“None taken.” Aaron loved kids, even wanted some of his own one day, but he’d never want to hurt one by leaving. Because that was what he planned to do—stay with Jill long enough that she could get her money, find a replacement to take over his dad’s business, and then have a fresh start at his new job.
“What about your mom? You’re just going to drop that bombshell on her?”
“She won’t have to know.”
“We are talking about the same person, right?” Somehow he doubted she wouldn’t catch on to this. “Won’t she notice if you’re suddenly not hurting for money?”
“I can handle her.” She swallowed hard. “I think.” She looked up at Aaron with those big, brown eyes, and his chest tightened. “The only person who needs to know is the lawyer. He’ll see our documentation, and then I can get the inheritance.” She paused and pushed a piece of empanada around on her plate with her fork, the tines scraping against the ceramic. “That sounds awful when I say it out loud.”
“It’s bullshit that she put you in that position. I know she was just trying to do right by you, but it’s your choice when and if you marry. And putting a time limit on it did you zero favors.” Jill deserved a good man. Someone who could give her the moon and stars and whatever the fuck else she wanted.
“I just wasn’t planning on getting married, you know?” She frowned. The urge to do anything to take the sadness out of Jill’s eyes hit him in the gut with tactical precision. “It was going to be me and Emily, just the two of us.”
“I wasn’t, either, but we’ll make this as quick and painless as possible.”
“It did say one thing in the contract…” She trailed off, suddenly very interested in cleaning her fork with a napkin.
“Yeah?”
“We need to be married for at least two months. I guess she was trying to make sure I didn’t, you know, try to find a fake husband for a week.”
Aaron would never speak ill of the dead, but dammit, Grammy didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. Anyone with two eyes could see that Jill had her shit together. She didn’t need a man to take care of her—she was doing that on her own. He’d wanted to be that man once. Wanted it badly. It seemed completely fitting that he was in no way ready for a relationship at the moment, not when he had a new job waiting for him. “I think she knew you pretty damn well.”
“True, but…oh God.” She dug the heels of her palms into her eyes. “This is just such a mess.”
He reached for her hand and rubbed his thumb along the inside of her wrist. She shivered beneath his touch, and it took everything in Aaron to keep his mind on the task and not drag her from the table to his truck and have a repeat of last weekend. “We’ll take care of it. Together. A power couple.”
She chuckled. “Like those couples who work out together and use each other as weight-lifting equipment?”
Just seeing her laugh made his stomach drop. He’d do anything to make her smile, and that thought scared the living shit out of him. “If you ask me to wear matching spandex, I rescind my offer.”
“I could really see neon green being your color.”
“Good to know.” He smirked. “Where is Emily tonight?”
“With her grandma. She was more than happy to be a babysitter when she found out you were taking me out.”
“She really seems bent on you finding someone.” It didn’t surprise Aaron. Ever since Jill moved next door to him, it was hard to ignore the way Mrs. Michaels would snipe at her daughter. That was probably why Jill snuck out in high school and did everything humanly possible to piss off her mom.
“Yeah, she’s just upset about how things ended up with me and Jake.”
Aaron remembered him from high school. He was a couple of years older than both him and Jill. The fucker would always talk about girls like they were a piece of ass. He epitomized what people referred to as “locker room talk,” even though he and a couple others were the only ones who talked that way. When Aaron was on the football team, he talked mostly about the playbook, parties, and yeah, the occasional girl. But the way Jake talked, Aaron wanted to knock his teeth out. If he were still alive, he just might do that.
“You were better off without him. Emily is a great kid.”
“Yeah, she is. That school of hers is going to be the end of me, though. Always a different fee. Singing, new books, hell, even a fee for bathroom supplies.”
“No shit.”
She snorted and took another sip of water. “No pun intended, right?”
“Pun was definitely intended. Sounds intense.” No wonder she needed the money from the will so badly.
“I’d say my bank account is crying, but it’s so dried up, its tear ducts are clogged. You doing this is doing me the ultimate favor.” The pain in her eyes made Aaron’s stomach clench. He couldn’t imagine feeling that desperate. Dammit. He wished she’d just take some money from him right now, but he understood.
“It’s really no problem.” Aaron hadn’t even been in a stable relationship in years, since he was overseas. But how hard could a fake marriage be?
“Seriously, where were nice guys like you back in the day?”
He wanted to say Being nice was the problem. That was how he got delegated the best-friend status when he was younger. Not anymore. He didn’t have a problem speaking his mind. “Who knows? But I’m here now.” And he was a bastard, because although he was doing Jill a solid with the whole will addendum, this was still selfish as hell because he’d do just about anything for her—even if it meant going along with a fake marriage scheme. “I actually have one condition.”
He was hoping his parents would be able to overlook the fact that their only son was getting married and divorced without them being any the wiser. He did feel guilty about that. But he’d make it up to them if and when he finally decided to settle down.
Jill’s teeth grazed her bottom lip as her gaze raked over him. Mine. The instinct to claim her hit him so hard he nearly dropped his fork. He’d be hers for two months, enough time to get his father’s place sold and a new job lined up. “So, what are these conditions?” she asked.
“I want to take you out once a week. To dinner. I’d like to take you back to my bed, too, but that’s up to you.”
Jill shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. By the flush climbing up her cheeks, Aaron could safely assume she was thinking back to last weekend. Hell, the look on her face when she came undone would forever be imprinted on the backs of his eyelids. “Dinner once a week? That’s it?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
She drummed her fingers on the table and stared down at her plate, looking to be in deep contemplation. “I can manage that.”
“And Jill?”
“Yeah?”
“Just know, if you take up the second part of my offer, I’ll make sure Alcatraz remains a distant memory.”
She swallowed hard. “Good to know.” Her eyes flicked to his, lust written all over those flushed cheeks. “Are you tired of staying in that motel?”
“Nah.” Fuck, yes. If he had to listen to that goddamn ice machine at two a.m. for one more night, he’d likely lose his shit. But he didn’t want to think about that right now. He planned on making good on his other offer. “When do you have to pick up Emily?”
“I’m supposed to pick her up at ten.”
That gave him another two hours. He’d make good use of that small window. “Good. We have time, then.”
“For what?”
“The second part of our date.”
…
When Aaron said he had plans for the next part of the night, she didn’t envision having to keep her eyes closed to find out where she was going. It was beyond sweet that he took her to one of her favorite restaurants, and she kept thinking there had to be some catch, kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Aaron couldn’t just be this nice, even if she really wanted to believe it.
Just let it go.
Yeah, it was easier to dole out advice t
o herself than actually take it.
“Can I peek yet?”
“I see your patience level hasn’t changed in the last decade. Just a couple more minutes.”
“One of my many endearing qualities.” Why did his truck have to smell so good? Its leather held hints of sawdust and soap. She breathed in deeply, memorizing the scent.
“Maybe we have different definitions of endearing.”
She reached out and swatted his chest, still keeping her eyes closed. Her hand hit his stomach, and she might have broken a bone in her pinky. “You know, you could really hurt someone with those.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time you hit me.”
He caught her hand in his and brought it to his lips. The warmth of them as they grazed her skin sent her pulse racing. He kissed every knuckle, delicately, and then set both their hands in the space between them. Her insides turned to goo.
An image of a much younger Aaron departing for basic training flashed behind her eyes. The excitement that twinkled in his eyes as he hauled a single bag over his shoulder. And now, she could tell by his tone that he missed it. Made her wonder why he was discharged in the first place. “Why’d you leave the military?”
He maneuvered to lace their fingers together, and Jill fought to remember the last time she’d held someone’s hand, what it felt like to have her hand engulfed by one that was twice as large and calloused. He squeezed gently, and a flutter went through her. It was silly. This was such a simple contact, and yet it held an intimacy, a vulnerability. She squeezed back. And even though she had her eyes closed, she could feel his smile.
“It just wasn’t a good fit anymore. I want to do new things. Still feels like I’m deciding what those things are”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later. They say your twenties are for experimenting, and that your thirties are when you actually start to figure shit out. I’m looking forward to the next decade.”
“Two months in and I don’t feel any wiser.”
She smiled and leaned her head back against the seat, still keeping her eyes closed. Like this, she could tell him anything. Just like it used to be in high school. With him, she wouldn’t be afraid to share her secret desires, her dreams. The air in the truck cab pulsed with Aaron’s energy, a deep, low thrum that was packed with an intensity that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
“I’ll figure it out eventually,” he said. “Just need to get my dad’s company in order first, and then start the new job.”
The tires of the truck rolled over gravel, and Aaron stopped and put the car in park.
“Can I open my eyes yet?”
He chuckled. “Yes.”
As soon as she opened her eyes, Jill was immediately transported back to high school. Sitting shotgun in Aaron’s car as they rode around town after football games. Sneaking out of their houses and making late-night trips to the beach. A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered one night when they’d gone skinny dipping at the lake, the moon their only source of light as they swam.
“You brought me to Strawberry Ridge? The make-out point?” Stars shone bright in the inky black sky, not a light to be found for a solid half mile. The lake in front of them glistened, its calm waters giving a perfect reflection of the full moon. She’d been here many times as a teen. Never with Aaron. She decided that she wouldn’t regret not taking a chance with him back in high school, because she was a completely different person then, one that probably wouldn’t have appreciated Aaron for who he was.
“Figured if we’re going to do this whole marriage thing, might as well start it off with the fun part of dating.” He gave a conspiratorial grin. He cleared his throat and had the sense to look sheepish. “That is, if you want.”
“How very brazen of you.”
“I made a career out of taking risks.”
“And taking me here is a risk?”
He gripped the steering wheel, closed his eyes, and let out a loud sigh. “To my personal sanity, yes. I brought you here because I find you irresistible, and I need my hands on you right now or else I might actually go insane.”
“I see that communications emphasis really helped you,” she teased, trying to keep the mood light.
“If you prefer, I can tell you in three different languages what I want to do to you.”
“I’d prefer one I understand.” She looked at him, his features lit in the pale moonlight. “Do you think anyone will come out here?”
“No,” he said. His dark eyes sparkled, glinting with mischief.
She toyed with the edge of her skirt, giving her nervous fingers something to do. “So, did you come here a lot in high school?” she asked.
He looked at her and swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You remember that Ed Hardy shirt collection?”
She laughed.
“Guess I should make up for lost time?”
“Tell me what gets you off.” Did those words really just come out of her mouth? It wasn’t smart, heading down this road again, but she wanted to hear what he really thought.
“You really want to know?”
“Yes.”
“Well, this past week, I’ve only been able to think about you.”
“And what have you done about that?” That question deserved a self-high-five.
He looked at her again, probably wondering if she’d gone out of her mind. Maybe she had.
After a moment, he gave one long perusal over her and said, “I’d stroke off in my shower just thinking about you taking my cock in your hands.”
Her fingers drifted to the button of his khakis, unbuttoned it, and slowly undid the fly. Her hand slid between his pants and his boxer briefs and wrapped her fingers around his dick. He sucked a breath through his teeth, and his eyes followed as she slowly stroked.
“And what would I do next?” She looked up at him, eager to continue.
He swallowed hard. “You’d take me in your mouth.”
She unbuckled her seat belt and scooted over, her hair rustling as she shifted. “Is this what you wanted, Aaron?” Her fingers tugged at the band of his boxer briefs, and his cock sprung out of his pants.
He caught her hand before she was able to make contact with his erection. “I need to know you want to do this. That you’re not doing this because I’m going to be your fake husband.”
“I want to do this.” At that, he released her hand, and she wrapped it around his hard length. “Tell me, what did I do next in your fantasy?” She did want to do this. She liked the way his eyes fluttered shut, how this big, stoic man lost his resolve under her touch.
“Take it in your mouth, and I’ll show you.”
Her fingers moved to the base of his cock, and she leaned down and took a slow lick around the head. He pressed the back of his skull into the headrest and clutched the armrest on his door. “Shit.” She smiled to herself. She wondered what other expletives she could make come from his mouth.
Her hair spilled over, brushing against the skin around his shaft, and the only sound in the car was the wet sound of Jill taking his cock to the base, then back up again, stroking in measured, steadied tugs. Aaron’s breath turned ragged.
“Enough, Jill. Any more and I’m going to come in your mouth.”
She pulled away, smiling, her lips wet and glistening in the moonlight. “Isn’t that what you want?”
“This was supposed to be my fantasy, right?”
“Right. So, what happens next?”
He shifted and slid her down onto the bench seat. His lips were on her skin, lighting a path down her shirt. His fingers made deft work of the buttons, and soon her bra was exposed, Aaron’s warm hands palming her breasts. His fingers slipped under the lace, and he took her nipple between his thumb and index and tweaked. A garbled sound escaped her lips as she levitated off the bench. Aaron’s touch made everything else drop away.
He laid her flat and looked down at her with greedy eyes. Just like that, he went from sweet to
holy hell in a matter of seconds. She liked this side, how it made her skin turn to pins and needles. “Unhook your bra,” he demanded.
A thrill shot through her at his bossy words. She did as he said, no hesitation, and unclasped the front of her bra, exposing her breasts.
“Gorgeous.” He dipped his head down to take a nipple in his mouth.
She arched her back, pushing closer to him, greedy for more.
“I want you on top of me, riding my cock.”
He pulled a foil packet from his jeans, sheathed himself, and pulled her onto his lap. Her skirt pushed past her thighs as she straddled him, the bottom of the steering wheel digging into the small of her back. As he looked at her with hungry eyes, a dire need for him bloomed across the space between her thighs. She loved that he was so open, so honest. She trusted him. Why had she even thought he was like every other guy, with ulterior motives? She wouldn’t be making that mistake again with Aaron.
His fingers climbed up the inside of her thighs until his thumb reached the edge of her panties. “You know what drives me insane?”
“What’s that?”
“That you’re so fucking wet. How bad do you want this?”
She whimpered as his thumb circled her clit, her knees trembling on either side of his. His other hand gripped her ass. She found herself leaning into his touch, her hips bucking. “So much.”
With one quick tug, he ripped the delicate lace of her panties and threw the scrap of fabric to the floor. “Ride me, Jill.”
She edged over his cock, teasing it with her entrance.
Aaron’s hands gripped her sides and slowly guided her down his shaft. As he plunged into her, sparks flew across her lids.
“Shit.”
She looked into his hooded eyes, heat warming her whole body. Maybe this whole fake marriage thing wouldn’t be so bad. Aaron was sexy, confident, and someone that she could trust to help her when she was in a bind. Their pace increased, and the windows to the truck steamed up at the bottom.
Falling for the Fake Fiance (Snowpocalypse) Page 9
