by Sierra Rose
Get it together, Bex.
I shook my head and straightened my dress as I paused outside the boat. Then, with those same butterflies rocketing around in my stomach, I lifted my hand to knock. The door opened before I could even touch it. Marcus had been facing the other way, but he turned toward me with a wide smile as he gestured me inside.
“Honey, you remember Mr. Takahari?”
Chapter 21
I felt empty, cold. I couldn’t explain it. I couldn’t tell you where it came from. But it crept up my fingers and settled in the hollow of my stomach for the entire night.
The dinner cruise was beautiful of course, filled with the routine extravagance I’d come to expect. Takahari brought his right hand man—which I suppose was a good sign—and although the merger was never directly addressed, just discreetly danced around, I got the feeling that things were on the right track.
On that note, I did my part. Earned my paycheck. I tucked away those feelings of finality and detachment and said all the right things. Did all the right things. Smiled at all the right things. It was like I was reading from a script. Playing the role of a lifetime with Oscar-winning precision. In a lot of ways, it felt like the part I was born to play. A charming, down-to-earth caricature of myself. The relatable foil to those stiff, unyielding men around me. It was the perfect ruse. But that’s exactly all it was.
A ruse.
While I kept up my end of the charade like a pro, Marcus seemed increasingly uneasy all throughout the meal. His eyes kept flickering to me like he wished that we were alone, as if there were things he wanted to say. By the time dessert was served, I found that I no longer cared.
“That was absolutely wonderful.” I squeezed Akio in a tight embrace as we stood up to leave. “Thank you so much again for coming.”
The old man bowed in an endearing way that was his custom and placed two gnarled hands on either of my arms. “The pleasure was all mine. I’m going back to Japan for a few weeks, but I’ll be back in California at the start of the New Year. I hope to see you then?”
I smiled sweetly. “I’d love to.”
Marcus’ gaze flickered again to mine, but he said nothing.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen,” I suddenly couldn’t stand to be in the room a second longer, “I’m going to go sleep off that harrowing plane ride.”
Takahari and his men both laughed politely, but Marcus turned to me with mild alarm; a kind of muted panic shone deep in his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for a while, Rebecca?” It sounded like a plea. “I could have the porters bring up some coffee.”
I patted his arm dismissively like a girlfriend would. “No, I’m fine. You boys get to it. I’m sure you have a lot to discuss.”
With a parting wave, I slipped off the boat and headed back down the pier, a single thought occupying every corner of my mind.
I could not wait to take off this dress.
MARCUS TOOK ME FOR a ride on his yacht. The sun glittered on the turquoise water, and the sky was the prettiest shade of blue. Of course, I took more pictures. I looked for a dolphin but didn’t see any. One of my patients begged me to bring back a picture of a dolphin.
We pulled up to next to one of the gorgeous islands. He was in plain black swim trunks. Something fitted and designer that gave me my first view of the tantalizing muscular contours running down his chest. I had gone for a simple suit as well. A nondescript, white bikini. It hugged what little curves I had but still covered a good deal more than some of the flashier options in my closet.
The captain walked over to us. “We’ve got company, but I know another place where we can go and have some peace.”
I looked at the boat next to us. Looked like the paparazzi had found us.
“I don’t want to leave,” I said. “The beach looks gorgeous. I’ve always wanted to walk on sugar-white sand.”
“But they’ll hound us,” Markus said. “And I know a much more secluded spot.”
“Hey, we want the publicity. I mean, isn’t that what you paid me for? To convince everyone that I’m your girlfriend? So why don’t you let me do my job?”
I looked at the captain. “If it’s okay with you, we would like to stay here. Is it possible to blast the music? We’re going to have a party!”
The captain laughed. “Sure. I can do that.”
The captain and Marcus were good friends, so Marcus had filled him in on our fake relationship. He was one of the few people we could talk freely in front of.
Marcus smiled as I led him out to the middle of the deck.
“Ready to bust out some dance moves?” I asked.
The party music started playing, and Marcus swirled me around. We both let loose and really got into it. I couldn’t stop dancing as he dipped me, my hair touching the ground. We danced for a good thirty minutes. And I enjoyed every minute of it, all while soaking up the sun.
Afterward, I smiled at him. “Wanna swim to shore?”
The wind blew through his wavy hair as he contemplated it. He looked so sexy in the designer sunglasses he wore.
“Sure!”
“Besides, you need to flaunt that insanely sexy body to the cameras,” I said. “So take that shirt off. I’m dying to see what’s underneath. Lose the sunglasses too. We’re going for a long dip.”
He slipped off his shirt and I couldn’t stop staring at his broad shoulders, flat stomach, and powerful chest. He was so muscular, just pure perfection.
The sun was beating down on us, so I picked up the sunscreen with a gleam in my eye. I couldn’t have my fake boyfriend getting burned, now, could I? “You’ll need this.”
I started rubbing the lotion on his back good, so he didn’t get burned. My fingers traced over all those delightful, bulging curves. Hot damn! The guy was definitely ripped. I could feel every single muscle.
“My turn,” he said.
I smiled as he slowly rubbed lotion on my shoulders and back. My heart skipped a beat as he lathered the lotion all over me. I love the way he gently caressed me.
I reached for his hand, and we climbed over the side, then dived into the water.
“It feels great!” I shouted.
He grinned as I smiled.
My arms cut through the clear water as we swam to shore.
The cameras were still rolling, so I acted like I was having the time of my life. And really, I was. We frolicked and played on the beach, running up and down the shoreline. I never felt sand so soft between my toes. He swung me around while I laughed. When a wave came, we both fell. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to up the ante. I reached for him as he hovered over me, and pulled him close. His lips crashed onto mine. My body trembled from his touch, and the way we looked at each other with intent in our eyes, it was pretty seductive and mind-blowing. The paparazzi came to shore and spied on our amazing beach kiss. I think they enjoyed it too, and couldn’t stop taking pictures.
And there we made out on the beach as crests of white foam rolled over us, as waves crashed on the shore and splashed over us. It was just like in all those romantic movies. I was putting on quite the show as the cameras snapped away. I put everything into that passionate kiss. The way we kissed, you’d think we’d been lovers for years.
When they left, I smiled.
“They’re gone,” he said.
“Think they bought it?” I asked.
“Hell, I think I bought it!”
We both laughed.
When we got back to the boat, Marcus wrapped his arm around me and pulled me to the other side of the boat.
“Look!” he said.
A pod of energetic dolphins weaved in and out of the waves.
“Dolphins!” I shouted.
I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures. Laughing, I jumped up and down like a kid. What a magical experience. Mrs. Leno from the hospice center was going to be so happy! I had promised her a picture.
We enjoyed the rest of our day, and I was the perfect fake girlfriend. Back in
town, I doted on his every need and whim. I held his hand and gazed into his eyes. We laughed and told stories over lunch. We had drinks in this great bar with tropical music. He took me shopping, and I never smiled so much. The guy actually made me like shopping.
We went back and had a romantic dinner on the beach. Lots of cameras there too. But I looked into Marcus’s eyes like a woman hopelessly in love. I was fooling everyone, maybe even myself.
LATER THAT NIGHT, WE relaxed in our hotel room and watched a little TV.
After Marcus received a phone call, he turned to another channel.
“What’s up?” I said.
“Got a phone call from my publicist. We’re being featured on that gossip show, TMZ.”
“Us? No way!”
“Yep.”
We kept watching until our story featured.
One of the guys kicked his feet up on the desk. “Yeah, I saw some juicy action in paradise. Barely flew back in time for this show.”
The others laughed.
“Well, it appears our billionaire, Marcus Taylor, is in love. We captured him making out with some chick in St. Thomas.”
The girl on the show laughed. “She’s a little tropical side action?”
“Nah, I don’t think so. He seemed like he was genuinely in love. You should’ve seen the two of them together. It looked like the real deal.”
“It won’t last. It never does.”
“I don’t know. They looked really cute together, and he seemed smitten.”
“So did Cupid shoot him with an arrow or something?”
“I think so. The dude is seriously in love.”
“Well, maybe he’ll grow up.”
“The two showed off some killer dance moves aboard a luxury yacht.”
“So we heard you got some pictures of them making out on the beach,” the girl said.
“Yep.”
They flashed pictures of us, and I blushed.
“These two definitely have the hots for one another,” he said.
The scene went to a commercial and Marcus turned off the television. He then brought me a drink. “They bought it hook, line, and sinker.”
I sipped my wine. “See? I’m a very good actress.”
He sat next to me on the couch and held my hand. “Was that all really acting?”
“I told you I was going to give you an Oscar-worthy performance. Looks like I did just that. Did I earn my paycheck?”
“Man, that kiss. It was amazing. You really got into character,” he said.
“And so did you.”
“When a pretty woman mauls me on the beach, I just go with it.”
I laughed. “It’s called acting. All screen stars do it. Just look at the in-the-pouring-rain passionate kiss in The Notebook.”
“Do movie stars ever fall in love on set?”
“Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall did. But that’s not going to happen to us. This is an acting gig, Marcus, and nothing more.”
He winked. “I would like to do some more acting tomorrow if you don’t mind. Just so we can practice getting into character. I don’t think we perfected it just quite yet. We need much more practice.”
I sighed. “I just hope that won’t be my only television appearance.”
“You’re a wonderful actress. You even fooled me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were completely in love with me.”
I stared at him for a moment, then smiled. “Nobody can fall in love that fast.”
He set his wine down on the table. “So you don’t believe in love at first sight?”
“I’m not even sure if I believe in love anymore.”
He cocked a brow. “Why not?”
“I thought I found love once, and it slapped me in the face. I know I need to be more careful next time.”
“I hear you. That’s why I won’t risk my heart again. I, too, was slapped in the face by love. It’s not so fun.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “No, it’s not.”
“So I just keep dating light and fun.”
“Me too.”
He held up his glass. “To a wonderful weekend.”
We clanked classes and said cheers.
“You can sleep on the bed with me,” I said.
His eyes twinkled at the offer. “That’s a very tempting offer. But I don’t think I could keep my hands to myself. It’s best that I sleep on the couch.”
He softly kissed me on the lips and said goodnight.
“Marcus,” I said.
“Yes.”
“There’s nobody here. You don’t have to keep the charade up.”
He kissed my hand. “But maybe I want to.”
Our eyes locked and I touched his face.
“What’s going on between us?” I asked.
“I’m not so sure myself. We’ll have to see where it takes us.”
“I’m not ready for this.”
“And neither am I. But who is to stop fate?”
“I should be running from you. You’re too dangerous for my heart. And I assure you, I won’t let anyone shatter it into a million pieces ever again.”
“If I were just some player like they claim, I’d be taking you to bed this very second. But I’m not. Maybe that should tell you something about my character. Maybe you should give me a chance instead of listening to all of the gossip.”
“It’s best to keep this as a business arrangement,” I said softly. “You’ll get what you want, and I’ll get what I want.”
He gazed deeply into my eyes. “But I’m not truly getting what I want.”
“You can’t do girlfriends.”
“So it’s best I stick to hiring them?”
“There are no ties with fake ones.”
He laughed. “Guess so. I had a great time today with my fake girlfriend. It gave me a taste of what life would be like if I ever had a real one. And I really liked it.”
I grinned. “Then instead of pretending to turn your life around just to win a client, maybe you should really do it. Food for thought.”
“You’re right. Goodnight, Rebecca.”
“Goodnight.”
He smiled, then walked off to the other room to make his bed on the couch.
MARCUS WAS GONE WHEN I woke up the next morning, no doubt off on another business meeting or charming some other future investor. My itinerary for the day was basically non-existent. It had been recommended that I made an effort to get at least a partial tan, but even on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, I found myself climbing up onto a rocking chair on the veranda and calling my mom.
“Bex? Is that you? Why are you calling so early?”
I’d forgotten about the time difference. I’d also conveniently forgotten to tell my mother where I was and what I was doing here. That last part might have been intentional.
I wanted to tell her now, but how do I say it? How do I tell my mom that I took off to the Caribbean with an internationally famous billionaire to pretend to be his girlfriend for cash? How in the world did that sound like a good decision?
It didn’t. Because it wasn’t.
I couldn’t tell her the truth. I couldn’t really tell her much of anything. In the end, I ended up just listening as she rambled on about her own life, nodding occasionally even though she couldn’t see.
When she finally started winding down to a close, she asked, “So what are you up to? Just heading out to the café?”
A tear slipped down my face before I even realized I was crying. I wiped it quickly away. “Yep. Just...heading out to the café.”
A minute later, I hung up. The phone dropped to the ground as my head dropped into my hands. Silent sobs shook my body, and I hugged a pillow to my chest, rocking back and forth as the tears fell. If asked, I couldn’t even tell you why exactly I was crying. I was on a dream vacation, for fuck’s sake. I should be out there enjoying it. Especially because after tomorrow, it would all be over. And I think that was why I was crying. The thought
of never seeing Marcus again kind of hurt. Maybe I was falling for him. It was those damn kisses. I felt something. He didn’t.
A soft knocking on the open door let me know Marcus was back. I dropped the pillow and hastily wiped my face, but he was already on the porch, kneeling on the ground beside the rocking chair and rubbing calming circles into my back.
“What’s wrong?” he asked anxiously, eying the phone on the ground beside me. “Did something happen? Did you get a call?”
He wasn’t the head of a multi-billion dollar corporation for nothing. The man didn’t miss much. But about this specific grievance, he was mistaken.
I shook my head, but couldn’t catch my breath to speak. I just sat there, biting my lip and trying to get hold of myself.
The longer I was quiet, the more Marcus seemed to come undone.
“Becca, please. Please tell me what’s wrong.” He stroked back my hair, those ocean eyes searching mine. “I’ll fix it,” he blurted before he could stop himself.
I gave him a watery smile. “That’s the first time you’ve ever called me Becca.”
A faint blush tinted the tops of his cheeks, and he dropped his gaze to the chair. “I didn’t think I had the right to,” he confessed softly. “I thought it was a name reserved for your friends.”
“And we’re not friends?”
Two more tears slipped down my cheeks but he wiped them with gentle fingers, placing his hands on both sides of my face.
“I’d think we are.” He leaned down hopefully and caught my eye. “You’re my friend. I’m not sure how you feel about me—you kick and Mace me a lot...” A broken laugh escaped my lips, and he leaned back on his heels, looking pleased. “There’s that smile.”
He waited patiently for another moment or two while I caught my breath and got myself together. Once I finally felt like I was in control, I put on my best “normal” face. “So how did the meeting go last night? Did Takahari say anything else about the merger?”
“That’s not—”
A very strange expression flitted across his face. His eyes tightened around the edges, and it was as if he was seeing me for the first time. His lips parted, but instead of answering my question, he dropped his head, letting his hair spill across his forehead. When he did finally speak, his voice was soft and low.