by Tia Siren
Paige didn’t respond. She didn’t know how to respond besides with what she actually wanted to say. You see, Jessica, it’s not that complicated. There was a girl at my high school who got jealous that her football star of a boyfriend had an interest me. So, to get even, she forced him into a bet to see if he could get me to lose my virginity. The real fucking kicker? It was in the back seat of his Jeep with the rest of our class secretly watching until the police car showed up.
That bitter memory played in the back of Paige’s mind as she stepped out of the study office they were in to go down to the marble lobby. Her mother’s cheerful voice echoed in her ear, and the stairway, when she answered.
“Hello, my darling daughter,” Marie Scott said cheerfully. “How was your weekend?”
Paige grimaced, but there was no way in hell she planned to tell her mother what had happened over the weekend. Both her parents were strict Christians, and she’d grown up with values of courtship—not dark, set-up dates with a billionaire who had obviously slept with many women.
“It was fine,” she said. “We didn’t do much though. We just did our usual thing of studying and watching movies.”
“You and Jessica?”
“Yes.” She entered the marble lobby where it was a bit noisier and found an empty couch to sit on. Students always congregated throughout the lobby, while the serious studiers, like Jessica and herself, went upstairs to the quietness. “How was your weekend, Mom?”
“Oh, boring as usual,” Marie replied airily. “I have no one to speak to or do things with since you left. You know how your father is.” She sighed into the phone. “He refuses to do anything that doesn’t involve the farm.”
“Daddy’s a hard worker. That farm is his entire life.”
“Trust me, I knew that when I married him almost twenty years ago. How is the city?”
Paige glanced over her shoulder at the crowded sidewalk. “Busy as usual, Mom. Nothing ever changes about the city. It stays the same.”
“I don’t know how you put up with it. I still can’t get over that noise and constant flow of people in a rush.”
“You get used to it,” Paige said. “I don’t go anywhere besides classes with Jessica. We don’t wander around much.”
“That’s a good thing, honey. I worry about you in that city all by yourself,” Marie said. “At least I know you aren’t hanging around those senior girls I saw when we were there. They look a bit, ahem, too experienced when it comes to the city life.”
She swallowed while thickly thinking about Shannon and all her glamor. “Yeah, I suppose.” Her phone beeped to signal an incoming call. “Mom, I’ve got another phone call. I’ll call you guys next weekend, okay?”
“All right, baby. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She frowned down at the unknown number before answering it tentatively. “Hello?”
“Hello. This is—”
“Toby,” Paige said, instantly recognizing his voice. “Shannon’s half-brother. What do you want?”
“Luke asked me to get ahold of you on his behalf to see if there is a time that you two can get together. He wants to offer his apologies for behaving the way he did Friday night.”
“If he wants to apologize,” Paige said, scoffing, “then he can call me himself. How did you even get my phone number?”
“Shannon,” Toby said bluntly. “Don’t be mad at my sister. We just thought that the two of you would make a good couple.”
“Good couple?” she repeated dubiously. That same creeping suspicion came back. “How did you two even come to that conclusion? Your sister doesn’t know me besides from that ‘about me’ paper I had to submit. I’ve only talked to you, for, what? One minute?”
“And counting,” Toby added sarcastically. “Is there a time we could work things out here? Luke’s a good friend of mine, and I work for him, but he really does have an interest in getting to know you.”
“If he were that interested, I’d be talking to him, not you.”
Paige hung up with an aggravated sigh. What the hell are their problems? She couldn’t wrap her mind around why they seemed so adamant about pushing her at Luke. It didn’t feel right at all. You didn’t pursue people through other people, which in her opinion indicated that Luke Turner had something to hide.
She just didn’t know what it was, and she didn’t care to know either. Finding a boyfriend in New York City was not on her priority list. It wasn’t even at the bottom end of it.
“Paige?”
She looked up at the sound of someone calling her name to see that it was Kyle Duncan, a fellow freshman in her math class. He was rushing toward her with a smile.
“I’m glad I found you here,” he said. “I was wondering if you’d like to get some coffee with me.”
Paige slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. She hesitated in replying, because Kyle looked so eager and hopeful. He had invited her to hang out numerous times, even to study with him, but she always turned him down. He was a sweet guy, just a bit pushy at times. He didn’t understand her lack of interest in dating, or relationships.
“I’m upstairs studying with Jessica,” she said as kindly as possible. His face fell. “I’m sorry, Kyle. I promise we will hang out when it isn’t so busy and chaotic with homework.”
“I understand,” he said, but the disappointment didn’t fade from his eyes. “Well, I’ll let you ladies get back to studying then. I guess you can call or text me when you have a moment to yourself.”
“I will. I’ll see you in class tomorrow morning, okay?” He nodded.
Climbing the stairs again, she let out a strangled breath. In a matter of three days, she had been asked out by two very different men. Except, her interest in one of them felt more like a fairy-tale type of interest despite how much of an ass he had been to her Friday night. Luke was a suave, silver-tongued businessman who knew what he wanted. He looked a Greek god too. That much Paige knew from his sleeked-back, blond locks of hair, the shadow of a beard on his strong jaw, and eyes that could melt any woman if he wanted them to.
Except, he was a billionaire who got his way at all times. She couldn’t stand that type of mentality.
Jessica looked up from her computer when she opened the study door. “That was a quick phone call. The quickest I’ve seen with your mom.”
“I know,” Paige said. She sat down and looked over at Jessica in contemplation. “Luke’s assistant called me while I was on the phone with my mom.”
“His assistant?” Jessica’s eyebrows furrowed. “That’s Shannon’s older half-brother, right? Isn’t he some sort of—”
“Publicist, yes. He happens to be Luke Turner’s assistant and friend too.”
“What did he want?” Jessica asked, closing her computer in interest.
“He wanted to know if I would be willing to meet with Luke again,” Paige said. “I told him that Luke would have to ask me and also apologize for himself. Not his assistant.”
Jessica whistled. “Damn, girl. You are certainly brave. I don’t think Luke knows how to talk to people normally.”
Paige arched an eyebrow. “Why would you say that?”
“Well, he’s rich. He’s probably had people do common things for him his whole life. Give him some slack.”
“He assumed I was going to sleep with him after one dance,” Paige said. That same indignant anger came back just thinking about it. “He was totally normal and fine up until he thought I was just going to jump in the sack with him.”
“Fuck, I would. He knows his way around a bedroom; I’m sure of it.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t want to be around him.”
The second those words slipped from Paige’s lips, she realized it was a mistake. Jessica’s eyes widened at her realization. “You—you’re a virgin? Is that what you mean by that?”
She considered lying, shrugging it off, but there was no point in denying it. Jessica had already put the dots together judging from the look on
her face.
“That makes perfect sense why you are so freaked out by this,” she said.
Paige shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “How am I freaked out by this?”
“I can see that nervousness in your face thinking about how experienced Luke is in the bedroom. Only a virgin has that type of nerves.” She caught sight of the grimace on Paige’s face. “Not that I mean that offensively. I just meant that it makes sense that you’re always so jittery around guys. You don’t have to be ashamed of being a virgin. Hell, I think you’re great for it.”
Despite Jessica’s quick rambling to make her feel better, it didn’t lessen any of those nerves for other reasons.
“There’s a lot more to it than that,” Paige said eventually. “When I was sixteen, there was this girl at my school who—”
Someone knocked on the study door before it opened. The scowl on Jessica’s face quickly fell when Shannon walked in.
****
“Afternoon, ladies,” she said cheerfully. “I thought I might find you both here at the library.”
There was no doubt in Paige’s mind why Shannon was there. It was because she had hung up on Toby and told him off for Luke being a prick. A headache pounded as she pointedly grabbed her sketch pad, hoping Shannon would get the hint as loudly as Toby had.
“Can I speak with you alone, Paige?” Shannon asked.
Paige sighed inwardly at the futile hope of peace. She just wanted to forget about Luke Turner. He was too much for someone like her. And for whatever reason, he had developed an interest in her within thirty minutes of meeting her, and that didn’t feel right despite the little part of her that felt flattered knowing a billionaire was interested in her.
“I have homework to do,” she said. “So, you can talk while I sketch if it’s that important.”
Shannon took a seat next to her. “It is.”
She pointedly glanced at Jessica, who sighed reluctantly as she gathered her things from the table.
“I’ll give you two privacy then,” Jessica said. “I’ll talk to you later, Paige.”
“I’ll be back at the apartment within an hour if you want to get lunch,” Paige said.
Shannon waited until Jessica closed the door before turning to look at Paige with an apologetic smile. “I know that I can’t apologize directly for Luke, but I am sorry that he acted like a complete ass to you. I honestly had no idea he was going to be in a mood the way he was.”
“Does he get into moods like that often?”
“Sometimes,” Shannon said honestly. “Luke has some money, but his childhood was a bit dysfunctional. He tries not to be that way, but a few drinks in him, and that’s when you see elements of Roderick Turner come out.”
Paige lowered her sketching pencil. “His father was an alcoholic?”
“Yes, a raging one. He used to beat the shit out of Luke all the time when he was drunk. Luke has a tendency to be a bit of backtalker and a rebel, so I know Roderick hated that.”
“I would’ve never guessed that,” Paige said, feeling a stab of sympathy for him. “He said that his father died two weeks ago?”
“That’s also why he’s a bit—” Shannon paused to think of the right word. “I guess mercurial would be the best way to describe it. Don’t tell him that though. You’ll get your head bitten off.”
“I won’t have to worry about it,” Paige said. “I’m not going to worry about him because I don’t want to see him again.”
Shannon sighed. “He’s honestly a nice guy, Paige. He has a good heart that’s just had a bit of damage done to it is all.”
“I understand that.” She did get it. She was still reeling from what had happened to her over four years ago. “I just don’t know if it’d be a good idea for me and him to meet again. I mean, you look like his type more than me.”
She caught a glimpse of pleasure in Shannon’s eyes. Still, Shannon shook her head. Her long blond locks were pulled into a messy bun that was clipped up.
“As wealthy and powerful as Luke is,” she said, “my brother would still kick Luke’s ass if he ever tried anything with me. It’s some sort of bro code: Thou shall not have sex with thy best friend’s younger sister.”
“At least he follows the rules of friendship then,” Paige said dryly. “I’ll consider seeing him again if you can answer one question for me.”
“Shoot.”
“What is the whole point to all of this?”
Shannon’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Point to what?”
“Why did you bring me to that lounge Friday night?” Paige asked. “Was it to just meet Luke, or—”
“It was to meet Luke,” Shannon said, nodding. “I’ve known Luke a while now, and my brother has known him since they were fifteen. We just get tired of all the shitty women who are only interested in him for his money. It wears him out too.”
“So, you thought I’d be a good fix for that problem?” Paige asked, bewildered. “I’m only nineteen years old, Shannon. I don’t even know what it’s like to be on a date with a guy.”
“That’s why you need to get out more. Take some risks. I’m your senior sister. Do you honestly think that I’d let you get hurt?”
She shot Paige a hurtful look.
“Of course not,” Paige said. “I’m just confused about everything. I honestly just don’t know if I could be around someone like Luke. He seems a bit full of himself.”
“Aren’t all guys?” Shannon asked coyly. “You already agreed to let me arrange another meeting after I answered your question.”
Paige hesitated. She was torn on what to do, or what to believe. One part of her wanted to believe that Shannon’s explanation was reasonable, while the other part screamed that something was not right. Rich, alpha-type billionaires didn’t strike up an interest in her after thirty minutes of conversation and dancing.
“I guess,” she said. “Just promise me that you and your brother will be there with us the entire time.”
Shannon’s face contorted. “I’m all for that, but I don’t know if Luke will be open to us tagging along. He’s a private person when it comes to this sort of thing.”
“That’s all I’m asking. I’m agreeing to go and give this a shot if he apologizes directly to me and if I know you are going to be there too.”
“I’ll do my best.” Shannon hesitated after rising from her chair. She sat back down after a few seconds. “Is there a reason why you never want to be alone with him?”
Paige cleared her throat before looking away to hide the blush on her cheeks. There were a lot of reasons why she didn’t want to be alone with Luke. He could charm the hell out of her if he wanted to. It didn’t help that he was fucking attractive and a temptation to go back on the promise she had made when she was seventeen.
No sex until marriage.
“It’s just a personal thing I have promised myself is all,” Paige said.
If Shannon put the dots together on that, she didn’t show it. Instead, she nodded in understanding before rising from the table.
“I’m glad you’re going,” Shannon said, opening the door to the study. “I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by what makes Luke Turner the man he is.”
She closed the door before Paige could reply. What sort of man is Luke Turner? She was slightly curious to figure out who he was, but she had a gut feeling that Luke didn’t reveal much about himself to people easily. It seemed like the only ones close to him were people he had known for most of his life.
Paige sighed as she pulled her sketchbook open. For now, she had to put Luke out of her head. She had five sketches due tomorrow, along with two papers she hadn’t even started yet. It was going to be a very long night of trying to play catch-up.
Chapter Four
Luke
“I’m sorry, Luke. There is nothing I can do to change what your father asked me to do.”
Luke drummed his fingers on the desktop as he stared coldly at Peter Anderson—his father’s irritating att
orney who refused to do anything besides following Roderick Turner’s instructions from the grave.
“There has to be a loophole,” he said darkly. “My father does not have the power to tell me that in order to inherit Turner Oil, or to receive my inheritance, I have to be married in thirty days.”
“Not married exactly,” Peter corrected, unfazed by the anger radiating off Luke in steady waves. He interlaced his fingers. “On the way to marriage is what has been said in his will. There has to be a wedding date, and it has to be followed through on as well.”
“That’s utter bullshit. Why wasn’t I told this before last week?”
“Because your father passed away two weeks ago,” Peter said. “I had no way of reaching you after his heart attack. You went off the grid.”
“I was coping with my father’s death,” Luke snapped, rubbing his head in exhaustion. “I was doing what any normal person would do when they lose a parent.”
“I’m sure. I’m sure you found yourself a nice place to stay with a nice woman as well,” Peter said cynically.
Luke shot him a dirty look.
“That’s the behavior your father is against,” Peter said, shaking his head. “I can’t alter this will, Luke. It’s a legal contract. I can’t do anything about it.”
“What about money?” Luke asked, pulling out his pocketbook. “How much would it cost for you to take your wife on vacation for a month?”
Peter’s eyes narrowed at him. “I draft up wills for the wealthy, Luke. Money has no effect on my ability to do my job correctly. Look.” He leaned forward to catch Luke’s impatient gaze. “I don’t want to see Turner Oil in a complete stranger’s hands any more than you. I want it to stay in your family, but you have to do what this will says to do. You truly don’t have a person in mind who you could settle down with? You’re twenty-nine years old.”
Luke bristled at the condescending tone. “I could if I had more time to search.”
“You’ve had a few years to search.”
“Well, I need more time then,” he snapped, rising from his chair to pace around Peter’s office anxiously. “This is fucking ridiculous. I shouldn’t have to marry someone to appease my father. He isn’t even here.”