Fake Marriage Act

by Lulu Pratt

  After trying it on, I see her vision. The lace barely shows beneath the dip in the dress, but it’s incredibly sexy in its peek-a-boo nature.

  A metallic Chanel wristlet is the other item hanging and I wrap it around my wrist, stepping back to see my reflection in the full-length mirror when the curtain flies open.

  With roaming eyes, Trish looks me up and down before mumbling something about shades and pulling the curtain closed just after hanging a few more items.

  From one outfit to the next, I try on so many clothes I eventually stop Trish, glancing at my phone to see it’s almost time to meet Logan at the suite.

  Finally, she dresses me in a fitted black dress that hugs my body perfectly. My cleavage looks so tempting that I raise my own brows in appreciation while admiring my reflection.

  My legs look endless, thanks to the open-toe sandals she’s selected to display my fresh pedicure. A clutch purse and stud earrings complete my look, as I thank Trish for all her help before making my way back to the Four Seasons to meet Logan.

  Chapter 29

  Logan

  “Where is she?” I yell at Rodrick, upset that I’ve returned and no one can give me an exact location for Ava after I’ve given strict instructions to keep a close eye on her.

  “Sir, she just went out shopping like you wanted. I made sure every store knew she was to get whatever she wanted, and I’ve checked to make sure she arrived and departed from every stop on her itinerary,” he answers in the calm nature that he embodies whenever I’m overreacting.

  All day I’ve counted down to this moment, dying to smell and hug her after a draining day of meetings. I don’t mind her going out, and I love the fact that she’s spending money along the way, but I want to know where she is.

  “Mr. Draper, maybe it’s best that you prepare for the evening, because I think she may arrive ready to depart,” Rodrick says.

  While I know he’s right, it only infuriates me further.

  “Rodrick, find her,” I growl before stomping into my bathroom, undressing quickly.

  The hot water washes over my body, stinging pleasurably as I struggle to block the thoughts. Ava agreed to be here, and I’ve even made it home early, but she’s nowhere in sight, and my body is racked with worry and frustration.

  Ava in danger is my biggest fear, especially when I’ve brought her across the world just to be near my side. Who knows where she’s wandered off to. I just need her to make it back safely.

  By the time I get dressed in a black suit, opting for the black button-down shirt for a shift from the workday, there’s still no word from Ava.

  “Where is she, Rodrick?”

  “Sir, the concierge has assured me she’s not far.”

  “Let me talk to him,” I say out through clenched teeth and Rodrick looks pleased to pass the buck, quickly dialing a few numbers before handing me the phone.

  “This is Joey. How can I help?” he answers too excited for my liking.

  “Where’s Ava?”

  “Mr. Draper? I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. I’ve just been speaking with Rod–” he tries to deflect before I cut him off.

  “I don’t care about that. I want to know where Ava is,” I interrupt him.

  “I’m so sorry, sir. There was massive traffic, but I’ve just sent her upstairs, she should be…” his words over the phone fade as Ava walks through the door.

  Her hair is bouncing and it seems lighter as she looks from side to side with a carefree manner as she greets Rodrick and his men, all of whom look nothing more than gloom after being chewed out.

  She’s wearing a tight black dress, just long enough to be appropriate, and her neckline creates a pedestal for her breasts, leading to her defined collarbone and gorgeous face.

  Turning in my direction, her hazel eyes light up when they land on my face as she walks across the room in almost a skip to me.

  “Logan!” she says joyfully, throwing her arms in the air before draping them over my shoulders.

  I release a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding in.

  “I called you,” I whisper in her ear, the frustration and anger already melted away.

  “I’m sorry, my phone died at the salon. We got stuck in traffic, and I didn’t have your number memorized,” she shakes her head, rolling her eyes as she recalls her trials to get to me.

  “I don’t care. I’m just glad you’re here,” I pull her to me, kissing her softly as I inhale her mint and floral perfume.

  “Where should we put these?” Two bellhops ask from behind her as they each carry a handful of bags.

  Ava points to our bedroom with a smile and a cheerful thanks, and turning back to face me.

  “I had a little fun today,” she smiles, blushing while looking up to me.

  “You look incredible,” I rest my hand in the nape of her neck, pulling her closer to me to feel her soft lips pressed against mine.

  “Thank you,” she smiles, rising on her toes to kiss me before adding, “you look pretty good yourself.”

  “I have half a mind to cancel this whole night and take you to the bedroom,” I whisper in her ear as my cock throbs, desperate to feel her.

  “Well, if that’s what you want,” she says, blinking slowly as her eyes fill with lust.

  Hungrily biting my lip, I glance over her body, realizing how much time she must have spent preparing for this date, and I know I can’t keep her in, despite how much I want to. She’s done up to perfection, beaming with confidence as I look her over.

  “No, I have to take you out,” I decide, and while she tries to hide her excitement, I can sense she’s happy to go out together.

  “Should I get the car, sir?” Rodrick asks from across the room.

  “Yes, please,” I nod, and he quickly pulls his phone from his suit jacket while walking to the door.

  “I missed you,” she whispers, drawing my attention back to her.

  “You have no idea, Ava,” I shake my head thinking of how crazy I was going when I couldn’t find her.

  “What?”

  “Someone almost got fired because I couldn’t find you,” I say quietly, wrapping my arms around her.

  “We’re ready, sir,” Rodrick announces from the front door, and I lead Ava downstairs, never taking my hands or eyes off her.

  A private chef prepares an immaculate four-course meal for us on a rooftop overlooking the Sydney Opera House. Ava is glowing telling me all about her day and how much she enjoyed being pampered.

  “How was your day?” she smiles so sweetly.

  I just stare at her in silence for a few extra seconds. “It was fine. Better than yesterday, but that’s to be expected with the morning I had,” I wink, watching her blush.

  “Logan!” She looks over her shoulders as if anyone could possibly know what I’m talking about.

  “I can’t believe you’re still bashful around me,” I smirk.

  After dinner, we walk around in what feels like an evening stroll, but in fact, I’ve scheduled a surprise.

  With my arms draped over her small body, I lead her from one street to the next listening to her stories about growing up just outside Bakersfield, and how she started her own business.

  Ava didn’t have life handed to her like me, and I respect that about her. Who knows where I’d be if I didn’t have such a head start on my own business.

  What shocks me is how she doesn’t seem to realize the disadvantage she was served, instead she argues that we all have our pros and cons to life. Most people look at me and think that everything has been perfect, but that’s far from the truth. Ava sees me for who I really am and never judges me about it.

  “Come in here.” I lead her to a dimly lit storefront.

  “I think they’re closed.”

  “They’ll open for us.”

  Ava’s right, the store is closed, but what she doesn’t know is that I’ve arranged to have something made specifically for her, and the owner was happy to accommodate our sche
dule so I could surprise her after dinner.

  The door opens as we approach and Ava smiles up at me knowingly before greeting the owner.

  “I have something just for you,” the older man says.

  “For me?” She looks from him to me. Holding my hands in the air, I feign ignorance, but she’s not buying it, squinting her eyes at me with suspicion.

  Following him to a glass case of jewelry, he sets down a velvet tray, displaying a diamond necklace with matching earrings.

  Ava gasps when she sees the jewels sparkle, and my chest fills with pride knowing I’ve impressed her.

  “Baby, I can’t,” she starts, but I ignore her, nodding to the man to put it on her.

  “This will fit your neckline perfectly,” he explains, moving behind her as he gently places the diamonds around her neck before connecting the clasp.

  “Logan, it’s too much,” she whispers, her hand dropping to the jewels as she looks at her reflection in the mirror.

  “It’s already done, so please just accept it.”

  “Thank you, Logan. I love it, but…” she tries again, but I kiss her quickly, before she can speak another word.

  “No buts, just love it,” I say to her, reaching for the earrings.

  The delicate jewels feel tiny in my hands as I struggle to place them in her ears. She can’t stop staring at herself in the mirror, so I know I’ve done a great job.

  “I love them,” she finally says.

  “Good. Now let’s let Raul close for the night,” I chuckle before thanking him for his expertise and flexibility. Of course, he would have done much more than stay open late considering how much I spent.

  Right before we walk out of the door, I notice a piece of jewelry that catches my eye. It’s colorful and unique, just like my grandma’s taste. I’m sure she would love it if she was still alive.

  “What is it?” Ava asks.

  “Nothing, come on.”

  I shake my head, holding the door to let her out.

  My thoughts drift to my grandmother as we walk back to the waiting car, Rodrick accompanying us now that Ava is wearing so much jewelry.

  “What was it?” Ava asks again.

  My instinct is to shut down and tell her not to worry about it, but I realize this is what she wants from me. It’s what she means when she says she wants all of me.

  Ava shares her life like an open book, but I’ve chosen to keep my personal life more closed off. I look down at her big hazel eyes as she quietly awaits my answer.

  “There was a brooch back there. It caught my attention because my grandma had one like it and someone stole it recently. Actually, it was the same night that you and I met.”

  Rodrick looks back a little shocked.

  People stealing from me, or getting any type of advantage against me, is something I never talk about unless I’m plotting some type of revenge, and even then, it’s only with a handful of people.

  “I’m so sorry,” she says with a squeeze of her hand on my hand.

  “I don’t even care about the money, or even the betrayal. It’s just that it belonged to my grandmother, so I can never replace it,” I explain, taking a deep breath as the anger builds in my chest.

  “Did your grandma raise you?” she asks, she interlocks our fingers.

  “Yes and no. My parents were both there, but they were pretty caught up in their own lives. My grandmother lived with us from the time I was five, and she was to me what nannies were to my friends.” I smile, thinking of how she would always joke about waiting on her paycheck from my parents.

  “You didn’t have a nanny?”

  “Is that shocking?” I ask sarcastically, but that always shocks people when they learn it about me.

  “Just a little,” she teases as Rodrick opens the door.

  We ride home with little conversation between the two of us, and while I’m not sure what it is, I’m certain that something is bothering her.

  Chapter 30

  Ava

  My stomach is in knots trying to find an alternative answer to what has just become obvious. Initially, I couldn’t place where I first saw a brooch like the one Logan admired in the jewelry store, but I knew it looked familiar.

  It wasn’t until he revealed the story about his grandmother, and how special she was to him, that it hit me like a ton of bricks – Petra is the person who stole from Logan and we were both there the night the brooch was stolen.

  Riding through the city, I search for possible explanations for the brooch I found in her lingerie, but I know the truth. It just doesn’t add up. Why would she want to steal from Logan when she doesn’t even know him?

  Even more importantly, how am I going to tell him about it, because there’s no way I can possibly keep this from him. I’ve never wanted secrets between us, and this is one too large to ever try to move around.

  The look on his face when he spoke about his grandmother stopped my heart. I could feel the love he has for her, and to know that my best friend took a piece of the memories he has left, makes me feel like a complete dirtbag.

  From the way he spoke about the betrayal, I can’t imagine how he’ll react if I tell him, but I know it won’t be good.

  Just when everything was going so perfect, something just had to knock me back to reality, reminding me of another reason why I can’t be with Logan. Our worlds are too different, and he deceived me, but I had moved past both of those obstacles, and then boom! another explosion before we can even get through our first trip together as a couple.

  My hand falls to my new necklace, which is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, but now I feel completely undeserving watching Logan look off into space as his thumb rubs over my knuckles.

  He’s so sweet and intimate, I don’t want to ruin that. I can’t imagine how he’ll see me after learning the truth. My stomach churns just thinking of the betrayal he’ll feel.

  For a person who’s had so many negative things to say about Logan, I can’t even begin to understand how Petra could have done something so conniving. While I want to believe that someone else stole it, and possibly gave it to her, I know it’s unlikely. She said that there was no one she knew at the party except the valet and she said later that was one of the reasons she wanted to leave as quickly as she did.

  There’s no other reasonable explanation than her taking it while we were in the party. Thinking back, I remember losing her the second we made it past the entry, and I didn’t see her again until she rushed me out of there.

  This just doesn’t make sense, but I’m determined to get to the bottom of it if it’s the last thing I do.

  The car door opens, wiping my mind clear as Logan turns to extend his hand after stepping outside. Walking through the lobby hand in hand, I feel like a fraud, as if everyone knows how I’ve betrayed him.

  “Now I get to finally have you to myself,” Logan whispers along my neck, wrapping his arms around me while rubbing his hands down the front of my dress.

  “Did you miss me?” I smile, feeling like myself for the first time since we left the jewelry store.

  “All fucking day.” He tugs at my earlobe and I hear my earring clink against his teeth.

  “Why do you get to curse and not me?”

  “Because you drive me fucking crazy.” He smiles brightly, melting my insecurities and fears away.

  Petra messed up big time, and I’ll have to tell Logan about it at some point, but the way he looks at me when his body craves mine makes none of that matter.

  “Thank you for a perfect night, and the most beautiful jewelry I’ve ever seen.”

  “The first of many, baby,” he says matter-of-factly as the elevator doors open.

  Logan’s hands are all over me from the second we make it into the suite, tugging and pulling uncontrollably. It’s like he’s struggled to keep his composure all night and now he can finally let go.

  “Wait, I have to show you something,” I say.

  He frowns, obviously less than thrilled about
any type of delay.

  “You can show me later,” he sighs, running his tongue down my neck.

  With a deep breath, my head falls back as my pelvis muscles clench and release slowly. Walking behind me, as he teases my neck with his masterful mouth, Logan presses me onward to the bedroom, his erection poking into my back.

  It never matters how recently I’ve felt him – whenever his mouth is on me, enticing and seductive, I feel starved for his touch. In my mind, it’s been far too long since I felt him inside of me, and our hands fumble clumsily to rid each other of all our clothes.

  Just as I’ve unbuttoned his pants, sending them to the ground, Logan spins me around, unzipping my dress before gasping when he sees what I wanted to show him.

  During the styling portion of my day, Trish, my personal shopper made sure to include lots of lingerie, and although he had no idea, the best part of my outfit tonight was underneath my dress.

  When I turn around, his eyes are locked on the black and gray lace lifting my body in all the right places. Wearing nothing but his underwear, Logan is frozen, and I feel completely in control. He’s under my spell of seduction for once.

  Seizing the moment, I lift his chin with one finger, staring deep into those blue eyes. His jaw tightens as he clenches his teeth, but I’ve got another surprise for him. With my eyes locked on his, I slowly drop to my knees, yanking his boxers down just enough to free his heavy length.

  “Ava – fuck!” He cries out as I place his cock in my mouth before he can object.

  Twirling my tongue around the head and base of his manhood, I take him deep into my throat, slowly, letting him feel the back of my mouth as my glands pump saliva against my tongue from the intrusion.

  “Hmm,” I hum, looking up at him.

  “Suck it,” he says through clenched teeth, his eyes hooded with lust.

  Staring at him, I wait fifteen seconds, watching his abs flex in preparation as he anticipated the sensations of my mouth.

  Sliding his cock against my tongue, I turn my head from side to side as I bob forward and backward, sucking him slowly at first. Reaching my left hand behind his stiffness, I take his balls into my hand, slowly massaging the soft skin. His hand drops to my head as a throaty groan escapes him.