by Eva Luxe
“Remember, there’s nothing they can say. They have no proof of us doing anything wrong. Because there is no proof.”
Harper nodded, “It’s different this time.”
It was completely different. This time, it was real. We weren’t pretending to be in love, we really were. We weren’t trying to convince everyone that we were a couple for the sake of the cash. It was all true.
“Okay, time to go inside,” I said to Harper. She nodded. I offered her a hand when I stood and she took it. We walked into the offices together, attached and in love. I felt her pawn shop ring against my fingers. I had to get her a different one, I thought. I had to get her one that mattered, one that she liked. I had to get her one that she deserved.
Danbury was waiting for us in the conference room when we arrived. He was jittery, more nervous than he’d been before. He wore a gray suit with a dark blue tie and he kept smoothing his blazer down as if he was paranoid it would wrinkle. After our last meeting, he seemed eager to please us. And he had to. I was paying him for his services, now.
“Thank you for coming again,” he said. “I assure you, it won’t be like last time.” He was nervous about me and my reaction to his attitude. Good. I wanted him to know that no matter what, I would protect Harper. I would take care of her and ensure that no one treated her badly. She was my queen.
“You’re right, it won’t,” I said. Danbury swallowed hard, as if it was a threat, but it wasn’t. Harper and I had this covered. We would make sure that nothing went wrong. We were ready for Finch, in a big way.
Camden and Finch arrived, looking smug. Finch was dressed in another tasteless suit and he had a shitty grin on his face. He walked toward us. I put my arm around Harper and I felt her straighten, but the look on her face was determined this time.
“You managed to convince her to come back,” Camden said. “Did you offer her more money? Or favors?”
I wanted to fuck him up for saying it. Harper put her hand on my arm as if she knew and I blew out a breath, trying to release tension.
“Not everyone needs to be bought if you’re a great guy,” Harper said. “You might realize how far you can get with manners if you try using some.”
Camden narrowed his eyes at her. “Oh, you developed some cheek. It’s not going to help, you know. Rent-a-crowd doesn’t get very far in cases like these.”
Harper pulled up her shoulders as if she didn’t care. I was proud of her for being so nonchalant about it. It helped that we were prepared this time. I was still annoyed with Camden for being such a dick. I hadn’t seen him since we were kids, and he’d had a lot of time to become a complete asshole.
“There are only two days left,” Camden said, when neither of us said anything. He was picking a fight but we weren’t going to give it to him. “It’s not enough to do anything. You can’t get married in that time, even if you really were in love. But seeing that it’s all a scam, its better we stop this here and now. You’ll need cash for a divorce and I’m not paying for it.”
I still wanted to fuck him up, but I had to keep calm and be the bigger man. I was sure we were going to win, anyway.
“Time will tell,” I said. It was the best I could do with my anger so close to the surface. Camden pulled his shoulders up and opened his mouth.
Danbury called us to order before Camden had a chance to respond, and we sat down around the table in the seats we’d had before. Camden glared at us. Finch glared at Danbury. It was as if they all had something against us when we were really only here to take care of business. Danbury was still nervous, and even worse under Finch’s scrutiny. I wondered what the history was between those two.
“Right,” Danbury said. His hands fluttered over the contract like birds and he kept glancing at the other lawyer. Finch was smug, sitting in his chair like it was a throne and he ruled the conference room. “Where were we?” Danbury continued.
“We were talking about how Miss Donaldson doesn’t commit, ever, so it’s unlikely that she’s committing, now,” Finch said, looking at Harper. Damn, I wanted to punch that smug grin off his face.
“You’re right, Mr. Finch,” Harper said, catching the man off guard. “I never used to commit. Sometimes, it takes a real man, like Caden, to show a woman that it’s okay to give her heart away, and that not everyone will stomp on it.”
Finch snorted. “You can tell me stories about valiant men, Miss Donaldson, or we can get on with this.”
“No, you’re right,” Harper said. “On the topic of wasting time, a man like Caden is hard to find. Which is why when I found him, I needed to make him mine as soon as possible.”
Harper opened her handbag and pulled out the marriage certificate we had obtained at the court after saying our vows. She put it in front of Mr. Finch, who blanched.
“This can’t be,” he said.
“What is that?” Camden asked, picking up the piece of paper. He was suddenly furious.
“This is fake!” he cried out. “It has to be!”
“You can have it verified, if you like,” I said.
Danbury’s mouth curled into a smile. “That won’t be necessary,” he said. “That’s all I needed to see. Mr. and Mrs. Griffin, you don’t even need to sign the contract now. The money is legally yours.”
“This is bullshit!” Camden shouted and spun around to Finch. “You said we could win this. You said the money was as good as mine.”
“I didn’t think they were going to get married,” he said. “But I can’t change the law on that.”
“You’re fired!” Camden shouted and jumped up. He stormed out of the conference room. Finch turned toward us.
“I’m very sorry about my client,” he said. “Congratulations to the both of you.” He turned to Danbury. “I’m sure I’ll see you again, Willie.”
“Without a doubt, Harry,” Danbury answered. Finch stood and left the conference room as well. When it was just the three of us, Danbury sat back in his chair and shook his head.
“I must say, you had me worried there for a moment, Miss Donaldson. Or Mrs. Griffin, I should say. The last meeting didn’t look promising at all.”
“I felt attacked,” Harper said. “It’s not every day we have to sign legal documents that are so important, and Mr. Finch isn’t subtle.”
Danbury chuckled. “No, he’s not.” His face fell. “You do realize Camden will try to fight this. He’s going to try to prove that your marriage is fake, and that you’re only together for the sake of the money.”
I nodded. “I know my cousin, now. He’s a son of a bitch, to put it lightly. But I’m ready for him.”
“You’ll have to make this work between you for a while to convince everyone that it’s what you wanted.”
I took Harper’s hand and looked at her. She smiled at me.
“That won’t be a problem,” I said.
Chapter 24
Harper
When we walked out of Danbury’s offices, the world looked different. I knew I was being dramatic. I’d always thought it was pathetic when people said that finding your soulmate made the colors of the world look brighter.
They were right.
Caden and I were holding hands and he brought mine to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. I smiled and leaned against him. I couldn’t believe how great it felt. In the past, whenever I had committed to something, I had a horrible feeling in my gut that I had done the wrong thing. Getting married was possibly the biggest commitment I had ever made, but there hadn’t been a single moment with Caden where I’d wondered if I was doing the right thing.
I knew I was. I had known from the start that being with Caden was different. I had fought it, and tried to run away from it, but I hadn’t been able to stay away. Here at Caden’s side was where I belonged. I was truly the happiest woman in the world.
“There he is,” Caden said, and pointed to a hired car that waited for us. We crossed the street and Caden opened the back door for me, then slid in next to me.
“Wha
t is this?” Greyson asked, twisting in the front seat. “Am I playing chauffeur today?”
“Just for today,” Caden said, and grinned.
A slow smile spread across Greyson’s face. “You got it, boss.”
Caden rolled his eyes and I laughed. That joke would never get old. I appreciated that Caden had made the choice to get in the back seat with me. Everything felt right this way, with him constantly by my side and never making me feel like an afterthought or side dish.
“I’m assuming it went well,” Greyson said, glancing in the rearview mirror as he drove.
We both nodded. “It went really well.” So well, in fact, that Caden was now a billionaire. And because we were married, I guess that made me a billionaire, too. “Camden was so pissed off that we had made it happen. Even if his expression was all we got out of it in the end, it would have been worth it.”
Caden was right. Camden’s expression had been priceless.
We laughed about that for a while, explaining it in detail to Greyson. It was great having the three of us together like old times, joking and laughing. It was even more amazing seeing that Caden and I were together now.
“How does it feel being so far from home?” Caden asked Greyson.
“I’m not gonna lie, man. It’s weird being away from work for so long. But it’s worth it and I can use the break.”
“Don’t get used to it,” Caden teased.
Greyson had closed the restaurant for a week to come to LA with us and be our witness when we got married in court. We had taken care of it all in a way that Caden could get the inheritance. It wasn’t about that, of course. I loved Caden. I knew it now and I had stopped trying to deny it. I loved Caden and I was married to him. I was officially Mrs. Griffin. I was still getting used to the sound of it, but I was happy about it.
“If Camden was so pissed,” Greyson said, bringing the conversation back to the topic, “does that mean he’s going to cause trouble?”
“He’s going to try, I can guarantee it,” Caden said. I nodded. I knew Camden would try his best to get that money. He still believed it was rightfully his because he had spent so much time with Caden’s grandmother. The fact that she hadn’t left him the money had already been a terrible insult, not to mention that he had lost it legally, as well.
“Well, they can’t argue over how official this is,” Greyson said.
Caden took my hand and interlinked our fingers, kissing me.
“There’s nothing he can do,” he said to Greyson.
“How long will the two of you have to keep this up?” Greyson asked, glancing at us again in the rearview mirror.
Caden shook his head. “We’re not going to have to keep anything up. This is real, Greyson. Or haven’t you noticed? I love her.”
I smiled and blushed, and Caden grinned at me. When I looked at Greyson he was smiling, too. His eyes were back on the road.
“I thought you two were just really good actors.”
He didn’t believe that for a minute. Caden and I both knew Greyson had figured out that what we felt for each other was real. He was stirring shit the way he always was. But hearing Caden confirm it out loud made me happy. I knew we were in love, I knew our marriage was real. After Caden had come after me in Seattle, everything about our relationship was genuine. I had wanted to commit to him because I realized I loved him. It didn’t matter that it was scary as hell to be in a long-term relationship—a marriage—like this. With Caden, it was all worth it.
“I don’t want you guys making eyes at each other at work all day,” Greyson said. “We should make a no-romance policy at work or something,” he chuckled.
“I’m your boss, Greyson. I’ll do whatever the fuck I want. If I want to be romantic with my wife at the restaurant all day, every day, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Greyson grumbled something, but he was smiling. Everything was going to be perfect.
When we arrived at the hotel, Caden and I headed straight towards our room. This time, it was a room with a double bed, no more of that twin bed shit. It was big enough for us to do whatever we wanted. Greyson had a room on the next floor. It was all we had been able to find on such short notice, but I was glad. I didn’t want him to hear us going at it, because the walls were actually thinner than we’d realized. He knew we were married and in love, and all that came with the territory, but I still didn’t want the man we worked with to know what I sounded like behind closed doors.
When Caden and I stepped out of the elevator and Greyson carried on to the next floor, we were finally alone.
“I can’t believe this all happened,” I said to Caden. “It’s so much money, too.”
“I’m happy about the money, of course, but I really can’t believe I have you,” Caden said, and kissed me. The kiss was long and sensual, tugging at my core, and I knew what we would be doing once we got into our room. We rushed to the room and Caden opened the door with the keycard.
Once we were inside, with the door shut behind us, Caden pushed me against the wall. He tugged at my clothes and we undressed each other, taking it to the bed where there was more than enough space for us to make love, in any position we chose.
Afterward, we laid in bed together. I laid on Caden’s chest, a spot that had come to be my favorite. Caden played with my fingers, pulling lightly at them, kissing them one at a time. He seemed fascinated with my hands today.
“I don’t know if I ever thanked you,” Caden said.
“For what?”
“Everything you did to help me get the money. And to help me find my soulmate.”
I looked up at him, smiling. “I almost messed it up for you.”
Caden shook his head. “Everything ended perfectly. That’s all that matters. Mrs. Griffin.”
I grinned when he called me that, but my smile faded again.
“What’s wrong?” Caden asked.
I pulled one shoulder up. “I didn’t think my wedding would be like this,” I said. “Every girl dreams about the white wedding, the first dance, the vows and all that.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Caden said, and he sounded concerned. “I’m so sorry.”
Tipping my head up, I kissed him. “Of course, if I had a husband any less awesome it might have bothered me a lot. But seeing that I’m married to you, the one man on earth that’s perfect for me, the piece of paper is more than enough.”
Caden put his hand on my cheek and kissed me again. “Do you know how much I love you?” he asked.
“Probably not as much as I love you,” I answered.
“That is incorrect,” Caden said. He kissed me again. “I guess I’ll just have to show you.”
He rolled onto me and proceeded to show me exactly how much he loved me. Again and again.
When we were done, yet again, we showered together to clean up.
“What are we going to do now?” I asked, when we were clean and dry, and satisfied.
“We’re going sightseeing,” Caden again.
I smiled. “I love sightseeing.”
“On my motorbike.”
Caden had driven his motorbike down to LA, instead of flying like I had. It was important to him and even though I didn’t understand the intimate relationship he had with his bike, I let him. It seemed really essential to him and I had realized the moment he had showed up to my home in Seattle that compromise was a very big part of our relationship.
“Oh, no,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re not making me get on that thing again.”
“Come on, babe,” Caden said. “Let me show you what freedom feels like.”
He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I couldn’t help but laugh. How could I say no to this man?
“If I hate it we’re stopping and I’m getting a cab back to the hotel,” I said.
“Deal,” Caden said, and grinned. He held out his hand to me and I took it.
We made our way to the underground parking area and Caden climbed onto his bike. I lifted my leg and sw
ung it over the back of the bike, sitting behind him. I sat, pressed up against him, my front to his back and I wrapped my arms around him. Caden revved the engine a few times and the power coursed through my body. I had to admit that I loved the feel of it, even though I would never admit it to Caden.
He turned the bike toward the entrance and slowly rolled to the street. When he turned into traffic, he opened the throttle and we tore through LA, weaving between cars. Caden drove faster with me than he had before. At first, I was scared. It was too fast for me.
I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on the feel of his back under my cheek, the hum of the bike beneath my ass and leaning with Caden into the turns. It didn’t take long before I realized the only way to let go of the fear was to let go of all my worries and trust Caden completely. He knew what he was doing and he would never let anything happen to me. He wouldn’t be reckless and put my life in danger.
The moment I let go and trusted Caden, everything changed. The ride was exhilarating and it was an amazing feeling to be so close to nature, to taste the salty air on my tongue, and feel the wind tug at my clothes. This was truly what freedom felt like, I thought.
But it wasn’t because I was on the back of a bike that I felt so free. It was because I had finally let go of the fear that I wouldn’t be good enough. I had trusted that it would all work out—that I wouldn’t hurt him, and he wouldn’t hurt me. I had closed my eyes and taken a leap, and Caden had caught me.
I had married the love of my life. That was true freedom—believing that I deserved happiness and allowing myself to have it.
Caden was my boss turned fake fiancé, turned husband. My life was falling into place, one piece at a time. And I couldn’t be happier.
Epilogue
Caden
One Year Later