by Claire Adams
“That’s going to make us look even worse.” Her tone was sharp, and I couldn’t blame her.
I leaned closer, my eyes pleading with her. “If you do this, Luna, I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
“What does that mean? You’ll pay me off? I don’t want your damned money; I want to know why this happened. What reason did I give for wanting to marry you?”
“After your lap dance, I applauded your performance and we talked about your acting class. Turns out we both played George Washington in our first school play and then you admitted that you had the hots for me, but you wouldn’t sleep with me unless I married you.”
“I didn’t play George Washington, I played Martha – and if we did this to sleep together, then why didn’t we?”
“Because you passed out, and I wasn’t going to take advantage of you.”
She searched my eyes and let out a deep breath. “Fine, I’ll play the part, but I want this reversed as soon as possible. And when all this is cleared up, I want to keep my job.”
“Trust me, Luna, I wouldn’t want anyone else in your position.”
Chapter Eleven
Luna
My entire day had seemed like a blur of emotions since Gabriel fessed up about the wedding.
After it sank in and I realized I’d agreed to play a part as his wife, I left the room and retreated to the bed again. What was I thinking? The best thing to do would be to end this mistake immediately, but apparently he’d been too distracted to tell his lawyer, too, so at least I wasn’t the last to know.
I’d stared at my phone for hours perusing the news, which seemed to be dying down a tad. I imagined that would change after they caught wind of our Vegas-style wedding. Just thinking about it made my heart sink to a bottomless depth of regret and sadness. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t one theory or claim of a wedding.
I remembered the couple in the hotel hallway who had asked me where my husband was. I had thought they were mistaken, but apparently they’d been at my wedding. A fuzzy vision of them sucking back cocktails and cheering us on came to mind. If they knew, then perhaps someone else had caught wind. Maybe even the Vegas, Baby! Wedding Chapel had leaked the story. As I searched every major outlet, I came up with nothing.
I couldn’t stall forever, but telling my father about my mistake would be easier if it wasn’t the scandal of the century, and I hoped that it never would be. If we could keep this little detail quiet, at least until Gabriel was no longer a suspect, things would be much easier. Not that living in hiding had proven easy so far, but with it dying down, we might be able to get home sooner rather than later.
The only other hope I’d seen were a few articles saying the police had questioned a few others and had new leads. While the articles still listed Gabriel as a suspect, it seemed he was not the only person they were looking at.
My phone went off, buzzing wildly and vibrating in my hand, and after I got over the unexpected shock, I smiled at Kim’s picture.
I’d contemplated calling her all morning, but it didn’t seem right talking to her before I talked to my dad. As I said hello, I was already preparing to spill my guts.
“I have been sitting here all morning feeling like I needed to call.” Kim had always had a sort of sixth sense, especially when it came to her family and friends. “Please tell me everything is okay.”
“Everything is okay.” I tried to put my all into it, but as she let out a sound of disbelief, I knew she wasn’t buying it.
“I’m going to pretend I believe you for a minute and ask how it’s going instead. I haven’t heard from you in days; I figured you’d be home by now.”
I sank down in the covers, seeking shelter from the bomb I was about to drop. I figured it was best to let it go and hope for the best from my casualties. “Gabriel and I are married.” The words didn’t seem real as they slipped out of my mouth, sprouted wings, and flew into her ear. In the silence, I imagined it was taking some time to sink in.
She cleared her throat, and waiting for her to speak was the longest minute of my life…although I hadn’t called my dad yet. Yeah, that was sure to go over well.
“Let me hear that again,” she said keeping her tone calm.
“I said that Gabriel and I are married.” When the silence stretched out, I assumed she was hoping for an explanation, but as I opened my mouth to speak, she flipped out.
“You married a potential murderer! Are you kidding me? What did he talk you into? Does he think this is going to help his defense?” She fired so many questions at me that I didn’t even try to answer them. I waited for her to stop talking first.
“He didn’t talk me into anything. It happened the night of the murders, not since. He’s been sitting on the information hoping this other would blow over. I forgot all about it and-”
“You forgot you married him? That must have been one hell of a night, Lulu.” Her use of my nickname said that even though she was completely and utterly disappointed in me, she still cared.
“You don’t know the half of it. I didn’t remember that part of the night until he reminded me, but it’s slowly coming back.” I had remembered most of the ceremony since retreating to my room, and even though it was a themed-party nightmare, with strangers as guests, I’d felt pretty special at the time.
“So, tell me all about it? I guess this means I don’t get to be your maid of honor. Tell me it was someone famous, like Celine Dion, or at least a look-alike.” Her love of Celine had always been lost on me.
“No, I didn’t have one. Not unless you count this strange couple, we didn’t have anyone there for us.” I drew in a deep breath as that sank in. “I wish you could have been there. You’d have talked some sense into me.”
“Honey, he’s a billionaire. I would have pushed you out of the way and said the ‘I do’ myself. But seriously, I can’t believe you forgot your entire wedding and he didn’t feel the need to remind you as soon as possible.”
“He wanted to tell me, but then he was dragged into this murder investigation and-”
“And, he realized he could use it as an alibi. Why would he leave his bride and honeymoon to go murder his past? What if he did it because he needed the alibi?” Her words sank in, and I shot up in bed as anger shot through me.
“It wasn’t like that. Apparently, we had feelings for each other; is that so hard to believe? You know yourself I’ve always thought he was attractive. Besides, I remember it now. And well, the feelings are still there, at least on my part.”
“So you’re going to stay married?”
Her question cut through me like a knife, and I eased myself back against the pillows. “No, we’re going through with the annulment, but that’s because it was too impulsive.” The thought of it hurt my heart and a part of me questioned whether she was right. Was I being used?
“I wouldn’t give him one. Not without a hearty settlement.” I couldn’t believe she’d say that. I shook my head and got to my feet to pace the room.
“I’m not out for his money. I only want to keep my job and pretend this never happened.”
She mumbled some disapproving words under her breath and finally spoke up. “But you have feelings for him.”
“It doesn’t matter what I feel; it’s not enough to stay married. I have no plans of taking advantage of his wealth.” She knew me too well to think I’d be that way and as my disappointment set in, she continued.
“He’s got billions, Lu: billions. He can afford to pay you for your time. I mean, you’re practically a prisoner.” Not being able to leave had been pretty bad, but being with Gabriel, especially now that we’d decided to share the bed, wasn’t so awful.
I plopped down on the bed and stared at the floor. “I don’t want to talk about his money. That’s not who I am.”
“I know. Sometimes I wish you were more like that, though. I hate to see you going through all this. You’re his wife. Think about that for a minute. Let it sink in.”
At that, I
laughed. “You think I haven’t? It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done. Well, the shirtless lap dance might be a close second.”
A booming sound had me taking the phone away from my ears as she responded. “What? You gave him a lap dance, and how come this is the first I’m hearing about this?”
I thought of the other man and woman who were there. He’d been the owner of the bar, and she’d been one of the dancers who had given me pointers. I had started to remember more of that little episode, too. I’d swayed my hips and then straddled Gabriel, grinding myself against his lap, my thighs gripping his legs as I pushed my breasts up toward his face. When I opened my buttons, he’d grinned and cupped my breasts through my black lace bra. Thank God I’d worn my best one.
“Yeah, I did do that.” Suddenly the room had grown warmer and a warm tingle spread throughout my body.
“Damn, girl. Sounds like I need a trip to Vegas. I don’t even have to have a billionaire; give me a man with a pulse and a decent bank account and I’ll pretend the rest.” Her luck with men had never been that great, but it had always been better than mine. She’d always had a boyfriend and plenty of men she talked to while I, on the other hand, had been living the life of a nun for far too long.
“I don’t know how I’m going to break it to my dad. I’ve worried about it all morning. That and what I’m going to do. I know I need to tell him, and the police, but once I do, it’s out there. It’s real.”
“You have to tell him. You’ll break his heart if he hears about it on TV first. Explain what happened and he’ll understand, eventually. Or at least, he’ll forgive you. You might want to leave out the part about the lap dance, though. I don’t think that’s going to sit well.”
Her hopeful giggle faded, and I smiled thinking how she always tried to find humor in bad situations to cheer me up. “It’s going to be okay, Lu. You’ll be home before you know it and it will all be over.”
That was the problem, though. A part of me didn’t want it to be over. Even though I knew I wasn’t his normal type, I hoped the spark of interest, whatever it was that made him marry me, would grow.
Chapter Twelve
Gabriel
The past few days had been super crazy with work. It wasn’t easy keeping up with things outside of my office, and the honeymoon suite’s coffee table was a horrible substitute for my desk.
I appreciated Luna’s help. Once she’d gotten over the initial shock of our marriage, she’d jumped right back into assisting me. We worked like a fine-tuned machine together and had both been on the phones and computer making sure things were delegated properly for the duration of our stay.
Finally, we were all caught up, and I leaned back against the sofa cushions as she passed me a cup of coffee.
I took the warm cup into my hands and smelled the aroma. “Thanks. Things should be set for a while, and I’m officially on vacation until this nightmare is over.”
As the phone rang, we exchanged a look. “Spoke too soon?” She winked at me and lowered herself to sit beside me. As she did, I admitted to myself that I liked her being near me.
I answered the phone to end the nagging sound. “Gabriel Grant at your service.” I flashed a wink at Luna as Mason said his hello.
“I’m back in town once again, and wouldn’t you know, the moment I arrived I got a call from our lovely duo of detectives. They need you to come in. There’s new evidence and since I’m on the way, we can all ride in together, assuming your driver is still on standby. I do hope he’s liked that room you put him in.”
“Good morning to you, too, Mason, and yes, he’s still on duty.” I glanced at Luna, who shook her head and smiled. I liked that we always had our own jokes and could hold conversations with glances. This time together was only strengthening that relationship.
“I’m sorry, Gabe; next time I’ll show up at your bedside and whisper it in your ear. I’m assuming your assistant still has you sleeping on the couch.”
“I’ve been up for hours, and I’ll have you know we’re being very diplomatic around here. Share and share alike and all that.” Luna’s giggle brought my eyes to hers, and she stuck her tongue out and made a face in reference to Mason. The two had never been that cozy, but I liked it that way. It was much more fun, and besides, I knew it was all in fun. Good-hearted bickering had always humored me.
“Well, tell her to be ready, too. It’s the perfect chance to get out of that room. The last thing I need is for her to get cabin fever and strangle you.” He paused a moment when I grew quiet. “Sorry, too soon?”
“Definitely too soon, but I’ll pass along your warmest wishes.” I ended the call and shot to my feet.
“What now?” asked Luna as she thumbed through her phone.
I took her hand and brought her to her feet. “We have to get dressed. Mason’s on the way to meet us to go downtown. There’s more evidence in.” I went to the bedroom, and she hurried in behind me, going for her suitcase.
“I can be ready fast, but I’m not sure I’ll be much to look at.”
She raked her fingers through her hair, and though it hung limp, she looked amazing. She was a natural beauty and very wholesome in her appearance, which turned me on. Her cheeks were rosy without rouge and her lashes dark enough that she didn’t need all the junk that the other women in my life had used. Even her lips were the perfect blush red, and I licked my lips, wanting a taste.
“You are beautiful.” I found myself blurting the sentence before I even realized, and the smile that warmed the color of her cheeks made me wonder if she’d heard that enough in life. Surely her father had said it, but was she serious about not having any boyfriends? It couldn’t be that extreme, and surely she’d given herself to someone over the years. Not that she was old, but at her age, women were experienced.
I went into the bathroom and discovered I’d let my five o’clock shadow turn into an overnight beard. Checking my watch as I put it on, I decided I didn’t have time to remedy that. When I walked out smelling like cologne and with much fresher breath, she darted in around me, causing me to stop in the doorway. We’d let our products scatter across the bathroom counter and she bee-lined for her deodorant and turned away as she hiked up her arms and went into her blouse.
A fleeting thought made me want to reach up into her shirt and cup those perfect breasts again. My cock hardened thinking about her straddling me and grinding against me as she danced. She’d been so hot working herself on me and even hotter that she took instruction so well from the other woman. Talk about your fantasies.
Luckily, the client had been an old friend and when we’d caught up, he’d left us at the table alone. The kiss that followed his leave won me over, and in that moment, I didn’t care if I ever kissed another woman ever again. And just like that, the next kiss was the one that sealed our marriage.
“I’m ready. How do I look? Will I do?” As I looked her up and down and thought of all the ways I wanted her, she frowned. I suddenly felt weird realizing that she probably had expected privacy and there I was lingering in the doorway like a… Well, like a husband.
“Not so much the billionaire’s wife?” The words were an apology, and I instinctively reached out and pulled her into my arms and lowered my mouth to hers for a quick kiss. It was either do that or scold her for doubting her worth. My money didn’t define me, and from all I’d learned about her, we’d grown up with much the same lifestyle. Our only difference was I’d gotten lucky with opportunity.
“You are perfect and far too good for the likes of me.”
Mason’s knock brought us out of the moment, but her expression had seemed one of shock and wonder as I walked away to let him in.
As I opened the door, he hurried in. “I’ve been knocking for ten minutes.” He glared at me and then toward the bedroom where Luna came out to join us. She regarded me with another of our secret glances regarding Mason, and I shook my head and turned to him as he plopped down on the sofa.
I crossed the room and lower
ed myself to sit across from him. “You were not, and if you’re in such a hot fired hurry, why the hell are we sitting down?”
Luna joined us, taking a seat next to me, though far enough away we could have fit Mason between us. My brows pinched noticing, and I hoped I hadn’t made things awkward between us. We’d been getting along so well, joking and being comfortable; the last thing I wanted to do was ruin it.
Mason cleared his throat and when my head whipped around, he glared between us, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Now that I have your attention, I’ll continue.”
“They are going to be asking some of the same questions again, which is why we need to make sure that you’re both giving the same answers for the most part. They are looking for inconsistency or any change in your story. They’ve also had more time to gather new evidence, and I’m sure by now they’ll ask where you were before you went back to the room and the cameras went down.”
“What about the new things I remember?” Luna slid a glance my way and shifted in her seat, closing a bit of the distance between us.
“Well, in your case, they know you didn’t remember much and they’ll be hoping you’ve remembered new things, but they will compare them against what you said previously, as well as matching them up to Gabe’s. It’s really standard. Be honest and open and this whole mess will be over soon, and you can go back to your normal lives.”
I let those words sink in, and I wondered if she had, too, by the way her shoulders slumped, as if the words had deflated her. I had other things to worry about, though, like telling my attorney there was something I withheld.
Yeah, that little something was going to be a doozy. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I thought throwing it out there would be our best bet.
He rose to his feet and raked his fingers through his hair. “As long as we’re all on the same page, I think we’re good to go.” He clapped his hands together and turned for the door.