by Tia Siren
“I’ll work on that,” Shannon said, flipping her hair up. “I’ll go outside to see if she’s waiting for a cab, or at least call to make sure she did get back to the apartments okay.”
She stood up from the table. Luke watched as a few heads turned to watch Shannon stride confidently across the room to make an exit through the front door.
“Your sister should be a publicist too,” he said, looking back over at Toby, who narrowed his eyes at him in warning. “I’m just saying. She’s damn good at what she does. Maybe even better than you.”
Toby leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his flat stomach. “I’ve tried telling her that a few times. I think she has this idea that if she graduates doing what our parents wanted her to do, they’ll take more of an interest in our lives.”
“And people think rich kids have it easy,” Luke said darkly. He reached up to rub at the scars along the side of his neck. “No one ever guessed that my father liked to extinguish cigarettes on the side of my neck because I was being a shit to him. No, my father had money, so therefore I had money too. Everything was sunshine and daisies according to some people.”
“The price of the rich and famous, bro. That’s our price. We were the punching bags of our parents’ misery from it all.”
“No shit.”
They fell into silence while the music continued to play in the background. Shannon didn’t reappear, but Toby didn’t seem too concerned about it. He knew Shannon knew New York City better than anyone else.
“So, you’re honestly going to be okay with this arrangement then?” Toby asked.
“I don’t have a choice in the matter,” Luke replied, sipping more slowly at his drink. He still had to navigate his way home and get up early for a few meetings. Even if he wasn’t yet in charge of Turner Oil, he ran it like he was in charge. Business never slept. “I love this business. I’ll never want to do anything else besides oil. I’d be lost out there trying to find something else I’m good at.”
“You’ll get the business,” Toby said confidently. “We just have to put on a good show for Peter in thirty days is all.”
Luke dragged an exhausted hand along his face. Thirty fucking days is not enough time to fall in love. He had a creeping suspicion that his father had planned it that way for a reason.
“I don’t know if it’s even possible to do all of this in thirty days,” he said, exasperated at the thought. “I’m not a go-on-a-date type of man. You know that, but now I have to play a chivalrous gent to a woman who already has formed an unpleasant opinion of me.”
“That’s where you can hook her, bud. Apologize to her. Make it up by explaining that you had too much to drink and you’re grieving the loss of your father, so it’s been hard for you. Play that emotional card.”
“How though?” He narrowed his eyes at Toby. “When have you ever seen me be emotional? I didn’t even shed a damn tear when I buried my father.”
“Yeah,” Toby said, bouncing his legs anxiously, “but you did disappear for about a week with no phone or any way to reach you. That says a lot in my opinion. Where did you even go without telling me?”
“Alaska.” At the shocked glance Toby gave him, he continued. “I went to Alaska because it was the only place I felt I could get away from all of it. Including my father’s ghost. I swear, he’s trying to haunt me from behind the grave.”
“I wouldn’t do it,” he said dryly. “What did you do up in Alaska? Find some local native woman to bang?”
“I didn’t fuck anyone while I was up there, since you’re so curious about it. I looked at a few places to set up for drilling. I talked to people who mine up there for gold too.”
“Are you planning to branch out into gold?”
“I’m thinking about it. If I get this inheritance in thirty days, I am investing in a mine up there that needs an extra boost in the money department.”
Toby sat back with an impressed whistle. “You’re good. I don’t see how your father thinks you’d do horrible things to the company. You’re smart. You get how the world of business works.”
“I don’t even care anymore,” Luke replied. Bitterness swelled up in him at the thought of his father. He had gone to Alaska to deal with his emotions privately, but also to look into expanding in the future. It had provided him the much-needed distraction from having to bury his father along with years of watching him decompose from the inside out. His mother’s death had been what had started all of Roderick’s violent and alcohol-fueled cycles. Before that, it’d been years since he had drank, but the day they buried Luke’s mother in the ground was the day Roderick had gone back to the bottle. Nothing could fix it, or convince him to do otherwise.
It hadn’t been a surprise to get that phone call from the hospital in the middle of the night when one of the staff members had found Roderick passed out on the floor. There wasn’t one person Luke knew in the oil business who drank themselves until they were rich and happy, but his father had tried like hell to do it.
The only reason Turner Oil had stayed afloat was because of Luke’s decisions. He had poured in the hard work to keep it going when his father had been too drunk to recognize what decisions he needed to make.
And now, his father seemed to think a marriage would keep him from doing what he wanted to do.
If he had to play the gent in order to win over Paige Scott’s trust, he’d do it, and maybe he’d get something more out of it. He wasn’t going to complain if Paige ended up in his bed by the end of the thirty days. If she did, he’d have his money by then, and none of it would have mattered.
It was just business. That was all this arrangement would be. Just business until the end of the longest thirty days of Luke’s life.
Thank you for reading the sample of Big Bad Fake Groom. Please continue to read the Extended Epilogue of Tied to Him.
Please also check out ‘More Books by Tia Siren’ to choose which book to read next.
xx Tia
Extended Epilogue of Tied to Him
Six months later
Elizabeth
We left the hotel and walked down the cobbled streets until we reached Café Artois. We took a table outside even though it was the middle of winter. I looked at the river and saw the final traces of steam as it rose from the water. The church bells rang, and the streets filled with the smells of fresh bread and freshly grounded coffee.
“Bonjour, madam,” the waitress said. “May I take your order?”
“Bonjour. Two coffees and croissants,” I said. “Merci beaucoup.”
“So, what do you think of France?” Charles asked as he tugged on the collar of his jacket.
“France is awesome, but it’s so damned cold.”
“You need warming up,” Charles said with a chuckle.
“I do. I need something strong and hot inside me,” I said with a laugh.
“Here you go, your coffee and your croissants,” the waitress said.
“Thank you,” Charles said.
“I suppose the coffee will have to do for now,” I said to Charles as I giggled. “Did you enjoy the wedding?” I sipped my coffee.
“Of course. I’m the happiest man on the planet. What could have been better?”
“I know it was small and not one I had envisaged. I had always thought of carriages and horses and all that bullshit. That was until you appeared, and then I realized I had no real interest in materialistic things,” I said.
“Same here. It may not have been me, yet I’m sure everyone around me would have expected a much bigger event. I certainly could have afforded it. But why would I want a thousand people to attend when they are not close to either you or me?” Charles said.
“Yep. I’ve been to weddings like that, and no one really appreciates the day. They just see it as a free bar and dinner.”
“Well, we just have the future in front of us now, and we have each other,” Charles said as he raised his cup. “Salut.”
“Salut, and here’s to
us,” I replied as we touched cups and drank.
We had just had a small wedding with around twenty guests. Many had been close associates of Charles. On my side, I had not invited any family except Chip and only a couple of friends from college. It had been a glorious day, and I had worn an ivory dress by Vera Wang. It was a limited edition with lace and short sleeves. It was very thoughtfully detailed and yet not over the top and brash. It also had corded lace and fine, delicate organza flowers as part of the detailing. Although it had a small trail, it fit me like a glove and showed off my curves. Damn, I’d looked hot.
Charles had worn an elegant navy checked suit from the United Kingdom that had been made by a well-known designer. It was a simple yet elegant suit, and it showed how rugged and manly he was. Yet I knew he was a beast underneath it all.
Charles had decided that the best location was on the island, as everything had started there for two occasions, first our relationship that could have so easily finished at that point and then our engagement. We made it three out of three and held the wedding there. It had been a glorious event, and the house and guest houses had been crammed with staff, guests, flowers, and a few gifts. We could have had a much bigger event, but we wanted to keep it under wraps to avoid too much attention. Enough of that would come later.
I remembered how we had looked at each other as we’d made our vows. Then the both of us had glanced at the cocktail bar in the ocean where we had our first encounter. We had kissed under the sunset, and we had, at that moment, become one.
“What are you thinking?” Charles asked as he broke off a piece of his croissant.
“Ah, nothing. I was just thinking back to the wedding,” I said.
“You have a lifetime to relive that, you know. No need to waste your honeymoon on it,” he said with a laugh.
I scrunched my face up at him. “It’s a woman’s prerogative. I can think about it if I like!”
“Well, you ready for a brisk walk around town?” He pulled out some bills, left them on the table, and stood, pulling his jacket tighter around him.
“Oui, monsieur,” I said with a giggle.
“Ah, parlez-vous francais?” Charles asked.
“Fuck no. I’ve just seen it movies,” I replied, laughing. “My mind is like a sponge when it comes to useless information.”
“Same here. That is as much as I know. I have been to France a few times on business but have never had the inclination to learn French. Maybe I’ve been ignorant, expecting everyone in the business world to speak English.”
We left the café, and I linked my arm through Charles’s and pulled him closer to me. The sun had risen, yet we could still see the icy chill on our breath as we strolled around the streets of Paris. We strolled down the river Seine and visited Notre Dame Cathedral. It was truly elegant but very cold with all that stone.
Then we ventured up the Eiffel Tower and looked out over the skyline of Paris, the city of lovers—and that was how I felt. We looked like any other couple on the outside, yet, underneath, we were two different beasts altogether.
The wind had blown a gale, and the sky was white with what could later be snow, or at best another frosty night.
“Shit, it’s cold up here. Is there nowhere warmer? God, my nipples are rock hard,” I said to Charles as he laughed.
He glanced at the tourist guide, who had the perfect place for us to get some warmth back into our bodies. We quickly traveled to the Louvre Art Museum, and it was indeed enough to free our bodies from the icy chill. We strolled around and looked at some of the classic paintings that you usually just heard about on TV. In real life, they did look magnificent.
As we strolled around looking at all the paintings from the past and the present, by famous people and future big names, my mind wandered. I had thoughts of where our relationship had come from and where it was now. I thought of Chip, my beloved brother, who did accept my relationship with Charles.
It was true, we had some dark sides in our relationship, yet these little fantasies allowed us to be honest and truthful with each other and with ourselves. We found ourselves being fully open with each other as we explored our own fantasies and the fantasies of each other.
I stood and looked at paintings of the most recent artists who had grabbed the art world by storm, and I thought about my future. I had just one year left in school, and after speaking to Charles about being a business psychologist, he said he would help me achieve that. I had already structured my classes to follow this direction, and Charles had said I could have a position at his company, as it was about time some of his financial workers had a kick up the ass. They had problems, and as Charles had pointed out, my dad had been one of them.
We found a spot to have lunch and embraced the atmosphere of the local market. The fresh produce looked bright and colorful as it filled the market stalls that lined the cobbled streets. The air was full of the scent of flowers, fruit, and fresh fish, and it all wafted over us as we ate our lunch of chicken roulade and a nice bottle of white wine that Charles had chosen.
“Hang on, Charles. I want to look at these,” I said as I stopped by some antique jewelry.
“Okay. I’ll be back in a moment. I’m just looking over there. Wait for me here,” he said before he vanished into the crowd.
I looked at the antiques, and they were so elegant with the fine carvings and the way the metal had been shaped and formed. It was not like the modern stuff you got by any means. This jewelry had all been crafted by age-old men who had spent a lifetime honing their skills.
I looked around and saw Charles as he made his way through the crowd. He had a glint in his eyes as he approached me, and he held his hands behind his back.
“What have you been up to?” I asked as I looked at him sternly.
“Excuse me?” he said with a chuckle.
“Your back. What are you hiding?” I said as I tried to look behind him.
“For you. Accept these with all my love,” Charles said as he handed me a large bunch of red roses.
“Ah, they are lovely, but I suffer from hay fever,” I said.
“Really? I didn’t know. Oh no.”
“Gotcha. Only kidding. They are beautiful,” I replied as I kissed him on the cheek.
“We should try to find our way back to the hotel. We have walked all afternoon,” Charles said as he took my arm.
“You bet. It will be getting cold again soon.”
We headed off in the direction of the hotel, avoiding the tourist spots. It had taken us ages to reach this far, so we walked across the country so to speak and went through the back streets. It was like a maze. Streets headed in every direction, and we soon became lost.
We headed down a back alleyway and came to a call box. Charles opened the door and dragged me inside. It was a cramped that forced us close together. Charles ran his hands down my hips and lifted my skirt.
“Oh, Charles,” I replied as I placed my bare foot against the glass of the phone booth.
Charles ran his fingers down my belly and inside the elastic of my panties. His strong fingers brushed over my bald pussy. I leaned my head back and rested my head on his shoulder as he parted my pussy lips. His finger found my clit, and he started to rub me gently.
Our breath filled the phone booth and soon condensed on the glass. We could not see out, and the world could not see in. I pulled his hand closer to me as he slid his fingers deep into my pussy. I could feel the heat of my pussy in the coldness of the air around us. Charles slid his fingers in deep as he rubbed my clit with his thumb, and my legs weakened at his touch.
“I said you needed something to warm you up,” Charles whispered into my ear.
“God, yes. This is just the thing,” I said as his hand moved faster and his fingers entered me deeper.
Warmth flooded from my pussy as my heart beat faster and faster. The animal inside Charles had risen to the surface, and my pussy had become his prey. He thrust harder and faster as he bit into my neck. He slipped his hand
inside my jacket and caressed my breasts. My nipples were already hard from the nipple rings I had worn.
I pushed my foot hard against the glass and forced my back into the comfort of Charles. He gripped me tightly and squeezed. I felt the strength in his arms as he supported my weight. My pussy throbbed as his fingers rammed into me. The phone booth shook as my body finally started to release a flood of sensations. My clit ignited the flame of passion deep within my pussy, and the fire spread to the bottom of my stomach. My legs began to tremble, and a warm feeling shot up the length of my spine. I bowed my head and rested my hands on the glass as my body released itself.
“Oh, Charles, I’m coming,” I squealed as I grabbed his hand.
“This is not over, once being never enough,” he growled into my ear.
We exited the phone booth and headed back to the hotel. I hung onto Charles’s arm, as my body had weakened by my orgasm and his animal instincts. Night had started to fall, and the narrow streets had been lit by the dim glow of the street lights. We could see our own breath, as the temperature outside had started to fall, yet the temperature inside us had hit a boiling point. We were hungry for each other and wanted to get back as quickly as we could.
We made it back to the hotel and headed up to the room. Charles opened the door, entered, and turned toward me. I pushed him into the room and closed the door with the heel of my foot. I quickly removed my jacket and threw my arms around his neck. Charles pushed me back against the wall and kissed me as I pulled open his jacket and slid it off his shoulders. I felt the warmth of his breath as he ran his tongue over my neck and ripped open my cardigan. His hands cupped my breasts, and my nipple rings pushed against my bra and the fabric of my dress.
I raised his sweater, and Charles lifted his arms over his head so I could pull it off. I ran my hands over his chest and placed my mouth against his skin. I took his nipple between my teeth and nibbled until he yelped. I pushed him away from me and shoved him against the bed. I quickly slipped out of my dress and stood before him in my black bra and panties.