by Scott, J. S.
He lifted a brow. “Okay…what?”
“I’ll marry you. But don’t think for a single second that I believe that you’ve ever lusted after my body. But I’ll make sure this temporary sacrifice is worth it to you somehow. I know you definitely don’t need the money, but I’ll figure something out.”
“But you’re open to letting me convince you otherwise?” he asked.
I snorted. “Yeah. Okay. I agree.”
I was fine with keeping up the pretense that he wanted me if it made him feel better. But I knew he was simply doing me a favor—again.
He grinned at me, and I smiled back at him through my tears because it was a mischievous smile I hadn’t seen in a long time. I swiped the remaining tears from my face as I said, “I’m not even sure how to thank you this time, Zeke, but I’ll think of something.”
“All I’ve ever really wanted was a chance with you, so don’t thank me. I’m getting exactly what I want,” he replied hoarsely.
My heart tripped, his sexy baritone affecting me in a way I’d never noticed before.
This is all temporary. Don’t start thinking it’s anything more than a friend helping a friend in a very overboard, insane kind of way.
I released a tremulous breath. I definitely wasn’t immune to any of Zeke’s masculine charms and assets, so I could only hope he didn’t push the whole attempted seduction ruse too far.
If he did, I wasn’t so sure I wouldn’t have him naked before he could back off.
Zeke
“She didn’t even believe me when I said I wanted her,” I muttered unhappily to my friend, billionaire tech mogul, Jett Lawson.
Jett’s fiancée, Ruby, had already left Jett’s penthouse with Lia. The moment Lia had told Ruby that she needed to plan a second wedding in a hurry, the two of them had hightailed it out of the building to go find a dress.
“Then you’ll just have to convince her it’s true,” Jett answered. “Where is the honeymoon?”
“I haven’t really thought about that,” I said, annoyed with myself that the honeymoon hadn’t even entered my mind yet. Then again, she’d just agree to marry me yesterday.
I’d been too damn focused on the fact that Lia was going to be mine. To hell with the “temporary” shit. I had to find a way to convince her that we belonged together.
Jett raised a brow. “Since this wedding is going to occur in record time, I suggest you figure it out. Both of you could use the break, and Seattle in the winter isn’t exactly romantic. Lia trained up a manager for the store, and Ruby is there almost every day to deliver her baked goods to the store. We can watch the shop.”
I grimaced as I informed him, “Stuart was taking her to Dubai.”
“On their honeymoon?” Jett questioned, his face incredulous. “That’s even more depressing than Seattle in the winter. I’m not saying it isn’t an interesting place to visit, but I doubt the UAE is on the top of most women’s romantic honeymoon wish list destinations.”
“He apparently has some business interests there, and wanted to drum up a few more,” I grumbled.
“Asshole,” Jett said irritably.
I nodded. “Definitely.”
“You should take her someplace warm and tropical. Hell, I’m no expert on women, but there are a lot more romantic places to go in the world than Dubai,” Jett rumbled.
“Bora Bora?” I considered.
Jett shook his head. “You’ll hit the rainy season this time of year.”
I shrugged. “So we’ll end up shacked up together in an overwater bungalow.”
“Stop thinking with your dick,” Jett insisted. “You can’t have sex every minute of your honeymoon. You’re trying to win her over, not wear her out.”
Since there were no guarantees she’d even end up in my bed, I did need a location where we could just relax and have fun.
“Hawaii?” I pondered.
Jett shook his head. “Uninspired. Everybody goes there on their honeymoon. It’s fun, but the food is nothing to get excited about.”
“The Bahamas?”
“Boring,” Jett scoffed.
“Cancun?” I growled, getting annoyed.
“Better,” he said with a satisfied nod. “It’s really nice there in the fall and winter, and I know Lia really likes Mexican food. Just a suggestion, but I’d go for Playa del Carmen.”
I’d been to both Cancun and Playa. They were close to each other, but Jett was right. Playa was a little quieter, but still didn’t lack for things to do.
“I’ll get the trip planned,” I agreed.
“She’ll love it,” Jett replied supportively, like he hadn’t just told me that I was uninspired.
“I’ll need to get moving on those arrangements. Lia’s twenty-eighth birthday is Saturday, so the wedding is happening late afternoon on Friday,” I informed him.
Jett nodded slowly. “Yeah, Ruby told me about the will requirements. It’s kind of strange. Was her grandmother in her right mind when she did it?”
I let out a bark of laughter. “You didn’t know Esther,” I informed him. “She was as sharp as a tack until the day she died. I don’t completely get it, either. She adored Lia. I don’t understand why she made any rules for the inheritance. And there’s nothing that says that Lia has to stay married for any length of time. She just wanted her…married. Not like Esther at all.”
“So the terms are easy to fulfill?”
“Very,” I informed him. “Lia asked me to look over every document, and I have. I’m not an expert in wills and trusts, but it was pretty straightforward.”
“Do you think Lia felt like she had to marry Stuart because of the terms of the will?”
I frowned at Jett and shook my head. “No. She doesn’t care about giving up the money—other than the fact that she wouldn’t be able to buy me out of our partnership right away. The stuff in the estate that has sentimental value to her is a little different, but I don’t think she felt pressed to marry Stuart at all. I think she convinced herself that she loved him, and that he was her perfect partner. I have no fucking idea why.”
“Is she okay?” he asked in a serious tone. “I mean, she didn’t really look terribly broken up earlier, but it could all be an act.”
It felt way too personal to share Lia’s confession that she’d intended to call off the wedding herself, so I didn’t.
“She’ll be fine,” I answered simply. “I’ll make sure that she is.”
“I think you should tell her how you feel, Zeke,” Jett insisted. “Keeping your mouth shut hasn’t exactly gotten you anywhere.”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I came to that same conclusion myself after I sat down in the chapel yesterday. I tried to tell her when we got back to my place last night, but like I said, she thinks I’m just making up a reason to help her. I swear, she has some strange idea in her head that makes her think it’s impossible for me to be attracted to her that way.”
Jett rose from the couch, and I followed him into the kitchen. I gratefully took a second bottle of beer, and sucked down half of it as we both leaned against the counter.
He took a gulp from his own bottle before he said, “Make her listen, Zeke. Put your heart on the line. It sounds like those feelings have been there for you for a long time. You can correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think this is all about a simple physical attraction. It’s pretty damn obvious that you care about her.”
I nodded. I was done trying to bullshit myself. “I’m in love with her. Probably have been for a long time. I can’t really pinpoint the exact moment that everything changed for me. Hell, I’ve loved Lia in one way or another since the day we met. I’m not even sure if the attraction came first once we were both adults, or if I was already in love with her by then. All I really know is that I finally have the opportunity I’ve always wanted to try to convince her that we were ne
ver meant to be just friends all our lives, and I don’t want to fuck it up.”
“Has it ever occurred to you that Lia could be in denial, too?” Jett questioned.
I shot him a doubtful look. “Not really. I’ve never seen a single sign that she wants to be more than friends.” That drunken birthday confession sure as hell didn’t count. “Believe me, I’ve watched for any kind of signal from her for years that she might be willing to take our friendship to a different level.”
He shrugged. “There’s denial, and then there’s complete denial. In your case, those feelings weren’t all that far from the surface most of the time. You could deny your attraction just enough that you never acted on those emotions. In her case, what if those feelings are buried so deep she doesn’t even know that they exist right now? It’s just a theory, but I know Lia adores you. Even when you’re not around, she’s talking about you. I think she mentions you in a single conversation a lot more than she’s ever brought up Stuart. I’ve seen you two together, Zeke. Maybe you’re not a romantic couple, but your dynamics are very similar, minus any of the touchy-feely stuff. I could be wrong, but in my mind, the feelings are there on both sides. She’s just learned to bury it a lot deeper than you do.”
“If that’s true, how in the hell did she end up with Stuart?” I growled.
“That’s your question to ask, not mine,” he answered calmly. “But it isn’t like you’ve never seen anyone else. If she’s under the assumption that the two of you could never be more than friends, don’t you think it makes sense that she’d be looking elsewhere? Maybe she picked the wrong guy, but you can’t blame her for searching. No matter how cynical we get, I don’t think anybody ever completely loses hope that the right person is out there somewhere. Even if we don’t admit it to ourselves.”
I shot him a questioning look. “Why do I have a feeling you’re talking from personal experience?”
“Because I am,” Jett admitted freely. “Love was the last thing I was hoping for when I met Ruby. I was scarred inside and out, and let’s face it, my activities are limited because of my bum leg. I’d already been dumped by one woman because I couldn’t do some of the things a normal guy my age could do. Having any woman fall in love with me was an impossibility to me back then, unless it was an act just to get to my money. I wasn’t expecting a woman like Ruby, and I sure as hell didn’t know that she’d find that tiny spark of hope that I didn’t even know existed. I’m still not sure exactly how it happened, but Ruby managed to find that well-buried, microscopic particle that still wanted to believe that a woman could love me like she does.” He grinned. “Once she did, it was all over for me, my friend.”
I was quiet for a moment. I’d never heard this part of Jett and Ruby’s romance. Yeah, Jett had a noticeable limp, but it never seemed to slow him down all that much. “You don’t look like a guy who’s exactly sad about that fate.”
“I’m not,” he said, his smile growing even wider. “I guess my whole point is that we don’t always know what we want until we get it. I think if you could manage to find that part of Lia that wants you to love her, and she knows you’re there to love her back, it might change everything for both of you. If nothing else, at least you’ll be able to say you tried.”
“Failure really is not an option,” I said gruffly.
I had no idea if there was a part of Lia that wanted me to love her, but I could sure as hell look.
“Then don’t fail,” he suggested.
“I don’t intend to,” I confirmed.
I’d already come to terms with the fact that it was Lia or no one for me, so I was going to be a guy who was literally fighting for his life, and I wasn’t planning on giving up.
Lia
“What in the hell am I doing?” I asked my friend, Ruby, in a moment of panic.
It hadn’t even been a full week since Stuart had left me at the church alone, and now I was just about ready to walk down the aisle again, with my best friend this time.
I had no idea how we’d managed to pull this whole thing together in less than a week, but I’d forever be grateful to Ruby, and to Zeke’s mother, Marlene.
Zeke’s mom had been elated when she learned that her son and I were getting married, and she’d taken the whole last-minute wedding thing in stride. If I didn’t already think she was an amazing woman—which I did—I’d at least be totally in awe of her organizational skills.
Zeke and I were getting hitched in a century-old chapel in Gig Harbor, a lovely town about an hour from Seattle, and the reception was taking place at the yacht club nearby.
Everything had come together perfectly, but the fact that I was actually marrying Zeke was still…surreal.
“You’re getting married to the right man this time,” Ruby answered as she smoothed down the skirt of my second wedding dress. “And you look gorgeous.”
I had to admit that I felt good as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I felt…like me.
“It’s a really nice dress,” I said as I looked at the deceptively simple, long-sleeved, ivory gown. My choice had been a style that cinched at the waist, and fell in curtains of silk and lace to my feet.
When I caught Ruby’s reflection in the mirror as she flitted around to arrange my dress, I added, “You look gorgeous, too.”
Ruby stood up straight next to me in her rose silk gown. “I feel like a princess,” she said breathlessly.
I shot her a tremulous smile. Oh, God. I really hoped I was doing the right thing. “I just feel so guilty,” I confessed. “You know this is all a ruse, but Marlene doesn’t. And she’s so happy.”
“Does it feel right?” Ruby asked as she fussed with the silver clips that were holding my curly blonde hair back from my face.
I’d decided to go without a veil since it was more my style.
“Strangely, it doesn’t feel wrong,” I told her. “I know that sounds weird, but I trust Zeke. I always have.”
“Then roll with it,” Ruby replied. “And stop feeling guilty. Zeke really wants this, and I think deep down inside, you do, too. I know you think this isn’t real, but there’s a marriage license that says differently. I think you’ll be happy together, Lia.”
“You say that like you think Zeke and I will stay married,” I answered.
Ruby shrugged. “Who says you won’t? Maybe you’ll eventually figure out that Zeke is the right guy for you. I think he always has been, but you just never noticed.”
“Zeke and me?” I squeaked. “That’s crazy. We’ve always been just friends. Guys like Zeke don’t marry women like me.”
Ruby gave me a disbelieving look. “Why wouldn’t they?”
“He’s rich, and he’s obscenely hot. Not to mention highly educated. He did the duel major at Harvard, for God’s sake. I graduated from high school, went to work at a coffee shop, and took part-time classes at a local college until I finally got an associate’s degree. Zeke is in control of one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. I’m not even remotely the woman for someone like him.”
Ruby pulled a face. “Please. Don’t start talking about a guy being out of your league. I’m a homeless woman who just got engaged to one of the richest men in the world. Sometimes those superficial things just don’t matter. It’s what’s in here that counts.” She thumped a hand on her chest.
She was right. “But you know we’re just friends.”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “Zeke has always looked at you like you were the only female who existed. If he looked at you as a friend, it was a long time ago. The guy adores you. It’s pretty obvious. Are you saying that you’ve never seen him as an attractive guy?”
“I did. I do. I just never thought about…him being mine. I admit, I was infatuated with him when I was younger, but even then, I wasn’t thinking he’d ever marry me.”
Ruby let out a playful laugh. “Well, you better consider it,
because you’re about to walk down the aisle, and your groom looks a hell of a lot like Zeke Conner.”
“But you know it’s not for real.” Zeke was doing all of this for me, and I shuddered as I thought about just how much he was giving up to do this whole charade.
He’d flat out refused to do a prenup, no matter how many times I’d stomped my foot about it, stating that he trusted me over and over again. Not that I didn’t appreciate his trust, but the guy had a hell of a lot of assets at stake in this whole arrangement. Since my only plan was to pay him back and not rip him off, I’d finally let it go. It was one of those rare times when I knew he wasn’t going to compromise.
“We’ll see whether it’s real or not,” Ruby said cheerfully. “You’ve obviously never seen the way he looks at you. Try paying attention. You might find out you like it.”
Ruby never stopped smiling as she took my hand and led me the short distance to the chapel.
After handing me my flowers, she did her own walk down the aisle until she was standing across from Jett and Zeke.
I froze as I looked down the aisle. It was a sweet, cozy chapel, but that short aisle seemed like it was miles long. As I looked around the small venue at the family and friends who had come to see Zeke and I get married, I suddenly realized the gravity of my decision.
Oh God, I can’t do this to my best friend.
I know he cares about me, but I can’t make him marry me just to get my inheritance.
All of his family is here, and they think all of this is…real.
I have to stop this right now.
It was like déjà vu.
Except I wouldn’t be calling the wedding off for me this time. I’d be doing it for Zeke.
I’d gotten so caught up in doing tasks that had to be done over the last few days that I’d failed to think about how really unfair this all was to Zeke. Maybe because he kept telling me that it was no big deal.
But it was a very big deal.
I looked up, and I met Zeke’s beautiful blue eyes across the small room. His gaze was steady and reassuring, but I couldn’t shake the guilt that was pummeling me.