The Con Artist: (Formally Published as Playing The Millionaire)

by Lynn, Sandi

  “Rose, it’s me.”

  “Kate, darling. How are you?”

  “I’m great. You’re never going to believe where I’m going tonight.”

  “Where?”

  “To dinner and a movie with Gabriel.”

  “Aw, Kate. That’s wonderful news.”

  “You should have seen him today. He got a dog!” I spoke with excitement. “And we met in the park and he introduced himself to me as if I was some stranger. Then I went for a walk with him and Lady and we talked like we had never even known each other. It was so bizarre.”

  “I’m so happy for you, dear. Have a wonderful date with him and I want to hear all about it tomorrow,” she spoke.

  “I will. I’ll be in touch soon.”

  It was almost six o’clock when the buzzer to my apartment rang. Pressing the button to unlock the door, I stood in the doorway and waited for him to step off the elevator. When he did, I noticed he held a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

  “You look beautiful.” He smiled.

  “Thank you. Come on in.”

  “These are for you.” He handed me the beautiful red roses.

  “Thank you, but you shouldn’t have,” I spoke as I brought them up to my nose and smelled them.

  “I wanted to,” he spoke with seriousness.

  Our eyes met, and instantly, all the reasons why I fell in love with him before came flooding back. We went to dinner and talked so much that we missed the movie we were going to see. As we exited the restaurant, Gabriel took hold of my hand and looked at me, waiting to see if I would pull away. I didn’t. All I did was smile, letting him know that it was okay. We walked down the brightly lit streets of New York and stopped in Orange Leaf for some frozen yogurt, where we talked some more and laughed before he took me home.

  Gabriel walked me up to my apartment and I invited him in for a glass of wine.

  “Would you like to come in for a glass of wine?”

  “As tempting as that sounds, I better get home to relieve the sitter.”

  “The sitter?” I asked.

  “I have a dog sitter looking after Lady.”

  “Are you serious?” I laughed.

  “Of course I am. She’s just a baby. She can’t be left home all alone.”

  My heart melted when he said that, and suddenly, I lost all control. I reached up and smashed my mouth against his. He placed his hands firmly on each side of my face as our passionate kiss continued. The feeling of his warm lips pressed against mine was intoxicating and I never wanted it to end. He broke our kiss and stared at me.

  “We shouldn’t. It’s our first date.”

  “I don’t care. I feel like I’ve been on a million dates with you already.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Are you?” I asked.

  “It’s all I ever think about. I’ve missed you so much, Kate.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Gabriel.”

  “Go pack a bag and come to my house with me. Lady will be happy to see you again.”

  I bit down on my bottom lip as excitement soared through me. I ran into the bedroom, threw some essentials into my bag, and we headed out the door.

  * * *

  Gabriel

  She shocked me with that kiss, but it was shock that felt so good and right. As soon as we arrived back at my townhouse, Lady came running to the door to greet us. Kate got down on the floor and played with her. As much as I wasn’t a dog lover, I knew getting Lady was the right decision. Plus, she was already starting to grow on me, and seeing Kate with her made it all the more worth it.

  I took her bag upstairs to my bedroom and set it on the chair. Kate followed, holding Lady in her arms. I turned to her and ran the back of my hand down her cheek.

  “What do we do with Lady?” she asked.

  “I’ll take her down to her crate. She’ll be fine for a while.” I smiled.

  After putting the dog downstairs, I went back up to my room, where I found Kate sitting on the edge of the bed in a piece of lingerie that I had bought her. She was exceptional, stunning, and my cock enjoyed the view as much as my eyes did. Walking over to her, I pushed her hair to the side and let my tongue slide across the delicate skin of her neck. She let out a light moan, the type of moan that I missed hearing. My hands traveled to her breasts as I caressed them through the sheer fabric of her nightie. My cock was so hard it hurt, and I couldn’t wait to feel the warmth of her once again.

  I gently laid her down on her back and removed the nightie from her perfect body. A body that I craved and missed for what seemed like eternity. Our lips meshed with one another’s as my hand traveled down the front of her panties and my finger dipped inside. She gasped and arched her back in pleasure, and I explored her. The wetness that emerged from her made me hungrier than I already was. I played with her and teased her hardened nipples with my tongue until she orgasmed. I licked every inch of her bare skin until I reached her wet sensitive spot. To taste her again was a dream come true. My tongue made tiny circles around her clit, heightening her arousal even more. Her moans became louder as her fingers ran through my hair. This was my piece of heaven.

  I hovered over her, kissing her lips as I prepared to thrust inside her. The moment I’d been waiting for. Breaking our kiss, I stared into her eyes as my cock slowly entered inside. Her lips parted as a light gasp escaped her.

  “I love you, Kate,” I whispered as I buried myself inside her.

  “I love you too, Gabriel.” She smiled.

  Chapter 43

  Kate

  I lay there, wrapped in his arms feeling safe, secure, and happy while my body tried to come down from the multiple orgasms he had given me, my skin still trembling from his touch.

  “Can I ask you something?” he spoke.

  “Of course you can.” My finger gently ran along his chest.

  “Promise me you won’t get mad. Do you promise?”

  “You want to know if I slept with Marcel. Don’t you?”

  “How did you know?”

  “Because if the situation was reversed, I’d want to know.” I lifted my head from his chest and placed my hand on his cheek. “No, I didn’t sleep with him. I never had any intention to.”

  “And he was okay with that? He has a reputation.”

  “He had no choice. I told him I was on my period.” I smiled.

  He brought his hand up and ran his fingers through my hair.

  “How did you get what you needed without him becoming suspicious?”

  “You really want to know the truth?”

  “I do, Kate. It’s important that I know,” he spoke with seriousness.

  “I drugged him,” I answered with a twisted face. “Put him to sleep for a while.”

  He stared at me in shock for a moment, but I knew he was proud.

  “Thank you for doing what you did. Had I known, I would have stopped you. You took a huge risk, sweetheart.”

  “You’re so cute for thinking you could have stopped me.” I kissed the tip of his nose. “Anyway, you’re welcome.”

  “I never meant a word of what I said to you that night at the ball. I was just so hurt and angry that you were with him.”

  “I know you were. But that’s all in the past and that’s where it’s staying.”

  “I love you so damn much. The thought that I had lost you forever killed me inside.” His grip around me tightened.

  Suddenly, we heard Lady barking from downstairs.

  “Oh shit. I forgot about her,” Gabriel spoke. “I’ll be right back.”

  He climbed out of bed, pulled on his pajama bottoms, and left the room. I slipped into my nightie, grabbed my phone, and held it up to snap a picture when he walked back into the room. A few moments later, he returned with Lady in his arms.

  “Freeze!” I exclaimed. “I want to get a picture.”

  “Now?” he asked.

  “Smile.” I smiled as I took a couple pictures.

  He set Lady down on the bed and she ran up
to me, giving me puppy kisses galore. Gabriel climbed into bed and the two of us played with her until we wore her out.

  “She’s your dog, Kate. I bought her for you.”

  “What? Are you kidding me?”

  “No. You told me that you always wanted a white Maltese growing up. So I thought you should have one. But I will tell you that I have become quite fond of her already and I’m not sure I can let you take her away from me.”

  “But you just said she was mine.” I pouted.

  “I would love for her to be our dog, and I think the solution to this little problem is that you’ll have to move in with me so she can be with both of us all the time.”

  I didn’t even have to ponder the idea. The thought of moving in with him, sleeping with him every night, and waking up to him every morning made me feel like the luckiest woman alive.

  “I would love to move in with you. That’s if you’re sure you can handle living with me 24/7.” I smiled.

  “Oh, I can handle you. We lived together before, don’t forget. Plus, I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.” His lips brushed against mine.

  * * *

  It had been a month since I moved into Gabriel’s townhome and life for me was perfect. I finally met his mother, who had just gotten back from Europe, where she had been traveling for the past six months. I liked her and she seemed to like me too. Caleb’s music career took off when his song hit #5 on the music charts. In a few weeks, he would be going on tour, being the opening band for Matchbox Twenty. Lady was growing so fast and Gabriel and I were completely in love with her.

  I slipped into a short, red, form-fitting dress that sat off the shoulders for a special dinner Gabriel had planned for us.

  “You look beautiful,” he spoke as he walked up behind me and pressed his lips against my neck.

  “Thank you.” I smiled.

  “I picked up a little something for you today.” He pulled a small red box from his suit pocket and handed it to me.

  Opening the lid, I gasped when I saw the beautiful princess cut diamond earrings sitting there.

  “Gabriel, they’re beautiful. You shouldn’t have. What is this for?”

  “Yes, I should have, and they’re just a reminder of how much I love you and how beautiful you are.”

  I started to fan my eyes to keep the tears from falling.

  “Thank you. I love you so much.” I threw my arms around his neck and kissed his lips.

  “You’re welcome. Are you almost ready? Our reservations are for seven.”

  “Yes. I just have to put these earrings in and then we can go.” I smiled.

  We arrived at his hotel and I looked at him in confusion.

  “We’re eating at your hotel?” I asked.

  “Yes.” He smiled as he grabbed my hand and led me inside.

  We stepped into Cornelia, the upscale restaurant in the hotel that was named after his mother. I looked around, for we were the only two people in the place.

  “Good evening, Mr. Quinn. I’ll show you to your table.”

  “Good evening, Frank.”

  “Gabriel, I’m confused. Why is nobody here?” I asked as I took a seat.

  “I closed the restaurant down for tonight for a very special celebration.”

  “What are we celebrating?”

  “Him.” Gabriel held out his hand.

  I looked behind me and saw my father standing there, dressed in a black suit.

  “Hello, baby girl.” He smiled.

  Throwing my hands over my mouth, I looked at Gabriel, who stood there with a smile on his face. I got up from my seat and ran over to my father, throwing my arms around him and hugging him tight.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “Why don’t you ask Gabriel?”

  I turned and looked at him, and suddenly, tears filled my eyes when I realized what he had done.

  “Don’t cry, baby,” he spoke as he walked over to me and wiped the tears from my face.

  “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “Did you really think I would let him sit in prison? I’d been waiting for this night for a while. I wanted to surprise you and it was so hard keeping this a secret.”

  “God, Gabriel. I love you so much. Thank you.”

  “I love you too, baby.”

  The three of us sat down and enjoyed a wonderful dinner together. Gabriel had given my father a job at this very hotel and a free room until he could save some money to be able to afford an apartment. This, my life, was all too surreal. Having the two men who were the most important people and things in my life at my side was like a dream come true.

  Chapter 44

  Three Months Later

  Gabriel

  “You have everything packed?” Kate asked as she walked into the bedroom.

  “I do, baby. I wish you could come with me.” I placed my hands firmly on her hips. “But I’m going to be tied up in all kinds of meetings for days.”

  “It’s okay. I understand.” She smiled.

  “I’m happy you’re going to visit Rose this weekend. I really didn’t want you being here all alone.”

  “I can’t wait to see her, and she finally gets to meet Lady.”

  I brushed my lips against hers and hugged her tightly.

  “I’m going to miss you,” I whispered in her ear.

  “I’m going to miss you too. Try not to work too hard.”

  “I promise to call you every day and expect a lot of text messages from me.”

  “I look forward to each and every one. I love you, Gabriel.”

  “I love you too, baby.” I gave her one last kiss and took my suitcase downstairs.

  The truth was I had to fly to Boston for a planning meeting for a few hours. After I was done with that, I would fly to Mystic to surprise her.

  * * *

  Kate

  It felt good to be back in Mystic again. Rose greeted me with open arms and fell in love with Lady the minute she saw her.

  “I’m so happy you’re here.” She smiled.

  “Me too.”

  “Bobby is going to cover the bed and breakfast for me today while I spend the entire day with you and this little lady.”

  We spent the day shopping, had lunch, took a walk on the trails, and then it was time to head back. When we arrived at the bed and breakfast, I noticed the dining room doors were shut. Rose never kept them closed.

  “Ah, good. You’re back.” Bobby smiled. “I went ahead and made dinner for you.”

  “Aw, Bobby, you shouldn’t have,” Rose spoke. “Kate, why don’t you go into the dining room and have a seat. I’m going to take Lady outside and see if she has to go potty.”

  I gave her a smile as I opened the dining room doors and froze when I saw Gabriel standing near a beautifully decorated table that was lit with candles and arranged with fresh flowers.

  “Oh my god, what are you doing here?” I asked with shock as I walked over and wrapped my arms around him. “What happened to your meetings?”

  “I already had my meeting.”

  “Huh? I don’t understand. You said that you would be tied up for a few days.” I broke our embrace.

  “I am going to be tied up for a few days, but not with meetings,” he spoke. “Kate, sit down.”

  “Gabriel, what’s going on?”

  He got down on one knee and pulled a small box from his pocket. Opening the lid, he took out a beautiful diamond ring and held it up.

  “Kate, words cannot explain how much you have changed my life. I never thought I would love someone as much as I love you. You are my entire world and I can’t imagine you not being in it.”

  I placed my hand over my mouth as tears started to stream down my face.

  “Living with you the past three months has been incredible and I fall in love with you more every single day. I didn’t think it was possible, but I do, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you as your husband and you as my wife. Being my girlfriend just is
n’t enough for me. Will you do me the honor of marrying me and spending the rest of your life as Mrs. Gabriel Quinn?”

  The uncontrollable urge to bawl my eyes out swept over me as I cried like a baby in front of him.

  “Sweetheart, you’re scaring me.”

  “I—I—I’m just so happy,” I cried. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

  “I wanted to surprise you. So—”

  “Yes! Of course I’ll marry you. It’s all I want.”

  A wide grin splayed across his face as he slipped the ring on my finger and then brought my hand up to his lips.

  “I love you more than life, baby,” he spoke.

  I was shaking uncontrollably as I wrapped my arms around his neck and we both stood up.

  “I love you more than life,” I whispered in his ear.

  Suddenly, we heard the light claps of Bobby and Rose, who stood in the doorway and watched us. Rose set Lady down and she came running over to us. Gabriel bent down and picked her up.

  “She said yes, Lady. Your mama said yes!” he spoke with excitement.

  “Looks like we have a wedding to plan, Bobby.” Rose smiled.

  “We sure do, Rose.” He hooked his arm around her as she laid her head on his shoulder.

  * * *

  Gabriel and I were married in the gazebo at The Mermaid Inn of Mystic. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. The sun was shining, and it was a perfect seventy-five degrees outside. We had to plan the wedding quite quickly while the weather was still nice, which was fine with me because I couldn’t wait to become Mrs. Gabriel Quinn. We kept the wedding small, inviting only about a hundred people. It was what we both wanted. Something intimate with family and a few friends.

  “Welcome to the family.” Caleb smiled as he kissed my cheek and gave me a hug.

  “Thanks, Caleb.”

  “Welcome to the family, Kate. I couldn’t have asked for a better woman for my son to marry.” His mother grinned.

  Gabriel and I both decided not to tell her about my past and we warned my father not to speak of his. She would be appalled and change her mind about me if she knew how we really met.