by Tiana Cole
“It's okay, Jason,” I replied in annoyance. “Yeah, I haven't been getting much sleep lately. But if you're talking about the report on the Standard Issue case, then, yes—I got it. I sent you my thoughts already.”
Jason nodded before slinking back to his desk. I sighed, and rubbed my face in an effort to bring some life to myself. It had the reverse effect, instead making me want to shut my eyes and fall asleep right there on my desk.
“Jessica, a moment,” I heard. My eyes were dangerously close to shutting for good, and the voice snapped me to attention. Bastian had called me into his office, and I was wary of what he wanted. We were still finalizing the fine print of the Landon Corporation lawsuit, and had been holing up in his office over the last few days to work on it together. He had a really comfortable couch in there, which worried me given my current state of exhaustion. I didn't know if I could manage to look at it and resist the urge to lay down for a much-needed nap. I rose from my desk and sleepily walked into Bastian's office as instructed. He shut the door behind me and gestured me towards the couch.
“I should probably remain standing,” I cautioned. “I think I'll fall asleep on you if I sat down right about now.”
Bastian slightly tilted his head at me questioningly. His intense grey gaze studied my face, and he put his hand at the small of my back to guide me to the couch anyway. Ever since that surprise first kiss in his office, my skin would tingle whenever he touched me and butterflies would flutter in my belly. I hadn't anticipated such a reaction to the man I'd once had such disdain for and had often referred to as “The Kraken.” I sat down, and he knelt in front of me to arrange a throw pillow for me to lie my head on.
“You look worn out,” he noted with concern. “I want you to take a short nap and I'll wake you up in half an hour.”
“You're telling me to…take a nap?” I looked at him with bemusement. “While we're supposed to be working?” I asked while incredulity crept into my voice. Bastian smiled, his entire face lighting up and becoming even more beautiful. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and scratched his stubbly cheek.
“Yes, I am. I'm responsible for you not getting sleep, and you have special privileges as my fiancée,” he grinned, then bent down to press a gentle kiss to my cheek. I was still going to need more time to get used to this strangely affectionate Bastian. “Plus, you have to be sharp for tomorrow. You'll be no good to me if you're delirious from sleep deprivation.”
I couldn't even sigh or roll my eyes; I should have expected he would say that. I simply giggled, and he smirked before walking out of sight to take a seat at his desk. It couldn't hurt to get some sleep, so I allowed myself to take him up on his offer.
“Go to sleep, Jessica. Trust me, I'll wake you up when it's time,” Bastian spoke softly. I made a face, wondering how he knew I wasn't already in dream land. I sighed, then fell into a deep slumber as he worked diligently at his desk.
* * *
“Jess…Jessica, wake up,” Bastian's smooth voice penetrated through the dense fog of sleep that was reluctant to let go of me. He smoothed the hair from my face and shook my shoulder gently. I smiled, my eyes still closed, silently musing over how quickly he would get annoyed if I pretended to keep sleeping. “What are you smiling about? Did you have a sweet dream about me?”
I chuckled, then opened my eyes to find Bastian's clear grey ones looking down at me affectionately. His face was quite close to mine, though I had to admit it wasn't a terrible way to wake up. His personality may need work, but he was definitely easy to look at.
“No, I didn't dream about you, Bastian,” I murmured as I sat up to stretch. He quirked an eyebrow at me and joined me on the couch after I swung my legs around.
“Well, that's no fun. I'll have to change that soon,” he joked. I glanced at him, and he smirked mischievously.
“I agreed to marry you, but—” I started, only to have Bastian cut me off with a gesture of his hand.
“But we have to keep up appearances. Affection and intimacy are included in that, Jessica,” he finished for me. I turned towards him, prepared to argue, but he titled my chin up and his eyes flashed a smoldering look that melted the words on my tongue. “We'll have to know each other intimately…and there's only one real way to accomplish that.”
“So, what you're saying is, you need a super-detailed binder full of useless information about me, too?” I asked half-jokingly.
Bastian smiled, and I put my hand on his arm to remove his fingers from my chin.
“I can learn all I need to know by spending a few nights at your apartment,” he answered. “Which I plan to do starting tonight, I might add.”
“Oh?” I asked with a touch of annoyance. “I don’t have any say in this?”
“For five million dollars, I should be able to spend every night with you,” he pointed out, to which I had no rebuttal. “We're going out to dinner as well, so you'll want to wear something nice, yet casual,” he told me, then held my hand and carefully pulled me up from the couch.
“So why did I have to memorize a whole binder full of stuff, and you didn't?” I questioned in irritation. I’d missed precious hours of sleep pouring over that damn binder, and this whole arrangement was beginning to feel a bit one-sided.
“Because I'm a very particular man, whereas I can tell a few things about you at first glance,” he smirked. I shot him a dubious look, and he happily expounded. “For instance, I know you primarily take care of your hair with conditioner and oils. You don't own that much make-up, because you hardly wear any. You don't need to anyway since you’re naturally so beautiful. You’re a bit self-conscious about your height, which is why you always wear heels. You bite your lip when you’re thinking, and you roll your eyes a lot. Really, the list can go on,” Bastian grinned.
“Okay, then,” I huffed, a tad taken aback by how right he was. He didn’t pay me much attention the first few weeks I’d worked here, but he was certainly making up for lost time now. “Well, maybe you didn't need a binder, but still…” I pouted.
“Alright, now that you're momentarily refreshed, lets get to work,” he chuckled.
I spent much of the day in Bastian's office going over the case we were building in defense of Landon Corporation, and I barely had time to eat lunch thanks to my nap. When I finally emerged from his office as the place was closing up, I found Jeannie at her desk still working.
“Hey, girl. I thought The Kraken had taken you as his slave or something,” she joked with a smirk. I laughed knowing she had no idea what Bastian had really taken me as.
“No, we've just been working on this case together. It’s really consuming,” I sighed, and Jeannie studied me for a moment.
“You know, things have gotten a lot better around the office since you yelled at him,” Jeannie pointed out. She was keen to a lot, and I grew a little nervous as to what she might think about he and I being engaged. I mean, I didn’t think it was supposed to be a private engagement from everything he’d told me.
“Yeah, um, I guess he just needed a stern talking to,” I shrugged. Jeannie pursed her lips, but didn't say anything. I left her to pack up her desk while I gathered some things from mine, and Bastian silently padded up behind me just as he’d done a few days earlier.
I was bent over, and felt his hand caress my backside before it slid up to the small of my back. I straightened quickly, and he flashed me a devilish smirk before leaning down to press a kiss to my lips. I wasn't sure what to do, especially since Jeannie was still in the office and likely witnessing the entire display. Bastian pulled away, and smiled wide as he took my hand in his.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked a little too innocently. He clearly knew Jeannie was within earshot at her cubicle, and now someone else knew about us being 'together.' I took a deep breath to calm both my nerves and pounding heart, then nodded and forced a smile in his direction. Bastian politely carried my briefcase for me while he pulled me after him towards reception.
“We'll see you
tomorrow, Jeannie,” Bastian called, and I couldn't help but steal a glance behind me. She was staring at us in open-mouthed shock, and I couldn’t say as I blamed her. I shrugged as Bastian continued guiding me to the elevators, and I looked up at him accusingly when we were safely inside of them.
“You did that on purpose!” I hissed, but Bastian seemed completely unbothered by my tone.
“Of course I did,” he grinned smugly. “It's time we start going public with this, Jessica.” I sighed deeply while trying to curb my frustration. “It's time you realized that this is more or less real,” he reminded me while I chewed on my bottom lip nervously—a habit he’d pointed out earlier.
“Yeah, I just…I haven't quite gotten used to this whole arrangement yet,” I admitted. Bastian lifted our joined hands and planted a soft kiss on my knuckles.
“You will,” he assured me with a smile.
The elevator doors opened to the lobby, and we stepped out together hand in hand. I wasn’t sure if I was just being paranoid, but it felt like all eyes were on us as we walked closely with our hands clasped. When we reached the parking garage, I glanced up at Bastian and was momentarily distracted by his angular profile. He was truly a gorgeous man, and held himself with a sense of power unlike any I’d ever seen. It was as though he owned the world, and it owed him everything.
“So where are you taking me tonight?” I asked as we crossed the garage.
“You'll see,” he smiled mischievously. “It's a surprise.”
“I should have known,” I replied, rolling my eyes as we neared my car.
“I'll be riding with you,” he announced. “We'll stop by my penthouse so I can pick up some clothes to sleep over at your place.”
“Yes, sir,” I shot back playfully.
“Good answer,” he grinned, eagerly snatching the keys I’d dangled in front of him. I was a bit flattered when he held the passenger door open for me and helped me inside.
“Yeah, and you didn't even ask if you could drive,” I chided playfully. Bastian shrugged as he made his way around to the driver's side and settled in behind the wheel.
“I'm sure you’ll agree it's a bit more practical for me to drive,” he said as he fumbled for the lever that would slide the seat back and allow for his long legs. “It beats trying to direct you through the crazy New York traffic.”
I wanted to argue, but decided to let it go. Marriage was about compromise, after all. Great, I scolded myself. Now you're thinking like some old marriage counselor.
“Fine…” I conceded grumpily. Bastian pulled out of the parking space and we drove off towards his penthouse.
“You're feisty when you haven't slept,” he remarked with a smile, gently poking fun at me.
“You're right, I am feisty short when I haven't slept. Especially since I've been thrown into an engagement with my boss and asked to memorize an entire binder full of menial details about his life,” I fired back. “On top of which, said boss feels the need to drive my car and impose himself in my apartment for the weekend,” I snapped, and Bastian glanced at me in surprise.
“Hey, you agreed to this, Jessica,” he reminded me in frustration. “I'm not forcing you to do anything. You're the one who said yes.”
“Whatever. I just thought you should know how grumpy I get when I don't sleep,” I huffed. “You can add that to the list of things you need to know about me for immigration.”
I realized I was only lashing out at Bastian because I was nervous and a bit scared. We were actually going through with this whole engagement ploy, and if we were caught, I risked jail time. I was an up-and-coming lawyer who certainly couldn't have a criminal record.
I was definitely uncomfortable with the situation, but I couldn’t let the firm collapse around my colleagues and Mr. Travellis, who’d always treated me well. The money, while certainly not the determining factor, was also hard to pass up. With ten million dollars, I'd certainly never have to work again.
That wasn't in my nature, however, as I genuinely loved practicing business law. If anything, I'd use the money to launch my own firm. Going through with The Kraken's scheme, which I knew wouldn't hurt anyone, was the key to my independence. With this in mind, I attempted to regain my composure.
“You're freaking out,” Bastian sighed, his expression more observant than frustrated. He seemed more understanding as he glanced at my face. “As long as we both play the part, we'll be fine…I promise.” He took my hand in his, and his thumb ran across my knuckles soothingly. “Trust me, Jessica, the last thing I want is to be deported back to Greece, away from my entire life here, and to land you in jail. It simply won't happen,” he assured me, and I nodded woodenly.
“Do you promise?” I asked, my face painted with worry, suddenly unsure of what I’d gotten myself into. Bastian stopped at a red light, and his eyes locked onto mine intently.
“I promise,” he answered convincingly. I breathed a small sigh of relief and allowed myself to relax a little.
“Okay,” I replied softly.
He drove us to the Upper East Side to an impressive high-rise building. The car was parked by a valet, and the doorman greeted Bastian by name while tipping his hat. We strode through the fancy lobby, with its buffed white tile floors and gold accents, past a row of elevators until we reached one that appeared to be private. Bastian wasn't kidding about living in the penthouse, and had to insert a key card and type in a code for the elevator to access it. We rode up fairly quickly, and the elevator doors parted to reveal a wide, open space. The short foyer bled into the living room on the right, and at the back of the living room lay a curving staircase that led to the second level of the luxurious suite. To the left of the foyer was the kitchen, and beyond that I noticed a formal dining room.
Situated between the kitchen and the living room was a hallway that I presumed led to a bathroom, and perhaps a few bedrooms. The space was decorated with modern touches, but it wasn't too modern or cold. The colors were warm and inviting, with complimenting pastels of blues, tans, and creams.
“Welcome to my home. Well, it's soon to be your home, too,” Bastian grinned at me, and kept hold of my hand while he pulled me behind him. We headed up the stairs, my eyes wide with wonderment, and they led to a loft-style family room.
There was a hallway towards the far right of the room, and we made our way down it to the master bedroom. I wasn't surprised to find it quite spacious, and as tastefully decorated as the rest of the place. Bastian let my hand go while he crossed to his walk-in closet. Meanwhile, I took a seat on his king-sized bed and collapsed back onto the soft mattress. It felt like I was lying on a cloud, and I felt my eyes growing heavy as I waited for him to return. I glanced at the closet door and couldn't even see Bastian anymore. In keeping with the rest of his penthouse, I was willing to bet his closet was cavernous. I pulled a pillow down from the head of the bed, and curled up to close my eyes for a moment. Before I knew it, I was knocked out completely.
I woke up disoriented, mostly because I was tucked into Bastian’s huge bed and the room had become rather dark. I glanced at the great view of the city the room boasted thanks to the large windows lining its entire left wall.
I wondered what time it was, but before I could get up Bastian sauntered into the room wearing nothing but gym shorts. His powerful chest was glistening with a fine sheen of sweat that made his naturally tan skin seem golden, not to mention emphasized his taught muscles. His chest and stomach were quite defined, and I stared in awe of his physique.
“Well, you're up just in time for dinner,” Bastian smirked at me, knowing exactly what I was staring at. “Would you like to lick off the sweat?” he teased with a mischievous smirk. I threw a pillow at him which he easily caught with a chuckle.
“That's gross! And salty. Too much salt isn't good for my blood pressure,” I joked, and Bastian bellowed with laughter.
“Good point. How about we take a shower together and you wash it all off?” he grinned while I blinked in stunned disbelief.<
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“Are you serious?” I asked in feigned disgust. Bastian's laughter dialed down to a sultry chuckle which made my heart pick up its pace. He stalked over to me almost predatorily, and I could feel the power radiating from him. He was undeniably sexy…and he knew it.
“I'm as serious as you want me to be,” he replied, his tone promising. I bit my lip without realizing I was doing it. Was I crazy for actually considering his offer? It had been quite some time since I’d been with a man, and his shirtless body was obviously affecting me.
“Uh…where are we going for dinner?” I asked in an attempt to distract myself from the weird attraction I was suddenly feeling for him.
“We're going to Daniel on park avenue. I hope you like French cuisine,” Bastian answered, but his eyes were still intent on mine with a heat in their grey depths. I simply nodded, and he held his gaze on mine for a moment before he smirked and walked back to the closet. I heard the faint sound of running water, and guessed the bathroom had to be through there. Satisfied that he was out of sight, I took a deep breath and forced myself to relax.
I climbed out of bed and noted how sweet it was that he’d actually tucked me in after I’d passed out from exhaustion. I’d never seen this side of him, but it was something I could get used to and I hoped he’d keep it up.
I found my purse on the chair across from his fireplace, and rummaged through it until I found my phone. I noted that it was only seven thirty, which meant I'd only slept for around an hour or so. His bed was unbelievably comfortable, and I’d crashed so hard it had felt like much longer. I wondered how long Bastian would take in the shower, because if we were going to dinner I needed to zip home and change into something more appropriate.
I sat on the edge of the bed and waited, rather impatiently, for him to emerge from the depths of his closet. Minutes later he strolled out dressed in smart, casual attire. He wore light tan denim slacks, and a light blue dress shirt underneath a navy blue blazer. His hair was styled in a perfect coif, and I marveled at how modelesque he looked. I was very aware of how insane it was that I’d actually be marrying this man soon.