When I woke up, it took me five minutes to figure out where the hell I was.

I opened my eyes and squinted in the bright morning light, realizing with confusion that the air was not crisp and cold like I was used to. I felt surprisingly warm, and the frost I was accustomed to seeing etched over the window like lace was missing. I sat up, blinking and yawning, and it slowly dawned on me why everything felt so strange. I wasn’t at home in Colorado, watching the snow drift by. I was in Las Vegas, with Chase, and this was the morning after my wedding night.

Every single individual part of that statement was bizarre to me, and yet, this was apparently my life now. Just last week, I was single, overworked, lonely, aimless, and freezing my ass off at the top of a mountain in Colorado. I hadn’t seen or heard about Chase in years, and I only occasionally thought about him when I was feeling extra lonely and sorry for myself, wondering what I missed out on when he broke up with me. In such a short whirlwind of time, Chase had transformed from the one that got away into the one who came back. Of course, I couldn’t let myself get too sentimental about our marriage, considering it was all just a scam. Just a crackpot ploy to save the Peppertree and make a baby.

And if last night was any indication of what was to come, I had a feeling the second part of that plan would be happening before I knew it. Not that I was exactly complaining. Sex with Chase was amazing. Earth-shattering. Life-changing. Even under the plainest circumstances, he was a sex god and I was helpless to resist him. But now that there was a goal in mind, the sex was shifting into high gear. The extra motivation of wanting to get me pregnant made Chase ravenous, almost animalistic in the way he fucked me. It turned me on much more than I ever could have predicted.

I looked down at my hand and felt a twinge of emotion when I caught sight of the massive diamond on my finger. It was over the top, a little ostentatious for my usual understated tastes. Chase had bought the ring just before we stepped into that Vegas chapel to say our hastily pre-written vows and jump headfirst into this elaborate charade. As a romantic young girl, I had always thought that my engagement and wedding rings would be beautiful and simple, specially designed to suit my love, a reflection of our genuine adoration and devotion to each other. This ring on my finger was a total departure from that. It fit well enough, but the gigantic solitaire jewel didn’t suit my personality or taste at all. I didn’t pick it out myself, and I highly doubted that even a moment’s thought had factored into Chase’s choice for me. It was oversized and impersonal, the exact opposite of what I dreamed of as a young girl.

But I knew this gigantic jewel served a very important purpose: it was a major part of the whole ruse, the silent symbol to everyone around us that our marriage was solid and authentic. It was a quickie wedding, and we could absolutely expect people to talk about us, to question the legitimacy of our marriage. Chase’s family was known worldwide for their money and fame in the real estate business, and all eyes would be on us. I had just married into the notoriously wealthy, high-class Hawthorne family, so there was no way around it. The ring had to be just as big and flashy as the rest of their image. The image I was now conspicuously a part of. There was no going back now. I had taken the most ridiculous plunge of my life, and I was now treading water in the deep end.

I only hoped that in the rush of changes and doubts and worries, I could remember how to keep my head above water. After all, it was only one year I had to get through, and then the whole charade would be over. Chase would have his baby, hopefully, and I would have the Peppertree. I could go back home and regroup, do things differently this time. We were married now, and what was his, was now mine. Including the resort. I made a solemn promise to myself that over the course of this year, I would do everything in my power to preserve the Peppertree exactly as it is, but to improve it however I could. As much as I detested the idea of using anyone else’s wealth to prop up my resort and get my own career back on track, I knew that Chase was a generous man. Hell, even back in college, that was obvious. At the time, I never thought much of it, but he paid for every meal, every movie, every outing we went on together. He showered me with gifts of jewelry, electronics, gadgets, flowers, fancy gourmet chocolates, whatever I could have wanted and stuff I never would have even thought about. And that was just when we were college sweethearts. Now we were married.

My heart skipped a beat again as the jewel on my finger caught the light and sparkled. We were married. How bizarre. I knew that the kind of money I would need to bolster the Peppertree, get some better PR to scare off the crazies who stopped by to ghost-hunt, replace or, better yet, re-train the mediocre culinary staff at the lodge restaurant, and give the whole place a new shine. I smiled to myself, thinking of how amazing it could be with just some simple, effective changes. Sure, my investors and lawyers just looked at the Peppertree and saw a money pit, a dumpster fire begging to be doused with water and put out of its misery. But I knew better than they did. I knew that my father’s vision for the resort was a good one, a successful one. It was just the negative press regarding his tragic death that sent the place on a downward spiral. And if there was anyone in the world who could turn the place from a failure to a success again, it was me. I knew the Peppertree inside and out. I could fix it. I could make it better than it ever was before, if only I had the opportunity.

This was my opportunity. At the darkest hour, fate had intervened and pushed Chase back into my life. Maybe we weren’t meant for each other forever, but we were certainly meant for each other for right now.

Almost as though my thoughts summoned him, I suddenly heard Chase’s voice across the room. I looked up to see him standing in just his boxers, in the doorway of the en suite bathroom. He had a couple of fluffy white hotel towels draped over his muscular arm and there was a sly smile on his handsome face. His dark hair, which was usually so perfectly in place, was ruffled and sticking up in different directions. There was a shadow of prickly stubble along his jaw, and his eyes were shining. Somehow, the tousled texture of his hair and the boyish grin on his face only made him look more delicious.

“Good morning,” he called out. His voice sounded gruff and gravelly first thing in the morning, and it added to his overall scruffy charm.

“Good morning to you, too,” I replied. “How did you sleep last night?”

He shrugged. “Next to you? I slept like a baby.”

I grinned. “Me, too. Though, to be fair, you did tire me out pretty thoroughly.”

“If you think that was intense, you haven’t seen anything yet,” he insinuated. He raised an eyebrow teasingly and I felt my cheeks instantly blush pink. “You hungry? I can order room service or we can go out. I was about to jump in the shower, fix all this,” he added, gesturing vaguely to the tufts of hair poking out in odd directions on his head.

“I’m pretty hungry, but I can wait a little longer,” I told him. I wiggled out of the bedsheets and slid out of bed, my toes curling as my feet touched the cool wooden floor. I was wearing only one of Chase’s white t-shirts, which was almost comically oversized on my uch smaller frame. I padded across the room to stand in front of him, looking up into the face of my brand-new husband. Fake husband, I reminded myself.

“My hair’s a bit of a mess, too,” I remarked pointedly. I took one of the towels from Chase and bit my lip. My heart was pounding. I wasn’t used to flirting like this. It had been years and years since I had even really tried. I was way out of practice, and I was worried that it was obvious to someone like Chase, who was clearly the king of seduction.

“I’ve read that it’s very economical and eco-friendly to shower together,” he commented. “Save water, shower with a friend. Or in our case, shower with your spouse.”

“Oh, well, if it’s good for the environment…” I trailed off. I gave him a wry smile.

Chase grabbed my hand and led me into the bathroom, flicking on the light. He turned on the rain shower, one of those fancy setups I always wanted to install at the Peppertree if budgeting allowed. He turned back to me and lifted the t-shirt up over my head so that I was totally naked. I shivered at the sudden cold and instinctively tried to cover my more sensitive bits. But Chase stripped out of his boxers and pulled me close, wrapping his strong arms around me to keep me warm while the water heated up. He ran his hands down the sides of my body, sliding around to cup my ass. I tilted my head up and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him as he leaned into me. I could feel his cock stiffening against my thigh, and the very sensation of that turned me on. I moaned into his mouth as he pressed against me, his hand slipping up to cup the back of my head.

He broke away and I followed him into the shower, sighing as the warm water hit my skin. The two of us stood under the spray, his arms wrapped around me again. He kissed the top of my head as the water soaked through my hair.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured. His hands gently caressed my full breasts and I gasped when his fingers passed over my sensitive nipples. “Even more beautiful than I remembered.”

He washed his hair quickly and then washed mine, his fingers gently massaging my scalp and working through every tangle. I stood in awe, surprised at the sweet gesture. No one had ever washed my hair for me before, and it was an oddly sensual experience. When my hair was rinsed out, I turned back around to face him and he smiled down at me.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, still in shock.

“I’m going to take care of you, Haley,” he promised softly. “In every way possible. If you’re going to be the mother of my child, my heir, I am going to make this worth your while. Every single step of the way.”

Chase reached down and parted my thighs slightly, his fingers slipping down to gently massage my clit. I gasp and melted into his delicious touch. He kissed me while his fingers worked my clit, his other hand cupping my breasts, rolling my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Tendrils of pleasure spiraled through my body and I could feel my legs growing weak and shaky. Chase knelt down in front of me, hooking my leg over his shoulder. I watched as he leaned forward and dove in, his tongue sliding up and down my slick sex. I shuddered and reached up to grab the shower bar to hold myself steady while Chase devoured my pussy. My pleasure started to mount higher and higher, my thighs trembling. Finally, with one last flick of his tongue, I came with a cry.

“Chase! Oh my God,” I whimpered, nearly collapsing. He stood up and turned off the shower, then hoisted me up so that my legs were wrapped around his waist. Grabbing a towel, he walked us out into the suite, laid down the towel on the bed, and cradled me back onto it. He stood over me with his massive cock erect and ready. I spread my legs, staring at him hungrily. I needed this. I needed him inside me.

He pulled me to the edge of the bed, positioned the head of his cock against my opening, and pushed into me with one smooth motion. I shivered and moaned, feeling my pussy stretch to accommodate him. He gripped my thighs with both hands, rearing back and sliding into me deeply. He gazed down at me with pure determination in his eyes. Chase was going to put a baby inside me, and he was not going to waste a single second in doing so.

“They say,” he began, through gritted teeth. “That missionary position is the best for conceiving a child. That may be true, but there’s no reason we can’t get creative. We have a whole year. I plan to fuck you in as many ways as I can. I’m going to fill you with my seed every single day.”

He leaned over me, crooking both my legs up over his shoulders and sliding a pillow underneath my ass and lower back, elevating me slightly. With his knees pressing into the bed, he began to rock his hips. I yelped in mingled pain and pleasure as his cock struck deep inside me. Chase smirked and reached down to grope my breasts. I closed my eyes, losing myself to the overwhelming sensations.

“God, your pussy is so tight. You’re perfect,” he growled. “The perfect woman.”

He fucked me harder, hitting my g-spot over and over again while he slid in and out of me. I moaned and twitched, gripping the sheets hard. “Just like that. Just like that,” I whispered breathlessly. I could feel a second climax coming fast.

He lifted me up until I was very nearly upside down, my head still resting on the bed, but my body pointing up to the ceiling. It made perfect sense to me, working with gravity to push his seed as deep inside me as possible. The thought of Chase so turned on and determined to pump his come into me was so fucking hot. There was something primal to his desire, something instinctual. He needed to carry on his legacy, and I was the precious key to making his dream come true. He had chosen me, out of every woman in the world, to carry his child.

I alone was worthy.

Chase slammed into me again and again while I moaned incoherently, losing myself to the tidal waves of bliss. He had never been this deep inside me before. This was a totally new position to me, and it felt as though he might strike against my cervix or something at any moment. His cock was so huge I thought he might split me in two. I almost hoped he would.

“Oh God,” I gasped as I came again.

“Good girl,” Chase mumbled, his voice rough. “Very good.”

His rhythm became more and more erratic as he fucked me, and somewhere in my mind I couldn’t help but contrast this version of Chase-- raw, forceful, unrestrained-- with the sweet, doting Chase who gently washed my hair for me in the shower. Both versions of him were amazing, and I counted my lucky stars to be the girl who got to meet them. God, I was so lucky. Suddenly, I was desperate for him to come inside me, fill me up with his precious seed. I wanted to give him what he needed. A baby.

“Come inside me. Please,” I begged. “Give me that sweet come. I want you to put a baby inside me, Chase. Give it to me. I need it, now.”

“Fuck, you’re so hot. So perfect. I’m going to give you what you ask for, Haley,” he growled. I could feel my pussy clenching and shuddering around his cock, squeezing him tight, milking him to orgasm. He slammed into me several more times and then groaned, gripping my thighs as he released a thick stream of seed inside me. I stayed perfectly still, holding my position while he slowly slid out of my pussy. He held me there for a few moments, refusing to let a single drop leak back out. Chase was going to put a baby inside me, and he was not messing around. When my legs began to shake, he finally let me lie back down flat on the bed.

He leaned over and kissed me deeply, stroking the wet hair back from my face. He was gentle, doting, his hands caressing and cradling me. Something about the emotional tenderness of the moment, combined with the fact that we might have just begun creating something beautiful together, brought tears to my eyes. I nuzzled closer to Chase, who held me in his arms, kissing me all over my face. I knew I was getting ahead myself, my heart plunging headfirst into feelings neither of us were ready for. Might never be ready for.

“I have to keep a clear head about this,” I mumbled into his chest. “You have to remind me sometimes that this is all for one goal, one purpose. Okay? Can you promise me you’ll remind me not to get ahead of myself? It’s hard not to fall for you, Chase. I did it once before and I can’t do it again this time.”

He kissed my forehead and hugged me close. “I’ll do my best. Just one year.”