It was comments like that where she caught me off guard and made me unsure of what she thought of the whole arrangement.
“I’m not your boss,” I said more roughly than I intended. “I’m sure yours must miss you at work if you’re as effective there as you are here.”
She shifted and looked away, then sighed. “I don’t have a job back home anymore. I was laid off the first day of my vacation.”
“What? You were laid off?”
Penny nodded. “I actually read the email by the pool at the resort just before you found me.”
She had been distant at the start of that conversation. “That explains why you barely even noticed me at first. But if you’d just found out you were jobless… Then I came in and offered you a bunch of money to do this for me. I took advantage of you.”
“No,” Penny blurted. “I mean, yes, you did. But did it really make a difference if I had a job or not? You still offered me more money than I could justify turning down, even if I hadn’t gotten that email.”
She had a point. Still, it felt worse when she had no other income.
“Besides,” she said, slapping my shoulder, “this has been the best possible way to take my mind off it and stop me from worrying. Having a huge influx of cash and spending my days with the rich and famous and doing interesting stuff? Learning to swim? The crazy sex? If you hadn’t come to me with that proposal, I would have been lying by the pool all week, unable to think of anything but how to feed myself when I got home from this trip.”
I grinned. “Sounds like you owe me one, then.”
Penny cocked her head to the side. “Oh, I’ll pay you back tonight. You won’t have to lift a muscle.”
“What about one?” I said, glancing down.
She laughed, and I joined her.
“So, Mr. Hunter, what are you going to do after you save the world?”
Internally, I cursed at the missed opportunity. I was about to ask her to stay after the deal wrapped up, but she changed the subject and got all “Mr. Hunter” on me.
“I don’t know if there will be an after,” I said. “Even if Charles agrees to partner with me, it will take everything we have, all of our capital and time and diplomacy to even begin to make the changes necessary. I suspect this project will take up most of my free time for the rest of my life.”
She edged closer on the blanket and gave me a kiss. “It’s a very worthy goal.”
It was. Pulling it off would be the greatest legacy I could leave behind, but that wasn’t the only part of my future I was concerned about any longer.
Chapter Thirteen
Penny
I gave the thigh highs one last tug and then smoothed them down as I checked out the result in the mirror.
I’d made a promise to Dylan on the beach, and I wanted to keep it.
When he sees me in this lingerie, he'll flip.
The bathroom in the master suite of the villa was so spacious that there was a slight echo when closing the door. An enormous mirror covering the entire wall gave me enough real estate to turn around and make sure all of the straps in the back were in place.
As I brushed my teeth to make sure my mouth was as fresh as possible, I reflected on how short a time it took to move all my things into Dylan’s room and chuckled around the toothbrush. I’d been so adamant on maintaining strict separation when I agreed to his proposal, and yet as soon as we got back from the cruise, it was as if we really were engaged.
I held my hand out in front of me, admiring the ring as I did almost any chance I got. It was far bigger than anything I’d ever expected to end up with.
Still probably will be bigger than what I end up with, I reminded myself.
All my reservations and objections had disappeared in as much time as it took Dylan to seduce me—which was no time at all. I found it impossible to regret. The past week had been fulfilling, healing my soul in ways I didn’t even know it needed. It felt like what life should be, and the endless daily slog of my earlier work life was an alternate reality that wasn’t real.
The only thing that kept me from feeling truly happy was the enormous bombshell hanging over my head. How soon after the deal is signed will Dylan toss me aside?
At least I’ll get the money and the memories out of it. That will have to be enough.
Maybe if I told myself that enough times, it would stop feeling like the poorest consolation prize at the beauty pageant.
Besides, I wouldn’t be able to be with Dylan long-term. He abhors children, and there’s no way I could give up that dream.
It still felt like a feeble objection considering the way he dominated my thoughts and filled my heart to bursting.
Bundling my thoughts and concerns up and pushing them to the back of my mind, I psyched myself up to make a grand entrance.
Pushing the bathroom door open, I leaned against the doorframe with my right hand reaching above and the left on my hip.
“Hello, sexy,” I said, putting as much sex appeal into my voice as I knew how.
Dylan was reading a book, and it dipped as he glanced up, then fell closed with a thump as his jaw gaped open.
“Damn, Penny.”
His eyes ravished me, roaming every inch of my body in an instant, then returning to the beginning and starting again.
No matter how insecure I felt each day, or how many flaws I found in the mirror as I examined my body, no matter how sure I was that I wasn’t good enough for him, Dylan never once showed a single iota of the same sentiment. His admiration for my form was naked in his eyes, and that was one thing I loved about him.
Dylan sat up straighter, moving the book to the side and getting set to rise out of bed and meet me.
“I don’t think so,” I said, putting out a finger and wagging it. “You don’t move a muscle, remember? Let me take care of you.”
I sashayed my hips on the way to the bed, rolling them to emphasize my curves before I crawled onto the bed. With an extra tilt of my chest, I thrust my breasts forward so they looked ready to burst out of my low-cut bra.
Dylan went to bed in just boxer briefs. Every night so far, we’d ended up having sex and falling asleep naked together. I loved it—I got to unwrap a delectable present every night.
His torso was bare, the wide expanse of smooth chest never failing to get me in the mood. On top of that, I could look at his abs all day, especially when I knew how fantastic they felt when they flexed as he fucked me.
I crawled to him, kissing his knee and then his thigh as I made my way to my target. His bulge was already large and growing larger, and nothing made me feel sexier than seeing what I did to his body. I nuzzled into his hip, kissing him through his boxer briefs and teasing him the way he usually did to me. The scent of him, clean but indisputably manly, flowed into my nostrils and sharpened my need and my desire.
“These need to come off,” I said to him as I followed words with action and hooked my fingers into his waistband. The way his cock erupted from the fabric made me moan and bite my lip, and I glanced up to see Dylan watching my face intently before turning my attention back to his manhood.
With a small lick up the length of the smooth shaft, I coaxed a moan from above and his cock jumped. I did it again with a broader stroke this time, tasting the erotically musky skin and wetting him before I stretched my lips around the head.
“Yes, Penny, just like that, babe.” Dylan’s hands rose to my head, gripping my hair and pushing me to take him deeper.
He liked to take control sometimes, and it was hot to let him. But that wouldn’t fly tonight.
I took his hands and pushed them to the bed beside him. “Don’t move these again, or else I’ll stop and go sleep in the other room.”
I stared him in the eye until he got the message and nodded. “As you wish.”
With the question of who was in charge settled, I concentrating on making sure that he wouldn’t regret it, that this would be a night to remember. To give him an experience he hadn’t had
before.
It was easy to lose myself sucking Dylan. I loved every part, from the low groans of appreciation, the smooth skin sliding over my tongue and tasting of man, the subtle shifting of his hips as he tried to get deeper inside my throat, to the jerking of his cock when I brought him close to the edge before slowing down to let him cool off. I could have made him come within five minutes, but I was enjoying myself, and that wasn’t the ultimate goal.
When I let him pop out of my mouth and straddled him, I gave Dylan a deep kiss as I slid onto his cock, letting him feel my wetness for the first time that night, how turned on I was from servicing and toying with him.
I’d nearly come just from sucking him, so it didn’t take long for me to rise to the brink of exhilaration, and from Dylan’s heavy breathing, he was right there as well. All it took was another few rocks of my hips, and the muscles in Dylan’s torso flexed as his ecstasy overtook him.
We’d ditched condoms a few days ago, and it made everything so much better. The feeling of him coming inside me launched me into my own stratospheric climax. There was nothing sweeter than lying on his chest and feeling his arms come around me as I recovered from an orgasm.
It was my favorite spot, cuddled on his chest. Our breathing gradually returned to normal, but I never wanted to leave. I couldn’t take the uncertainty anymore.
“What happens after this?” I asked. “After the deal, I mean.”
Dylan hesitated.
He’s trying to think of how to tell me this won’t go any further.
I braced myself as he drew in breath to speak.
“I’ll pay you the money like we agreed on,” he said. My heart sank, but then he continued. “But I’d like it if you’d stay with me. I’ve enjoyed our time together, and I don’t want it to end.”
Surprise and excitement sparked through my body, and I pushed up off his chest. “Are you serious?”
He frowned. “Yes. But you don’t have to if you don’t—”
I cut him off by mashing my mouth so hard against his that I accidentally bashed our teeth together. I didn’t apologize, because that would have meant ending the kiss, and I felt like I could kiss him forever, especially when it grew more forceful and frantic. Dylan’s cock was still inside me, softening after his orgasm, but I could feel it stir and grow thicker again.
Dylan wrapped his arms around me, sat up, and flipped me onto my back, remaining inside as he took the dominant position. Only then did he break the kiss.
“You’re mine now, Penny. All mine.”
Chapter Fourteen
Penny
The faint buzzing of cicadas in the surrounding palm trees was enough to cover the sounds of the vacationers frolicking on the beach and muddle the conversations of the other diners in the restaurant, but it didn’t interfere with our discussion. It was as if nature had designed the perfect natural cone of silence.
Considering the things Dylan and the Wiltons were talking about at the table, it was for the best. The final details of Dylan’s project and the level of involvement their investment group would take had been ironed out over the appetizers and salads. The deal was as good as done, and all that was needed was the final handshake. No one appeared to be in a rush to close out business. We’d spent enough time in each other’s company that the Wiltons were now more than merely business partners.
“What are you doing next week?” Charles asked. “You two must come to our island in the Maldives. A good number of our circle will be there, and I’d love for them to meet you.”
Dylan’s hand tightened on my thigh, and I sent a smile his way. He’d confided in me how much he’d love to break into the Wiltons’ inner circle, where, as he’d said, the future of the world was determined.
“And Penny, I’ve been looking for something to keep my hands busy while my mind’s otherwise occupied. I’d love if you could bring your crochet supplies and teach me the basics.” Sandra had a formidable mind, and I’d learned to respect its power over the past week. Dylan was still caught up on what Charles thought, but I knew who the real force in their relationship was. I was honored that the woman treated me with such familiarity.
“I would love that, Sandra. It’s been such a pleasure making your acquaintance. I wasn’t looking forward to being apart for too long once you leave the island.”
I shared a smile with the older woman before Dylan cleared his throat.
“Does this mean that we have a deal on the project? I’d love to come to the Maldives and brief the others on everything we will accomplish together. Do you have questions, Charles, or are we set to move forward?”
Charles looked to his wife, who nodded and took the lead. “Based on the preliminary numbers, we’re willing to green light an opening investment of fifty billion dollars, with funding to ramp up as more objectives are reached and the operation reaches scale.”
My jaw dropped. “Fifty billion dollars? Just to start? That’s an outrageous amount of money.”
Sandra grinned as everyone looked at me. Feeling like a naïve child, my cheeks flushed even as I refused to look down or away.
“It is a lot of money,” Dylan said. He lifted his champagne flute from the table and held it aloft. “Shall we toast? We just took the first step toward saving the planet.”
It was a daring toast, but that was Dylan’s style and part of his appeal. He wasn’t afraid of taking bold action.
Charles chuckled after the toast was drank. “I have to admit that you turned me around over the past week, Dylan, and you have Penny to thank for a lot of that. I’m glad you’ve fought past your Shark of Saginaw days and embraced change. You may yet forge a place in history as the man who saved the planet.”
The mention of my hometown hit me like a blow.
The Shark of Saginaw?
I’d heard that name before. Many times. It had been shouted, been cursed, been damned through wretched sobs. The Shark of Saginaw had been responsible for the ruthless merger and bankruptcy of Dad’s company that had drained the pension accounts of thousands of workers, leaving swathes of the aging population destitute and unable to afford the basic dignities of life after years of dedication to their careers.
The others hadn’t noticed my distraction and growing revulsion. For the past week, every time I looked at Dylan, he had a hint of an angelic halo about him, something larger than life. Now all I saw was a greedy, malicious demon.
“You’re the Shark of Saginaw?” I asked. The revelation had robbed my voice of its strength, and I could barely even voice the question.
It still caught Dylan’s attention. His head snapped to the side, his posture stiffening and his eyes bulging.
“Penny—”
I shook my head. “Save it. You are the Shark of Saginaw?”
I needed to hear him say it.
There was movement out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored anything from that side of the table. I didn’t give a fuck what the Wiltons would think of this display. The time to act a part was over.
Dylan put his hand on my arm, but I shrugged it off. “Penny, things are different now. I’m a different person.”
“Tell that to the people who are still suffering from the fallout of what you did. Tell that to my parents, or the thousands of other people whose lives you’ve ruined.”
I couldn’t say any more. My whole being felt dirty, and my skin crawled at the thought of what I had done with Dylan, what I’d let him do to me.
Before Dylan could coax me back with his honeyed voice, I pushed my chair back and stood up, then turned to face Sandra and Charles.
“He paid me to pretend to be his fiancée. We met the day before I met you. I’m just a random girl he grabbed off the ferry. Don’t trust him with your money.”
I saw the questions on the Wilton’s faces but didn’t want to extend the ordeal any longer. Before anyone could react, I slid the diamond ring off my finger and threw it at Dylan, then turned and ran out of the restaurant.
Chapter Fifteen
Dylan
The diamond ring bounced against my chest and fell to the ground, but I barely noticed as the woman I’d been falling for stormed off after displaying more anger than I thought she was capable of.
“Dylan, what the hell—” Charles started to speak, but I didn’t even look in his direction as I launched myself to my feet and followed Penny.
A dozen people with Australian accents were entering the front door of the restaurant when I got there, and I fumed as I fought through them. By the time I cleared the group and got to the street, Penny was impossible to pick out from the throngs of people jammed into the narrow passage. More of a path than a street, it was called Walking Road, and it followed the curve of the main beach. At dinner time, it was as crowded as Disney World and it was just as impossible to track someone down in.
Walking Road split into three directions here, and she could have gone in any of them.
Goddamnit.
My fingers twitched as I contemplated picking a direction and shoving my way through the crowd, but that would almost certainly be a waste of time.
There were more effective ways to track Penny down. I could send an alert out to every property I owned on the island, and many I didn’t, to keep an eye out for her. Enough of my employees had seen her that I could send them out to do a sweep for her and bring her back.
And what? Ask my people to drag her back against her will? Is that really the best way to make things up to her?
No. If I wanted Penny back, I needed to make sure that she wanted to come back. There was a lot of work ahead to start on that.
I re-entered the restaurant and made my way to our table. Charles and Sandra stood and gathered their things.
“Ah, Dylan,” Charles said as I approached. “I’m disappointed in how tonight has turned out. We’d enjoyed spending the week with you and Penny, and to discover it has all been a lie is a big shock. I was looking forward to working with you, but I’m afraid that we have to withdraw our commitment. We can’t go into business with someone who can lie to us with such audacity.”
Secrets Abroad: A Fake Fiancée Romance Page 6