His Hired Girlfriend

by Alexia Praks

  Then she realised she was lying in bed beside him, her head resting in the crock of his arm and her face against his chest, which was surprisingly soft and comfy.

  Who was he? She asked herself again. And where was she? Where was this place? She gazed up at the ceiling, lost and frustrated.

  “Where am I?” she whispered, her throat dry.

  “You’re home,” Jayden said, smoothing strands of dark hair from her face, a tug of ach jabbing in his chest, for he knew she was still having the side effect from the drug.

  “Where is home?” she asked, turning to her left. She squint her eyes against the bright sunlight. She tried to think but there was only blankness and the continuous pounding of dull pain.

  She turned to look at him, tears brewing in her eyes. It was as if she was begging him to help her think, to figure out where she was. She was afraid.

  Jayden’s heart nearly broke then. She looked so vulnerable that it hurt him not being able to help her. At that moment he knew he loved her more that anything else in the world. He wiped tears from her cheek with his thumb and kissed her forehead.

  “It will all come back, sweetheart,” he said. “It will.”

  She gazed into his warm eyes. Instantly she trusted him even though she couldn’t remember him. A sense of calmness settled within her, and she closed her eyes, breathing slowly and deeply. Not long afterwards she fell asleep, content.

  Jayden pulled her close to him, kissing her now and again, stroking her hair and whispering words of love until he fell into another slumber.

  It was mid-day when Jayden woke up. He found that his arm was numbed and sore from pins and needles. He gently removed his arm from under Alex’s head and got up. He had a shower, got dressed, then went down stairs after making sure Alex was comfortable.

  He came into the dining room, tired and hungry. Maggie took one look at him and asked, “What would you like to eat, Master Jayden?”

  “Just some toasted sandwich will do, Maggie.”

  “Yes of course. I will tell Chef Leon to prepare it for you.”

  “Would you please also tell him to make soup for Alex? She isn’t well, and I don’t think solid food is good for her stomach at the moment.”

  “Yes, Master Jayden,” Maggie replied, a smile on her face.

  Jay poured himself a cup of black coffee and collapsed on the chair at the head of the table. He took a sip and sighed, his mind a bit more alert.

  “Hey there, Jay,” Sam’s voice came in from the door.

  Jay glanced up and nodded. “Morning.”

  “You look like hell. Been up late last night saving damsel in distress, eh?” His future brother-in-law chuckled, coming toward the table.

  Jay raised a brow. He wasn’t surprised Sam had found out about last night. Kelly would have told him. “Yeah.”

  “Can’t believe that bastard would such a thing,” Sam muttered in disgust.

  “I got what you asked for,” Jayden said, taking another sip of his coffee. “Join me for lunch and then I’ll give them to you.”

  Sam wasn’t surprised by the complete turn of subject. “Sure.” He slid into a chair next to Jayden. “An extra toasted sandwich if you please, Maggie?”

  Maggie did not miss the conversation that the two men had just had. “Sure thing, Master Sam,” she replied.

  Once the two men had finished their lunch, Jayden took Sam to his study room and gave the man the wedding bands.

  “This is better than I expected,” Sam commented, turning the bands over in this fingers.

  “Yeah.”

  Sam replaced the bands into blue Tiffany & Co. box and said, “Did you know that it was Britney’s idea?”

  “What?”

  “Sorry if I intrude in you affair, man, but thought I should tell you. Kelly said she saw Kyle and Britney last night. She heard them talking, and it was all Britney’s idea.”

  Jayden didn’t know how to respond to that piece of information. He just shook his head in frustration and went out the door. Hell! Why did everyone wanted to ruin him and Alex?

  In the kitchen Chef Leon was just finishing a lovely chicken soup and Maggie placing the bowl on a silver tray to take to Alex when Kelly poked her head in through the door.

  “Maggie!” she called out. “Where’s Mom and Grandma?”

  “Out in the rose garden, Miss Kelly,” Maggie replied as she headed to the door.

  “Thanks!” Kelly rushed out.

  “Take care with that soup, Maggie. Don’t drop it!” Leon muttered as he watched the housekeeper go.

  “I won’t. So many things going on in this house,” Maggie muttered under her breath as she headed for the stairs. Up on the first floor, as she opened the door to Jayden’s room with one hand, she wondered what that horrible groaning noise was. Inside the bed was a mess, but Alex was nowhere in sight. That sickening groan was getting worse. It was like someone was throwing up.

  “Miss Alex?” Maggie called.

  More grunting and groaning.

  “Oh dear,” Maggie muttered as she put the tray on the bedside table and rushed over to the bathroom. She saw Alex bent over the toilet bowl. “Dear me,” she gasped, rushing to help the girl. “What’s wrong, Miss Alex?”

  Alex turned to glance at Maggie, her face ghost white and her hair a tangle of mess. “I’m sick,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

  “Yes! Yes! I can see that,” Maggie said, rubbing Alex’s back.

  Alex turned her face back to the toilet bowl and began coughing out more sputum.

  “Oh. You poor thing,” Maggie whispered.

  Once Alex felt better and her stomach was completely empty, she turned to Maggie and said, “Can you please help me back to bed?”

  “Yes of course.” Maggie was about to help Alex up when the door burst open.

  “Alex!” Jayden said. “Are you all right?” He rushed in and took her into his arms. “What’s wrong?”

  “She’s sick, Master Jayden,” Maggie answered because Alex looked as thought she was about to pass out.

  “Come on, let’s get you back to bed.” He scooped her into his arm, carried her back to bed and made her comfortable. “You want something to eat, sweetheart?”

  “I am hungry,” Alex commented weakly, wondering why this hunky man was so nice to her. Who was he? He kept calling her sweetheart. Perhaps he was her boyfriend? Her husband? The thought brought forward a warm feeling within her body. She couldn’t believe this handsome stranger was her husband. It was simply too good to be true.

  Jayden picked up the bowl of soup and brought it toward her. “Can you handle this?”

  “I’ll try,” she whispered, gazing at him, blushing.

  “Good,” he said and started feeding her.

  Maggie smiled. “Well, I should go down and prepare afternoon tea then.” When she saw Jayden nodded, she left, grinning.

  ***

  KELLY WAS IN a dilemma. She didn’t know whether she should tell her mother and grandmother or not about what had happened last night. Her wedding was in two days, and Alex was soon to leave New York in four. There simply wasn’t much time left to play cupid, even though she was pretty sure Jayden and Alex had already fallen in love with each other. They simply needed a nudge to confess their feelings.

  As she advanced closer toward the two elderly women, she was pretty sure that they were having a quiet argument, about what she wasn’t sure.

  “She is not the person you think she is, Mother,” Gracie said tightly. “Think of Jayden. He’s your grandson. If you keep doing this you’re going to break his heart. And Alex’s for that matter. Can’t you just accept that Jayden loves her and wants her as part of our family?”

  “I know,” Beth snapped. “Everything just changes all of sudden. This girl, Alexandra, just turned up into our lives and changes everything.”

  “Mother, I understand that. But she’s having your great grandson. Isn’t that want you want all along? Isn’t that why you keep telling Jayden to get
married?”

  “Yes, yes,” Beth snapped again, fluttering her hands in frustration. “I though Britney was a good person. I thought she’d be a good granddaughter-in-law.”

  Kelly thought this would be a good chance for her to interrupt them. She said, “There’s something else you both should know.”

  Both Gracie and Beth turned to Kelly in surprised. Obviously they had thought that they were alone

  “Britney asked Kyle to spike Alex’s drink so he could rape her.”

  “What?” Beth growled, which was unlike her because she never growl.

  “This is simply outrageous!” Gracie put in. She was seething with anger. And Gracie never get angry.

  Beth shook her head. She sighed as if she was exhausted and couldn’t take any more in. “I need to go and lie down.”

  Both Kelly and Gracie watched as Beth made her way toward the house, her head low and her shoulders slump. They knew she had a lot to think about.

  In her large, luxurious bedroom, Beth gazed into space. In her mind’s eye she remembered her youth, her good time with her husband David McCartney – that handsome man she had fallen in love at first sight. She remembered how much he had loved her and how much he had wanted to give the world to her. In a way he had, and she found that it had never been the luxury of their wealth or social status. It had always their love for each other and that they had each other.

  Was she really hurting Jayden and Alexandra?

  She stood up. She squared her shoulders and agreed that she had been wrong. She turned on her heels and walked out the door.

  At Jayden’s door, she hesitantly knocked three times.

  “Come in,” she heard Jayden’s voice.

  She opened the door and stepped in. She saw Jayden eyeing her in surprised. Then she glanced at Alex. The young woman looked pale and sick.

  “I...I need to speak with Alexandra alone please, Jayden,” she said.

  Jayden nodded. Beth noticed that Alex was holding onto Jayden’s hand tightly, as thought she was afraid to loose him.

  “It’s ok. I’ll be back,” he said gently.

  Alex reluctantly nodded and let go. She looked like a frighten child.

  At the door Jayden said to his grandma, “She’s still not herself.”

  Beth nodded, knowing what he meant. The drug hadn’t yet worn off. Once Jayden was gone and the door was closed, she came to sit down on the side of the bed and took Alex’s hand into hers.

  “I’m sorry I treated you the way I did, Alexandra,” she began. “If you could just find it in your heart to forgive me. I... I just couldn’t handle the thought of Jayden...” she sighed and sniffed, tears brewing in her eyes. “I loved Jayden so much you see. He reminds me so much of his grandfather. I just want what is best for him. And I want great grandchildren. I know Kelly is getting married but you see she can’t have kids. She’s sterile. She has this condition which means she can’t have kids. She has tried everything possible, but there was only disappointment. Finally she and Sam gave up. I don’t blame them. And so I want Jayden to get married and give me great grandchildren. And I’m so glad that he is able to do that.”

  Beth moved her hand to gently touch Alex’s flat stomach. “I’m so glad,” she said. “So can you find it in your heart to forgive me, Alexandra? I welcome you into our little family with both arms. And the little one, too.” She patted Alex’s stomach again.

  Alex bit her lips. Tears were brewing in her eyes, and she had no idea why. She nodded in respond to Beth’s apology.

  “Thank you, Alexandra. Thank you so much. Now you must rest. I won’t bother you anymore.” Then she stood up, tugged Alex in and then left.

  Alex had no idea the meaning of Beth’s apology, but she knew she’d find out later, when her mind was clearer. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, a smile on her lips.

  *****

  CHAPTER 23

  ALEXANDRA SOFTLY GROANED and fluttered her eyes open. She stared for a moment up at the chandelier above her, lost and confused. The sunlight hit the many crystals and made beautiful spectra across the room, and Alex gazed at them in wonder. Slowly everything came back to her. She realised that she was in Jayden’s room and in his bed. She frowned, touching her forehead as she remembered the dinner with the girls at Parcha, dancing in the club and Kyle annoying her. She remembered running from him through the thick crowd, him caught up with her in the corridor and then –blank.

  She groaned and sat up, her head pounding away like a bad car engine that was about to explode.

  “Don’t sit up too fast, you’ll hurt yourself,” came the male voice that suddenly sent her pulse racing and her head to ache even more. She glanced up and saw Jayden coming toward her. He sat beside her on the bed and tested her temperature by touching the back of his hand on her forehead. “Cool,” he said. “Good.”

  Alex shyly removed his hand from her and glanced down, a light rose colour creeping up her cheeks. That was when Jayden knew she was back to her normal self. The drug had worn off.

  “So what can you remember so far?”

  She frowned at him. What can she remember? Of course she remembered everything that had happened last night. Had it been really last night though? It felt like it had only been last night.

  She thought she had better not let him know what had happened. More importantly, she better not let him find out what had happened between her and Kyle. Although she was still puzzled as to how she had managed to get back home.

  Kelly? Perhaps Kelly had seen what had happened, shooed Kyle off and took her home? She’d have to ask the woman when she saw her.

  She groaned depressingly. She hoped Kyle hadn’t violated her. She was pretty sure he hadn’t because she didn’t feel like her body had been violated. She felt fine except for the headache and cloudiness of her vision and thinking. In fact she felt all warm and cosy like someone had been looking after her particularly well.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “I don’t remember anything,” she lied, glancing up at him. She gasped, her heart racing in her chest. His face was so close to hers that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. She stared into his eyes and then – bamb! It was all there right before her. Everything flashed back to her. She remembered Jayden kissing her forehead, his words of love as he cuddled her in bed – his hard, warm body against her. And yes, she remembered Beth’s apology.

  Her cheeks burnt and she bit her lip.

  “Well?” he probed.

  “Leave me alone,” she muttered and turned away, intending to avoid him.

  Jay grabbed her arm gently and pulled her back. Then he moved his head toward hers and took her lips against his, kissing her gently.

  Alex was at first very shocked. Oh my God! He was kissing her again.

  She felt his firm lips against her soft ones, and her body melted under his touch. She felt warm and fuzzy inside. She closed her eyes and sighed, her headache gone.

  When he moved his head back he said, “Miss Alexandra Stewart, I’m sorry I lied to you but I’m not sorry that you’re my hired girlfriend and that I’m in love with you.”

  Alex’s heart beat so fast she thought she’d die from a heart attack at any moment now. She licked her lip and whispered, “Really?”

  Jayden chuckled, “Yes, silly.”

  Her heart nearly burst out then, with happiness of course. She had to tell herself to calm down before she started hyperventilating. She bit her lip, her eyes gazing up at him shyly. “Are you going to kiss me again now?”

  “Hell yes,” he chuckled.

  “Oh.” She widened her eyes and not a moment after he claimed her lips. She quivered deliciously as he plunged his tongue into her mouth.

  Alex surrendered herself to him, allowing him to claim all of her. This was it, she thought, this was the moment she had dreaded and waited for a so long. The moment when she was finally loved.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded to his deep, passionate kiss.
Her body was alive with fireworks. Jay pulled her onto his lap as he explored her mouth.

  When he released her mouth, he gazed into her eyes. Alex caught her breath at the back of her throat, for in his eyes she was a deep blue fire burning with desire. Instantly a rush of excitement built up in the pit of her stomach.

  “Jay,” she whispered breathlessly.

  “I love you,” he breathed against her mouth.

  “I love you, too,” she said softly.

  He grinned, and before she knew of anything, she was on her back and he had started to undo her shirt. When his hot mouth touched her bare breast, she nearly died from pleasure. She had thought such sensations had only existed in books, but it was real – with Jayden it was real.

  As Jay continued to touch her soft body with his warm hands and hot mouth, Alex closed her eyes and allowed the new, beautiful sensation to take hold...

  ***

  BETH PICKED UP the delicate china cup and took a sip of her Earl Grey’s tea. Though she knew the tea was simply delicious, she did not taste the flavour. It was bland.

  She put the china down and glanced at Britney, who she suddenly thought as she saw her in new light, was dressed way too sexy for a simple afternoon tea in a cafe.

  “Thanks for coming to meet me in such short notice, Britney,” she began, straightening her back.

  “No problem, Beth,” Britney said, waving her hand in the air.

  “I want to get straight to the point,” Beth continued, eyeing the young woman sharply.

  “Yes?” Britney said. “Look, Beth, I’ve tried my hardest to get ride her.”

  “Yes, I know that.” Beth’s tone was hard.

  “And what do you mean things change when I was at your house the other day?”

  “Things certain have changed, Britney. You must know already that Jayden and Alex are engaged to be married?”