His Little Wife Lie: A Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance

by Storm, Sloan

  Even though I'd told him it took time to put together a wedding, Griff wouldn't have it. He said that when money is no object, anything is possible. He didn't want to wait another day longer than necessary.

  Hard to argue with that.

  Anyway, it wasn't even ten o'clock in the morning, and I'd already tried on half a dozen dresses. For whatever reason, each of them seemed to look a lot better on the rack. If it wasn't the fit, it was something else. And of course, it's no secret, I'm not exactly the world's best shopper. When most of your fashion decisions revolve around jeans and leggings, well, you get the idea.

  I'd wanted Griff to come with me, but he refused. He told me our relationship already had enough bad luck. There was no way he wanted to add to it by seeing me in the wedding dress before we got married. I mean, I'm not superstitious, okay? It seemed pretty ridiculous to me but whatever, one way or another, I knew I'd find something I liked.

  Speaking of that, I slipped into dress number seven when there was a knock at the door. It was probably the Director of Fittings. She'd helped me since I arrived.

  "Hang on. I'll be right there."

  Making my way to the door, I stopped when I heard the voice. "Hurry it up."

  Griff?

  "Um, I thought you didn't want to jinx it." I moved closer. "What made you change your mind?"

  "What can I say, babe? Couldn't stay away."

  I reached for one of the straps on the dress, hitching it over my shoulder. For some stupid reason, I had a change of heart. I started thinking that maybe he shouldn't see me. I mean, why risk it? Everything started to go so well again. What's the point?

  His knuckle rapped against the door. "Don't keep me waiting."

  I'm going to sound like an idiot. "Umm, you know, I think you were right." I winced. "Maybe you shouldn't see me."

  When I finished, I pressed my ear against the door. He went quiet while I stood there listening. It had to be a good five seconds.

  "Griff? Hello?" I pressed my palm against it. "Are you still there?"

  Nothing. Is he upset?

  "Are you mad at me?"

  Still nothing.

  I rolled my eyes and blew out a deep breath, flip-flopping again. This is dumb. There's no such thing as any stupid bad luck superstition. Let him in! I wrapped my fingers around the knob, twisted, and pulled it open. Only it wasn't Griff standing there.

  "Mom?" I poked my head out the doorway, looking in both directions. "Where's Griff?"

  "I dunno." She shrugged. "He left."

  I motioned for her to come inside. She passed by me, and I closed the door.

  "What are you doing here? How did you get Portland?"

  "It was Griff's idea." She sat down on one of the couches in the dressing room. "He called me and insisted I come watch you try on wedding dresses."

  What? My heart melted. I couldn't believe it. "Really?"

  She smiled at me. "Yes. He flew down this morning and picked me up himself. Oh my God, that plane. Incredible. I never thought I'd live long enough to experience something like that."

  While she talked, I walked toward her. It was hard not to notice. After all, I felt tears gathering in my eyes also. I knelt down in front of her, covering her hands with mine.

  "Mom. Don't do that. You’re going to make me cry, too."

  She sniffled, wiping at the bottoms of her eyelids. "I'm sorry. You are just so beautiful!"

  Warm heat escaped from my eyes, trickling down my face. We hugged for a few seconds, just long enough to keep us both from having a full meltdown. After we separated, my mom motioned for me to stand.

  "Let me get a look at you."

  I backed away, smoothing the dress and looking at her through the remnants of my tears. Mom raised her hands to her mouth in a prayerful gesture, shaking her head.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  I snapped my head toward the sound.

  He's back!

  "Coming!" I gathered up the dress in a fist.

  Wrapping my hand around the knob, I ripped the door open. "I love you!"

  Whoops!

  The Director of Fittings stood there, another rack of dresses in tow. She looked at me, then to her left and right. "I love you too?"

  Heat spread across my chest like cobwebs. I'm sure she watched brides do a lot of crazy things, but it was probably the first time anyone said something like that to her.

  "Oh, my God. I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else. I mean, obviously."

  "Don't worry, sweetie." She pulled the rack toward me. "Ready to try on some more?"

  I smiled at her, and she edged past me, the rack of dresses rolling behind her.

  "Oh, hello." She stopped and looked at my mom. "I'm Beth, the Director of Fittings. And you are?"

  "The mother of the bride." I could tell by the sound of her voice how much it meant for her to say those words.

  "How wonderful! Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea?" She paused and looked at me. "Maybe some champagne if the nerves are a bit on edge?"

  Mom didn't waste any time. "It's a little early in the day, and I will probably regret it, but champagne for me."

  "Oh, trust me, almost every mother who walks through those doors takes the champagne. You're in good company." Beth looked at me. "Should I make it two?"

  What the hell. Why not? "Yes, please."

  A few minutes later, Beth returned with a bottle and two glasses. After a quick toast, I spent the next couple of hours trying on dresses and enjoying my time with Mom.

  "So, how are you feeling?" She paused after taking a sip. "Are things better between the two of you since you were home?"

  I can't lie. Even though things were better, I was still a little uneasy. I told Mom Griff did away with the agreement. It wasn't going to be a marriage of convenience anymore. This time it was for real. I still had a hard time believing it myself.

  Mom covered her mouth with her hands and stood. She walked toward me, her eyes turning glassy again.

  "Oh honey, you have no idea how happy that makes me."

  "I'm glad."

  She reached toward my face, brushing some stray hair aside.

  "So, how come I don't believe you?" Mom's expression turned cloudy. "Why don't you seem happier? I think he's just terrific."

  He obviously charmed her on the flight. A part of me couldn't help thinking he'd manipulated that situation also. It bugged me that I still didn't fully trust him. Maybe it would just take time. But Mom seemed so happy, the last thing I wanted to do was be a downer.

  "I am. It's all just been a bit overwhelming. There's a lot to do."

  I raised the champagne glass to my lips, gulping down another swallow of the bubbly fire. Thank God for this. She seemed to believe me, smiling and returning to the couch.

  Changing subjects, I looked into the full-length mirror and adjusted the latest dress. "So, what are your plans? Are you flying back tonight?"

  "No. I decided to take a couple of vacation days. Griff insisted I stay with you while I'm in town." Smooth, wow.

  My gaze caught hers in the mirror's reflection. "I hope that's okay, I don't want to be in the way."

  "Don't be silly." I shook my head, dismissing her concern. "His place is huge. I'm so happy you're staying."

  Two dresses later, and I'd found the one. We embraced, and the tears started flowing again. Mom pulled away from me, eyes puffy and a little bloodshot.

  "I'm so happy for you. You know, every relationship has its ups and downs, but I've got a good feeling about this. You've gotten through some hard times. I'm proud of you, and I love you. The wedding will be beautiful, I'm certain of it."

  I searched my heart for the right words to say to her. None came. We hugged again, and a twinge of desperation gnawed at me. I hoped she was right about everything she said.

  Was she?

  * * *

  The next couple of days flew by, a whirlwind of activity. At first, I wasn't so sure having Mom around would be a great idea, but it turned out to
be exactly what I needed.

  Amazing, I know.

  She went everywhere, helping me with all the little details in our meetings with the wedding planner. From floral arrangements, to picking out the menu, and of course, figuring out who we'd be inviting from back home.

  And in spite of his crazy schedule, Griff didn't make any excuses. He was with us for every important decision, totally involved in every aspect of the wedding culminating in our engagement pictures.

  The truth is, I started to believe him. How could I not?

  If that wasn't enough, Mom got along so well with him. Hell, he'd even started to call her Mom. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but after seeing how well they interacted, I couldn't be happier.

  After a few days, the time came for Mom to go home. We were at the airport, Griff's jet waiting nearby. Mom and I said our goodbyes, and we made our way to the plane when Griff pulled me aside. Mom turned and looked, giving me a wave and blowing me a kiss. I smiled and waved back while Griff began to speak.

  "Listen, after I get your mom home, I'm going to stop in and see Papa. It's been a few weeks, and I want to check up on him."

  I smiled. "Okay, give him my love."

  Griff leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. If there was a downside to having Mom around, it's that we hadn't been together in days.

  "I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you've done. Having my mom here… It's meant the world to me."

  "Get used to it." He reached for my cheek, caressing it. "Giving you the world is what I live for now."

  We kissed again, and he pulled away.

  "What time will you be home tonight?"

  Griff raked his hand through his hair. "Yeah, hadn't gotten to that yet. I won't be."

  "Why not? Is everything okay with Papa?"

  He shuffled his feet. Hmm. Something's up.

  "Yeah, I mean, as far as I know."

  "Ooookay, so…"

  "So, I'm gonna be going to Vegas. It's a quick trip." The words came out in a hurry. Like if he spoke them fast enough, I might not hear.

  "Oh… A work thing or?"

  "No. I'm meeting up with Trav and Gunnar. They're throwing me a little party."

  "What, like a bachelor party?"

  "Yeah, exactly like that."

  The anxious pit he'd created in my gut with the Dillard fiasco returned. "Um, when were you going to mention this to me?"

  "Right now. We've been so busy, I haven't had a chance. They told me about it a couple of weeks ago. Slipped my mind."

  Slipped your mind? My arms snapped across my body. "Wait. You've known about this for a couple of weeks?"

  "Yeah."

  "Uh huh." I pursed my lips. "Yeah, see I think you knew I wouldn't be happy about it and kept it from me."

  "There just wasn't good time. That's all. Nothing more to it. It's totally meaningless."

  It was obvious he was going. What was the point of this conversation, exactly? Nothing would change his mind.

  "I don't know what you want me to say."

  Griff shrugged, his tone turning exasperated. "Christ, I don't know. How about… Have a good time, enjoy yourself? Something along those lines would be a good start."

  Unbelievable. He didn't get it. I scoffed at him.

  "This about trust, Sneaks?"

  "No, I trust Trav and Gunnar. I'm not getting married to either one of them though."

  My hands fell away, dropping to my sides. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off sounding harsh."

  "I understand." Griff let it slide. "I hope everything I've been doing proves to you how sincere I am. At some point though, you're going to have to stop holding what I've done over my head."

  Yeah, I get that. I knew he was right, but that sure as hell didn't mean it would be easy.

  I sighed, resigned to my fate. "Well, when will you be back?"

  "A couple of days at the most. The guys want to make a little vacation out of it, as well. We're all dog tired and could use a little R&R."

  A little vacation? R&R? The next question seemed obvious.

  "So, will there be girls?"

  Griff didn't hesitate. "Knowing those two, there will be. It is a bachelor party, after all."

  Nibbling on my lip, I studied his face. I'm not even sure what I was looking for.

  "Is there a problem?"

  Gee, let's see… A hotel suite filled with eighteen, nineteen, and twenty year old sluts, hanging all over the three hottest billionaire bachelors on the planet. No, why would there be a problem? Why should I worry? My arms moved across my chest again, and I squeezed hard.

  Hell yes, there's a problem.

  Griff reached toward me, curling his fingers around my forearms and prying them apart, pulling me close to him at the same time.

  "Don't," I pouted.

  He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. My eyes fluttered like they might close, and I felt myself drifting, moving toward the heat of his lips.

  Uh!

  "No," I grunted, pulling back. "Your past isn't exactly a secret, you know."

  A smile came to the corner of his mouth. "Right, it's my past. You are my present and future. Trust me, I have no interest in any of the girls they dig up. Why would I? I've got the ultimate woman in my arms, with my rock on her finger."

  Such sweet words. Were they true? I hated having these thoughts. I'm sure they made me seem insecure, hell, even jealous.

  "Don't be jealous."

  "I am not jealous!" I'm not right? I mean, I'm something. Who knows? Maybe I am.

  "I know that's asking a lot of you right now, considering the dumb shit I've pulled, but sooner or later…"

  Griff stopped and switched topics.

  "Look, I'll text you the whole time I'm there if it will help you feel better. Trust me, you don't have anything to worry about. I…"

  "Stop." This is ridiculous. "I'll be fine. I will. You're right. I need to at least start to try to trust you again. I'm sorry."

  Griff stepped close, gliding his fingers around my lower back and pulling me toward him with a gentle tug.

  "Baby, believe me. I'd rather be here with you, but if I don't go, I'll never hear the end of it from those two. You gotta believe me."

  I pressed myself up onto the tips of my toes and kissed him. "I believe you. I do."

  "All right," he began, a smile coming to his face. "I love you, and I'll see you in a couple of days. If you need anything, call. Okay?"

  "I will. I love you, too."

  Later that night, I crawled into bed, and my phone buzzed. It was Griff, letting me know he'd arrived in Las Vegas. The guys wanted to hit the tables and go to a couple of clubs. It would be too late to call, so he'd talk to me in the morning.

  I texted him back, telling him to have a good time and not worry about me.

  With the lights out, I curled into the soothing luxury of the sheets. Before I drifted off, I thought back to our conversation at the airport. It felt good to be able to trust him again.

  I only wish the first test hadn't been his bachelor party.

  25

  What Happens In Vegas… (Griff)

  I'm not stupid.

  Deep down, I knew that only the passage of time and me not fucking up were the keys to convince Sneaks to trust me again.

  As far as this trip was concerned, I had nothing to worry about. Sure, Vegas is loaded with premium snatch, and I'd had more than my fair share, but none of them came within a million miles of Sneaks' sweet pussy.

  Impossible.

  We'd gotten in late the night before, and the boys were amped, fired up and ready to pull an all-nighter, but I warned them to leave some fuel in the tank. After all, we were going hard for the next two days straight.

  After tearing up the tables and a few clubs, we hit the sack a little past three in the morning. That's still no excuse, though. I was up right on time, three hours later, getting in a workout. Of course the sleeping beauties weren't up for it after having a few too
many. I had no interest in wasting time trying to get their sorry asses up, so I trained alone.

  Once I finished, I grabbed a quick shower and called Sneaks.

  Hearing her voice stoked the testosterone raging in my system. It seemed like we hadn't fucked in years. Never thought I'd see the day when I was engaged and suffering from blue balls at the same time, but there you go.

  "It's nice of you to call, but you don't need to." Her voice had a sweet little rasp to it, an early morning throatiness. "I'm really sorry about what I said yesterday. I hope you're having a good time."

  Fucking progress, at last. Awesome. Maybe she was finally coming around to believing me. For a while there, I began to wonder if it would ever happen. Seriously, this was all I wanted - just her in this life, and nothing more. It took me almost losing her to realize how precious her trust was, and I wasn't about to do anything to jeopardize that again, ever.

  "Not that I'm complaining, but why the sudden change of heart, Sneaks?"

  "I don't know. I guess I needed some time alone. Since I came back, it's been go, go, go… I know how hard you've tried to fix things. I'm sorry if I've been bitchy or whatever."

  "No worries, I understand." She had every right to be suspicious. The good news is I'd been working my ass off to restore her faith in me, and it looked like it was starting to pay off.

  We talked for a few more minutes, and I gave her the highlights for the day ahead. Of course, we’d be out later gambling and clubbing, but I promised I'd keep in touch. Sneaks was an angel about it, though, again insisting that I not worry about it before we hung up.

  I tossed my phone aside, knowing that wasn't a chance I wanted to take.

  Believe it or not, coming to Vegas was a tough call for me. I almost didn't do it. Still, as much as I loved Sneaks, I had a different kind of love for Trav and Gunnar. There was no way I could let them down.

  Also, it wasn't worth getting into on the phone, but she had no idea how much they thought of her. They had no intention of doing anything that was going to fuck things up between her and me. Once they told me about Vegas, I laid out the ground rules of the trip…

  Get your dicks wet, do whatever the fuck you want. Hey, they're single, why not? But keep that shit clear of me.