Engaged to the Boss: A Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance

by Nikki Bloom

  “Are you sure you can’t stay?” I asked. “There’s plenty of room for you here.”

  My grandmother smiled knowingly. “That is very kind of you, Connor, but we’ve already booked a hotel room and if we cancel, we’ll be responsible for paying some ridiculous fee and you know how your grandfather gets about fees.”

  I knew it was just an excuse, but I didn’t argue with them.

  “What about you, Neil? You’re more than welcome to take one of the guest bedrooms.”

  “I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other from this point forward. I might be awesome, but there you know what they say–”

  “Too much of a good thing,” I said, finishing for him. It was like we were twins again. “Alright, then. I’ll see you around. And do me a favor and dump Rhianna.”

  “Way ahead of you, man. I don’t know what I was thinking with that one.”

  “I think it was just bad blood all the way around,” I said. “But we’re over that now, aren’t we?”

  “I’ll think about it.” We laughed as brothers should before hugging it out. It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I no longer had this darkness hanging about me. All was as it should be.

  “Have a goodnight, everyone.” I watched from the door until they had disappeared down the road. With their headlights no longer visible, I turned to find Poppy had disappeared. I thought I would find her in the living room, but all I found was the fireplace crackling with fresh wood. “Poppy?” I called.

  I heard her footsteps.

  Turning around, I was greeted by the sight of her wearing nothing but her silken robes. “What’s this?” I asked.

  “I thought I could help you relax a bit,” she said, her voice a seductive whisper. “Sit down.”

  Who was I to argue with a woman so lovely?

  She was careful while unbuttoning my shirt. “Let me know if I do anything to hurt your shoulder, but I promise to be extra gentle.” With my torso exposed, she placed some lotion on her hands and ran them across my skin, kneading the flesh beneath her fingers until all the soreness of laying in a hospital bed for a few days melted away.

  “You’re too good to me,” I murmured. “You really needn’t do this.”

  “Connor, you saved my life. This is the least I can do.” She brushed her lips against the side of my neck, lingering at my lobe. She nipped at it, pulling gently. “Although, I have to say that you were pretty dumb to play the hero like that. That guy could have killed you.”

  “And had I not done anything, he could have killed you, too. I just couldn’t risk that happening,” I answered. “I had known I loved you for a while, but just the thought of losing you pushed me over the edge. Of course, I wasn’t thinking straight. Who does when there’s a gun pointed at your dream girl?”

  “You think I’m your dream girl?” She was working some kind of miracle on the small of my back.

  “Yes,” I moaned. “You’re my dream girl.”

  23

  Poppy

  “Well, let your dream girl make your wildest fantasies come true.” I had him turn over, so he was lying on his back. To make him more comfortable, I placed a pillow underneath his shoulder. “How’s that?” I asked.

  “Well, the view is great,” he said with a laugh.

  The sash around my robe had come undone and now it was hanging open, showcasing everything I had to offer. He feasted on my naked body. I could tell he was itching to touch – to grab at my backside – but he kept his hands to himself, letting me take the lead.

  I shrugged off the robe and pumped a bit more lotion onto my palms. I made for his chest, but at the last second, I changed course, letting my hands explore the curves of my body. Connor watched with eyes wide and mouth hanging agape. I was giving him the show of the century and there was no way he’d miss a second of it. “Oh, if this is the kind of treatment I get after coming home from the hospital, I might consider saving your life more often.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” I said. “Seeing you covered in all that blood, it was the worst moment of my life. I never want to go through that again.” I shimmied between his legs and pulled off his pants. “And who’s to say this can’t be a common occurrence. I think so long as you return the favor from time to time, I’d be more than happy to keep a bottle of lotion around the house.”

  “You strike a very tempting deal,” he said. “I’m going to have to take you up on it.”

  “Good.” I tucked my thumbs into the waistband of his boxers. Slowly, I pulled them off his hips. I could see the desperation on his face, but I didn’t go any faster. “What’s the matter?” I asked, pausing for his response. His cock, eager to come out and play, stood rock hard and pressing against the material of his boxers, pitching a formidable tent. I took his tip through the fabric and rolled it between my fabric.

  He pushed his hips into the air in a silent plea.

  Am I pushing him too far? I thought. Maybe he deserves some slack after what he’s been through…

  In the end, I decided it was too much fun toying with him. “Baby?” I cocked my head to the side, my voice innocent. “Do you want me to stop?”

  “No,” he said at once. “Don’t stop.”

  At those words, I ripped off his boxers, letting them fly across the room. Now that he was naked, he was mine for the taking.

  “Someone’s excited to see me.” I took his cock in my hand, squeezing it once before sliding up its length. My palms were still slick with lotion, making it easy to glide up and down. One hand proved not enough so I used both, pumping at a steady rhythm until I saw the ecstasy written across Connor’s face.

  I stopped suddenly. He opened his mouth to plead with me, but I was already ahead of him, my tongue darting forward to find his balls. I explored slowly, wanting to find every point of pleasure. They became like strings. I plucked them deliberately, making him sing for me and oh, what music it was.

  “What are you doing to me?” He pulled at my hair, trying to get me to move somewhere else, but I wanted him to squirm – to beg me to stop. My tongue continued its journey around his balls, lapping at every inch. He groaned even louder.

  I pushed his legs apart.

  “What are you doing now?” he asked, craning his neck to see. I just grinned and moved my ass side to side, giving him something nice to look at. He dropped his head onto the couch and that’s when I went for it. My lips were tight around his girth as I bobbed my head up and down. I concentrated my efforts on his tip first because I knew it would drive him crazy. “Poppy… fuck…”

  I loved the sound of my name on his lips. I wanted to hear it again only louder.

  So, I left the tip behind and sucked harder – deeper. His cock pushed to the back of my throat, making me gag. I pulled back slightly, exchanging depth for speed, and whatever I couldn’t reach with my mouth I teased with my hands.

  “Fuck,” he said again.

  I had stopped to run my tongue along his underside, taking advantage of how sensitive he would be. He shivered at my ministrations and even though he didn’t say a word, I knew he wanted more. It was in the air – written in the lust that surrounded us.

  Quickly, I returned to his balls only to come back up to his tip. He shook with the pleasure of it. “Feels good, doesn’t it?” Before he could answer me, I was back at it, sucking him hard and fast. He twitched inside my mouth, a sign that he was getting close. Knowing I didn’t want him to blow before I could enjoy myself, I changed positions.

  I was no longer between his legs but straddling his lap. I had my wetness against him, allowing a taste of what was to come but not yet reaching the main attraction. He would have to wait a little longer.

  Bearing my own weight with my right arm, I leaned down and kissed him. He grabbed my hair and intensified the kiss. It felt like fireworks between us and we were both ready for the finale.

  I moved my hips so he could slip inside. We had kept apart for over a week. The doctor had made it clear tha
t Connor was to refrain from laborious actively for the first couple of days after coming home. Well, I had waited forty-eight hours and I couldn’t wait another minute.

  Wet as I was, he slipped inside without an ounce of resistance. My body welcomed him, wrapping tight around him like it had no intention of ever letting go. “Will I hurt you if I put my hands here?” I asked, resting them on his chest.

  “Not at all.” His good hand was on my hip, trying to get me into rhythm. I complied with his request and began to lift myself off his length only to push back down a second later. I had to remind myself to take it slow because all I wanted was to go to town. “Fuck, Poppy, that feels so good.”

  I couldn’t agree more. Connor filled my every inch. The pleasure was making me weak in the knees. I could barely keep myself going. He always made it look so easy, but things were different now that I was on top.

  “Fuck,” I moaned along with him, trying to keep my climax at bay. It was going to be a good one – I could feel it mounting like a wave about to crash into the surface.

  Digging my nails into his chest, I forgot my promise to keep things gentle and slow. I just lost control, riding him for all that I was worth. The heat between us rose to a boiling point. I felt myself burning up as I continued a relentless rhythm. We were both getting close, too close.

  At the very last second, I got off, rolling off the couch and onto the carpet, panting hard as the orgasm rippled through my body, leaving a contented smile on my face and a tingle to every inch of my skin.

  Beside me, Connor groaned. He had made quite a mess upon his own stomach. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry about that,” I said.

  “Now I know how you feel.”

  “Stay there. Let me get a couple of tissues.” When I returned, Connor was just as I had left him.

  “That was amazing,” he said, wiping himself clean. “What got into you? I wasn’t expecting such a wild night.”

  “What can I say? I missed you.” I took a seat on the couch and curled up with one of the fur blankets. The fireplace was burning low, casting shadows around the room. “Can you really blame a girl for finding you irresistible?” I rested my head on his uninjured shoulder.

  He played with my hair and tried to use the remote with his other hand, but even the act of pushing a button seemed enough to send pain shooting through his arm. As soon as I felt him wince, I sat bolt upright. “You shouldn’t push yourself,” I chided. “You know you’re still a long way from healing completely.”

  “I really don’t think using the remote counts as pushing myself,” he said.

  I shot him a look.

  “Fine, fine. I won’t do it again, but I have a feeling that this one-armed business is going to get pretty old. Why couldn’t that robber have shot my left shoulder?”

  “I don’t want to hear you joking about that.” I handed him a couple of pills and some water. “Here. You’re overdue for these. I should have realized.”

  “Please, I’m a guy. Sex is the best medicine we could ask for.”

  “It’s definitely the sweetest,” I agreed. “But seriously, I shudder to think about how lucky you are to be alive. He could have shot you through the heart and then I’d be without a husband and father to my future children.”

  “What?”

  I stammered, unable to answer him. I had blurted out that last bit without thinking.

  “You want me to father your future children?” he asked after a horrible stretch of silence. “Did I hear you right?”

  “Yes,” I admitted. “I do. And I know it’s too soon in our relationship to start thinking about kids–”

  “No,” he said, interrupting me. “It isn’t because I’ve thought about it, too.”

  I stared, completely thunderstruck by his response. “You have? Seriously?”

  “Seriously. It’s time for me to settle down and there isn’t anyone else I rather settle down with. I’ve spent plenty of time on my own. I’m sick of it. I just hope you never get sick of me.”

  “Never,” I whispered. “For as long as I live.”

  He grabbed the end of the fur blanket and tugged on it. “Care to cuddle?”

  “I can’t exactly lay my head on your chest like I normally would.”

  “Of course you can. These pills work wonders. Trust me.” He lifted his arm as high as he could get it, beckoning me into his embrace. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging here.”

  I relented, being very gentle as I rested my head. The fireplace crackled. We watched it in a mesmerized sort of silence before I came to ask the question that was burning in my thoughts. “You said that you’ve thought about having kids with me. Tell me about it.”

  “Well, it happened over dinner one day. I just looked over at you and saw the way you were cutting your steak into bite-sized pieces like a mother might do for her child. So, my imagination took that thought and ran with it. All of a sudden, there you were, tending to our little boy, his eyes bright just like yours. And you had another one on the way, too. I was hoping it was a girl. I’ve always wanted a pair – a boy to play baseball with and a girl to protect and cherish.”

  “If we had a little girl, do you think she’d be a girly girl or a tom boy?”

  “What were you when you were a little girl?”

  “I was in my own little world back then. I liked playing with dolls, but if the weather was nice, I was just as eager to go fishing with my dad.”

  Connor squeezed me against his chest. I had told him the story about my father’s passing one night when I was unable to sleep. He had listened to every word and rocked me the entire time.

  “What about you?” he asked as he took my hand, letting our fingers lock together. As he waited for my answer, his thumb grazed the back of my hand. “What do you see in our future kids?”

  “I see an incredibly smart boy just like his father and a girl who’s going to be the apple of her father’s eye.”

  He kissed the top of my head. “Let’s make it happen.”

  24

  Connor

  It was my last day of physical therapy and I was glad for it. The sessions had helped ease the pain and stiffness from my shoulder, but they were awfully dull. “Well, best of luck to you,” said the doctor. “And try to stay out of trouble.”

  “No promises there,” I answered. “Thanks for everything. If I ever need more physical therapy, I know who to call.”

  Behind the wheel of my car, I flexed my fingers. There was still an ache, but it was minimal – something I could live with – and frankly, I didn’t think it would ever go away. I kind of liked it because it was a constant reminder of what I lived for and who I sought to protect.

  On my way home, I stopped by a florist. “I’m looking for a bouquet of roses,” I said.

  “What’s the occasion?” asked the girl behind the counter.

  “A surprise.”

  “A romantic surprise?”

  “You guessed it.”

  She nodded her head and led me to a section of the store decorated with hearts of every size, some red, some pink. “Might I suggest a box of chocolates as well?” I considered their selection and picked out a small heart-shaped box. “Good choice. Let me wrap those up for you.”

  I returned to the car, placing the flowers and chocolates in the backseat. Knowing I had one more stop to make, I left the car running, the air-conditioning blasting. I didn’t want the chocolates to melt.

  Down the street, I walked into Ends and Oddities.

  “You’ve redecorated,” I commented just as soon as I spotted Odette’s flamingo-colored outfit. “I like it.”

  “Had to move some things around when the carpet was replaced. I think the energy is much better now, don’t you think? The spirits can roam freely about the objects – come and go as they please.”

  “Whatever you say, Odette.” I had learned it was better just to humor her. If I spoke a word of science she would hear nothing of it, so there was really no point in wasting my breath.
Besides, I had come to like her quirky personality. “Anyway, I’m looking for a necklace.”

  “Is today finally the day?” she asked, clapping her hands together.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’ve read your horoscope and it said that you are about to put things into motion. Today must be the first piece of the puzzle.”

  “Those two metaphors don’t–” I shook my head, deciding to drop the argument I was about to make. “But yes, today I have set things in motion. I’ve decided on a wedding date.”

  “Does Poppy know?”

  “It’ll be a surprise. I plan to tell her when I give her the necklace.”

  Odette clapped her hands once more, obviously pleased. “Tell me more.” She was opening and closing various display cases and stacking necklaces on the counter. I examined some of them, but I had a feeling that she hadn’t yet found what she was looking for.

  “Well, I haven’t kinked out any of the details. I figure Poppy will want to have a hand in all that.”

  “Smart man.” She paused, looking deep in thought. Suddenly, she dashed to some crevice of the store.

  I continued my story knowing my voice would carry. “But I managed to get a date at the church where my grandparents got married. I’ve always admired their dedication to one another and thought it would be the perfect tribute. Besides, I think Poppy will appreciate a Maine getaway – a nice cabin in the woods, maybe a bit of hiking, a few days out on the sea, fishing rods in hand.”

  “Sounds lovely. I’m sure she’ll love it and I think she’ll love this, too.” Odette had returned with a simple black box. I took it from her and pulled off the cover. It was a pearl necklace.

  “This is perfect,” I said. “I knew I could count on you, Odette.”

  She smiled. “I look forward to the wedding.”