by Amy Brent
She pulled in a deep breath when our gazes met. The angry intensity in my eyes made Jessica visibly flinch under my stare, and the corners of my lips tugged upward just a little bit at her reaction. Her mouth opened as if she was getting ready to say something, but before any words came out, I turned my attention to Pam.
Unlike her daughter, Pam was clean faced, wearing lounging clothes and with an angry fire in her eyes that almost matched mine. With her hands on her hips, she said, “I’m sorry about the yelling, Ben. I didn’t realize we were so loud, but my daughter is being impossible, and I got carried away.”
Jessica groaned at her mother’s words, but I just ignored her as I placed the pizzas over the counter and waved a hand at my wife’s apology. “I don’t want apologies, I want to know what’s happening.”
“My ex-boyfriend is in town and invited me out for drinks and something to eat,” Jessica blurted out before her mother could say anything. I turned my eyes to her once more and received a challenging glance as she continued, “I said yes—not that it concerns either of you since I’m a freaking adult.”
I clenched my teeth and pulled a long and deep breath to calm the need I suddenly felt to spank her. The idea of my hand slapping her naked round ass was arousing, but not enough to completely subside the anger I felt at that moment.
“You may be an adult, but what you do is absolutely our concern,” I explained in a calm and purposely condescending voice. “You’re Pam’s daughter, living under my roof and I’m the one paying for your education. For those reasons, you need to respect your mother, the house’s rules and honor the investment I’m making in your future.”
A spark of outraged fire glowed in Jessica’s eyes at my words, but I didn’t back down or looked away from her. Instead, I stood beside her mother and continued to stare deep into her eyes challenging her anger and stubbornness with my own.
“So, you’re saying that because you’re paying for stuff and my mom doesn’t like Trey, I don’t get to have a life. Is that it?” There was disdain for both her mother and me as she asked the question.
Deep down, I wanted to say that it wasn’t right. That she could have a life as long as it didn’t involve another man meddling with what was mine. But I knew I couldn’t say that, especially in front of Pam, so instead I pulled in a deep breath and prepared myself to give her another good—and acceptable—explanation as to why she couldn’t leave with Trey.
However, before a word came out of my mouth, the doorbell rang. Jessica looked behind me and took a step toward the arch leading into the hallway, but I stepped in front of her.
“We have a butler in this house,” I informed in a cold and firm tone. Then, narrowing my eyes at her, I added, “And you don’t walk out on me.”
Her chest bounced with heavy breaths as our silent staring match continued. With each passing second, my desire to grab her by the neck and kiss her lips grew and, despite Pam’s presence, I almost gave in. Luckily, before I had a chance to do something I would certainly regret, Geoffrey walked in to announce Trey Mulligan.
Finally, Jessica looked away from my eyes and smiled as she walked around me. “Hey, Trey,” she brazenly greeted, and my hands balled up into fists.
I turned around just in time to see Jessica—my Jessica—wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him on the cheek. My blood boiled and my hands closed so tightly my knuckles grew white and cold.
My problem with him wasn’t just the sweet greeting he had gotten from the woman I desired. It wasn’t even the moronic smile on his lips or the fact that he had chosen to wear a t-shirt, jeans, and Chucks to a date. No, my problem was that I simply couldn’t understand what the hell she was doing with him. There was no way a boy like that would ever be good enough or able to satisfy her as well as I could.
“Hi, Ms. Carlisle,” he greeted in a cocky voice.
Pam let out an audible sigh, and when I stole a glance sideways to look at her, her lips were pressed together in the grimmest of smiles. “Hello, Trey. Hope you’re doing well.”
I rolled my eyes at her politeness and interrupted the chit-chat.
“She’s Mrs. Walker now, and I’m her husband, Benjamin Walker,” I said as I walked in his direction and extended a hand. The confident smile slipped right off his lips at my approach, and I reveled in the feeling of superiority his reaction brought me.
The boy cleared his throat and placed his cold palm in mine. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Nice to meet you, Sir.”
At least he was properly addressing me. It would have been tough for me to allow him to keep his teeth in his mouth had he called me by my given name. Through the corner of my eyes, I saw the annoyed look Jessica was giving me, and the knowledge that I was affecting her made my lips curl into a smile as I squeezed his hand with all of my strength.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s nice to meet you, but since I have, let me make some things clear,” I started while still squeezing his fingers and received dirty looks from Jessica and Pam who had suddenly materialized beside me. Not fazed by them one bit, I continued, “I’m new at this parenting thing, but Pam and Jessica mean a lot to me. I won’t have anyone mess up their lives or hurt them. Is that clear?”
Trey pulled in a long breath and nodded. At his unsatisfactory reply, I tightened my grip a bit more, and though he visibly winced, he also answered with words. “Yes, sir.”
“Good,” I said finally releasing my hold on him. He covered his right hand with his left and massaged the pain away as I added, “Since it’s a weeknight and Jessica has classes tomorrow, I expect her back here and you gone by ten-thirty.”
“What?” Jessica protested with loathing in her eyes. “You’re not my father, Ben. You can’t give me stupid rules like that.”
I raised a brow and tilted my head. “Of course, I can. My house, my rules.”
Jessica groaned and asked her mother for help, but before Pam could say anything, Trey grabbed her hand and said, “It’s fine, bab—” he cut the pet name short and, after clearing his throat, said “Jess. It’s early. We have plenty time to talk. Let’s just go.”
She gave me another snarky glare, then turned around and vanished down the hall. After wishing Pam and I a good evening, Trey disappeared behind her.
Although I still hated the fact that Jessica was going out with another man, knowing I had Trey’s fear and respect made me relax a bit. I knew that he would think a hundred times before laying a hand on her, which would allow me just enough time to figure out how to make her mine without losing my deal with Pam in the process.
Once I heard the front door close, I let out a long breath and turned to look at my wife. To my surprise, she had her arms crossed, lips pursed and a pissed off arched brow on her face. Knowing for a fact that the expression had something to do with me, I reminded myself why I had stayed unmarried for so long and once more cursed my father for forcing me to take a wife.
Chapter 13 – Pam
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ben asked as if he was so innocent, it was the first real flaw in the man I had begun to consider a friend and my saving grace.
For a moment, I debated whether or not I should voice my concerns. I had a lot riding on this marriage and couldn’t really afford to jeopardize it because of my over-protective concerns. On the other hand, however, Jessica was my daughter and, like I had warned Ben last night, it was my job to do everything in my power to protect her.
I pulled in a lungful of air and grew a little taller in my spine as I met his questioning gaze with a firm and serious stare. “Because apparently, the warning I gave you yesterday didn’t stick as well as I hoped.”
Ben raised a questioning brow, and his lips pulled to one side in one of his cocky grins as he walked past me towards the dishes cabinet. Grabbing two plates, he asked, “Warning? What warning?”
“The one about staying the hell away from my twenty-two-year-old daughter,” I deadpanned.
He turned his eyes to me with an outrage that wa
s so fake it was almost funny, but his gaze quickly drifted to the pizza boxes over the counter. “I’m not sure what you’re implying, but I don’t like it. Fake marriage or not, you’re still my wife, Pam. I would never be inappropriate to your daughter. Now, come choose what flavor you want. I’m starving.”
The casual way he lied was so insulting it made me angry. In fact, it made me livid, and as a result, my politeness vanished. No longer caring about my financial gain in this arrangement, I took a few steps towards my husband and came to a stop close enough to him that I could smell the clover notes of his cologne.
In a low and almost whispery voice, I said, “Don’t insult me, Benjamin. I saw the way you were all cozy to Jessica yesterday, and the pissing match with Trey just now was obvious. She’s a pretty and young woman, and you want her.”
At those words, Ben turned to look at me. His blue eyes were cold, and his expression was almost mocking.
“Are you jealous, honey?” he asked in the most offensive and condescending tone I had ever heard.
My nostrils flared with a new wave of anger, but I didn’t allow it to rile me enough to make me yell or slap him—though, he kind of deserved it. Instead, I stayed leveled and rolled my eyes.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I blurted out, allowing the disdain I felt for him to show. “I haven’t been into workaholic man-child since Jessica’s father. The only feelings I have for you are friendship and a weird sense of duty towards your dead father, but to be honest, you’re acting like such an ass that those feelings are fading fast.”
His eyes widened and a dangerous light shined on them. “I’m acting like an ass?” I nodded a reply, and, in an even darker tone, he replied. “You’re the one accusing me when all I did was help protect your daughter from a man you didn’t want her to go out with.”
Although his words sounded reasonable and very convincing, there was a nagging feeling in my gut that called it bullshit. Still, I reeled in my temper once more to avoid further drama and only said, “Okay, then. If that’s the case, then I owe you thanks. But please, keep in mind that though I want to be your friend and wife for the duration of our agreement, the only reason I accepted this crazy fake marriage thing was to give a better life to Jessica. If I suspect that you’re making a move on her, I’ll divorce your ass before you can say you’re sorry. She’s bright and special, and I won’t allow anyone or anything to stand in her way. Not even myself. Is that clear?”
Ben’s face didn’t lie, he was annoyed as hell at me and my threat. But I honestly didn’t give a crap about it. All I cared was that he eventually nodded and, in a dry and worried tone, said, “Crystal clear. Now, do you want some pizza?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” I replied, and he quickly placed a slice of fresh margarita pizza on my plate.
We sat at the kitchen table—an object Ben admitted not knowing existed in his home—and munched on the greasy goodness together. For the first few minutes, our interaction was stiff and awkward, but after a couple of slices and a bottle of beer each, things lightened up, and we went back to being friendly as we usually were.
For the rest of the night, we talked about things at his office, my application to the first-class international position and how much I didn’t need him to talk to his golfing buddy on my behalf. When Jessica finally returned home that night, Ben and I were still talking in the living room.
I was honestly relieved when he kissed me on the cheek and excused himself without so much as a glance in her direction. If this was going to work, then we all had to remember what was our part in this arrangement and I was happy and hopeful that Ben had—though reluctantly—remembered his.
For all our sake, I just really hoped he wouldn’t eventually forget.
Chapter 14 – Ben
Over the next two months, I did my best to respect Pam’s warning.
At first, my only concern was not pissing her off to the point where she would honor her threat and actually divorce my ass—that was a risk I simply couldn’t take with nine more months to go. But as weeks and months of Pam and I hanging out at home or at work related functions together, while Jessica was out with Mr. T-shirt and Chucks, our friendship grew, and things started to change for me.
I couldn’t deny that I still desired Jessica or that each new day made me discover more things about her to want and admire. Everything—from the dinosaur feet slippers she wore for breakfast, to the way she chewed on her pinky nail while thinking, to her carefree laugh that showed every single one of her pearly white teeth, to the excited tone her voice took while she spoke about medicine—made me almost sick with need. She was sweet, smart and spicy which basically made her the whole fucking package of my perfect woman. Still, my newfound sense of loyalty forced me to keep my distance from her at all costs.
It was a strange feeling, but after everything that Pam had done—and continued to do—for me and my business, I simply couldn’t bring myself to betray her like that. Considering I had built a life on doing what I wanted, when I wanted and to whom I wanted, holding myself back was incredibly hard, and so I took a few preventive measures to assure that I would be able to keep myself in check and not do anything stupid.
The first measure was to keep a very active life. I ran every morning, worked out at the gym every night and fucked Vanessa—who thankfully didn’t mind being called Jessica over and over—twice a day. That regiment kept my mind sharp and my balls empty enough to keep my resolve. As a second measure, I made a conscious effort to avoid being alone at the house with Jessica and only interacted with her when Pam was at home. Even then, I did it in the most respectful and platonic way possible. And finally, I reminded myself, on a daily basis, that I was—fake—married to a lovely woman who was my friend and that Jessica had a boyfriend—or at least a sad little excuse for one.
By following those simple measures, I regained some of the control I had lost over my urges and my life in general. It was a comforting feeling that allowed my mind to refocus on the things that mattered, such as the company’s expansion into new markets and the solidification of my new administration. Little by little my life started falling back on track, and I was finally able to enjoy the CEO position I had dreamed about for so long.
Then, on a Thursday night, after a long ass day at the office, I arrived at a completely empty house. I closed my eyes and pulled in a deep breath as I placed my briefcase over the foyer and enjoyed the calmness and silence that had once been so familiar to me. As much as I enjoyed the buzz and commotion of having Pam and Jessica living with me, I also missed the calmness of my solo existence.
With a pleased smile on my lips, I scrolled through the music on my phone as I walked to the living room and headed straight for the little bar at the corner. I pressed my finger over the cover of my favorite Paganini album and poured myself a triple shot of bourbon before walking with the bottle in hand toward my favorite chair at the corner. A pleasurable sigh passed through my lips as the lively violin music started to play through my speaker system and I took the first sip of my drink.
Lost in the darkness and the music, I sat there and enjoyed my solitude for long enough to down about half the bottle. Although I was nowhere near drunk, my alcohol drenched brain required a few seconds to associate the bright lights that suddenly invaded my house through the window behind me with the headlights of an incoming car.
Knowing that Pam was currently on a plane returning home from Tokyo, I frowned at the idea of being anywhere near Jessica while alone and buzzed. Deep down, I knew the risks this entailed and seriously considered the idea of running to my room or office just to be rid of the temptation.
However, this was my house which I had paid with my hard-earned money and, for that reason, I decided that I was over being confined to certain areas simply because my wife wasn’t home and her hot daughter was in the room. With a resolute breath, I poured myself another shot, crossed my ankle over my knee and decided that I would stay in my chair, drinking my booze and r
elaxing until I was done. A second later, the front door opened and the sound of high heels coming in my direction echoed louder than the music.
I pulled in a deep breath through my nose as my eyes moved out of their own accord to the archway that connected the foyer to my living area. There, like an angel dowsed in light, appeared Jessica. She had on a form-fitting dress that showed every single one of her killer curves and her hair was styled in full, sexy waves. My tongue peeked from behind my teeth to lick my dry lips, and my cock instantly hardened as she walked into the living room, filling the space with her flowery perfume.
Not entirely sure if she hadn’t noticed me or if she was simply ignoring me, I watched her walk to the bar area, grab a bottle of vodka and pour herself a hefty dose. I brought my glass to my lips at the same time she did and took a very large gulp. I kept my eyes on her as she poured a second and then a third drink and downed both with the same voracity as she did the first. Once she was done, she placed the glass back on the wooden surface and turned around, leaning her lower back against the edge.
“This music is beautiful,” she said with a sigh.
I smiled, pleased that she enjoyed the same music I did. Music had always been a huge part of my life and, for some reason, I couldn’t quite explain, it was important to me that she appreciated the same style I did. Taken by the moment and the alcohol, I did the one thing I knew I shouldn’t do. I engaged Jessica in conversation.