Dr. Single Dad's Fake Marriage: A Virgin & Billionaire Romance

by Tia Wylder

  Tears streamed down her face when she realized how he had used her, how he had played her and she had fallen into his arms like a bimbo. How stupid she had been! She had never been much good at relationships or with men; had deliberately kept away from them, in fact, precisely for this reason. How many friends did she have who had big dreams for their future, only to have them derailed by pregnancy and a man?

  Even her own sister, Joanne, had her life ruled by her heart. And what good did that bring her?

  Jennifer thought bitterly of her last meeting with her sister, how selfish and ungrateful Joanne had been. Jennifer was going back home, empty-handed, her money gone and her heart broken.

  After a good cry, she went to wash her face and got dressed. She went down to reception and found out that the rooms had been paid for. Mr. Perry had left very early that morning, she heard, leaving his key behind. She asked the hotel to call her a taxi to the airport. She wanted to get out of Texas as quickly as possible and go home.

  She sat down in the lobby of the hotel, waiting, thinking about the last few days and everything that had happened to her. She couldn’t believe what had happened to her. She was devastated.

  The taxi arrived, and she gathered her things and went out to meet it. As she opened the door to get in, she heard someone call out her name.

  “Jennifer?”

  It was Sean, looking at her in shock. “You’re leaving?”

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. “I thought you’d gone.”

  “I ….I went to get Joanne,” Sean said.

  Jennifer saw that Joanne was standing behind Sean.

  “I saw how distressed you were last night and thought you guys needed to sort this out before it tore your family apart.” Sean came forward and took Jennifer’s hands. “I would never leave you like that,” he whispered to her.

  “Madam, do you want the taxi or not?” the taxi driver asked.

  Jennifer was confused by everything that had happened and once again, Sean took over.

  “No, she doesn’t. Thanks, man,” Sean said, paying the taxi driver for coming out.

  Joanne stepped forward.

  “Sean came to our place this morning, telling me of all the trouble you went through to find me. I’m sorry I made you and mom worry about me like that. I’ve really messed up. Can you forgive me?”

  “I am just glad that you are okay,” Jennifer said, pulling her sister into a hug. It felt good to set things right between them.

  “Sean has offered to pay for a divorce lawyer to sort out Ken’s problems with his first wife,” Joanne said. “They’ve been separated for years so it should be a formality.”

  Jennifer turned to Sean. “You’d do that?”

  Sean smiled, having eyes only for her. “For you? Are you kidding? I’d do anything to make you happy.”

  Jennifer could not believe her ears. She thought he only wanted to get her into bed, but here he was, offering to sort out her sister's boyfriend troubles, the very woman who had caused him so much trouble.

  Joanne seemed to be thinking the same thing. “This one’s a keeper!” she said, laughingly pointing at Sean. “How come you were never like this with me?”

  Sean put his arm around Jennifer and pulled her close. “Turns out I wanted the other sister,” he said, kissing Jennifer’s cheek.

  Joanne didn’t seem to mind, though. She said she was happy for them and told Jennifer she would call their mother right away to talk to her about what was going on in her life. Sean gave her some money to get a cab back home.

  “You and I need to have a little talk first!” he said to Jennifer, pulling her back into the hotel lobby. Then he went to check that their room was still available and asked that a full breakfast be sent up.

  “After a night like last night, a man is hungry!” he said, winking at Jennifer.

  Then he picked her up and kissed her long and hard. Jennifer wanted to kiss him back, but it is hard to get over the feelings she'd had only a short while ago.

  She wasn’t sure of him anymore.

  Chapter Eight

  As soon as they were back in their room, Sean embraced Jennifer and kissed her again, deeply. He felt her holding back and pulled back.

  “Are you okay?”

  Jennifer bit her lip. “Last night….”

  “Was wonderful, right?” Sean said. “Or is it only me?”

  “I woke up and you weren’t there….why didn’t you leave a note?”

  “I woke up very early. To be honest, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he said, with a dirty smile at Jennifer that made her blush.

  “I was watching you sleep and you looked so lovely, so peaceful. I wanted to do something to make you happy and I thought about how upset you were after seeing Joanne last night. I figured if you guys couldn’t smooth things over, you’d feel much better.”

  “That was very thoughtful of you,” Jennifer admitted. “I am glad I saw her again before I leave.”

  “Now about that,” Sean said, pulling Jennifer back to bed to lie next to him.

  “Please say you can stay a little longer. Let us get to know each other better, see where this develops?”

  “I don’t know,” Jennifer said, hesitantly. “I have a job in New York, my mom needs me to contribute financially.”

  “I can help with that,” Sean said, quickly.

  “No, I can’t take your money,” Jennifer insisted.

  “I can’t have my fiancé worrying about something as unimportant as money,” said Sean.

  It took Jennifer a moment to process what he was saying.

  “Pardon me?”

  Sean laughed. “I know it is early and that we barely know each other, but after last night, I know this is right. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Come on, Jennifer, don’t you feel the same way?”

  She could not believe her ears.

  “I have the money to help you, please let me? Nothing would make me happier. As for you studies, of course, I will help you with that too. There are some great universities in Dallas, you know?”

  Jennifer was stunned.

  Only a few hours ago she had been ready to fly back home, start all over again in New York with her mother and brothers, working hard every day, getting up early and saving every penny. Now it seemed, her money troubles were over.

  Sean gently traced the lines of Jennifer’s face with a finger.

  "Money doesn't fix everything, believe me, I know this. In my family, it did not help at all. But it does help with some things. And if I can make things a little easier for you guys, I want to do it.”

  He kissed her lips. “Ever since I’ve met you, my life has changed. You are all I think about every day. With you in my life, I know that I will be a good person, a man who can make a difference in the lives of others. If anyone can keep me on the right path, it is you. I love you, Jennifer Keys.”

  He put his arms around her. “I am not letting you go ever again.”

  It felt so good to be in his arms. His words soothed her and all of her doubts melted away. She didn’t know what the future held for them but she was sure that one way or another, they would make it work.

  “I love you too,” she said with a smile and Sean kissed her again. There was a knock on the door.

  “Room service!”

  Jennifer moved to get up but Sean pinned her down laughingly.

  “You are going nowhere, my angel,” he murmured, calling out to the waiter outside, “Leave it outside! Thanks!”

  Then he unbuttoned Jennifer’s blouse, loosened her bra, cupping her ample breasts in his hands before kissing her again.

  “I think I will have you for breakfast instead!”

  Jennifer smiled, then became serious.

  "Thank you, Sean, for everything," she said. "I don't think I have thanked you for helping me find Joanne and sorting things out. As for the hotel room and …all of this….I don't know how to thank you."

  "Oh, I can think of one way," Sean
said, a wicked twinkle in his eyes as his hand traveled up her thigh, caressing her.

  Jennifer wanted nothing else but for Sean to touch her again, make the same kind of magic happen that she had felt the night before. She didn’t care about eating ever again as long as Sean was with her.

  “Then I will keep thanking you until you have had enough,” she teased.

  "Oh, rest assured, that will never happen!" Sean said and their laughter rippled through the air, reaching the ears of the waiter who placed their breakfast tray outside their door, walking away with a big smile on his face.

  Touched

  Chapter One

  The ivory-skinned skinned woman quirked a grin as she flipped through the pages of her latest book purchase, sitting on a small stool behind the counter in a small Brooklyn restaurant. Ghosts in the Wall was a small and relatively unknown restaurant in the city, but those who knew of the location could speak nothing but positivity about the place. Especially, the gorgeous waitress who worked most evenings; Kira Fling. Though she was notably single, she seemed to prefer to keep it that way. There was the occasional banter with male customers, but there was a line in the metaphorical sand that she seemed unwilling to cross. Truth be told, Kira was a romantic at heart. As much as she enjoyed the company of her customers in The Wall, she wanted something more exciting. She wanted an adventure of the likes that she read in her favorite stories. She longed for a wealthy prince, a brooding vampire, things of the like that either didn't exist or were just unreachable.

  “Kira! Customers at your table! What about that book has you so engrossed?” The Evening manager called out to her, and she flinched visibly, looking up from the worn pages of the book in question. It wasn’t her typical fare, she’d snagged it from an estate sale in one of the nicer parts of the city. It was a simple leather-bound diary, written some ages ago. Non-fiction usually wasn’t her cup of tea, but the lives that the people described within the diary’s pages were nothing short of exhilarating. Their lives were so extravagant that she was truly growing dubious regarding the truth behind the story. All the same, it was rather entertaining to read about the exploits of handsome billionaires.

  “Sorry, Joan. You know how I get wrapped up in my stories,” Kira mumbled, carefully folding the corner of her page and sliding the book under the counter. She trusted the staff and her customers well enough to leave her stuff untouched, so saw no need to tuck the book in some secret hiding spot. She grabbed the small notepad that she wrote orders on, approaching the table with a small smile. It was one of her regular groups, a group of three construction workers who always came to the restaurant after a long day of grimey work. They were a bit rough around the edges, but she knew they were also three of the kindest men in the city. “What’ll it be, boys?” She inquired softly, cocking her hip and flipping to a fresh page in her notepad.

  “Aw, Miss Fling. Or should I say, Miss Thing!” One of the men teased, leaning across the table and offering her a friendly wink. “You know we get the same thing every time we come in here,” he grinned, and she smiled fondly in response.

  "Oh, but I never know if you wild men will mix it up with me," she teased. The men rumbled out their laughter, and she returned the first man's wink before jotting down their orders.

  “So three lumberjack specials, then? I sure can see the three of you in flannel, choppin’ down trees in the middle of nowhere,” she smirked. The men howled in laughter, and she flashed her pearly whites before sauntering away. She slapped the order ticket through the window that led to the kitchen, returning to her spot at the counter. She resumed reading her book, drawing her plump lower lip between her teeth as she traced her eyes along the lines of the pages. It was certainly interesting, not to mention rather racy as well. Whoever had written this went into meticulous detail regarding certain… encounters. Though Kira rarely searched for erotica in her readings, she certainly wasn’t complaining. She allowed herself to drift away into a world long time passed.

  The rest of her shift at the restaurant passed with little trouble, and the construction workers were the last to leave before closing time. They offered to see her out, but she declined, knowing that it would be busy work cleaning up the restaurant before she could leave. It happened to be her night to close, and that meant she had to tie up any loose ends that happened to present themselves by the time everyone else clocked out. When the night manager slipped out the door, she called out her farewells before flipping the open sign to closed. She leaned heavily against the door, exhaling a weary sigh before straightening and surveying the empty restaurant. It was a mess, but that was nothing new. She strode towards the back of the restaurant, opening the door to the kitchen. She continued inside, approaching the closet that housed the cleaning supplies. She grabbed a bucket and mop, humming softly under her breath as she moved to fill the bucket with water and cleaner. It was somewhat chillier than usual in the kitchen, but she thought very little of it, focusing on her task. As she continued to fill the bucket, her mind flickered to the diary she had been reading. She quirked her lips in a smile, excited to get the book home and curl up in bed with it. Just as that thought crossed her mind, the lights in the kitchen began to flicker. She glanced upward, inwardly cursing the fluorescent lights.

  “This is just what I need. I’m not cleaning this damn place in the dark,” she huffed, waiting until the flickering seemed to cease. She thought little more of it, pulling the mop and bucket to the front of the restaurant. As she stepped through the door to the kitchen, she could make out a masculine figure sitting at one of the tables. For a moment, she began to panic. She had forgotten to lock the front door, and anyone could just bust in and rob the place. However, the man at the table made no effort to move from his place. She stepped further into the room, clearing her throat. “H-hello? Sorry, sir, we’re closed,” she managed. The man hesitated for a moment before turning to consider her.

  “You can… see me?” He inquired softly. Kira thought to reply snidely, but all at once she became aware that she could see clear through the man. Almost like a…

  Ghost. It was a ghost.

  A scream tore past her throat, and for a moment, the whole restaurant seemed to spin.

  Chapter Two

  She felt a hand rest on her arm, and it seemed to be enough to ground her. She stumbled back as she realized it was the ghost man who had touched her, and he considered her with a reproachful look.

  "Oh my God," she blurted, and his eyes glinted in amusement.

  “I’m afraid I’m not any sort of god. Just a simple lost spirit,” he mused aloud. She narrowed her eyes, and he met her gaze with a smirk. She was slowly adjusting to the fact that she could partially see through him, and it seemed that he had no ill intent. At least, none that he had presented as of then.

  “What are you doing here? This is a relatively new building, and I know ain’t nobody died here,” she said coolly, crossing her arms over her chest. How on earth she was managing to keep her cool in the presence of a ghost, a real ghost, was beyond her. He seemed equally bewildered by her nonchalance, and he shrugged his shoulders in response.

  “I’m… not sure. I felt drawn here, and I was actually rather surprised that I could leave my property. Typically spirits are bound to some sort of place or object,” he trailed off, and her eyes widened in suspicion.

  "You're an Orlando, aren't you?" She said bluntly, and he looked at her with narrowed eyes.

  “How is that pertinent--,” he began, watching as she shuffled around to the other side of the counter. She reached out to grab the diary she had purchased earlier that day, waving it at the ghost man with a faint smile.

  "I bought this book at an estate sale. The previous owner of the property, Hercules Orlando, died under mysterious circumstances recently," she murmured, and his eyes widened in recognition. He walked, or more accurately, floated towards her, reaching out to brush his fingertips to the cover of the diary. "You're Hercules, aren't you?" She asked bluntly, and he met her
gaze with a melancholy smile.

  “I was,” he replied softly, drawing away from her and crossing his arms over his chest. For the first time, Kira took a moment to consider his appearance. He certainly didn’t seem like the classic ghost one would see in the movies, in spite of his vague transparency. He could easily be mistaken for a living human if one didn’t take the time to fully consider him and, of course, if one could see him. His skin still looked kissed by the sun, though somewhat paler than her own. His hair was dark, falling to his shoulders in loose waves. Most notable of all was his piercing green eyes, which seemed to almost glow. She mused that he was rather handsome, would have likely had his choice of women in life. She had heard vague mentions of the man when he had been alive, and he hadn’t seemed the brooding type. His death had been altogether unexpected, and rather unexplainable. It appeared he had been murdered in cold blood, but there was no sign of forced entry. There were no fingerprints. There was no murder weapon.

  Inhaling shakily, she met his sad stare.

  “What killed you, Hercules?” She inquired softly, holding the diary to her chest. Her heart ached for the man, and if this were anything like the stories she so loved to read, he was only stranded on earth due to some unfinished business. He hesitated, looking utterly lost.

  "I have no idea," he replied bleakly, and she quirked a curious brow. "It was something… otherworldly. That's as best as I can explain it. A ghost of sorts, I suppose, but…," he trailed off, drawing his hands to his chest. "I never believed in ghosts, myself. Rather ironic, I suppose," he smiled weakly, and Kira hesitated before reaching out to him. She was surprised to feel the sensation of warm flesh against her hand when she touched him. It was as if he were corporeal as if he were a living and breathing man. He seemed equally surprised, reaching out to grasp her hand in his. It seemed an oddly intimate gesture, but it somehow felt right. As if it were meant to be.