by B. B. Hamel
“Okay, fine. You’re filthy rich. What does this have to do with marrying me?”
“I’m getting there. My father is a conservative man, very conservative. He doesn’t exactly approve of my bachelor lifestyle.” A little smile ghosts across his face. “We haven’t always seen eye to eye, to put it mildly. So when I got the call that the family’s gathering at our Alaska island, I knew it might be my last chance.”
“Alaska… island?” I ask stupidly.
“Oh, it’s just some island we own off the southern coast of Alaska,” he says, waving a hand. “We gather maybe once a year, the whole family. It’s a total fucking nightmare, but this time I think my father might announce the successor.” He gives me a long, cool look. “That’s why I want to marry you.”
“You want to marry me… because your dad is going to name his heir?” I stare at him like he’s insane, because I think he might be. I mean, the guy basically cooked a chicken with a flame-thrower.
“Like I said, he’s conservative. If I can bring home a wife and show him that I’ve settled down, he’ll choose me. I’m the oldest and the most qualified and he knows it, but I’m not married. He wants to make sure that whoever gets the company will pass it down through the generations.”
I shake my head wildly, laughing like I’m losing my mind. “Let me get this straight. You want to marry me… to fool your dad… to get him to pick you as his heir. Because you’re from a stupidly rich family and, like, heirs and lineages still matter. Right?”
“More or less, right.”
“No freaking way.” I stand up. “It’s been fun, but I’m out.”
“Hold on.” He stands and I’m already walking away. “Wait, Casey. Hold on.”
“No thanks,” I say. “I know how this ends. I get murdered and sacrificed to some weird god on some random island. No way, no how. I’ll just walk dogs forever.”
“I’ll pay you,” he says quickly. “I won’t touch you while we’re there. Just pretend to be my wife.”
I reach the stairs and stop. I look down at the foyer below, at where I really belong, before glancing back at him. He’s still gorgeous, almost otherworldly. The room, sans smoke, is actually richly decorated and lavishly comfortable. It’s the sort of room that I’d normally never, ever get to exist in, let alone have sex in.
Maybe I should cut my losses.
But down there, down in that foyer, is my real life. Walking dogs, praying for money, coming up short. Down there is reality, and honestly, reality sucks.
“I’ll pay you,” he says again.
I turn to him. “I want a piece of the company.”
That surprises him. “You want what?”
“I want a piece. You have this generational wealth, right? I want a piece of that. Say, ten percent.”
He snorts. “No way in hell.”
“Ten percent of the company once it’s yours. I’ll marry you and be the best fake wife in the world for ten percent. Oh, and you promise not to try and touch me while we’re pretending to be engaged.”
He rolls his eyes. “I was just cock-deep between your legs and you’re going to—”
“Nope,” I say loudly. “No way. You’re pretending that never happened.”
He smirks at me. “Fine. I’ll pretend. But you’re not getting ten percent.”
“Five then,” I say.
“You can get one percent.”
“Not enough.”
“One percent is worth millions. You can sell half that, be filthy rich, and pass down the rest to your children, and they’ll be even richer. One percent is more than most people will ever even dream of in a single lifetime. One percent is all I’m willing to part with. The rest is mine.”
I stare at him for a long time. I don’t move. I can feel the tension between us. He’s shirtless, gorgeous, incredible. I can still feel him between my legs.
“One percent and you don’t touch me. If you try anything, I’ll ruin your whole game.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Casey dear,” he says. He walks up to me and thrusts out a hand. “Do we have a deal?”
I stare at it for a long moment before shaking. “We have a deal.”
“Good.” His smile is like fire and lightning. I feel terrified as I pull my hand back.
“Did I just make a terrible mistake?” I ask him.
“You’ll find out,” he says. “Go home. We leave in three weeks.”
I feel a shiver run down my spine. “Okay, right. Three weeks.”
“You don’t have to walk Billy. I’ll find someone else. But I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Okay, sure.” I take a deep breath.
He smiles at me. “Goodnight, Casey.”
I turn and I walk down those steps, the steps I never should’ve climbed. I can feel him watching me as I go, and when I finally step back outside into the comfortable New York evening, I can feel his hands on my body still, lingering like ghosts.
2
Ryan
The car shows up outside of her apartment early in the morning three weeks later. I halfway expect her not to show up, but after only a couple minutes of idling, she appears. She’s wearing tight black yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt, and god, she still looks fucking gorgeous.
I haven’t been able to get the feeling of her tight little cunt or her gorgeous body off my mind. For three weeks, I’ve thought about her. Watching her ride my cock was the highlight of my fucking year, maybe the highlight of the last decade, and that’s saying something. I’ve had my fair share of women. There’s a reason I’m still a bachelor. And she makes the whole lot of them disappear from my mind.
I have no clue how she’s just my dogwalker or how she just randomly appeared in my house like that, but the timing couldn’t have been better.
I get out and throw her bag in the trunk. She slips into the back seat with me, frowning a little bit.
“So this is real, huh?” she says. “I thought it was a dream.”
“And yet here you are.”
She doesn’t answer.
I tell the driver to get going and we slip out into traffic. The flight isn’t for a few hours, but it’s New York traffic, which means excruciating. I keep shooting her glances as we go, wondering what she’s thinking.
This is an insane idea. We both know it. Except I know how insane my family is and how bad things are going to get, but she has no clue.
I need to prepare her. But I don’t know how.
We reach the airport after what feels like forever in the back of that damn car. The driver drops us off and I carry our bags through the terminal. We wait in line, check our bags, and then head through security. We don’t talk as we do it, she just moves along automatically like she’s barely able to believe what’s happening.
Finally, we find ourselves in the first-class lounge with an hour to spare.
“So,” I say to her for the first time since I picked her up.
“So,” she says back.
“There are some things you should know.”
She stares at me for a long moment before she bursts out laughing. I grin a little bit. There’s an edge to her laughter and she gets up, shaking her head. She goes and gets herself a complimentary coffee from the little bar and I shift in my seat, clenching my jaw. She returns and sits down with a sigh.
“Okay,” she says and sips her drink. “Talk.”
“First of all, my family is insane.”
“I figured.”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“If they’re anything like you.”
I laugh a little at that. “Okay, fair enough.”
“I mean, this is totally crazy. Like, really crazy. You really want me to lie to your parents? To your whole family?”
“Absolutely,” I say with conviction. “And you know what? They’d do the same fucking thing if they were in my position.”
“Really?” she asks.
“Really. Listen, Casey. My family is full of cutthroat s
nakes that’ll do anything, absolutely anything, to get what they want. And they all want to be my father’s heir.”
“How many people are going to be there, exactly?” she asks.
“I have three younger brothers and two younger sisters. I have aunts, uncles, cousins, plus the staff. I’d say anywhere from twenty to forty people, depending on who shows up.”
She stares at me like I’ve gone insane. “That’s a huge family.”
“No shit. Apparently rich people reproduce like rabbits. I guess we’re the only ones that can afford a big family these days.”
“So we’ll lie to them all? Do you like any of them?”
“A couple cousins,” I admit. “And my sisters. But stay away from my brothers and my uncles. Seriously, Casey. Stay away from them.”
She nods slowly. “Okay. I will.”
“Good. Now. My brother Joel is the current favorite. He’s a real piece of shit with a nice perfect little family. He’s going to try to sabotage us the hardest. You’ll need to be careful of him, including his children.”
“His… children?”
“They’re young, but watch out. They’re vicious.”
“I can’t tell if you’re joking.”
“Casey, baby, I promise I’m not joking about any of this shit.” I lean back and stare at the floor bitterly. “I wish I were.”
We lapse into silence. She sips her coffee and I can tell she’s already overwhelmed.
Well, fuck it. She needs to toughen up and fast. My family is going to eat her alive if she can’t handle this part.
Maybe I’ve made a mistake. I don’t know this girl at all and there’s a lot on the line. If she fucks up somehow and isn’t up to the task, I’m totally screwed. Bringing her is a big risk and I need her to perform.
I could’ve come alone. Maybe I could’ve convinced my father to choose me. I am the most talented and the oldest. But the family thing is a sticking point for him, and Joel’s the next in line. If I want a real shot, I need her.
Fucking hell. What a situation.
We kill time in the lounge after that. She reads on her phone and I leave her be. I’m starting to get antsy, annoyed, and I keep wondering if this is the worst idea possible.
Soon though, the flight boards. We board first, up in first class. She looks a little shell-shocked and I can tell she’s never flown first class before. Once we’re settled and the plane takes off, I lean over to her.
“Listen,” I say. “I know this is intense. Just… you’re going to be fine, okay?”
She looks at me and I swear, she looks a little green. But she nods slowly. “What’s your last name?” she asks.
I sit back and laugh. I can’t help myself. I laugh stupidly and loudly. Some of the other passengers give me a look and I can tell she’s getting annoyed.
“What’s so funny?” she hisses.
“Nothing, it’s just, you don’t even know my last name. God, this stupid last name is so fucking important to everyone and you don’t even know it.”
“Just tell me.”
I grin at her. “Boulton,” I say. “And you’re Casey Boulton from now on.”
“Boulton,” she repeats. “I can handle that.”
“I’m sure you can, Casey baby.” I laugh again, shaking my head. “What a stupid idea.”
“It’s not too late to back out.”
“No, it’s definitely too late. I already told my parents you’re coming.”
She takes a sharp breath. “They know already?”
“Told them last night.”
“What’s… what’s our story?”
“You’re my dogwalker. We started dating, fell in love, got engaged. I didn’t tell them because you’re not from the country club, if you know what I mean.”
“Dick,” she says.
“Whatever, it’s a reason they understood at least. But now they know and there’s no going back.”
“Okay.” She leans back in her seat. “We can do this.”
“The story isn’t so complicated and it’s somewhat true. You are my dogwalker and we did fuck.”
She shoots me a glare. “Ryan.”
“It’s true. Or did I make that up? God, it was a really fucking good dream if I did. Do you know how sexy you are when you’re riding a fat, hard—”
“Ryan,” she says again, louder this time.
I just laugh and relax back into my chair.
Fuck, what a bad idea. What a stupid, dumb, bad idea. But the way she blushes, the way she glares at me…
This just might be fun.
I know I’ll regret it at some point. I mean, we’re total strangers after all. But I have a feeling that she might be able to pull this off.
Now all I need to do is keep my hands to myself.
That’s going to be pretty damn hard.
3
Casey
We land in Juneau after a few excruciating hours in that plane next to Ryan. I keep wondering what the hell I’m thinking, following this guy to some secluded island in the middle of nowhere. He could so easily just murder me and dispose of the body, and nobody would know anything about it.
I’m not telling my friends about this. I’m not telling my family. As far as I’m concerned, I’m doing this all alone. And when it’s over, I’ll never have to worry about money ever again.
I assume we’re taking a ferry or a boat out to the island, but instead of leaving the airport, Ryan leads me over to a different terminal.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“You’ll see.”
I frown. “Don’t give me cryptic shit.”
“Come on. It’s a surprise.”
“I don’t like surprises, especially when they have to do with planes.”
He laughs but he doesn’t answer. We wheel our bags down the terminal until we end up in an entirely different place. Ryan shows them his ID, but apparently he doesn’t need a ticket. We’re ushered into a private waiting room, not exactly nice but well-kept and very clean, until a man walks into the room and leans up against the wall.
“Ryan?” he barks.
Ryan gets up slowly. “Good day, Ash.”
The man has a booming laugh. He’s a few inches shorter than Ryan with dark, midnight black hair and an eyepatch. I stare at him, totally shocked. I’ve never seen someone with an actual eyepatch before. He’s wearing cargo pants and a rough dark gray shirt. He looks like he’s about to go on a hike through the jungle, like some kind of survivalist pirate.
Ryan hugs him and looks at me. “Casey, this is Ash. He works for my family.”
I walk over and extend my hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“This is her, then?” he asks.
“This is her.”
Ash ignores my hand. He bends closer to me, like he’s inspecting a prized piece of meat. He lets out a little noise and nods. “Not bad,” he says finally.
“Don’t be a dick,” Ryan says.
Ash laughs and gives me a big hug. He’s lean and muscular and I can’t help but laugh in return.
“Ash is the head of security,” Ryan clarifies.
“Oh.”
“He’s taking us over. Which are we flying in?”
“Sea Queen,” Ash says. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
“Wait,” I say as the two men start walking away. “Flying?”
Ryan grins at me but doesn’t say more.
We’re ushered through a series of back hallways until we walk out into a large, open hangar. There are a few planes parked inside, but we head right to an old, beat-up-looking thing pushed right up front.
For a second, I think they’re joking. I mean, Ryan’s family must be rich enough to own an entire fleet of planes, and that thing looks like it can’t even fly at all. There are cracks in the windows and the words Sea Queen look like they’ve been painted on about twenty extra times.
“What’s wrong?” Ryan asks me as I stop and stare.
“Are you joking? That… that
thing is terrifying.”
Ash looks horrified. “How dare you.”
“Casey,” Ryan warns.
“What? It’s falling apart. Seriously, I think that one window is broken. You want me to get in that death trap? No way in hell will I ever—”
I get cut off as Ash whirls on me. He steps closer, finger wagging in my face. “You listen here, young lady. That plane has brought generations of Boultons to the island safely. I’ve never, ever, ever put a passenger’s life in jeopardy, and I’m not about to begin today.”
He glares at me out of his one good eye and I just stand there staring back, completely shocked.
Ryan breaks the tension by laughing.
“Relax, Ash,” he says. “She’s got a point. The Sea Queen is a mess.”
Ash narrows his eye at me then turns away and puts his arm around Ryan. “Well, young master, that’s because it has character. You know what that is? Character?”
“Sure, it something I’m told I’m lacking.”
They laugh together, like it’s some old joke. I follow them to the plane, shaking my head, totally mystified. Apparently, their one-eyed pirate captain head of security now hates me because I insulted his precious little plane, which sucks, but oh, well.
We load our bags in and climb inside. I expect the pilot to show up any second, but Ash just gets into the front seat behind the control and fires it up.
I stare at Ryan and he just laughs at me.
The one-eyed pilot taxis the plane out, talks over the coms, and we finally take off. It’s without a doubt the most terrifying, bumpy experience of my life, but the Sea Queen does finally reach the air.
It’s loud in the plane. I stare out the window, not able to hear anything but the roaring of the engine. I watch as Juneau slowly disappears down below me as the plane climbs. It banks and my stomach floats up into my chest before we level off and fly away for the coast.
“Look,” Ryan says loudly, pointing. Below, we’re passing over a bunch of little landmasses, strung out over the water. We’re not so high that they look like dots, more like toys.
I have to admit, despite the fact that we’re flying in the oldest, most dangerous plane I’ve ever seen with a pilot that has only one eye and who probably hates me, it’s actually a really amazing experience. The ocean is so blue and gorgeous and the islands down below are lush and covered in trees. It’s unspoiled land, the sort of place I’ve never seen before.
