"But after fighting off mobs or reporters and your assistant, there's no way I'm going to violate a clause of our agreement and lose out on all that money. I had too much fun with your credit card. So the bush stays." She winked.
"Funny, Kay." But my heart beat hard for her. She was killing me with kindness. Before my billions, few people had been nice to me. Now I had too damn many sycophants and people who played up to me because of my money. I was a sucker for real affection, but skeptical of almost everyone's motives.
She pulled a chair directly opposite me and began stroking my beard, working the oil in as she looked me in the eye. "This is the biggest night of your life, Jus. I want you to be you for it."
Right then, I knew I hadn't made a mistake. I grabbed her wrist. "I think I love you."
Her eyes went wide. "Tell me when you know for sure!" She cupped my chin and stared into my eyes, deflecting.
Shit, I thought. Eric had really done a number on her.
"I think I love you a little, too. Now that you've let me play with your black card. I've never bought beard oil before. You're my first."
Damn, she had me going.
"Seriously." Her face became a mask. "There's a strong chin in here. You don't have to hide behind this beard."
She knew me too well.
She leaned her forehead against mine and stroked my beard. "So soft, Jus. So touchable. I'm a wonder." She kissed the tip of my nose like I was a little boy she was humoring, and backed off.
Leaving me to swallow hard and watch her. I just needed a glimmer. A sliver of hope that she could love me.
She wiped her hands on a towel and grabbed a hand mirror. She spun it around and held it out to me. "I never thought I'd say this. But you are one hot, bearded guy."
She was teasing me again. She had to be. But when our eyes met, there was no hint of mocking. Maybe it's not impossible, I thought.
* * *
Kayla
I dressed in the guestroom and did my hair and makeup in the guest bath. He was waiting for me in the living room, like a date. Still almost a stranger to me. My heart thumped. Could I really fake it and fool his friends at the billionaires' club?
I checked my reflection in the mirror. The dresses Allie had sent over were each perfect in their way. I went with the original pink one I'd asked her for, only because the image of me wearing it was stuck in my head. Along with the thought of a pink wedding dress. When Justin had said I'd worn a pink dress to our wedding, this was the one I'd thought of. So maybe my subconscious was trying to give us a real memory. One we could take with us when this year was over. This was our big night. Justin's big night. Justin's big life. I was just along for the ride.
I tugged down the formfitting dress and touched up my lip gloss. I hadn't teased Justin. He was nice looking. Just not in a classically handsome way. But he'd grown into his face and body since college and was no longer gawky and boyish. His features were interesting, making him arresting to look at. And there was something attractive about a guy who didn't know he was attractive.
I hoped I'd guessed right about the style of suit I'd picked out for him.
I slid on my thousand-dollar heels, grabbed my bag and jacket, and met Justin in the living room. He was standing at the windows, looking out over the city with his back to me. The beard was hidden. All I saw was the smooth, close, stylish cut of his hair on the back of his head. This time of evening the light was still strong. He was silhouetted, the impression of shadow and time standing still highlighted by his gray suit and the collar of his black shirt peeking out.
A feeling washed over me—this was a historic moment in my life. A defining one. It was like a premonition. I'd missed the wedding, but I was a married woman now. How I handled the next year would define the rest of my life. If I could lie and fake and learn and grow, what an adventure! Something to tell my future grandchildren, whoever they were with. All about my adventures being married to the billionaire. And this was the very first exploit. The night I met the club.
I wanted to hang on to this moment. Burn the vision of him standing there into my memory so that it lasted a lifetime, fresh and new. In vibrant hues, never turning sepia with age. When he turned around, the vision would surely shatter. He would just be Justin, a casual friend from college that I barely knew now. But there was something…something about him I wanted to hang on to. Forever.
The suit fit Jus exactly as I imagined it would. As if it was made for him. Not a bad effect for an off-the-rack suit that had been hastily run through alterations in an afternoon. I gave a silent nod to the tailor. He was good. I wanted his name for future reference.
Jus had square, broad shoulders, and a trim waist. The perfect triangle. Slender legs that looked good in skinny-leg pants.
An athletic build, I thought with a start. More like that of a runner than a football player. But still. Athletic and Justin hadn't gone hand in hand before.
I loved the visual appeal of athletic men, apparently. I even loved the cockiness of them. And their warrior spirit. The thought that a warrior would come to my rescue and carry me off with the spoils to the temptations of the bedroom. That man, the one with his back to me at the window, looked like he could be that kind of guy. If only I hadn't known he wasn't. So there he was—my billionaire for a year.
I had a vision of what he could look like in the future, if he chose. A classy, classic businessman, strong and powerful. Totally in control. He was confident when I wasn't looking.
He must have heard me come in. He turned around. His face lit up. I was right. The illusion was shattered by the happy, boyish grin behind that beard. And the sense of awe in his voice. "You look beautiful."
He sounded as if he meant it. Not as if he was saying what was expected. Rote. The way Eric used to tell me I was beautiful. Mostly when he wanted something.
I smiled, admiring my work. "So do you."
He shrugged, so slightly it was almost imperceptible. A gesture that meant he didn't believe me.
"I mean it." I joined him at the window and ran my hands over his shoulders, straightening his suit. The fabric was soft and wonderful with the feel of luxury and money beneath my fingers.
The man was hard and firm. Still. As if he was holding his breath and nervous.
"You should wear a suit all the time," I said.
He shook his head and grinned, self-conscious. "It's surprisingly comfortable."
"Good quality is. The suit makes you look powerful, too." I grinned at him. "I can't believe Allie and I did this in an afternoon. If we'd had you in the store where you could have tried options on…"
I stretched my arms up and out, palms up. "We would have made you into one of Seattle's Most Gorgeous Guys, no problem."
He laughed again. "You're an eternal optimist and full of yourself."
"Fashion geniuses usually are. And you don't give yourself enough credit."
He held his hand out to me as if turning aside my praise. "Shall we?"
When I took it, it was warm and squeezed mine firmly, as if reaffirming the deal. "You still haven't told me where we're going. I don't even know what kind of car you drive."
"Depends on the day," he said, pulling me toward the door. "Tonight we're taking the car service. So we can both party like animals." His eyes danced.
"Barnyard animals, I hope. Highly appropriate at an EIEIO meeting." I squeezed his hand, enjoying the warmth of it holding mine. And the way he so easily took it and tucked my thumb beneath his. Holding hands was a small thing. But it was intimate and possessive. And I liked it. I realized with a start that Eric had stopped holding my hand a long time ago. That I'd been the one continually reaching for him. It was nice to have a guy reach for me for a change.
"We prefer Jet City Billionaires." He laughed. "Let's go."
We paused at the door of the building. The driver was waiting for us on the street, standing by the car door, ready to throw it open for us. The throng of reporters had grown. My tweets and posts and s
tatus updates had had the desired effect. The crowd of eager journalists was waiting for a picture to go with the story of the day—Seattle's most eligible billionaire had taken a bride. Sorry, single girls. The media had missed the wedding. But we could give them this, the follow up. The first night out. This was a story much like when Bill Gates had married decades ago.
"It's almost as if someone tipped them off that we would be making an appearance," I joked as I squeezed his hand. "This is where we sell it. Give them what they want—the romance of the decade. Starry-eyed newlyweds. Young, improbable love. Beautiful clothes. Impeccable grooming. This is the fantasy every girl wants. American royalty."
"You mean marrying a nerd is every girl's fantasy?" His eyes absolutely sparkled with teasing. "If only I'd known earlier. Like junior high, when I was getting the crap beat out of me and having my head held in the toilet on a daily basis. Now I see. Those big, muscly guys were just jealous of my sex appeal. Is that what you're saying?"
I laughed. "Those days are long gone. Junior high girls always want the wrong kind of guys. You need to adjust your thinking. You're rich. And you definitely don't look like a nerd anymore." I took a deep breath and thought of the crowd waiting for us to make an appearance. "You've had media training, right?" I should have asked earlier.
He nodded. "Yeah."
I let my breath out. "Excellent. Use it. Remember, everything is a sound bite. Don't give them anything they can clip and use out of context to make you look bad." I took another deep breath. "Now smile for the camera and follow my lead."
Justin opened the door and we were on stage. The local news crews had been joined by the entertainment rags and their fashionably dressed reporters. How had they gotten here so fast?
I felt like a modern-day princess. Much like I thought Kate Middleton probably felt her first day in the public eye as a real princess.
I wasn't a complete social bumbler. I was raised in an upper-middle-class family. That the paparazzi had absolutely zero interest in. And there's the rub. My family had a certain amount of style and good taste. But this was a new, overwhelming animal. As the cameras started flashing, I did my best to bring up some inner social diva.
There was a collective gasp as the news crews got their first look at the new, improved Justin.
"Justin! Justin, love the new look!"
"You mean the girl on my arm." He looked at me with love, faked love, but very convincingly faked, shining in his eyes. "She's gorgeous, isn't she?"
I could get used to being adored.
As the cameras clicked, I cuddled into Justin and beamed up at him as if I was doting, smitten, and so in love with him I had eyes for no one else. But I was dying, of course, to be on the entertainment news. I mean, if you were at all related to the fashion industry, this was the ultimate.
"Where did you meet?"
"How long have you been in love?"
"How did you stage a secret romance and wedding?"
"Where are you off to?"
"What about a honeymoon?"
"All the single girls across the country will be heartbroken now! Look at him, folks, the newlywed Justin Green positively glows. Who's your stylist, Justin?"
Okay, now that was the ultimate compliment to me.
Jus paused in the middle of the group like a seasoned professional used to being in the spotlight. "We were college sweethearts." He looked at me and smiled, though in truth the smile, which reached ear to ear, hadn't faded since we'd opened the door. "I've loved this beautiful creature since I first laid eyes on her."
That should really get Eric, the thought that Jus and I had been college lovers. I just hoped the press didn't find out about Eric and interview him. Particularly about how recently we'd broken up.
I reached up and touched Jus' cheek. Without coaching, he leaned over, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me in front of the crowd. Genius. It was the photo op they'd been looking for.
When he pulled away, we smiled into each other's eyes for a second, long enough to give them what they wanted.
"Kayla, how did you catch this guy? Let the ladies know—how do you marry a billionaire?"
"You hook them when they're young. Before they've made their billions." I laughed and squeezed Jus' arm.
"Let's see the ring? We want to see the ring."
My heart nearly stopped. And then I thought, Why not?
I flashed them Jus' Order of the Engineer ring and had to fight not to lose my composure and laugh hysterically when their faces fell at the sight of it. "It's Jus' prize Order of the Engineer ring. We got married on the spur of the moment and had to improvise. We're going ring shopping tomorrow for the real thing. In the meantime, this means so much to me. He's never without it." I blinked back fake tears.
He leaned in and whispered, "I thought you didn't want a ring."
"It's not for me. It's for them. And so you don't look like a cheapskate, like you said. They'll blame you for being cheap. Not me. I'm just saving your reputation."
"Thanks for that." He wasn't being sarcastic.
"Who's the lucky jeweler? What kind of ring do you have in mind?"
"Later. We'll fill you in on all the details later," Jus said, pulling me close. "But now, we have to go. We have a private engagement we can't be late for."
"This is the new, surprising Justin Green," one of the entertainment reporters said into her mic. "Quite a change from the private, media-shy Justin of just a few days ago. Is Kayla to credit for this change? Or is it love?"
The crowd of reporters parted respectfully for Jus and let us through, snapping pictures as Justin handed me into the car while the driver held the door for us. When we were all shut in, I leaned back against the leather seat and sighed happily.
"Jus, can you believe this? I'm wearing a dress that cost more than a month's rent. Riding in a car with a billionaire, who's my husband. We're going to be on the entertainment shows! Is this crazy or what? When we were in college, who would have predicted this? Or even imagined it? It feels like a dream. Just this morning I was worried about how I was going to pay my rent." I paused and shook my head. "This morning. It seems like a lifetime ago." I turned to look at him. "How do you live like this?"
He shrugged. "You get used to it."
"You can tell me now—where are we going?"
He grinned. "Boeing Field to catch a helicopter. That's all I know. The rest is top secret."
"Is that usual?" I said.
"For the Jet City Billionaires, it's standard operating procedure. Especially when Lazer plans the gig."
Chapter Three
Kayla
"Lazer? You mean Lazer Grayson? The boy billionaire?" I asked, impressed to the roots of my hair.
"Oh, you know him, huh? Of course you do." Justin grabbed a bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket and popped the cork.
"I don't know know him. Every single girl in Seattle knows of him. He was voted Seattle's Best Man two years running. He's rich and eligible."
"And, judging from your tone, hot." Jus sighed, apparently unimpressed. "And one of my best billionaire friends. Previously the youngest member of the Jet City Billionaires." He poured two glasses of white wine and handed one to me. "To us and wedded bliss!"
"One year of it, at least!" I added, and stopped myself from saying more. Remembering, belatedly, that even though we were alone in the car, we weren't alone in the car. The charade had to be maintained every minute that we were out of the house. Every minute that we were in the house and not alone. Basically, every minute. "And to totally beguiling the press with our beautiful love story."
I took a sip from my crystal wineglass. It was the most heavenly wine I'd ever tasted. And my college buddy, and former sorority houseboy, Seth, had introduced me to some pretty fine ones. His dad owned an award-winning winery east of the mountains. "You even had me convinced you're madly in love with me."
"Aren't I?" he said, mildly, his eyes gesturing toward the driver.
"Of course you are
. Just like I love you, sweetie." I leaned forward and brushed his lips with a kiss, catching a whiff of that heavenly smelling beard. "After the media reaction, can you blame me for being insecure?"
"Never doubt my love for you, Kay. Never."
Traffic was surprisingly light. The drive to the airfield took no time at all. The driver took us to a private part of the airport, where a helicopter waited for us. Jus grabbed my hand and we made a run for the copter, the wind from its blades blowing my hair in my face while we ran. The pilot helped me inside.
"Jus, good to see you," the pilot said to Justin, as if they were old friends.
"You, too, Gary." Justin looked around the copter. "Just the two of us tonight?"
Gary nodded. "The rest have gone ahead. Mr. Grayson's orders. He thought you might get tied up with the press." He looked at me and back at Jus. "Congratulations, by the way."
Justin beamed. "Thanks, man. This is Kayla, my gorgeous bride.
"Mrs. Green, pleased to meet you."
I took Gary's hand and clasped it between mine. Mrs. Green! That sounded so crazy. And old. "Please, call me Kayla." I glanced at Jus and smiled. "I haven't gotten used to being Mrs. Yet. It sounds like his mom to me."
Gary laughed. "You'll get used to it soon enough."
There's no point getting used to it, I thought. This time next year I'll be Kayla Lucas, millionaire divorcee. Free, free, free!
Jus and I buckled in.
"Ready?" Gary asked.
Jus nodded and we were off, almost literally into the sunset. It was June, so the days were long. So not quite sunset. But getting there. The sun cast long shadows over Puget Sound and the mountains. Lighting Mt. Rainier off to the south in brilliant pink. A strawberry ice cream cone. That was what my dad called it on evenings like this.
We took off and headed west and south, over the sound into that sun. Ocean beaches? I wondered. Was that where we were headed?
Gary banked north. He acted as if we were out for an evening drive, in a helicopter. Just out to admire the scenery.
The Virgin Billionaire: Switched at Marriage Part 2 Page 3