The Agreement (An Indecent Proposal)

by J. C. Reed

  Hell no!

  I’d had enough of his complex mood swings, ranging from cold to sweet to angry and intensely sexual. I could deal with complex. But unpredictable was a whole other world.

  “No need. Jude’s here.”

  “The more the merrier,” Chase said. “I’ll bring dinner and a bottle of wine.”

  Why hadn’t I come up with a better excuse? Like having a date or yoga class?

  “I don’t drink.”

  “Are you sure? Because as far as I remember, and please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, you seemed to like it a lot at the restaurant.”

  I had known he’d bring that up eventually. Brushing imaginary dust from the pillow, I said, “That was a one-off, okay? I was stressed.”

  “One-off, huh? Just like all the other things, right?” Chase laughed. “We’ll have to find you a new way to relieve stress, because obviously, you have a denial mechanism going on there, Laurie. I have a few things in mind that we could try together. It’s all rather Tantric.”

  There it was again.

  Only this time I knew I hadn’t been imagining things from his hoarse voice. My cheeks caught fire at his insinuation. And more so when my brain began to come up with its own interpretation of all the things Chase and I could try out together.

  A sense of longing settled between my legs, pulsating to life.

  Before he could answer, I peeled my cell phone off my ear and switched it off, then threw it on the bed in exasperation.

  I rubbed my throbbing temples.

  This whole marriage thing was going to be a disaster, and Chase might end up being a huge pain in the ass. I just knew it. Or else why did he have to be so irritably and annoyingly pushy and insist on an agreement that benefited mostly him?

  But only mostly!

  If only I could switch off the annoying voice in the back of my mind that gushed about how hot Chase was and how much I wanted to feel him inside of me. That I should celebrate a new, sexual stage in my life and everything that came with it, because I might just like it more than I wanted him to know.

  I wasn’t afraid of a little intimacy. I wasn’t afraid of getting married. Or even moving to NYC. But living together in the same apartment, seeing Chase day after day? Staying married for one year, not being able to dodge him and his sexy body?

  Horrendous.

  Imagine all the self-control needed.

  However, I liked him. The thought of seeing him every day for the next twelve months was ridiculously appealing.

  I liked having him close.

  With a sigh, I grabbed the pen, and before I could change my mind, I signed the contract, then leaned back, excited.

  Of course, I could only hope he’d keep his promise and not insist that we share a bed. And what if Chase was untidy, leaving his socks or underwear in the bathroom, and I’d begin to hate him for it?

  I shuddered.

  But the prospect of dealing with difficulties along the way had never put me off. In fact, now that I had seen how Chase ticked, I was convinced I could take on his self-assurance and arrogance, maybe even change him—tame him. Someone had to…for his own good.

  And then there was me—I wanted to explore, to experience things with him.

  “Jude?” I opened the door and yelled down the hall.

  “What?” came her voice.

  “Guess what? I need you to help me pack. Apparently I’m moving in with my future husband.”

  Chapter 16

  How had I gotten myself into this mess?

  That question was all I could think of as the weekend and Monday passed in a blur. For the thousandth time, I checked my phone. Chase hadn’t called.

  Except for a simple text on Sunday, which informed me that he had received the signed contract and that we’d meet in New York, I heard nothing else from him.

  Nothing at all, which left a sore feeling inside my heart that annoyed me.

  I was not supposed to be disappointed.

  What was even more stupid was the fact that, at some point, I had started to miss him. Crazy, not least because I’d be seeing him in less than twelve hours. But the knowledge only ended up increasing the unnerving sense of longing and anticipation.

  The thing was, in spite of my anger at Chase for turning everything around to suit him, and taking control of the situation, I couldn’t stay mad at him. My anger evaporated the window the moment Clint called to check in and enquire whether I was indeed getting married.

  God, how much I disliked him, the controlling son of a bitch. It had taken every ounce of my willpower not to tell my stepfather to shove his fake concern up his ass. Without him, I would never have been in the kind of situation I had found myself in. I would have inherited my mom’s belongings, not have to get married to get a bunch of stupid letters.

  At last, Casey called to confirm that our dresses were ready (big thanks to her grandmother sensing we needed them earlier), and Jude picked them up just in time.

  They were now neatly packed in a plastic bag, ready to be draped over our arms. In spite of Jude’s insistence, I couldn’t even force myself to try my wedding gown on. I couldn’t even pull it out and see if the customized copy was as beautiful as the original Vera Wang.

  Chase did that to me.

  All his requests, every reminder, every thought about him, had me in turmoil. I was sure I was making a big mistake, until Jude reminded me of the purpose of everything.

  It was a sacrifice I had to make. For myself. For my mom. To get those letters, because it was the only way for me to have them.

  Without them, I would have run—far away, if only to escape Chase’s sexy charm and the things he seemed to stir inside me. He had something no man possessed. It was the glint in his eyes, the smoothness of his voice when he talked, and the genuine concern in his tone, that made me feel like I was the only person on earth. As much as I wanted to avoid him for the rest of my life, there was a part of me that looked forward to it.

  I wanted to spend more time with Chase.

  I wanted it all to be real.

  I cringed at those words.

  Stupid, stupid thoughts.

  They were nothing but trouble, with the sole purpose of confusing me. Like those unwanted and annoying emotions I wanted to switch off but couldn’t.

  I smiled to Jude, even though I knew I could never reveal to her the extent of the feelings I was slowly developing for Chase. I wasn’t even sure what they were. I wasn’t in love per se. It was lust, longing, a need that only he could fulfill. And yes, I really liked Chase, even though I had no clue what exactly it was that pulled me to him, besides his good looks.

  The demands he had at the last minute not only took me by surprise—they shocked me. I had always assumed that Chase would go along with my plans and expectations, not that he’d use the opportunity to take control. It made me wonder if Jude’s words about me being relationship material might just be correct, or why else would Chase be so hellbent on dragging out the entire marriage thing, which could hurt us both and end in more disappointment than I could handle?

  At dawn on Monday, it was time to move. My two suitcases were packed to the brim—enough stuff for the next few weeks, or as long as I’d be staying in New York City. With a last glance at my apartment building, I stepped into the waiting taxi. The sadness at leaving my old life behind had made room for slight anticipation.

  I couldn’t wait to see Chase again.

  A little later, I boarded the plane to NYC—with Jude—because my fiancé had decided to fly ahead for a last-minute job and then meet me at the wedding venue.

  His text message had read, Got a job. See you there. xxx

  Proverbially speaking, he was killing two birds with one stone.

  Made sense.

  I would probably have done the same thing because—fake fiancé or not—who in their right mind wanted to see the future spouse surrounded by all the wedding stress? But the knowledge didn’t quite manage to dissolve my jealousy at the p
rospect of Chase kissing another woman for a scene; or shooting some magazine cover, his strong arms wrapped around the half-naked body of an exotic female model with sky-high legs and sun-kissed skin.

  What had enraged me even more was the fact that after our strange phone conversation on Friday, he couldn’t be bothered to even wish me a pleasant flight. On Sunday, while I was in the shower, he had simply dropped off my plane ticket, a hotel reservation, and a brochure of the wedding venue, and then sent said text message.

  The big day had now arrived.

  Tucking my bridal gown under one arm while clutching at my trolley and maneuvering my way through the early-afternoon crowd at JFK airport in NYC, I could have screamed from frustration. I had never seen so many people crammed in one place. Luckily for me, Jude was here to provide a welcome diversion.

  “Think he’ll turn up?” she asked as soon as we had taken our seat in a cab and had instructed the driver to take us to our hotel.

  I grimaced and turned away so she wouldn’t catch my dark expression. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

  “If he doesn’t, I’ll marry you.” She squeezed my hand and pursed her lips to send me an air kiss. The driver regarded us in the rearview mirror and I laughed, imagining the dirty direction his thoughts had probably taken.

  In the end, all men had one thing in common, and it wasn’t the ability to stay committed or faithful.

  Sex.

  Three simple letters.

  That was all Chase would ever want from me, just like every other man I had ever gone out with. None of them had scored and neither would Chase, or at least not without me mentally putting up a good fight—like keeping the hell away from him, and—most importantly—avoiding being alone with him at all costs. Even if he truly wanted us to be exclusive throughout our marriage, jumping into bed with him was out of the question, because—

  I drew a sharp breath and blew it out slowly as I remembered just how much I had wanted it—when I hadn’t felt pressured. The moment Chase made his demands, the walls came down and I felt pushed into a position I didn’t want to be in. I couldn’t just blame him. It was the entire situation that scared the crap out of me. The whole marriage thing in order to get those letters and feeling threatened by Clint was a complete turn-off.

  But as I sat in the taxi, my eyes scanning over the amazing views that only NYC could offer, my mind began to come up with a list of reasons in favor of a physical relationship with Chase. As much as I abhorred the fact that I was attracted to him, there was no point in denying it.

  But where there’s a physical relationship, there’s also emotional entanglement. Seeing that I had already developed feelings for Chase, I didn’t want them to deepen and take a dangerous turn for my heart. I didn’t want to invest too much. I had no idea what the future held in store for me, but whatever it was, feelings had a tendency to make everything more complicated than it needed to be.

  Some things just couldn’t happen for our own good—regardless of whether Chase was amazing or not—and Chase was, just too much for my liking.

  “No fucking way,” Jude said, pointing out the window and tugging at my shirt at the same time.

  Realizing the car must have stopped at some point, I turned to follow Jude’s line of vision and my jaw dropped.

  Holy shit.

  Was that even real?

  The driver had pulled over in front of the most magnificent hotel I had ever seen, and that included anything I had ever seen in the movies. It was huge, decorated with a glass front that sparkled in the midmorning sun. Luxurious, carved marble flowerpots had been arranged on either side of a red carpet, and uniformed service personnel wearing white gloves stood outside, completely motionless, like in an old black-and-white movie.

  “I thought you were broke,” Jude whispered, pointing her head to the grand place, as I paid the driver and exited the car.

  “I am,” I said dryly. “This is all Chase’s doing. He said he reserved a place for us.”

  “You’re lucky he’s rich,” Jude whispered.

  “Don’t say that.” I scowled. “You know that’s exactly what I didn’t want him to be.”

  “Either he didn’t get the memo that you’re broke, or it’s all paid for because he can, and he’ll expect his reward afterward. Like tomorrow night.” Jude’s eyes gleamed as she glanced at the huge water fountain. As though anyone could possibly misinterpret her badly disguised insinuation, Jude turned her head to me and raised her brows meaningfully.

  My cheeks caught fire under her scrutiny. She had no idea how close she had come to the truth. For once I was happy she didn’t know about our agreement. Or how close Chase and I had already come to having sex. Or his crazy demands.

  “Well, which one do you think it is, Hanson?” Jude asked, her eyes narrowed. “Is it all a gift, a favor—something a friend with money would do for you with no strings? Or will he insist on collecting his prize, reward, or whatever he’ll call it, when he feels like it?”

  “I honestly have no idea,” I mumbled in the hope she’d just shut up. “Let’s hope it’s the first one, because he can’t have anything else without first consulting me.”

  Or he could just make me owe him.

  Again.

  “I bet it’s the latter.” Jude grinned. “Whether he’s paid for it all or not, you’re lucky. He’s not only rich, he wants you so bad, it’s obvious that he’s totally into you, ready to sweep you off your feet, as soon you as you enter his bedroom.”

  “I’m not sure about that.”

  Did he want to sleep with me because he liked me, or because I was some sort of prize—the one woman who hadn’t immediately dropped her panties for him? That was the question I had been asking myself for a while, and this new development had made me none the wiser.

  I could only guess that he sort of liked me. I had no sexual experience, but Chase and I had a connection. There was no denying that. I felt it when I touched him. I could see it in the way he looked at me before his lips brushed mine. But would he go as far as paying so that I owed him and had to repay him eventually? It was hard to believe, but I would find out soon enough.

  The real question was, was I really ready to know the truth?

  Shrugging, irritated, I diverted my attention to the man in a black uniform who hurried over to help us with the luggage. I shot him a thankful smile, both for his assistance and for unknowingly rescuing me from Jude’s inquisition, and followed him down the red carpet, through a pair of massive glass doors, and into the hotel lobby. In spite of its modern exterior, the interior design told a completely different story. Gigantic glass chandeliers were mirrored in the polished cream marble floors, which built a stunning contrast to the wine-red divans and abstract art paintings. The place smelled of the upper class, both those born into old money and those sleeping their way to the top. Dressed in blue jeans and a loose asymmetrical top, I had never felt so out of place as Jude and I approached the reception desk to sign in.

  The receptionist, a friendly guy in his early forties, barely looked at us before handing us our room swipe cards, together with a brochure on the hotel’s facilities.

  “Please feel free to call us if you need anything, ma’am.” He smiled, flashing unnaturally bright teeth. “It will be our pleasure to provide you with the best service you could wish for.”

  “Thanks,” I said, and held out my credit card with shaky fingers, praying that Chase had thought of placing reservations for the cheapest rooms available.

  “No need, miss.” The receptionist shook his head politely. “It’s already paid for. Mr. Wright has already taken care of everything.”

  My stomach flipped.

  Somewhere to my right I thought I heard Jude snorting, but I didn’t dare turn to regard her, knowing too well the kind of look she’d probably throw me.

  “Thanks,” I said again, only this time the words barely made it past my lips.

  Chase knew I couldn’t afford staying in this kind of place and yet he had
n’t even thought about checking in with me before making a reservation and—

  Now I owed him for that, too.

  I turned my head away from Jude, my neck pricking from her inquisitive stare.

  Damn!

  He was taking control again—and not in a way I liked. He wasn’t that bad when he followed my commands and tried to please me. But the moment he became all stubborn and unreasonable, I had no idea how to deal with him.

  Chapter 17

  This whole marriage thing wasn’t starting the way I had envisioned it at all. I couldn’t take anything from a man, and certainly not from someone like Chase, and so I vowed to pay him back. As we walked the expensively furnished hall, my eyes taking in the rich and upper-class people dressed in their designer attire, my mouth went dry at the thought of paying Chase back.

  Oh, God.

  Did he have to book us into what looked like one of the most expensive hotels in the state? It was supposed to be just a ten-minute ceremony, where we signed a few papers, and then we were done. Not spending a night in the kind of place that would most certainly break the bank if I kept true to my conviction and footed the bill myself.

  “Come on. You need to lie down before you faint on the spot.” Jude’s hand clasped around my upper arm and she pulled me to the elevator area. Behind us I could hear the receptionist communicating our room numbers and instructing someone to bring our luggage up and show us the way, but I didn’t look back. All I did was follow Jude’s command as we were shown our way to our rooms, my stomach turning to ice.

  The elevator came to a halt on one of the lower floors. The bellboy opened the door and stepped aside to let us in.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. At least Chase hadn’t gone for the most expensive room. Deep down I knew he would have understood how awkward it would have been for me if he had done that.

  The room was pretty, consisting of a neat double bed, large TV, a desk, a tiny walk-in closet, and an exquisite bathroom. Nothing more, and yet everything I would have expected from this kind of hotel. With another relieved sigh, I dropped my handbag on the bed when I noticed the bellboy frowning.