by Storm, Sloan
His Little Wife Lie
A Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance
Sloan Storm
Contents
Description
1. Swipe Left (Lily)
2. Sweet Jesus (Lily)
3. Sneaks (Griff)
4. First Name Basis (Lily)
5. Bride Or Bust (Griff)
6. Leverage (Griff)
7. Expendable (Lily)
8. Skeletons & Closets (Lily)
9. Billy Bear (Lily)
10. Business Casual (Lily)
11. Meet The Boss (Griff)
12. Believe It Or Not (Lily)
13. Oz Revisited (Lily)
14. Reluctant Debutante (Lily)
15. Passion Post-Mortem (Lily)
16. Frozen Out (Griff)
17. No Way Out (Lily)
18. Afterglow Wanted (Lily)
19. Guilt Comes Calling (Lily)
20. Play Along (Griff)
21. Fool Me Twice (Lily)
22. For Keeps (Lily)
23. Never Hurt Again (Griff)
24. Mother & Daughter (Lily)
25. What Happens In Vegas… (Griff)
26. Played (Lily)
27. Tabitha'ed (Griff)
28. Trick Up My Sleeve (Lily)
29. Dark Clouds (Griff)
30. It (Lily)
31. Ten Years (Griff)
32. Can't Go Back (Lily)
33. Turn The Page (Griff)
34. Don't Give Up (Lily)
35. Ray Of Hope (Griff)
36. Dm For Info (Griff)
37. Envidia (Griff)
38. Bitter End (Griff)
39. Old Wounds (Lily)
40. Trust Again (Lily)
41. Promises (Griff)
42. Fairy Tale Forever (Lily)
Thank You Very Much!
Also by Sloan Storm
His Little Wife Lie
A Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance
Copyright © 2019 by Sloan Storm.
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States of America.
First published in April, 2019.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
Cover Design by Coverluv
Edited by Laurie Vermillion
Description
IT'S NOT A LIE IF WE BELIEVE IT'S TRUE.
That's what Griff Foster said right after he asked me to be his wife.
Sweet, isn't he?
Let's be real: his proposal had nothing to do with romance. Falling in love isn't in his DNA. With piercing blue eyes and a hard body to match, he goes through women like candy.
But he saved my life.
I promised I'd repay him. I should learn when to keep my mouth shut.
Griff needs a Mrs. Right Now, and he's convinced I'm the perfect actress.
In case I have any doubts, there are seven badly needed zeroes on a check with my name on it to help make up my mind.
Ugh.
We're totally fake. Nothing but lies.
Except the way his lips feel on mine.
Except the way his touch sets my body ablaze.
Except the way my soul aches when he looks into my eyes.
He says that without me, he loses everything.
But if I've got the upper hand, why does it feel like he's in control?
There's only one thing missing from this arrangement.
What happens to my heart when it's over?
1
Swipe Left (Lily)
My fingers hammered away, the pads of my digits flying across the tiny keyboard of my phone.
where r u??? i'm not going 2 keep waiting!!
Once I finished, I slammed the phone down in the passenger seat.
Ass.
No sooner had I done it than I bounced my head against the crusty vinyl headrest in my vintage Corolla.
"Cool it, Lily."
Closing my eyes, I formed an O with my lips and let out a long breath. It helped. Not much though.
It's my own fault.
His uncle Dillard was one of the shift managers at the creamery. He'd hinted he might be able to find some extra hours for me - all I had to do was go out on a couple of dates with his nephew, Ernie. You know, to 'help his confidence', and 'hey, who knows, maybe you'll hit it off'.
Like an idiot, I agreed.
Dumb. Yeah, yeah. I know. But hey, money is money right, and I could always use more of it. Anyway, Dillard made it sound plausible enough.
"He's a runner, just like you. You'll have so much in common."
What the hell was I thinking? Running. Really?
I should've known better. We may have had running in common, but he didn't have the ability I did - not many people do. Truth is, I don't have much going for me in this world except for my legs and my heart. I can fly with the best of them, and when it comes to running, I hate to wait on anyone. Call me competitive or whatever, but it's the only time I feel free in this town, and I'm not sacrificing that feeling for anyone.
Least of all, Ernie. Turns out nephew is S-L-O-W.
In more ways than one.
Also, while I'm on the subject… no more dating for me. I'm done. Not that this was legit dating. Unfortunately, there's no app to swipe out here in the wilds, just cross your fingers and hope for the best.
So yeah, speaking of dating...
Reaching for my phone again, I checked. No reply.
Dick.
I swiped it on and my fingers zoomed, stamping out the frustration of my bad decision-making in venomous black letters - aimed at him like barbs from a scorpion's tail.
i'm stretching & starting my run. if u rn't here in 10, i'm leaving. i don't even kno why i agreed 2 do this, u kno how i feel
Message sent, I slipped the phone inside my jacket and reached for the door handle, giving it a hard jerk. It proved to be too much for my 'miracle glue' fix because in a fraction of a second, it came loose, almost disintegrating in my hand.
"Shit!"
The fragments of faux metal and cheap brown polymer scattered in every direction - half of them disappearing under the car. Because yes, why wouldn't they? With the door hanging open, I began gathering the pieces back together, hoping to reassemble them into something that might work.
No sooner had I started than I heard the sound of tires rolling across the loose gravel of the trail head parking lot. I bit my lip, pitching the remnants of my shattered door handle into the passenger's seat.
I'd fix it later.
"About time." I sighed and stepped out of the car. "Let's just get this over with for God's sake."
His Subaru passed by me. I swear I never had a strong feeling about those cars before meeting him. Now I knew I would never own one. Even if they were free.
Whatever.
I watched him pull in and park, thinking back to the last time we'd seen each other. For some reason, he always gave me the creeps, so on our two dates, I'd insisted we not be alone.
Yes. Two dates. What can I say? Money was tight.
Anyway, wouldn't you know it; he proved my suspicions to be correct.
After he'd downed one too many beers last weekend, Ernie cornered me at
the bar, pawing and groping, brimming with liquid courage but knowing full well I had no intention of giving it up. I mean, he backed off, but he'd crossed the line, and it was time to put an end to whatever it was we were doing.
The car door swung open, and he climbed out with that cheesy, slimy grin plastered across his thin lips.
My conscience scolded me, and for an instant, I pinched my eyes shut.
Shut up, Tiny Me. I already know what you're going to say. I will handle this.
My eyes flipped open, and I glared at him. No more mental gymnastics.
I'd find another way to earn the extra cash I needed. Nothing was worth this aggravation. It was time to put a stop to it once and for all. I began walking toward him, but before I could get a word out, his clothing caught my attention, stopping me in my tracks.
"What do you think you're doing?" I said, pointing.
He slammed the car door. "Huh?"
"You're not coming with me."
Ignoring my warning, he looked at his watch, fidgeting with the buttons. The beeping coming from his wrist only added to his irritating presence.
You're not getting in a workout with me, dick, so pay attention.
"Hey!" I snapped my fingers. "I'm serious. I agreed to meet you here to put an end to this."
Looking up, he continued in my direction. My arm straightened on pure reflex, palm flat, fingers extended.
"Don't take another step. I swear to God. If you do I'll…"
"What?" he hissed, eyes gleaming. "Scream?"
Hang on. What? Breath caught in my throat. I felt my eyes go round like an owl's, or better yet, the field mouse it's hunting.
Ernie waited an extra second before giving me an uneasy wink.
"Joke," he muttered, nerves peppering the annoying nasal tone of his voice. "You know I'd never hurt you."
My mind flashed back to the previous weekend. Really? I wasn't so sure of that. His hands moved across my body like a starving octopus. No matter what I did or how I tried to squirm free, I couldn't.
I shuddered.
"Look," I stepped back. "Let's get this over with. I'm not going to give you what you want from me, ever."
If I had to, I knew I could outrun him. Maybe not on the flat stretch, but once I hit the incline, he'd never catch me.
"I know," he cooed, a shaky hand reaching toward my face. "I just wanted to see you one last time, beautiful."
Gross! Without thinking, I slapped his hand away.
"Stay away from me! Lose my number, and leave me alone."
He cocked his head. "Hey beautiful, what's the matter?"
Beautiful. That's the same thing he said to me when he pigeon-holed me next to the ladies' room.
Are you hiding from me, beautiful? Ick!
Thinking quick, I knelt down to fake tie my laces.
"Shit. My shoe," I muttered. "One sec."
While I knelt, I glanced toward his feet to gauge the distance.
"Ernie?"
"Yeah?" His feet shifted until he stood across from me.
With one subtle swish of my hands, I flung a handful of wet, clumpy gravel toward his face, splattering it dead into his eyes. My heels dug in, and I spun in place, setting off at a blistering pace, running on a mix of instinct and indescribable dread.
"You bitch!"
For the first thirty seconds, my heart thumped, driving me along the trail - ever faster, ever stronger. If he decided to give chase, I had to get to the incline. It was my only hope. I was still close enough to hear him spitting and choking, doing his best to remove the natural cement Mother Nature provided out here in the sticky, humid back country.
For some stupid reason, a smile came to the corner of my mouth. While he cursed and snarled, my legs and feet did what they've done since I could walk, better than almost anyone I'd ever met.
In no time, I raced toward the first ascent. The damp, cool air burned my throat, singeing my lungs with dewy, sweet fire. All the while, his swearing grew faint, distant.
I ran at a near sprint for a good fifteen minutes or so before coming upon my favorite spot - a view from the southernmost edge of Foster Ranch. The ridgeline gave me an unobstructed view of the valley below.
I stopped, unconcerned with dipshit for the time being.
This was the one place I could always go to clear my thoughts since few people took the trail this far up. I closed my eyes, taking in a well-deserved deep breath before the sound of crunching gravel on the trail caught my attention.
Snapping my head toward the noise, I saw Ernie lumbering toward me - exhausted, and with a wild look in his eye.
"It's an out and back trail, you dumb bitch. What? Did you think I was just going to let you blow me off like that? There's nowhere for you to run, nowhere to hide… Nothing but Foster Timberland in every goddamn direction, except behind me!"
Shit. What the hell was I thinking?
While he spoke, I took several steps backward. The roundabout for the trail was only a few hundred yards away. I turned and sprinted, not knowing what I would do when I got to the end of it.
His voice boomed across the valley. "Come back here! You cunt!"
My feet moved like tiny pistons, rocketing me along the trail until I reached the end where nothing but a large cliff and a hundred foot drop awaited me.
I felt my eyes darting back and forth, bouncing around inside my skull like ping-pong balls while I looked for any route of escape - except the one leading back to him. Just then, I noticed a large rock outcropping, and at its base, the remnants of what looked to be an old foot path.
Without a second thought, I raced toward it, hooking my hand on the edge of the rock, and began a long, dangerous slide downward.
In a matter of seconds, the grit and dust of the well-worn foot trail gave way to the old forest growth covering most of the terrain. I danced across moss-coated patches of rock, each step threatening to send me to the ground, until at last, one did, and with devastating consequences.
Fuck! Heat radiated from my ankle. From behind, I heard him gaining, panting and breathing like a feral beast.
"Shit!" I whispered, clamoring to my feet. "Ah! Damn!"
The pain returned, and I collapsed, grasping my ankle, looking down at it.
Already swelling.
Oh no.
With that horrible realization dawning on me, Ernie appeared at the top of the hill, casting a shadow of dread across my motionless body.
"Stay back!" I cried, scooting away from him, kicking my feet. "Don't come near me or I'll…"
Ernie echoed his eerie threat from the parking lot. "What? Scream?"
Unable to stand, I pushed myself along the ground, burning my elbows and forearms over the surface of the jagged rocks. I didn't get far. Before long, he was right on top of me, hovering over my body like a half-starved beta wolf banished from his pack, desperate for a scrap of flesh.
He wanted what I had, and out here, in the middle of nowhere, there was nothing between me and him.
Nothing, that is, except for my will.
Ernie lunged for me. I pinched my eyes shut, and with my good leg, I reared back and kicked with all my might - placing my foot in the dead center of where his chest should have been.
And just like that, the weight of his body disappeared, floating away from me like I'd punched a child's balloon.
Wait. That was too easy.
My eyes opened, and I found out why.
Ten feet away lay Ernie, writhing around on the ground like a snake that didn't make it across the road in time. Between the two of us, the real reason he'd drifted so far. Unfortunately, it wasn't because of my roundhouse kicking skills.
No. There stood the hulking figure of a man. Six foot and a shitload.
Not only that but he was heavily muscled, shirtless and…
Carrying.
An.
Ax.
2
Sweet Jesus (Lily)
I swallowed a dry lump, forcing it down my throat like
a mouthful of hot cotton.
Sweet Jesus.
'Lumber Hunk' moved toward Ernie, the fingers of his free hand curling into a fist. At the same time, he spun the ax handle in the palm of his other hand, conveying a clear message to my would-be attacker.
My body shivered. Nerve endings lit up, sending my senses into overdrive. It was impossible to look away.
Not that I would.
"Hey, asshole!"
Ernie jumped to his feet, slipping on the moss-covered stones.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" With a casual flick, the 'Backwoods Brute' tossed the huge ax to the ground and headed right for him without a word. Ernie didn't hesitate, he turned the other direction, scrambling up the steep incline.
Shit. Now's your chance, Lily!
My wits returned. Shaking my head, I refocused.
I scanned the entire area, looking for any escape route. Would he be back for me after taking care of Ernie? What if he was just trying to get rid of any witnesses?
Tiny Me's usual poor timing kicked in… Just one more peek, Lily.