“And then what? Spend a year with a complete dork watching Star Trek with his mother, who would never in a million years grant me a divorce? I figured if I had to do this, based on every female’s reaction, including Vanessa’s, why not spend the time with someone who was apparently easy on the eyes? Yes, he’s a complete asshole, but it’s only a year. I can handle him.”
“Famous last words,” Des mumbled.
Undeterred, Vanessa continued. “I agree with Brae. He’s hot as fuck. I’ve never, and I mean never, seen such perfection in a man. I’d volunteer to be his spunk funnel any day!”
“Shut it!” I said as Cassie gasped and Desiree’s mouth dropped in shock. I looked over my shoulder in panic to see Jude talking to the two unknowns, shaking his head at whatever they were saying. Thank God, he didn’t hear her.
Vanessa shook her head. “My friends are prudes.” We rolled our eyes. Annoyed, she jammed her manicured finger into my boob for emphasis. “Seriously, he is one fine hunk of man, and you need to climb him like a tree.”
It was official. Even though I was going to paradise, it would be hell. I was being punished by the universe, and the severity of this retribution could only mean I was a serial killer in a former life.
Shelly waved Jude and me over, looking proud as punch. “Well, since you two have seemed to hit it off, here are your airline tickets. There’s also a copy of the rules and guidelines once you get on the island.”
Jude had yet to speak, but his intense staring continued. “Can we have everyone’s attention?” Shelly shouted, and Jude took my hand again, gripping it tighter than before.
The host glanced our way and raised his glass with a smile. “Please help me toast our happy new couple.” I watched in a daze as the room lifted their flutes, Jude included. With everyone’s glass in the air, Chip then said, “Congratulations to Jude and Brae. May the love you find blaze on forever.” The nausea that inflicted me since I signed up for this charade returned full force at the mention of forever.
One by one, those in the room took their obligatory sips. Jude did as well while looking down at me. My eyes focused on his Adam’s apple bobbing from his swallow, and my mouth went dry. Without invite, he placed his flute against my lips and tilted. I had no other choice but to drink, and after I did, he then drained the rest himself while his eyes never left mine.
“Well, I’d say we have another great couple, wouldn’t you agree, Barbi?” My trance was interrupted, forcing my disoriented gaze to Chip.
“Yes, I sure would,” his wife agreed, eyeing Jude up and down as if she wanted to go away with him herself. If I weren’t desperate for money, I would have handed her my ticket. Jude appreciated the attention and winked at her, not caring that her husband was standing next to her, or that his hand was holding mine.
Prick.
Barbi went on, “This is a once in a lifetime experience. We hope you both take full advantage of all the tools we will be supplying to help your relationship grow.”
His eyes caught my sneer when I pulled my hand from his. He grinned at my discomfort before dampening his lips with his tongue—the same one that assaulted mine not more than ten minutes ago.
Chip continued where his wife left off. “As your audition paperwork detailed, all your affairs should be in order. From here, you will be driven straight to the Grand Hotel where you will be spending tonight.”
My stomach dropped. This was happening. When I looked at Jude, he tossed a look at one of the men I didn’t know, who responded without being asked, “Your bags are in my car.” Jude didn’t say anything in reply, but the anger that radiated from his eyes spoke volumes. He didn’t want to be here anymore than I did. I definitely picked the right one.
“Tomorrow morning, a car will come pick you up from the Grand Hotel at nine. You’ll still be on U.S. soil, so passports aren’t necessary. But you will need a government issued ID with you. Also, any electronic devices, including cell phones, will be collected when you land. You aren’t permitted to contact anyone while on the resort, and as you both know, you were to assign one person who is allowed to reach you during your time on the island for emergencies only.”
Jude’s eyes narrowed at the guy next to Shelly, who was avoiding him.
“Do you have any questions?”
“Will there be booze on the island, access to firearms?” the other friend asked. When they both started laughing, Jude shut them down really quick with a glare.
“Yes to the alcohol, no to the firearms,” Chip responded, as if they were serious. “No worries, though. They will have all the amenities they’ll need.” He turned his focus back to us. “You’ll even be given a thousand dollars in spending money. Just follow the rules, let fate take over, and we have full confidence that with our help your spark will ignite and turn into a roaring flame.”
The moment Chip and Barbi left, Shelly said, “Well, this will be great.”
Jude and I both shot her a look. The man who had his arm draped over her shoulder chimed in, “I’m Kyle, Jude’s best friend.”
“Ex-best friend.” I almost laughed at Jude’s comment, but I didn’t give him the satisfaction.
Unfazed, Kyle continued. “This is our other best friend, Luca.”
Luca, who was tall, dark, and very handsome, raised a hand, and said, “Ciao.” He also had an accent.
Shit, these three were best friends? Kyle was fairer than the other two, but just as good looking in a more wholesome way. I could only imagine the havoc they could wreak on the female population when together. I watched Kyle whisper something to Shelly, causing her to smile. My friend was holding out on me, which could explain why she didn’t take this opportunity herself.
I introduced my friends. When Vanessa shook Jude’s hand, I couldn’t fathom why my stomach twisted. Yes, she was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever met—long brown hair, perfectly shaped body, toned legs that seemed to go on for miles in the short dress she was wearing—but why should I have cared?
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Wrong. I’m Vanessa.” It was impossible for me to stifle my laugh, but after Jude gave Vanessa a livid expression, he politely shook her hand, as well as Cassie’s and Desiree’s.
Des leaned in, and whispered, “If you hurt her, I will find you,” loud enough for me to hear.
Jude’s snarky smirk faltered a bit before he said, “I’ll take good care of her.” He winked and the smile that spread over his lips knocked the wind from my lungs.
Fuck.
After the salacious responses to my questions, that kiss, his gorgeousness, and his sexy as sin accent, I second-guessed my confidence that I could handle him. I was in way over my head.
Chapter 5
Jude
Knowing we had minutes left before being whisked away to la-la-land, I muttered, “Excuse us,” and grabbed the collar of Kyle’s shirt to drag him out of the room. Once in the hall, I transferred my hold to his neck, squeezing until his eyes bugged out.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t end you right now.”
“You’d be lost without me?” he croaked out before laughing in my face.
“Wrong answer.” Not trusting myself, I released him and ran a hand through my hair. “Du inavlad kuksugare.”
“Whoa, slow down there, Mr. Swedish Fish. English.”
“I called you an inbred cocksucker. Seriously, what the fuck, Kyle? I need to see what you signed my name to. I need to know every detail of this fucking nightmare.”
He nodded with enthusiasm. “I put a copy in your suitcase. It’s not terrible, I promise. I wouldn’t have done this if it were something you couldn’t handle.”
“You also didn’t think he’d get picked.” Luca appeared, counting out the bet he won.
“This is true.” Kyle shoved his hands in his pockets and grinned. “You should look at it as a nice, long vacation—which you are long overdue for. You’ve been looking pretty haggard these days, eh.” At my lunge, the jackass laughed harder.
“Luca is your emergency contact. He will make sure Soren Enterprises runs without a hitch. I’ll be here to make sure your apartment is fine, your mail gets opened, and your secretary handles whatever needs to be handled. We’ve got this, Jude. Trust us.”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?”
“Well, you do, but then, thanks to Kyle, you would have to file bankruptcy,” Luca answered with a casual shrug.
“There will be no need to file anything. This is the universe telling you to step back, relax, and focus on your people skills.” Luca snorted and Kyle suppressed a laugh. “All kidding aside, Jude, she’s hot as fuck. It’s a no-brainer.”
Yes, she was. When I first saw her in that tight-fitting black dress, toned legs, sexy curves, and the long, silky sable hair, I envisioned wrapping those locks around my fist. My visual wasn’t making this any easier, but that was beside the point. I thrust a finger at him, and said, “I’m still going to hurt you when I get back.”
He mimicked Luca’s shrug. “Worth it.”
“Luca, promise me if anything happens that needs my attention you’ll call me.”
“I will.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “They’ll be monitoring your calls. If I call and say your Aunt Mildred died, that’s code to come home immediately. How’s that?”
“Okay, good.” I pulled out my cell and began forwarding the contact info of my key men. “I’m texting you their cell info, since it’s the weekend, and I don’t want you waiting until Monday. Call my lawyer, Cleese. Tell him what’s going on. Then call my CFO, Morrison, and tell him what Kyle signed me up for. Tell him he’s in charge during my absence. Then fill Ruth in. She not only needs to hold down the fort at the office, she needs to give daily journals of all the office activity to Morrison. Once done, call my parents and tell them what Kyle did. Then give them Kyle’s contact info and tell them to call him with anything they need. Anything at all.” I looked up to be sure Luca was still listening.
His fingers flew over the screen of his phone before he finally looked up. “Got it.”
“What do you need me to do?” Kyle asked.
“You’ve done enough. Just pray nothing goes wrong, and if it does, disappear.” Kyle mumbled something I didn’t quite catch. “Say again?”
He straightened his shoulders, and repeated, “I said, when this is over, I bet you’ll be thanking me.” His confidence faltered when I glared at him in response. “Or not.”
Shelly poked her head into the hallway with a bright smile. “Jude, are you ready? Your ride is here. You can collect your luggage and meet us out front.”
I looked at Luca first, and then Kyle. “Where did you say my luggage was?”
“In my car in the lot. I’ll go grab it,” Kyle said, bolting down the short hall and disappearing around a corner. The asshole had to be relieved to make an escape. He was probably counting down the minutes until I left. I really, really, really couldn’t believe he did this to me.
“What the fuck was he thinking?” I asked Luca once we were alone.
“Revenge.”
I raised my hands, palms up. “This is by far the stupidest thing he’s ever done. Playing innocent pranks is one thing, but that fucker took it to an insane level.”
“Well, I think encouraging Randi the way you did was pretty bad.” At my growl, he added, “Hey, don’t turn on me. I’m innocent in this. Besides, this is Kyle. He doesn’t think things through. Don’t you remember that time he thought it would be a great idea to spend our spring break on his parents’ sailboat, neglecting to tell us they’d be joining us?”
Christ, that week was a mess. Scrabble, Monopoly, Bundt cake—it was a complete and utter nightmare.
He nodded at my tortured groan. “Exactly. He thought it would be fantastic to have someone steering the boat, cooking for us, doting on us. It is what it is now. Just use the time in paradise to get into her pants and plot your revenge.”
“I can do that,” I concurred. Luca was right. This was what it was, and I just needed to get through it, try to enjoy the opportunity, and ride this insane wave. One thing Kyle was correct about: I did need a vacation. I looked at Luca and pleaded, “Dude, you must help these six weeks. Please? I won’t be able to relax unless I know you have my back.”
He walked closer and put a firm hand on my shoulder. “Always.”
Brae
We didn’t say one word to each other on the drive from the club to the hotel. Jude checked us in and our silence continued on the elevator ride up to the first room we would be sharing as a couple. I wasn’t sure what caused more of my nerves. The fact that I’d be alone with him in a hotel room all night long, or the fact that a tiny part of me was looking forward to it.
When I glanced at his reflection in the mirror-lined doors, his face was etched with a blend of irritation and what appeared to be anger. I didn’t know him well enough to be certain what thoughts were traveling through his head. My sole indicator was the way he snarled at his friend Kyle earlier.
Did he think this was how I wanted to get married? All of my little girl dreams of the perfect wedding flew out the window the moment I signed on that dotted line and committed to this game. A means to an end, I kept telling myself, but the on stage kiss he planted on me made my insides feel like I was on a wild roller coaster ride—one we were now on together.
Jude swiped the plastic key into the black box on the door before holding it open for me. At least he had manners. Right in the center of the room was a king size bed covered in oversized pillows and a fluffy white comforter. A note with our names on it sat in the middle. We set our bags to the side and stared at it.
There was a quick knock on the door and a voice behind it announced our luggage was here. As Jude went to answer the door, I walked over on shaky legs and picked up the folded card, reading it out loud.
Jude and Brae,
Welcome to the first night of the rest of your lives. Tomorrow, you embark on a journey of love.
May the spark you’ve ignited develop into a roaring flame.
Congratulations and have a wonderful time.
Love and Sparks,
Chip & Barbi
Cheesy much? With a sigh, I glanced his way. He tipped the bellhop and once again mumbled something in his native tongue.
“If you’re going to insult me, please use English so I know how to defend myself.”
“I wasn’t insulting you, I was contemplating ways I was going to kill Kyle.”
“Well, if you end up in jail for a year, that would make our first year together a piece of cake for me.”
“Year? It’s only six weeks.”
“It’s in the contract.”
Jude unzipped his suitcase with so much force, I was convinced he broke the zipper. Snatching out the manila envelope containing said contract, his eyes darted across the words as he studied it. His brows furrowed as he flipped the pages. Raking his hands through his hair, he began mumbling again in his native tongue. Defeated, he sat with a thump on the edge of the bed. “Did you read this? My jackass of a friend implied we could get divorced once the wedding was over.”
“I read it. My friend is a lawyer and went over the details with me. Your friend, the jackass, was mistaken.”
“So, you knew you’d have to marry a complete stranger and stay married for a year, and you still did this? Let’s not forget the public appearances we’re required to do. Is that why your friend called me Mr. Wrong?”
A chill ran up my spine. “Well, technically I didn’t know that detail before I signed it. Desiree pointed it out to me afterward, and I don’t control what Vanessa calls you, but she knew I wasn’t looking for Mr. Right.”
“Detail?” he almost shouted, ignoring the back half of my response. “That’s what you call this? A detail? This is a major fucking deal. One year of my life is now committed to you.”
I dropped the card on the bed and planted my hands on my hips. “It’s been two weeks since I received the contract. I’m sure you did as well. So, you can file your complaints at the door. We’re in this together now, and believe me I’m more concerned with how we’ll survive the next six weeks first. Because at this moment, I’m not sure I will.”
“For your information, missy, I didn’t have two weeks. I barely had two minutes before I was dragged on stage. So, excuse me if I seem a bit upset by this.”
“Well, don’t blame me, mister, I’m not the one who dragged you on stage. You can blame your ex-friend for that.”
“No, but you’re the one who picked me.” I thought he mumbled something else, but I couldn’t make it out.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
Irritation continued to boil my blood. “No, please. Enlighten me,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
He stood, his eyes pinned on my folded arms—or maybe it was my boobs he focused on. A very long moment went by before he spoke. “I said, lucky me. I did my damnedest to make sure you wouldn’t want anything to do with me. Yet, you picked me anyway. Why is that?” He stalked closer, until we were mere inches apart, causing my heart rate to spike. When he folded his arms, mimicking my stance, he was so close, our forearms touched. “I get why you didn’t pick tool number two, but tool number one was perfect in every way. So, why me?” At my silence, he prompted, “I was nothing less than a prick on that stage. Maybe you like pricks? Or maybe my answers were right up your alley and turned you on?”
The accusation was clear in his question; the taunt clear in the way he moved even closer and leaned down until his nose almost touched mine. His greenish-brown eyes seared lasers right through me. It took me about three seconds too long to react, but three seconds was long enough for an arrogant smile to tilt the corners of his gorgeous lips. My tongue betrayed me by poking out to dampen my own lips, causing that smile to spread. Dammit, he irked me with the way he stood staring, but I couldn’t get my brain to function in any capacity.
The Mr. Wrong Series Page 4