Dragon's Fake Bride MatchMate (Dragon's MatchMate Agency Book 6)

by Maia Starr

  I told myself I could just not look at the messages, but that turned out to not be the case.

  I know you, he texted. You found someone else, didn’t you? You can’t go this long without a man in your life.

  I hated him so much. I hated him because even though what he said wasn’t true, it made me wonder if it was. Especially because he happened to be right: there was someone else in my life. But I could survive just fine without a man in my life, couldn’t I?

  What does he have that I don’t?

  Where to begin? A sense of empathy? Concern for my comfort? Control over his emotions?

  I told myself that, as soon as I was married to Glenn, we’d get a new phone number for me. Well, no, actually. As soon as I was married to Glenn, I’d turn my phone off and we’d fuck like animals for forty-eight hours straight. But once we were done with that, we could get a new phone number for me.

  I arrived at the bridal salon and put on the dress as they made last-minute alterations. I looked at myself in the triple mirror and started to cry. I was so beautiful. I’d never thought of myself as beautiful but, for the first time in my life, that’s how I saw myself. It wasn’t just the dress. It was being away from Xavier and being with Glenn. I felt like I was Cinderella or something—the beauty was there all along, but it took looking through the eyes of a Prince Charming for me to see it.

  I consider myself a self-empowered woman, and I know that it shouldn’t take a man for me to feel good about myself. I know that, and, yet, I can’t deny that that’s how he made me feel. I could walk with more confidence. I was smiling more. I felt less tired. I woke up every morning excited to start the day.

  When I first signed up, on a whim, for the Fiery Hearts service, I didn’t think any dragon would be interested in me. It was always just a fantasy of mine, one that I could only live out through my imagination. Now I was getting married to the man of my dreams.

  Stop it, I had to tell myself.

  It’s a fake marriage, I reminded myself. It’s not love. It’s infatuation. And the marriage will be over in less than a year, by which time the passion will have run its course and I’ll be able to collect my hefty paycheck.

  Which was fine, even as it made me sad inside. I didn’t want this to ever end. I knew how relationships worked. Right now, there was excitement, but it wouldn’t last and, in six months' time, he’d get sick of me and I’d probably tire of him, too. The best we could hope for is falling into comfort with each other.

  Which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

  My phone rang and I tensed up. It was sitting on a chair nearby, and I checked the screen to see it was Glenn calling, not Xavier. I picked up.

  “How’s my beautiful bride?” he asked.

  I wanted to tell him I loved him for who he helped me become. I couldn’t, though. I couldn’t tell him I loved him even though I knew he felt it, too.

  That wasn’t the relationship we were in.

  “I’m doing beautifully,” I said.

  “Just wanted to check that we’re still on schedule and everything’s going well.”

  “It’s perfect,” I said. The truth was it was far from perfect, and maybe I should have told him all the feelings that were going on inside me, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t burden him with Xavier because it was silly. There was no way for Xavier to actually find me. We were on the complete other side of town and, besides, Xavier wouldn’t be caught dead in dragon country.

  And the other issue, my feelings for Glenn, I knew was transient and would take care of itself. The truth was things were perfect, and it was only my worries that were keeping me from realizing it.

  “Glad to hear it,” Glenn said. “I’ll see you real soon?”

  “Very soon,” I said. “I can’t wait to show you the dress.”

  “And I can’t wait to see it. Bye.”

  He hung up.

  I gave myself one last look in the dress, twirling it around in front of the mirrors, then paid for it and walked out, dressed and ready to be Mrs. Glenn Carter.

  It felt a little strange driving to City Hall in the dress. Getting out, I felt almost like I was attending a costume party. Of course, it wasn’t a costume and everybody knew that. But, also, it kind of was, fake marriage and all. People were staring, but they were also saying things like, “Congratulations,” and I couldn’t help but smile.

  I was getting married and it was to a handsome, sexy man who would take care of me. With the money I was getting, it could potentially take care of me for the rest of my life, so long as I was careful and responsible with it. So while it wasn't exactly what I dreamed of in many of the details, the photos would at least resemble the images I had in my mind as a little girl.

  I walked into the courtroom where Glenn stood towards the front, handsome as ever, dressed in a clean, traditional black tux that fit him perfectly. He smiled at me as I walked down towards him.

  The judge was less impressed. She sat there impassionately, reading her standard legal documentation until getting to the important part.

  “Do you, Glenn Carter, take Amelia Davis to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

  “I do,” he said. And we both knew it was a lie.

  “And do you, Amelia Davis, take Glenn Carter to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

  “I do,” I lied back.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

  And he kissed me as Mrs. Carter for the very first time.

  It was a completely different kind of passion when we got back to his apartment. As before, he carried me in and kissed me, but rather than go straight to the lovemaking, I had to change out of the dress. And, truthfully, I also had to pee, which the dress made impossible without a team of people.

  In picking out the dress, I had also stopped and picked up some lingerie. A tiny little black thing that pushed my boobs up and left very little to the imagination. It made me feel sexy as all hell. I couldn’t wait for Glenn to tear it off of me.

  I walked into the entranceway of the bedroom and stood, leaning against the doorframe.

  “Hello, Mr. Carter,” I said in the sexiest voice I could muster. I felt a little ridiculous at first, but judging by Glenn’s expression, he didn’t feel the same way.

  He was lying on the bed in just his briefs, his perfect body in a state of relaxation, waiting for me to come in. The instant I entered the doorway, I felt his eyes take me in, starting from my face and moving downward at a steady, deliberate pace, not holding too long on any feature. His skin shimmered with scales and, for a moment, his eyes glowed yellow in the dim room.

  “Come closer,” he said.

  I took a step forward, into the diffuse light of a lamp, allowing him to see me better.

  “Turn around for me,” he said.

  It was an instruction, with no emotion whatsoever. Whatever he was feeling, exactly, I wasn’t going to get it from his words, or even the way he was saying it.

  I did a slow three-sixty, allowing him to see all of my body, the body that now belonged to him.

  “I wish I could photograph a moment,” he said. “I wish I could capture all of this and keep it forever.” He paused, considering his words. “I want so badly to have you right now. I want to hold you down and make you cum until you pass out from pure exhaustion, but I don’t ever want to lose this moment. And so I’m trying to see every detail so I can remember it forever.”

  I nodded. “Should I turn around again?” I asked.

  “It couldn’t hurt.”

  I turned around again, as slowly as I could, avoiding any desire I had to rush and move on to whatever was next because he was right. Every single moment of right now was a treasure, and it would only exist in th
e future in my memory. And memory was so fickle. Even the clearest memories I have are missing so many details because minds can only hold so much.

  I made it all the way around.

  “I’m ready,” he said. “Come here and climb on top of me.”

  He held me, he caressed me, he made every inch of my body yearn for him. I felt like a piano being played by an expert musician in the performance of a lifetime. For hours, he played me with his perfect touch, never staying for too long on one note before moving to the next, giving the last one a chance to reverberate through the room and recover before returning.

  I lost count of how many times he brought me to orgasm. I never knew I was capable of such complete satisfaction. By the end, he left me exhausted and unable to move. But it was the best kind of exhaustion, the kind where I wanted to keep going if only I could, like a child at an amusement park out way past her bedtime, begging to go on just one more ride before falling fast asleep in the backseat of the car.

  And that’s what I did, when we both eventually ran out of steam. I fell fast asleep in his arms, cuddling up against his chest, perfectly content with everything in my life. There was nowhere else I’d rather be, and no one else I’d rather be with.

  And whatever cynicism was triggering my anxiety earlier had melted away.

  I awoke the next day and everything felt like a vivid dream, but it was real. Glenn wasn’t beside me, so I put on a robe and walked out to the kitchen, where he was making pancakes.

  “Oh, you’re awake,” he said. “I was hoping to surprise you with breakfast in bed.”

  “I guess I’m too light of a sleeper,” I said.

  “One day, I’m going to get it right.”

  “Do you need any help?”

  “Nah,” he said. “Take a seat. You had a pretty exhausting night.”

  “I’m sure you’re pretty exhausted, too.”

  “Truthfully?” he said. “I’ve never had more energy. I slept great and woke up fully recharged. I’m ready to get right back to work after we refuel.” He winked at me.

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  “Why not?”

  Normally, I’d have to go to work or worry about bills, but that wasn’t an issue anymore. “Okay, keep tempting me.”

  He flipped a pancake onto a plate and handed it to me, along with a fork and knife.

  “To the lovely Mrs. Carter.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Carter.”

  He gave me the syrup and I put some on the plate. I cut off a piece of pancake and ate it.

  “Verdict?” he asked.

  “Perhaps the finest breakfast I’ve ever had,” I said.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “It’s very good, Glenn. Thank you very much.”

  His phone rang and he took a look at it but didn’t answer it.

  “Who is it?” I asked.

  “I don’t recognize the number. Probably a lawyer or something to do with the estate.”

  “Then you should probably go ahead and answer it.”

  He picked it up. “Hello?”

  The smile dropped from his face. “Who is this?”

  I had a guess, but I hoped to anything I was wrong.

  I wasn’t.

  Chapter Nine

  Glenn

  “Do not hang up the phone,” the voice on the other end said.

  “Who is this?” I asked.

  “I’m a friend of Amelia’s.”

  A friend of Amelia’s? Then why is he calling me?

  “Would you like to speak to her?”

  “Is she with you now?” he asked.

  I looked at Amelia and saw the color drain from her face. “No. What is this about?”

  “What this is about, Mr. Carter, is that she has very much upset me. And now that you’ve gone and made it your business, you have upset me, too. And I’m a person you do not want to upset.”

  “I think you have me confused with someone else,” I said.

  “Mr. Glenn Carter, future Alpha of the Carter dragon clan? Oh, I am very much aware of who you are. Congratulations on the recent marriage, by the way. I’m so glad it was entered so quickly into the public record.”

  “If you know who I am, then you know you shouldn’t be threatening me or anybody I care about.”

  “And yet I’m doing it anyway, what does that tell you about me?”

  Amelia took my hand. “Hang up the phone,” she mouthed.

  I gave her a “one-second” signal.

  “You tell me,” I said. “What should that tell me?”

  “It should tell you that you don’t frighten me. It should tell you I know how powerful you are and I am still willing to go after you so long as you both suffer. It tells you that I care more about your misery than my happiness and I will die trying to destroy you if need be.”

  “I see,” I told him. “It tells me that you’re stupid.”

  “Maybe,” he said, “but you’re not. And you know stupid can nonetheless be very dangerous. So if you know what’s good for you, you’ll send Amelia back to me so we can live our peaceful, humble life, and annul your marriage the first chance you get.”

  “I’m not doing that. I guess that means we’re two stupid people at a stand-still, aren’t we?”

  “If that’s how you want to play it,” he growled.

  “Do not call this number ever again. Do not try and get in contact with Amelia. If I even think I hear from you again, I will call the police. Do you understand me?”

  He laughed. “You really think I’ll listen to you?”

  “I hope for your sake that you do.”

  I hung up the phone.

  Amelia looked like she had seen a ghost.

  “Who was that?” I asked her, the question coming out louder than I intended.

  “My boyfriend,” she said. “Ex-boyfriend.”

  “It doesn’t sound like he’s gotten the memo that you broke up.” I looked over at the pan on the stove. A pancake sat on it, burned to a crisp. I turned off the burner. I wasn’t feeling especially hungry anymore.

  “I can’t imagine he has.”

  “Do I need to worry about him? Is he violent?”

  She paused, looking at me before slowly nodding. “Yes.”

  I felt the dragon inside me burn, but I kept him at bay. “What’s his name?”

  “Xavier. Xavier Flores.”

  “Anything else I should know about him?”

  “He’s a shifter. A wolf-shifter.”

  “Anything else?”

  She hesitated.

  “What do I need to know?” I said, again, much louder than I intended.

  “He’s a cop!” she said.

  No wonder he laughed when I said I’d call the police. He didn’t care. He was the police.

  “Look, I was in a bad relationship. Real bad. And it was getting worse quickly. I needed a way out. I needed a place to stay and a little money to get by. This opportunity came up and I took it as fast as I could.”

  I sighed. I couldn’t argue with that, but I wish she had let me know. “When were you planning on telling me about this?”

  She cringed. “Eventually? Maybe never? I don’t know. I was hoping he’d forget about me or give up and it wouldn’t be an issue. I was going to get a new phone so that he couldn’t contact me.”

  “Marriages are public record in California,” I said. “By marrying me and not telling me about this, you’re putting me in danger.”

  “What should I have done?” she asked, her eyes wide, begging for forgiveness.

  It was our first full day as a married couple. I didn’t want to fight with her and I wasn’t even sure what I wanted from her. “I don’t know,” I said. “I think I just need time to sit with the idea.”

  She took another bite of her pancake. “At least breakfast is good,” she said.

  “Thanks,” I said. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

  I called the front desk when I got a chance.

  “Hello, Mr. Carter, how may
I help you today?”

  “I’m concerned,” I said. “My wife may have a stalker, and I want to know what security implementations we have in place to ensure that we’re all safe.”

  “Rest assured, Mr. Carter, the building is very safe. Nobody from the outside is allowed in without an invitation from one of our tenants. We have security patrolling the building around the clock and, if you see anything suspicious, we encourage you to contact us here at the front desk so they investigate.”

  “What about police?” I asked.

  “You can also call the police, yes, Mr. Carter.”

  “No,” I said. “Is a police officer allowed in without an invitation?”

  “Only with a warrant.”

  “So it’s safe, you’re saying?”

  “Very. I can transfer you to the head of security if you’d like more details.”

  “No, thank you,” I said and then hung up the phone. The building was safe; what more could I do?

  Chapter Ten

  Amelia

  I wish I had told him right away. If I had told him right away, maybe he would have understood. Maybe he wouldn’t have felt that the first couple weeks of our relationship was a lie. I truly did want to be with Glenn and, against my better judgment, I did love him. But I got the impression that I was using him and that none of this was real. Which was ridiculous because that’s exactly what he signed up for. The Fiery Hearts Marriage Agency wasn’t about real marriages. It was about sham marriages. He was just mad because I did a good job of making it seem real.

  The weeks passed by and we didn’t leave the apartment, ordering food in and having groceries delivered. We didn’t talk about it, but, at least for me, it was because I was afraid of Xavier. He didn’t call or text me again, but that was how he worked sometimes.

  When he slapped me, it really didn’t hurt very much. At the very least, the pain went away quickly and I recovered. I couldn’t tell you, however, how many times I cowered in fear that he might hit me. And I think that was what the phone call was. It was him telling us that he knew where I was and something bad was going to happen, but he left it to our imagination.