Marry Me For Money: A Billionaire Fake Fiance Novel

by Ali Parker

  “Tell me! How was it?”

  “Awesome. Absolutely perfect,” I said with a smile.

  “Did you?” her eyes widened.

  “What?”

  “Did you give it up to him?”

  My mouth dropped open as I looked at the woman currently working on my toes. She pretended not to hear, but I knew damn well she did.

  “No! As if. You know me better than that,” I protested.

  She raised her eyebrows at me unapologetically. “You’re into him, and you said he was gorgeous.”

  “That doesn’t mean I sleep with him on the first date.”

  “Okay, so why was it so awesome?”

  I sighed, thinking about how perfect the night had been. “He’s handsome and acted like a perfect gentleman. He’s funny, smart and really down to earth. I think I expected him to be a snob. Did I mention he loves cheeseburgers?”

  She groaned. “Oh geez. That’s his secret weapon. You and your cheeseburger fetish. It is really irritating that you can eat those and still look the way you do. I don’t think that’s something you want to flaunt. Women around the world will hate you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “They’ll hate me anyway.”

  “So, are you going to go out with him again?”

  “I hope so.”

  “Did you kiss, make out, something?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. I let him take me home,” I confessed.

  Her head whipped around. “You did what!”

  I laughed. “He didn’t go in. He insisted on walking me to my door. When he tried to kiss me, I told him not on the first date.”

  “And he agreed?”

  “He said he would call.”

  “Has he called?”

  I grimaced. “No. Did I play too hard to get?”

  “Time will tell. If he gets grumpy over being denied a kiss, he isn’t worth it.”

  I nodded, hoping she was right. I had been kicking myself in the ass all day for not letting him kiss me. I wanted the kiss as much as he wanted to give it. It had been a knee-jerk reaction to turn him down. I was so used to saying no, it’s like I forgot how to say yes.

  “If he doesn’t call, I guess I’ll know it wasn’t meant to be.”

  “Where’d you guys go?” she asked.

  I told her about the dinner and the walk on the pier. Even the ladies working on our nails were smiling. It was truly a special night. I would always cherish it.

  “He’s really not like any of the other men I have dated in California. There is something truly special about him. He actually conversed with me. The conversation wasn’t all about him or bragging about what he had or where he’d been. It was so nice.”

  “He is wealthy, though, right?” she asked.

  I nodded. “I assume he is. He’s the CEO of the ad agency. I think he may actually own it or be the majority shareholder. I’m not sure how all that works.”

  “How do you know he isn’t running game on you?” she asked skeptically.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I can’t say for sure, but it felt genuine. I have a pretty good radar when it comes to things like that. I have an excellent bullshit detector, and I didn’t get that from him. He wasn’t pompous at all. He was nice to the waitstaff, which is always a good clue about his true personality. In fact, he left the waitress a hundred-dollar tip. I think that alone earns him like ten points in the good guy category.”

  “Wow. That does sound amazing.”

  “I would hold onto that man with both hands, honey,” the woman working on Mandy’s nails said with a grin.

  “I agree,” I replied enthusiastically.

  “I’m happy for you. I really am,” Mandy said.

  “Thank you.”

  I leaned back and enjoyed the treatment before being escorted to the next room for our massages. As we laid on separate tables, side by side, I let myself get lost in the feeling of my muscles being worked and the stress melting away.

  “I want you to be careful,” she mumbled.

  “What?” I asked, nearly rubbed into unconsciousness by the expert hands of my masseuse.

  “With him, Terran. Be careful. Don’t let your guard down just yet with him.”

  I sighed. “Mandy, he’s a good guy.”

  “I don’t want you hurt. Some guys are very good at hiding who they really are underneath the good looks and charm. I don’t want to have to hunt him down if he hurts you.”

  I chuckled softly. “I’ll be okay. If there’s even a hint he’s bad news, I’ll drop him like a hot potato.”

  I heard her giggling and hoped I had effectively calmed her hackles. Mandy was my protector. She was always looking out for me. I knew her warnings and lectures came from a place of love, which was why I bit my tongue when she got a little bossy. I think she sometimes forgot I was a grown woman embarking on the ripe age of thirty. I wasn’t a naïve teenager getting taken by some guy who knew just what to say.

  We finished our massages, and thankfully, the facials prevented Mandy from lecturing me about Terran. It wasn’t until our soak in the hot tub that she pounced once again.

  “I don’t want to be the one who ruins your happiness, but I really want you to watch yourself with him. I’ve never seen you so sprung on a man before. I don’t know if it’s his charm or his looks, but you are crazy about him,” she warned.

  I smiled. “I kind of am. And, it’s a combination of things. I’m going to go out with him again if he asks. I’m not going to be afraid of every handsome man.”

  She grinned. “Okay, I promise, that’s the last word about it.”

  We managed to get through the rest of the spa day with no more talk about Terran, which I was grateful for.

  “Do you want to grab dinner?” I asked her.

  She yawned, quickly covering her mouth. “I don’t think I can. I am so relaxed I could fall asleep right here.”

  I smiled. “Good. You deserve it. Are you going to be working tomorrow?”

  She nodded her head. “Yep. Busy day. We’re going to take the middles to the park.”

  I loved the way she referred to the three different age groups in the orphanage. The middles were my personal favorite. The littles were sweet, and the older ones were usually nice, but by the time they hit those preteen and teen years, they were usually pretty jaded.

  By the time I got home, I was feeling mighty relaxed myself. Who knew a day at the spa could be so exhausting?

  When my phone rang, I reached for it without looking at the screen, assuming it was Mandy.

  “Do you need me to drive you home, because if you do, I can’t. I can’t move. I am going to collapse on the couch and not move until tomorrow,” I said.

  “Hailey? Are you okay?” Terran’s voice came through the line.

  I sat straight up on the couch I had just flopped down on.

  “Terran?”

  “Yes, it’s me. Are you okay?” he asked again.

  “I’m fine. Sorry, I thought you were my friend. We had a spa day, and we’re both feeling a little tired.”

  I could hear him chuckling and let the sound wash over me. I loved his easy laugh. I loved that he could laugh. So many people were too uptight. Not Terran. I mean, I had a feeling he could be uptight, but that wasn’t the man I got to spend time with.

  “A spa day, huh?”

  I giggled. “Yes. We got the works. The massage and then the soak in the hot tub put us both in a state of relaxation that left us feeling a bit like a bowl of Jell-O.”

  He laughed once again. “I think that sounds amazing.”

  “What’s up?” I asked, not wanting to take up his precious time.

  “I wanted to see if you were available to grab dinner tomorrow night?”

  I did a little fist pump in the air. “I would like that. What time?”

  “Six?”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  “I was thinking we could do casual, maybe grab a burger?” he asked hesitantly.

  I smiled.
“That would be great.”

  “Can I pick you up or would you prefer to meet me?”

  “You can pick me up if it isn’t too much trouble.”

  “I’ll be there at six.”

  “Okay,” I mumbled, not wanting to hang up and break the contact with him.

  “Hailey?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m really looking forward to seeing you,” he said in that husky voice that made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

  “I’m excited to see you as well.”

  “Good night.”

  “Good night, Terran,” I said, hanging up the phone and cradling it next to my ear.

  He called. I thought about calling Mandy and telling her he called but resisted. I wanted to sit on the couch and bask in the feeling of his voice washing over me. Every little thing about the man made me hot. My stomach got all jittery, and my skin tingled. I wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Tomorrow, if he tried, I was not going to reject him. I wanted to know the feeling of him.

  I got ready for bed, slipping on my satin pajamas before pouring myself a glass of wine and curling in bed with a book. He said casual. I was looking forward to a casual date. It would be nice to let our hair down so to speak. It would give me another glimpse of the man that was Terran Maddox. I felt myself drifting off to sleep, way before my regular bedtime. I didn’t fight it. I wanted to fall asleep thinking about Terran with the hopes I would dream about him. I couldn’t have real sex with him, but I would like to fantasize about what it was like to have him touch me.

  Chapter 13

  Terran

  Unlike the first date with Hailey, I’m not nervous about this one. Those first-date jitters are gone. I’m looking forward to a casual evening, spending time with a woman who is fun to be around. I can’t even remember the last time I could say that. I couldn’t wait to tell her about my hang gliding adventure. I was anxious and had checked the clock several times, willing the time to pass faster.

  I was going to go out of mind if I didn’t find a way to pass the time. I quickly changed into swim trunks and headed to the indoor pool. It had been a while since I’d visited the pool area. When I walked in, there were a few mothers with their kids occupying the pool and deck. I found a lounge chair, put my stuff down and dove into the water. I spent the next hour doing laps and even played with a few of the older kids who wanted to challenge me to a swim-off, whatever the hell that was.

  “I’ve got to get going,” I told one of the boys who had just beat me in the heat across the pool.

  He was grinning as he waved. “You’ll get better with practice,” he assured me.

  I chuckled as I climbed out of the pool. “Thanks.”

  “Thank you,” a pretty brunette said from her chair where she was stretched out in a bikini discreetly covered by a sarong.

  “For?” I asked, drying my hair.

  “Playing. His dad is out of the picture. He doesn’t really have any male influences in his life. I think he really enjoyed the time with you,” she said with a friendly smile.

  I nodded my head. “No problem. He’s a good kid and an even better swimmer.”

  “I haven’t seen you down here before. I assume you live in the building?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I answered, not telling her who I was or that I occupied the suite at the top of the building.

  She was still smiling as her eyes roamed over my naked chest before meeting my eyes again. “Maybe be can exchange numbers and arrange another one of these swimming competitions,” she offered.

  I knew she was asking for a lot more than a swimming competition. I smiled. “I’m sure we’ll run into each other again,” I said, turning her down in the most polite way I knew how to.

  “Oh, of course, sure,” she said, picking up her book, pretending to be more interested in it than me.

  “See ya,” I said and left the pool area.

  She was pretty enough and seemed nice, but I had a feeling she was looking for a lot more than I was willing to give. In the back of my mind, I realized she could be a backup fiancée if Hailey decided to dump me before we ever really got started. I was definitely not ready to be a daddy and quickly dismissed that idea. I was not going to drag a kid into the middle of my problems.

  I changed into a pair of jeans, Nikes and a plain black T-shirt in preparation for our casual date before I checked emails and attempted to do some work. I couldn’t focus. All I could think about was seeing her. After what I was convinced had been the longest day in the world, it was finally time to go pick her up. I took one last look in the mirror, nervous to let her see the casual me with my hair hanging loose. I always liked to think I had two different personas, kind of like Batman. There was the slicked back professional me and the other me that hated suits and ties.

  It was too late to change my mind now. I headed for her place, the excitement at seeing her again had a smile on my face that couldn’t be erased.

  “Hi,” I greeted her when she opened her door, her blond curly hair loose and free.

  She smiled and stepped out, shutting her door behind her without inviting me in. I was beginning to wonder what it was she was hiding in her apartment. She seemed determined not to let me see something in there. I wondered if there was a chance she lived with a man. I didn’t think so, but one never really knew a person.

  “I’m ready,” she announced.

  I nodded my head, quickly noticing she was wearing flats tonight. The tight, low-rise jeans she was wearing flattered her shapely legs and hips. The pretty, floral shirt with the shoulder cut-outs was tempting me to put my mouth on one of those smooth tanned shoulders.

  “You look great,” I told her, wanting to kiss her, but knowing I would likely be rejected. I could wait.

  “Thank you. I like your hair like that,” she commented.

  I walked to my car, opened the door for her and crawled into the driver’s seat. The moment I closed the door I could smell her perfume. It was something light and fruity. I inhaled deeply before pulling the car out of the parking lot and heading for one of my favorite burger joints near the beach.

  “Have you been here before?” I asked as I helped her out of the car.

  “Nope, but I’m always excited to try a new burger place.”

  “This is one of the best,” I promised her.

  We each ordered a burger with everything on it. I warned her the thing was huge, but she assured me it was not her first giant hamburger. Hailey skipped the fries, insisting the half-pound burger was going to be more than enough. We chatted as we ate. I hadn’t really believed her when she said she loved cheeseburgers. Watching her put away the huge burger was impressive.

  “I’m so full,” she moaned with a small portion of the burger leftover.

  I laughed. “I bet you are.”

  She groaned. “But it was so good and so worth it.”

  “Want to hit the carnival?” I asked her, not wanting our date to be over.

  She grinned. “That would be awesome. I haven’t been to the carnival in forever, and I have on flats.”

  I laughed. “Let’s go see what kind of trouble we can get into.”

  As we walked toward the flashing lights of the carnival on the pier, I was tempted to reach for her hand. I wanted physical contact but wasn’t sure she was up for that. I was once again transported back to that nervous boy feeling, not knowing if I should make a move. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been so hesitant with a woman. I was usually confident and so sure of myself and what I wanted. With Hailey, I felt like we were doing a slow dance, every step heightening the anticipation of what I hoped was us getting a lot closer in the physical sense.

  One of the carnival workers cajoled me into playing one of the games as we were passing by.

  “Come on, let’s see what you got,” she teased.

  I laughed and shook my head. “I think I can pop a balloon.”

  She winked. “Let’s see.”

  With Hailey by my side, I man
aged to pop enough balloons with a dart to win a tiny stuffed animal. The man convinced me to play again to trade up to one of the pretty unicorns.

  “Come on. You kicked butt that first round. Are you worried it was a fluke? Beginner’s luck?” Hailey teased.

  I shook my head and gave it another shot, successfully popping several more balloons. “How’s that for a fluke.”

  “I think the lady needs to try,” the carny said.

  I looked at Hailey. She nodded. “I’m a pretty good throw. If I get three balloons, I want that big unicorn,” she told the worker.

  “That’s a top prize,” he argued.

  She leaned toward him over the counter. “Think of the free advertisement you’ll get as I walk around this place carrying that thing. Everyone’s going to want to try to win it,” she said with a friendly smile.

  The carny briefly hesitated, but Hailey was not a woman any man wanted to deny. When he finally gave in, I had to laugh at her cunningness. She only appeared sweet and innocent, I decided.

  “Let’s see how easy you think it is,” I said, watching as she picked up her first dart.

  I watched as she aimed and threw, hitting every balloon she intended to.

  “Wow,” I murmured.

  She winked. “I’m an excellent dart player.”

  The carny did not look happy to be giving her one of the biggest prizes in the booth but did so anyway.

  “What are you going to do with that thing?” I asked her, looking at the white unicorn with lots of pink and purple ribbons trailing from around the neck.

  “I know a little girl that will love this,” she said with a satisfied smile.

  “What about you? I thought I was winning you a prize that you could take home and cuddle,” I flirted.

  She shrugged. “I guess you’ll have to win me another one.”

  We were standing under one of the flashing neon lights, the sounds and smells of the carnival all around us, but all I could see was her. I still had the scent of her perfume in my mind. I was desperate to kiss her, touch her, anything.

  “I think you still owe me a kiss,” I said in a husky tone.

  She grinned. “If you win me another prize, a good one, then I think you definitely deserve a kiss.”