Pretend Married (A Billionaire Love Story) (69 page)

I was caught a little off-guard as she turned her undivided attention to me, the creases around her eyes settling into a deep, analytic gaze.

“I… would say that you haven’t heard wrong,” I responded. “I work hard at this,” I waved to the paintings surrounding us. “I’ve dedicated my life to the craft. I’ve been lucky enough to support myself exclusively through my art… sent on international retreats… that I’ve–”

“Yes, yes, your resume is very impressive,” she drolly commented. “If you honestly think I care even the
slightest
about your past, then you fail to grasp what will earn a single spot in the
Spinnoc
.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me, Riley, do you
deserve
a place in the
Spinnoc
?”

I didn’t know how to answer this, and I suspected that it was a trick question.
Does she want me to be bold, or does she want me to be humble? What does this woman
want
from me?

I answered the first thing that came to mind.

“…No.”

Her eyes flared open.

I clarified: “Miss Van Lark, with absolutely all due respect… I don’t
deserve
a spot, but I
want
one. It’s all I’ve wanted for years… and I feel that I can earn it, if I haven’t already.”

It was only then that I noticed a few other patrons in the gallery, perusing my art. They appeared to recognize me, which wasn’t difficult, given that my face was on a nearby wall-mounted foam board with a short biography. It was a few small groups of people: one, a lithe, elderly woman, was speaking to a younger couple in a hushed tone and watching me.

Gloria Van Lark leaned in closely with a crisp, cold smile, so that only I could hear her response: “I will be in touch, Miss Ricketts.”

With that, she lifted her chin and strolled from the room, leaving me stone-faced and defeated. I knew what that meant. I’d heard the stories.

The legendary curator had turned me down.

My shoulders rose as I took in a deep, hectic breath, struggling to come to grips with the opportunity that had just sailed past me.

“What a bitch,” an old voice whispered quietly to me. I turned my head, snapping back to reality, and noticed the lithe, elderly woman at my side. “Who was that, anyway?”

“Her name is Gloria Van Lark,” I answered mechanically, feeling the life start to slip back into my veins. “She’s a powerful and influential curator… she headhunts for one of the most prestigious museums in the country.”

The old woman chuckled. “She didn’t look all that impressive to me. All that black? Bah. What is it with people and black? You’re in a museum, not a godforsaken funeral! Chirp up!”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s right, that’s a good girl,” the woman smiled softly. “You’re the one who painted all of this, aren’t you? What was it… Riley Ricketts?”

“That’s me,” I nodded. “Do you like it?”

She gave the room another glance. “If you want an old crone’s opinion… I certainly think you’ve got a knack for this. How long have you been painting?”

“Since I was old enough to hold a paintbrush.”

“Heh. Good answer. A little cliché, but it gets the point across,” she winked. “Anyway… don’t get your hopes down. Sounded like you really respected that woman… I’m sure you’ll get another chance down the line. You never know. Maybe it’s just not your time yet.”

I smiled fondly at her. “You’re very kind.”

“I’m told that sometimes,” she laughed. “Well… I’ve got to get back to my grandson.” She indicated the male half of the younger couple, standing over to the side, near the exit of the room. They didn’t appear to be watching for her. “But before I go, why don’t we look at this one together?”

She pointed me towards one of my earlier pieces, the painting of an arguing couple on a bridge during noon. I had been experimenting with a post-modern influenced style at the time. I wasn’t terribly fond of this one anymore, but it was considered a classic in the circles who appreciated my work.

“Why don’t you tell me what you were thinking when you painted this one?” She whispered behind me.

I fell into a small trance, thinking back on that time in my life. It was before I had won the Finland scholarship, and taken the artist’s retreat. It was from a more chaotic time, when I still struggled with my foster parents and their wishes for the direction I was going to take in life.

I snapped out of my thoughts. “I don’t think very much when I paint,” I answered. “But this comes from a rough time in my teenage years… at the time, I was conflicted over–”

Glancing back over my shoulder, I noticed that the three of them – elderly museum patron included – were completely gone.

With a soft, recollecting smile, I silently thanked the stranger for her tenderness and her kindnesses, and I turned back to silently regard my old painting once again.

I
got
it into my head that I wanted Riley to see a little more of the kind of lifestyle I usually led. That’s why I booked a private suite in one of the most expensive hotels around, surprising her in her apartment with a room pass.

“The Frione?” She asked, tilting her head as she studied the small, plastic card on its lanyard. “You booked us a room at the freaking
Frione
?”

“I did,” I chuckled, crossing my arms. “Room is already prepared and everything.”

“But that’s such an exclusivist hotel,” she thought aloud, turning back to face me. “How did you afford that?” Her gaze changed, and she stiffened up a little. “How much money
do
you have, Lex?

“Enough to cover my bases,” I answered conservatively, cocking my eyebrow. “Are you coming along, or are you going to just sit there and gawk at that card?”

“Give me half an hour,” she replied, dashing towards her bedroom.

I made myself comfortable as I heard her rummage through her room, slapping together a bag of the “essentials.” When she eventually came back out, dressed in a sleek dress with a small suitcase, I couldn’t help but stare openly at her.

“What’s the matter?” Riley asked.

“You… look absolutely beautiful.”

For the first time, I watched her blush. “Th-thank you,” she murmured, before composing herself and carrying the case straight past me. “You don’t look so bad yourself, handsome.”

I stood up from her couch, straightening my tailored suit and running my fingers through my thick hair. “Thanks, buttercup,” I grinned. “Shall we be off?”

I followed her downstairs and hailed a taxi. Twenty minutes later, we were strolling through the lobby of the lavish Frione hotel, taking in the sights of the beautiful smoked marble and Grecian columns.

One of the delights to this hotel was the glass elevator to the private upper suites. Running up the outside of the building, we were treated to a phenomenal view of Downtown New Orleans as the elevator ascended. Night had just fallen across the port city – the sea of lights and extravagance beneath us stretched in every direction. In the distance, we spotted the pair of parallel Crescent City Connection bridges that crossed the Mississippi River, stretching far and rising high into the sky from the twirling tangle of Interstate highways.

“It’s so beautiful up here,” Riley purred.

“Only with you here,” I whispered in her ear. I could practically sense the light hairs standing up on the back of her neck, and she turned to face me with vulnerable but hungry eyes.

We still had several floors to go, but the view wasn’t going anywhere. Our lips locked as I pulled her into my warm embrace, and Riley’s wrists dangled together around the back of my neck.

“Oh, Lex,” she murmured between kisses. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“I was thinking the same thing,” I told her.

It was true. My time with her was better than I could have possibly dreamed. When I’d come to America, I’d hoped for a few good lays, keeping my head down and trying some of the local New Orleans flavour…

But none of that mattered now.

Riley Ricketts fulfilled me. She drew my attention and swelled to occupy my every waking thought. The more time we spent together, the less willing I was to part… and I knew, painfully so, that we didn’t have more than a few weeks together.

I heard Jess’s thoughts in the back of my head.

Find a nice American girl.

Bring her back.

Show Brett Barker you can settle.

Sure, that had been part of the plan… but now my fixation on gaining the sponsorship through playing the part became more intimately involved with a different objective altogether.

I sensed something new and very much alive, curling up from the bottom of my heart like smoke in the dark.

Do I dare admit it to myself?

We parted lips, and I realized how primal our breathing had become. Our chests heaved together as we watched one another, gazing deep and passionately into each other’s eyes.

I only barely noticed that we’d arrived at our floor… and that an older, immaculately dressed couple was gazing impatiently at us, just on the other side of the elevator doorway.

“A thousand pardons,” I murmured to them, taking my woman by the arm and leading her between them.

Riley and I chuckled as we pulled ourselves down the hall and towards our room, paying the faintest attention to the suite numbers. As I tugged my card out and slid it into the doorknob reader, Riley’s lips were more or less glued to my neck…

Until we stepped into the room, that was.

“…Holy shit,” she blurted out.

The suite was a blend of contemporary sophistication and historical elegance, featuring dark wood tones with contrasting mocha and cream carpeting.

Along the wall above the magnificently deConnort king-sized bed, a backlit aquarium recessed into the wall, filled with beautiful tropical fish of extraordinary colours and breeds.

The thick, luscious drapes on the opposing wall were pulled aside and roped to the edges, revealing a large and jaw-dropping view of the very same nightlife we’d witnessed from the glass elevator.

Turning the corner, a luxury kitchen stood at attention, filled with various superfluous touches and leading down a couple of steps to a small spa area. Inside, I observed a steam room, a sauna, and a private Jacuzzi tub.

The bathroom was on the opposite side of the kitchen, up several steps and featuring an oversized glass shower room – with overhead recessed faucets to simulate perfect rainfall – and a lavish mirror above a marble sink countertop with Italian-style bowl sink.

“Good lord, Lex,” Riley murmured to herself, taking in the sights as she quietly explored the suite. “This is fucking incredible… and exactly what I needed after the day I’ve had…”

“It
did
sound like something was the matter earlier, over our texts,” I commented. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“I met Gloria Van Lark,” she answered calmly. “She appeared in town and was seen in a few museums that featured my art… I had a confusing conversation with her.”

“Oh? That’s fantastic!” I grinned, before realizing the implications. “Wait… it doesn’t sound like that went particularly well.”

“She turned me down,” Riley sadly told me. “I had my chance, and I blew it. She’s gone.”

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, pulling her into an embrace and stroking her hair. “I know how much it meant to you to earn her respect… I’m sure you’ll get another chance sometime. You’ve got a long career ahead of you, and you’ll be in one of those galleries before you know it.”

“It’s funny, one of the visitors said something kind of like that…”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Someone who overheard and took pity on me after she saw the kind of effect meeting Gloria had on me… but anyway, that was earlier, and this is now. And
now
is… wonderful,” she told me.

Riley glanced warmly up into my eyes and kissed me on the lips again. After a few seconds, she pulled out of my arms to admire the etched crown molding along the edges of the room.

“Did you seriously get this incredible suite for us tonight? It’s absolutely amazing in here…”

“I wanted you to have a taste of deConnorce,” I commented casually, stripping off my blazer and setting it on a hanger in the large walk-in closet. “Renting that small motel room down the other block is a modesty…
this
is something a little closer to my tastes.”

“You’re richer than I thought you were,” she realized aloud, turning to me.

“
Richer
is relative. But does this change anything for you? Maybe how you feel about me?”

“Not a goddamn bit,” she smiled, pulling me into a tight hug as she leaned up on her toes, planting her lips on mine…

Ten minutes later, the shower was running, her palms were against the glass wall, and mine were on her hips – as I bucked into them, again and again.

My lips found her throat and I groaned my satisfaction into the tender flesh, grazing my teeth along the edge.

She cooed in response, and I bit down, feeling her body murmur against me in complete, unadulterated delight. “Oh god, Lex,” she whispered as the water drizzled down and the steam rose up around us. “You know how to fuck me so well…”

I released one hand to clutch a fistful of her hair, and I tugged backwards, holding her face up near the glass. Before the steam could completely cloud our vision, I forced her to watch us fucking in the large mirror, just a couple of yards straight ahead.

“That’s right, just like that,” she half-whispered, half-moaned. “Fuck me with your huge cock…”

At first, I ignored the request, relinquishing my grip on her skin and withdrawing from inside her. But before she could mutter her dislike, I changed my mind… and pulled her from the shower, wiping my feet off on the mat just outside.

Confident in the grip of my soles against the tile, I spun her around, lifting her up beneath her buttocks and supporting her against the glass wall. The water continued to drizzle on the other side of the glass as her ankles wrapped around my hips, clasped together into the small of my back.

“Oh wow… oh
fuck
,” she groaned, enjoying the position as she realized what I had done. Now, she could rest against the wall, completely supported by my strength, and watch me plow into her again and again in the mirror.

“Lex… god
dammit
, Lex…”

My lips forced themselves down on hers, and I lifted her just a few degrees higher, giving myself a better angle to penetrate her on my cock. I loved how she was growing accustomed to the length, and within a few minutes of this, she was relaxed enough to allow my full length inside.

Once I was hilting her, feeling her slick, warm pussy clamp around my thick, throbbing tool, I felt my mind melt into a blissful paradise.

There were no stresses now.

No bellyaching publicist friend.

No rivals, dangling for what was mine.

No concerns over corporate contracts.

There was only the way that our bodies intermingled, our blood pumping through our veins as we fucked each other, so blissfully full of
life
and
passion.

The sex I’d had before?

Mechanical. Just a means to an end, a way to release my own personal drug – a blinding mixture of endorphins and chemicals that flooded my head, giving me the high that let me forget all about the darkness in my past.

When I fucked, it all went away.

I could sleep at night… fitfully, sometimes, but at least it was something.

With Riley, though… it was as if an entirely new height was being reached. Even from the start, I’d felt something different about the ways our skin pressed together, and our bodies bent for one another.

I felt my restraints falling apart.

Riley was moaning at the top of her lungs now. I could feel her body tense up as she released a mighty scream, unimpeded by thin walls or the need for privacy. She let loose every ounce of strength she had, lost in the throes of passion as she came
hard
around my cock.

And as her pussy clenched, desperate to milk me dry, I felt my body grow rigid. I couldn’t hold on any longer, and my limbs stiffened, pinning her into my embrace against the walls. Her fingertips were digging deep into my shoulders as my balls seized up, and I exploded with a roar of blinding ecstasy as my cock drained itself completely dry inside her – pumping the hardest, thickest, most voluminous orgasm I’d ever experienced in my entire life deep into her wet, sopping chasm.

She was experiencing a multiple orgasm around mine, and when her rapid heartbeat finally began to slow down, and her tense grip on my muscles started to relax, she looked me in the eyes with a completely defenseless gaze.

“Did… did we just come together?”

My chest was heaving as I nodded. “Yeah,” I breathlessly responded. “I think so.”

“Oh god, Lex, I didn’t really think that could actually happen,” she murmured in my ear, resting her chin onto my shoulder. “I mean, I’ve
heard
about that kind of thing, but it seemed so… unlikely… you know?”

I nodded again. “I know what you mean…”

Gently, I set her back to the ground, and we popped back into the shower to clean off the sweat from our furious fucking. We enjoyed the steam of the shower, taking our time in washing each other off, tracing the outlines of each other’s bodies as we bathed one another.

Inevitably, one thing led to another, and I was taking her nipple between my teeth as her fingers wrapped lightly around my stiffening cock…

About two hours later, we were finally resting in bed, where we had finally wrapped up our marathon sex for the moment. My thoughts were ricocheting around in my head, and I felt the undying compulsion to finally speak my mind…

And to take a very dangerous step forward.

“What is it that you want, Riley?” I asked her as she ran her fingertips along my chest. “What do you want out of this?”

She turned her head, gazing fiercely into my eyes. I could sense such strength and determination in those retinas that they almost burned into my own.

“What do you mean?”

I paused, collecting my thoughts.

“We both know that I’m going back in a few weeks. I understand that your life is here… your friends are here… but… have you given any thought to…”

“To coming back with you?” Riley finished my question, her catlike gaze still focused intently on my eyes.

“Yes,” I replied truthfully.

Riley maintained that gaze for a few moments, not speaking a single word. As the silence dragged out, she turned her head back, settling it against my chest again.

“So that’s a no,” I answered.

“That’s a… deceitfully complicated question,” Riley replied. “Everything that I know and love is here. Are you actually asking me to give it all up to return with you to England? My friendships, my life, and my entire world… it’s here in New Orleans. You would ask me to drop it all?”

I realized the mistake I had made now.

I’d pushed her too hard.