The Virgin Billionaire: Switched at Marriage Part 2 (6 page)

He shrugged. "Whichever side is most comfortable at the moment. Don't overthink it, Kay."

I threw back the covers and climbed into the right side out of habit, really. It was the side I always took with Eric. "Satisfied?"

He grinned, turned out the light, and went to his side of the bed, slipping off his shirt off before he climbed in. I got the barest glance of the planes of his back and the definition of his muscles. He was surprisingly well built.

He pulled the covers up and turned his back to me. "'Night, Kayla."

I wondered at his self-control. Maybe I'd misread the desire in his eyes earlier. Maybe he wasn't into me anymore. Then what the hell was that drunken Reno wedding all about? I flipped and I flopped—he wants me. He wants me not.

His bedroom had two full walls of windows high above the city. And no curtains on any of them. Just stars and the moon. Lying there in that room with no curtains, I was tired and wide awake at the same time. I balled my fists and silently cursed him for drifting off to sleep so quickly.
Just like a guy,
I thought. Didn't he realize what we'd done?

W
hen I woke
in the morning, our marital bed was empty. On so many levels. When I glanced at the clock, it was way too early to be out of bed. But somehow Jus was. My head pounded as I got up, wondering if he'd already left the house for the office. What was I supposed to do with my day? What did this job as his wife entail?

I heard the soft whir of appliances coming from the great room and the murmur of voices. I thought I even heard Jus' laugh. I headed out without putting on a robe. Mostly because I had no robe to put on.

I still had bedhead and my eyes were dewy with sleep. I walked into the great room to find Jus sitting at the breakfast counter, and a middle-aged woman of indeterminate ethnicity humming and moving about the kitchen. I remembered too late what Jus had said about the housekeeper coming in early to make him breakfast. I probably should have gotten dressed before coming out. Which peeved me. Was there no privacy anywhere? And now that I thought about it—what was I supposed to dress in? All I had were what I'd worn yesterday and evening clothes.

I was just about to turn around when Jus spotted me. For a moment before he masked his expression, I swore I saw desire. His eyes lit up. "Kay! There's my beautiful bride."

Crap. Let the acting begin. It was too early for convincing acting. I was a morning grump and needed my coffee before I did anything. I forced myself to smile and boldly walked over to him and looped my arms around him, trying to tantalize him with my braless breasts. Even Data was thought it was too early. She was curled up in her doggy bed.

He took the opportunity to exercise his fake marital rights and feel me up. Right in front of the help. And I couldn't even give him a dirty look. Then again, I had brought it on myself. I kissed him lightly, going for a good-morning peck. He kissed me back with passion a guy on his honeymoon should have.

"Newlyweds!" Magda mumbled, but she sounded pleased enough, though suspicious of my motives.

"You look like you need coffee," Jus said. "We have just about every coffee machine known to man here—Keurig, espresso machines, pour-over devices, and regular old coffee machines. Take your pick. Magda will make you whatever you want."

Jus pulled me around even with where he sat on a barstool at the breakfast counter and slid his arm around my waist. "Magda, meet Mrs. Green." There was a smile in his voice like it was a big joke. He knew I wasn't taking his name. And I wouldn't be Mrs. Green long, anyway.

"Kay, Magda, the best cook and housekeeper in the world!" There was that boyish enthusiasm again.

It put a smile on her face even as she scrutinized me. There was that look again, the one the billionaires and the press had given me. It wasn't constrained by social status or occupation. People, one and all, gave me what I decided to call the gold digger look. Part suspicion. Part disgust. Part "too bad she got there first, the poor boy is besotted and can't see her for what she is."

I wanted to scream and yell,
No fair! Not true! Don't make snap judgments when you don't know the facts.

But because that would blow the whole cover, I kept my mouth shut and smiled sweetly. I would just have to show them. Then I thought,
Oh, wait. Fat chance.
I was pretty much doomed to keep that association for the rest of my life. In a year, when we divorced, I would seal my fate of gold-digging woman forever.

I hadn't thought through the damage to my reputation before I signed on the dotted line. Did it really matter what strangers thought of me and my motives? I would have to learn to live with it.

"So nice to meet you," I said with the cursed smile fixed in place as I ran my hand idly through Jus' hair like I used to do to Eric.

I had to play the adoring wifey, didn't I? Crap, I hated the term wifey.

"Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Justin." Her accent was an odd combination of Mexican and Eastern European, and her tone was anything but happy. "What kind of coffee can I get you? We have everything. I'm a trained barista. I can make anything."

"A caramel mocha?"

She nodded and got to work.

"You weren't kidding about getting up early," I said to Jus. "When are you off to the office?"

He smelled deliciously of beard oil. Which made me ridiculously pleased that he was using it.

He glanced at his watch. "As soon as I finish my orange juice. Freshly squeezed. Like a glass?"

I shook my head. "No thanks. How busy is your day?" I glanced at my ring finger. "We have a few things to do. I told the press we were going ring shopping today."

"My baby wants jewels, is that it?" He gave me a squeeze.

"I don't want to be a liar right out of the box." Too late for that. "And I'd like to have a ring before you meet my parents on Friday."

He grabbed his phone and brought up his calendar. "I wasn't planning to take any time off today. I already burned one day—" He looked suddenly sheepish. "Anything for you, baby." There was a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

Baby, sweetie, honey, dear, hey you? We hadn't even had time to settle on our pet endearment for each other. I thought "sugar daddy" sounded pretty good for him. If I was going to play a ruthless moneygrubber for a year, why not?

As he scrolled through his day, he pursed his lips. "I can postpone my one o'clock and take a late lunch." He glanced at me. "I'll make an appointment at the engagement ring store. You can meet me there. Just remember, if you don't find a ring you like, there's no pressure to buy one today. You're going to have it a long time."

Oh, he was good. He sounded totally genuine. And maybe he was. Maybe I would have his ring a long time, locked in a jewelry box somewhere as a reminder of my year of Jus. While he was off with his seventh wife or something. Didn't billionaires go through wives like water? Or was that just a stereotype?

I nodded. "May I use the car service? I need to run by my apartment and pick up a few things." Like my birth control pills. In all the excitement, I missed yesterday's. Not like it mattered. But without it my periods were hell.

I'd heard of couples being too tired to do the deed on their wedding night. It had always sounded crazy to me. And here I was, an untouched bride for the duration. By agreement.

I smiled sweetly at him. I had another motive, too—to get away from Magda's prying eyes. I got the distinct impression she was protective of Jus and felt as if I was intruding on her territory. This was the problem with bachelors and housekeepers. They let the housekeepers run things and get overprotective of their charges. Give me a week and I would wrest control from her.

"Sure. Magda has the number and can help you with anything you need. You aren't going to work today?" He watched me.

"Nope. I'm calling in rich!" I clapped, gleefully. I couldn't wait to ditch that job.

It was the wrong thing to say in front of Magda. Her back stiffened and, although she was pleasant enough as she handed me my coffee, her eyes were hard.

"I'm going to quit," I said to soften it. "The business is in trouble. They've been cutting my hours for months. My boss will be relieved she won't have to lay me off."

"Good," Jus said. "My wife deserves a more prestigious job than…what is it you do?"

He was really going to make me talk about men's underpants in front of the help?

"Shut up! I'm a men's furnishings merch buyer and you know it." Though I actually wasn't sure he did. Had it come up in conversation?

"Be nice and I'll stop by the office before I quit and pick you up a hot little number." I made kissy lips and winked at him, flipping it back at him.

He blushed. No, he really blushed. He was so cute, my boyish virgin billionaire with his hot man's body. I kissed him on the tip of his nose. Because it was funny and patronizing. And the kind of adorable thing a new wife would do.

He grinned, looking ridiculously happy. Like a new groom, come to think of it. He glanced at the clock. "Shit! Gotta run." He downed his orange juice and grabbed his keys. "We'll talk about your future later."

"Does that mean you don't want me to quit?" I trotted after him as he headed toward the door. "If we need my income…I'm willing to do my part."

"Please do quit, babe. I don't need my friends asking your professional opinion about their underwear. I'll never hear the end of it."

I laughed. "In other words, keep my eyes off their crotches?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, something like that." He grinned.

I grabbed him and gave him a big, long, deep kiss to hold him for the day. Actually, to allay Magda's suspicions. I grabbed the shoulder of the baggy T-shirt he was wearing. "I have to get you out of this shirt."

"One second thought, damn the office," he whispered in a convincing voice. "It can wait." It appeared he'd forgiven me for last night.

And for my part, I was trying to act the role I was supposed to be playing. "No, I mean, really. You can't go out in this ratty old T-shirt and those baggy butt jeans." I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the bedroom. "I have something better in mind."

Magda turned away. The joke was on her. We weren't going to do the deed.

He followed me like a lamb to the bedroom. Where I closed the door and picked out one of the shirts I'd ordered for him yesterday. "This one. You have to stop dressing in clothes that are too big for you. You have a nice body. Show it off."

He looked me in the eye. "Do I? Have you seen it?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "I've measured it."

He held my gaze as he stripped his shirt off and tossed it on the bed. Crap! His abs were killer. Completely washboard and defined. He looked hard as a rock. I had to keep reminding myself this was Jus.

I grabbed the shirt from the bed and held it out for him to slip into as if I was his valet dressing him. When he'd slid into it, I buttoned it for him. Slowly. Letting my fingers skim his bare skin. He was every bit as rock hard as he looked. I ran my hands over his shoulders, straightening the shirt and feeling him up.

He stood perfectly still, but his breathing became shallow and excited.

I went to his closet and found a sports jacket. "Wear this. You're going to be late."

"We're going to give Magda the wrong idea about my lovemaking skills. She's going to think we had a super quickie." He took the jacket from me.

"It doesn't always need to last hours." I winked at him. "Mad, passionate quickies can sometimes be just what you need." I gave him a gentle shove toward the door. "Get out of here. I'll see you this afternoon."

I saw him to the door and gave him another quick kiss. After he left, I grabbed my phone to check my messages.

I had a text from Lazer. My heart raced.

Where's my picture of you, princess? I can't get anything done without it. I talked to my buddy. You're in! He'll be in touch soon.

I texted him a favorite picture of me.
My hero! Here you go. Can't wait to start!

A
n hour and a half later
, I'd called in my resignation and was sneaking into my West Seattle apartment, trying to tiptoe past Carl's office. He caught me in the act.

"Kayla! There's the celebrity bride." He came out and gave me an embarrassingly long, tight hug. He finally released me and held me at arm's length, staring me in the eye. "You tightlipped little thing. Married a billionaire over the weekend and didn't let out a peep!" His voice dripped with suspicion. And admiration. Carl, evidently, wasn't against gold-digging women—not on the surface, anyway.

My heart pounded as if it was about to break out of my chest at a run. Carl was one of about two people in the universe who could blow my little charade apart.

"So." He leaned in close again. "What was that big guy and the paper-serving bullshit about yesterday? And playing like you were poor?"

"Oh." I stared at him and forced myself to smile. "Sorry. We were trying to keep things under wraps until we told our family."

"Hmmmm…notifying next of kin first." Carl made it sound like the police notifying family after a murder. "You hadn't told your family? Your mom must be happy about that." He rolled his eyes, totally sarcastic.

Um, crap. I'd stepped in it right out of the box. I fixed a bright smile on my face. "The wedding was…impromptu. In Reno. Calling or texting seemed too impersonal. We were waiting to tell them in person."

Carl cocked an eyebrow, like he didn't believe a word. "You mean you eloped. In Nevada. I thought you said you were away on business? Was that a cover, too? Subterfuge so you could go down there and meet the new boyfriend for the weekend?"

Carl wasn't usually
this
nosy.

I was in a pickle now. "A little of both, actually."

He pursed his lips and shook his head as he made a suspicious grunt in the back of his throat. "So it was unplanned. You both got drunk and got married. That's what I'm hearing."

When did Carl become this sharp?

"The details are unimportant. The main thing is, Jus and I love each other." I laughed, way too nervously. Carl had that effect. He was like a big teddy bear trying to get the truth out of me.