Chapter 3
Waking Up Strangers
Alexa rolled over to lie on her back, her sleep-addled eyes still closed. It was funny, but she didn’t remember her sheets feeling this luxurious before. Or her bed. She could even smell a light touch of lavender on her pillow.
She felt something warm behind her, and she turned to press closer against the wonderfully firm masculine chest.
It wasn’t a dream, she thought.
She had woken up with a vague memory of Darien on top of her, his lips on hers in a warm, deep kiss. His strong arms felt good around her while his legs teased her knees apart …
“Ms. Diaz, I would appreciate it if you would stay in your side of the bed.”
That wasn’t Darien.
Opening her eyes, she saw a strange man lying beside her, his eyes still closed. But he was pushing her away gently but firmly with one hand.
She screamed.
“What?” the man demanded, sitting up. He was wide awake now.
He was shirtless, too — a fact that somehow managed to register in her brain that was still drowsy from sleep.
“Who are you?”
The words left her lips before she realized who it was — the man whose room she was tasked to clean last night.
Also the one who made her get into his bed, naked.
“Did you maybe develop amnesia overnight, Ms. Diaz?” He rubbed his face with one hand, before turning his head to her.
“Why … What …” She sat up too, pulling the duvet over her chest. “Why did I sleep here?”
“I don’t know. You were only supposed to close your eyes for a few minutes.” He looked annoyed. “I couldn’t wake you.”
“What do you mean you couldn’t wake me? I wasn’t in a coma, I just dozed off for a bit.”
“Yes, well, you refused to wake up.”
“And you just decided to join me in bed?”
“This is my bed, Ms. Diaz. What was I supposed to do, sleep on the floor?”
She didn’t know what to say to that.
They stared at each other in silence, until Kellan lay back down and pulled the duvet over his shoulder. He rolled over to his side, her back to her.
“You can go,” he said.
“I, uh, need to get dressed.”
“Then get dressed.”
“Not in front of you,” she protested.
“Ms. Diaz, do I look like I’m interested in watching you put your clothes on?”
“Well …”
“Just get dressed and go.”
Was this guy for real?
He just lay there, unmoving. Like he couldn’t be bothered from his sleep by something as trivial as a virtual stranger waking up beside him naked.
Carefully, she reached under the duvet to retrieve her clothes. She clutched her attendant’s uniform against her front and she slid her feet into her shoes before bolting out of the room, making sure to close the door behind her.
As she got dressed in the living room, Alexa’s mind went over the events of the previous night. The corner of her mouth curled up in a grin when she remembered the moment he took off his towel, giving her a salacious eyeful of his … assets.
She didn’t get a good look at his fiancée, as her eyes were closed, but she could hear parts of the conversation before she dozed off. It was odd how the young woman seemed hardly ruffled about seeing her in her future husband’s bed. Was this some kind of game they liked to play?
Maybe this was something rich people did when they were bored.
Speaking of rich people …
She walked back to the bedroom. “Mr. Butler?” she said, knocking on the door. “You owe me money.”
There were a few moments of silence before he replied. “It’s on the coffee table. Now go away, please.”
She narrowed her eyes. The arrogant prick had the gall to behave as though she was an unwelcome visitor in his suite when all she did was do him a favor. Okay, so she was getting paid for it. But still, there was no need to be rude.
The money was on the coffee table, as he said. She pocketed the ten hundred-dollar bills eagerly, grinning. This money would go a long way in paying for abuela’s medical bills. Maybe this housekeeping business wasn’t so bad after all.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.
Shit.
Was it one of the hotel staff? She wasn’t supposed to be here. She was supposed to have clocked out hours ago. She looked around for a place to hide. The balcony? It wasn’t much of a hiding place, as one could see all of it through the sliding glass doors and there was nothing she could hide behind.
The doorbell rang again.
Kellan Butler burst out of the bedroom, clutching a shirt and muttering under his breath. He was clad only in boxers, but he managed to finish putting on the shirt as he walked toward the door.
“No!” she yelled as he grabbed the doorknob, but he ignored her and swung the door open.
A gorgeous, petite young woman stood outside. “Hello, sweetie,” she said, smiling. She turned to Alexa. “I didn’t wake you, I hope?”
Alexa recognized her voice and that distinct English accent immediately. It was Paige, the fiancée.
“Isn’t that a hotel maid’s uniform?” Paige said, her perfect eyebrows arched in amusement.
“I, uh,” Alexa stammered, her mind searching for something to say, but the other woman walked past Kellan to offer her hand.
“Paige Mansfield,” she said.
Alexa shook her hand numbly. “Alexa,” she said.
“Doing a little roleplaying, are we?”
“That’s right,” Kellan said evenly. “Roleplaying. What brings you here, Paige? It’s a little early.”
“I have an appointment at the Children’s Centre, so I thought I’d catch you before I left.” She turned to Kellan. “Everton wants to meet for lunch. He absolutely insists on meeting you today.”
“Does he?”
“I suggested you meet on Saturday, but he can’t wait till then. I think he’s afraid he’ll miss out on an opportunity if he doesn’t see you earlier.” She turned to Alexa. “You’ll join us, won’t you, Alexa?”
“I don’t think—” Alexa started to say.
“Alexa and I will be happy to join you for lunch,” Kellan interrupted her.
“Wonderful,” said Paige. “I’ll see you at the Polo Lounge at one o’clock.”
As soon as she left, Alexa turned to Kellan and threw up her hands. “What the hell was that?” she demanded.
“My fiancée invited us to lunch,” he said, walking toward the phone. He picked it up and pressed a button. “And we accepted. Good morning. Ms. Moore?”
At the mention of the hotel manager’s name, Alexa froze. She was not looking forward to explaining to her boss what she had been doing in Kellan Butler’s suite all night.
“Yes, I will need a dress suitable for a casual Sunday lunch. And shoes. The young lady is…” He covered the mouthpiece with one hand. “What size are you?”
“I’m not going.”
He uncovered the mouthpiece and continued. “Would you mind coming upstairs and assessing the young lady’s dress size?”
“No!” she said, waving a hand in a panic. “I’m a … size six.”
“Never mind. She’s a six. Her shoe size?” He looked back at Alexa expectantly.
She sighed. “Seven.”
“Seven,” he said over the phone. “I appreciate it… Thank you.”
He put down the receiver. “Ms. Diaz,” he said, crossing his arms. “It seems you and I need to discuss the matter of you accompanying me to lunch today. “ His right hand lifted and his thumb rubbed his chin. “I suppose you’ll expect payment?”
“Mr. Butler, I’m very grateful for your very generous offer, but I think the person you’re really looking to hire is an escort. You know, a woman whose job it is to pretend to be someone’s girlfriend?”
“I know what an escort is, Ms. Diaz, thank you. Unfortunately, the lunch invitation was extended to you. While your features are quite common, I don’t think I could just pick a girl of your size and hair color from an escort company catalogue and expect Paige not to notice.”
Common? For a man who needed her help, he seemed unable to make an effort not to be rude.
“I can’t, I’m sorry.” She wasn’t. In fact, she relished being able to say no to him. “It’s making me very uncomfortable.”
He frowned. “Why? I assure you, I have no sexual intent towards you. This … arrangement won’t involve any physical contact whatsoever.”
Dios mio. He really had to emphasize his disdain to the idea of touching her, didn’t he?
“Because,” she said, and waved her hands palms up. “It’s deceitful. I don’t like lying to people.”
He put his hands on his hips, and regarded her thoughtfully. After a long silence, he nodded. “I understand. If I’ve made you feel uncomfortable in any way, I do apologize.”
“G-g-good.” She honestly did not expect him to concede so easily. But he did, and she wondered why she didn’t feel more relieved. “Goodbye, Mr. Butler. It’s been interesting.”
“For what it’s worth, Ms. Diaz,” he said as she made her way to the door. “I’m not normally a deceitful man.”
She stopped, and turned her head to look at him.
“I know for a fact that my fiancée will not be … hurt by what I’m asking you to do,” he continued. “It will in fact give her peace of mind.”
That made no sense whatsoever. But considering that she had just spent the night naked in this man’s bed — a man she’d never met until fifteen minutes before she’d agreed to his ridiculous proposal, it seemed … fitting.
“That’s none of my business, sorry,” she said. “For what it’s worth, I hope things work out between the both of you. Paige seems like a nice girl.”
Too nice for you, actually. Maybe she would dump his arrogant ass for Everton. It would serve him right.
He didn’t reply, and Alexa gave him a small, smug smile before stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind her.
The Billionaire’s Lie will be available in your favorite ebook retailers later in 2016. Please to get updates on its release date.