“Wow, what a dreary day,” she commented.
“Which is why we should stay in bed all day.”
“We can’t. We have that dinner tonight.”
“You wound me.”
I took her left hand and pulled off the ring. “What are you doing?”
I dropped to one knee in front of her. Damn if I almost forgot what I was doing down there. She was wearing one of my shirts and nothing else. I had a perfect view up her skirt, so to speak. I was suddenly hungry for something other than the biscuits on that cart.
She said my name and pulled me back just in time.
“Paislee, I know this is crazy and unconventional, but I want to make this engagement real. Will you please marry me for real?”
She laughed. “Yes! You’re crazy.”
I pulled the ring from the box. It was a little bigger than the first, but this one had pretty green emeralds circling the diamond. It was much more suited to her. I pushed it on her finger.
“Jameson? How? When?”
“I pulled some strings this morning.”
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
There was emotion in her voice and tears in her eyes. I got to my feet and hugged her. “This is real. I need you to know that. This is about the realest thing in my life.”
“Okay. I believe you. I’m in. I’m all in.”
“Why don’t we shower and then call Julia?” I suggested. “She’s been blowing up my phone since we left yesterday.”
“Why?”
“I told her the truth. She told me to grovel, to do whatever I had to. She’s going to want to know you accepted my apology.”
“Let’s go back to that part about the shower,” she said with a smile.
“Oh? Are you interested?”
“I am so interested.”
“You’ve got a fetish for wet and slick, don’t you?”
She giggled and started toward the main bedroom with the attached master bath. “I never realized I did until you.”
“I like my dirty girl,” I said and slapped her ass as we walked into the bathroom.
We stripped and got into the shower. I made love to her before washing her hair and making sure every inch of her was scrubbed clean. She insisted on getting dressed for the day, which I was not pleased with, but she wanted to do some sightseeing. That required clothing.
“What do you think of this one?” she asked, coming out in one of the dresses she had picked out with Ashton and Bella.
“Babe, I’m going to love everything you wear, but I would like to see a little more cleavage.”
She put a hand on her hip. “You specifically told me no cleavage!”
“That was before.”
“Before?”
“Before I knew those were my boobs to ogle and fondle. I don’t give a shit if another man notices how lucky I am. If I catch anyone staring too long or too hard, I’ll knock them on their ass.”
She bit her lower lip. “You did that on purpose.”
“What did I do?”
“Your boxing reference.”
I smiled. “I forgot.”
“Liar. I’m going to change. I’m just going to wear the leggings and sweater today. It looks chilly out there.”
“Works for me. I’m going to call Julia.”
I ended up doing Facetime. The moment she picked up her end, she squealed. “You’re smiling!” she exclaimed. “Did it work?”
“It worked,” Paislee shouted from the bedroom. “Thank you.”
Julia clapped her hands. “I’m so happy for you. What does this mean?”
Paislee came into the living room and sat down beside me to squeeze into the frame of the camera. She held up her hand and waggled her finger to show off the new ring. “It means this is all real, baby!”
Julia was screaming and jumping up and down.
“You’re giving me motion sickness,” I complained.
“This is so awesome. Are you going to tell Mom?”
“Hell no,” I said. “She doesn’t need to know about the first part of this engagement.”
“Good plan. She’d kick your ass.”
“Are you coming to London?” Paislee asked her.
“No. It’s too cold there. I’m going back to Jamaica. I can’t believe you managed to save this thing, Jay. You really screwed up. You are damn lucky Paislee is a good woman. You almost lost her.”
“I know and I’m going make sure I never do anything to lose her again.”
“Good man. When’s the wedding?”
Paislee looked at me. “We just barely got engaged.”
“No time to lose,” Julia said with a laugh. “Mom is going to expect a grandkid nine months from the day.”
“Why don’t you get pregnant?” I shot back.
“No thanks. I’m having too much fun. You’re the oldest. It’s you who needs to answer the knock of that biological clock. I’ve got time. In fact, I think I see a gray hair.”
“Hey, Julia?”
“What?”
“You got a little green there,” I said and pointed to my cheek.
She glared at me. “You asshole!”
“Don’t take that shit to my hotel,” I said before she hung up.
I was laughing as I put the phone down. Paislee was scowling at me. “What was that about?”
“She got some weird face mask thing. It turned her skin green. I had to tease her.”
She sighed and shook her head. “We’ll start working on your asshole rehab later. I think it’s going to take far more intense therapy than I thought.”
I laughed and kissed her. I was certain this was the happiest I had been in my entire life. I meant it when I said I was not going to do anything to screw this up. Paislee was going to be mine for the rest of my days. I didn’t care if it cost me every penny I had.
She was worth it.
Epilogue
Paislee
Six months later
I woke up and looked at the clock. “Shit! Babe, we’re late.” I slapped at Jay’s bare chest.
He groaned. “Go back to sleep.”
“It’s after six! We have to go!”
“Just tell them to get started without us.”
I slapped at his chest again. “Jameson Harrow, I will drag your ass out of this bed if you don’t get up. I’m getting in the shower. The door will be locked.”
“That’s no fun.”
“If you walk into that shower, you and I both know we are going to be super late.”
I was already up and out of bed. I turned on the water and hopped into the luxury shower. Jets hit me from all sides. I quickly washed my hair and toweled off.
I rushed back into our bedroom to find him sitting on the edge of the bed with his hair sticking straight up in front. He looked so damn cute when he was exhausted.
“Babe,” I said gently. “I love you more than life itself, but if you don’t get that fine ass in that shower in the next thirty seconds, I’m never going down on you again.”
His head popped up. “You are a cruel woman.”
“You’re the one that wanted to stay up late last night.”
He flashed a lopsided grin. “I didn’t see you complaining.”
I walked into the massive closet that we shared. It was bigger than my old room at the apartment I shared with Bella. I found the dress I knew I was going to wear for the big day. I dressed and headed downstairs of our new house outside the city.
I’d moved in with him two months ago. Bella moved in with Ashton. They had a nice apartment in the city, but with our wedding looming and the goal to start a family right away, Jay and I opted for a house.
It wasn’t a mansion like his parents had, but it was a beautiful white house. In fact, it resembled the White House with pillars in the front that supported a second-floor balcony. It had a beautiful backyard and a pool that had recently been surrounded by a ten-foot-high fence in anticipation of the baby we wanted to bring into the world. For now,
I was on birth control, but I was going off the week before the wedding.
I started coffee in the beautiful gourmet kitchen with a center island that stretched long enough to seat six people. I had a fantasy of every one of those stools being filled with our children. We were planning to adopt once we were married and settled and figured everything else out.
When he came downstairs, he was all put together with his hair fixed and clean shaven. “You really are a hard ass,” he complained.
“Are you ready to go?”
“Can I have coffee first?”
“I already put it in your to-go cup. We need to get a move on or we are going to get caught in traffic.”
That was a downside to living outside of town. Traffic was such a pain in the ass. I almost missed public transportation. But it was only for a little while longer. I sat in the passenger seat with my hand on his leg as he drove us to the community center.
When we arrived, there were vans lining the street in front of the center that had been expanded to include the once dilapidated buildings on either side of it. “Ah, they’re here!” I shrieked and slapped his thigh with excitement.
“Ow,” he complained.
“Hurry, park. I want to make sure they know where to go.”
“Babe, you drew a fucking map.” I shot him a look. “Sorry, a stinking map. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes. You don’t want our kids cursing like sailors. You have to set the example.”
He sighed and nodded. “I know, I know.”
We parked in the back and rushed inside. Well, I rushed. He followed. The center was a hive of activity with workers buzzing around. It was the grand opening of the new community center that had been funded mostly by Jay’s family and friends.
I turned to him and threw my arms around him. “You are such an amazing man.”
“I’ve heard,” he teased.
“Seriously, you make me so happy. Look at this place. We’re going to be able to triple our classes. The kids are going to be able to spend every day here. There is so much space.”
“You did a great thing,” he said.
“You did this. Your idea to throw a benefit gala to raise money for this project was brilliant. I was prepared to beg and steal to get the money to buy a new coffeemaker and you went and bought two buildings.”
“Does this count toward good points?” he teased.
“It absolutely does. I’ll take off ten asshole points.”
He winked. “Then you know what that means?” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
“You know I do. Make sure you drink lots of water today. I need you hydrated. I expect to see lots of sweat later.”
“You will,” he whispered. “You absolutely will. When it comes time to put a baby in you, I want to make sure I’m an expert at the act.”
I burst into laughter. The things he said sometimes just made me laugh. “I’m going to check on the music room.”
“You mean you’re going to check on your babies?”
I grinned. “Yes!”
I walked into the first music room that was going to be utilized for most of the classes. The piano I ordered had been delivered. I checked it out and approved it before moving next door to the other music room. This room was all about the piano.
I was of the opinion the piano was like the lion in the jungle. It was the king and deserved its own place of superiority. It didn’t make sense to splurge on an expensive piano, but the one I did get was donated. It was a baby grand that was older than I was, but it was in pristine condition. The room would be reserved for those who were serious about piano lessons. It would also be used for the piano students to give concerts.
“It looks amazing in here,” Julia exclaimed.
I spun around and rushed her. I hugged her tight as we spun around. “Isn’t it awesome? Thank you so much for all of your hard work. This never would have happened without your connections.”
“Trust me. Jay would have moved mountains to get you this community center.”
“He is pretty amazing, isn’t he?”
“You are so in love it makes me gag a little.”
“It will happen for you one day.”
“I’m not sure I want to be like you guys. You are sickly sweet.”
“Speaking of, did you pick up your dress?” I asked as I quickly switched gears to the upcoming wedding.
“I did. Me and Bella both got our dresses. I made sure the flower order was corrected and the catering company got your changes.”
“Perfect. Thank you. I don’t know what I was thinking trying to plan a wedding and this community center project at the same time.”
“I think you are crazy, but you managed to pull it off.”
Bella came into the room with Ashton’s arm around her. “You kicked ass,” she said with a grin. “I never doubted it for a minute, but I know there were some who did.”
“I didn’t,” Ashton said. “I’ve learned to just stay out of the way. You and Jay are machines. I don’t know how you have time for anything else.”
I winked. “Trust me, we find the time. Although Jay is a little cranky today. He didn’t get much sleep and isn’t thrilled about it.”
“Ply him with alcohol,” Julia said.
“I’ll wait to tell him the plumber he hired for the Greek property just flaked out.”
I groaned and slapped a hand to my forehead. “That’s the third one. That hotel is cursed.”
“I told him not to do it,” Sydney said as she waltzed into the room in her usual regal style. “No sane person takes on two projects of this magnitude, let alone three.”
“He wants to get this last one done and then he is done for a while,” I told her.
She smiled, her eyes lighting up. “I know. Because he is finally going to give me the grandbabies I have been asking for.”
“Technically, I think I’m doing the giving.” I laughed.
“Yes, but you fly all over the world with him. I cannot wait to have you both home and settled.”
“I’m looking forward to that as well.”
We drifted out of the room and mingled with the rest of the crowd that was filtering in. We helped set up the buffet tables and made sure there were plenty of brochures available. Every once in a while, I caught a glimpse of my fiancé across the room.
Every morning, I woke up next to him and had to remind myself this was not a dream. I had gotten the fantasy. I had the gorgeous man and I would soon have him as my husband.
As the workers fell away and it was just the community coming in to check out their new center, my nerves finally started to relax. We pulled it off. The place looked great and we already had a long list of signups for the classes we were offering.
I was so excited to be able to share art and music with the kids in the neighborhood. Most of the schools in the neighborhood had to cut funding for the creative arts programs, so this was their only option.
I remembered how music and art saved me when I was their age. I remembered how happy it made me. I wanted the kids that were in rough situations to feel like there was an outlet. I didn’t always have that outlet. The nuns tried, but it just wasn’t always possible.
“You have that look on your face,” Jay said as he came to stand beside me.
“Which look would that be?”
“The one you get when you are really happy. The one you get after we’ve had a really long night.”
“Satisfied?” I teased.
“Yes, that’s the look.”
“As usual, you’ve satisfied me beyond my expectations.”
“I haven’t even gotten started satisfying you.”
“Do you think we could get out of here?” I asked him. “I’m ready to put this one behind us and focus on our wedding.”
“I thought you would never ask. Let me tell my parents we’re leaving.”
I gave him a quick kiss and went to find Bella. We made our excuses but didn’t really need to waste the breath. They a
ll knew why we were leaving. We worked hard together, and when we were done with the work, we liked to reward ourselves with a little couple time.
I caught a glimpse of him by the back door and quickly crossed the room to walk right into his arms. “I love you,” I told him. “You’ve made me the happiest woman alive.”
“I love you. I haven’t even gotten started making you happy. We’re going to have many happy days ahead of us.”
We walked to the car and headed for home. I, the poor little orphan, had won the life lottery. I had everything I could have ever dreamed of. I had things I didn’t even know I wanted.
It was all part of fate. Every time I looked in the mirror and saw the scar on my head, I smiled.
That scar was my ticket to happiness.
The End
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About the Author
Hey there. I'm Weston.
Have we met? No? Well, it’s time to end that tragedy.
I'm a former firefighter/EMS guy who's picked up the proverbial pen and started writing bad boy romance stories. I co-write with my sister, Ali Parker, but live in Texas with my wife, my two little boys, a dog, and a turtle.
Yep. A turtle. You read that right. Don’t be jealous.
Pay Up Hot Stuff: A Billionaire Fake Fiancée Romance Page 25