by Faye Avalon
“No. It’s so clichéd it’s almost funny.” She dropped her bag on the bed and turned to him, noting his upturned mouth. “Did you know about it?”
“Maybe.”
As he unfastened the already loosened knot of his tie, Lissa narrowed her eyes. “You’ve been here before.”
He threw the discarded tie on a chair and started popping his shirt buttons. “Not in the honeymoon suite.”
It didn’t matter at all that he’d visited the hotel before with someone else, so why did the knowledge make her chest squeeze? Because, despite her protestations, she wanted this to be special? Because she wanted to share things with Reed that no other woman had? Ridiculous.
“What is it with this place and mirrors anyhow?” She threw her arm out to indicate the massive wall mirror. “Are they catering for a bunch of narcissists?”
He shrugged out of his shirt. “Don’t tell me you’ve never enjoyed the delights to be had from mirror sex, princess?”
Oh hell. There went her stomach again. “I’d rather be doing it than watching myself do it.”
He laughed and opened his overnight case. “I’ll have to educate you,” he said with a wink as he pulled out his wash bag. “Seeing as it’s not only yourself you’ll be watching.”
She had a vision of Reed’s firm ass tensing and releasing as he thrust into her. His shoulders bunching, and his broad back expanding as he fought for breath.
The image didn’t exactly stay her rapidly escalating hormones, but she raised her chin into the air. “After a whole week of sex, I would have hoped you’d realize there’s not that much you can teach me.”
“Princess.” He stopped as he reached the door to the adjoining bathroom and looked over his shoulder at her. “We haven’t even warmed up.”
He then disappeared into the bathroom leaving Lissa staring open-mouthed after him. Hell. If that were true, she was in for one doozy of a wedding night.
After another glance at the mirrored ceiling, she reached for her bag and began to unpack. Her hands shook a little as she held up her new lingerie. She’d taken ages to pick out the style and color, but wasn’t about to berate herself for doing so. Wasn’t a woman supposed to take time picking out lingerie for her wedding night? Even a travesty of one like this?
It had been impossible to rid herself of the knowledge that what they were doing was wrong on so many levels. Not only did it make a mockery of the institution of marriage, for which her conventional aunt would likely disown her, but it also meant she had to lie, even by omission, to the woman she’d loved and respected all her life.
Maybe that was why she’d been feeling so out of sorts the last few days. During her usual midweek visit to the nursing home, her aunt had been much more coherent and had actually recognized Lissa. She’d asked about Lissa’s work and whether she had a boyfriend yet. Lissa had tried not to lie too much, saying that things were going really well and that she had lots of new plans for the business. Both of which were true, thanks to Reed’s offer. Thankfully, her aunt never asked about Debbie, so Lissa never told her she was no longer her business partner. If she ever did ask, Lissa was prepared to say that she and Debbie had parted amicably, rather than worry her aunt by admitting she’d been screwed over good and proper by the woman she’d called a friend as well as a business partner.
She’d driven home from the hospital accompanied by the usual sinking feeling of having let down her aunt—the woman who had been willing to take out a mortgage on her beloved house to help fund Lissa’s start up costs for her joint business venture with Debbie. In return, Lissa had put the house in jeopardy because she couldn’t keep up the mortgage repayments along with all the other debts.
When she thought how close she’d come to having the house repossessed, she could only be grateful to Reed for giving her the opportunity to avoid that particular catastrophe. If he hadn’t come along with his proposition, she would not only have lost the house, but would have had to uproot her aunt by moving her to a less expensive nursing home.
She’d been saved all that. So why did it feel like she’d given away her soul? That instead of celebrating, she should be running scared?
With a sigh, she sank onto the bed. She had to get a grip. It was too late for second thoughts anyway. She was married to Reed. It might have been a big con job, a charade, but nevertheless they were married.
Reed hadn’t wanted to get married any more than she had.
And that, Lissa realized with a jolt, was the crux of it.
Somehow, during the week they’d spent together, Reed had started to become more than a quick fix out of her problems. She’d looked forward to seeing him each night after work, looked forward to their evenings together. The movies they downloaded to watch on his giant TV, the meals they ordered in, and of course the sex. Don’t forget the sex.
She looked up as Reed came back into the room with a towel slung around his neck. He was shirtless, the waistband of his trousers unfastened. She saw that he’d shaved.
Her heart leapt remembering that she’d complained, albeit with a laugh, that his evening bristle had made her pussy lips sore. He’d disappeared into the bathroom and had returned with a clean-shaven face.
Now he stood in the doorway and looked down at her. “Everything okay?”
She nodded. “Feeling a bit weird, that’s all.”
He glanced up. “Because of the mirror?”
“No.” She laughed softly. “Not because of that. Because of all this.” She twisted the diamond ring around her finger. “It feels really strange.”
He came and sat beside her and lifted her hand. “Try not to over think it. Okay, maybe it’s not every day that people hitch up for reasons other than love and romance, but the thing with us is there’s no chance of all the crap that goes with it. We both know where we stand. We know why we’re in this. We have no allusions, no expectations. It’s a business deal. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
Her palpitating heart sank. If that was supposed to make her feel better, he was way off course. “I know all that.” And she did, didn’t she? It wasn’t his fault she felt this way. She couldn’t expect that he would have started to feel differently about her. As he’d so brutally stated, this was a business deal. Perhaps somewhere in all of this she’d forgotten that. She had to remember that there was no room in their deal for those allusions, expectations or anything else. Business. Nothing more. Nothing less.
So why did it feel like it was?
He squeezed her hand and when she looked up his smile almost dazzled her. Her heart gave another leap, but she ignored it.
“I’m being stupid,” she said, attempting a smile. “Like you said, over thinking things.”
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “There’s not much point worrying about it now. The deed’s done.” He kept his hand around hers as he lowered it. “Why don’t you focus on what the benefits are? You’ve given your notice at work, your debts will soon be settled, and we’ve already started developing your business plan. Isn’t that worth celebrating?”
Yes, it was. Lissa drew in a huge breath as she looked down at their joined hands. “I can’t thank you enough for all that. I never thought I’d be deep in debt before I even reached my mid-twenties.”
“You were too trusting. Some people get halfway through their life without learning that lesson. In business it’s okay to over think. Remember that.”
“Don’t worry. I plan to.” Interestingly, their conversation had settled her. She had a great deal
to look forward to, so it was time to put away her emotions and spend her time with Reed learning from him. Already she’d picked up numerous tips. As they’d worked through her finances and business plan, he’d given her advice that money couldn’t buy. And she planned not to waste it.
“Feeling better?”
She returned his smile. “Much.”
“Good.” He squeezed her hand. “What do you fancy for dinner?”
Suddenly
, she was ravenous. “What’s on the menu?”
He flicked her under the chin. “I’ll go see.”
She watched him disappear into the sitting area, his muscular legs eating up the distance while the silky skin of his broad back glistened in the glow of the soft lighting. Well, she might not have the most conventional of weddings, but she sure as hell was looking forward to the wedding night. And where was the harm in indulging herself?
They both knew the score. They were healthy, consenting adults who enjoyed having sex. And plenty of it. Being married didn’t have to change any of that.
Spouses with benefits, Lissa thought as she grabbed her wash bag and went into the bathroom. No harm in enjoying those benefits for as long as they were on offer.
She plonked her bag down next to Reed’s on the marble stand and looked at herself in the mirror. Did she look married? Was there any outward change?
Reed didn’t look any different. He looked as devastatingly gorgeous as he always did.
She thought of all that solid muscle, the big hands, long adept fingers. The way he could drive her insane with just a touch. How he held her close after they’d had sex. The way they talked into the night as she lay in his arms, before it inevitably led to sex again.
She caught herself smiling. If she was going to have a temporary marriage, she could do a whole lot worse that Reed.
Seconds later, determined to push away any thoughts of weirdness, she unpacked her toiletry bag and headed for the shower.
****
Seated on the sofa, Reed stared unseeing at the glossy menu. Right up until that morning, he’d thought Lissa was okay with the whole deal, but she’d begun to get shaky when he produced the ring. She’d looked at him with those big hazel eyes like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights. He’d bought the damn thing as a kind of token bonus for her, thinking she could keep it or sell it after their divorce. Whatever she liked. But it had backfired and if anything it only seemed to upset her.
Then he’d gone and sprung for their wedding night here. Seeing as when they were together they were rarely out of the sack, he’d deemed it an appropriate thing to do. Lissa was pretty adventurous, so he’d assumed she’d love it. But now that she’d admitted to feeling weird about the whole thing, maybe he should have kept it low key.
As far as his problem went, the flack from Cynthia had disappeared. Rather than let Jack deal with it, as his friend had wanted to do, Reed had thought it best to let her hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. He’d arranged to meet her at Papa Niko’s earlier that week, where he’d broken the news that he’d fallen hard for a woman and they were to be married that weekend.
Initially, she’d given him grief, telling him for the first time that she was in love with him. That she’d always been in love with him. When she’d started to cry, Reed had felt like a total asshole. That was before reminding himself that she was in love with one aspect of him. His money. His decision to go through with the marriage to Lissa had never wavered. The reasons still held. He wasn’t about to be saddled with a woman he’d never get rid of who, despite the fact they’d hooked up a few times over the years for dinner and sex, really only wanted him for his money.
Lissa knew the score. A few weeks for propriety’s sake and they could call it a day.
The sound of the shower brought him from his musings. He dropped the menu he’d been clutching and checked his watch.
He could start the main event any time he wanted, so he used the time waiting for Lissa by placing their order for dinner. He selected a rare steak for himself and lightly poached salmon for Lissa, which he knew was her favorite. Reaching for the phone, he gave the order and specific instructions as to how and when it should be served. He hoped he was doing the right thing and she wouldn’t flip out on him again for presuming to order for her.
He grabbed the remote and sat back on the sofa. Channel surfing, he thought of Lissa. She’d looked so damn beautiful when she’d stepped out of the taxi that morning. She’d looked…vulnerable, he realized now. Shit. Why hadn’t he seen it before? Why hadn’t he spent more time reassuring her about this whole deal of theirs? It was different for women. They needed stroking and encouragement. It can’t have been easy for her.
Damn. Why the hell had he brought her here? She’d likely hate it. Worst case scenario, she might pack up her overnight bag and run. As fast as those long, sexy legs could carry her.
He was in the process of considering whether to settle the bill and drive them home, when the door to the bedroom opened. He glanced over his shoulder, and his heart all but stopped.
Lissa stood in the doorway wearing some navy lace deal that pushed her breasts up toward her chin. Her fabulous legs were bare, while her feminine folds were covered by a thin scrap of material secured at the hip by strips of ribbon. A floaty kind of wrap skimmed her shoulders and fell almost to the floor.
His mouth went dry. His blood heated to boiling. He shifted so he could keep his eyes on her as she sashayed over to the back of the couch. She touched his shoulder as she floated past him and he caught the whiff of something sensuously provocative.
When she stood in front of him, he let his gaze drift slowly up and down her silky body, lingering at strategic points until his hands craved to feel her and his cock ached to fill her.
“Do you like?” she asked, lowering her eyes so she could look at him through long dark lashes.
He wasn’t sure he could speak right then, seeing as he was in danger of swallowing his tongue. So he simply nodded.
She lowered herself and straddled him. He felt her heat right through his trousers, which didn’t do his straining cock any good.
Smiling wickedly, she placed her hands on his shoulders and shimmied against his erection. “If you like, what are you planning to do about it?”
Shit. Was it possible his already massive erection could grow larger, harder?
He tried to quiet the blood raging through his system, tried to think cold-shower thoughts in the hope he could hold off before they got to the bedroom.
“I ordered dinner.” Was that his voice? Full of gravel?
She straightened and sat back. “Dinner. Are you serious?”
“You said you were hungry.”
Her eyes stayed steady on his. “Wouldn’t you prefer a plateful of what I’m offering?”
“Every time.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Yeah, he thought. What the fuck was he waiting for?
He shifted, holding her tight around the waist as he stood. Lissa squealed and wrapped her legs around him, clinging on and laughing as he carried her into the bedroom and dumped her onto the bed.
He looked down at her, beyond pleased that all her earlier qualms had apparently disappeared. She looked as she always did in the moments before they had sex.
Horny. Willing. Beautiful.
He kissed her, allowing himself the pleasure of running his hands down her body. When her fingers trailed lightly over his chest, he shuddered.
“I love your body,” she purred between kisses. “All that hard muscle and smooth skin.”
Staying her hand as she reached down between them, he laughed softly. “What’s your hurry?”
She pouted. “I’m starting to worry about you. First you talk about dinner, now you’re stopping me touching you.” She tried to reach for him again, but he tightened his hold on her wandering hand. “And here I was thinking it was only me feeling weird.”
He leaned back so he could see her face. “Do you still feel that way?”
“No.” She pouted again. “But it looks like you do.”
He smiled down at her, then kissed her again. He took his time sampling her ripe mouth, her tantalizing tongue. When he drew back they were both breathing hard. “Anything about that seem weird to you?”
“Well, no. But I’m sure something’s off. By this time, you’re usually inside me and you’ve made me come at least once.”
“I’v
e got plans for tonight.” He touched his finger to her mouth, ran the tip along her moist lower lip. “And believe me, they involve you getting off more than once.”
She smiled that cat-with-the-cream smile. “That’s okay then. For a moment I thought you’d been replaced by some mutant form who didn’t care for sex.”
“No chance of that. Come here.”
Chapter Eight
Reed shifted against the headboard until Lissa sat between his legs with her back to his chest. She dropped her head onto his shoulder, loving how he nibbled on her ear before sliding his open mouth slowly down her neck.
“Things have been pretty hot between us this week.”
She smiled. “That’s an understatement.”
“You enjoy trying new things. I like that about you.”
It was easy trying anything with Reed, Lissa thought as the touch of his mouth against her collarbone sent delicious thrills rippling through her body. Although they hadn’t known each other that long, she trusted him. Perhaps too much. She had to keep some sort of barrier between them, so that when they finally called a halt to their arrangement, she wouldn’t be left feeling things she had no right to feel.
Hurt. Loss. Disappointment.
“I’ve got a surprise for you.”
She turned her head slightly and looked up at him. “What sort of surprise?”
“No need to look quite so suspicious. It’s something I hope you’ll enjoy. That we’ll both enjoy.”
He nudged her head until she was facing forward again and looking at them both in the big ornate mirror facing the bed.
In the mirror, she saw Reed reach out to the panel above the bed and push a button.
The lights dimmed, and in the mirror their images faded to be replaced by a lit room and a huge bed, similar to the one she and Reed shared. As Lissa stared, the door beyond the mirror opened and a woman stepped in. She wore a long silky red shift dress with shoestring straps at the shoulders.
Apparently oblivious to being watched, she sat on the huge bed, stretched her arms overhead, then lay back.