wouldn’t be sitting here now.
“Good.” Caroline didn’t sound quite convinced.
Time for a distraction. A heavy, leather-bound photo album on the table in front of them drew Jen’s attention. Reaching out, she flipped open the front cover and there was a baby Bran, dressed in a sailor suit and showing off the same crooked grin she’d seen on him as an adult.
“You don’t have to look at that. It was just an excuse to get you out of there.”
“No, I want to. I’m interested.” Jen slid a finger under the corner of the celluloid page and flipped to the next set of pictures. There, Bran sat in front of the family Christmas tree. A younger version of Caroline sat next to him, tearing into the paper on a gift. The carnage of the discarded wrapping and boxes littered the floor around them. It seemed so…normal. Jen laughed.
Caroline glanced at her. “What so funny? Besides Bran’s haircut, that is.”
“It’s just, we grew up so much alike, and yet so totally different.”
In this picture, it was obvious Bran’s tree was not only real, but almost big enough to be a contender for the giant that graced Rockefeller Center every year. Jen’s family tree had always been a short fake one. They’d slide it into a big plastic bag for storage in the attic until they’d drag it out the next Christmas, and that was only for the years when her parents didn’t drag her off to some educational locale for the holiday. An archeological dig in Egypt. Touring the Mayan ruins. Studying the indigenous wildlife on the Galapagos. When most children were waking to stacks of gifts and stockings stuffed full, Jen had woken up in a foreign country.
“Different people make the world go round.” Caroline shrugged. She sounded as if she meant it. She’d be okay if Bran did marry an inappropriate woman.
Jen reminded herself this was all fake and flipped to the next page. In this set of photos, Caroline sat atop a horse, smiling and displaying her blue ribbon. The sound of the room’s door opening dragged Jen’s gaze away from the photo. She glanced up to see Bran in the doorway.
“Don’t scare her away, Car.”
“I’m trying my best, but it seems as if she loves you, you weirdo. I don’t think she’s going anywhere.”
Caroline’s words startled Jen. It had been a rough week, scared to death the lies she’d been telling would all be exposed, afraid she’d make a mistake and Bran would lose his money. She’d been tiptoeing around, fearful they’d all see right through her. Yet, Caroline believed Jen loved Bran. However, Caroline also believed Bran’s motivation to be with Jen was to piss off their grandfather.
On some level that might be true. He could have convinced one of the rich girls at the club to pretend to be his girlfriend and not had to pay them. Those girls might have done it out of sheer boredom, but Bran had chosen Jen. That still baffled her.
Bran stepped farther into the room. He caught Jen’s eye and smiled. She beat down the flutter she got inside. It would be so easy to believe he did care…at least a little bit. Even if she did have a signed contract stashed in her sock drawer at home to remind her this was just a business arrangement.
“So, you ready to go up to our room?”
Jen’s eyes widened and she stood. “Could we?”
Tonight should have been Cinderella’s big outing to the Prince’s ball, right down to the magical dress. Instead, Jen found it draining. If she got through the next few months, she’d never tell another lie again.
He laughed, a deep belly laugh. “Such enthusiasm. It that because you want to be alone with me, or just get away from everyone else?”
“I’m betting a bit of both.” Caroline stood and leaned in to embrace Jen. “Go on. Don’t stay up all night. You’re both going to need your sleep for tomorrow’s brunch with the fam. Grandfather hung over and sleep deprived is even more of a joy than usual.”
Jen couldn’t help but laugh at that. Hugging Caroline back, she said, “Goodnight. Thanks for everything.”
“Oh, please. Least I could do.” Caroline dismissed Jen’s thanks with a wave of her hand. “Have a good night, you two. I’m going to see if that senator’s son is still here.”
With a smile, she left them alone in the room.
“Come on, Jen. Bed time.” Did Bran’s eyes look brighter at the mention of bed? Her own heart pounded harder at the word.
Theirs was a confusing relationship. It definitely wasn’t just business anymore. It hadn’t been since his kisses had gone from part of the deception to feeling very real. What she was going to do about that, Jen had no idea. But she’d better figure it out soon, because Bran was leading her up the stairs and to what would be their shared room.
All night. Alone. With Bran, the man who made her want to do things she knew she shouldn’t. Jen’s heart beat even faster than it had been before.
In a hallway lined with wall sconces and matching doors, he reached for the knob of one and swung it wide. She got the first glimpse of what would be her room—make that their room—for the night. Her, Bran and that one sprawling bed.
When she started to be able to think again, Jen saw that some
one had already brought up their bags and they’d laid out her pajamas. She glanced at Bran. “They unpacked my stuff?”
“Yes. The staff does that for all overnight guests. Your things are all put away for you.” He eyed her a bit closer. “You’ll get used to it.”
Jen doubted that. She mentally reviewed what had been in her bag. Thank God, ninety percent of what she’d packed was what Bran had purchased for her. It wasn’t as if there was a whole lot of personal things in there. Still, it felt invasive. Had they put her toiletries in the bathroom and unpacked them for her too? Everything, including her pink toothbrush and her tube of blemish cream?
“Hey.” He pressed his hand to her lower back, reminding her he was there. Not that she needed a reminder. “You all right?”
“Yeah. Just a lot to take in.”
Bran took her left hand in his. “I imagine it is. And it’s going to be more so when we announce our engagement.”
“When will that be?” The intensity of this game they played would double then. Jen wasn’t sure she could handle it.
“We can talk about that later.” Bran turned to the bed, gathered her pajamas and handed them to her. “Go get changed.”
She couldn’t help but glance at the bed. That imposing piece of furniture dominating the room drew her attention away from worrying about her impending fake engagement to Bran and his family’s reaction to it.
“Jen, I want you to understand something. That contract, the money, I never assumed it buys me your body, and I certainly don’t expect anything from you tonight because you signed it and accepted the check. That part of our deal is business and totally separate.” He glanced at the bed and then back at her. “That said, I want you to know, as a man I want you. And I’m going to take anything you’ll give me tonight. This part isn’t business. It’s personal. Very, very personal.”
He finished his speech with his mouth so close to hers it wouldn’t take more than a small move on either of their parts to close the gap. She didn’t. She needed to think, which was hard to do with her pulse pounding and Bran so near.
Jen swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay.”
She turned toward the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Bracing against the vanity, she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
A serious boyfriend senior year in high school and a handful of casual dates and semi-serious relationships in college, all of them made Jen realize one thing. She hadn’t been with a real man until tonight with Bran. Maybe that’s why she’d never been as tempted to give away what she was now—to a stranger who didn’t feel like one. A man who’d paid her to be in his life. She must be insane.
Stalling wasn’t helping any, so she pulled open the drawer to the right of the sink and found her toiletry case inside, still zipped shut. That felt slightly less invasive, that the faceless, nameless maid hadn’t opened and unpacked it too.
Jen took the time to floss and brush her teeth, and then washed and moisturized her face. Silly though it felt, she put makeup back on. She wanted to look nice for Bran. She tried not to read too much into that.
Finally, she changed into her pajamas. Bran had chosen them during their shopping excursion. They were a conservative cut that still managed to seem decadent because of the silk material.
That was it. She was done. With no more reason for delay, she opened the door and stepped into the bedroom.
Bran sat on the bed wearing pajama bottoms and leaning against the headboard with his feet up on the mattress. He smiled when he saw her. “The pajamas look nice on you.”
And his lack of a shirt looked nice on him. Jen tore her gaze from his chest. “Thanks.”
Feeling self-conscious being without a bra around him, Jen fought the urge to cross her arms over her breasts. She moved to the bed and walked to the other side.
“Hope you don’t mind my state of semi-undress. I can’t sleep with a shirt on.”
“Uh, no. It’s fine.” Sliding beneath the turned-down covers, she mirrored his position and leaned against the headboard. She could swear she felt the heat radiating off his bare skin even though they were too far apart on the huge mattress for that to be possible. “Sorry I took so long in the bathroom. I know you need to get in there too.”
“Nope. I’m all done.” He tilted a head toward the other door. “His and hers bathrooms.”
“No!”
“Yes.” He imitated her enthusiasm. “Want to see?”
“Can I?” Besides it being a good distraction from that awkward moment where they’d both sat it bed staring at each other, Jen really did want to see.
“Of course.” He swung his bare feet to the floor, pushed off the bed and stood.
Jen scooted off the high mattress and followed behind him. She couldn’t help but notice how incredible he looked as his back muscles worked beneath the skin as he moved.
“Come on. I’ll give you the grand tour of the bathroom.” He extended a hand and grinned. She took it and felt the warmth of his fingers wrapped around hers.
He opened a gorgeous wooden door that was a work of art in itself. That revealed a hall lined with built in closets where his clothes had been hung. At the end was another door, this one fronted with a mirror. Inside was a bathroom to match the one she’d used, with one exception—a giant whirlpool tub in addition to the shower stall.
“Wow. I’ve never seen a tub that big.”
“Maybe we’ll get to give it a try while we’re here.” His voice came from close behind her. He ran both of his hands up her arms. The heat coming off his bare skin radiated through the silk of her pajamas.
Jen broke her stare away from the tub. She turned and blushed when she saw the heat in his eyes. “Maybe.”
Bran raised one hand and brushed his fingers across her cheek. His lips twitched with a ghost of a smile. “You are absolutely adorable.”
She was trying to think of a proper response to that since thank you didn’t seem quite right, when Bran leaned low and hovered just shy of her mouth.
Jen braced for his kiss, knowing that, as it always did, it would steal her breath away. But he didn’t kiss her mouth. Instead he aimed at her neck and brushed his lips over her collarbone.
Jen tilted her head to one side. Bran burned a trail with his tongue up the skin of her throat. A shiver ran through her. He latched on to one lobe with his teeth, and exhaled against her ear. She dragged in a ragged breath through her open mouth.
Bran pulled back just far enough he could see her face and she his. “Let’s move this to the bed where we’ll be more comfortable.”
“Okay.” It seemed she was incapable of saying no to this man.
He led her back to the side of the bed but didn’t climb in. They remained there, standing, her frozen in place, him concentrating on the top button of her pajamas. Button by button, he opened them until her top hung agape, but still covered her.
Bran ran one fingertip from the hollow at the base of her throat down to the valley between her breasts, where he paused and moved it to the side, taking the fabric with him until the air hit her bare skin. Her nipple puckered beneath his stare.
“Beautiful.” He breathed the single word as he lowered his head.
The warmth of his mouth encompassed the peak. She felt raw, exposed, bared before him while he remained covered, but she didn’t ask him to stop. Instead, she cupped one hand against the back of his head and held him close as he worked her breast.
His flat palm pressed against her belly and slipped beneath the waistband of her pajama bottoms. He continued to mouth her while his fingers dipped into the cleft beneath her legs. Jen gasped and, as if taking that as her approval, he delved deeper, found and pressed against a spot that made her knees weak.
Jen closed her eyes as he focused on her sensitive bundle of nerves. She was breathing hard and shaking in what seemed like less than a minute. He moved to the other nipple and sped the motion of his fingers. Her body tightened, coiling until the release broke through.
&nb
sp; So strong. So fast. So amazing, she couldn’t help crying out with it. Here in this obscenely decadent room steps from a hallway where any one of his family or staff could be listening, Jen came hard and loud.
Her climax seemed to break Bran’s composure. He lifted her and tossed her on the bed. Yanking her bottoms down her legs, he tossed them to the floor and then pushed his own down. Equally naked as she, he stood before her aroused and focused on her.
With Jen laid across the bed, Bran spread her thighs wide and stepped between them. He grabbed her hips and yanked her closer to the edge of the mattress. The blunt head of his cock nudged at her entrance and the reality of what was about to happen hit her.
“Bran.”
“Yes?” Eyes heavily-lidded and looking a bit dazed, this was not the cool, in control man Jen had come to know.
“I have to tell you something. Before we do this.”
“All right.” He pulled his pelvis back enough that he was no longer pushing into her, but he continued holding her hips tight.
Jen bit her lip. “I’m a virgin.”
A moment of silence met her confession. His gaze met and held hers. “Not what I thought you were going to say.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”
“Why would you? I never thought to ask.” He seemed at a loss, poised as he was with his cock about to breach her. His gaze traveled own her naked body, spread before him. “How virgin are we talking here?”
“I mean I’ve never…” She let out a huff of air. “Are you really going to make me say it?”
“I’ll say it, if you prefer.” He licked his thumb, a slow, sensual move that had her watching him more closely. He moved his other hand to spread her lower lips, before that thumb went to work, circling her clit. “You mean you’ve never been penetrated with a penis.”
“Yes.” That didn’t sound any better, any less awkward, just because he’d said it instead of her. But as his thumb continued to circle her, she was starting to not care about the words.
“What about other kinds of penetration, such as with a finger? Would you be opposed to my doing this?” As he spoke he did what he described, making it a moot point.
