The Billionaire’s Pretend Girlfriend (The Billionaires Club Book 2)

by Leslie North

  He laughed. “I hope that’s a good ‘what the hell.’”

  “It’s a life-changing what the hell,” she clarified, unable to muster the energy to feel embarrassed.

  Daniel smiled, lowering to press his lips to hers in a soft, tender kiss.

  “Agreed,” he said, and then with an evil glint in his eye, he added, “Princess.”

  9

  Daniel existed in some other universe after that orgasm.

  He’d been with plenty of women in his life, but he’d never been with anyone like Jackie.

  That fact was proving itself over and over again. It was like everywhere he turned now, everything that showed up in his life, was there to remind him how great Jackie was. How special she’d become to him. How much he wanted to dive even deeper into her.

  They lay on the bed in blissful silence for a long time, occasionally laughing or swatting at each other. The only time either of them moved was for Daniel to toss the spent condom, and Jackie to eventually get up to pee.

  Once the afterglow had worn off and Daniel felt like he could think clearly again, a question slipped out that had been rattling through his head all evening.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were in the foster system?” The question leapt past his lips before he could think better of it. She glanced at him, a brow lifted.

  “That’s some interesting post-coital pillow talk.”

  He rubbed at his face. “Sorry. I’m curious. You don’t have to go there if you don’t want to.”

  Jackie rolled onto her side, dragging a fingertip across his chest like she was tracing an invisible map. “It’s okay. I don’t usually bring it up. And, well, considering we’re basically strangers…it’s not like we’ve had a ton of time to talk about the fact that I’m an orphan.”

  He frowned. “I’m sorry.”

  “It is what it is.”

  “How did it happen?”

  Jackie gnawed on her bottom lip, her finger trail pausing momentarily. “I don’t remember it. I’m told my mom dropped me off at fire station when I was three.”

  Hurt slashed through him. He turned to look at her, and found an oddly stoic expression on her face. “At age three? Do you know anything about why she had to do it?”

  Jackie shook her head. “I have no idea who she is…or was. Or why. Or any of it.” She lobbed a sigh. “Trust me, I’ve wrestled with this my whole life. Anyway, I was put in the foster system and that was where I stayed. I never got adopted. I had a few good families, a couple great ones, and several really bad ones. But that’s what made me the punk pixie princess you insist on calling me.”

  He smiled, but it faded quickly. He couldn’t even imagine what her childhood must have been like. The pain, or the wondering, or the questions, and the rage. He scooped his arm underneath her, bringing her crashing into him for a hug.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault,” she said, mouth smashed into his side.

  “I know. But I’m still sorry. Is that why you’re trying to become a social worker?”

  She nodded, cuddling up to him. Even though their skin was sticky with cooled sweat, he didn’t mind the feel of her pressed up to him. In fact, he wished they could never move from this spot.

  “Yep. If I can survive a childhood like I had, I want to help other kids make a go of it too. I just want to help people. That’s the only way any of us can make it through life, you know? Helping each other out. It’s all I have to give. And I’m going to give it.”

  Daniel pressed a kiss to the top of her head. If he’d been enamored by her before, now he was practically head over heels.

  “But hey, that’s enough about my tragic childhood,” Jackie cracked. “Let’s hear about yours!”

  Daniel chuckled, tightening his grip around her. “I wouldn’t call it tragic. Just…lonely.”

  “That can be tragic in its own way. And something I definitely relate to,” Jackie said.

  “My dad is kind of obsessive about work, and winning. And, well, it got in the way of a lot growing up. It’s why we could never have a dog. He said pets, and friends for that matter, were unimportant.”

  “Ouch,” Jackie said. “I’d argue they’re what makes life worth living.”

  Daniel sighed, feeling the familiar pangs of frustration return to him. He’d been having this battle with his father all his life. “Yeah. When my mom passed, my dad about blacklisted me from the company because I chose to fly home for the funeral instead of staying in England to close a deal I’d been working on.”

  Jackie gasped, looking up at him with watery eyes. “Oh, my God.”

  “I try to accept him for who he is. And honestly, I try to see him more as a business partner than my father. It’s not great, but it’s what it is.”

  Jackie nodded, humming her agreement. “Yeah. Sometimes, your deepest suffering comes from trying to change things, instead of just accepting them as they are. It’s taken me my whole life to really understand that.”

  “You’re wise beyond your years,” Daniel murmured into the top of her head. The floral scent of her made his head spin, especially when combined with the mind-blowing sex and the sweet intimacy of simply being here in bed with her. “I still don’t think I fully understand that.”

  She grinned up at him. “Then maybe it’s a good thing you walked in on me using your bathtub, huh?”

  Warmth spread through him. There was something so beautifully innocent in her words. All he could do was get lost in her gaze and snag her lips in another kiss.

  “I think coming home early from Seoul had a few benefits,” Daniel teased, smoothing his lips along her jawline. She shifted against him, pressing her thigh between his legs. His cock rose to life again, swelling until it pressed against her low belly.

  She inhaled sharply, lifting a brow. “Is that…?”

  “Yes, it is.” He couldn’t stop the mischievous grin. “He just wanted to make sure you didn’t forget about him.”

  Jackie threw her head back in delight. “How could I? I won’t forget for the rest of my life.”

  He buried his lips in the hollow of her neck, like he might be able to hide the smile that betrayed how much her comment warmed him.

  “Was it that huge?” he murmured, gently easing her on to her back. Her smile widened as he covered her body with his.

  She giggled, her thighs splaying open as he wriggled into place between her legs. When her ankles hooked behind his back, he realized that he needed her again. Now.

  “What do you say we go for round two, princess?” His flexed his hips, his cock skimming her juicy folds. Now this, right here—this was the type of situation he wouldn’t mind finding himself in a lot more often.

  When Jackie was beneath him, in his arms, looking at him like he was the most fascinating, intriguing thing in the entire world? She made him forget about the work stress. About the fact that his email had probably already ticked up to the hundreds in unread messages, even in just the small handful of hours he’d spent away. She made him want to stay right here—diving deeper into whatever this was.

  Jackie pulled him into her for a sloppy kiss that tasted like she wanted it just as much as she did. When they broke apart, he pressed his forehead to hers.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” he whispered.

  “It’s a fuck yes,” she clarified.

  Daniel pushed off the bed, hunting for his jeans once more. He fished a second condom out, tearing the package open with his teeth. Thank God Blake had sent him with an extra “just in case” condom. Daniel had almost implored him not to. Hell, he hadn’t thought he’d get to first base with Jackie, much less this astounding double home run.

  “How many did he send you with?” Jackie asked, pushing up onto her elbows.

  “Why, how many rounds were you planning?” Daniel smirked, rolling the condom down the length of his dick before he sat on the edge of the bed. “I only got two. Which means I’m making an emergency call after this. Come here.�
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  He beckoned for her to sit on top of him. Jackie giggled as she slid onto his lap, straddling him, her perky breasts brushing his chest.

  “I want you right here.” He guided her legs behind him, grunting as the soft, velvety folds of her pussy settled on top of his straining cock. “Now that you survived round one, we can move into this position.”

  “Oh lord. You might impale me,” she teased, her breath hitching as he hoisted her by the ass cheeks, settling her into place.

  “No impaling. Just pure pleasure.” His cockhead slipped into place, right into the core of her. She whimpered, fingernails digging into the ridge of his shoulder as he helped ease her down, ever so slowly.

  “Ohhh my God,” she moaned, head lolling backwards.

  “Mm-hmm.” He scraped his teeth along her collarbone, loving the view of her from this angle. “That’s why we needed the warm-up first.”

  “Can we do it this way every time?”

  A low laugh rumbled out of him. “But we haven’t tried all the other ways yet.”

  She sank down further, welcoming the last inches of him into her. Her eyes fluttered shut, the expression on her face telling Daniel she was right here with him, relishing every second. “But I already know I like this one best.”

  He clenched his teeth once she tightened her thighs around him. The depth, the angle, the heat of her wrapped around him were beyond intense. It didn’t matter that he’d just orgasmed. He was perilously close to the edge once more.

  “Look at me,” he whispered, kissing her jawline as she struggled to straighten her head. Her eyes fluttered open, allowing him to get lost in the jade depths of her gaze. He thrust up into her. She whimpered but didn’t look away.

  “God, you feel amazing.” He thrust up into her again and this time, he could feel the exact way it affected her as her limbs turned to noodles. She braced herself, palms against his chest, rocking her hips in a slow, small circle.

  “Daniel,” she said, voice breathier than ever. Her eyes fluttered shut again, but this time, he didn’t try to stop her. As much as he wanted to stare into her eyes, it was a struggle to keep his own open as pleasure surged through him. “I’m so close.”

  “I know, princess. Me too.” He pumped into her again, the slick heat of where their bodies met urging him even closer to the edge. Daniel squeezed his arms around her waist, eliminating the space between them. He felt closer to her, right now, than he’d ever felt with anybody else. There was no question. Her chin found the hollow of his neck, her breath coming out in spastic bursts at his ear as he drilled into her again.

  The tension clawed at him, sending prickles through his shoulders as he attempted to stave off the orgasm. But he should have known better by now—with Jackie, there was no hope for pacing himself. She drove him wild. And now, buried to the hilt inside of her again, he realized he didn’t just want more of her. He needed more.

  A little moan escaped her as he drilled into her again. “I’m close,” he whispered.

  Her throat bobbed, and she rocked hard against him, so that when he filled her again, her pussy was contracted around him in tight waves. She groaned, digging fingernails into his back, and her own climax prompted his. He caught her lips in a kiss as he fired off his rounds, fireworks bursting behind his eyelids.

  She didn’t move for a while, and he didn’t want her to. They both held on tightly while they watched each other, chests heaving.

  Nobody uttered a word. Nobody needed to.

  Because her fiery green gaze told him everything he needed to know.

  She could feel how big and intense this was, this thing between them.

  And all he knew was that they should keep moving forward. Even if it went against the status quo…for Jackie, he was willing to try something new.

  10

  Jackie couldn’t stop humming the next day. All through the vineyard tour; and later, as she sat by the side of the villa’s pool the next afternoon; even all the way up to the rehearsal dinner. She hummed because she was still riding the high of not one, not two, but eventually five separate orgasms from Daniel.

  But behind the high lurked the fragility. Her legs felt like they were made of glass as she drifted through her day. And her heart? Split wide open. Part of her was terrified about what came next. Because what they’d shared last night had been too deep. Too real. Too intense. And it all mattered way too much to her. It would kill her if this took a downward turn or simply fizzled into nothingness.

  Even though she had no idea what could—or should—come next, she just knew that they’d propelled themselves into a new level. Sure, they had the bet over their heads—but that didn’t mean that what they’d shared wasn’t meaningful. That it couldn’t, possibly, maybe, advance.

  She flip-flopped between feeling crazy for even considering a next step with Daniel, to feeling crazy for not considering what might come next. And maybe the worst part was that Daniel had been working all day, so she didn’t even have his firm body at her side, or a private smile to reassure her.

  Every bit of her sparkled and vibrated with anticipation at the thought of seeing him again. Wanting more of him. Wanting to see how this might progress. Equally hopeful and yet somehow too scared to hope. It was a constant war—one that left her vulnerable and quivering on the inside.

  At least they had a few flirty texts to get her though the day. The rehearsal dinner started at six, but Jackie was ready by five. When Daniel still hadn’t come back to the room, she suspected he was delayed—again. But it didn’t bother her. She already felt like Daniel’s friends were becoming her own. She had no fear of gliding into the rehearsal dinner by herself this time.

  He finally texted at five thirty: “Blake and I got caught in traffic coming back from a meeting in Santa Rosa! Be there ASAP. Sorry, princess.”

  That little addition at the end left her with a perma-grin. If he wasn’t feeling the same, he wouldn’t do little things like that—it seemed so obvious.

  Her phone vibrated again, but this time, it was a call. One of her besties, Geri.

  Jackie was already smiling when she picked up the phone. “Hey, girl! What’s up?”

  “Jackie! I just wanted to check on you. Did you ever figure out a place to stay? My boyfriend’s brother is finally gone, so you’re welcome to come crash here if you need to.”

  Jackie snorted. Not only had she found a place to stay, she’d fallen headfirst for a man she barely knew. Strange how things could change so quickly. “Yeah, I found a place. I did a little more than that, actually.”

  “What does ‘a little more’ mean? You bought a house?”

  Jackie laughed. “Not exactly. But in that vein.”

  Geri gasped. “Wait, I was just kidding! Am I missing something huge?

  Jackie rolled her lips inward, relishing the rush of heat and prickles of excitement. Every inch of her body felt alive and right. Was this what falling in love felt like? She wanted to shout Daniel’s name from the rooftops. It was such a quirky, unexpected, unlikely romance. Yet…here they were. Falling for each other.

  And Jackie had no doubt that Daniel was falling for her too. They hadn’t just fucked last night. They’d made love. She’d never felt anything like it before. A shiver ran up her spine just from the memory of it.

  “Well, I’m in Napa Valley right now for starters,” she began, trailing off as Geri squealed.

  “Okay, and?”

  “I’ve kinda-sorta started something with one of the guys I house-sit for,” she whispered, as though anyone would overhear or care. “He’s amazing. His name is Daniel. We both love dogs, he’s a banker, he is the absolute hottest and cutest man I’ve ever met, and when he touches me, I fly into outer space.”

  Geri gasped. “Well, that’s quite the executive summary.”

  Jackie giggled, twirling her dress in front of the mirror. “We’re at this fabulous wedding right now, and I’m about to go to the rehearsal dinner. His friends are rich, but they’re not assho
les. I don’t know, Ger. I think I’m going crazy. I think I’m falling in love with him.”

  “Awww, honey boo! You know, if you hadn’t mentioned the dogs thing, I would almost think I was talking to an alternate dimension Jackie. Or maybe you were kidnapped and forced to say all these lovey-dovey things. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about a guy this way since we met. Ever.”

  Jackie’s cheeks hurt from how hard she was smiling. But she couldn’t stop it. God, it felt good to get lost in this feeling. In a way, she’d been avoiding letting herself get here her entire adult life. Because she was afraid. Because deep down, she didn’t think she deserved it. Foster care had carved “unwanted” all the way down into her bones until it had become almost impossible to believe that she deserved to be loved.

  Daniel was showing her that she did deserve it. They both did. And there was something so beautifully poetic about the two gun-shy lovers falling for each other over the wedding week.

  “I mean, I’ve never met anyone like him,” Jackie said, unsure where to begin. Was it weird, or just weirdly appropriate, to mention she’d started falling for him based on the notes he left behind long before she’d ever laid eyes on him? Simply the curve of his handwriting had promised something unique and sensual. Like the swoop of his Y’s had anything to do with the way he’d lavished attention on her pussy last night. “Believe me, I didn’t expect this to happen. But it did. And here we are.” She sighed, and more words tumbled out on the heels of her breath. “I’m so fucking happy, Geri.”

  Her best friend cooed her approval, topped with a whoop. “God, this is the best news! Even better than Jake’s brother finally getting his smelly ass off my couch!”

  The two friends chatted for a little longer until Jackie noticed the time. She needed to get her butt to the dinner. When they hung up, Jackie noticed a new text waiting for her.

  From Daniel.

  “Can’t wait to see which dress you have picked out for tonight, princess.”

  This time, tears pricked at her eyes as her cheeks hurt from smiling.