Riker leans over and kisses my forehead. “I’m definitely ready.” And as if on cue, I smile up at him adoringly.
The moderator says a few more words about our whirlwind romance and secret engagement. Then he picks a reporter, who stands.
“I understand that Riker has been quite the lady’s man for most of his life. How are you handling that?”
“The past is the past. Now is now.” My voice is confident and sure as reporters take turns peppering us with questions.
“When is the wedding?” This one is for Riker.
“As soon as we set a date, we’ll let you know. I guarantee it will be soon, though. We’re both ready to settle down and start a family.”
I almost choke and struggle to maintain my composure.
“Speaking of family, isn’t it true that you have a young daughter, Jane?” The room gets quiet.
“Yes, I do.”
“How do you feel about bringing Riker into her life after such a brief period of time?” She looks at her notes. “She’s only eight, is that right?”
“Yes, that’s right.” I hesitate. This isn’t where I want to go. Nia isn’t part of this. I smile more graciously than before, and I blink, my mind blank. Finally, I come up with something.
“My daughter and Riker get along fabulously. In fact, it was my daughter’s idea.”
“Your daughter’s idea that you two should get married?” The reporter’s face took on an air of incredulity.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Isn’t she a little young to offer her mother relationship advice?”
I’m speechless again. “Of course. What I mean is—”
“She means she was concerned about her daughter. But Nia liked me from the beginning, and I’ve fallen in love with her as much as with Jane. They’re a package deal, and Nia senses that. I’m determined to be the best father any man could be, and Jane feels satisfied that her daughter approves.”
His eyes don’t leave the reporter as he squeezes my hand. I nod, grateful, and I bring his hand to my lips and kiss it. This time, I don’t have to fake the smile. I don’t have to fake the affection. This time, I’m feeling it.
18
Riker
I stare out my hotel window overlooking the city and can’t stop shaking my head. The press conference was a success beyond what anyone had hoped for or what I imagined it could be. Terry’s idea was right on, and I plan to pay her a big bonus on condition that Jane gets half.
It was Jane who pulled it off, after all. It was Jane who was the main attraction, and there wouldn’t have been any PR opportunity if it weren’t for her. Especially not one that produced mostly positive stories. Of course, they aren’t all in yet, but it’s a great start.
My phone rings again.
I turn off the ringer so voicemail can take it and then read the transcribed message.
“An old friend says he can’t wait to meet you, and congratulations,” I say.
Jane laughs. “Tell him thanks whenever you see him next.” She sips her martini and leans back on the sofa, and I join her.
“Look at this,” she says. She passes her laptop over to me. “Over 119k likes on this post and 75k shares. In just a few hours. Amazing.” She blows out her breath as she scrolls through my other social accounts. And she shakes her head, exactly as I’ve been doing for hours, as she scrutinizes photos and short video clips of the conference.
“Oh, no! There’s me, debating whether to grab my shoes or not and looking like an idiot.” She laughs, partly because it is funny, and partly out of embarrassment.
“You look great. You’re doing something perfectly normal, and you look gorgeous.”
“You would say that, of course, with my ass in the air like that as I’m bending down. I should have just grabbed the shoes and given them a real show.” She laughs. I can tell she’s forcing herself to get over it. I’ve done the same exact thing myself.
“Your ass looks great.”
“Until it shows up in a tabloid with a headline like, ‘Riker Lord’s Fiancée Shows Off the Goodies He’s Getting’ or ‘Lord’s Secret Lover Shows Us How They Do It.’ I’m serious. Remind me to pick up some copies.”
She snuggles against my chest as her fingers unbutton my shirt. She covers my chest with little kisses and comes back up. She leans back and looks in my eyes.
“I really appreciate how you stood up for me. Some of those questions just blindsided me, and I was afraid to say anything, something that could backfire or that I’d regret. I didn’t have my lawyer façade on, I guess because I was so focused on acting like your fiancée plus all the distractions. And . . . Well, I just couldn’t think fast enough. So thanks.”
I kiss both of her lovely cheeks. “It was no big deal. Mostly my habit of finishing other people’s sentences when I get impatient or irritated at how slow they’re going.” I laugh. “Seriously, I hated the direction a couple of them were headed. Trying to find fault with you, and I just rose to the occasion. I felt . . . protective, I guess.” I laughed at the thought. Protective? Me? Of a woman?
“Mmm. You rose to the occasion, did you?” She moves her hand down to my crotch, and I groan. It’s like an instant electrical connection with Jane, and it’s not just a desire to get off. It’s more like getting into her, getting close, experiencing her.
Jane’s not just any woman. There’s much more to her than that. Something I respect. I don’t know what it is, and right now I can’t think as her lips travel down my belly, tracing the hair from my navel on down.
I’m hard as a rock, and I’m dying to feel her mouth around me. I can’t stop my hips from rising upward, reaching for her, yearning for her, pumping as if I’m inside of her. Like instinct has taken over and I can’t stop it.
And finally, her mouth closes around me. My groan is almost a scream as she moves her lips and tongue over me in a way I’ve never felt before. It’s almost painful, and though I’d normally like to surf awhile and enjoy it, letting myself almost crest, almost to the top, then slowing down and back up, over and over again. But this time I don’t want to. I can’t.
My entire body explodes, jerking like she’s rammed a cattle prod up my ass. I hear my screams like I’m out of my body, like they’re far away, and with the final explosion, everything goes dark.
The room is the same when I wake up, but I don’t know if it’s minutes or hours. I drag myself up and hit my cell phone. Hours. What the hell? Slowly, I gain consciousness and awareness of my surroundings. She’s gone.
“Jane? I look around. Nothing. “Jane?” I call louder. I shake my head, run my fingers through my hair, and that’s when I see it. A note on the coffee table. I wait a few minutes to make sure my head is clear, and I read it.
Riker,
Was it as good for you as it was for me? I thought you were blasting off to the moon. I checked your pulse, and since I was fairly certain you were alive, I went home. I have to spend time with Nia.
Call me.
Jane
Whoa. I still feel woozy. No sense trying to pump up some energy, though, since it’s late. I head for the bar and a glass of brandy. On the way back, my cell phone’s blinking. I pick up and swipe. It takes me a moment to digest the letters, the words.
Ana Marx. Oh, no.
“I’ve missed you! And what’s with this story about you being engaged? Were you engaged when we were together last? It was only a few weeks ago!”
Shit. What can I possibly say? Well, I’m not really engaged, so come on over . . .
That won’t work. And it’s not only because I can’t tell anyone what the real deal is. It’s because I’m not sure I want to. I’m not sure I want to make up an excuse. But maybe I owe her an explanation. She was a real sweetheart. Not that I’ve thought of her much. Not since I’m always thinking about Jane.
I message back:
“Why don’t you stop by tomorrow night. We’ll have a couple drinks, and I’ll tell you all about it.” I hit send and f
all back in the sofa.
I shouldn’t have invited her. I should have just ignored her. I don’t really want to see her at all, and besides, what would I say? I can’t tell her the truth. But I’m not going to lie, either.
I shouldn’t have picked up in the first place. But it’s just Ana, and we had a good thing going. But . . .
I get tired of arguing with myself and decide to let it go until tomorrow. What would happen if we did hookup? What’s the worst that could happen?
As I fall asleep, my dream images shift from Jane, Ana, and a faceless little girl. Mostly Jane.
19
Jane
Standing in the big conference room with Terry, I can’t help thinking how long I’ve wanted to stand in here with her. While scurrying out the door to tend another hectic day at the courthouse chasing impossible cases, I would see the morning meetings in here as I dashed past.
I very rarely sat in on them, let alone had business with the boss. Now I’m here—alone with her—and all I want is to be somewhere else.
We’re both standing near the corner of the table, not even sitting at its shining mahogany magnificence. As if I’m not worth a seat there. Terry chooses to have my briefing standing up. I’m trying not to feel insulted—maybe she hasn’t even noticed—but that just makes it more insulting.
“Terry, I told you, I can’t do this. You can’t make me do this.”
She leans back on one heel with her arms crossed. Her eyes flicker, but her face remains calm.
“No one is making you do anything. It was your choice to accept Riker’s terms, right there on the spot.”
“I was worried… we were in court. I didn’t have time to think.”
A smile chases at Terry’s lips. “Well. You agreed. The plan is in motion now, and it wouldn’t be good for you to pull out. You do realize how well his social media campaign is going?”
“I haven’t really thought about it. I know that was the whole reason we struck the deal but—”
“Well. You should be very pleased, Jane. The public loves you. Sometimes when a new girlfriend comes on the scene for a famous playboy, the fans get upset. But so far, everyone is just ga ga over you two.”
“That’s nice.” Sarcasm gives my voice a hard edge. “But this is my life.”
“Yes.” Terry taps a finger on her arm thoughtfully. “It is your life, isn’t it? That’s why you agreed to this little play, after all, because it’s your life that will either improve or get ruined, not so much Riker’s.”
“What?”
“Well. He’s scared right now. But in actual fact, nothing much can hurt his reputation. Everything can be used to garner good publicity. The added bonus of this sham—which even I could not foresee—is that the public actually loves you. It’s given him a significant boost. But for you? Well. If you pull out, you’re done in the firm. You’re done as a lawyer. You’ll also have several billion fans howling for your blood after you break their darling Riker’s heart.”
I just stare at her for a few seconds, the silence stretching out between us as if it could grow big enough to swallow me. I can barely force my voice out of my throat.
“What?”
“I told you. Get him off, or you’re done. Did you forget that? You can bail if you want. As I said, no one’s making you do anything. But I think I’ve just laid it out for you what to expect if you do walk.”
She stares me down. I know my eyes are wide, and my face is just slack from shock. Terry has that stern glare she uses on rival lawyers. It's intimidating. She’s waiting for me to speak and I can’t think of a single thing to say.
“Jane.” Her voice is soft and persuasive now. “The plan is working very well. The fans are so excited about the wedding it pushed the legal focus away from the charges—remember, he’s the figurehead of so many businesses, how his fans vote with their money will influence a lot of rich people who share investments. His reputation is going so well I would assume he is actually raking in a lot more money than before. Legally, the case is progressing well. What problem are you having here? Is it Riker personally?”
“Well…”
“Is he that bad to be around? Really? I know he’s an arrogant dick but surely—”
“Yes, he is difficult.” I take a deep breath and sigh it back out. “It’s hard to talk to him. I’m struggling.”
“Well, you don’t have to do it forever.” She waves her hand and picks up some papers, prelude to dismissing me.
“Terry. You know what the big problem is.” My voice has gone plaintive, and I’m showing my vulnerability. This is the very rare, woman to woman plea. She looks up at me and her eyes are wide, softer somehow.
“It’s Nia.” I say softly. “She needs stability. This—This whole thing, it’s not fair on her.”
“Hey.” Terry touches my shoulder. “I get it. I do. But try to think of it as… A party for her. Bring her fancy presents and stuff and tell her it’s all make-believe. Like a play. She might even get into it.”
I look at the floor. “Yeah. She’s a smart kid. I should be honest with her.” My heart sinks at the thought.
“Okay. Well. Like I said, no one’s forcing you, and it won’t be long. Why don’t you head home now? Hang out with her a bit. Take a break.”
“Yeah.” I start to move towards the door. “Thanks, Terry.”
I barely notice as I get my briefcase and head to the elevator. My ride home is usually too long, but today I roll through it in a daze.
I’m pissed. I know I’m trapped. She’s right, no one’s forcing me, but still, I know I have to do this. My stomach twists as I think about being near Riker again. My heart leaps—stupid fool that it is. I feel excited, my pussy even throbs, right here, jammed between people on the late afternoon bus.
I want him. So badly. My fingers ache to touch him. But this isn’t real. None of it is real. I’m worried about Nia, sure. Of course, I am.
But I’m worried about me, too. I’ve trained myself not to fall hard into love. It’s dangerous to throw yourself away chasing that sensation, that feeling of complete safety when someone understands you. I knew this was not love, and I shouldn’t fool myself about it.
It seems my heart can’t be stopped from its wanting. I grip my hands tightly together and get up for my stop.
As I run into my building, I decide not to think about him, at least for now. I just want to hang out with Nia and try to distance myself from this who tangled mess.
I head into my apartment to see Indica and Shelly, rushing back and forth between my apartment and theirs. I smile and shake my head. My old friend has usually got some kind of emergency happening on any given day.
“What’s up, Indica?”
“I’m having to use your oven and stove!” She calls out. “Got the cousins coming in and I ran out of space! There are six young men in the group as well as four girls and my sister and great aunt!” Her voice trails off as she runs back to the hall.
Still chuckling I head down the hall. I’ll chat to Nia for a bit, and then I’ll help Indica move her food into her apartment. She has a massive family that she’s always trying to feed or buy presents for.
I find Nia doing her homework. She looks up as I come in, smiling and opening her arms for a hug.
“Hey Mom!”
“Hey baby.” I hug her tight. “Good day?”
“Yeah Mom. Can I help Indica and Shelly? Indica told me to do my homework.”
“She was right! I tell you what, you can come and help in a few minutes then I’ll sit down and do your homework with you.”
“Okay Mom. Have you seen Riker lately?”
My stomach clutches at itself, but I don’t let it show. “Not really. Not today, anyway. Why?”
“Well.” She grins. “I think you love him, Mom.”
“Why?” I’m sure I haven’t given anything away.
“Your face. You try to hide it, but you go all soft when I say his name.”
For a moment, the room
seems too real, too full. Nia’s face is secretive and affectionate, like she knows something I don’t know.
Maybe she does. That’s the scary thought. My daughter knows me too well, better than I give her credit for.
And she’s always right. Especially about me.
20
Riker
Of all the people to be in my apartment right now, I can’t believe it’s Ana Marx. We’re sitting in chairs facing one another. It feels so business-like and so strange. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a situation with Ana where we aren’t fighting or tearing each other’s clothes off. It’s all passion with her. It used to be with me too. But things are different now.
I don’t know why I invited her. When she texted, I was on auto-pilot from the shock. I should have told her to leave right then and there. I shouldn’t have invited her to sit down in my living room. I know that old flames have been messaging me left and right. Perhaps I was naïve to think that none of them would try anything as bold as this. But Ana was never known for her subtlety.
She stares me down. She leans comfortably on the armrest of the chair. Her legs are crossed. It seems like her legs go on for days before disappearing under her short dress. I hate that I notice, but I don’t know why. Or maybe I just won’t admit why.
Her dress is red. She knows it drives me wild. We have many memories of her wearing that dress for maybe two minutes before I get it off of her. She’s trying to tease me. Trying to goad me into doing something to mess up this thing with Jane. I swallow hard. I feel like a kid again. She seems so cool and confident, and I know I can stand up to her, but this is new territory for me.
“Riker,” she says, practically purring.
“Ana,” I respond. I try to keep my voice as flat as possible.
She leans forward. The low cut of her dress shows off her cleavage. “Why don’t we cut to the chase? We both know why I’m here.”
“Well, Ana, unfortunately, you’re going to leave disappointed.” I feel a bit of confidence surge through me as I turn her down. This is uncharted territory for me. Everything that I’m doing with Jane scares the shit out of me, but I want to keep pushing to see where it will go.
The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée Page 8
