Kissing Booth

by River Laurent

  “Anything else you’re concerned about?” he asks.

  “Public displays of affection.”

  His eyes glitter suddenly. “Personally, I believe in discretion, tact. The sight of couples slobbering all over each other in public is unnecessary. Public sex, I wouldn’t rule out—but somewhere discreet.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I mutter, shaking my head at him. He’s a real piece of work. I can’t make sense of him.

  “However, we’ll have to play it by ear. While I’ve never forced myself on a woman and don’t intend on starting with you, some intimacy will be expected of a newly engaged couple.”

  “What sort of intimacy?”

  “Some hand holding.”

  I nod.

  “A quick kiss.”

  I take a deep breath and nod.

  “An arm around the waist—perhaps a little lower than the waist…”

  “Watch it,” I warn.

  “We have to be convincing, don’t we?” And now he’s all innocence. He’s having fun with me.

  Chapter 10

  Dani

  What am I getting myself into? I can’t believe I’m actually considering this. “You will pay for the airfare?”

  “We’ll be taking my private jet.”

  God, I must sound so hopelessly backward. “Of course, I should’ve known.”

  “Money is a problem for you, isn’t it?” His eyes have that intensity to them again.

  “A rude question.”

  “Which means the answer is yes.” He sighs, tapping his fingers together. “I wasn’t going to bring up this part of the bargain so early, but I’m willing to do so if it helps you make your decision.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “The fact that I’m willing to pay two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the pleasure of your company.”

  My jaw drops. It literally drops. He said it like it was nothing. I stare at him, speechless. A quarter of a million dollars! What I couldn’t do with that kind of money. It’s enough to make my head spin. Actually, I can’t even do the math right now because my brain is somewhere far away, floating along in the ether. I’m pretty sure it might even be lost forever.

  He waves his hand in front of my face. “Did I lose you?”

  “I-I mean—are you serious?”

  “I don’t play games.”

  I shake my head, blinking rapidly in the struggle to get control of myself. At least five years. If I keep living on the cheap, as I do now, I could support myself for five years on that much money. At least.

  Four years, if I decide to take a vacation or two.

  Wow, I could go to school full-time and stop working.

  I could live like a girl my age wants to live.

  I’d have time for friends again, and for fun.

  I’d be able to live my life instead of falling asleep over my books every night and cleaning up after rich slobs everyday.

  “I wish I knew what to say…” I whisper, still trying to come up with something, before reality hits, and my eyes narrow into dangerous slits. “Hold on. You want me to believe that all I have to do is go away with you for a weekend, on your private jet, and hang out in Vegas with the two of us sleeping separately? For that much money? You really want me to believe that?”

  “I do.” He raises one hand, a finger extended straight up. “However, there’s one more catch.”

  “I knew it. I knew this was too good to be true.” And I’m about ten seconds from running out the door.

  “You have to move in here with me until we leave for the wedding, which is this weekend.”

  “Oh, come on. And I suppose we’re just going to accidentally bump into each other on the way to or from the shower and oops, your towel’s going to fall off and whoops, we just fall onto the bed together—”

  “Dani.”

  The word is like a whip cutting through the air. It stuns me into silence.

  He stares at me, his eyes so brilliantly blue, it is like a photograph of the ocean around one of those tropical paradises in the magazines on the coffee tables of the houses I clean. “I’ve already told you, I don’t force myself on women and I do not play games. I’ve already stated the obvious, that you’re beautiful, and I’ll admit to allowing myself the pleasure of admiring your body. This isn’t some elaborate ruse to lure you into my bed. I don’t need a random woman to fuck. And even if I did, I wouldn’t pay for it and certainly not that much money.”

  I’m shaking. There’s another side to him, one much more in keeping with how demanding he is when it comes to the condition of his apartment. A coiled power, just under the surface. He keeps it under control. But just barely.

  “I’m still in love with my ex-girlfriend.” Suddenly, his voice sounds strained.

  My heart’s racing faster than an express train. I actually feel a little woozy. “Why—why do you want me to move in here, then? What for?”

  “To make this as believable as possible. I don’t go into anything without preparing first, and I want to prepare the both of us so we’ll make a convincing couple.” His eyes narrow, just enough to make me shiver a little. “And I want to be sure you’re safe. New York isn’t safe.”

  My eyes widen with shock. No one has ever cared enough to check whether I’m safe. I’ve watched my own back for as long as I can remember. “That’s ridiculous. You don’t have the first idea about my life or how I live it.”

  “That’s irrelevant. I have OCD tendencies. When you’re here with me, living under my roof, I’ll know for certain.” He grins. “Would you rather I call you every ten minutes to be sure?”

  I accept the olive branch and grin back. “That isn’t the least bit troublesome, or insane,” I quip drily.

  “Would you?” he challenges.

  I chew at my bottom lip. “No. I wouldn’t rather you call me every ten minutes. I wouldn’t even give you my number.”

  “Do you want to see how quickly I can find it?”

  “No. Thanks very much.”

  He looks about as satisfied as the cat that ate the cream—another of my foster mother’s favorite sayings. He knows he has me where he wants me, that’s why.

  I shift my weight from one foot to the other. “I could take one of the other rooms?”

  “Naturally.”

  “And it would only be until the weekend, when we would go to Las Vegas? And I would move home after that?”

  “Of course.”

  Somehow, that didn’t come out as sure and strong as the first agreement. I wonder why not. What does he think? That I’ll let him control my movements even when this is over? He’s got another thing coming—but hey, he wants to get to know me, doesn’t he? That’s why I’m moving in with him. Well, he’ll get to know me, all right. “I’m pretty sure I’ll end up regretting this,” I whisper.

  “I’m certain you won’t. I’ll make sure you don’t.”

  “I have to wonder what you mean by that.”

  “You’ll have to wait and see.” He stands, towering over me.

  Boy, he’s tall. This is the first time I’m seeing his full height. When I stand too, he dwarfs me. I’m around five-five, so he has to be almost a foot taller. Whew. “Am I honestly accepting this crazy idea?”

  Brock smiles, his eyes are warm and sparkling for the first time since I woke up. “If you’re half as smart as you seem, you are. This is the sort of arrangement any girl would kill to be a part of.”

  “Because you’re so wonderful?” I challenge.

  “Because you need the money. And I have more than I know what to do with. In fact, this is likely the first time in a very, very long time that I’ve ever been truly satisfied with the result of spending it.” He extends a hand to seal our deal.

  I can’t believe I’m about to do this. I absolutely cannot believe it’s happening. Like something out of a dream, or a fantasy story. Not my life, certainly. And yet, it’s his hand swallowing up mine in a strong grip. It’s his firm handshake. It�
�s him, I’m swaying closer to, almost touching my body to his because he’s so overwhelming, I can barely stand up straight.

  And he knows it, the scoundrel.

  Chapter 11

  Dani

  My hands are shaking as I pull out my cell to call the only person who I think might come close to understanding what I just went through. Not that Penelope has ever been propositioned the way I’ve just been. But she gets me. She’s been in my shoes. We share a history, even if we’ve only known each other for a few years.

  “Penn. Oh, my God.” I can barely get the words out, I’m breathing so heavy.

  “What’s wrong? What happened? Are you all right?” Her normally smooth, mellow voice is shot through with fear.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out. I just—I can’t believe what just happened. I need a second to catch my breath.”

  “But you’re all right?”

  “I’m all right.” I think. I hope.

  “So what happened?”

  “I think I just did something really stupid. Or really amazing. Or both.” I’m still sitting on one of the chairs in the restrooms on the ground floor of his building. I don’t trust myself to go out onto the street. My head is still spinning and I’d probably walk into traffic and get killed.

  “I swear, girl, if you don’t tell me what it is, I’m going to scream!”

  “Sorry, sorry.” I take a deep breath. “I texted you earlier and told you about the job Helen sent me on today.”

  “Yeah, you did. How much will you end up getting for it?”

  “Oh, I don’t even know. Whatever it comes to after Helen’s cut and taxes.” Funny, how I’ve stopped thinking about that already.

  “What will you do with the money?” She cackles in glee at the idea of such a huge sum.

  Boy, do I have news for her.

  “That’s not the news, though. Penn. This is the news.” I pause to take a deep breath. “The guy who I was cleaning for wants me to go to Vegas with him this weekend and pretend to be his fiancée at his ex’s wedding.”

  Silence. For a long time. “What?” she finally gasps.

  “You heard me.”

  “To Las Vegas? For the weekend?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s footing the bill?” Amazing how we think along the same lines. An after-effect of the way we both grew up. We might have been thousands of miles apart at the time, but we know what the other one went through.

  “Oh, he’s more than footing the bill. He’s buying me clothes to wear there, and we’re taking his private jet, and staying in a suite in a fancy hotel.”

  “Uh, Dani…”

  “I know, I know. It all sounds too goddamned good to be true.”

  “He’s not some pervert sicko, is he?”

  “I don’t think so. I sure hope not.”

  “I guess you have to sleep with him, huh?”

  “No.”

  “No?” she echoes in shock.

  “He told me he didn’t want that from me. He’s still in love with his ex. I guess it’s an ego thing for him. He wants to show that he is all right without her or something.”

  “What’s he like?”

  I blow out a deep, heavy breath. “Oh, Penn. He’s gorgeous. I mean drop-dead gorgeous. Almost a foot taller than me, dark hair, the bluest eyes you ever saw…” I realize I’m getting a little giddy. I sound like I have a crush, like a teenager with a crush on the captain of the football team.

  “I hate you so much right now!” she squeals.

  “Then, wait until I tell you the best part.”

  “You haven’t yet?”

  “Nope. He’s giving me two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for doing this.”

  Silence. Longer, this time. “Oh, my giddy aunt! That’s—that’s a lot of money. Hang on…did you get the money yet? Do you even have proof that it exists?”

  “He’s rich as sin, Penn.”

  “That doesn’t matter. Ever hear about debt, dear? He could be in it up to his eyeballs, for all you know. I would definitely get a look at his bank statements before I agreed.”

  “It’s too late,” I whisper with my eyes squeezed shut.

  “You already said you would!”

  “I did. It’s nuts, right? I’m insane. I did something completely insane and it’s so unlike me, I don’t even know what to think.” I hold my head in my free hand, rubbing my forehead as it all comes crashing down. Penn is right. It’s too good to be true. Wake up, Dani. This is the real world. Who pays someone two hundred and fifty thousand dollars just to pretend to be their fiancée for a weekend? There has to be more to this. I exhale slowly, the rush of excitement dying out. Making me suddenly feel sad and depressed. Of course, things like this never happen to me. I feel my body slide down the wall of the restroom and I end up squatting on the floor.

  “I don’t have to go back to him,” I say quietly. “I can just call it quits and move on and I don’t have to go through with it.”

  “Now wait a minute. Wait just one minute. I never said that, girlfriend.”

  “Then you’re sending pretty mixed signals, Penn.”

  “I just think you should exercise caution, is all. Find out if the money even exists, but you know. Hell, Dani, even if it doesn’t, you’re getting a fabulous Vegas weekend out of it. With a gorgeous man. And if he wants sex. Go for it. How often do you get a new wardrobe bought for you and whisked off to Vegas for the weekend by a billionaire? Never is the short answer.”

  I giggle.

  “I hate you sometimes,” she grumbles.

  “If you think it, you mean it…”

  We both laugh.

  “So you don’t think this is wrong?” I ask again.

  “You know what’s more important? How you feel about it. The fact that you even have to ask whether I think it’s wrong, tells me you have misgivings.”

  “A Psych major, through and through,” I mutter.

  “I mean it. You have to be okay with it personally.”

  I stand up and square my shoulders. “I believe him when he says he won’t do anything wrong, and I’ve already gotten his word on that. Believe me.”

  “I believe you did. You’re not a dummy. Although, if he’s that hot, don’t you think you should be jumping his bones?”

  “I don’t want to think about it like that. I don’t like the idea of it. He said he doesn’t play games and has no intention of luring me into his bed. He only wants me to pretend to be his fiancée.”

  “So you’ll have to pretend to be crazy about him.”

  “I’ve gotta admit, I don’t think I’ll have to try too hard,” I whisper, since I don’t even know how I feel about this next little admission. “He’s really something.”

  “You already said he was a dream. You don’t have to rub it in.”

  “I don’t mean that—not just that, anyway. I don’t know what it is. He’s sexy and alluring and smart. He appreciates honesty and character, and we both know how sexy that is.”

  “And how unbelievably rare,” she snorts.

  “I think, no…I know, if we ran in the same circles, I would like him as a friend. Yeah, he’s weird in some ways. Even obsessive when it comes to having things done a certain way. It took all day to get his place cleaned. He’s tough too, in a strong, silent way. I get the feeling that whatever he does, he’s a big deal.”

  “With all that money, I bet he is.”

  “You know money doesn’t mean a person is a big deal. He could’ve inherited it, or just got lucky with a windfall, but I don’t think so. He said he likes to negotiate, and was just away on a business trip. I think he’s a big deal for sure. He’s definitely used to having his own way.”

  “Oh. You’ll go together like oil and water.”

  “We already do.” I snicker. “We’ve already shared a few choice words. I don’t take well to being ordered around, and told him so.”

  “Good!”

  “That being said, I’m moving into his
apartment for the rest of the week.”

  “What? No. Way.”

  “It’s just so we can get to know each other better. I mean, it’s Monday night. It’s not like I’ll be there forever. We’ll fly out Friday morning. A few days, staying in one of the guest rooms. Hey, it’ll be like a real vacation. I haven’t had one of those in…ever.”

  “But. Do you have to?”

  “It’s one of his conditions and yes, I admit that it gave me pause at first. But it’s only a few days. And I do need to get to know him if I’m going to be convincing.”

  “That’s true. I guess it’s like that movie Green Card where they learn each other’s ways and habits, so they don’t trip up in front of the immigration officers,” she says dreamily.

  “I do want to do a good job. I don’t want to let him down. I’ll do everything in my power to make his ex, regret leaving him.”

  “You work so hard at everything you ever try, I already feel sorry for her.”

  “I do go the extra mile, don’t I?” I tell her about the sheets.

  She laughs uproariously. “That is so typical of you! So he appreciated that, huh?”

  “He did.”

  “I always knew that being such an insufferable perfectionist with a nonstop work ethic would pay off one day. Good for you.”

  “Insufferable.” I chuckle. “Good to know how you really feel about me.”

  “You know what I mean. You’re just too perfect.”

  I catch the sight of my own brown eyes in the mirror. “Yeah. Perfect.” I’m anything but, and she knows it, but I get her point. I am a stickler for perfection and order. Like him.

  “And now, a perfect man noticed your perfection! You deserve this!”

  “I’m hardly perfect, but thanks, I think?”

  “Girl, he’s the golden goose that laid the golden egg.”

  “Is that what they’re calling it these days?” I laugh. “I’m standing in the restroom of his building shaking in my shoes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I did the math and it’s going to mean I can quit my stupid job and focus on wrapping up school. I need this money more than I even want to admit to myself and I think I’m just scared that it’s too good to be true.”