by Nicole Snow
I reach for her hand. Penny's slim, soft fingers clench around mine. The angry force makes me wonder what it would feel like to have her little hand wrapped around my cock.
“You're kind of an asshole, aren't you? Pulling out all stops to lie like this?”
“Whatever it takes to protect everything I've worked for.” I've joked about a lot tonight, but I'm dead serious here. “You're not so bad at acting yourself, Penny. The way you kissed me, and how you turned on the waterworks right when the cameras started to flash...hell, the timing couldn't have been more perfect.”
“Stop. Can't you tell I feel bad enough for going along with this charade?” There's no humor left on her face.
I refrain from telling her it also made me hard as diamond. The steady throb between my legs still hasn't gotten the message it isn't really our honeymoon. I hold her gaze, wondering if she'll ever change her mind about keeping this strictly professional.
It's not fair that I'm going to be putting my boys inside her, trying to knock her up, without getting naked and tangled to do it. Every time I think about jacking off in some cold white doctor's office just to squirt into a test tube aimed at her ovaries, I inwardly cringe. Of course, I've learned over the years the price paid for a good deal is rarely fair or easy.
“We both know the terms of the deal, and I deeply appreciate you for following my lead.” She doesn't say anything, eyeballing me uneasily as the car slides up to the curb. We're back at the tower.
I wait for Reed to step out and open our door before I reach for her hand. “Honey, we're home. How about I show you to your room?”
“Thanks. But I think I'll manage.” She slips out of my grasp as soon as we're standing on the pavement again.
She heads in ahead of me, moving toward my private elevator. We don't say a word on the way up, or when I've ushered her back into my private suite. Eight thousand square feet of luxury condo space shouldn't feel this lonely with a guest here.
“See you in the morning, love. We can talk all about the baby business then, if it'll help smooth the transition.”
Her room is straight down the hall from mine. She keeps walking past me, stopping when she's next to her door to look back.
“No more pet names when we're behind closed doors. No love, no baby, no honey, no doll. Call me whatever you need to in public, but here, we're just Penny and Hayden. Unless you want me to start calling you Hayds.”
“Nope. That honor belongs to my brothers, and only them. I hate it.”
She flashes a man eating grin. “Good. Then I'll be sure to lay off it, as long as you respect me by leaving out the pet names, too. And speaking of pets, I want Murphy here tomorrow morning. Goodnight, Hayden.”
“Good –“ Penny's door slams shut before I can finish.
I've never been left alone in my own place feeling so subdued. I don't know if she's hurt, or overwhelmed, or what, but something has clearly changed from the playfulness earlier.
Who does this chick think she is? This wasn't part of the deal. Not that I ever asked for her fake smiles all the time either.
I'm used to dishing out flak, not taking it. I look down at my hand on the doorknob to my master bedroom, noticing my knuckles are white.
Fuck, what am I doing? The tension between us is so thick my chef could cut through it with his diamond edged cleaver.
For the first time since we said our vows, I'm questioning how I'll survive the next few months. I've made my peace with the big lie we're selling the world. But dealing with her sass, her fire, the ten foot invisible wall she's trying to put up between us, capped with barbed wire...
Something's got to give.
I'm off my game. But I won't be for long.
In a couple days, everything will be right again, and she'll know exactly who's in charge.
This plucky secretary with the hot red hair I want to pull until she screams isn't getting the upper hand. I don't care how instrumental she is to all this, how bad I need her to make Kayla give up her piece of the family fortune.
I'm in control. I'm having my fun with this very serious arrangement, one way or another.
Penny's either coming to heel in my silk sheets – yes, coming – or I'll get the last laugh when she's six months pregnant, her little belly swelling with my kid.
She's welcome to keep control over what comes out of her smart, sexy mouth. I'll determine what happens with her body, whether she's knocked up moaning my name, or by a damned turkey baster.
Unfortunately, in the short-term, both scenarios are sending me straight for the shower with a bottle of imported lube. Anything involving her pussy right now only makes my hard-on a hundred times worse.
Not exactly how I imagined my honeymoon, but it will have to do for tonight.
“Ms. Shaw, please! You can't simply barge in on Master Hayden like –“
I jerk awake the next morning, hearing Reed's voice, mixed between someone pounding like mad at my thick door with their fists. Wow, I knew she was feisty, but I didn't know I was dealing with a loose cannon.
I'm up, throwing on my robe, just as my double doors split open. The amused quirk in my lips turns sour when I see who's standing in front of me, my valet tugging on her shoulders.
“Oh, good, you're awake. Thanks for letting this stupid man put his paws on me while I stood outside, practically begging to come in, you miserable piece of shit.”
“Hello to you too, mom.”
Kayla's freakishly white teeth come through her lips, half-cringe and half-warning. “Don't ever call me that ever again. I've told you a million times...”
“I take it you've heard the news? Your step-son's all grown up now. A married man.” I straighten my robe and walk toward her, winking at Reed. He's standing over her shoulder, a worried expression on his face, wondering if he'll have to use the taser strapped to his hip should things get really insane.
“You're fucking me out of the money I'm owed for putting up with that man for years, and you know it. Where is she?”
“That man?” I ignore her question. “It's nice that you can't even hide how much you loathed him anymore. Truly a shame dad couldn't have gotten his rocks off with some other painted up, plastic bimbo.”
“Like father, like son!” Snarling, she lunges. The bitch is surprisingly fast with her cheetah-like frame. My cheek lights up with the sting of her slap, resonating through my morning stubble.
“Enough, Hayden. This stopped being civil a long time ago. I'm through with your games.” She stands on her toes for a second or two, looking over my shoulder. “I see you're alone. That's very interesting.”
Fuck.
I don't dare turn and look at the unmade, obviously empty bed behind me. I've been ambushed by my wicked step-mother several times, but this is the first where there's a serious risk I won't be able to brush her off with a bitter grin on my face.
Is this Cinderella story going to go to pieces before it's even started?
“Honey! Penny?” I speed walk past her and Reed, sideswiping her, rushing down the hall.
My wife's door pops open just seconds before I'm there, and she sticks her head out, rubbing her eyes. I don't hesitate, reaching through the crack in the door, pulling her out. “Hey, you're just in time!”
I hope to Christ she notices the fake grin beaming on my face, and gets the message. Penny looks at me, wearing a matching robe. She tenses slightly when I wrap my arms around her and lean in, resting my head on her shoulder, doing my best impression of what I imagine a loving husband should be.
“Time for what?” she whispers, brushing her hand across my arm.
“My lovely step-mom decided to pay us a visit.”
I can't see the expression on her face. The bitch has caught up, and they're standing face-to-face, Kayla's black widow colored heel tapping on the marble tile.
“What the hell did he give you to lie like this? I'll double it.”
My brain goes numb. There are about a hundred ways this can go sidewa
ys. I tighten my hold on Penny, all business for once instead of just play.
Careful, I try to tell her with just my squeeze.
A second later, her sweet skin ripples underneath my arms and through her robe. She's laughing. Sweet, sardonic, and dismissive as hell. My dick salutes, hard against her ass, even while my head fears a nuclear meltdown with the gold digger.
“Keep your money. You can't put a price on love.” She cranes her neck, angling her face back toward mine, adorable as ever.
I take the cue to plant a fresh new sweltering kiss on her mouth. Her tongue searches for mine, and I give it to her back, tasting sweet, sexy breath when she whimpers. This kiss is hotter than it has any business being.
Hell, if it weren't for my horrible step-mom standing in front of us, I'd have her on the floor, under me, her robe an open mess revealing everything that ought to be mine.
Every beautiful inch of her hounding me to break all the rules.
“You think you're funny, don't you? Fucking trash, I wasn't born yesterday!” Kayla snaps, chasing our lips away. “I know a sick, twisted joke when I see it. I meant to bury you before, Hayden, for trying to rob me blind. Now...”
“Oh, I'm the thief? You've played up your victimhood so long, you actually believe it? Amazing, really.” I shake my head, rage temporarily overpowering the lust energizing my veins.
“Shut up! It's an act, a fraud, a last desperate attempt to make an ass of me in court.” She's trembling. Reed clears his throat and steps up behind her, his hand near the taser on his belt.
“Ms. Shaw...” he says, quietly but firmly.
“Both of you, I'm warning you one last time, stay the hell out of my way.” She's up in our faces now, stabbing a finger into Penny's chest. “I'll have what I'm owed, or I'm going to get it in blood.”
The actress wearing my ring stands there and takes it like a champ. I hug her waist tighter, my gaze beaming hot into Kayla's head. She'll try to sue me into the ground if I even so much as lay a finger on her, but damn, I'm tempted to knock her out cold.
She's still ranting, barely coherent, when I pull Penny away from her, putting several paces between us. “Reed, it's time for her to go.”
“Ms. Shaw. Please” This time, he puts his hand on her shoulder, nodding when she whips around to face him. “You heard the boss.”
“Fuck off. It's not like I want to waste more time here.” She starts walking, her heels stabbing the ground like pitchforks, sending an ear piercing echo down the hallway. Her dark hair flares out like tentacles when she looks back at us. “I'll see you in court soon enough, Hayden. When I prove this is a fraud, I'm going to make sure the city, your clients, and every fucking partner who's ever been in the Shaw Rolodex knows it. It's not about the money anymore. I want to watch you burn.”
“Finally! Always wondered when we'd see the day where you start to care about something more than coin.”
“Vengeance is worth at least half a billion.” She stops in her tracks, her overpainted lips splitting in a savage smile. “It took an asshole to show me.”
Her heels click the floor a few more times on her way out, while Reed holds the door. It's like I'm hearing the snake inside the ice ball she calls a heart trying to break out.
“Shadow her downstairs,” I tell my aide. “Make sure she doesn't break anything on the way out. Can't put anything past her.”
I notice several dark spots on the floor as she walks out. Of course, the bitch has tracked city slush all over my floor. A dark haired maid, a new hire named Rhonda or Rachel or something runs up, a mop and a bucket in her hand.
“Don't you worry, sir!” she whispers. “I'll have this taken care of within the hour.”
The second Reed disappears and the door clicks shut, Penny wrestles her way out of my embrace, spreading herself against the nearest wall. She slumps down, gliding to the floor, her sleek legs escaping her robe. We're silent, listening to the maid several feet away, gliding her mop across the floor.
“You did fantastic,” I tell her, walking over.
“It's serious, isn't it?” she whispers, as soon as I take a seat next to her. “I knew pretending to be your wife wouldn't be easy. I knew your step-mom could be a royal bitch. But this...it's so intense, Hayden.”
“Welcome to my world,” I say, covering her hand with mine. I force my fingers through hers, rubbing my fingertips against her palm. “I'd be an utter bastard if I didn't give you one more chance to back out now that you've had a trial run. You're sure you want to do this?”
Her head jerks, shock glowing on her face. “Um, a little late for that, no? We're kind of married already. I didn't go through all this for nothing.”
“Is a baby worth this trouble? I still don't get your angle in this,” I say, shaking my head. “Look at you, beautiful. You could have suitors lining up for blocks. Men just as handsome, just as smart, just as worthy as I am. Maybe not quite as rich, but plenty successful in their own right. You're going through a lot of trouble for a donor.”
“Hayden – please.” She gives me a sad look before pointing her eyes at the floor. “I don't want to go into details. They're about as relevant as telling me all the ins and outs of your court battles with that vicious woman. You promised me a baby, and so far, I'm doing my part.”
No more questions, her eyes say. I have to bite my tongue when I smile, wondering what's really going through her head, what she's hiding.
“You did great today, Penny, and on such short notice, too. Believe me, Kayla's bark is worse than her bite. If we have to sit down with a judge before it's over, my lawyer will walk you through everything, so don't worry about that. Until then, keep doing what you did today.”
“I will.” She stands up, pulling her robe closed, suddenly self-conscious at having my eyes tracing her curves.
“Get some rest, and let me know when you want to see a doctor. I have a business meeting and a couple interviews with my hand picked reporters this afternoon, but the rest of the week is free. There's also a charity event next weekend, which I'd like you to attend. Should be our last public appearance where we'll be staging romance for awhile.”
“Wind me up and point me in the right direction,” she says, heading for her room. “As long as I get what you promised, I'm happy to be Mrs. Shaw anytime.”
About a dozen wicked pet names roll through my skull, taunting me to tease her. But she's been so good this morning, even I'll keep my inner asshole in check for a little while longer.
So, I just smile, nodding once more before she retreats into her room, gaining one last glimpse of that round, spank-worthy ass bobbing through her robe.
This has to be the most ridiculous morning newlyweds could have. Kayla won't go quietly. There are going to be a lot more days like this before she forfeits her claim, leaving my fortune intact, plus a whole lot of extra regrets.
Like how I'm never going to conquer that ass, am I? Knowing this baby making isn't happening the old fashioned way is starting to feel like a curse designed specifically for me, the man no woman has ever said no to, until now.
7
Dancing Around It (Penny)
I don't see much of him over the next few days. Not in person, anyway.
The media is another story. I watch Hayden's press conference on my phone, the way he pretends to light up and beam whenever they ask him about his 'lovely wife.'
He's given me a lot to think about. So has the crazy bitch who happens to be his step-mom, the main reason I'm here at all, marrying a man I don't know, all for a baby before my clock runs out.
Katie is the first in my family to see what's happened to me on the news. She leaves several angry, intense messages on my voice mail. She wants to know why the hell I married a billionaire real estate developer without telling anyone, and why nobody from the family got invited to the wedding.
Perfectly reasonable questions. Much too normal and reasonable for this situation.
When Hayden texts me about the donation, I tell
him I don't want to talk. I'm not feeling well. A stomach bug, something I picked up that night in the cathedral, no doubt.
What's one more lie? He's already got me bullshitting at least a couple million people, including the ones I'm supposed to care about the most, like my perfect sister.
The reality is, my stomach is in knots. Burying myself under the covers in this palatial bed with the canopy hanging over it makes it worse. Reminds me how out of place I am, like a fish out of water, except I'm suffocating slower.
Murphy has taken to his new home surprisingly well. My big, grey tabby lays slumped at the end of the bed, groaning gently when he rolls over, or sits up to yawn before settling into the world's most comfortable cat pillow for another nap.
I'm jealous how well he's settled in. It's like he belongs here. I'm the one who's stressed, navigating an endless minefield, trying not to blow myself up every step I take in this gaudy urban castle.
It's Saturday evening when I hear the insistent knock on my door. “Can I come in?”
“I don't know. Can you?” My inner bitch is off her chain. Sighing, I get up from the little table I've been sitting at, nursing another glass of berry tea to soothe my nerves.
Hayden stands there in all his pristine strength and beauty as soon as I open the door. He smiles, narrowing his eyes, dressed in a sleek grey suit that amazingly one ups the others I've seen him in.
“Damned glad you graced me with your presence, your highness. I was about to roll up my sleeves and bust my way in to save you from the dragon.”
Murphy jumps up next to us, sniffing at the billionaire's hand. He smiles, runs his palm over the cat's head, and lets the leathery little nose brush against his wrist. “Friendliest dragon I ever met,” he says, giving me a wink.
“Oh, I'm sure you've seen plenty, Mr. Cage Fighter. And had your way with lots of grateful damsels afterward,” I say, retreating back to my chair, reaching for the last of my tea.
He takes the seat across from me, noticing my mess of an unmade bed. Murphy jumps onto it, padding his feet into the bundle for another long nap. “You're more than welcome to let the staff take care of you anytime, you know.”
