He saw the hurt that flashed through her eyes, but he would not allow her to get to him.
Paige clutched the stem of the wine glass so tightly I her hand, she thought she could actually snap it and shove the sharp end into Hunters’ heart. He was going to ride this contract out, make her life an absolute misery and then steal her son from her.
She fought back tears as she looked down at the dark red liquid in the glass then took a sip, it was as bitter as the essence of regret that ran through her soul.
“No, I wouldn’t have come. But I can tell you this, I spent five years raising my son all by myself, with no help from anyone, and if you think you can just barge into our lives and start throwing punches and threaten to take my son from me, I can guarantee you, I will fight you every step of the way,” she said mordantly.
She hated that she found herself in this situation, and the realization of how bad this will look on her rap sheet considering the fact that she accepted an online marriage proposal to a stranger she technically never met, for financial gain, was something social services would have a field day with. If she had to be honest to herself, Hunter stood a good chance of winning custody of her son and if she was going to take him on, she was going to have to consider changing her approach.
She took a deep steady breath and then placed the glass down on the table beside her, “Hunter, it’s been six years since you left me, without a single word, what did you expect me to do? You moved on with your life, I was just a glitch in your sabbatical matrix, one you were very happy to erase. If I had known that there was the slightest chance of us being together, I would have attempted to contact you,” she said and although it was an attempt to sideswipe him, her words sounded sincere even to her.
The expression on his face, gave her hope, because suddenly the ruthless mask he wore a minute ago was replaced by something she could only discern as realization maybe even compassion , which meant he had a heart after all.
She stepped closer and lowered her eyes placing her hand on his chest. God this was harder than she thought, here she was playing her victim card and pasting it on thickly so that she could play on his emotions, and although it was working on him, her heart was making a ninety degree turn against her better judgement.
“I never asked for you to leave, you left at your own accord. Men like you come and go out of a girl’s life. Do you know how many unwed mothers there are, and almost ninety percent of those children have no father, it was no different for me. I just had to get up from the ashes and make it work, for the sake of my son and my own sanity.”
For the first time in her life she was able to express herself and to be able to voice her feelings felt as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders. She withdrew her hand from Hunter’s chest where he stood like a statue looking down at her and took a step back.
Hunter processed this information slowly and as Paige stepped away from him, he instantly felt the absence of her touch, and without a second thought, he stepped forward and cupped her face then looked into her large, expressive eyes that still contained that sense of mystery he fell in love with when he first met her. He admired the angular features of her face, and her high cheek bones and noticed that she still had that slight pout of her mouth, which was hard to ignore. The years may have brought on a slight physical change, she was larger than when he first met her, and her breasts were also bigger, but even now, his own body reacted just like it did back then. He knew he was being impulsive and foolish but he was suddenly desperate to kiss her.
His fingers threaded into her hair as he slanted his lips against hers, and traced his tongue along the seam of her lips; he felt her body relax against his. She tasted just as he remembered her, distinctively sweet, it was almost too perfect to be true, and as his need grew, so did the passion that manifested in this simple kiss. The hunger and need he felt in her kiss matched his own reckless need and with her body pressed against his there was no denying the truth. She still turned him on, and she still wielded the power to reduce him to nothing but a sex crazed male, who had to use every ounce of his self-control to prevent himself from grinding against her.
Chapter 7
Paige was a hot mess; her insides were like chocolate fudge ice-cream being incinerated by the passion and heat that burnt like an out of control forest fire, which threatened to consumer her. How was it possible that after all these years, he could still have such an adverse effect on her?
She allowed him access to the confines of her mouth as she clung to him for dear life, worried that her legs would give way if he let her go, the flavor of the Merlot mixed with his own essence was intoxicating.
Her heart was drumming in rhythm with his, like synchronized percussion, waiting for the rest of the orchestra to join in, she pressed herself up against him and instantly felt his erection press against her stomach, but as he pulled away, dragging in a deep, unsteady breath, she suddenly came to her senses and abruptly broke the kiss.
This was just one of his ploys to distract her, to make her think he cared for her, and when she least expected it; he would take her son away.
“We can’t do this,” she said as she pulled away and reached for the glass of Merlot she set down earlier then gulped down the smooth dry liquid before turning away from him.
“It was never my intention to leave you Paige,” he whispered breathlessly.
“Yet you did,” she definitively.
Paige was tired of lies and empty promises, and her only goal was to provide for Joshua, other than that she didn’t need a man in her life.
Hunter reached for her and once again pulled her body firmly against his, did he dare tell her it was her mother who tore them apart and risk her hating her own flesh and blood, or did he let sleeping dogs lie and work at making it through the next three months, then move on as planned?
“I know, and I regretted it every day since,” he said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “and believe me, if I was able to tell you why I left, I would.”
Paige pulled away from him and held up her hand warding him off.
“Let me guess, now is not the time,” she said and turned away from him. “Look, a lot of time has passed, I’m sure whatever excuse you had for leaving then will be completely irrelevant now.”
She was right he realized, they had both moved on and whether or not it was her mother’s fault that he left. Too much time had passed for them to just pick up where they left off. The only way forward was to continue with this arranged marriage, get the deal and then go their separate ways and at least come to some visitation arrangement so that he can also get to see his son grow up.
Chapter 8
Paige sat at the dinner table with Hunter on her left, and Gregory Johnson on the right. She had to give it to Hunter; he knew how to sell a convincing story. While he so casually told the Johnsons about how the two star crossed lovers met and how they refused to let anything stand in their way of happiness, the Johnsons were sucking up every last bit of detail like fudge at a fair.
* * *
In the four weeks that passed since her arrival, Paige and Hunter somehow managed to be civil and ignore the obvious sexual tension that seemed to grow between them each and every day, and considering the fact that they weren’t complete strangers, this dinner date was going to be a breeze.
“So tell me Paige, Hunter told me you studied journalism?” Anne, Gregory’s wife asked curiously as she picked the olives from her plate.
At least Hunter remembered what she studied, but was he aware she never finished, she wondered.
“Yes, I did, but I am yet to complete my studies,” she said and smiled at Anne ‘having a child made it slightly more difficult to focus on college.”
“I can imagine, it must have been difficult raising him all on your own,” the statement hung heavily in the air, and suddenly Paige wanted to get away. Regardless of the fact that she is soon to be Hunter’s wife for a while, his circle of so-called friends would always look
down at her. Feeling sorry for the poor mother with an illegitimate child, if only they knew that the Joshua was Hunter’s.
* * *
She smiled and politely excused herself then headed upstairs to where Joshua was busy playing video games, she could hardly believe that the next day was her final dress fitting, and in less than three days she would be married. But she had to constantly remind herself that this was only a temporary arrangement. Although they shared that kiss in the study and they both felt the obvious physical pull, there could never be anything more between them.
Hunter was spending more time with Joshua and building a relationship with his son, they looked like a genuine happy family in the making. But Paige knew better, and with the approach of the wedding she felt more and more as if she was drowning in misery.
Eventually her castle of dreams would be tumbling down and she would undoubtedly be left to fend for herself and her son, all on her own – again.
Chapter 9
Hunter soon excused himself form the dinner table to go check on Paige, over the past few weeks, he started to get to know her on a different level, and instead of his preconceived notion that she was a gold digger seeking the easy way out by marrying a rich man, he saw a refined woman, who despite her challenges in life, managed to not only get by, but raise a very clever young man.
As expected he found her in the study, paging through a book.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
“I’m fine,” she replied without turning around.
“Paige, you can tell me what’s on your mind,” he insisted.
After a moment she turned around, “I don’t fit into your world Hunter, neither does Joshua,” she said solemnly, wrapping her arms around her.
“What are you talking about, you fit in perfectly.”
“No I don’t, your friends look down on me, they expected you to be with a like-minded woman who fits into their world of glamor and riches, did you see the look on their faces when I told them I never completed my studies?” she asked him accusingly.
“They are not my friends and their expectations are of no relevance,” he said stepping closer to her, “and the sooner this deal is through, the sooner they will be out of our lives.”
Hunter could detect the inner conflict that looted her mind, and although he could hardly relate, he wanted her to feel more at ease, feel confident and undeterred by what others think.
She sighed and shook her head, “The thing is, I’m worried that Joshua will grow accustomed to this lifestyle, and the longer we stay, the more he slips into the hope that this is what he’ll have for the rest of his life, and it’s all a lie, Hunter,” she said pleadingly.
Hunter regarded her thoughtfully, realizing that she’s looking for an excuse to get out of this temporary arrangement, and although this deal meant everything to him, his priorities had started to shift ever so slightly.
“Why can’t this be the life for Joshua?” he asked.
“Because the day I walk away from here, all this will be nothing but a memory,” she said dejectedly.
The thought about her leaving did not sit well with him and although he refused to admit it to himself he was growing more and more accustomed to this small family circle even though it was all a sham.
Paige sighed softly and closed her eyes, she had this constant reminder like a dark cloud hanging overhead, that this was only a temporary arrangement, and what scared her most was that her little boy loved it here. Her motherly instincts were to protect him, but also to see him happy, and if being here made him this happy, then maybe was time she considered her options. There was always the option of shared custody, she thought, but first she was going to have to tell him that Hunter was his dad.
Lost in her own train of thought, she didn’t notice it when Hunter closed the study door, but the single click of the lock drew her attention and when she looked at him she felt a shiver of anticipation run through her.
“Paige,” he started towards her, “we can work this out.”
He stood so close to her she could feel the heat of his body radiate and incinerate her, and as his strong hands framed her face he looked into her eyes, and dropped his head, pressing his lips almost desperately against hers.
* * *
His lips were warm and she willingly parted hers, allowing him to explore her mouth, it was a hot devastating kiss that caused her to lose all common sense, and instead of fighting the obvious desire she felt deep within her, she returned his kiss with the longing that had been haunting her since the day she arrived realizing her mystery groom was her long lost love.
His mouth shifted and he deepened the kiss drawing her closer against him, his arousal evident and her need for him escalated. Against all odds, she still loved him, and if this was all she would take with her when she left, then so be it.
She untucked his shirt, and slid her hands inside, and with trembling fingers she mapped the planes of his stomach and slid her fingers further up his chest, as he sucked in a breath she smiled against his lips and then withdrew her hands only to move to the buttons, but as she started to unbutton his shirt, he caught her hands. But it was too late to stop now, and she simply swatted his hands away and undid his shirt.
“Paige, we have guests?” he objected breathlessly.
“And what of it, they can enjoy the dessert,” she countered and pressed her lips against his left pectoral, inhaling his scent.
Hunter’s body was fighting his logical thought process, he couldn’t remember when last he was so reckless but as Paige pressed her lips against his heated skin his control slipped. He bent his knees and tucked his hands under her thighs, and in one swift motion he lifted her and she wound her legs around his waist. He took two quick strides and plunged her down on the large sofa, nestling himself between her legs. He eagerly slid his one hand down from her knee to her bottom shifting her dress further up. She felt much softer than she did all those years ago, her curves were more accentuated and in place of the scrawny young girl he met six years ago, she was now a full bodied sensual woman that constricted the blood flow to his rational brain. As much as he would rather take his time exploring every inch of this new woman, time and patience was not on his side. His body had been burning like a simmering volcano waiting to erupt since that brief kiss a few weeks ago. Refusing waste another second he sat back on his knees, reaching for her panties then dragged them down over her legs. They hooked on the dainty buckle of her high heeled sandal, which he quickly freed and then tossed them on the floor.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said as he fumbled with his belt, not once taking his eyes off of her. Where she lay waiting, reminded him of the Venus of Urbino painting and although she was clothed, he knew exactly what was hidden beneath the layers of clothes.
Her only response was to smile and bite her lip, while she shyly reached to shove her dress between her legs, which drove Hunter even more insane. He leaned over her and pressed his lips against hers while he slid his hand under the dress to where her hands were clutched between her legs. He gently nudged them away and teasingly dragged his finger over her sex; her sudden intake of breath was just what he needed to know that she was not going to stop him now.
He could hear the commotion outside the study door, and let out a whispered curse, and as he met Paige’s eyes, expecting to see panic, he only saw desire and that familiar defiant streak, challenging him again. He smirked and bent down his head, capturing her lips, which was an attempt to silence her moans as much as it was one filled with passion and desire. And as she pulled her knees up invitingly, he ground his hips forward and thrusted deep into her hot molten core, drawing out a gasp of pure pleasure, which he breathed in.
He eased in and out of her in a slow rhythm which quickly escalated, and as he thrusted relentlessly into her, he felt his heart swell with emotion.
As he moved faster and deeper, he could feel her body respond to him, and when she dragged her nails along his shoulders, he fe
lt her body tremble beneath him and as he felt her climax, his own impending release came crashing down on him.
A few minutes later, they stood at the locked door, Paige making sure his shirt is tucked in, and Hunter making sure she looked respectable. He brought her hand up to his lips and then unlocked the study door.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding,” Gregory said where he stood with his wife in the passage, “I was about to send out a search party.”
Hunter smiled and stepped forward extending his hand, “I apologize for leaving you earlier, but Paige was not feeling too well.”
Gregory smiled at him then at Paige and it was a knowing smile, before he handed his wife her coat and left the house.
Chapter 10
Paige stood in front of the antique floor mirror, admiring her wedding dress, and although it was supposed to be her special day there was a hollow feeling deep down in her stomach. It wasn’t nerves, it was an empty feeling. At this stage, brides usually felt anxious wondering if they made the right choice, or wondering if the caterers did what was expected, but none of that mattered much. She felt almost mechanically driven, like a wound up doll, being left to march down the aisle.
A light knock on the door pulled her out of her reverie, and the dress maker went to open the door and her best friend Jess came walking in with Joshua.
“Mommy!” Joshua cried as he came running towards her wearing a grand little tuxedo, with a bow tie.
“Just look at you sweetheart, you look so handsome,” she said smiling as she bowed down, tucking his fringe back, “you make me so proud.”
Cowboy's Fake Fiancée: A Single Dad & A Virgin Romance Page 14