The Proposal Problem: A Billionaire Royal Hangover Romance

by Natalie Knight

  10

  Chloe

  Before I get into the steamy hot water, I dip my toes in just a little. If the water is too hot, I’ll need to add a little cold water.

  With the temperature tested, I glide into the bath. I don’t use our four-claw old-fashioned bath very often, but when I do, I feel like a real princess.

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath in before releasing it slowly. All my muscles start to relax, and I can feel myself unwind from the stresses of the day. As usual, I’ve not stopped all day.

  The bath at the end of the day is a real treat for me—one I should have more often.

  Oh, how I love the smell of rose-scented bath foam. I’ve tipped in a little too much, a moment of inattention to blame for my mistake. My hands can build mountains out of the amount of foam floating around me, and none of my naked skin is visible with all the white covering me.

  And it does smell absolutely fucking delicious.

  The hot water on my skin feels so fucking perfect, I groan. I feel a tingle all over.

  Of course, I can’t help but return to the other night. The night when I said goodbye to my principles and fucked a man I had only just met.

  I giggle at the memory.

  Even now I can still feel Aaron’s cock on my skin, in my body. Fucking him was fucking fantastic.

  It was a little like a dream. I mean, who goes out thinking they’re going to meet some fucking hot guy who buys you a drink and then goes on to have one of the best fucks of your life with him? Well, I certainly am not someone who thought this would happen to her.

  Sure, those people using the dating site, they might expect this to happen to them, but not ordinary, good girl Chloe. Chloe does not do such bad girl things. Though I’m starting to wonder if playing Mr. BadBoy has unleashed my inner bad girl.

  My thoughts stay with Aaron and his amazing cock. He was so big. My pussy exploded with pleasure when his pulsing shaft entered me.

  Little fireworks exploded in my head, and my body felt as if molten lava were spreading through it.

  Another groan escapes my lips as I replay some of the other highlights. My fingers play with my breasts and roam over my own body to my pussy.

  “Fuck,” I sigh. “Stop reliving what happened.”

  I open my eyes again and pick up some of the bath foam. I dab some on my nipples, chin, and cheeks. To distract myself, I play like a little kid with the foam until there’s only half of it left.

  My body’s luxuriating in warm water, and life’s pretty good.

  A buzz from the stool I’ve got set up right next to my bath has me turn my head. Before I pick up the phone, I dry my hands on the white towel I’ve left out just for this purpose.

  Carefully, I reach for the phone and enter my password.

  I never used to lock my phone. And then Cassie told me of a story on the news and I decided I needed to up my security.

  According to the story, some local politician had left his phone lying unattended on a table in a restaurant while he used the restroom. Upon his return, he found some journalist snooping around and looking at his phone. Since the device hadn’t been password protected, this journo got all kinds of information.

  I don’t have much sympathy with politicians, but since that story, I’ve gone to the trouble of locking my phone.

  A little shiver runs down my spine as I think of the same happening to me. Some secrets I would not want to come out. What would Cassie think if she knew I was masquerading as Mr. BadBoy?

  With my password accepted, I go to Thebadboys.net. Here I spend a bit of time flicking through the pages of new women who are interested in Mr. BadBoy.

  When this is your job, you can’t spend too much time checking and double-checking.

  Everything looks good. Message numbers are steadily increasing. My boss is going to be more than happy with the women I’ve catfished.

  I can’t help but grin from ear to ear.

  With the touch of my finger, I flick to my own profile page. This is my feature section where I really lay it on thick. It seems to be growing in popularity with members of the site.

  The comments are encouraging.

  I scroll through them.

  “BadBoy, you fucking rock.”

  “You’re a legend, BadBoy. When do I get a turn?”

  “I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of you, BadBoy. Just the underside you.”

  “When can we meet up, BadBoy? I’m yours.”

  I smile. I ignore the requests BadBoy has to meet chicks. BadBoy’s too busy to play around and meet every woman who throws herself at him. My boss wants me to be super selective. And if I can score Ms. Winters? Fuck yeah, payday!

  I’m turning ideas over in my mind. There’s plenty of stuff I could do to win her over. But she’s also a bit of a challenge. I gotta go balls to the wall with this one.

  Having set the standard pretty high, I need to live up to BadBoy’s reputation, too.

  Ms. Winters seems like the perfect woman for my boss. She’s smart, sassy, sexy, and apparently every man’s dream. She’s so sought after, everyone on Thebadboys.net wants her.

  I just have to figure out how the hell to thoroughly vet and screen her when I can’t exactly show up for a date with her.

  The door to my bathroom suddenly flies wide open, and my sister enters.

  It’s just like her to come barging in without knocking. She’s impulsive and always acts before she thinks.

  I lower the phone, clicking out of the app, careful not to drop it into the water.

  “Yes? Where’s the fire?” I look at her with raised eyebrows.

  Cassie’s pouting. She stops in the doorway and puts her hands on her hips. She’ll be a handful for any man brave enough to take her on, that’s for sure. Ethan has his work cut out for him.

  “What makes you say there’s a fire?” she asks with a furrowed brow.

  I laugh.

  “You have to ask? Look at you barging in on me as if the house is burning down. Haven’t you heard of knocking?”

  “Why would I knock? I know you’re in the bath and you’re alone.”

  I can’t think of a suitable response.

  “Never mind. What’s the matter?”

  “We’re going out. I came to tell you to get out of the bath because we are going out.”

  Despite myself, I groan. “No, Cas, not again,” I protest. The last thing I want to do is go out. “I’ve got work to do.”

  Now Cassie stomps her feet.

  “You’ve always got work to do. I’ve been stuck inside this house forever, and it’s time you got your head out of the computer screen and into the real world. I’m bored, Chloe. Really bored, and besides, it’s not good for you to be stuck in your computer world talking to people all day. Mixing with real people from time to time won’t hurt, you know.” She pauses. “Maybe you’ll meet another guy like you did the other night.”

  I lean back in the bath and sigh. Sisters. They can be a fucking pain in the ass.

  But then again, they can be real sweethearts when they want to be.

  I roll my eyes. “Okay, fine. We’ll go out.”

  If I don’t agree, she won’t leave me alone anyway. May as well appease her and agree to go out.

  Cassie does a little victory dance and skips away.

  There’s the sound of a bell ringing, and I glance at the screen. You have one new message.

  I open up the message and feel my heartbeat increase a little as I read the message.

  It’s from Ms. Winters.

  It is only four words, but they take a while to sink in. Their meaning could not be any clearer.

  Will you meet me?

  My mouth feels a little dry. Will I meet Ms. Winters? No, the question is actually will Mr. BadBoy meet Ms. Winters?

  Of course Mr. BadBoy would love the chance to meet this charming woman, but what about me?

  The question swirls around in my head like a fly buzzing around and around.

&nbs
p; It would be interesting to meet her, wouldn’t it? But how the fuck am I supposed to do that?

  I chew on my bottom lip. The question is unexpected. But then that’s life, is it not? Full of unexpected moments?

  And if you did not grab these unexpected moments, you could miss out. Like the other night with Aaron.

  Mr. BadBoy was also born out of an unexpected moment, and ever since his birth, he’s only made life more interesting.

  Perhaps I’ll think about my response a little.

  Mr. BadBoy doesn’t have to reply instantly, after all. Mr. BadBoy could be offline, doing something only a bad boy would do.

  With a sigh, I put the phone back on the stool and decide to get out of the bath.

  If I don’t, my sister will be back in a flash to drag my ass out herself. Once she’s made up her mind about something, she’s unstoppable.

  But the whole time I’m getting ready, I can’t stop thinking about how I really do want to check out Ms. Winters in person. As I’m applying my mascara, an idea hits me.

  Yes! Why didn’t I think of this sooner?

  I grab my phone and send her a message.

  11

  Aaron

  So, I’m getting out of the shower and staring at my naked body in the steamy mirror.

  This little ritual is something I love to do, and it gives me pleasure to watch my cock harden as I grin at myself, staring at my spectacular six pack abs and bulging biceps. I don’t see anything bad about feeling good about yourself, especially if you look this damn good.

  I don’t hit the gym seven days a week for nothing.

  Is it so fucking terrible that I give even myself a hard-on? I mean, if you could see me…

  It’s not like I’m fucking attracted to myself or some shit. But let’s face it. I’m a dude, and it doesn’t take much for me to get hard. And when I see my rock-hard body, well, I think about how hot I look when I’m railing some chick.

  I mean, I think about sex ninety-nine percent of the time. The other one percent? I’m probably between dreams when that happens.

  The steam in the room billows and curls around my skin, blanketing me in what reminds me of fog through a dense query.

  Yes, I can also get deep and dark if I want to.

  I lean over to pat my legs dry when I hear a notification ping that chimes through the air in the bathroom, alerting me that I have a new message.

  My heart skips a beat, and I cringe at my behavior. I don’t fucking get like this. I’m not supposed to get excited thinking that a woman I’m into is potentially texting me.

  I can’t act like a fucking giddy school girl here. I’m a fucking beast.

  Carefully, I walk over to the sink and swipe my phone screen up to see who the message is from.

  It’s not from Chloe.

  Damn.

  Oh well…shake off the disappointment, you fucking loser.

  It’s Mr. BadBoy. I stare at the screen and read what he has to say. Let’s just take a moment to gauge this guy.

  I’d love to accept your invitation to dinner, the text reads.

  Great. Fucking great. My catfishing plan is working. He’s buying it hook, line and sinker. At least I think that’s the expression.

  Whatever. It took a few days and quite the effort on my part, but it’s all good now.

  I’m baiting, and Mr. BadBoy is biting. Alright? That’s the way it’s supposed to work on my website. That’s how I make sure these rich assholes are legit.

  Just like my abdominal muscles, this shit takes real blood, sweat and tears. I’m talking power and work. I can’t get ahead in anything I do unless I give it my all, one thousand percent, because one hundred percent is just not fucking good enough for me.

  Okay, I’m going to go out on a limb here and be brave.

  Would tonight be good for you? I text and pause while holding my thumb over the send button.

  Fuck it, I don’t care if he thinks I’m presumptuous. That’s what these men want, a sexy, naughty little girl that isn’t shy about what she wants or accepting offers…or even bribes for that matter. If he takes this, I’ll know he’s into me big time—or at least, the person he thinks he’s going out to dinner with.

  Yes. I can’t wait to finally meet you in person, he writes back.

  Of course, this can’t really happen because I’m simply posing as a girl, the elusive and mystical Ms. Winters. I’m sure Mr. BadBoy would fucking shit a brick if he showed up to the restaurant and there I was, sitting at the table in a suit and tie. The idea of it makes me laugh out loud.

  So that’s obviously not what he wants, but I still have to take the game as far as I can and stretch it beyond my comfort zone.

  I’m excited too, I tell Mr. BadBoy, and after I hit send, I stare at my face in the mirror once again as a devilish sneer spreads across my lips.

  I fucking love my job. I’m not into duping people, but I like being good at what I do.

  Hmm…What should I wear tonight?

  A black suit and a red power tie?

  No…that won’t work. Too strong.

  Should I go for a trendy look?

  No…it’ll look like I’m trying too hard or something.

  The restaurant we’re going to is upscale, and when I say upscale, I’m talking white table cloths while a man in a tuxedo plays classical piano next to your candlelit table.

  Romantic, yes.

  It’s a damn shame that Mr. BadBoy won’t get to go home with Ms. Winters tonight. It’s gonna be such a heartbreak for the poor guy.

  Sometimes even I forget that Ms. Winters is a fictional character that exists only in my imagination. I’ve become so engrossed in playing her lines that it’s becoming automatic for me to think and speak the way she does.

  Maybe I’m just that fucking good at my job, or maybe it’s just my ability to dream up the most elaborate schemes and concoctions in my brain. My creative abilities and end up being talents. Not that I’m complaining. I ensure my company is top-notch and at the same time, I’m amused. Win-win.

  Walking to my closet, I stand there pondering what attire will be best to go with tonight.

  I know I’m not going to be able to really meet Mr. BadBoy tonight, because he’ll be expecting a woman, something I’m obviously fucking not. He’s hoping to catch a glimpse of Ms. Winters, something I’m technically not either, but I’m certainly the brains behind the operation. It’s natural I’d want to look the part.

  I retrieve a stylish long-sleeved black shirt and a pair of pants to go with it and begin dressing myself right away. Then I go back to my bathroom where I splash on the hottest cologne I have with the best fragrance.

  These audits are vital to the operation of the Bad Boy website. The whole purpose of setting up these little dates or engagement interactions is to scope out the clients to see if they fit the Thebadbosy.net brand image I’m going for. We can’t have posers using our name to scam people. That’s how you do business, you cross-check carefully. That’s how I built our name, and how I got to the top.

  I chuckle as I place my watch on my wrist. Any guy ballsy enough to use the name “Mr. BadBoy” on a site named Thebadboys.net has to fit the exact image that I’m trying to promote here with my site. He’ll stand for everything the women seek to find in here. Or at least he better. I mean, that’s why I’m checking him out.

  The guys have to…how do I put this? Have a certain allure, an attractive nature. They need to be brooding, handsome, alpha, and of course…the kicker…wait for it…

  Fucking rich. Fucking rich as fucking shit.

  If they don’t fit these standards, then the woman using my site to meet men won’t be satisfied, hence they won’t return as customers. That can’t be good for the business.

  The worst thing I can do for my company is promote the wrong type of brand. In this case, the brand is the male character. The women have to get the quality they’re willing to pay for.

  As I turn to switch off the light in my master bedroom, I gl
ance over at my bed.

  The white sheets are tousled around, and the pillows are all askew. It’s any neat freak’s worst nightmare. Just allow any run-of-the-mill obsessive-compulsive person to take one glance into my room before they have a panic attack.

  I’m not necessarily messy. I like to keep a tidy home, don’t get me wrong. I just haven’t had a chance to make my bed today, okay, and I gave my housekeeper the day off. I’m a very busy man with a lot of shit to do. And no one’s checking if I made my bed. It’s not like I’m bringing anyone over to see.

  The white sheets make me think of Chloe. The bed itself reminds of our freaky time in the club. I haven’t actually invited her back to my apartment and wrestled her in these particular sheets in this particular bed…yet.

  I want to.

  Oh, fuck yes, I want to.

  Ah, Chloe. Damn, she’s one distracting female.

  Why the fuck does she have to be so hot and alluring? She’s captivating and is sure as shit a temptress. She lives up to my standards of what I think a woman should be like, that’s for damn sure. I’ve seen plenty of women, some of them equally enticing. But never as memorable as Chloe.

  For a brief moment, I think back to the other day when I was musing over how I’d never find a woman up to my standards for my son. Jesus fucking Christ, I am not seriously going there with Chloe in mind, am I?

  Fuck. No.

  Shaking my head, I turn off the light and walk from the room, but the damage is done. Thinking about romping in my bed with Chloe after we’ve but Ben to bed for the night has me totally hard as a stiff rod right now. What the fucking fuck?

  My imagination runs wild as I absentmindedly fumble for my keys on the counter, grabbing my wallet and phone.

  Her ass, her lips, her pussy…now they’re all front and center in my mind.

  Fuck, I want to taste her lips, the ones on her gorgeous face and between those perfect legs. They taste like honey. Her sweet nectar draws me in and I’m addicted, even though I’ve only been with her once.

  It was the best night of sex I’ve ever had, and that’s saying a hell of a lot because I’ve had plenty…believe me.