I lathered soap over my body and couldn’t resist the temptation to give my cock a gentle squeeze. I found myself thinking about her and growing hard. Something about her made me crazy.
One thing led to another and my hand was sliding up and down my aching cock. I closed my eyes and thought about her full lips. Her gorgeous tits were definitely my favorite part of her body. I wanted to bury my face in her cleavage. I wanted to suck her nipples into my mouth and make her come until the sun came up.
“Fuck,” I groaned and rubbed faster. It hadn’t been my intention to jack off in the shower, but I was in it now. I couldn’t stop. Not with Paislee doing dirty things in my mind.
My hand pressed against the smooth black tile slick with soap and water. I imagined it was her pussy squeezing me. Just the thought of being inside her was my undoing. The thought of being the only man to ever penetrate her body was just about the hottest fantasy I’d ever had.
I rested my head against the tile and let my breathing return to normal. “Holy shit.”
I wasn’t sure I could handle the real thing if that was how good it felt in my fantasy. I rinsed off and got out of the shower. I dried my hair before wrapping the towel around my waist and going into the room.
Remembering the dress, I put my phone on speaker and called Ashton while I put clothes on.
“Hello?” Ashton asked in a muddled voice.
“Oops, shit, sorry,” I said when I realized it was late there. “Did I wake you?”
“It’s almost midnight. Yes, you woke me.”
He was always a little cranky when I woke him up. “I had a package, a dress, shipped to my house. I need you to have it delivered to Paislee’s place.”
“A dress?”
I grinned. “Yes.”
“You want me to send Paislee a dress?”
“No, I already sent the dress to my house. I want you to pick it up and have it delivered to her.”
“Why did you send her a dress?”
I still had not told Ashton about the plan. “Will you please make sure it gets handled?”
“Of course. Anything else?”
“No. Go back to bed. Good night.”
He muttered something before ending the call. If I was the type to analyze a situation, I would admit I was a little ashamed of my plan. I knew Ashton would not approve. I just wouldn’t tell him.
I wouldn’t have to tell him. He would know. He would know exactly what I was up to and he was going to be pissed.
I would make sure Paislee told him she was on board with the situation. I didn’t want him thinking I pressured her into anything. She could have walked away at any time. She chose not to. She was going into this arrangement with her eyes wide open.
No one was going to get hurt.
Chapter 12
Paislee
One barcode after another slid across the scanner, and the steady beep was so normal to my brain I barely heard it. It was the soundtrack to my day—to my life with as much time as I spent at work. I gave my usual closing and smiled as my customer walked away. Then it was time to start all over again.
Bing, bing, bing.
Because it was my normal job and I did it for eight hours a day, I didn’t even have to think about what I was doing. That left my brain free to daydream. And daydream I did. I was beginning to wonder if Jay had changed his mind.
Maybe he really was screwing with me. He just wanted to see if I would accept his offer. I felt so foolish.
After my shift, I grabbed my purse and headed for the subway. I wasn’t going to call him. I was debating what to tell him if he did try and call me. I should have added an expiration date on the deal. If he didn’t call me or set this thing in motion, it was null and void. He could not come after me for the money.
“Dammit,” I muttered to myself. I should have said all that when we were negotiating. I would have to remember that for the next time I hit a crazy billionaire with my car and he asks to rent me for three months.
My musings got away from me. More like my worst-case-scenario generator. All kinds of what-ifs. He had to be playing some kind of rich-guy game with me. If I was lucky, I would not see him again. He would forget I existed and I could go on with the rest of my life.
That should be the best-case scenario. It was the best outcome, but damn if it didn’t feel like it was the worst thing. I was actually looking forward to the game. Not the game, but it would be fun to pretend to be with a man like him.
I knew I would never end up with a rich, handsome man like Jay. This was just a little fantasy role-playing. It was like when little girls fantasized about being a princess and living in a castle. Jameson was my prince. My pretend, temporary prince.
I was a little bummed I wasn’t going to get to play the princess. It was fine, I told myself. It was for the best. I didn’t want to get tangled up in his world. I suspected I would end up with some hurt feelings in the end. He talked about a messy breakup. I wasn’t sure I wanted to suffer through that, even if it was fake.
By the time I got to my street, I was feeling the exhaustion of a long day. I climbed all flour flights and let myself into my apartment. There was a note on the table from Bella.
“There is a surprise for you on your bed,” I read aloud. “I can’t wait to see it when I get home!”
“What in the world is she talking about?”
I dropped my purse on the table and went into my bedroom. There was a large, white, rectangular box sitting on my bed. I didn’t move. I stared at the box and wondered what it was.
The rational thing to do would be to open the damn thing and find out. For whatever reason, I was hesitant.
I instinctively knew it was from Jay. I couldn’t say why I knew, but I just knew. I crept closer to the bed. I was acting like I was afraid of the thing. I wasn’t, but I was a little nervous to know what it was he would be sending me.
Was it flowers? It could be his way of telling me he was just joking and the whole fake engagement was just a test.
I pulled the ribbon on the box and shoved it to the side before lifting the lid. I stared down at the white gown with a halter-top-style bodice. I wiped my hands on my pants before reaching in and pulling it out of the box.
I squealed as I held it out to examine it. “No way!”
It was gorgeous. It reminded me of something a Greek goddess would have worn. There was a satin green belt that crisscrossed at the front of the empire-waisted gown. It was my favorite style of dress. I liked that my boobs were accentuated and not my waist. It was stunning.
“But why?” I asked aloud. I didn’t understand why he sent me a dress.
I looked in the box and saw a note. I carefully laid the dress on my bed and grabbed the note. “Be ready for me to pick you up Friday night,” I read aloud. “Seven o’clock.” It was signed with a J. Nothing more.
I flipped the note over, hoping for more. There was nothing. “What the hell?”
I looked at the dress and then the note again. Was this the date? I would have liked to have a little more information. And I thought about telling him he wasn’t holding to our agreement to give me plenty of notice.
But I couldn’t really say much. I got off at three tomorrow. I would have plenty of time to get home and change, assuming I knew how I was going to style my hair.
I stared at the dress. I couldn’t wait for Bella to get home. We were going to play dress-up. I was going to perfect the outfit right down to my shoes. “Shit, shoes,” I muttered.
I only had one pair of heels. They were beige pumps. They would go with the dress. I just hated that they weren’t nearly as fancy as the dress. Fortunately, the dress was long enough to mostly cover my shoes. But my hair. I needed something that was as regal as the dress. I wished I had some idea of where we were going.
I was going to assume it was one of the formal public gatherings I agreed to. One of three. This was going to be the big unveiling. This was going to be the big event. Everyone was going to be told we we
re engaged. It was the last chance I had to back out of this crazy deal.
I walked to my mirror and stared at my image. I tilted my head to the side and really looked. I reached up and grabbed a strand of my hair. I pulled it out of the ponytail it was in and shook out my hair. “Down? Or up?”
I needed help. Google would have some ideas. YouTube would have tutorials. I put the dress on a hanger and stuck it in my closet. I changed out of my work clothes and went to make myself a quick dinner that consisted of a can of ravioli and some toast.
I sat down on the couch and used my phone to surf the internet. Bella came through the door just as I was taking my last bite. “What was in the box?” she asked with excitement.
I was so excited to have her home so I could share it with her. “You have to see it!” I said and jumped up. “Let me wash my hands. You have to wash your hands. You can’t touch it unless your hands are clean. None of those massage oils.”
“What was it?”
“A dress.”
“From him?
I nodded and clapped my hands. “Yes! Hurry! You have to see it. I need help deciding how to do my hair.”
She washed her hands and dried them before following me into my room. I opened the closet and pulled out the gown with a great deal of reverence. She clapped both hands over her mouth. “I knew it was going to be gorgeous! I was so tempted to peek!”
“It’s pretty, right? And the green ribbon is going to make my eyes look even greener.”
“Yes, yes, yes. You have to try it on.”
“No! I can’t.”
“You have to. We have to know how to do your hair and we can’t know until you have it on.”
I was secretly very glad she was insisting on me trying it on. I had been dying to put it on since I saw it. “Fine, I’ll do it.”
“I’m going to make a sandwich. Hurry up.”
I stripped down to my bra and panties and put on the dress. The fabric was a soft satin that glided over my skin. It was so comfortable and slinky and made me feel incredibly sexy. I wasn’t sure how to do the ribbon. I walked into the living room and waited for her to look up at me.
“Oh my god,” she breathed. “That is just absolutely stunning. I don’t even know where to start. It’s gorgeous. You look like a goddess.”
“Thank you. This dress is ridiculous. I feel like I’m in the twenties or the fifties or maybe back in Greek times. I don’t know. I just feel like this dress was made for me.”
She was bobbing her head up and down. “Yes, it was. Did you tell him what to get?”
“No! This is all him.”
“You didn’t tell him what size to get?”
“Nope. I didn’t even know he was dress shopping.”
“Where’s the ribbon?”
I held it up. “I have no idea how to do this.”
She grabbed it and very carefully wrapped it around my waist before crisscrossing over my chest and tying it in back. She stepped in front of me to take in her handiwork. “Perfect. It lifts your boobs.”
“What about my hair? Do I go up or down?”
She looked thoughtful. “I think mostly up with just a few thick curls hanging down your back.”
Just hearing her say it made me excited. “Perfect.”
“I can’t believe you are doing this.”
I laughed. “Me either.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“I think so.”
“You are going to look like sex on a stick,” she said. “He’s going to have a hard time resisting you. He chose this dress for you because he knew how sexy you were going to look in it. He might put the moves on you.”
I snorted. “I doubt that. The dress is part of the sell. He’s trying to make me look like one of the women he would normally date. If I don’t look the part, no one is going to believe it. So jeans and a hoodie won’t cut it.”
“If you say so. I think he’s got the hots for you.”
I snorted again. “He chose me because I’m disposable.”
“Or because you’re believable,” she said. “You’re someone he would choose to marry.”
“Whatever,” I said. “He can fall for me all he wants. This is a business transaction. My emotions aren’t involved.”
“Then why can’t you stop smiling?” she asked.
“Shut up. I’m not.” But I totally was. I hadn’t stopped smiling since I opened Jameson’s gift.
“Just watch,” she said with a laugh. “It’s gonna be fun. Breathe through the excitement. Enjoy every minute.”
“I’m going to try. I know I’m going to be so nervous though. I have to meet his family. He said his mom is tough. I have a feeling she is going to grill me.”
“Do you have a back story?”
“No. Oh shit. I can’t tell her I’m an orphan who works in a grocery store!”
“I think you need to talk to him and ask what you’re supposed to say. This is kind of a big deal.”
“You just made me even more nervous. How am I going to pull this off? I know nothing about their world. They are going to be talking about stuff I have no clue about.”
“You could just always have a glass of champagne and avoid saying anything.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think I can get away with that.”
“Just be you. Talk about music. Talk about the weather. You’ll be fine. Everyone is going to be so stunned by your beauty, they aren’t going to be worried about what you’re saying.”
“You’re too nice.”
“You’ll be just fine. Stick with your man.”
“He’s not my man.”
“He’s your fiancé,” she reminded me.
The word sent shivers down my spine. Me, little old me, the fiancée of one of the wealthiest men in the country.
I had to keep reminding myself this was just a game. It wasn’t real. I could not get my feelings tangled up in this.
Otherwise, when things ended, my heart would be torn apart.
Chapter 13
Jameson
I felt like I was burning the candle at both ends. I was working nonstop in Rome. I managed to get all of the loose ends tied up just in time to fly home for my family’s gala. I was trying to catch an hour of sleep before we hit the ground and it was time to start running full speed ahead once again.
“The dress was very nice,” my mother whispered to my sister, Julia. “But I’m afraid he got the wrong size. It was very large. I don’t know who he sent it to, but the woman is probably going to strangle him with it.”
“Why didn’t you help him?” Julia whispered back.
“I tried,” she hissed. “He is so stubborn. I don’t know who the woman is, but I’m certain we’ll never meet her after that dress arrives.”
“Men have no clue how to dress a woman. I’ll kill a man if he buys me clothes. I don’t want anyone knowing my dress size.”
“Oh, sweetie,” my mother said in a soothing tone. “You’re a perfect two. Anyone with a brain can see that.”
I almost choked. If my sister was a size two, I was Chris Hemsworth.
I didn’t let on that I could overhear their whispered conversation. They would find out soon enough that I knew how to size a woman just fine, which was why I knew Julia wasn’t a two. Why did every woman I had ever dated claim to be a two? It was obvious some were not.
I dismissed the thought. I did not want to go down that rabbit hole.
“I heard the Barkers were going to be there tonight,” Julia said.
The dress situation was forgotten, and they were onto their next bit of gossip. This was how it always was when our family flew together. My father and I tried to take advantage of the downtime to sleep. My mother and sister used the time to catch up on their gossip. Our priorities were very different. I blocked out their whispered conversation and focused on trying to sleep.
Tonight was a big night. It was the night. I was actually anxious to see Paislee in the dress. I had a pre
tty good image in my head about how it would look on her but seeing it in person was going to be even better.
The art gala my family was hosting at our hotel in New York was the perfect opportunity to introduce her to my family. It would be very public, and my mother would be too busy trying to make sure the rest of the guests were taken care of to interrogate her too much. It would give me a chance to ease Paislee into the life. She’d get to smile and meet several people from my world. This was one time I needed the rumors to swirl. I needed people to circulate the fact I was a taken man. I was off the market.
“Why are you smiling?” Julia asked.
I had a feeling she was talking to me, but I was going to play possum.
She jerked my shoulder. “Don’t pretend you’re asleep. I know you aren’t. Are you smiling because you are laughing at me?”
In this, I was innocent. I had no idea what Julia thought I was laughing at her about. I was certain it was worthy of laughing, but it was the image of Paislee in the dress that had me smiling.
I opened my eyes. “No, Julia, I was actually asleep. You should try it sometime.”
She glared at me. “Liar. We’re landing.”
I blinked and looked out the window. The sun was just starting to set over New York. Maybe I had managed to doze off for a bit.
Three cars waited on the tarmac to take us each to our respective homes. “I’ll see you both in a few hours,” my mother said before slipping into the limo.
“That’s code for be there or I will send my henchmen to hunt you down,” Julia said with a laugh. “I’m already working on my excuse.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“You better show up,” I said. “Don’t you dare leave me hanging.”
She winked. “I’m already feeling a headache coming on.”
My family had no idea what I was planning tonight. It was going to be good. It was going to rock their worlds.
My mother would finally be left speechless, I hoped. Julia wouldn’t show. That was fine. I would ease Paislee into the family.
Pay Up Hot Stuff: A Billionaire Fake Fiancée Romance Page 8