CHAPTER FOUR
Kitty
“Honey, come in,” said Rhonda, answering the door. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
Gray frowned momentarily on the doorstep.
“Where’s Arlo?” he asked. “Why are you answering the door yourself?”
Rhonda smiled, although she was far too polite to roll her eyes.
“Even the staff get vacations sometimes, Gray,” she replied dryly. “Not everyone works around the clock like you do. Now come in,” she said. “Kitty so lovely to see you again!”
I smiled hesitantly, stepping into the foyer of the house. And immediately, I gasped, eyes round, because this was no regular house. Rhonda lived in a mansion in the Nevada desert, and her house showed it. Not just her house, but also the lawns around it, shimmering and green. As the car had driven through the gates, I’d stared, wide-eyed through the windows.
“All that grass,” I murmured wonderingly. “That’s a lot of grass!”
Gray snorted next to me in the back seat.
“Grass in the Nevada desert is fucking expensive,” he ground out. “It takes an arm and leg to maintain, but Rhonda’s got the cash,” he shrugged.
“I can’t imagine how much it costs,” I breathed, shaking my head again, marveling at the wide expanse of green. “And we’re in a drought too.”
“Rhonda’s got hook-ups at the water commission, she’s probably getting some mad discount,” Gray rumbled again. “But it’s about appearances. We’re hotel kings honey, we can’t go around looking poor.”
I nodded slowly. Right, appearances. And the sad thing was that I was part of the illusion he was creating. I was the fake fiancée, here to play a role, just like the grass.
Suddenly, a gray cloud descended on my head, making me sad and depressed. But why? Why did I feel this way?
The voice in my brain piped up.
Get with it Kitty, it scolded. What’s with all these questions? So what if you’re part of a masquerade? Your boss just paid you two hundred thousand cash, so do your job.
Right. Gray was my boss, he was the man I took orders from. Inhaling deeply, I braced myself because the voice was right. So what if I was a fake? So what if I was nothing more than an actress? It was all about money, about staying in school and graduating.
But stepping into Rhonda’s house, all my doubts came crashing down again. Because I’m a poor girl and the sumptuous luxury took my breath away, knocking me off my feet. We stood in a double-height marble foyer, a huge chandelier dangling over our heads, wall sconces in perfectly set niches. On one side, there was a giant living room with white couches and floor to ceiling windows, while on the other, was a second giant living room with grey couches and priceless artwork.
Get a hold of yourself, scolded the voice again. So what if the Channings are rich? It doesn’t make them better people.
I gulped. That was true, and summoning my courage, I squared my shoulders.
“Your home is lovely,” I murmured to Rhonda. “Absolutely lovely.”
“Oh thank you!” she remarked. “I’m glad you like it because Gray threw up on that rug right there when he was small,” she said pointing to a small, unnoticeable patch on the side. “It washed out but I like to remind him of it sometimes.”
I giggled, more relaxed already. Rhonda had a way about her of making people comfortable, and I was no exception. The tenseness drained from my shoulders and I smiled for real this time, exhaling my stress.
“Really?” I asked. “I can hardly picture the powerful Grayson Channing doing anything like vomiting.”
“Oh yes!” chortled Rhonda merrily. “Grayson was always coming down with bloody noses, and remember that summer you had really bad acne, son?” she asked. “It was so terrible that we went to the dermatologist every week.”
Suddenly, I saw my fiancé in a whole new light. Because right now, he was Mr. Alpha, the guy who gives orders. People jumped at his beck and call, people quivered in their shoes when he roared. But Rhonda was providing a completely different back story. At one point in his life, the alpha male had been nothing but a gangly teen, awkward with terrible skin and constant bloody noses. Suddenly, things didn’t seem so bad because my fiancé was human after all.
I giggled again, shooting him a warm smile.
“You didn’t tell me that,” I said softly. “You never told me about your bad skin.”
Gray snorted.
“Who would want a past like that to get out?” he growled with a smile on his lips. “It’s embarrassing, but trust Mom to bring it out.”
“Oh you!” said Rhonda airily, waving her hand. “Come on dear, I’ve got plenty of stories about your handsome fiancé. Some things that would make you laugh out loud, some that would make you blush,” she said with a sly grin at her son.
And I laughed again, suddenly looking forward to the dinner. Because I really wanted to learn more about him. On the outside, Gray was impenetrable, an alpha male with everything at his fingertips including a slick, perfect life. But this dinner was going to reveal all the cracks in his armor. And you know what? It was good. It humanized him, it made him more like a man, and less like a god.
I turned to follow Rhonda, but suddenly the billionaire took my hand in his. I looked down, startled, but the big man didn’t let go.
“You’re my fiancée,” he growled into my ear. “A loving, passionate bride-to-be, don’t forget baby girl.”
I stared at our hands, still in shock. But for some reason, my small, white palm in his huge, bronzed fist looked absolutely right, like we’d been holding hands for years and belonged together. And summoning my courage, I looked up at him, meeting those deep blue eyes.
“I know,” I said quietly. “I know,” I repeated, squeezing his hand.
And summoning my courage, I did something that I’d wanted to do for a while. I leaned up on my tippy-toes and pressed a soft kiss against his lips, expressing my delight at being here with him. It was nothing, this was a charade after all, but in my soul I felt it. In my soul, I was telling him what I couldn’t with words.
Gray went completely still for a moment, caught off guard. But then his lips crashed down passionately on mine, seizing them, owning me. My heart raced, body going weak. Oh god, it was so good with this man, so absolutely devastating. What would it be like to have a lifetime with him? He was everything I’d ever wanted, like a dream come true, and I returned his kiss just as passionately, throwing myself into his embrace, my soft form melting against that hard frame.
But then Rhonda interrupted.
“Come on lovebirds!” she trilled, her voice seeming to come from miles away. “Come on, dinner’s served!”
Gray broke away from me then, blue eyes seizing mine, making my heart pump, pussy sizzle. His mouth opened as if to say something, but Rhonda interrupted again.
“Cook made your favorite!” she sang. “Gourmet pigs in a blanket!”
And I giggled then, shooting my man a special look. Because who knew that Grayson Channing’s favorite food was pigs in a blanket, even if they were the fancy kind? I expected alpha males to eat only rare steak and caviar, the best of the best. But evidently, my man had a soft spot, and that was kiddie foods.
“Come on Gray,” I teased. “Let’s go get some piggies.”
The big man shot me a hot look, eyes caressing my face before descending to my breasts, the huge DD’s round and bountiful. He was unable to think, unable to focus while staring at my body, but then the billionaire started.
“Absolutely baby girl, whatever you want,” came that deep voice. And with that, we made our way into the dining room like a real couple, a loving devoted pair.
“Oh it’s so nice to see Gray with a real woman,” cooed his mom, sitting down at the head of a twelve person table. “Don’t be intimidated by the space, sit right here next to me,” she said, patting a chair.
I pulled my hand from Gray’s, shooting him another smile, before dropping into the seat beside Rhonda.
“So what else does your son like to eat?” I teased, chin in hand. “What other secrets does he have?”
Rhonda smiled mysteriously before dissolving into giggles herself.
“You’ll see,” she confided. “You’ll see, there’s a lot to know about my son.”
And the dinner was one of the best I’ve had in years. It wasn’t just the food, although that was out of this world. Rhonda Channing keeps a five-star chef on her staff, and absolutely everything was delectable, from the pigs in blanket to the crème brulee.
But what made the dinner really enjoyable was the conversation. Not just because Gray’s mom was easy to talk to, completely unpretentious and kind, but also because Gray himself is a charmer. That deep blue gaze can be forbidding, but it can also worm its way into your heart, making shivers go down your spine, your insides growing mushy and soft.
“Is it true?” I asked softly. “Is that really true?”
“You bet it is!” exclaimed Rhonda, patting her lips delicately with a napkin. “It’s absolutely true. Tell her, Gray.”
The big man shot his mom a look before swinging that penetrating gaze to me.
“It’s true,” he ground out. “I was kicked out of boarding school for helping another student allegedly cheat on an exam.”
I gasped.
“But it doesn’t sound like what you did was cheating,” I protested. “You were helping a disabled student take his test. You were just reading the questions to him, he was blind!”
The big man shrugged.
“It didn’t matter, the administration was out to get me,” he ground out. “They thought I was feeding my buddy the answers, not just reading the questions to him. So I was kicked out,” he shrugged. “No biggie.”
Rhonda, however, wasn’t done.
“Your father and I were never so proud of you for standing up to that headmaster,” she proclaimed. “Dad and I always knew you would do the right thing,” she said. “We thought about bringing granddaddy in to appeal the expulsion, but you didn’t want it.”
Gray shrugged again.
“I know what I did was right. I know I didn’t cheat. And guess what? Who the fuck cares? The school sucked, I got into my first choice college anyways.”
I bit my lip.
“But it must have been hard,” I said softly, my gaze full of compassion. “You were what, sixteen? It must have been really hard to go through the process.”
Gray shrugged those big shoulders again, but those blue eyes were shuttered.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” he ground out. “That place closed its doors five years later because they were such a mess. What goes around, comes around, you know?”
And I nodded slowly. There was more depth to this man than I’d originally thought. First, he’d volunteered to help a disabled friend. That was kindness that you don’t see every day, Gray could have been off partying but instead, he chose to give up his free time for a blind person.
Second, the big man was incredibly independent, even as a teen. Because yeah, he’d been falsely accused and had to pay the price. His powerful family could have stepped in, they could have gotten him re-instated, but he turned them down. Even back then, Gray was a man, he was ready to take the consequences, deserved or not.
And I felt something well up inside unexpectedly. It was admiration for the billionaire. I admired the way he’d stuck to his guns, the way he ran his life, the way that he wasn’t after revenge of any sort, because that would have been petty and lame.
Instead, he’d moved on, and look at the success it’d brought. Gray was a CEO now, a hotel king, and suddenly, I was even more interested than before. He was someone to know, someone to admire, and I shot a warm smile his way when Rhonda interrupted, placing her hand on mine.
“Enough about my son, you have a lifetime to get to know him. Tell me about you,” she invited, delicately cutting her meat. I glanced at the silverware, emblazoned with the letter “C.” God, how to start? My family was nothing like theirs, and the truth probably wouldn’t do any good.
“Um, there isn’t much to know,” I hedged. “We’re just regular people.”
Rhonda laughed again, patting her mouth with a napkin.
“Regular is good,” she said with a warm smile. “We like normal around here, don’t we Gray? Now honey, tell me a little about you. I’d like to get to know my new daughter-in-law.”
Oh shit, there was no way out of this.
“Well,” I began slowly. “My family is in the service industry. We’re all very into service.”
That was good. It made it sound like we were into doing charity, and not charity cases ourselves.
Rhonda nodded approvingly.
“What kind of service?” she asked. “Is your dad a doctor, working in a children’s ward? Or is your mom a lawyer for a non-profit?”
Those sounded like great jobs, but the truth is that my dad is a janitor at a neighborhood restaurant, and my mom a waitress there. How to tell that to someone who probably had caviar for breakfast and champagne at lunch? How to explain that we diluted our OJ to make the juice last longer, that my mom cut coupons non-stop so that we could make it to the next month?
So instead, I hedged.
“Um, no, not exactly service like that,” I mumbled, looking down at my hands. “More of the food-variety kind.”
My cheeks flushed red, hands twisting in my lap. Oh god, I hoped Rhonda wouldn’t ask me more because there was no place to hide.
But Gray stepped in to the rescue.
“What Kitty’s saying,” he rumbled. “Is that her parents have instilled a sense of service into her. And that’s why you got a job as a cocktail waitress at our hotel right? Because you love working with guests, and wanted to interact with customers yourself.”
I nodded gratefully.
“I’m a hotel management major at school,” I added quickly. “So working at the Milano is great experience.”
Rhonda frowned.
“That’s interesting, where did you say you went to school again? Usually they put the college interns into marketing or accounting, or at least concierge services. It’s strange they have you working as a waitress,” she said, a puzzled expression on her brow.
My mouth opened and closed silently. Because of course, I’d sought out the waitressing gig myself to make ends meet. This was no work-study job, this was all about getting as many tips as possible.
But Gray saved me again, rumbling smoothly.
“Naw Ma, again, Kitty loves working with people. Those back office jobs would never cut it, she’s all about the one-on-one. But baby,” he said turning to me, those blue eyes direct. “If you want to transition to accounting just let me know. I always thought spreadsheets were boring, but maybe you’ve got a feel for it.”
My cheeks went red. I can barely add two numbers together, but the offer was kind.
“Thanks,” I murmured gratefully, shooting him another smile. “Maybe I’ll take you up on the transfer. But to something like marketing or public relations, not accounting.”
He shot me a knowing grin.
“No problem baby girl, whatever you want,” the deep voice ground out. “Whatever you want.”
And the rest of the dinner was amazing, the conversation witty, the food and drink incredible. In celebration, Rhonda had a thirty year-old Chateau Lafite brought up from the basement, and I stared at the precious bottle as it was uncorked.
“Um no, no thanks,” I said quickly when the elderly woman made to pour. “I couldn’t possibly.” The stuff ran a thousand dollars a bottle, even more sometimes. I couldn’t, I didn’t deserve it. Right now, free tap water was more my style given my finances.
But before I could refuse again, Gray’s foot touched mine under the table. I looked up, eyes wide, and he nodded subtly.
“Experience it baby girl,” that deep voice ground out. “It’s all for you.”
I didn’t know what to do at first. This was so out of my element, dining with these kind yet extravagantly rich people, and I wanted to cry suddenly. I wanted to reveal that I was an imposter, just a fake dummy sitting here, there was nothing real between us.
But the look in the alpha’s eyes was undeniably real. He cared about me. He wanted me to enjoy the wine, to open new vistas, and sample things that I’d never have an opportunity to otherwise. It was Gray’s encouraging look and the feel of that strong leg against mine that gave me the courage to go on.
“Okay just a little,” I said in a small voice. “Just a tiny sip.”
Rhonda laughed, her voice like a tinkling bell.
“You’re so different from the other women my son’s dated,” she confided as she poured. “Those ladies demanded fancy bags and fancy shoes, the best of everything. They would have marched down to the cellar and helped themselves to the wine if I didn’t offer it.”
I gasped.
“Really? But they’re guests at your house,” I protested. “That seems so bold.”
Rhonda nodded as she topped off my glass.
“Exactly, and that’s why I hated every one of them,” she proclaimed with a majestic air. “Here’s to you and Grayson, my son and his soon-to-be wife,” she praised. “Here’s to good times and many long, fruitful years together.”
The pressure of Gray’s leg against mine intensified, and I could literally feel sparks journeying up to my pussy, making me go soft and warm inside. He knew, too, I could tell. The big man’s able to read me every which way, and taking a sip from his glass, the alpha threw me a sensual glance.
“Here’s to many years with my lovely fiancée,” that deep voice rumbled, electricity flying between us. “Here’s to many years and many children.”
I tried not to show my surprise, unmoving in my seat. Children? What in the world? But right, there was a role to play, and I had to deliver.
“Yes, many years,” came my soft voice, my glance loving. “And many, many children.”
The gleam in Gray’s eyes intensified, growing hot and fiery. Because if I wasn’t mistaken, the big man wanted to make those children asap, he wanted to whisk me away and own my sweet pussy. And even though this was all a masquerade, suddenly I desperately wanted it too.