She was unlike any woman I’d ever met. Any other woman in her situation would have jumped at the chance to go shopping for a dress, but Zoe sewed her own. Of course she did. She was crazily self-sufficient. If I told her my car needed an oil change, she’d probably roll up her sleeves and get right on it.
And God, was it a turn-on. My dick had been hard from the instant I saw her in that dress and her strappy sandals. Did I mention her grandmother had been in the room at that time? Excruciatingly awkward.
“Right,” she swallowed, drawing my attention to her throat. Seriously, I was fantasizing about the curve of her neck? Fuck me. “Our cover story.”
I forced myself to pay attention to our conversation. This was important. “How about we met in a coffee shop three months ago, but I gave you a fake last name?”
She frowned at me. “Why would you do that?”
“To ward off the gold-diggers,” I said bluntly.
She looked shocked. “Is that what your world is like? Wow, that’s horrible.” She chewed on her lower lip, and my dick took note. “Okay. So I only found out who you were when I attended the town hall meeting?”
“Bianca would buy that story,” I thought out aloud. “Would Wexley?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll take care of Brad,” she said, with a shrug. Her voice was defensive. “It’s not your problem.”
“You’re wrong,” I corrected her. “It is very much my problem. If Wexley finds out the truth about us, you can be sure he’ll leak it to the papers.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” she said automatically, though her forehead was creased into a frown. “That’d hurt and embarrass me as well as you.”
“And that matters to him?” My voice was cynical. Laurel’s report on the wannabe hipster had not been flattering. “Brad Wexley is a trust fund baby who likes being in front of the cameras. This isn’t the first feel-good cause he’s embraced, and it won’t be the last. He’ll do what it takes to keep himself in the public eye.”
She didn’t say anything to contradict me. “I’ll take care of Brad,” she repeated.
Our meals appeared, and we ate in silence. After about ten minutes where neither of us said a word, she looked up at me. “If you take a lover,” she said, her cheeks pink, “I’ll expect you to be discreet.”
I almost choked on my steak. “A lover?” I frowned. “Is that what you’d like to do?”
She avoided my gaze. “I just thought I should make things clear,” she muttered. “I can’t expect someone like you to be celibate during our marriage.”
“Someone like me.”
“Come on, Ryder.” She looked almost angry. “This isn’t easy for me. I’m trying to do the right thing here. I can’t sleep with you, but I don’t want to put up obstacles in your way. It wouldn’t be fair.”
“Fine.” She had me typecast. She believed the best of Brad Wexley and the worst of me. “That seemed reasonable. Discretion above all.” I resumed eating, though the flavor had vanished from the food.
10
Zoe
What a weekend. Crashed a party and kissed a guy on Saturday. Agreed to marry him on Sunday. For two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
In the cold, clear light of day, I was consumed with regret about my agreement with Ryder. Yes, I wanted to protect my grandmother and keep her in her home, but at what price? I would end up deceiving the only person who loved me unconditionally. She liked Ryder. I shuddered to think about how hurt she would be if she found out it was all a lie.
I’d never been as happy to get back to work on Monday. I even welcomed the douchebagginess of the partners at the firm. It was a much-needed dose of normalcy.
When I got in at eight in the morning, Anna, the senior partner’s admin greeted me with her customary smug smile. “You didn’t join us at happy hour on Friday, did you?”
Since I never joined them at happy hour, I knew that Anna only asked me this question to rub it in. “No, I didn’t,” I said, playing along. Whatever. If it made her feel superior to sneer at my poverty, so be it. I was comfortable with the choices I’d made. My grandmother was worth every missed pint, every glass of wine I didn’t drink because I couldn’t stomach spending money at a bar when the property tax bill loomed in front of me.
“And how was your weekend?” she continued. “Do anything exciting?”
I was suddenly tired of these petty games. “Yes,” I said, keeping the snap out of my voice with an effort. “Last night, my boyfriend took me to Canoe for dinner. It was lovely.” I pushed past her and went to my desk, and resisted the temptation to gloat at her shocked expression.
Around lunch, my phone rang, and it was a number I didn’t recognize. I picked it up, and a woman’s voice greeted me. “Zoe?” she asked. “Hi. I’m Gigi, Ryder’s sister.”
I’d managed to avoid thinking of Ryder all morning. Last night, we’d been having a fun time at dinner until we’d had to make up the story of how we met. No, that wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t until I’d mentioned that he needed to be discreet about taking a lover that he’d withdrawn into himself. “Hi,” I said hesitantly.
“My ridiculously bossy brother,” she said, her tone fond, “suggested I take you shopping. I’m sure you can do that by yourself, but I’d love to meet you. Are you doing anything this evening?”
I was the belle of the ball since meeting Ryder Drake. Going out three nights in a row? Unheard of. “No,” I replied. “I’m free. Where would you like to meet?”
“I’ll pick you up at work,” she said. Ryder clearly wasn’t the only bossy member in the family. “What time are you done?”
“Five thirty.”
“Perfect.” She took down my address. “I’ll see you then.”
“Sounds good,” I lied. Inwardly, I was wondering what the heck I was in for. Gigi sounded pleasant enough on the phone, but she was Ryder’s sister. Did she approve of Ryder’s plan to thwart Bianca, or would she hate me because I was using her brother for money?
I needn’t have worried about Gigi judging me. She was waiting for me in the parking lot outside work, and when she saw me, she greeted me with a wide grin. “Zoe,” she said, her tone enthusiastic. “I’ve been dying to meet you. You have no idea how hard it was not to crash your date with Ryder last night.”
Anna was right behind me, and I could feel her curiosity burning a hole in the back of my neck. Especially because Gigi was driving a gleaming red Porsche 911 Turbo. “Nice car,” I said.
“Ask Ryder to buy you one,” she laughed. “It’ll drive him insane.”
“Because of the money?”
She chuckled. “He bought one last year, and then a week later, to fuck with him, I bought one too.” Her expression turned wicked. “I’m a bad sister.”
I gaped at her. I couldn’t imagine messing with Ryder that way. At the same time, I had to suppress my desire to burst out laughing. His reaction must have been priceless.
We got into the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “I thought we’d go to Yorkville and hit some of the boutiques there,” she said. “If that’s okay with you.”
“Umm, sure.” I suddenly realized I had no money, and my credit card would not be able to handle a Yorkville outing. Damn it. I didn’t know what to do. I definitely didn’t want to talk to Gigi about money. Someone who bought a sports car to prank her brother wouldn’t understand.
But Gigi noticed my hesitation and turned to look at me with an understanding expression on her face. “Money, right? Don’t worry about it. Ryder will take care of it.”
I flushed. God, I felt like a gold-digger. I’ve never had any money in my life, but I’d managed without expecting someone to pay my way. I hated this.
Some of my consternation must have shown on my face because Gigi patted my shoulder. “Trust me, Zoe, I understand what you are going through. Did Ryder tell you my story?”
“No.”
She grimaced. “Long story short, Ryder’s father had a brief affair with
my mother. He paid her off when she got pregnant with me, and they never kept in touch. I only found out about his existence when he died. He’d mentioned me in his will.” She shifted gears expertly and maneuvered the car through a gap. “My mom died when I was five,” she added. “I grew up in foster care. I definitely couldn’t afford nice clothes, or a fancy car or anything like that.”
“Oh, wow.”
“Yeah, right?” She laughed lightly. “Crazy story. Totally true.”
“So you didn’t know Ryder growing up?” I probed.
“Nope. I’ve only known Ryder for the last six years.” She smiled at me. “He’s a great guy, you know. Did he tell you he wants to get married in a month?”
“A month?” I leaned forward in shock, my mouth falling open. I didn’t think we’d have a long engagement, but that soon? “Thirty days?”
She nodded. “Feel free to tell him he’s an idiot. I mean, I know he wants to push forward on Drake Towers, but a wedding on such short notice? And he wants to do it at the AGO. I almost had a heart attack.” She rolled her eyes and huffed in disgust. “Men.”
We had a great time shopping. I was afraid that I was in for a Pretty Woman scene, with snooty store clerks turning up their nose at me, but everyone was very nice, no doubt aided by Gigi’s Black Amex card. In no time at all, we’d amassed a wardrobe that Gigi judged acceptable. “Do I really need so many clothes?” I asked, looking at the massive pile in front of me. “It seems excessive.”
“I know, right? It certainly took me a while to get used to it. If it helps, clothing is like armor. Wear the wrong thing, and you stand out. The right clothes actually help you be invisible.”
“That does help.” Gigi had been really nice, and I liked her. She paid for my clothing and arranged for everything to be delivered to Ryder’s house. As we walked back to the car, I cleared my throat. “Gigi, can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” she said easily.
“Umm, I think I said something that pissed Ryder off last night. We were having dinner, and I broached the topic of sex.” I went pink. This was Ryder’s sister. It felt awkward discussing the details of our private arrangements with her, but I didn’t have anyone else to ask. “I told him that if he wanted to go elsewhere for sex, he needed to be discreet.”
“Ah.” Gigi’s expression cleared. “He wouldn’t have reacted well to that.”
“Why?”
She sighed. “It’s because of his dad. Our dad, I guess,” she corrected herself. “He cheated on Ryder’s mother throughout the marriage. I don’t know why Ryder’s mother stuck with him, but she did.” She gave me a sidelong look. “No matter what the circumstances of your marriage, Ryder won’t cheat. It’s a hard line for him.”
“Oh. That’s why he didn’t just sleep with Bianca Russo? Because she was married?”
Gigi nodded. “Probably.”
Shit. I felt horrible. I’d jumped to conclusions about Ryder. I’d automatically assumed he’d want to sleep around. I’d told him he needed to be discreet for the sake of my grandmother. I’d judged him without taking the time to get to know him.
I had to apologize. “Gigi, can you drop me off at Ryder’s place? I need to talk to him.”
“Sure,” she said agreeably. There was a smile playing about on her face. “I’d love to.”
11
Zoe
Gigi didn’t stick around. She dropped me off at Ryder’s place and sped off. “Sorry Zoe,” she said cheerfully, “I promised Leo I’d be home for dinner. See you later!”
I gazed at the receding taillights of the Porsche before gathering my courage and heading up Ryder’s driveway. He didn’t live too far away from me, in the Beaches, right on the water. From the outside, his house was beautiful and inviting-looking.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t slam the door in my face.
I rang the doorbell, and Ryder answered. He was wearing a faded pair of jeans and a t-shirt that hugged his chest, and I couldn’t take my eyes away from him. “Zoe,” he said, looking at me with surprise. “Come on in.”
“Hello Ryder,” I said, my nerves making my voice uncertain. Coming here was an instinct, an impulsive one. But when Gigi had told me why Ryder had shut down yesterday, I’d realized that I didn’t know him. And I wanted to.
I followed him into a comfortable-looking living room, and he gestured to an oversized couch. “Please, sit,” he said. “You went shopping with Gigi today, didn’t you? Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” I assured him. “I had a great time with Gigi. She’s lovely.” I gulped. “I came to apologize.”
His expression turned guarded. “For what?”
I bit my lip, and his gaze followed the movement. For a second, his neutral expression wavered, to be replaced with heat, and it took me back to our kiss two days ago, to the way it had felt to be held against his hard body. My nipples stiffened in memory, and it took real effort to find my train of thought again. “I shouldn’t have assumed you’d want to…” I hesitated, before plunging forward. “... sleep around when we were married. I should have asked.”
“Gigi meddles far too much for her own good,” he remarked, sitting down next to me. He didn’t sound angry. Still acting on instinct, I inched closer to him and linked my fingers in his. I’d been trying to be sensible, to place the larger issues front and center. My grandmother was a priority. Getting laid wasn’t.
Now the wall cracked, and all that suppressed heat came rushing out. I wanted to kiss him. I leaned into him, looking into his dark eyes, sliding my palm over his forearm. “Ryder,” I muttered, my cheeks pinking at how bold I was being, “touch me?”
His fingers reached up and traced the side of my face. He moved his hand to the back of my head and urged me closer to him. “Where do you want me to touch you, Zoe?” The guarded expression washed away, and in its place was a heat that made me shiver. I was making assumptions again, but sex would be good with Ryder. Really good. I could feel it.
Maybe it was because the weight of my grandmother’s debt was finally lifting from my shoulders. Maybe it was because I had been in control for so long, and I wanted to let go, just for a few hours. And maybe because it was because of the lust that pulsed through my veins, but I wanted to be reckless. I had a hundred arguments about why sleeping with Ryder would be a bad idea, but the need was stronger… So much stronger.
“Everywhere,” I whispered, watching his eyes blaze like an inferno. “Touch me everywhere.”
I was still in my work clothes, a green shirt, and a black skirt. Before I could contemplate undressing, he pushed me down on the couch and loomed over me. His weight pressed down on me, and I whimpered in pleasure as his hips ground between my legs.
“I’ve been fantasizing about this moment since the party, Zoe,” he said.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the outline of his erection, hard and proud. “Me too,” I admitted, my fingers reaching out to touch him, to pull him closer.
He kissed me deep and hard, his fingers twined in my hair. His chest pressed against my breast, creating a delicious ache in me. “Too many clothes,” I gasped. “I want to feel you.”
“Gladly.” He pulled his t-shirt over his head, before focusing his attention on my shirt, unbuttoning me with seriously impressive speed. Pushing the fabric aside, he pulled the cups of my bra down to expose my nipples. “You are so beautiful,” he rasped, sucking a nipple between his lips.
My body tingled in response. “Harder,” I gasped as his mouth teased at my erect nubs, “please Ryder.”
He lifted his head up to look at me, a wicked grin covering his face. “Those words are music to my ears, Zoe.” The pressure on my nipples increased as he took them between his teeth, nipping lightly at each one, causing me to squirm and moan and wriggle under him.
His muscles flexed over me, and I ran my hands over his strong back, over his chest, investigating his perfect body. He let me explore until my fingers reached the waistband of his jeans. “Not yet, Zoe,” h
e grunted as he stopped me. “You’re in far too much of a hurry.”
“I am,” I panted, unabashed. “It’s been a while for me, and I’m definitely in a hurry.” As his fingers pinched at my nipples, as his hips ground against my core, I wondered why on earth I had gone so long without this feeling. There was nothing like this, nothing to describe how incredible the weight of Ryder’s body felt against mine. “Fuck me.”
“Say that again.”
“Fuck me,” I whispered, the fire in my body a match for the inferno in his eyes. “Fuck me hard.”
“So demanding.” He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head, before his mouth lowered over mine. He nipped my lower lip between his teeth, and I moaned and arched my entire body into his. The way he held me down was such a turn-on - I was going to spontaneously combust at any moment.
“Keep your hands there,” he instructed me. “Don’t move them. Do you understand? If your hands move, I stop.”
“Yes Ryder.” Touch me.
He rose to his feet. “You’re burning up, Zoe,” he said, his eyes glinting with amusement. “We should do something about that.”
“Yes,” I retorted. “You should grab a condom and fuck me.”
“You’ve said that before,” he grinned. He turned and walked away, and I almost launched myself in his direction. What the absolute bleep bleep bleep, Ryder?
“Fine,” I huffed. “If you aren't going to take care of me, I’m just going to have to take care of myself.”
He gave me a stern look from the doorway. “Remember your instructions, Zoe,” he warned. “Keep your hands where they are.” I gave him a look of stark disbelief, and he relented with a smile. “I’ll be right back,” he promised.
“You better.” My voice was definitely sullen. I lay on my back, burning up with desire, my nipples hard, my pussy aching. True to his word, Ryder came back in less than a minute, holding a crystal glass in his hand. Scotch. I gaped at him. “You went for a drink in the middle of sex?” My voice rose. “Seriously?”
Temporary Wife : A Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance Page 4
