by Storm, Sloan
"Fantastic," he said with a whisper, pulling away and releasing me. The spot where his warm hand held my wrist went cold.
"Well," I said, straightening my spine and collecting myself. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. That's gonna cost ya."
"Why? Smelling your perfume was not on my list of prohibited activities."
I wondered how many more loopholes he had in mind. "No, but 'any unwanted advances' was on there. What you just did was just that. Unwanted."
"Fair enough." He straightened his coat. "You smell so fucking good, I'll split the difference with you. How's twelve thousand five hundred sound? After all, I'm just trying to get you ready for later. We've got lots of people to fool."
"Oh, I'll be ready. Don't worry about me."
Without a word, Griff grabbed for my waist, pulling me into him. A stonelike bulge between his legs spoke louder than any words that might come from his mouth.
"Will you be ready?"
Yes. No. I don't know. It depends.
Every muscle in my body hardened, fighting to extinguish the fire burning deep within me. I salivated, desperate to get a taste of his flesh on my tongue. What's worse is, I knew that he knew. It was horrible and thrilling at the same time. He looked to be enjoying my suffering, but I wouldn't give him the pleasure. With everything inside of me, I fought to keep the giant ball of tension from sliding down my throat.
And just like that, he pulled away like nothing happened. Snapping his arm at the wrist, Griff checked the time.
"We better get going."
A few seconds later, I followed him onto the elevator. It was going to be a long night. My panties were already soaked through, and I wasn't even in the limo yet.
Good thing I picked the dark dress.
We hadn't been in the limousine very long when he looked at me. "What?"
Griff gave me a casual shrug. "I don't know. You seem a little nervous."
I mean, why should I be nervous? Oh wait. Maybe it's because I'm a fraud, a fake fiancé, a wife for rent and walking on his arm like I deserve to be there. That couldn't be it though, right? Nervous didn't even begin to describe the sensation of blood running cold through my body.
"Well, I'm not."
"I wouldn't blame you if you were." He turned and looked out the window. "After all, you're an honest person. And now you're living a lie. This is probably the last place you expected to be, walking on my arm into that room like you belong there."
Perfect. So now he's a mind reader too. Great. I had to change the subject, and fast. Where the hell is Tiny Me when I needed her?
"So, Travis and Gunnar… Do you work with them?"
"No." Griff turned and looked at me again. "We grew up together. Prep school, college, everything. When you're from money, you have very few friends in life."
"Are they in the lumber industry, as well?" Ugh, what a boring question. Still, boring is what I needed. Anything to get my mind off the next few hours.
Griff didn't seem put off by it. "No, Trav's family controls the world's largest music label, Gunnar's is in media. Not sure if they're the largest out there but close."
Before I could say anything else, the limo pulled up to the venue and stopped. I glanced at the sign on the front. La Nicole.
He shifted in his seat. "Let's go have some fun."
Oh my God! I grabbed his arm. "Wait!"
"What?" Griff looked me up and down like my dress caught fire. "Something wrong?"
I couldn't believe I hadn't thought about it until now. "Umm, if people ask how we met, what do I tell them?"
"Oh. Well, no reason to lie about it. We met on a running trail. Dull, but believable. Of all the scenarios, it's the one that will generate the least amount of questions."
We stepped out of the limo into an ocean of paparazzi. Jesus. What in the holy hell? Random questions came from every direction.
When's the wedding?
Are you pregnant?
What!
Griff held my hand. I clutched it tight, the engagement ring dug in sending a painful reminder through me. I didn't belong. A group of bouncers descended on us. Huge muscular men with tiny heads to match cleared a path, and we headed inside the club.
"You okay?" Griff stopped and lifted his hand, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
I nodded.
"Sorry, shoulda warned you. They can be pretty aggressive."
I'd never been in a nightclub before, the closest thing back home was The Junction. They had live bands sometimes and karaoke on Tuesdays but nothing like this. Pulsing lights and deafening thumps of bass coming from the DJ booth rumbled my insides. It was pure sensory overload.
Griff leaned into me, shouting. "This way. We've got the VIP area reserved."
I followed him up a flight of stairs, my heels slipping on spilled drinks or God knows what. Soon, we wound up on a balcony overlooking the entire club, facing the DJ when Griff pointed toward a room completely enclosed in a clear, thick plastic? Glass? I had no idea.
We approached it, and Griff started to wave. Two godlike men, with builds similar to Griff's, waved back at him. When we reached the entrance, one of the men opened the door, and he and Griff hugged. They separated, and Griff introduced me to him.
"This is Gunnar." He had dark brown, almost black hair with penetrating eyes to match.
Before I could even say hello, the other hunk grabbed Griff with a vicious hug and then pushed away from him, giving Griff a playful punch to the chest.
Griff turned toward me, introducing the blonde-haired man with steel blue eyes. "This is Travis. Everyone calls him Trav."
Seconds later, we walked inside, and the door closed behind us. The overpowering blare of the music vanished, only the low thud from the DJ's set vibrated the floor beneath my feet.
Griff made a circular motion with his arm. "Soundproof. Better right?"
God yes. "Much."
With Trav and Gunnar standing close by, I took a quick look around and noticed at least a dozen beautiful women in the room. Griff nodded in their direction, eyeballing his friends at the same time.
"New friends?"
"Nah. Just for tonight, man." Trav leaned in and gave Griff a wink. "You know how it is."
"Not anymore." He smiled and then pulled me for a kiss. A hard one. Oof. My eyes fluttered closed.
The tingle between my thighs returned with a vengeance, and the room went quiet. Or maybe I was just imagining it. Griff pulled away, and my eyes opened again to see more than two dozen looking back at me.
Nope, not imagining it.
Gunnar stepped toward Griff, throwing an arm over his shoulder. "Gotta say, when this mother fucker called me up and told me what was happening, I didn't believe a word of it. I half-expected it to be a joke, but here you are. This is real, isn't it?"
"Fucking right, it is." Griff looked at me. "I'm done with strange tail. I've found the one."
Trav shook his head. "Griff Foster saying he's done… Man, never thought I'd live to hear those words!"
"More for the two of you, right?"
While they talked, a cocktail waitress walked up. "Drinks?"
Griff turned her down with a shake of his head, but I needed something to take the edge off. "Yes, a dirty martini, please."
"So when's the big day?" Gunnar asked.
Griff shrugged the question off. "No rush, man, we just got engaged. Don't worry, the two of you will be splitting the best man duties."
Trav sniffed out a warning. "God damn right we will."
A few minutes later, the cocktail waitress returned with my drink. Not a moment too soon. She passed it to me, and I lifted it toward my mouth, eager to get a sip.
"Hey wait!" Gunnar said, reaching toward my hand. "This calls for a toast!"
He turned and looked at the group of women, motioning for a couple of them to approach. "Hey! Grab our drinks."
The girls did, and it wasn't long before Trav hopped up on a large table in the center of the VIP suite.
&nbs
p; "Gunnar! Get up here!"
For a few minutes, they talked about what it was like growing up with Griff. How much they all meant to each other and so on. And then, Gunnar looked at me, raising his glass.
"There must be something really special about this one!"
Trav lifted his also. "No shit! Never thought I'd see the day, but now that it's here, I couldn't be happier. To Griff and Lily!" That was the first time I heard anyone use our names together. Coming from his mouth, it didn't sound like a lie.
I started to hate that it was one.
Everyone in the room echoed Trav's toast. "To Griff and Lily!"
I proceeded to take the largest gulp I could force down my throat. After a hard swallow, I felt the soothing fire of alcohol race down to my stomach. While it was too soon to feel the effect, I knew it wouldn't be long before I did. Blowing out a hot breath, I noticed Griff looking at me, his eyebrow arched.
"You… okay?"
Why, because I just drank half a dirty martini in a single gulp?
I forced a smile. "Yeah."
Gunnar jumped from the table and walked over toward Griff, slapping a huge hand on his shoulder again. "Hey man, a lot of people want to get in here and congratulate the two of you. You up for it?"
Griff looked at me again, I'm sure still wondering if I told him the truth about being okay.
"Sound good?"
I agreed, and the night rolled on, well-wishers coming and going. Every time they did, Griff would take the chance to put his hands on me. Kiss me. I mean, pretty much everything he said he would do in the agreement, he did.
Not that I was complaining.
Before long, I'd lost count of the people we'd met. The liquor settled in on my brain, causing a hazy lust to harness my better judgment. Every touch of his lips against mine drove me deeper toward bad decision-making. After a while, I wished everyone in the room would just disappear.
Shit. I'm only a day in. How the hell am I going to make it for however long this goes on?
Touching him, tasting him. Only the alcohol managed to cleanse my palate. I'd experienced urges in the past. I mean, I am human. It's not like I wanted to be a virgin forever. I know it's clichéd. Holding out for "the one", but the one what exactly?
While Griff chatted away, holding my hand, I looked at him. I didn't want to hold out any more. Why should I?
And wouldn't you know it, right on cue, Tiny Me decided to answer the question for me.
You're rationalizing, and you know it. Lust is not the same as love. You're not in love with Griff. You can't be. Remember?
No. I snapped at her. I'm not. I'm definitely not. Right?
Anyway, she wasn't always right. She'd never been right about men in the past. Why was this any different? And who cares if it's all make-believe? I squeezed his hand, and he looked at me with a wink. At least for tonight it's real.
At least for tonight.
I took the final sip of my dirty martini, setting it down on a table nearby. The faces had started to become a blur. That's enough. Griff noticed.
"Hey." He leaned in toward me. "You're looking a little buzzed there, Sneaks."
"A little, yeah." I hiccuped and giggled at the same time. "I'm done, though."
He looked at his watch. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Griff helped me stand, and I leaned my body against him, enjoying the feel of his hard torso steadying me. He motioned toward Gunnar and Trav. Both of them were holding court, a gang of six women each hanging on their every word.
"What about your friends?" I looked up at him
"They'll be fine. There's plenty to keep them occupied for the rest of the night."
"Will you be all right here while I say goodbye to them?"
"Yes."
With that, he let go of me, making sure I was steady before going over to Trav and Gunnar. They waved at me. I smiled at them and did the same.
Getting back in the limousine couldn't have happened soon enough. The last couple of days and the bartender's heavy pour took a toll. I felt my eyelids get heavy. Before I closed them, I leaned against Griff, laying my head on his shoulder. He draped his arm around me, and the next thing I realized, I woke up in the elevator in his arms.
"What happened?" I tried to reorient myself.
"You're a lightweight. That's what happened."
The elevator doors closed, and we started the ascent. It felt so good having his strong arms cradling me. The smell of his cologne tickled my nose, still lingering there after a long night of kissing. I reached for his neck, gliding a couple of fingernails down it. He looked at me, and I couldn't help it, angling my mouth toward his for another kiss.
Our lips locked but not nearly long enough to satisfy my raging lust. The elevator door opened, and he pulled away.
"You can't kiss me here. Remember?" I whispered, teasing a lock of his hair. "Only in public."
Griff sniffed out a chuckle. "I didn't. You kissed me."
"Nm, mmm." I peppered his neck with gentle, tender smacks.
"Sneaks…" His warning began as a rumble in his throat, sending vibrations into his chest. "What are you doing?"
I shook my head, nuzzling against his stubble. "Nothing. Why?"
Griff turned his body sideways and crossed the threshold into my room.
"Oh Griff, bad man. You're not allowed in here."
Shaking his head, Griff lowered me to the mattress and stood with his arms crossed looking down at me.
"I think you've had a little too much fun. Let's get you into bed."
Oh God. Finally.
Climbing to my knees, I reached for him and hooked my fingers around his dress shirt. "Kiss me."
Griff didn't budge. He looked down at me with an amused expression on his face.
"No."
"Uh!" I let go of him and fell into the mattress, propping myself up on my elbows. "Why not?"
"Because I said so."
I slapped the bed with my palms. My entire life I'd always been the one saying no. Gotta admit I didn't like it now that the situation was reversed.
"You're no fun!" I grumbled, sticking out my lower lip. Look how cute and sexy I am in my dress, you big jerk!
"Yeah, well, you're drunk." His demeanor turned stern. "It's not happening, Sneaks, not like this."
So now he was making the decision? I couldn't believe my ears. Since we met, he'd done nothing but flirt with me. Constantly. His behavior at the club only made it worse. Kissing, touching, fondling. How did he not want do this every bit as much as me? What? Because I had a few cocktails?
"But I want you to fuck me!" Oooh, oh shit! I slapped my hand over my mouth, muttering through my fingers. "Psshhhhtt… Omigod, what did I say?"
It didn't make any difference.
Griff made a shooing motion with his hand. That's enough for tonight. "Come on, it's time for bed."
Defeated, I pouted while he helped me out of my dress and then into bed. Yes. He unzipped me and got a good look at everything. Still, nothing! Not even so much as a kiss on the cheek! I slid into the sheets.
"I had a great time tonight, Sneaks."
I yanked the covers over my head. "Me too." I mean, I really did. Until the last ten minutes, anyway.
"'Night."
Peeling the covers away from my face, I watched until he left the room, closing the door behind him. Ugh!
So, yeah.
I knew I'd be waking up the next morning not only with a pounding headache but also a heavy dose of shame. I'd almost wished I'd been too drunk to remember what happened.
But I wasn't, and I would.
Reaching toward my face, I covered it with my hands and moaned. What the hell did I do? Embarrassed and humiliated, I felt like a complete idiot for throwing myself at Griff only to have him tuck me in!
My hands fell away, and I looked toward the door one more time. What now? He'd left me alone with an unbearable ache between my thighs and a sudden, disturbing emptiness in my soul.
15
Passion Post-Mortem (Lily)
About a week passed since the party. Maybe it was my imagination, but Griff's behavior had changed and not in a good way.
I couldn't tell if it was coincidence or not, but he seemed to be avoiding me. No, ignoring me is a better way to describe it.
On the other hand, he'd been working more than ever before. When I’d get up in the morning, he’d already be gone and wouldn't come home until long after I'd gone to bed. I felt like I had to cut him some slack. Maybe all the long hours had something to do with his inheritance. I didn't really know because we'd hardly talked.
Whatever the reason, I began to get stir crazy. The days strung together, leaving me feeling lonely and isolated. On top of everything else, I started to feel a little homesick. I decided I needed an answer. If I was wrong about how I felt, fine. If I wasn't, there was no way I'd put up with his brand of silent treatment, because that's sure what it felt like.
Whatever.
Around dinnertime, I went through my now usual routine. Poking my head in the fridge and trying to decide what to eat. It was always stocked with my favorite foods which should've made me happy, but for some reason tonight, it didn't. Not even close. I slammed the huge subzero door shut with a thump.
"Ugh!"
Just then, I heard the sound of the elevator door opening followed by familiar sounding footsteps.
Griff.
"About time," I muttered.
He came around the corner looking incredible as always. Even after putting in sixteen-hour days, not a hair was out of place on his head. Perfection. In a way, it was almost like looking at him again for the first time. The sight of him made me ache. Shit. I signed up for a lot of things in that agreement, but having my heart hurt wasn't one of them.
Griff hadn't bothered to look up yet, walking and texting at the same time.
While I watched him, I chewed on my lip. My thoughts drifted between wanting to jump him and slap him at the same time. I didn't even know why I was so upset. It was a business arrangement after all. Remember? The only thing I had to do was find a way to stick it out.