His Fake Girlfriend

by Amber Nox

  Jake stiffens slightly next to me, but I keep my smile and say, “Thank you. It was a gift from Jake, so I’m not sure.”

  I feel his hand squeeze my thigh under the table, relief in that gesture that I managed to dodge the incoming bullet. I want to tell him to have more faith in my skills, but I simply maintain the softness in my face.

  “Well, Jacob, you have fabulous taste. It suits Evelyn perfectly.”

  “It’s easy to dress someone as beautiful as her.”

  He snags my hand off the tabletop and brushes his lips over my knuckles. Warmth I shouldn’t feel pools in my belly as his eyes meet mine. I lower my eyes, as if feeling shy, but it’s to hide the reaction brewing behind them. At times, I can’t tell whether he’s acting too, but after our kiss…

  We seem to be in a different place these days, and I’m not sure I’m comfortable with where we are, even though part of me wants more with him.

  “He’s a smooth operator, your boy,” aunt Marie crows.

  I laugh a little. “It’s one of the many things I love about him.”

  His hand tightens in mine and then his thumb starts to rub back and forth over the back of my hand. The movement is soothing in a way I didn’t know I needed, but it calms my nerves.

  I may do this all the time, but part of me actually wants his family and friends to like me. It’s ludicrous, it really is, but I can’t stop the thoughts from encroaching.

  “So, why don’t you tell us how you met?” another of the women, Hattie, asks.

  Jacob huffs under his breath. “How about we don’t make this entire evening about me and Evie? I’m sure you nosey bunch have other things to talk about.”

  Laughter goes around the table and the conversation moves on. I cast a glance at Jake, who shoots me an apologetic look. I smile, letting him know it’s fine.

  He keeps his hand locked in mine until the food arrives. I’m used to eating well, but this is delicious, and I clear my plate.

  “That was fantastic,” I say, laying my knife and fork down.

  “The food is very good,” Sylvia agrees. “Me and Grant come here every year on our anniversary.”

  “I can see why.”

  “You certainly enjoyed it,” Serena said. “You haven’t left a crumb.”

  It’s not said nastily, but there’s a hint of double meaning in her tone. I shoot her a smile. “You seem to have left half the plate. Did you not enjoy it?”

  She pokes at the food with her fork. “Oh, I don’t like to overeat. No man wants a cow on his arm.”

  Her words shouldn’t wound me, but the savageness of it hits me like a rock in the gut. What is this woman’s problem? I don’t let my smile slip, though.

  Before I can respond, Jacob intervenes. “On the contrary. I prefer a woman who can enjoy a meal over someone who eats like a bird.”

  Heat rises in Serena’s cheeks and she returns her attention to her meal. I lean into Jake and quietly say, “I don’t think she likes me.”

  He snorts. “Whatever gave you that idea?” a sigh follows. “I don’t know why my parents invited her. I’m sorry it’s awkward.”

  I wave this off. “It’s not. I’ve handled worse, believe me.”

  He squeezes my hand, a reassuring gesture, but one that has my heart bouncing in my chest.

  The rest of the meal passes without incident, although Serena doesn’t stop with her barbed words. I ignore them, focusing on making a good impression with the rest of his family and friends.

  I head to the bathroom before we’re about to leave and do my business. When I come out of the cubicle, Serena is waiting for me, leaning against the basin. Inwardly, I groan. Outwardly, I maintain an air of indifference.

  “I don’t know why he brought you here tonight. Was it just to flaunt you in my face?”

  “I don’t think you were even a thought for him,” I tell her honestly. Moving to the sink, I turn the tap and wait a moment for the water to heat before reaching for the soap dispenser.

  “He still loves me,” she counters. “Stay away from him.”

  She’s deluded. I should handle the situation carefully, professionally, but my gut is roiling with her words. Possessiveness I should not be feeling races through me and I find myself stepping into her space and saying, “That’s not your decision to make.”

  I tell myself I’m saying it because it’s what Evelyn would do, but I’m not sure if I’m her or Scarlett right now. All I know is I’m angry enough to spit fire. She doesn’t own him. She can’t tell me—or anyone else, for that matter—to stay away. I wonder if Jake knows how crazy she is.

  She glares at me. “He’s mine. I had him first and I’ll have him again. You’re just a distraction.”

  I shake my head at her. “There’s nothing quite as sad as seeing a grown woman throwing her toys out of the pram because she can’t get her own way. I’m sure Jake would be enamoured to know how you’re behaving.”

  I turn to leave the bathroom, but she snags my wrist, and not gently either.

  “You say one word to him and we’ll have problems.”

  I tug my arm free. “You’ve already got problems. Who Jake is with is not your business. It’s Jake’s. I suggest you try to remember that.”

  I leave the bathroom and head back to the table. Jake and his father are in conversation as I step up to them.

  “Ready?” he asks, smiling at me in a way that makes my stomach dip.

  “Yes.”

  He stands from the table and helps me into my coat. As he’s doing it, Serena comes back to the table, her expression sullen. I don’t pay her any heed. She’s not my problem, and Jake isn’t really my boyfriend. I had no right to go off like that, although I tell myself I did it because it would be expected. Truthfully, I did it because I wanted to, because it seemed right.

  I silence that voice.

  We get a taxi home, and Jake sits close to me, his hand on my thigh the whole way. I feel the heat of his touch burning through me like molten lava and I know I should pull away, but I don’t want to.

  And that scares me.

  I’ve never felt like this about a client. I know I’m crossing lines that can’t be uncrossed. Kissing him was the start of my downfall and things are not getting better.

  His parents head straight for bed, but he makes us both a coffee. I slip onto the stool at the breakfast bar and watch him moving around the space. He’s rolled the sleeves of his white button-up shirt up to his elbows, exposing the thick muscles of his forearms and I find my eyes keep gravitating there.

  “She’s still in love with you, you know?”

  I don’t know why I say this, but the words slip out before I can stop them.

  “Who?”

  “Serena, of course.”

  He snorts. “The only person Serena loves is Serena.”

  “She cornered me in the bathroom.”

  I watch his eyes flare and darken. “You should have said.”

  I wave this off. “I didn’t want to cause a scene, not when your friends and family were just starting to like me.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She told me to back off, that you were hers.”

  He bangs his mug down on the counter hard enough to slosh coffee over the sides. “She had no right to say that. I’m not hers. I only stomach being around her because her parents are my godparents, but if I had a choice, I’d never speak to her again. The woman is poison.”

  That I can believe. I spent one night with her and that was more than enough.

  “I just thought I should make you aware. After next week, I won’t be here.”

  Saying this makes my stomach twist painfully. He flinches too.

  “I guess we just have to enjoy what time we have left together,” he says.

  He moves into my space and I should step back, I should redraw the line between us, but my feet are rooted to the floor. Instead, I’m helpless as he lifts his hand and tucks my hair behind my ear, his eyes scanning my face. I don’t know
what he’s looking for there, but his entire face softens, and I find I like this look. He lowers his mouth and I can feel his breath against my lips. Then, he takes me.

  I should push him off. I should do a hundred things, but I stand still, letting him take my mouth, letting him take me, and I don’t want to pull back.

  16

  Jake

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  My mother’s voice has Evelyn pulling back from me like a naughty teen, caught making out. It would be funny, except now she’s no longer in my arms, putting a kitchen counter between us. This, I don’t like. I frown as she skims around the other side of the counter to grab her coffee mug, her cheeks flaming.

  “You’re not,” Evelyn assures my mother.

  She absolutely is.

  “I thought you were in bed.” My words are a little terser than I intend, annoyance at being interrupted bleeding through.

  “I wanted a coffee.”

  I can’t be angry at my mother for wanting a drink, but her timing is the worst. I move to the coffee machine and put in a pod of the coffee she likes. Then I grab a mug from the cupboard and place it under the spout as it starts making noises.

  No one speaks.

  The tension is so thick it could be cut with a knife.

  When the coffee is finished, I grab some milk from the fridge, put a dash in the mug and hand it off to my mother, who is eyeing me with what can only be described as curiosity.

  “Is everything all right?”

  I nod. “It’s fine. Go back to bed.”

  I keep my words soft, even though they want to rip out of me.

  “Okay, darling. I love you. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Sleep well,” I tell her, but my eyes remained locked on Evelyn, who looks like she’d rather be anywhere else than in the room with me right now.

  When the sound of the bedroom door closing upstairs echoes through the house, I turn to Evelyn.

  “You haven’t said a word.”

  I wish she’d kept silent, because the next words from her mouth gore me.

  “I have to leave.”

  “Why?”

  She finally meets my gaze, and when she does there’s tears there. “I keep kissing you. Do you know how many lines I’ve crossed in a week? More than in my entire career. I just… I can’t stop kissing you, and that’s a problem.”

  “Is it?” I ask, not being flippant, but meaning it.

  “Of course it is. You’re my client. I shouldn’t be kissing you or thinking about you in that way at all.”

  “Your client doesn’t mind.”

  “I mind.” She paces a little and throws her hands in the air. “What are we doing, Jake? This is crazy. I just can’t stop myself.”

  I move around the counter and crowd her. It might be the wrong move, but I want her to know I’m not going anywhere and I’m not afraid of this. Of us.

  My hands go to either side of the counter, bracketing her in.

  “Tell me honestly—if things were different, would you want me?”

  She meets my gaze, her mouth working. “But things aren’t different.”

  “But if they were.”

  Her mouth opens then closes. Then she says, “I would want you. I do want you.”

  It’s all the invitation I need. I crash my mouth to hers, my fingers moving up her spine to collar her nape. It’s not a soft kiss. It’s needy, full of desperation, and it has my dick hardening behind my zip. I want her now, but I need to take things slow. She’s already walking on a knife’s edge and I don’t want to push her over it.

  I tangle my fingers in her hair, pulling her head back so I can deepen my kiss. Our breaths are hot, mingling together as we pant and groan into each other’s mouths. When I press my cock to her core, she lets out a little whimper that makes my hardness grow heavier. This woman may be the death of me.

  The urge to take her here and now is overwhelming, but I hoist her up my body. Her legs wrap around my waist, her ankles locking at the base of my spine, and I carry her upstairs

  As soon as I have her in the bedroom, I start to shed her clothes. I slowly pull the zip down on her dress and slide one side down her shoulder, kissing her there as I do. Then I do the other, mirroring my actions. I can feel and see the quick rise and fall of her chest as I push it off her body completely.

  Standing in her heels and underwear, Evelyn is a sight to behold. Her slim hips and pert little breasts, just enough for a handful, are delectable.

  “On the bed,” I order, and she surprises me by doing what she’s told.

  I watch as she leans back on the bed and parts her thighs a little, giving me a tantalising look at the apex between her legs. It’s covered by a scrap of lace that is begging for me to push it aside.

  I want to, but first, I unbutton my shirt and tug it off my shoulders. Then I step out of my shoes, my trousers following after. Now, in just my boxers, I drop to my knees at the end of the bed, going between her thighs.

  I kiss up the length of them, brushing close to her centre, but not touching her there. She writhes, moaning, and triumph rolls through me. When I push aside her underwear, she lets out a whimper that makes my balls ache. I need to be inside her now, but I want to make this good too.

  I slip a finger into her wetness and watch her fingers fist the covers beneath her. Then, I slip inside her. I thrust back and forth, opening her up, and then slip another finger inside. She widens her legs, giving me greater access, and I take full advantage. I piston my fingers in and out of her slick channel, picking up speed even as my thumb swirls over her clit. Her hips thrust up to meet my touch and it doesn’t take her long to go over the edge, whimpering into the covers.

  I don’t give her a chance to settle. I pull my rock hard cock free from my boxers and slide them down my legs, stepping out of them. My hand tugs up and down my shaft twice as I move to my bedside table and pull out a condom. My eyes locked to hers, I roll it down my length and then I step up to the edge of the mattress. I palm her breasts, loving the way she moans at my touch, before I line my cock up to her slit.

  My gaze meets hers, seeking assurance she wants this, needing to have that confirmation.

  Heavy lids flutter as she nods her consent, but she gives me the words too. “I need you inside me, Jake.”

  I comply, pushing my hips forwards and surging into her pussy. It clamps around me the second I enter her, and I have to regain control of myself before I can move without blowing my load.

  When I pull back, I feel her shiver. I don’t give her time to acclimatise to my size, I simply thrust forward, burying myself to the balls in her.

  She moans something about feeling full, and I pull back, pushing back in quickly. Developing a rhythm, I set a steady pace, one that has her eyes rolling in her head. My fingers play with her nipples as I continue to move in and out of her.

  Evie comes first, her pussy strangling my dick as it contracts around me. It doesn’t take long for my own orgasm to hit.

  I spurt into the condom, but keep my pace for a couple of strokes before slowing and finally stopping. Glancing down at her, I can’t help but smile at the giddy look on her face. She looks sex-drunk. I brush my mouth over hers, tasting her, wanting her, and she takes all I give.

  “No regrets?” I ask her.

  She smiles and repeats my words. “No regrets.”

  17

  Scarlett

  I wake with Jake draped over me, his hand tantalisingly close to my breast. His soft snores in my ear tell me he’s still asleep and his iron-clad grip around me tells me I’m locked in his arms. I try to move him, but he’s solidly holding me, so I lie staring through the skylights above us. The sky is blue and lightening as dawn moves around us.

  I should feel panic at what transpired last night. Sleeping with a client is absolutely not allowed. I broke Francesca’s number one rule, but all I feel is peace, like this is how things are meant to be. It’s crazy. I barely know this man, but from
the moment I met him, I felt like we belonged together. The first kiss we had blew my mind. I’ve never had that with a man before. I’ve never felt anything when I kissed someone.

  I have no clue what stepping over this line means for my future. I can’t lie to Francesca. I won’t lie, which means I’m probably about to become unemployed. I have more than enough money to take care of myself for a while, but my job is my identity, it’s what I am. I don’t know what it means for me if I don’t have it.

  “You okay?” a sleepy voice asks at my back.

  My thoughts scatter as I half-twist and see Jake’s eyes are open.

  “Yeah,” I tell him. “I’m… I’m perfect.”

  He nuzzles against my neck. “Perfect?”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t have any regrets about… what we did last night?”

  “No,” I admit. “I really don’t, although I probably should.”

  His fingers trail up my arms. “What will it mean for you? For your work?”

  My breath comes out in a low, long breath. “I’ll lose my job.”

  I knew this from the moment I let him into the bed. I should care more than I do, but my heart feels so full right now, it isn’t thinking about the technicalities. It just doesn’t want to leave him. I don’t know if that is even possible. I have no idea what is possible anymore.

  “We don’t have to tell anyone what happened,” he tells me.

  I smile at his words. “I couldn’t live a lie like that.”

  This makes him snort. “You live a lie all the time.”

  I do, he’s right, but my lies don’t hurt anyone. This would hurt Francesca.

  “My boss—she’s been good to me over the years. Better than good, in fact. Lying wouldn’t feel right.”

  “I get that.” His nose trails down the dip between my throat and shoulder and I shiver with anticipation. He presses his lips to the junction of my clavicle and I tilt my neck to give him better access as he sucks and licks the sink there. “You’re a good woman, Evie.”

  I turn in his arms and face him. His bright eyes scan my face as we move scant inches apart, our breaths mixing.