by Tia Siren
Luke stomped down on the annoyance building up in him. Thirty days of pretending to be in love was almost too much work. Still, he was at a dead end, and he needed to do something to get Paige to actually like him.
“Fine.” He sighed and pulled out his phone. “Read the number to me.”
They parked in front of the elevators that led directly up to his apartment. Luke dialed the number as Toby read it out. He half expected it to go to voice mail since it was the middle of the afternoon, but he was surprised when Paige’s voice answered warily.
“Hello?”
“It’s Luke,” he said. “Luke Turner. We met on Friday night, remember?”
“I remember,” she said, still wary. “I'm surprised you’re calling instead of your assistant, who happens to be Shannon’s half-brother.”
He clenched his teeth to keep control of his already fraying temper. “Yeah, sorry. I shouldn’t have let him do all my dirty work for me.”
“Most people apologize themselves when they mess up.”
“Well, that’s why I’m calling,” he said. He glanced at Toby, who gave him a cheerful thumbs-up. “I was wondering if Shannon had talked to you about coming out with me. I just wanted to ask you myself too.”
He mentally thrashed himself for how awkward he sounded. He never asked women out. Never. Suck up fucking your pride, Turner. Just suck it the fuck up.
“That’s a start, I suppose,” Paige said. “I already told Shannon that I’d give it a shot if you apologized to me for acting like a forward prick.”
“I just know what I want,” Luke replied tightly. “But, forgive me for thinking you were beautiful and wanting to be with you.”
Toby smacked his head in dismay. “Wow, bro,” he whispered, shaking his head. “Tone that shit down. Be normal.”
“Okay, I’m sorry,” Luke said when Paige didn’t reply. “I’m an asshole, and I know it. I’m just not used to being a—”
“Gentleman?” she supplied, a bit sarcastically. “I guess that will work for me. The apology at least.”
“So, it’s set then?” Luke asked impatiently. He had a woman upstairs waiting for him, and he wanted to bury himself in her to get his frustrations out of the way.
“We’re set,” Paige said. “See you Saturday.”
She hung up without waiting for him to reply. Luke stared down at his phone, surprised to hear that timid and shy woman no longer there. Then again, what had he expected? He had basically tried to get her into his bed Friday night. That strategy wouldn’t work when it came to Paige Scott, so he had to resort to other measures.
In the meantime, though, he stepped out of the SUV without waiting for Toby’s response. He had to take care of other business.
****
As he expected, Alicia Poole was draped elegantly over one of the couches that overlooked the patio and city. She wore a long black dress with a slight all the way up to her right hip, and her short black locks of hair were curled carelessly. She rose from the couch to face him.
“I was wondering when you would make an appearance,” she said, pouting prettily. “I’ve been waiting for you for hours it seems like.”
Luke tossed his wallet and keys onto the table next to the elevator doors. He couldn’t stand it when Alicia dropped in without an invitation, but today he needed a release. He needed something.
Her bare feet padded over the hardwood floors. His eyes hungrily took in the tanned skin of her thighs that flashed through the skirt of her dress when she walked. She stood on tiptoes to casually wrap her arms around his shoulders and then pressed her lips up against his in a kiss that he returned eagerly.
“Slow down,” Alicia said, resting a hand on his chest. “I have nowhere to be today, so you can wait a minute. What did your father’s lawyer say?”
Just thinking of their conversation brought on the need to drink. Luke untangled himself from the circle of Alicia’s arms. After stalking over to the bar, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey.
“It was complete bullshit,” he snarled, taking a long drink. “My father still thinks he can control my life from beyond the grave.”
“How so?”
“He refuses to let me have my inheritance or the company unless I’m engaged, or married, within the next thirty days.”
“That should be easy for you then.” He turned to glare at Alicia, who laughed in amusement. “I meant, I’m an actress. There is no possible way you can meet someone, get them to fall in love with you within thirty days, and accept a proposal. It’s not possible.”
“And this involves you how exactly?”
“Come on, baby,” Alicia said, rolling her eyes. “It’s been over three years now since you and I started seeing each other casually. I know you. You don’t ever return to the same woman more than once.”
“You’d only want to get married to me because you’d get something out of it,” he said. “What’s the catch with you?”
“There’s no catch. I just care about you is all.”
She was careful not to mention the word love. That one word never felt good on Luke’s tongue. It opened you up for certain heartbreak, so he never said it to anyone. Even his own father had never said it.
Luke took a long drink before pouring himself another glass. “Well, I appreciate it, but you were voted off that island a long time ago.”
Alicia stiffened. “Come again?”
“It mentions your name specifically in the will,” Luke said. “My father will not hand anything over with you tied to me.”
“Bastard,” Alicia spat, shaking her head. Her nice and pleasant attitude was gone, as he had expected it would be. “What does he have against me exactly?”
He set his empty glass down on the bar top. “I have no idea. He’s apparently against me too, so don’t feel too shitty over it. He doesn’t want me to have his business; that’s for damn sure.”
“What is your plan of attack then?” She crossed her tanned and slender arms expectantly. “There has be a loophole around that will of Roderick’s. Do you have a lawyer scouring that document yet?”
“Already did,” Luke said. “He’s told me the same thing. There is only one way to get this inheritance.”
“Find someone to love you in thirty days?”
“Yes,” he said, and capped the whiskey bottle. “That’s what I’m going to have to do.”
Hands were suddenly touching his chest. Deft fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt before slipping inside. Luke let his eyes close in pleasure as one of those hands meandered downward to the one place he really needed it.
“I don’t know if I can stand the thought of someone besides me touching you,” Alicia purred into his ear before nipping on the lobe.
His arousal hardened even more, aching to be released from the confines of his pants. He didn’t bother stating that he had slept with other woman besides her. The last thing he wanted was to have an angry confrontation with Alicia when all he needed was a good lay. She had a temper on her, similar to his own, and was unafraid of anyone or anything.
Those skilled fingers sank past the waistband of his jeans to grasp him firmly. Luke let out a groan before reaching down with his own hand to guide her movements against him.
“Someone has missed me,” she whispered, giving him a wicked squeeze. “You can’t tell me that there is someone else out there in the world who can take it in bed like I do.”
She had him there. Alicia felt no pain. There were even a few times Luke had hesitated in fear that he had hurt her. He wasn’t afraid to be dominant in the bedroom, but not on the painful side of things. Still, Alicia would only murmur to keep going or flip him over to ride him wildly until release.
Today, though, he was in no mood to let her be in control.
Savoring the touch of her fingers against him, Luke whirled around to grasp Alicia’s head in a searing kiss. They kissed hotly while Luke ripped at the straps of her dress, shoving the thin material down her slender arms to bare her breasts
to his touch. She hadn’t bothered with wearing a bra on her way to his apartment.
He gripped at the tender flesh there while Alicia’s hands ripped steadily at his clothes. The fabric of his shirt parted, and he stepped back to shrug out of it quickly. He tugged the rest of Alicia’s dress down past her slender hips and legs. She was completely bare beneath the dress, and he hardened even more at the sight of her sex already moist for him.
Raising a hand, he let his fingers slip into the wetness between her thighs. Alicia’s head tilted back as she moaned in pleasure. He set a hard and rough rhythm that he knew she could handle but would bring her to a quick climax.
Sunlight danced between the valley of her breasts. A sheen layer of moisture covered her entire body. Her legs trembled, a sure sign of an impending orgasm. Blinded by the lust and frustration simmering in his veins, Luke withdrew his hand before she could go over the top.
Alicia tilted her head down to look at him with a mischievous smile. She knew well that he liked the feeling of her orgasm while inside her.
He didn’t give her a chance to speak. Swooping her up into his arms, Luke threw her down onto the same couch she had been lounging on while waiting for him to arrive. He unbuttoned his pants and then shoved the offending fabric down his legs, followed by his boxers.
“Come to me,” Alicia said, holding out a hand and letting her long legs fall apart in a wordless invitation. “I know you want this.”
He was so hard he couldn’t think coherently. Grabbing ahold of Alicia’s right leg, he propped it up on his shoulder while adjusting himself to sit comfortably between her bent legs. Her thighs immediately squeezed his hip bones in a silent encouragement.
“Fuck me,” she whispered.
Not needing any more encouragement, Luke thrust hard into her with a relieved groan. He thrust hard and fast, the pace as brutal as he could handle. Alicia let out whimpers of pleasure while her hands palmed at his backside.
This sort of thing would never win over Paige’s affections. That thought trickled into the back of his mind.
Virgin. It was fucked up to think about it, but the thought aroused him even more. He thrust harder to the thought of Paige underneath of him, writhing in pleasure on the edge of her climax. He could picture it so vividly in his mind that when he glanced down, it took him a second to realize it was Alicia’s face contorted in pleasure.
He could only imagine how it would feel to have Paige in his bed for the first time. He had no intention of sticking to her afterward, but it was for the better. He was too far gone to ever be in a normal, healthy adult relationship.
Hot muscles constricted around him. Alicia let out a trembling scream as she bucked up against him in a series of moans and pants. Letting go of everything, Luke clenched his teeth as he thrust wildly into the tightness and wetness. His orgasm came barreling down hard on him.
“Fuck, Paige,” he groaned out, sweat dripping off every inch of him.
Hands shoved violently at his chest. Luke slipped away when he realized what he had said. Sitting up quickly, Alicia glared at him. Her face was also sweaty and flushed from their ardent activities. “Who the fuck did you just call me?”
“No one,” he said coolly. “Don’t worry about it.”
Alicia huffed as she slid off the couch. “Right, don’t worry about it, Luke. Next time we fuck, I’ll make sure to yell out some other man’s name when I’m fantasizing about him with you on top of me.”
Irritation shot through him. That sated feeling hadn’t lasted long. Alicia stomped over to the bar to grab her dress from the floor. Not in the mood to fight, Luke sat back on the couch to let the sunshine warm his naked body. He didn’t care if his neighbors in the other building got an eyeful. It felt relaxing, despite Alicia hurling insults at him.
“Are you even listening to me?” Alicia demanded, thumping him on the shoulder hard.
“No, I’m not,” he snapped, looking up at her with a glare. “Get out, Alicia. If you’re going to act like a psycho, get out. I’ve got enough to deal with without your crazy moods.”
She hugged her dress close to her chest angrily. “Fuck you, Luke. Just fuck you.”
After stomping across the floor, Alicia punched the elevator button. She stepped inside with her dress still clutched tightly to her chest, completely naked behind it. Her eyes narrowed at him before the elevator doors shut and he heard the whir of it heading down.
There was no doubt that his team would get a good eyeful when she reached the bottom. Things like that never mattered to Alicia anyway. Hell, they had fucked in a hotel elevator that had a camera at one time, the feed of which had been aired on TMZ a few years ago. He could still remember his father yelling at him over that one.
This was revenge for all the times Luke had done everything he possibly could to defy his father’s values. Marriage, relationships, things like that had never been high on his agenda. He loved oil. He loved being in business. Those were the things that were the most important to him. Now he had to adjust those around in the next thirty days to win over Paige. Money obviously didn’t impress her, so he had to do something else.
Even if it gave him a headache.
“You’re a prick, Dad,” he said, shaking his head with a sigh. “I don’t think you realize how much of a fucking prick you really are.”
Chapter Five
Paige
“This is where Luke wanted us to meet?”
Paige took in the jungle of greenery as they drove up a twisted and private driveway to a small restaurant centered in the middle of it all. It was still warm, even a bit balmy, when she rolled down the passenger window to inhale the scent of fresh herbs and greenery.
“Yes,” Shannon said, gazing out the window as well with a smile. “It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?”
“I never imagined it’d be so nice here upstate,” Paige replied. She shook her head in amazement. “Who knew you all had farms upstate. It’s almost like being home.”
A pang of homesickness went through her just thinking that. Her parents were most likely out working on the farm right now. It had taken all day with the three of them doing it together, but she imagined it took them longer now that she was gone.
If her parents even knew about Luke. A headache pounded in Paige’s head as she imagined the onslaught of questions. She’d definitely get a lecture about dating an older man with tons of money. It wouldn’t be a “I’m so happy for you, honey” type of conversation. It’d be a “I don’t think you can handle that type of situation, Paige” type of conversation. They had never been approving of her possibly dating—even in high school.
That was what had driven her to sneak around with Marcus after school. She had loved it back then, too. It had been thrilling to sneak around until that night Marcus had convinced her to make out in the back of his Jeep.
After that, her hopes of finding a boyfriend like any other sixteen-year-old girl in her class had been dashed. Her parents had set a harsh rule that there would be no dating until she was eighteen and out of their house.
Not that it had mattered anyway. She never trusted anyone again after finding out that Marcus had been in on it just to appease his ex and friends at the time.
The car pulled up next to a large patio area with lantern lights wrapped around the porch railing. Luke stood on the porch with one hand tucked casually in the pocket of his dark jeans. Unlike the other time she had seen him, this time he wore a simple white shirt with a zip-up sweater. His blond locks were tousled but pushed back from his sharp face. He looked more at ease than the other time as he talked to Toby while they waited for the girls’ car.
Nerves fluttered in Paige’s stomach when Luke turned to look at the car. Smoothing the silky fabric of her floral dress, Paige reached for the door to open it but found Luke already there.
“Hey,” he said after tugging the door open. “I’m glad to see you here. You look beautiful by the way.”
He smiled, revealing a set of white p
early teeth. Paige stared up at him as she tried to discern if any of that was fake, but she couldn’t pick anything up. He seemed genuinely happy to see her.
“Hi,” she said, and she slid out of the passenger seat with help from Luke’s hand. He let it drop the second she was standing. “This is a beautiful place up here. I never thought there would be a place like this in New York.”
“Upstate is different from the city,” Luke said. “I have a farm up here that I come to whenever I need a break from the city.”
He extended a hand toward the patio. Paige stepped up onto it gingerly in her pair of strappy heels. Without pause, Luke held out an arm with a charming grin.
Maybe Shannon is right. Paige took ahold of his arm, tucking her hand into the strong curve of his elbow. She felt his muscles flexing beneath his sweater as he led her around the corner with a chatting Toby and Shannon behind them. He is different when he isn’t moody.
“I figured you would like this place,” Luke said. “I’m sure it’s a lot better than how crazy it was in that lounge.”
“A bit better,” she agreed, tensing at the mention of last Friday night.
Luke glanced at her with a contrite expression. “I am sorry about that night, by the way. Whiskey can get me in a bad mood if I’m not careful.”
“I noticed,” Paige said, and grimaced at how bitchy she sounded. “I’m sorry too. I have a tendency not to let things go easily.”
“Duly noted.”
A large greenhouse covered the back part of the restaurant. Flowers, vegetables, and herbs all grew around the tables that were in the middle of it all. Luke led them to a private table through a bush of flowers before pulling out Paige’s chair for her.
“I know the chef here,” Luke said, giving her a small wink that made Paige’s stomach flip. “I had a feeling you were a pasta type of woman, right?”
“Good guess,” she said. She looked over at Shannon, who smiled brightly. I told you so, was what her smile said. “Is this how you got all your previous girlfriends to like you in the past?”