Marriage of Convenience: The Raven Brothers - Book 1

by Kaylee, Katy

“I never said that.” Although I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wondered about it. “I’m just trying to get to know you.”

  “Why? This is just a business deal.”

  Mrs. Childs appeared with another tray that had a pot of hot water, a delicate tea cup from a set I inherited from my mother, and a wooden box filled with tea.

  “Will there be anything else?”

  “Not right now, Mrs. Childs. Thank you.” I dismissed her.

  When she returned to the apartment, I said to Sara, “If you don’t want to tell me your history, just say so.”

  She sighed. “There’s nothing to tell, Chase. I’m a disappointment to my parents even though I got a scholarship to college, which I lost because of a personal matter that I don’t want to discuss. This internship was my chance to get away and fix all that.”

  I hated how much I wanted to know about that personal matter. I wondered if it had to do with a man. A man I didn’t know and yet for some reason wanted to beat the shit out of.

  “You don’t have to work now, you know. Not ever. I suppose it’s all fixed now.”

  She looked like she was going to be sick. “I’m not a gold-digger, Chase. This was your idea.”

  I couldn’t understand how she always took what I was saying to mean something different. “I didn’t mean that. I just meant that you have money and opportunities now. I will expect you to be present in the child’s life, but you can finish school if you’d like.”

  She nodded. “What are your plans for today?”

  Clearly, she didn’t want to talk about her past. “I’m going to work.”

  “On a Saturday?”

  “There’s no rest for the weary. However, you have the day to do whatever you want.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a charge card. “This is for you. The limit is twenty-five thousand a month, but if you think you’ll need more let me know.”

  She gaped at the card. She took it in her fingers like she thought it might burn her.

  “Perhaps you’d like to go shopping,” I suggested.

  She looked up at me with those wide blue eyes. “For what?”

  I laughed. “For whatever you want. I understand women like clothes and shoes.”

  “I still have money left over from the five thousand you gave me last week.”

  “Then you have more to spend.” I watched her amused by her response. It was fascinating to see my world through her eyes. “Is there something you’ve always wanted, Sara?” All of a sudden, I wanted to buy her the world.

  The glimmer in her eyes dulled slightly. “You can’t buy what I’ve always wanted.”

  The only thing I could imagine was that she wanted love, which was the one thing I couldn’t buy for or give her.

  She mustered a smile, “But I find myself eager to try to spend twenty-five thousand. Is it even possible?”

  “Oh, it’s possible.” I was glad she was perking up. “I have a suit that cost nearly that much.”

  Her mouth dropped open again. “One suit?”

  I nodded, shifting uncomfortably. All of a sudden I felt like a glutton. I was a strong man in my world, but I wondered if Sara was right and that I wouldn’t fare as well in her world. I’d never been without money or resources. I took my wealth for granted.

  I reached into my pocket and pulled out a card. “This is the number for James, who’ll be your driver. Whenever you need to go out, call him and he’ll take you where you want to go.”

  She took the card and then looked at me. “I feel a little like I’m in a dream.”

  “Enjoy it, Sara.” While this was a business deal, I still wanted her to be content. After all, she was going to be having and raising my child. “Savor the fact that you don’t have to struggle ever again.”

  She let out a long sigh and her eyes filled with tears. “That does mean a lot.”

  I reached out, putting my hand over hers. “Embrace it. You’re financially free and secure.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  I sat back. “You’re welcome.”

  She poured herself a hot water and then looked through the tea box with the same wonder in her eyes that she was taking in all aspects of her life.

  “So much tea!” she exclaimed. “Lemon lavender sounds good.” When her tea was ready, she turned her attention to me again. “I don’t have insurance or a doctor, you know, for the baby.”

  “You don’t need to worry about that.”

  “I know, I just, I wanted you to know. You didn’t use a condom last night.”

  The memory of it had my dick perking up.

  “I don’t know if you want to wait to see if last night worked or what.”

  I stared at her, not sure what she was saying. “Wait for what?”

  “To have sex again. I know you just want to do it for the baby making. I read we can find out in a few weeks. I suppose it depends on how fast you want to have a baby.”

  It was odd how much thought she was putting into this. I hadn’t thought about it at all, except that I’d fuck her bare.

  “What do you prefer?” I asked her.

  “Prefer?”

  “Have you enjoyed sex so far?” I knew she’d come, but the first time had to have hurt and I’d been rough. I’d tried to take more care the night before, but it had been hard once my dick was inside her tight pussy.

  She blushed. “Yes.”

  “Because if you’d prefer to wait and see if this took, we can. I meant it when I said I could go without.” But as I said it, my dick revolted. He liked being inside Sara. He might have been able to pass on other women, or be content with my stroking him off in the shower, but clearly, he wasn’t done with Sara yet.

  Before she could respond, Mrs. Childs appeared. “Mr. Raven, you have a call inside from your father.”

  I groaned. “Thank you, Mrs. Childs.” I wiped my mouth with my napkin. “You can let me know about the matter later,” I said to Sara.

  She nodded.

  “Have fun today, Sara. I look forward to finding out how much you were able to spend and on what.”

  She laughed. “Okay. I’ll try not to let you down.”

  I left her on the terrace and went inside to take my father’s call in my office. I wondered if he’d somehow heard about my marriage. I hoped not. I’d have to tell him and my brothers eventually, but I was still grappling with the whole situation myself and needed time to get my head around it so it would be plausible to my family that I’d married for legitimate reasons.

  14

  Sara

  I was definitely in the Land of Oz. The last clothes I bought were from the thrift store, and now I was looking at a five-hundred-dollar pair of jeans. Jeans! The cheapest I’d found so far were two hundred dollars. Did people really spend that much on their clothes? Even with twenty-five thousand to spend, I couldn’t bring myself to spend that amount of money on casual wear.

  I did find a beautiful champagne colored, lace cocktail dress that was originally seven hundred dollars but was on sale for three hundred. I decided to buy it in case Chase took me to any sort of party or formal event that required me to look nice. I figured the people in his world would know the difference between expensive and cheap clothes, and a fancy dress on sale seemed like a good compromise. The perfect shoes to go with it were fifteen hundred dollars, and even though I loved them, I couldn’t bring myself to buy them. I found strappy heeled sandals for five hundred, which still seemed too much since they cost more than the dress, but I bought them anyway. I couldn’t wear my ugly old black pumps with such a lovely dress.

  I made my way through all the well-known stores on 5th Avenue looking like a dork as I stared in awe at the beautiful clothes and accessories and then gaped at the prices. I swore I could feel the clerks looking at me and wondering if I was a shoplifter or something. I didn’t belong in these stores.

  Back in the car, I wanted to cry, I felt so out of my element.

  “Would you like to try some specialty boutiques that
aren’t so… highbrow?” James asked from the driver seat. I guess he could tell how out of place I was.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  We wove through the city, and I wondered how I was going to pull off being a billionaire’s wife. Perhaps Chase could just leave me home whenever he had to go to fancy parties. If all went to plan, I’d have to care for a baby, anyway.

  The car pulled up to a trendy looking little shop with clothes that looked like someone my age would wear hanging in the window. I wondered if that would be okay. I was nineteen, but I was married to a rich sophisticated man. I probably needed to dress older.

  I decided to go in and see if there were items of clothes that could work. These were still more expensive than I could afford before I married Chase, but way more affordable than the other stores. I bought jeans and a few shirts.

  When I came out, James put my bags in the trunk, and pointed out other shops in the area I might be interested in. I’d need to tell Chase how helpful James was being.

  I spent another few hours shopping, not just getting clothes, but also picking up accessories, such as a purse and jewelry, as well as necessities, like underwear and socks. I even spent a little time in a lingerie store.

  When I arrived back at Chase’s penthouse, he wasn’t anywhere to be found, so I went to my room to put away my new clothes. When I came to the undergarments, I decided to put on the sexy red bra and panties. Mostly I gravitated to pastel, lacy pieces, but bought the red set because it was sexy and I thought it might be something Chase would like. I hoped he’d touch me again, although it wasn’t clear to me if he would. His goal was to make a baby, not get his rocks off. Still, it couldn’t hurt to see if I could entice him.

  By the time I had everything put away, it was dinner time. Along with the sexy underwear, I put on a pretty, sleeveless summer dress.

  When I entered the terrace where dinner was being served, Chase looked up from the table. His head tilted slightly, and a shiver of nerves ran through me wondering if I’d picked out acceptable items.

  “You look lovely,” he said, standing and helping me to my chair.

  “Thank you.”

  “Did you enjoy your day?”

  “It was interesting,” I said putting my napkin in my lap as Mrs. Childs served us chicken in wine sauce with pasta and salad.

  “How so?” He asked, pouring himself a glass of wine from a bottle on the table. Mrs. Childs brought me a carafe of cold water at Chase’s instruction.

  I leaned forward. “How much are your socks?”

  He quirked a brow. “My socks?”

  “I saw a pair of men’s socks for over one hundred dollars!”

  Chase’s lips twitched upward. “I think I have a pair that expensive. Most are in the thirty to fifty range, I believe.”

  I shook my head. “Until today, my socks were five dollars.”

  His brows knitted together. “Were you overwhelmed?”

  I exhaled a breath. “A little. I mean I knew I had all this money you gave me, but I found it hard to justify so many of the prices.”

  “But you bought things? Is that dress new?”

  I smiled happy that he noticed my dress. “Yes. It made me feel pretty and daring.”

  “Daring? Marrying your internship supervisor and agreeing to have his baby wasn’t daring enough?”

  I didn’t like being reminded that all this was fake. “That’s crazy, not daring.”

  He laughed, a loud, free, hearty laugh that made him look stunningly handsome. “Indeed.”

  I cut my chicken, hoping I didn’t accidentally get any of the sauce on my new dress.

  “Did you buy other things?” he asked, sipping his wine.

  “I did. A lot.”

  “Is there any money left?”

  “A lot.” I took a bite of chicken and sighed at how delicious it was. Rich people really did know to eat.

  “Really?” He seemed surprised by that.

  “Like I said, I had a hard time justifying hundreds of dollars for a pair of jeans. I did splurge a little on a dress and shoes, just in case I have to go somewhere nice with you. Those were almost a thousand dollars.”

  “Each?” he asked.

  “No. Combined.”

  His lips twitched again, which he tried to hide behind wiping his mouth with his napkin.

  “You’re laughing at me.” I felt a combination of angry and embarrassed. “Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouths.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m not laughing at you. I just enjoy watching you discover my world.”

  “I don’t want my child to be spoiled. I want him to appreciate what he has.”

  Heat flared in Chase’s eyes. “It will be my child too. And I think I’m insulted that you don’t think I appreciate what I have.”

  I used my fork to play with my food. “I’m not sure you do.”

  “What would you have me do? Give away all my wealth? Chant my blessings to the morning sun?”

  I shrugged, not sure how to respond.

  “Our child is going to have the best of everything and will be groomed to head Raven Industries someday.”

  I looked up at him. “Even if it’s a girl?”

  “Even if it’s a girl.”

  Well at least he wasn’t sexist. “What if she doesn’t want to work for the business?”

  His jaw tensed. “The terms my father set up—”

  “Why do you care so much about what your father wants? If I let my parents dictate my life, I’d be sitting home with them in a frumpy dress while they prayed for me.”

  He sucked in a breath and I wondered if he was calming down or getting ready to blow. “What I care about is Raven Industries, and unfortunately, my father still dictates how things go, so I have to care about what he wants.” He leaned forward. “That is why you’re here, Sara. As much as you struggle to adapt to my world, would you really want to continue living in yours? Isn’t that why you came to the city, to seek something better?” He sat back again. “Now you have it. You agreed to the deal.”

  He was right, but still, it seemed like he was as stifled by his dad and life as I had been by my parents and life.

  We ate in silence, and I felt bad for ruining the mood of the meal. When we were finished, Mrs. Childs took our plates away and then brought us strawberries and cream for dessert.

  I played with my napkin in my lap as Mrs. Childs finished laying out the spread.

  “That will be all. You can head home,” Chase said to her.

  “I can stay and take care of these for you.”

  Chase shook his head. “We can manage.” I wondered if he said that to prove to me he wasn’t complete spoiled that he could clear his own plates and do his own dishes.

  She nodded and left us on the terrace.

  “Chase?” I kept my head down, not feeling brave enough to look at him.

  “Hmmm?” he sounded like he was eating a strawberry.

  “I want to be a good wife and mother.” I finally looked up at him wanting to see his response.

  He stared at me but didn’t say anything.

  “I mean, I know this marriage isn’t real… well it’s legal… but… you know what I mean.”

  He nodded.

  “I don’t want to embarrass you or our child.”

  He frowned. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because your world is so foreign to me. I won’t use the right spoon or wear the right designer. I don’t know why you picked me to help you with something so important to you.”

  “Well, as you remember, you’re the one that decided to stick around. My deal was for our arrangement to be short-term.”

  That was true. “You agreed to my terms. Aren’t you afraid I’ll embarrass you?”

  He shook his head. “It hasn’t occurred to me that you could or would.”

  Feeling a little better, I picked up a strawberry, dipped it in the cream. “Do you think we made a baby last night?”

  I
saw another flash of heat in his eyes, but this wasn’t anger or annoyance. “I don’t know.”

  I brought the strawberry to my lips, but a dollop of cream fell landing on the swell of my breast.

  “Oh.” I scooped the cream up with my finger and then put it in my mouth. I looked at Chase, worried he’d think I was uncouth. Instead, I continued to see that hot desire in his eyes.

  “Another woman would have done that on purpose,” he said to me in a husky voice.

  “Really? It’s messy.”

  He got out of his chair and moved over to me. He took out a strawberry, dipped it in the cream, and then rubbed it on my lips before dragging it down my neck.

  Immediately my body started to buzz with excitement.

  “Did you buy this dress for me?” he leaned forward, licking the cream off my lips and then my neck. His tongue felt deliciously hot in contrast to the cool cream.

  “Not the dress.”

  He lifted his head and looked at me. “But something else?”

  I nodded. My mouth had gone dry. “Want to see?”

  “Yes.”

  “Right here?” I looked around. He’d sent Mrs. Childs home, so I didn’t have to worry about her. But I wasn’t sure if other people could see us on the terrace.

  “We’re the top floor of the building,” he said as if he understood my concern.

  I scooted my chair back and stood, reaching back to undo the zipper of the dress. I pulled it down and stepped out of it, setting it on the chair.

  Chase’s gaze raked over the red lace bra and panties. “Are you trying to seduce me, Sara?”

  “Is it working?” The bulge in his pants suggested it was.

  He took my hand and set it over his bulge. “You tell me.”

  I squeezed his hard length, loving the hiss he made.

  “First things first,” he said, putting his hands on my arms and maneuvering me to the table. I sat on the edge as he reached around for another strawberry. He ran that one along my collarbone and between my breasts, followed by his hot mouth.

  I moaned, loving the feel of his lips on my body.

  His fingers deftly undid the clasp of the bra. He removed it, freeing my breasts. “Did you get more like this?”