Fake Fiancé, Real Love: Fake Fiance Accidental Marriage Box Set

by Dez Burke

  To all the heights he went to, Nick took Kaycie with him. And she simply slayed him when she took all he had to give, even as far as to meet him halfway. He’d never met a woman like her; who took such joy in satisfying her man and whose pleasure was totally embedded in his.

  The moment he felt her walls begin to twitch and convulse around his grinding shaft, only then could he finally unleash the final grip on his restraint. He came in a rush of fast, heedless thrusts as Kaycie screeched and shook beneath him. Nick felt an answering tremor rock his frame as he collapsed against her; heart, soul and body replete.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Phew! Am I glad you talked me into chilling out the beach. I had so much fun!” Kaycie exclaimed, walking back into the house and reclining on one of the living room sofas. She’d been so self-conscious about exposing her body in a swimsuit especially when the bruises from her accident could still be evident. But Nick had assured her she would look gorgeous and besides, the villa was on a private beach; it was just them for miles and miles.

  Since that was the case, Kaycie picked her skimpiest pair, though she still felt shy walking around almost naked in broad daylight beneath the gleaming eyes of her sexy-as-hell husband. Gone was the brooding, controlling Nick she remembered. He was just the perfect gentleman, attentive and charming. They had their romantic walk on the beach and then a picnic high on some rocks overlooking the water. The serenity and the eloquence in every wave and cloud was mesmerizing.

  They’d talked and she’d flirted terribly with him; it still felt like the first time when she was around him and Kaycie took delight in teasing him with saucy comments he least expected. Like telling him that though she’d always found him cocky when she first met him, she’d had sleepless nights filled with fantasies of being taken hard and roughly by him.

  “And just in case you’re wondering, baby you’ve succeeded in fulfilling every one of those raunchy fantasies,” Kaycie had cooed in his ear, and he’d growled, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her round and round on the sand. Kaycie couldn’t stop giggling as she clung to his broad shoulders dressed in a white linen shirt, left unbuttoned beneath his rolled-up matching white pants.

  “You do great things for my ego, little one,” Nick had teased, his dark eyes pleased and crinkling. “I’ll have to remind myself not to get a bighead before this honeymoon is over.”

  Kaycie had merely laughed, glad to see him look so happy. And now he sat next to her on the sofa, handing her a glass of a cool cocktail which Kaycie sipped on gratefully.

  “I think the walk out in the sun has brought the bloom back in your cheeks,” he said with a tender stroke of his knuckles along the side of her face. “I was beginning to feel guilty, barely letting you go from bedroom to shower in all the days since we arrived.”

  “Hmm,” Kaycie purred, looking at him over her glass and meeting his wolfish grin. “I recall we did make it to the kitchen a few times – after all we both couldn’t live on hot sex alone.”

  Nick let out a deep chuckle as he took her free hand and kissed the knuckles warmly. “Speak for yourself, cara mia. This sexy body’s got all the nourishment a grown man like me needs.” And to buttress his point, he lowered his head to take a hearty nibble from her bare shoulder, making her squeal.

  But then Kaycie’s eyes sobered, and she sighed deeply. “If only I could remember...” She paused, frowning slightly as she felt Nick stiffen. She’d sensed early on that he didn’t really like her straining her memory or bringing up anything that must have happened before she woke up lying in that hospital bed. And yet it was two weeks since then and even with all the happy times they’d shared here on this beautiful Greek island in his dreamy villa, Kaycie could no longer fight the factuality that there were a few pieces to the puzzle missing, and it bugged her.

  Now that she felt stronger not just physically but mentally, Kaycie felt it was about time she tried to put the lost pieces back together.

  KAYCIE WAS LOOKING right at him as she asked, “What do you think happened, Nick?”

  Nick paused, not sure exactly how or where to start. He could read the uncertainty in her eyes and he loathed himself for wishing this conversation wasn’t about to happen.

  “I’ve been wary to ask,” she went on less confidently, her eyes downcast as she fidgeted with her glass. “I kept hoping it would all just come back to me eventually. But now I just want to know.”

  Nick drew in a deep sigh and thought, this was it. They’d spent the last two weeks blissfully, taking each day as it came. Making each moment count. Nick had been happy to shut out the outside world; no checking his business emails, warning his assistants not to call him unless it was an unavoidable emergency.

  He’d even spoken to Kaycie’s parents and closest friends and warned them about her memory loss, asking that they leave him to try to explain what may have happened. Nick wasn’t sure how much he could count on them to keep from stressing Kaycie with their own version of events. And yet now here he was, with no way to avoid the inevitable. Kaycie needed answers and she needed them now.

  Bracing himself, he asked calmly and yet knowing he was hedging, “Exactly what do you remember?”

  “Um, let’s see...” Kaycie’s expression was thoughtful as she tapped her chin. “I recall all about the way we met that night at Mark’s party – you know, with Rachel breaking up with you and then you proposing to me.”

  Nick’s lips twisted somewhat wryly. “Thank you for putting it so mildly. Considering I demanded you marry me or lose all you worked for.”

  Kaycie seemed to squirm, but then placed a hand on his with a warm touch. “I’m not bringing all this up to drag up the wrong or right of anything that’s happened. I don’t regret being here with you, right now.”

  “Thank you,” he said simply, catching her hand and planting a kiss on the soft underside of her wrist. Kaycie squirmed once again, with pleasure this time, but then became serious again.

  “Okay; then I can see the wedding and both of us standing together talking and afterwards you walking away from me...” She paused with a deep sigh and a shake of her head. “But then that’s where it’s all a blur; right up to the moment I opened my eyes in the hospital.”

  Kaycie’s gaze sought his. “Can’t you tell me what happened in between?”

  “I can’t. Because I don’t know,” Nick said honestly. And how was he going to be able to tell her that she’d packed a bag and deserted him on their wedding day, disappearing for weeks before he finally found her?

  And then to almost lose her again when that bike had run her down? An accident he blamed himself for everyday because she’d been running away from him, again? It all seemed too absurd to try to relate to her.

  “Look, Nick,” Kaycie said with a small smile, “You can cut out the mystery, okay? I understand that you’re trying to protect me because the doctor told us I had to take it easy and not rush things, and that the memory loss is only temporary – or so he says.”

  “So he says,” Nick heard himself echo somewhat hollowly, as in that instant he wished that Kaycie could remain this way, with that terrible part of her life lost to them for good.

  That way it wouldn’t come back to destroy the happiness they now shared.

  Dios, but he loved this woman. The past several days spent alone with her had given enough opportunity to count the ways Kaycie was not just beautiful on the outside, but inside. She had the brightest disposition; was highly intelligent and interested in the world around her.

  They could discuss anything under the sun; art, music and current affairs and she always had an informed opinion. Not that they had spent that much time talking, considering how many – or how few – the hours they’d spent out of bed. But when they did get to talk, she showed a true depth of character that beguiled and struck him.

  Sensing her own feelings of love for him was the icing on the cake. He could tell she loved spending time with him; and that when they made love, she was thrilled by hi
s touch and his possession. Getting her memory back and all that went with it, would mean Nick having to test the extent of her love for him – as in whether she loved him enough to forgive him for whatever he may have done. But dammit, he couldn’t figure out what the hell that was.

  “Okay,” Nick let out on a deep sigh, closing his eyes briefly as he pinched the bridge of his nose and worked out what he planned to say. He wasn’t sure she was ready for the truth yet; it might be a selfish decision on his part but for now, he felt sure it was best not to give her all the facts – as he knew them.

  He still needed some answers himself, so how was he supposed to give her the whole truth? So many things were yet to make sense – for either of them. Not without her memory returning.

  “It’s like this; we got married and afterwards you got on a flight to Italy.”

  “But we planned to come to Greece for our honeymoon,” Kaycie cut in.

  Nick blinked. “Ah...we changed our mind,” he said lamely.

  “Well, it was a bad idea since it landed me in the hospital with bruises and a piece cut out of my life...Hold up, did you say I got on the flight? What about you?”

  “I...had to stay back for some time because I had some business engagements that came up unexpectedly that required my personal attention. And then you remember there was still the matter of handling the issue of that clause in my father’s will – my birthday was three days later and there were tons of documents to sign.”

  Kaycie nodded with a thoughtful expression, and Nick added quickly, “Anyway, I joined you soon enough, and minus the bike accident, I think we’ve been having a great time, no?”

  He smiled roguishly, gathering her close while deep inside, he felt like such a bastard for lying. But Kaycie was his little treasure – his tesoro and he’d do anything to protect her from any kind of pain. And hopefully when truth time came they’d both be strong enough to face it.

  Kaycie crossed her arms behind his neck and stared solemnly into his eyes, as if she could see right through his playful façade. “You know what? I don’t really care about if I remember everything or not. Because come what may, I love you, Nick. I have for a long time and I’m sure I always will.”

  Nick’s heart felt like it was clenched in a tight fist and he almost couldn’t breathe. His smile died off as he gazed back into her deep brown eyes. Madre di Dios! He was like a teenager again when it came to this woman.

  The cold-hearted businessman who’d earned respect of peers and rivals alike and even men far older than him; the same Nick who’d never cared for love or even believed in it, who’d only focused on his cut-throat career and regaining his hard-won birthright, was almost pushed to tears with emotion as he felt the depth of Kaycie’s love shining through her beautiful brown eyes.

  “DO YOU TRULY MEAN THAT?” Nick asked her thickly.

  Kaycie felt his strong arms close around her more tightly and she quelled a flinch, her fingers digging into his hair as she drew him close for a clinging, reassuring kiss. “Yes. I do. I used to be so scared to allow myself to grow feelings for you,” she breathed against his lips. “I kept thinking I’m far from the suitable wife your friends or family would expect for the billionaire Nick Vitale. I don’t have the right connections or the class.”

  “Kaycie...”

  “But then I convinced myself,” she went on firmly, placing a shushing finger on his lips, “That you, Nick Vitale, would be lucky to have a woman like me because I can see through your cold, icy walls to the man of worth beneath. Your name and money meant nothing; I was drawn only to the person within. The man whose one touch could set my blood rushing faster through my veins, whose voice calmed and yet thrilled me, who made my body sing. And I realized I was lucky too, because I have you. You’re mine, Nick,” she added firmly, pouting with playful possessiveness as she threw those last words back at him, words he’d said to her before, almost a lifetime ago but which had always made her spine tingle from the force of his dominance.

  “All yours,” he responded with fierceness in his eyes that stilled her breath. He pressed a ravishing kiss to her mouth, plunging them both in a sizzling whirlpool.

  As always, his kisses and caresses chased the doubts away. And yet Kaycie felt that one lingering dread that he was keeping something from her, and she had this feeling that she was making a futile attempt to escape from something unpleasant and inevitable that would hurt her terribly.

  But Kaycie refused to believe the worst of Nick. Whatever had happened when they’d met, he’d proven over and over that he was a good man. Better than she could have hoped for considering her lack of experience in the male department. And if Nick wasn’t the wonderful man she thought he was then only time would tell.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kaycie felt ridiculous, her hair packed up underneath a baseball cap concealing half of her face and dressed in her most disreputable jeans and sweatshirt. Stepping down from the plane, she glanced at Nick as he too made his way down, a pair of dark aviators shielding his eyes. Not much of a disguise, but it had been all they could come up with.

  He took her arm once they got on the tarmac. “We could be lucky and not get spotted by a journalist looking to make a scoop with photos. But if we do get to bump into any of those infernal paparazzi, then remember; you had to travel ahead to Italy without me. I still had some business to finish up. And after a few weeks, I joined you. That’s all you need to say.”

  Kaycie would have expected a ‘no comment’ answer more appropriate to any curious, nosy photographers or journalists. But then she really wasn’t used to any kind of publicity so Kaycie decided to listen to Nick’s advice on how to handle paparazzi. But at the back of her mind, she still couldn’t help the niggling doubts. Had she really gone to Italy alone to wait for him? Why would she have left on her honeymoon without her groom? And had she really had to wait five whole weeks before he finally managed to drag himself from his business concerns to join her?

  Her parents and pals were not much help; they were just as vague saying they knew she’d left but hadn’t been aware of her plans. And Kaycie knew she’d always been the type to value her privacy and she didn’t really go about blabbing to people. To date no one even knew she’d been blackmailed into marrying Nick – except maybe her closest friend Natasha. Kaycie suddenly decided that the first chance she got, she was having a sit-down with her old girlfriend. If anyone could help her get to the bottom of this, Natasha could.

  Kaycie truly wanted to trust Nick and believe he would always act in her best interest, but she couldn’t help thinking he only told her what he wanted her to believe.

  “Hey,” Nick said, breaking into her thoughts and squeezing gently on her shoulder. She turned to him with a somewhat guilty smile, only just becoming aware of her surroundings. They were in the back of the limo which had picked them up from the airport, and Nick’s smile was far more relaxed now that they were free from any unwanted attention.

  “You were far away,” he added, and brushed off her baseball cap, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he gazed down at her warmly. “That’s better. It should be a crime to hide those beautiful brown eyes.”

  Kaycie gave Nick an answering smile of equal warmth, berating herself once again for doubting him for even a second. He obviously loved and cared for her...why would a few weeks cut out of her life mean anything, when she finally had all she needed right here?

  Nick had once told her he’d never thought of love as criteria for marriage. Oh, she remembered that much. But look at them now. The situation was totally different now. She really shouldn’t care either way what had happened in the past, so long as they had each other, right?

  KAYCIE COULDN’T HELP wincing in response to Natasha’s squeal of delight as both girls hugged tightly. Kaycie had just walked into the coffee shop where Natasha had suggested they meet to ‘catch up’ on things since the last time they’d seen or spoken.

  “What on earth happened? No phone call, not even
a text or email...where did you get off to? How could...”

  “One at a time,” Kaycie broke in, laughing as they settled into their seats. First they ordered coffee and bagels, and then once she’d taken her first few sips from her cup of skinny cappuccino, she felt ready enough to say, “Okay, first question; a lot happened. But probably not what you might think. Nick told me how you guys were all worried when I left without him.”

  “And without telling anyone!” cried Natasha accusingly.

  Kaycie frowned to herself at that, but then went on after the interruption. “I’m sorry about that. But it must have had something to do with keeping the paparazzi off my trail or whatever. I don’t believe Nick wanted them to know exactly where we were going for our honeymoon. And well, to your second question: I was in Italy. Nick stayed back here to tie up some loose ends.”

  “For a month?” Natasha said incredulously, shaking her head between gulps of her coffee. “Hmm girl, that’s not what we were thinking, believe me. When you disappeared like that, everyone – including me, thought you’d run off, dumping your husband before the honeymoon.”

  “Perish the thought!” Kaycie gasped, laughing hollowly. But she was thinking, what the hell had given them that idea?

  “And Nick,” Natasha went on doggedly, “Was almost dazed with anxiety. That’s why I’m really skeptical when you say the reasons you left the way you did. Especially when I know how things really stood between you two. After all, the man blackmailed you into marriage. Maybe you suddenly had cold feet or something even after the vows were shared. I was hoping you’d tell me exactly what must have come over you, and not feed me this cover-up tale. I mean, I know you suffered some memory loss from that accident – yeah, your mom told me about that. But as to the rest of the story you both cooked up, I ain’t buying it.”