Phoenix The ride from Santa Monica at this time in the evening is a breeze. There’s so much to say, but Michaela and I spend most of the journey soaking up Los Angeles at night. Even though my driver is paid for his discretion, I didn’t want to chance it. With little traffic to contend with, the Bentley closes in on the Manhattan Beach neighborhood where Michaela’s friend lives in record time. After passing the security checkpoint, the chauffeur crawls through the gated community until we stop in front of Rhys Hartford’s impressive mansion. I get out and round the hood to her side of the car. I open Michaela’s door and extend my hand. She acc epts it and I help her out of the vehicle. “Thank you,” she says, st epping onto the pavement. “My pleasure.” The warm night air envelops us as we stroll down the long path paved with waves of cobblestones to the guesthouse in silence. A movement catches my eye. A woman with short blonde hair lurks in front of a window of the mansion’s top floor. I tip my head in greeting. She returns the favor and smiles. “Your friend is watching us,” I say. Her eyes shoot up to the house and she waves. Her friend waves back. “Right before leaving the restaurant, I texted Keira to tell her I was on my way,” Michaela says. “We’ve talked about this before, but she’s trustworthy, right?” “You have nothing to worry about,” Michaela says. “Keira is a friend, not a foe. She’s on my team. She knows what the Villiers Grand means to me.” “Good. I’m sure she’s going to have a lot of questions for you tomorrow morning—” “Keira sure is going to give me the third degree.” She laughs. I chuckle. We stop in front of the guesthouse. I turn to face her. “You were fantastic tonight. You handled Payne Meldrum with such finesse. I was awestruck. I would’ve chewed him up, but you
pulled out the kinder, gentle side of him. I didn’t even know he had one.” “It wasn’t too much? I mean, after all, I kind of lied about the rings.” “It was over-the-top, but you had me convinced.” “Phoenix’s Prodigious Phallus?” She flashes me a cocky grin. “That’s quite the title. Is it a myth?” There are so many devious ways I could answer that question, but I decide to be good. “I’m going to leave that one alone.” Michaela cocks an eyebrow. “Are you going to leave me guessing?” I could put an end to the suspense by unzipping my pants, pulling them down with my boxer briefs, and showing her the proof, but that might be pushing the envelope. Not to mention, my mother raised me right. I weigh my words. “Is that your way of saying you changed your mind and you’re no longer stuck on us entering a sexless marriage?” She looks me up and down, stopping at my crotch. “Regardless if it’s only a myth, it’s a catchy nickname.” Oh, she’s asking for it. I narrow my gaze at her. She responds with a broad smile. She’s good at poking the bear. Two can play that game. “Celebrity content creation is a simple business model—more views equal more money. Payne will use any sneaky trick in the book to spin any shred of truth into an attention-grabbing headline that’s nothing more than blatant clickbait. Although in this case, Phoenix’s Prodigious Phallus is accurate. At least now you won’t have to wonder anymore. You know it’s not a myth, kitty cat.” She rolls her eyes. “So, there’s no bad blood between you?” “Payne is annoying as fuck, but I ignore him unless he’s hovering over my table while I’m trying to have dinner. He likes to give everyone equal opportunity, so he’ll attack successful people, athletes, and celebrities. It doesn’t matter to him as long as he profits from it. I’m another guy with a name who’s on his radar.” “I thought it might have to do with your boy band days,” she says. She read about my heydays. “Picture it,” she says with a theatrical hand gesture, “an excited Payne, before he became a celebrity content creator, waiting for hours with other eager fans to get your autograph after one of your sold-out
concerts he couldn’t get tickets to. Alas, you refused him because you were rushing to a press junket. He vowed there and then to one day destroy you for snubbing him.” “That’s a hell of an imagination.” “I have an overactive mind.” “No shit. You know of my first career?” She nods. “I watched all your videos. Those were some smooth moves, bad boy Ko n nig.” I hang my head low. “That was a long time ago. My brothers and I were young, and we were rebelling against the expectations set upon us at birth.” “You mean in terms of joining the family business?” “Exactly.” “I understand that well.” “I loved my older brother—the four of us did—but there was always an underlying message looming over our heads as we grew up. My father never came out and said it, but his actions spoke volumes. He had a favorite son. Barron excelled at pretty much everything in life, but he wasn’t musically gifted. The guy couldn’t carry a note to save his life, and he had two left feet. Slate, Wilder, Roman, and I didn’t succeed because we were the best singers. We were on top of the world because we could put on a kickass show. That, and we could rip t-shirts or shirts off our bodies on cue. Combined with the blue eyes and winning smiles, we were set.” She laughs. “Mom used to say we inherited our musical talent and stage presence from her side of the family, but for some mysterious reason Barron wasn’t born with those genes.” I laugh a little, thinking of the two people I miss every single day. “In any case, you did good tonight. You had my back.” “No problem,” she says. “I didn’t expect those r eporters when we left the restaurant.” “Neither did I. My guess is Payne must’ve posted something on social media and that tipped off a few more piranhas who were hoping to get a scoop or a statement.” We left Luogo Sapori like freaking celebrities, with our hands lifted, shielding our eyes from the blinding flashes of the cameras as r eporters shouted questions at us. “Payne.” Michaela shakes her head. “What a pain in the ass.” “My guess is his parents knew what kind of human being they were bringing
into the world when they named him.” “Oh my God, that’s so funny and so accurate.” We laugh. “You think on your feet,” I say. “Someone had to put Payne in his place.” “Let’s stick to your ingenuous story about the rings. You’ll have to let me know what style you prefer, and I’ll get my contact at Harry Winston to deliver it in your size. He’s discreet, so all this will be hush-hush.” Her eyes grow wide. “Phoenix, a Harry Winston ring is way too expensive for a fake wedding.” “You haven’t met the members of the board yet. If you think Payne is a hard ass, you’re going to get your bubble burst when you meet the group of nine men and women who are the thorn in my side. There’s only a handful of people who know this relationship is fake. To the rest of the world, our union has to look real... all the way down to the engagement ring and wedding band.” She blinks. “We have to go all the way on this, Michaela.” “Okay.” “This brings me to something very important...” “What?” “We need to coordinate our stories. Since we’re not going to be joined at the hip twenty-four seven, we need to make sure neither of us slips up when recounting the details of our whirlwind romance.” “You want to do this now?” “Not tonight. Tomorrow we should put our heads together before we meet with the publicist.” “Tomorrow sounds good.” I take a st ep closer. “There’s something else...” “What?” “Our first kiss.” “Oh.” Under the lights, it’s impossible not to notice how her eyes practically take over her face. She wasn’t expecting that. It’s been on my mind since she st epped into the restaurant, but now, it’s an obsession. “The first time I kiss you shouldn’t be when the priest gives me his blessing to kiss the bride.” My voice comes out like a seductive murmur and my eyes drop to her lips. “If we don’t practice, it’s going to be obvious it’s the first time. I’d hate to blow our story to pieces on the day we tie the knot.” “Oh.” “You did a stellar job acting the part tonight, and I willingly followed your cue. But can we fake a convincing kiss?” “I don’t know,” she says in a low voice. “We
shouldn’t chance it.” “What do you suggest?” I move close enough to smell the many layers of her lovely perfume. Delicate. Refined. Sophisticated. Her. “Practice makes perfect,” I say. “You mean, we should practice right now?” “Why not? The more mileage, the smoother the ride.” “Isn’t it the more mileage, the clunkier the ride?” A sly smile stretches her lips. “It d epends on the caliber of the vehicle.” I just one-upped her. “I’m going to guess, you’re in a caliber all on your own.” “There’s only one way for you to find out.” “I guess so.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Do you want to come inside?” “We should get used to kissing in public.” The truth is, st epping inside her guesthouse is a guaranteed way for my cock to accidentally slide inside her pussy. She’s made it clear that isn’t on the table. There’s no point in testing the limits of my willpower. “You want to kiss out here?” Her eyes search behind me in the direction of the garden and the pool. “It’s just the two of us.” “True.” “It doesn’t have to be hot and heavy, it can be a chaste kiss, but I should know how your lips feel against mine,” I say, placing my hands on either side of her face. Shock radiates from her eyes. Her chest heaves, pulling my attention to her tits. Fuck, those are gorgeous. “Okay. Let’s practice.” “That sounded a little too clinical for my taste. It’s like you just agreed to getting your teeth cleaned.” She laughs a little. “Can I kiss you, Michaela?” My thumbs stroking her cheeks. She bites her lower lip as she leans into my caress. “Yes, please.” “I like that answer, kitten.” “Kitten? What happened to kitty cat?” “She retracted her claws.” She laughs again. I take my time admiring her beautiful features. Daring eyes hold mine. “Are you going to kiss me or not, König?” She ke eps piling on the surprises tonight. I lean forward, torturing her a little before granting her wish... and mine. The moment my lips meet hers, I throw the idea of a chaste kiss out the window. The sparks that have been zapping between us ignite.
The world narrows to this moment—to our lips locked together. When she melts into the kiss, my hands lower to her nape, bringing our bodies closer together. I’m ravenous as I ravish her mouth. Her little seductive moans are intoxicating. My teeth close over her bottom lip and tug at it with a sharp nip. When her tongue slips out to soothe it, I slip my tongue inside her mouth, angling her head to gain better access. Fuck this kiss. I’m buzzing. It’s been so long since I’ve held a woman in my arms. Michaela responds with reckless abandonment. I knew all that fire she was spitting at me could be channeled to something so much sweeter. “Christ,” I say, tearing my lips away from hers. Fueled with the desire to explore and devour every inch of her, I walk us backward until she’s pinned against the house’s façade. I crowd into her, blocking off the view from the main house so her friend can’t see us. Kissing in public is one thing, what I have in mind is another. I lift one arm so it’s resting on the wall beside her head. Her skyscraper heels give her height, but she’s much shorter than the women I go for. We’re so close, our noses touch, and our breaths mingle as the heat from her body radiates through mine. Even in the outdoors, her scent fills my nostrils and damn if it doesn’t make my mouth water. She looks up at me, almost helpless. Her translucent green eyes, now dark with desire, bounce between mine before dropping to my mouth. My lips twitch, relishing the moment. I lift a hand, brushing my fingers along her chin. Her breath hitches and her eyelids lower for a beat before fixing her gaze onto me. My fingers skim down the smooth skin of her neck. She shivers. I allow a finger to travel between her breasts before cupping one in my hand and squeezing hard. “Oh God, Phoenix.” My cock swells in my pants. I drop my head to her neck and breathe her in. “Fuck, you’re sweet.” “You’re torturing me.” “I know.” “If you ke ep it up, I’m going to melt.” I flash her a wolfish grin before pressing my hungry mouth to hers like I’ve been aching to do since she st epped out of the Bentley and onto the
dock yesterday afternoon. When she parts her lips and invites my tongue inside with a sexy as fuck moan, it takes everything for me not to lose my shit. I’ve kissed women before, but nothing comparable to this. I press my body against her belly, making sure she knows Payne’s nickname for me isn’t a myth. She catches me off guard when she grinds against my erection. My cock is as hard as steel and it’s a struggle not to lift her into my arms, st ep between her parted legs, and seek the relief I desperately need. This is so fucking hot, I can’t remember my own name. They say it’s a fine line between hate and desire. It’s the only way I can explain the mounting feverish hunger for this woman. I lose my fucking mind in the kiss. Our tongues tangle in a wicked, sensual dance, as she matches my fervor. I pull away from her and stare at her. “Fuck, kitten,” I say. “You’re not holding back.” “Neither are you.” Needing more, I crush my lips against hers as I de epen my voracious kiss. She moans into my mouth, an invitation for me to continue my assault. And so, I do. While still kissing the hell out of her, I press my cock harder against her center. More urgent. More ferocious. More demanding. Goddammit. The temptation to slide my fingers between her pussy lips and fingerfuck her is so overwhelming, I’m nearly dizzy. I curse this fake marriage. If our tongues mesh so well together, I can imagine our naked bodies seeking pleasure from each other as I fuck her like she’s never been fucked before. Too bad it’s not meant to be. My phone buzzes with an incoming text in my pocket. I ignore it, but it’s a reminder things have gotten a little out of hand. Shit. Panting, I break the kiss. “We’re like fire and fuel,” I say, brushing my lips against hers. “We combust upon contact.” “Dear God.” She places a hand against her heaving chest. “That was a little too intense. It’s supposed to be pretend.” My forehead touches hers and I breathe in her unique scent. “That was as real as it gets, kitten.” I kiss her again. It’s soft, but firm. Still, it’s nothing like the searing kiss we just shared, but I
couldn’t resist. I drop my hands and pull away from her. She struggles to catch her breath as she pulls at the bottom part of her dress. “No one will know,” I say. Shy eyes meet mine and she bites her lower lip. “I’ve never done anything like this before.” “You mean, making out outdoors?” “Yes. Or kissing like that.” “Like what?” “With such...” “Abandonment?” I finish her thought. “Yes.” She winces at her admission and averts her gaze. Her cheeks match the color of her dress to perfection. She brings her fingers to her lips devoid of lipstick. They’re swollen and red from my assault. Look what I did to you, kitten. I love knowing I’ve unraveled her. “It was a commendable first kiss,” I say. She arches an eyebrow. “But since I’m a perfectionist, we’re going to need to practice a lot more than that.” “You demanding tyrant,” she says. “You have no idea how demanding I can be, Michaela.” I pause. “Given the nature of our arrangement, you’ll never know.” No answer. I didn’t expect one.