The bright sunlight pouring through the windows jerks me awake. The rumpled bedsheet and the lingering smoky scent of Dash is the only proof he slept last night. I check the time on the bedside clock and notice it’s eight in the morning.
Damn. I must have not heard the alarm.
Last night’s conversation is still heavy on my mind as I rise from the bed, stretching my arms and legs until I feel marginally human. I’m distracted by the thought of the impending dinner tonight with my parents, when something from the corner of my eye catches my attention.
A handwritten note sits on the nightstand, trapped under my phone. Curious, I pick it up, my eyes widening when I finish reading Dash’s message.
Be ready at twelve in the afternoon.
I’ll be there to pick you up from the apartment.
What the fuck? The arrogant bastard didn’t even sign his name below. Yeah, because that’s the part I should be focusing on at this moment—his manners.
Getting married today? Hell no. Didn’t we decide on tomorrow? How dare he change it without discussing it with me first? My parents are going to be pissed yet again if I tell them I got married without informing them, just like my engagement. It’s like Dash is doing it all on purpose. He’s been steamrolling our arrangement right from the beginning like a controlling fuck.
But does a day early make a difference? Am I making a big deal out of nothing? my rational side whispers. Of course, I am not. It’s merely the underlying fact that Dash cannot continue to make all the decisions. I let the annoyed and inconvenienced side of me win.
I’m fuming as I dial his number and he picks up on the second ring.
“Kitten, I’m in a meeting,” he says as a greeting, sounding occupied. I hear murmurs revealing he’s in a room full of people.
“I read your note.”
“And?”
God, give me strength. “May I ask why?”
“No.”
I glance at the ceiling, counting to five while trying not to snap.
“We were going to see how it went with my parents. This was supposed to be the last resort,” I remind him, in a high-pitched voice because he clearly forgot that tiny detail.
“I thought us marrying was the whole point of our deal.”
“It was… is.”
“Then may I ask what the problem is?” The hint of sly amusement is unmistakable.
“Why didn’t you tell me last night?”
“I left you a note.”
Should I be thanking him then that he didn’t spring this up on me at the last second? Because that’s what I hear from his infuriatingly composed tone.
“Are you having second thoughts, kitten?” He lowers his voice and asks. “You nervous?”
My back freezes and the reality of what I’m about to let happen hits me at the speed of a bullet train. Because once I marry him and sign those papers, there will be no going back. I’ll be deceiving everyone around me. Yet I also know it’s the only option I have.
Still, I can’t accept my nerves in front of Dash. He’s the epitome of confidence.
Except when he’s talking about his emotions.
“You should’ve asked, Dash,” I say, summoning all my strength. “Just because I don’t run a billion-dollar company, doesn’t mean I’m not just as busy.”
“I would never assume that,” he replies, his tone indicating I didn’t offend him. “Which is why I checked your schedule first.”
“You went through my calendar?”
“Yes.”
“On my laptop?”
“Where else would I check?” He sighs.
“How do you know my passcode?” My tone is aghast.
“Zero zero zero hardly constitutes as a password, kitten. A toddler would have cracked it.” He scoffs, maddening me. “You also have the same one on your phone. Bit useless, if you ask me. And before you ask, yes I saw the photos you took of me in Paris.”
I flush red from head to toe and shake my head at his lack of boundaries. Why did I expect he would have them in the first place? The joke’s on me. And yes, I couldn’t resist clicking pictures of him when he wasn’t looking.
Never let good sunlight go to waste… is my mantra.
“Triple zero is a perfectly safe and strong password since nobody expects one to have it these days.”
“Says who?”
I narrow my eyes because he’s obviously trying to distract me with this pointless conversation. The voices I heard earlier are now inaudible as though he switched rooms.
“Did you leave your meeting?”
“I don’t like others listening to my private call with my fiancée who’s having cold feet.”
“I am not.”
“Good. I’ll see you at twelve then.”
“My dress isn’t ready yet,” I lie like a fool.
“I don’t care what you’re wearing as long as you’re there and signing the papers, kitten.” I can just imagine his firm expression and now I’ve run out of possible excuses. As if he can feel my struggle, he softly coaxes, “It’ll be okay. You’re doing this for your sister. Look at it this way, the sooner you do, the sooner she gets her wedding. Then you can happily get rid of me,” he jokes and a chuckle spills past my lips.
“I couldn’t get rid of you if I tried.”
“No, you can’t, wifey.” I shiver at his possessive growl. “But it’d be fun to see you try.”
***
Instead of going to the office, I take the day off work to avoid creating unnecessary gossip at work. Explaining to my boss my relationship with Dash—her client—after the media spilled the news all over was more than enough. I had to make up a whole other story as to why I didn’t tell her the day she revealed he was my new client. Thankfully, she didn’t ask many questions once I told her Dash is a private person and that in a way, I’ll do a great job since I knew all about his likes and dislikes.
“Do you need me to kidnap you?”
I glance at Rosa in the mirror, who moves along Dash’s side of the closet and messes his color scheme in a disarraying pattern.
“Would you stop with his clothes?” I scold before answering her. “And no. I would rather not be a runaway bride. Might I add he’s doing this for me, not the other way around.”
Her wandering hands open his drawers next and she switches his socks with the ties. Poor Nova is going to have his hands full with her.
“I still think we should have a secret signal if I need to rescue you.”
“Why didn’t I call Iris?” I mutter to myself.
“Hey! I heard that.”
I smooth my purple lace top before putting on the white jacket that I paired with my ankle-length silk pants and high heels. My curls bounce when I whirl toward Rosa, who is scowling. “How do I look?”
“World’s first fake bride.”
“Ro!”
“You look stunning, as always, Bee.” She bridges the gap between us and rights my collar. Tugging my hair like she used to do when we were kids, she softly asks, “Are you one hundred percent sure you want to do this? We could always find another way.”
I intertwine our hands and shake my head, smiling reassuringly. “I’m good, Ro. We’ve come too far to back out now.”
“Promise me that if you ever feel it’s too much, you’ll let me know.”
“I promise.”
“One last question and a very important one.”
“What is it?” I probe, worrying at her serious expression.
“Which terrifies Dash more? Snakes or guns?”
I exhale a relieved breath and roll my eyes. “Seriously, Ro, what are you planning now?”
“I need to know for my ‘if he ever hurts you’ speech.”
“Oh god!” I don’t know whether to laugh or be scared.
“At the moment, I’m terrified of you, Rosalie.”
Both of us jump at the said man’s amused voice. Dash leans his shoulder on the doorway with one hand in his pocket and the other rubbing his jaw. His stormy eyes flare with desire when they lock on mine and slowly take in every inch of me, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
“You’re late, Mr. Fiancé,” mocks Ro, unperturbed by his presence.
“Always a pleasure to meet you, Rosalie,” he retorts before straightening to his full height and informs us, “I called out twice for Bianca.”
I tuck my hair behind my ear and wince. “Sorry. We didn’t hear you.”
Crossing the distance, he takes up all the oxygen in the tight space until his scent is the only thing I’m breathing. None of last night’s sullenness remains in his steady gaze, his mask back in place as he pulls me into him.
“You look beautiful, kitten,” he whispers only for me to hear by bending down.
I blush like he said something naughty, making Rosa grin and raise one eyebrow questioningly. Her amusement evaporates when he wraps his arm around my shoulder.
“Why are you touching her? You don’t have to be her caring fiancé when it’s just us.”
Dash’s lightness succumbs to possessiveness in a flash. He stares her down as he replies in a calm veneer despite the hard expression on his sharp face, “As much as I like your threats and protectiveness for your best friend, that’s where I draw the line. The only way I’m not touching her is when she tells me no.”
I tense, expecting Rosa to lash out with another sharp insult or threat, but she leaves me flabbergasted when she smirks with something akin to satisfaction. Dash is too busy glaring to notice he played right into her hands by giving her the reaction she was searching for. Though, I also have no idea, except I know she’s up to something.
Before the situation escalates, I step forward to tug my smug best friend out of the room, only to not make it far before I’m yanked back against a hard chest.
“What did I just say, kitten?” Dash raises one eyebrow as I peer at him.
I feel like I’m in a tug-of-war between him and Rosa.
“That you’re clingy,” I tease innocently. His lips lift on one side.
“Okay… I’m going to wait outside before you both make me puke.”
Dash holds me hostage as Rosa walks out of the closet, leaving us alone and in a flash, I’m pushed against the wall with a starving man leaning over me.
“I can’t wait to call you Mrs. Stern,” he rasps, tracing his knuckle down the front of my throat as I swallow. “Then when we get home, I’m going to make you scream my name.”
My fingers dig into his shoulders and I whimper as he licks over my pounding pulse and bites down hard. Heart racing, my body hums to life when he softly rubs the spot he marked with his teeth.
“Perfect,” he compliments with a primal look in his eyes.
I almost stumble when he pulls back as though he was my anchor and grasping my small hand in his strong one, he leads me outside.
His hickey sits proudly on my collarbone as I sneak a glance in the mirror. So, I slide my long hair over my shoulder, only to startle when a low rumble emanates from Dash.
Immediately, I drop my arm back to my side.
“Don’t make me tattoo my name where you can’t hide it, kitten,” he warns. “I want to see my mark on your flesh when I make you my wife.”
In a few hours, Dash Stern will be my husband.
Husband. Fuck.
The rush that courses through my veins is maddening. Rosa is waiting near the elevators and the three of us step into the cab as it descends. My inquisitive friend doesn’t miss our hands intertwined like lovers or the bold hickey on my neck. My collar doing fuck all to hide it.
Surely, he can’t be serious about tattooing his name, right?
Who am I kidding? Of course he is.
“Justin is driving with us,” announces Dash, pulling me out of my musings just as we reach the ground floor.
“Are you also coming with us, Ro?” I question my friend, who remains in the elevator.
She shakes her head. “I’ll follow you in my car since I have to leave right after.”
“Okay.”
In the lobby, Justin is waiting for us, dressed in an impeccable suit, but he’s not alone. Even more astounding is his expression, void of his signature flirtatiousness that he wears like a badge. In its place is a dark mischief and dangerous intrigue as he stares down at a girl who’s glaring and yelling at him, her finger aimed at his chest.
She’s younger than me and I recognize her as one of the tenants from my building. Their stance suggests they’re in an argument while she’s throwing daggers at him with her eyes. As we get closer, I hear the end of her sentence, spoken in an angry voice, “I’m going to be homeless because of you, you selfish, inconsiderate, rich prick.”
Wow. She could give Rosa a run for her money in the cursing department. And here I thought of her as sweet and shy.
“You have another week to search for a new place,” replies Justin in a placating tone.
It backfires because she glares harder at him with her hands on her hips. “What you’re doing is illegal.”
“Selling my own building?” He clicks his tongue. “Afraid not, spitfire. So, I wouldn’t go around suing me if I were you.”
The girl notices us approaching and embarrassment hits her cheeks when she realizes we heard everything she said. What I don’t understand is why she said she’ll be homeless. Wouldn’t I have received a similar notice if our building was getting emptied?
“This isn’t over, asshole.”
“I dare hope not.” He looks strangely smitten with her, despite the hate on her face.
With one last icy look, she pushes past us and disappears into the elevator.
“Somebody finally didn’t fall for your charm. I thought the day would never come,” taunts Dash with a chuckle, making Justin glare.
“It’s your fault, you fuck.”
“What did you do, Dash?” I demand, slapping his chest with my free hand.
He peers down, gaze softening. “Nothing, kitten.”
“Hmmm, I don’t believe you.” Turning to Justin, I ask, “You tell me.”
“After he bought your building, he asked the tenants living in the floors below to find a new place. Something about privacy. Now, that girl hates me for selling the place to him in the first place. Although, that detail shouldn’t have been privy to her.”
Dash scowls at Justin for outing him and at my upset expression. Now, his best friend is the one looking smug and with a whistle, he exits the building.
“Kitten.”
“You need to give her place back.”
“No.”
I lift my chin. “Yes.”
“It’s too late now.” I open my mouth to reply, but a yelp leaves my lips instead when I’m hung upside down over his broad shoulder. He spanks my ass. “We’ll talk about this later. Right now, I have other pressing needs like making you my wife.”
“You bossy jerk.”
Spank.
“Keep running that mouth and I’ll carry you into the court just like this.” I shut my mouth and close my eyes when he whispers pleasingly, “Good girl.”
