Big Bad Fake Groom: A Billionaire’s Virgin Romance

 

I need a wedding.
I need a bride.
But marriage is my worst nightmare, so why not fake it?
The only thing worse than marriage?
A virgin who wants to wait ‘til the wedding night.

I’m New York’s wealthiest bachelor.
Oil is my business and women are my pleasure.
And the sound of wedding bells makes me cringe.
Until I find out my inheritance depends on me getting engaged.
So I do exactly what I do best. I buy a solution.
Paige Scott is the hottest upcoming painter on the NY art scene and she needs the publicity as much as I need my inheritance.
A deal made in heaven, right?
Almost.
The virgin naturally insists that we don’t have sex before the wedding.
Marriage and virginity, REALLY?
But Paige is the biggest tease my cock has ever gone hard for. Well, I sure can RISE for this challenge.
I’m going to make her wet. I’m going to make her ache for me. Then, I’m going to steal her virginity before the big day.
And once I get it, I’m gone.

But I never counted on actually wanting to say, ‘I do.’

 

***

 

Chapter One

 

 

Paige

 

 

“Finer strokes, my dear Paige. Finer strokes.”

She focused on doing what Professor Grey instructed her to do by adjusting her grip on the paintbrush. The strokes on the canvas were smoother then. Somehow he always knew exactly what needed to be done.

Paige turned on her stool to give an appreciative smile to Professor Grey. He was an older man with gray hair twisted back into a ponytail and a white beard that reminded his students of a real-life Santa Claus. He even had the potbelly that poked out through paint-splattered shirts.

“You are doing wonderful,” he said, patting her on the shoulder. “More advanced than some of my graduating seniors this year.”

The compliment cheered her up instantly. Two months of living in the hustle of New York City had taken a toll on her emotionally. She dearly missed both her parents who were back in Wyoming. This was the first time in her life she had gone this long without seeing them face to face, and it was hard every single day to not feel homesick. It didn’t help that her mother cried every time they spoke on the phone at the end of Paige’s hectic days of classes and figuring out where all the dining places were.

New York University was spread throughout several city blocks. It took forty minutes to an hour just to walk to a class from her dorm. She didn’t mind so much though, except in the winter when it was freezing.

It was a drastic difference compared to the quietness of her hometown. There were only 5,000 people there, and they lived on sixty acres of farmland. Hearing the constant sound of cars, alarms, and late-night chatter was also drastically different.

And there were times that Paige wondered if moving to New York had been the right thing to do after what had happened. She quickly shut that last trailing thought down. There would be a time to deal with all that later, not while she was in her freshman painting class.

“Really?” Paige asked.

He nodded and let out a soft chuckle. “Yes. That’s a scary thought, now isn’t it?” He gazed down at her with kind blue eyes. “How are you handling your first two months here at NYU? Feeling homesick at all?”

“Yeah, a little. If I’m being honest, it’s been hard,” she said. “I miss my parents, but I assume that’s normal.”

“Normal as can be. You came from Wyoming, correct?” He tilted his head to the side, watching her closely.

“Yes. My parents own a farm, so the nightlight is a change of pace for me.” She shrugged, trying hard not to think about home. It would be far too easy to dive into another depression about missing her family and her old room.

Professor Grey laughed. “I imagine it is. Well, try to stick to being here in New York. It’s a lifetime experience and a wonderful opportunity for a woman such as yourself.”

He continued down the line of students. Paige finished up her painting with a pleased smile. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That much she had recognized when opening the acceptance letter over a year ago to find out she had also been selected for a hefty scholarship that at least covered her food and housing. Everything else had fallen onto her parents’ shoulders, who insisted they had saved for a day when her dreams and talents would take her places.

It had taken to her New York City of all places. The big city. And for a small-town country girl like her, it was different…even terrifying at times.

She cleaned up her workstation as Professor Grey talked about next week’s student critique. He excused them a few minutes later with a bid for them to have a good weekend.

Slipping the strap of her leather tote onto her shoulder, Paige filed out with the rest of her freshman classmates, but she didn’t bother talking to anyone. They were all nice, but several of them were too high class for her. They didn’t have problems with money. They were only going to New York University because their parents could afford it and they were required to go to school if they wanted access to a wealthy lifestyle. Students like Paige were the oddballs who wore cheap leggings and T-shirts to every class.

She spotted Jessica Kindley waiting in the lobby of the fine arts building. Her heart lifted at the sight of a familiar and friendly face. Jessica lived in the room next to hers in their apartment building. She was on a full-ride scholarship to study English and Creative Writing. She came from a low-income home with five sisters, so that was the only way she had been able to come—through her writing.

“How was class?” Jessica asked.

“Fine,” Paige said. She stopped to wait for Jessica to gather her things from the couch she had been studying on. “I’m glad the afternoon is over though. Want to get some pizza tonight for dinner? I’m craving it like crazy, that thin crust New York style pizza that you can fold over and it still takes forever to eat.”

“Absolutely.” Jessica grinned up at Paige before laughing. “You don’t have to ask me more than once if I’d like to have some pizza for dinner. Heck, you had me at thin crust.”

Together, they stepped out into the warm afternoon and the bustle of people walking on the sidewalks. The sound of car horns filled Paige’s ears as they waited for a light to turn red before they could walk across in the direction of the freshman apartments.

“I’m glad it’s Friday,” Jessica said. “I’m exhausted from all this running around my senior sister has been having me do.” She stifled a yawn with her hand and shook her head, as if trying to rid herself of the exhaustion that seemed to cling to her more often than not. “There should be a curfew against them getting us out of bed in the middle of the night.”

“My senior sister hasn’t even really done anything,” Paige said, trying not to let her nerves show when Jessica glanced at her in surprise.

Shannon Palmer was a glamorous and wealthy woman with a well-known reputation as the ring leader of her senior class. She was the popular and social butterfly with a half-brother who dealt with even richer people than their family. Celebrities. That was the rumor Paige had heard when a few freshman classmates had talked about Shannon Palmer picking her as a freshman sister.

Except, the only times Paige ever saw Shannon were in passing on the street with a gaggle of senior friends around her. Sure, she smiled, said hello, but not once had Shannon asked her to do anything like the other senior sisters had asked their freshman sisters. She tried not to let it get to her though. Things like that didn’t matter. She wasn’t in New York to become popular or to hang around her rich classmates.

They made it back to the freshman apartments thirty minutes later while they talked about their days. While Paige had a deep and profound passion for painting, she loved to read too. She and Jessica could spend all night pouring over the books they loved. They had gone several times to the bookstores around the city just to browse through, because they couldn’t afford to purchase much.

“What are your plans tonight after pizza?” Jessica asked. “We can have a read-a-thon in my room. It’s a bit quieter than your apartment that overlooks the entire city.”

Paige smiled as they swiped their cards through the card reader to enter the small lobby. The housing areas were located in the city as well but secured as tightly as possible. Strangers were not allowed in the dorms. The doors were locked as well past a certain time for security reasons.

Her apartment overlooked a good portion of the city, which almost felt extravagant at times. The small living room had minimal walls. Instead, she had large glass windows. She enjoyed sitting in a chair at the end of the day while overlooking all the lights. It was beautiful. Dreamy.

“How about getting a movie?” Paige suggested as they climbed the stairs to the top floor. “We could watch movies and eat pizza. My eyes hurt from all the reading I did today for history class.”

“Wimp,” Jessica said, laughing. “Reading is part of the deal here at NYU. You’re going to find yourself with your head stuck in a book all the damn time if you’re not careful.”

“I’ll do my best to watch out.” Paige crinkled her nose and gave her friend a funny smile. “God forbid I turn up a bookworm.”

They reached the top floor of their building to find the last person they had expected to be in freshman housing—Shannon Palmer.

She was as glorious as usual with her long blond locks curled perfectly, her smudge-free makeup, and her tight clothes that showed off her impressive physique. The smell of rich perfume filled the entire hallway.

“Hi, girls,” she said, beaming at them both. “I was wondering if I’d catch you before the end of the evening, Paige.”

“Oh,” Paige said, exchanging a look with Jessica, who looked as equally baffled by Shannon’s appearance. It was a rarity that Shannon focused on anyone but herself. Something was up… “I didn’t think you would be looking for me, honestly.”

Shannon laughed. “Why wouldn’t I be? You’re my freshman sister.” She glanced over at Jessica, who shifted nervously on her feet. “I overheard that you two were making plans for tonight, and I hate to be the one who breaks them, but I have a specific thing for you, Paige, that I’d like us to do together.”

Paige blinked a few times in confusion. She didn’t know what to think of Shannon’s sudden appearance after two months of nothing. After glancing at Jessica, who shrugged her shoulders indifferently, she looked back at Shannon hesitantly. “Okay. I guess that’ll be okay if you’re fine with it, Jessica. We had plans.”

“Nothing important,” Jessica said. She nodded at Shannon. “Go ahead, Paige. I’ll see you this weekend.”

“You sure?” Paige said, but she was quickly cut off.

“Wonderful!” Shannon exclaimed, walking toward them on teetering high heels. “Do you have any dresses, Paige?”

“No, not really. I just have shirts, leggings, and—”

“You’re a bit petite, so I know you won’t fit into any of my things,” Shannon said, dragging her eyes up and down Paige’s form. “That’s okay though. We can go shopping before we hit the club.”

“Club?” Paige repeated nervously. “I don’t know if—”

Shannon took ahold of Paige’s hand. Her fingers were cool and strong.

“I promise it’s not what you think,” she said. “I know you don’t like nightclubs. It said it in your ‘about me’ paper. That’s why I picked you. It’s perfect.”

“For what?”

The smile on Shannon’s face grew even bigger, which should have been comforting but wasn’t at all. It was downright scary. “You’ll see.”

 

****

 

“See. Look at that. You look hot in this dress.”

Paige tugged nervously at the hemline of the black bodycon dress Shannon had insisted she try on. It hugged her curves in all the right ways, but it was a bit short and snug. She looked down at the modest heels Shannon had brought over as well. None of this was cheap, either.

She turned to look at Shannon, who grinned excitedly at her. Suspicion trickled in through her nerves. None of the senior sisters spent money like this on their freshman sisters.

“I can’t accept these things,” Paige said. “It’s expensive. It’s too much.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” Shannon waved an airy hand. “My brother is a famous publicist for celebrities. He flips me tons of money all the time. This is chunk change for me.”

“Okay, well, I still don’t know why you’re doing this all of a sudden.”

That gave Shannon pause. “Doing what all of a sudden?”

“Paying attention to me,” Paige said. “You’ve never once asked me to do anything with you before this.”

“Oh, that.” She tucked a long blond curl behind her ear with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t anything personal. School is just so busy sometimes, you know? I also travel a lot on the weekends, believe it or not.”

That made sense to a degree. She never saw Shannon around on the weekends. Still, suspicion filled her at what had prompted Shannon’s sudden need to buy her nice clothes for a fancy VIP club.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Shannon reached forward to unclip her hair.

“I love your hair,” Shannon said. “I’m in love with the lob-type haircuts. I never have the guts to cut my hair.”

“Thanks.”

Paige stood still while Shannon fretted around her, fluffing up the natural waves of her hair and adding bits of makeup. It felt as though she were Shannon’s life-sized Barbie doll that needed a makeover.

“This is perfect,” Shannon said. “Let me pay for our things, change into my own outfit, and let’s get out of here. We have to meet some people.”

“Meet wh—”

Shannon slipped out of the private changing room before Paige could finish her sentence. She turned to look back at the mirror in uncertainty. My mother would have a heart attack seeing me in this dress.

She grimaced while gathering her old clothes from the floor to shove them into a plastic bag Shannon had brought along. Opening the door, she stepped out of the changing room right as Shannon stepped out in a gold sequin dress that barely reached her upper thighs. She sparkled as she walked with a confidence that Paige inwardly wished she had.

“Are we ready to go?” Shannon asked.

“I guess,” Paige said. “Can you tell me where we are going, or who you say we are going to meet?”

They walked out into the store. Paige half expected a store employee to tell them off for wearing the dresses before they were paid for. None of them said a word. In fact, they smiled at them as they passed by.

“My brother,” Shannon replied, handing over a credit card from her small black purse. “He’s a publicist for celebrities all over the world, but he invited us out for a few drinks.”

“I’m not twenty-one though.”

Shannon leaned in to whisper into her ear. “It doesn’t matter where we are going; trust me. They don’t care as long as you flash your credit card.”

Her nerves didn’t settle as they climbed into a cab a few moments later. The sun had set behind the towering skyscrapers. Orange sunset light occasionally filtered through the alleyways and westbound streets. The entire cab ride over, Shannon talked amicably about her life in New York. Her parents were wealthy, but not like her half-brother, who had a knack for smooth talking. Shannon wanted to be a writer, but she had put that dream aside to help her brother manage his clients.

“We travel all over during the weekends,” she said. “You’d never believe how many miles you can cross in one day.”

“I imagine,” Paige replied, biting on her thumbnail nervously as the cab pulled up in front of a black building with security surrounding every corner of it. “Are we going in there?”

“We are,” Shannon said, flipping a few twenty-dollar bills to the cab driver. “This is where my brother meets with his clients. It’s a good watering hole because paparazzi can't get in, and neither can fans. There is a list too, so strangers can’t just get in.”

She didn’t doubt that. There were some beefy security guards strolling around the building with dark shades on.

“How are we going to get in then?” Paige asked.

Shannon opened the cab door. “They know my brother and me.” She slid out of the cab without waiting for Paige’s reply. “Come on. Let’s get a good table.”

Paige followed behind as quickly as her dress and heels let her. She still had no clue why Shannon had brought her here to this lounge. She didn’t even know what had prompted this type of adventure in the first place.

They were let into a nice lounge area with black tables and leather chairs. A waterfall roared down in the middle of it with soothing lights flickering off the water. The smell of rich perfume and cologne filled Paige’s lungs as she followed behind Shannon to a table next to a patio that overlooked the city. A small dance floor sparkled under the candlelight while a slow jazz song filled the atmosphere.

Sitting down on the edge of the cool leather, Paige watched as Shannon scanned the lounge quickly. Unable to take it any longer, she asked, “What’s really going on? Why did you bring me here?”

“Because I wanted to spend time with my freshman sister,” Shannon replied easily. She smiled warmly at Paige. “I’ve heard that you barely leave your dorm room during the weekends. It’s our job as senior sisters to make sure that you enjoy your time here in New York City— not hide away from a fun experience.”

“Oh,” was all Paige could think to say. Still, something felt off, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. “I’m not much of a ‘get dressed and go out’ type of girl.”

Shannon gave her a look. “I’ve noticed. You shouldn’t be trapped up in your dorm all the time. You’ll go crazy being homesick.”

“Do you miss your parents then?” Paige asked.

Dark shadows danced along Shannon’s tanned face. Her pink and glossy lips pulled into a thin line.

“My parents aren’t around, so I’m used to being on my own. Their jobs require them to be out of the country most of the time.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“Oh, there’s my brother!” Shannon exclaimed. “And Luke is with him too. I didn’t know Luke would be here.”

Paige turned in her chair to find two men dressed in casual business suits approaching them. Her eyes landed on the blond-haired man who stood tall and proud with muscles threatening to rip through the fabric of his shirt. His long blond hair was sleeked back while a shadow of a beard danced along his strong jaw. He walked confidently toward them, his eyes flicking to where Paige was seated next to Shannon.

Her heart pounded when he raked an appreciative gaze over her bare legs. Shifting them out of sight, Paige gripped the edge of her chair as the two men sat down. The one with Shannon’s same eyes and hair color took a seat next to Shannon.

“You must be Paige Scott,” he said, holding out a hand. “I’m Toby Patel. I’m Shannon’s older half-brother.”

“Nice to meet you,” Paige said.

“And this is Luke Turner,” Toby said, gesturing to the man who took a seat directly next to Paige. “He’s one of my close friends, but I’m also his assistant.”

Luke held out a large hand that appeared to be covered in callouses. She gently laid her hand in his after hesitating for a moment. His skin felt warm, but his fingers were strong when they tugged her hand forward. Paige’s heart skip erratically at the sensation of Luke’s hot lips pressed up against the skin of her knuckles.

“Pleasure is all mine,” he said smoothly. “I’ve heard many things about you.”

Paige withdrew her hand from Luke’s before she could swoon even more. Cool it, Paige. He’s just a really gorgeous man kissing your knuckles like it’s the old days.

“Like what?” she asked, her voice garbled with nerves.

He didn’t answer. The waiter returned to their table with a platter of wine glasses. Picking her glass up, Paige took a tentative sip as slowly as possible. The last time she’d had wine had been with her parents when celebrating her high school graduation. Needless to say, she’d ended up throwing up all night from the fruity wine.

Alongside her, Luke ordered a whiskey after downing his wine in one gulp. His eyes were riveted elsewhere, and it confused the hell out of her. One minute he had been charming and interested in her. Now he appeared to be distant and uninterested.

“That you are a fellow student at NYU with Shannon,” Toby answered for him. “My sister travels with us a lot, you see. We usually leave the city on the weekends. She mentioned that she had a freshman sister she had no time to spend with.”

“So that’s why we are here,” Shannon added with a smile, cradling her own wine glass with a contented sigh. “It’s nice not to be on an airplane tonight either. It felt good to just stay here in the city.”

“What made you come to New York?” Luke asked abruptly. “A small-town girl like yourself, why are you here in the city?”

Paige stared at him in confusion. “To go school, obviously. That’s the only reason I am here.”

Is he this painfully awkward for being this attractive? Or is he just uncomfortable? She glanced over to where Shannon sat with her brother at ease. Maybe it was just his personality.

“Did you go to college?” Paige asked.

“No,” Luke said, shrugging his shoulders. He grabbed his drink from the waiter a second later. “I grew up with a nanny and tutor. I didn’t have time for college because I was too busy working with my dad in his business.”

“What is your father’s business?”

She bit her tongue when Luke arched an eyebrow at her, a silent “are you fucking kidding me?” type of question in his eyes. She honestly had no idea who he was besides that he was probably rich judging from the expensive suit he wore.

“My father died two weeks ago,” he said a bit harshly. “Turner Oil will pass down to me within the next few months. The college experience has never exactly been on my agenda.”

Sensing a touchy subject, Paige let the conversation drop, unsure of what to say. She lifted her legs from where they were sticking to the leather chair. Oil. If he came from an oil family, there was no doubt in her mind about that. This whole night felt strange, off. She didn’t like places like this, and Shannon didn’t seem too keen on letting her know the real honest truth of why she had been brought along. She only seemed to irritate Luke, given the agitated and weighted glances he shot in her direction.

“You’re an ass tonight,” Shannon commented, signaling for another drink. “Maybe we should’ve left for the weekend. You need some stress relief apparently.”

“Stress relief sounds good to me,” Luke said. His eyes drifted to Paige again, who squirmed under the weight of his gaze. She couldn’t read those damn expressions of his. They were utterly blank, but something was hidden behind them.

“I’m sorry,” he said, leaning in with a sigh. “It was a very rough day for me at work. It takes a bit for me to calm back down. I’m honestly not a strange guy, or an asshole.”

“It’s fine,” Paige said, smiling meekly. “Everyone has their bad days. I just don’t know how I ended up here to be honest with you.”

He looked at her curiously. “Why would you wonder that?”

Paige glanced over at Shannon, who was already wrapped up in a conversation with Toby about something on his phone. “Well, for starters, I’d never once spoken with Shannon until now. That’s different, and I normally don’t go out on a Friday night either.”

“What do you do for fun then?”

“I read books,” she said, shrugging. “Or I sketch, watch a movie. Normal things.”

“I see,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “You don’t think this a normal thing? Coming out to have a few drinks with someone you might like?”

The center of her cheeks flared hotly. It had to be the wine, but Paige felt herself drifting toward him a bit. There was just a pull about him that she couldn’t explain.

“I just came here because my senior sister asked me to come out,” she said. “I really don’t have any motive for the night. Do you?”

The corner of Luke’s lips curved upward. “I have some motive, but nothing I should honestly say out loud.”

Her heart did that erratic thudding again. It occurred to her then and there that she might’ve made a mistake in coming out with Shannon in a short black dress that barely covered anything. And it terrified her to feel an attraction to a man she had just met only a few minutes ago, but who could resist a man like Luke Turner? She felt flattered just having him look at her with mild interest.

Nothing will happen though. Nothing will happen even if he expects it to. She repeated that mantra to herself as Luke’s smile turned sultry. Swallowing the bulge of nerves in her throat, Paige looked away from that hypnotic stare that wanted to put her under a spell. God help me.

Chapter Two

 

 

Luke

 

 

Thirty fucking days.

That was how long Luke Turner had. He had thirty days to find someone, pop the question, and appease Roderick Turner’s lawyer, who had delivered the news that Roderick’s last request had been that his son be married before receiving his inheritance. Luke’s father was adamant that monogamy was right and natural. He had been married to Luke’s mother for over twenty years before she’d passed away from heart disease. His mother’s death had been a nasty and grievous divide between his father and himself.

Roderick had turned to the bottle to cope. Luke had turned to the open legs of a woman to cope.

He had never heard the end of it either. Since he was sixteen, Luke could remember his father’s stern lectures about treating women with respect. They were not sexual objects to gratify his desires. He needed to find the “right” woman to settle down with.

Luke grimaced inwardly at the thought. Settling down was not, and never would be, on his to-do list. He was twenty-nine years old, and he had no intention of finding a woman to marry and start a family with.

Except, he had thirty days to do it now. Even after death, Roderick Turner had found an effective tool to bully his son into marriage. If he wanted Turner Oil, or even a penny of his inheritance, he had to be engaged and on track to be married.

That was why Toby Patel, his long-time friend and publicist, had suggested letting his sister find a naive freshman student at NYU to do the trick.

And staring across the table at Paige Scott as she twirled a finger through a curl in her hair nervously, Luke had to give props to Toby and Shannon. They knew his tastes very well.

Paige was every man’s fantasy, including Luke’s. She was a freshman student who’d never once been in a city like New York until college. She was a home-grown girl with waterfall curls and an innocent expression that took in everything around her with a sense of amazement. She didn’t come from wealth, either, from what Toby had told him on the phone. Both her parents were blue-collar and worked on a farm in Wyoming.

And she was attractive, but either didn’t believe it or she didn’t see herself the same way Luke saw her—petite, nice-shaped breasts and ass, and a slender face peppered with adorable freckles. She constantly tugged at the hemline of her dress.

He caught sight of Toby’s eyes. A wordless question echoed in them. Luke gave a sharp affirmative nod before turning in his chair to face Paige, who looked up at him with wide eyes.

“So, I’ve been told you are from Wyoming,” he said.

“Yes,” she said. “I grew up on a farm with my parents there.”

“Wyoming is beautiful.” Luke grabbed his drink from the table. That part was not a lie. He did find Wyoming beautiful, what with its rugged, windy, and grassy landscape. “I regret that I never get to spend much time up there, but when I need a retreat from the city, that’s where I find myself gravitating too.”

He saw the tension in Paige’s shoulders lessen a bit. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, and he had a flash of wondering what it would like to nibble it himself.

“It’s a good place to get away from everything and everyone,” Paige said, her voice so quiet that he had to lean in to hear her. “Although, New York City is beautiful in its own way.”

“It is,” he agreed, nodding. “If you’re into the hustle of it, New York is beautiful.” He caught sight of paint on the tips of Paige’s fingers. “Shannon tells me you’re an art student at NYU. You were accepted through a scholarship.”

Paige glanced over at Shannon, who was busily talking to the people at the table next to theirs, not paying attention to their conversation. Toby wasn’t even paying attention. He looked bored as he scrolled through his phone with a whiskey in one hand.

“How do you know so much about me?” Paige asked a bit coolly. She gave Luke a long and intense look. “No offense, but I still don’t understand why I’m here with you, or why you seem interested in me.”

Smart and observant. He mentally added those two qualities to the list of things he did genuinely like about Paige.

“Who wouldn’t be interested in you?” he asked bluntly. “You’re attractive. You’re smart. There’s a difference between a hot woman versus a woman who is beautiful and has actual goals in life.”

“While I agree with you on the last part of that sentiment, I still don’t think I’m exactly your type.”

“Why not?”

He leaned in even more to close the distance between them. He could smell the pleasant aroma of sugar and vanilla on her skin.

Paige scooted away while clearing her throat. “Because I am not from the same circle you’re from.”

“That’s why I like you,” Luke said. “You aren’t from the same circle I’ve been in my entire life.”

“You don’t even know me.” She shook her head at him. “We’ve only been talking for thirty minutes. You only know details about me.”

“Enlighten me then.”

“Why should I?”

Luke chuckled deep in his chest. He had to give it to Paige. She wouldn’t make it easy for him, and that thrilled him beyond measure. She’d make it a challenge, unlike the other women who jumped easily into his bed.

“I like you,” he said, and he did. He did like her. “You’re able to see through people’s bullshit.”

“I suppose I can,” Paige said cautiously. “Look, Shannon is my senior sister. She asked me to come here with her, so I’m here only for that reason.”

He rolled his eyes. “Do things like that really matter to you freshman students?”

Shannon spoke up then, defensive. “It’s a tradition,” she said. “Don’t knock it down, Luke. You never went to college. You just did online courses.”

“I was a bit busy running a business,” Luke replied, shooting Shannon a look that instantly quieted her. “Online courses were the only thing I could do at the time.”

“And you’ve got life experience that most people would only dream of having,” Toby added, clapping Luke on the shoulder with a grin. “No one is knocking that down. The oil industry isn’t easy to navigate through.”

“Not usually,” Luke said darkly. That was the last thing he wanted to talk about—work. The oil industry was always liquid gold, but there were constant bumps in the road. The economy affected a good part of his operations. Some were shut down while others kept going, and it flipped constantly. He lost money and then made money.

He took a long drink before setting the empty glass on the table. Paige looked away from him to gaze out across the dance floor, where sultry jazz music had started up. The only reason he had picked this VIP lounge was because of the music they played. He hated the thumping nightclubs that Toby and Shannon frequented with Toby’s other clients.

He needed to do something fast to win over Paige’s favor. Resting a hand on Paige’s forearm, he relished in the way her skin felt, so soft beneath his fingers. It sent jolts up his hand and arm. She looked down at his hand before catching his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m being an ass. Do you like to dance?”

“Maybe,” Paige said slowly. “I like this music.”

Luke grinned. “So do I. Come on.” He stood up and offered her a hand. “Have one dance with me. I’m a pretty fun guy. Ask anyone in this lounge.”

Paige glanced over at Shannon, who nodded encouragingly. She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand in Luke’s. Those delicate fingers that were stained with paint had his mind wondering what they would feel like on other parts of his body.

He helped her out of her chair when she wobbled a bit on the heels she wore—a Shannon touch he was sure.

Once they were in the middle of the dance floor, Luke twirled her expertly with a pleased grin when she followed his command without question. He pulled her close to him, closer than he knew she was comfortable with judging from how stiff her spine was against the palm of his hand. The hand resting on his shoulder tensed briefly, as though she were about to push him away.

“Relax,” Luke murmured, resting his forehead against hers. “This dance doesn’t work if you feel like a stiff board.”

“I can’t help it,” she said over the music. “You’re feeling me up.”

He forced his hand from drifting lower to grab at her waist instead. “Sorry. We’re just up here to dance.”

“Just to dance,” Paige said firmly.

The corner of his lips quirked up in amusement. She thought she had control over him, or at least of the situation.

The music took over. Luke led her expertly in a dance that Paige quickly picked up on. Her hips were fluid underneath his hand whenever he slipped down to guide her. For an innocent freshman, she knew how to dance, and she had no awareness of how sexy she appeared while doing it.

Her body felt so taut but fragile in his arms. He could easily throw her across the room without any effort. His mind drifted to wondering what it would be like to have her underneath him, naked, squirming in pleasure with those perky breasts bouncing in time with his thrusts.

His hand tightened on Paige’s waist after the song ended. He refused to let go of her right away when she took a pointed step back. Paige looked up at him in confusion, and he let all the desire he felt boiling in him show.

It rendered Paige motionless in his arms, the way he wanted her to be. Her lips appeared soft and were a ruby red color. He leaned forward, ready to taste them, but Paige’s hand shot out to thump him on the chest with surprising strength.

“One dance and you’re already trying to kiss me?”

Annoyance filled him.

“Do you have problems with a man wanting to kiss you because he thinks you're beautiful?” he asked, his tone sharper than he’d intended. He was drunk from the whiskey and aroused from Paige’s proximity.

Paige promptly let go of his hand. Her eyes narrowed at him in indignant anger.

“I realize that you never get rejected, but I’m not the type of girl to let a strange man just kiss me and then hop into bed with him.”

He ran an aggravated hand through his hair. “You’re against that sort of thing?”

“Yes, I am,” Paige said. “I refuse to be a whore.”

“I never thought you were one.”

“Because you would know what a whore looks like, right?”

“I won’t lie about knowing what whores look like,” Luke said blatantly. There would be no charming Paige by dishonesty. She liked the truth, judging from the expression on her face. “Do you really want to know about my past with other women? I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve had my fair share of fun.”

“So what are you expecting from me exactly?” Paige asked, crossing her arms.

Luke sighed inwardly. Maybe Paige would be a bit complicated and hard to appease in thirty days. He had a gut feeling that she wouldn’t accept an engagement within a short amount of time, but he couldn’t let her know the real reason why Shannon had brought her here. He needed Shannon to be on Paige’s side to know what was going on.

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “I just thought that we were having a good time and—”

“Well, you thought wrong then.”

“Apparently,” he snapped, and her eyes widened. “Wait. I’m—”

Paige ripped away from him to stalk angrily across the dance floor. She didn’t listen to Shannon, who was out of her chair, trying to console her, and walked out of the lounge without sparing him a second glance.

 

****

 

“What the fuck?” Toby demanded when Luke sat down in his chair and snapped his fingers for another drink. “You’re supposed to be charming the shit out of her, not revolting her with being a sleazeball.”

Luke glared at him. “Are you calling me sleazy?”

“I’m saying that you can’t just make advances on her like that,” Toby said. “The reason Shannon picked Paige as a freshman sister is because she isn’t the type of woman to like that sort of thing. That is the type of woman Peter is going to approve of.”

“She’s a fucking headache,” Luke growled, grabbing his drink from the waiter’s hand. “Too much work, Toby. Way too much work for this arrangement.”

“I don’t think so,” Shannon responded, shaking her head. “Paige is perfect for this sort of thing. You know it too, because I saw the interest in your eyes.”

“Well, of course he’d be interested in her,” Toby said. “She’s a female who is attractive and has some goals that she wants to achieve in her life.”

“It’s fucked up that my father did this to me,” Luke said, rubbing his aching head. The rest of his body ached as well. “I know he wanted me to get married, but this is a bit far in my opinion. There has to be a loophole somewhere that I’m not figuring out.”

“That’s because there isn’t a loophole,” Toby said. He shook his head. “Look, man, I’m trying to tell you that this is your best bet. It is. If you want that inheritance money, and your dad’s business, you have to do what the will is telling you to do.”

“I hate it when you’re right.” Luke sat back in the leather chair to take another long drink. He needed something to calm him down. “You’re positive that this is going to work?”

Toby nodded. “Positive. If it doesn’t work, you won’t have to cut me a check out of that inheritance of yours.”

“I’d do it anyway,” Luke said. “You’ve been my friend since I was fifteen, man. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“I appreciate that sort of sentiment coming from you.”

“So, Shannon.” He directed his attention to the busty blonde clothed in a gold sequin dress sitting alongside her brother, calm and quiet while they talked. I wish bro code didn't prevent you from banging your friend’s younger sister. He had a feeling that Shannon knew her way around a man’s body. Clearing those thoughts out, Luke leaned forward in his seat to look at her. “I guess I’m stuck with this Paige Scott, then, if we all want to get paid here by the end of the month. I have thirty days to get her to fall in love with me, accept a proposal, and possibly get married while convincing the old lawyer. Any suggestions?”

Shannon gazed up thoughtfully at the ceiling. “For starters, I picked Paige because she isn’t from money. She’s got some humble roots that would look good. From what I’ve heard, she spends most of her nights locked up in her apartment. This was the first time in two months that she went out into the city.”

“She likes to paint too, right?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding. “Talented painter, and I mean that seriously. It’ll be interesting to see what she does in four years.”

None of it interested him. It was things he could work off though.

“I’m pretty sure Paige is a virgin too,” Shannon added. “I know her family is strictly Christian. I remember seeing her parents the weekend before classes started.”

A virgin. Luke rubbed a hand across his jaw in contemplation. He had never slept with a virgin before. It was the one thing that he had personally steered clear of, because he knew there were certain emotions attached to it. He was an asshole, but not that big of one.

It was tempting, though, the more he thought about it. If Peter knew that Paige was a virgin who had possibly vowed to stay that way until marriage, he’d be impressed. That was something his father would’ve liked to hear. Not to mention, it gave him a bit of a thrill thinking about being a first to someone.

Paige Scott would work for a lot of reasons.

“That seemed to arouse your interest even more,” Toby said with a grin. “Do we have a deal that Shannon has picked someone out for you?”

“I’m in on this,” Luke said, nodding. “The only problem is that I’m pretty sure she hates my guts now.”

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. Maybe he had been a bit forward, but there was something different about Paige that drew him in. He craved a woman like her in a lot of ways. She was attractive, filled with goals, and couldn’t have cared less about the line of Turners he came from.

“I’ll work on that,” Shannon said, flipping her hair up. “I’ll go outside to see if she’s waiting for a cab, or at least call to make sure she did get back to the apartments okay.”

She stood up from the table. Luke watched as a few heads turned to watch Shannon stride confidently across the room to make an exit through the front door.

“Your sister should be a publicist too,” he said, looking back over at Toby, who narrowed his eyes at him in warning. “I’m just saying. She’s damn good at what she does. Maybe even better than you.”

Toby leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his flat stomach. “I’ve tried telling her that a few times. I think she has this idea that if she graduates doing what our parents wanted her to do, they’ll take more of an interest in our lives.”

“And people think rich kids have it easy,” Luke said darkly. He reached up to rub at the scars along the side of his neck. “No one ever guessed that my father liked to extinguish cigarettes on the side of my neck because I was being a shit to him. No, my father had money, so therefore I had money too. Everything was sunshine and daisies according to some people.”

“The price of the rich and famous, bro. That’s our price. We were the punching bags of our parents’ misery from it all.”

“No shit.”

They fell into silence while the music continued to play in the background. Shannon didn’t reappear, but Toby didn’t seem too concerned about it. He knew Shannon knew New York City better than anyone else.

“So, you’re honestly going to be okay with this arrangement then?” Toby asked.

“I don’t have a choice in the matter,” Luke replied, sipping more slowly at his drink. He still had to navigate his way home and get up early for a few meetings. Even if he wasn’t yet in charge of Turner Oil, he ran it like he was in charge. Business never slept. “I love this business. I’ll never want to do anything else besides oil. I’d be lost out there trying to find something else I’m good at.”

“You’ll get the business,” Toby said confidently. “We just have to put on a good show for Peter in thirty days is all.”

Luke dragged an exhausted hand along his face. Thirty fucking days is not enough time to fall in love. He had a creeping suspicion that his father had planned it that way for a reason.

“I don’t know if it’s even possible to do all of this in thirty days,” he said, exasperated at the thought. “I’m not a go-on-a-date type of man. You know that, but now I have to play a chivalrous gent to a woman who already has formed an unpleasant opinion of me.”

“That’s where you can hook her, bud. Apologize to her. Make it up by explaining that you had too much to drink and you’re grieving the loss of your father, so it’s been hard for you. Play that emotional card.”

“How though?” He narrowed his eyes at Toby. “When have you ever seen me be emotional? I didn’t even shed a damn tear when I buried my father.”

“Yeah,” Toby said, bouncing his legs anxiously, “but you did disappear for about a week with no phone or any way to reach you. That says a lot in my opinion. Where did you even go without telling me?”

“Alaska.” At the shocked glance Toby gave him, he continued. “I went to Alaska because it was the only place I felt I could get away from all of it. Including my father’s ghost. I swear, he’s trying to haunt me from behind the grave.”

“I wouldn’t do it,” he said dryly. “What did you do up in Alaska? Find some local native woman to bang?”

“I didn’t fuck anyone while I was up there, since you’re so curious about it. I looked at a few places to set up for drilling. I talked to people who mine up there for gold too.”

“Are you planning to branch out into gold?”

“I’m thinking about it. If I get this inheritance in thirty days, I am investing in a mine up there that needs an extra boost in the money department.”

Toby sat back with an impressed whistle. “You’re good. I don’t see how your father thinks you’d do horrible things to the company. You’re smart. You get how the world of business works.”

“I don’t even care anymore,” Luke replied. Bitterness swelled up in him at the thought of his father. He had gone to Alaska to deal with his emotions privately, but also to look into expanding in the future. It had provided him the much-needed distraction from having to bury his father along with years of watching him decompose from the inside out. His mother’s death had been what had started all of Roderick’s violent and alcohol-fueled cycles. Before that, it’d been years since he had drank, but the day they buried Luke’s mother in the ground was the day Roderick had gone back to the bottle. Nothing could fix it, or convince him to do otherwise.

It hadn’t been a surprise to get that phone call from the hospital in the middle of the night when one of the staff members had found Roderick passed out on the floor. There wasn’t one person Luke knew in the oil business who drank themselves until they were rich and happy, but his father had tried like hell to do it.

The only reason Turner Oil had stayed afloat was because of Luke’s decisions. He had poured in the hard work to keep it going when his father had been too drunk to recognize what decisions he needed to make.

And now, his father seemed to think a marriage would keep him from doing what he wanted to do.

If he had to play the gent in order to win over Paige Scott’s trust, he’d do it, and maybe he’d get something more out of it. He wasn’t going to complain if Paige ended up in his bed by the end of the thirty days. If she did, he’d have his money by then, and none of it would have mattered.

It was just business. That was all this arrangement would be. Just business until the end of the longest thirty days of Luke’s life.

Chapter Three

 

 

Paige

 

 

“So, he’s a billionaire, and he wanted you to come back to his apartment? And you said no?”

Paige sighed in aggravation at the question. She looked up from her sketchpad to meet Jessica’s bewildered gaze.

“Yes,” she said shortly. “I told you. I’m not that type of girl. I don’t just jump into some man’s bed because he has tons of money.”

“It’s Luke Turner though,” Jessica said, shaking her head in dismay. “Have you even Googled him since Friday night?”

“I made it a point not to.”

“His father was an oil tycoon for years. The Turner family is famous for their business in oil. Luke is rumored to be taking over his father’s business soon.”

“And your point in all of this?”

“That he’s wealthy and in a way, famous. He was voted as one of the most eligible bachelors in the United States.”

“That explains his cocky attitude,” Paige said wryly. “He’s had women flocking to him for a while.”

“Come on, Paige. You’re telling me that you never once wondered Friday night what it would be like to be in this man’s bed?”

Jessica sighed dreamily as she turned her computer around to show Paige a picture of Luke posing for a magazine. He was dressed in a sharp gray suit with a white button-up shirt underneath. His long blond hair was smoothed back, as it had been Friday night. Those cerulean eyes could cut through her even on the Internet.

“No,” she said. “I try not to think about things like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because of personal reasons that I don’t want to talk about. That’s why.”

Hurt flashed in Jessica’s eyes at Paige’s sharp tone. She slowly turned her computer back around without looking up.

Guilt shot through Paige. Stop being such a bitch. “I’m sorry, Jess. I didn’t mean it rudely. It’s just—” She ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. “It’s a long and shitty story is all.”

“I get it,” Jessica said. “I’m also your friend too. I mean, I’d like to think that you trust me.”

“Of course I do. I just don’t know if I’m ready yet to tell you what happened.”

“You can te—”

The ringing of Paige’s phone cut Jessica off. Paige shot her an apologetic look before rummaging through her satchel for it. Like clockwork, it was her parents calling to check on her after the weekend.

“I better take this,” she said. “I’ll be right back. I promise.”

“Okay,” Jessica said. She grabbed her textbook. “You have to promise to tell me about it, though, when you get back.”

Paige didn’t respond. She didn’t know how to respond besides with what she actually wanted to say. You see, Jessica, it’s not that complicated. There was a girl at my high school who got jealous that her football star of a boyfriend had an interest me. So, to get even, she forced him into a bet to see if he could get me to lose my virginity. The real fucking kicker? It was in the back seat of his Jeep with the rest of our class secretly watching until the police car showed up.

That bitter memory played in the back of Paige’s mind as she stepped out of the study office they were in to go down to the marble lobby. Her mother’s cheerful voice echoed in her ear, and the stairway, when she answered.

“Hello, my darling daughter,” Marie Scott said cheerfully. “How was your weekend?”

Paige grimaced, but there was no way in hell she planned to tell her mother what had happened over the weekend. Both her parents were strict Christians, and she’d grown up with values of courtship—not dark, set-up dates with a billionaire who had obviously slept with many women.

“It was fine,” she said. “We didn’t do much though. We just did our usual thing of studying and watching movies.”

“You and Jessica?”

“Yes.” She entered the marble lobby where it was a bit noisier and found an empty couch to sit on. Students always congregated throughout the lobby, while the serious studiers, like Jessica and herself, went upstairs to the quietness. “How was your weekend, Mom?”

“Oh, boring as usual,” Marie replied airily. “I have no one to speak to or do things with since you left. You know how your father is.” She sighed into the phone. “He refuses to do anything that doesn’t involve the farm.”

“Daddy’s a hard worker. That farm is his entire life.”

“Trust me, I knew that when I married him almost twenty years ago. How is the city?”

Paige glanced over her shoulder at the crowded sidewalk. “Busy as usual, Mom. Nothing ever changes about the city. It stays the same.”

“I don’t know how you put up with it. I still can’t get over that noise and constant flow of people in a rush.”

“You get used to it,” Paige said. “I don’t go anywhere besides classes with Jessica. We don’t wander around much.”

“That’s a good thing, honey. I worry about you in that city all by yourself,” Marie said. “At least I know you aren’t hanging around those senior girls I saw when we were there. They look a bit, ahem, too experienced when it comes to the city life.”

She swallowed while thickly thinking about Shannon and all her glamor. “Yeah, I suppose.” Her phone beeped to signal an incoming call. “Mom, I’ve got another phone call. I’ll call you guys next weekend, okay?”

“All right, baby. I love you.”

“I love you too.” She frowned down at the unknown number before answering it tentatively. “Hello?”

“Hello. This is—”

“Toby,” Paige said, instantly recognizing his voice. “Shannon’s half-brother. What do you want?”

“Luke asked me to get ahold of you on his behalf to see if there is a time that you two can get together. He wants to offer his apologies for behaving the way he did Friday night.”

“If he wants to apologize,” Paige said, scoffing, “then he can call me himself. How did you even get my phone number?”

“Shannon,” Toby said bluntly. “Don’t be mad at my sister. We just thought that the two of you would make a good couple.”

“Good couple?” she repeated dubiously. That same creeping suspicion came back. “How did you two even come to that conclusion? Your sister doesn’t know me besides from that ‘about me’ paper I had to submit. I’ve only talked to you, for, what? One minute?”

“And counting,” Toby added sarcastically. “Is there a time we could work things out here? Luke’s a good friend of mine, and I work for him, but he really does have an interest in getting to know you.”

“If he were that interested, I’d be talking to him, not you.”

Paige hung up with an aggravated sigh. What the hell are their problems? She couldn’t wrap her mind around why they seemed so adamant about pushing her at Luke. It didn’t feel right at all. You didn’t pursue people through other people, which in her opinion indicated that Luke Turner had something to hide.

She just didn’t know what it was, and she didn’t care to know either. Finding a boyfriend in New York City was not on her priority list. It wasn’t even at the bottom end of it.

“Paige?”

She looked up at the sound of someone calling her name to see that it was Kyle Duncan, a fellow freshman in her math class. He was rushing toward her with a smile.

“I’m glad I found you here,” he said. “I was wondering if you’d like to get some coffee with me.”

Paige slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. She hesitated in replying, because Kyle looked so eager and hopeful. He had invited her to hang out numerous times, even to study with him, but she always turned him down. He was a sweet guy, just a bit pushy at times. He didn’t understand her lack of interest in dating, or relationships.

“I’m upstairs studying with Jessica,” she said as kindly as possible. His face fell. “I’m sorry, Kyle. I promise we will hang out when it isn’t so busy and chaotic with homework.”

“I understand,” he said, but the disappointment didn’t fade from his eyes. “Well, I’ll let you ladies get back to studying then. I guess you can call or text me when you have a moment to yourself.”

“I will. I’ll see you in class tomorrow morning, okay?”
He nodded.

Climbing the stairs again, she let out a strangled breath. In a matter of three days, she had been asked out by two very different men. Except, her interest in one of them felt more like a fairy-tale type of interest despite how much of an ass he had been to her Friday night. Luke was a suave, silver-tongued businessman who knew what he wanted. He looked a Greek god too. That much Paige knew from his sleeked-back, blond locks of hair, the shadow of a beard on his strong jaw, and eyes that could melt any woman if he wanted them to.

Except, he was a billionaire who got his way at all times. She couldn’t stand that type of mentality.

Jessica looked up from her computer when she opened the study door. “That was a quick phone call. The quickest I’ve seen with your mom.”

“I know,” Paige said. She sat down and looked over at Jessica in contemplation. “Luke’s assistant called me while I was on the phone with my mom.”

“His assistant?” Jessica’s eyebrows furrowed. “That’s Shannon’s older half-brother, right? Isn’t he some sort of—”

“Publicist, yes. He happens to be Luke Turner’s assistant and friend too.”

“What did he want?” Jessica asked, closing her computer in interest.

“He wanted to know if I would be willing to meet with Luke again,” Paige said. “I told him that Luke would have to ask me and also apologize for himself. Not his assistant.”

Jessica whistled. “Damn, girl. You are certainly brave. I don’t think Luke knows how to talk to people normally.”

Paige arched an eyebrow. “Why would you say that?”

“Well, he’s rich. He’s probably had people do common things for him his whole life. Give him some slack.”

“He assumed I was going to sleep with him after one dance,” Paige said. That same indignant anger came back just thinking about it. “He was totally normal and fine up until he thought I was just going to jump in the sack with him.”

“Fuck, I would. He knows his way around a bedroom; I’m sure of it.”

“That’s exactly why I don’t want to be around him.”

The second those words slipped from Paige’s lips, she realized it was a mistake. Jessica’s eyes widened at her realization. “You—you’re a virgin? Is that what you mean by that?”

She considered lying, shrugging it off, but there was no point in denying it. Jessica had already put the dots together judging from the look on her face.

“That makes perfect sense why you are so freaked out by this,” she said.

Paige shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “How am I freaked out by this?”

“I can see that nervousness in your face thinking about how experienced Luke is in the bedroom. Only a virgin has that type of nerves.” She caught sight of the grimace on Paige’s face. “Not that I mean that offensively. I just meant that it makes sense that you’re always so jittery around guys. You don’t have to be ashamed of being a virgin. Hell, I think you’re great for it.”

Despite Jessica’s quick rambling to make her feel better, it didn’t lessen any of those nerves for other reasons.

“There’s a lot more to it than that,” Paige said eventually. “When I was sixteen, there was this girl at my school who—”

Someone knocked on the study door before it opened. The scowl on Jessica’s face quickly fell when Shannon walked in.

 

****

 

“Afternoon, ladies,” she said cheerfully. “I thought I might find you both here at the library.”

There was no doubt in Paige’s mind why Shannon was there. It was because she had hung up on Toby and told him off for Luke being a prick. A headache pounded as she pointedly grabbed her sketch pad, hoping Shannon would get the hint as loudly as Toby had.

“Can I speak with you alone, Paige?” Shannon asked.

Paige sighed inwardly at the futile hope of peace. She just wanted to forget about Luke Turner. He was too much for someone like her. And for whatever reason, he had developed an interest in her within thirty minutes of meeting her, and that didn’t feel right despite the little part of her that felt flattered knowing a billionaire was interested in her.

“I have homework to do,” she said. “So, you can talk while I sketch if it’s that important.”

Shannon took a seat next to her. “It is.”

She pointedly glanced at Jessica, who sighed reluctantly as she gathered her things from the table.

“I’ll give you two privacy then,” Jessica said. “I’ll talk to you later, Paige.”

“I’ll be back at the apartment within an hour if you want to get lunch,” Paige said.

Shannon waited until Jessica closed the door before turning to look at Paige with an apologetic smile. “I know that I can’t apologize directly for Luke, but I am sorry that he acted like a complete ass to you. I honestly had no idea he was going to be in a mood the way he was.”

“Does he get into moods like that often?”

“Sometimes,” Shannon said honestly. “Luke has some money, but his childhood was a bit dysfunctional. He tries not to be that way, but a few drinks in him, and that’s when you see elements of Roderick Turner come out.”

Paige lowered her sketching pencil. “His father was an alcoholic?”

“Yes, a raging one. He used to beat the shit out of Luke all the time when he was drunk. Luke has a tendency to be a bit of backtalker and a rebel, so I know Roderick hated that.”

“I would’ve never guessed that,” Paige said, feeling a stab of sympathy for him. “He said that his father died two weeks ago?”

“That’s also why he’s a bit—” Shannon paused to think of the right word. “I guess mercurial would be the best way to describe it. Don’t tell him that though. You’ll get your head bitten off.”

“I won’t have to worry about it,” Paige said. “I’m not going to worry about him because I don’t want to see him again.”

Shannon sighed. “He’s honestly a nice guy, Paige. He has a good heart that’s just had a bit of damage done to it is all.”

“I understand that.” She did get it. She was still reeling from what had happened to her over four years ago. “I just don’t know if it’d be a good idea for me and him to meet again. I mean, you look like his type more than me.”

She caught a glimpse of pleasure in Shannon’s eyes. Still, Shannon shook her head. Her long blond locks were pulled into a messy bun that was clipped up.

“As wealthy and powerful as Luke is,” she said, “my brother would still kick Luke’s ass if he ever tried anything with me. It’s some sort of bro code: Thou shall not have sex with thy best friend’s younger sister.”

“At least he follows the rules of friendship then,” Paige said dryly. “I’ll consider seeing him again if you can answer one question for me.”

“Shoot.”

“What is the whole point to all of this?”

Shannon’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Point to what?”

“Why did you bring me to that lounge Friday night?” Paige asked. “Was it to just meet Luke, or—”

“It was to meet Luke,” Shannon said, nodding. “I’ve known Luke a while now, and my brother has known him since they were fifteen. We just get tired of all the shitty women who are only interested in him for his money. It wears him out too.”

“So, you thought I’d be a good fix for that problem?” Paige asked, bewildered. “I’m only nineteen years old, Shannon. I don’t even know what it’s like to be on a date with a guy.”

“That’s why you need to get out more. Take some risks. I’m your senior sister. Do you honestly think that I’d let you get hurt?”

She shot Paige a hurtful look.

“Of course not,” Paige said. “I’m just confused about everything. I honestly just don’t know if I could be around someone like Luke. He seems a bit full of himself.”

“Aren’t all guys?” Shannon asked coyly. “You already agreed to let me arrange another meeting after I answered your question.”

Paige hesitated. She was torn on what to do, or what to believe. One part of her wanted to believe that Shannon’s explanation was reasonable, while the other part screamed that something was not right. Rich, alpha-type billionaires didn’t strike up an interest in her after thirty minutes of conversation and dancing.

“I guess,” she said. “Just promise me that you and your brother will be there with us the entire time.”

Shannon’s face contorted. “I’m all for that, but I don’t know if Luke will be open to us tagging along. He’s a private person when it comes to this sort of thing.”

“That’s all I’m asking. I’m agreeing to go and give this a shot if he apologizes directly to me and if I know you are going to be there too.”

“I’ll do my best.” Shannon hesitated after rising from her chair. She sat back down after a few seconds. “Is there a reason why you never want to be alone with him?”

Paige cleared her throat before looking away to hide the blush on her cheeks. There were a lot of reasons why she didn’t want to be alone with Luke. He could charm the hell out of her if he wanted to. It didn’t help that he was fucking attractive and a temptation to go back on the promise she had made when she was seventeen.

No sex until marriage.

“It’s just a personal thing I have promised myself is all,” Paige said.

If Shannon put the dots together on that, she didn’t show it. Instead, she nodded in understanding before rising from the table.

“I’m glad you’re going,” Shannon said, opening the door to the study. “I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by what makes Luke Turner the man he is.”

She closed the door before Paige could reply. What sort of man is Luke Turner? She was slightly curious to figure out who he was, but she had a gut feeling that Luke didn’t reveal much about himself to people easily. It seemed like the only ones close to him were people he had known for most of his life.

Paige sighed as she pulled her sketchbook open. For now, she had to put Luke out of her head. She had five sketches due tomorrow, along with two papers she hadn’t even started yet. It was going to be a very long night of trying to play catch-up.

Chapter Four

 

 

Luke

 

 

“I’m sorry, Luke. There is nothing I can do to change what your father asked me to do.”

Luke drummed his fingers on the desktop as he stared coldly at Peter Anderson—his father’s irritating attorney who refused to do anything besides following Roderick Turner’s instructions from the grave.

“There has to be a loophole,” he said darkly. “My father does not have the power to tell me that in order to inherit Turner Oil, or to receive my inheritance, I have to be married in thirty days.”

“Not married exactly,” Peter corrected, unfazed by the anger radiating off Luke in steady waves. He interlaced his fingers. “On the way to marriage is what has been said in his will. There has to be a wedding date, and it has to be followed through on as well.”

“That’s utter bullshit. Why wasn’t I told this before last week?”

“Because your father passed away two weeks ago,” Peter said. “I had no way of reaching you after his heart attack. You went off the grid.”

“I was coping with my father’s death,” Luke snapped, rubbing his head in exhaustion. “I was doing what any normal person would do when they lose a parent.”

“I’m sure. I’m sure you found yourself a nice place to stay with a nice woman as well,” Peter said cynically.

Luke shot him a dirty look.

“That’s the behavior your father is against,” Peter said, shaking his head. “I can’t alter this will, Luke. It’s a legal contract. I can’t do anything about it.”

“What about money?” Luke asked, pulling out his pocketbook. “How much would it cost for you to take your wife on vacation for a month?”

Peter’s eyes narrowed at him. “I draft up wills for the wealthy, Luke. Money has no effect on my ability to do my job correctly. Look.” He leaned forward to catch Luke’s impatient gaze. “I don’t want to see Turner Oil in a complete stranger’s hands any more than you. I want it to stay in your family, but you have to do what this will says to do. You truly don’t have a person in mind who you could settle down with? You’re twenty-nine years old.”

Luke bristled at the condescending tone. “I could if I had more time to search.”

“You’ve had a few years to search.”

“Well, I need more time then,” he snapped, rising from his chair to pace around Peter’s office anxiously. “This is fucking ridiculous. I shouldn’t have to marry someone to appease my father. He isn’t even here.”

“Yes, and I can tell that he is sorely missed.”

Luke stopped pacing. His eyes glittering with anger, he leaned down over Peter’s desk. He felt a glimmer of satisfaction at the fear that sparked in Peter’s eyes.

“My father was a fall-down drunk,” he said acidly. “He was an alcoholic. That’s what sent him to the grave early, that damn bottle of his. The only reason he stopped putting out cigarette butts on my neck was because of my mother, and after she died, I was too strong for him to take out his frustrations on. Sure, he treated my mother like the queen she deserved to be, but he treated me like shit.”

“Then let this go to court,” Peter said. “If you feel that way about your father, walk. Walk out of this office now. You’ll be comfortable with what you have now.”

“No. This is my life. As much as my father was a mean old bastard at times, I loved working in this business. I can make it even better.”

“I suggest you find a woman who is willing to take a spot with you then.” Peter glanced down at the file on his desk. “There is one name in here that your father mentioned isn’t acceptable.”

“Let me guess,” Luke said, sitting back down as he let out an aggravated breath. “The name he put down is Alicia Poole.”

“You’re correct.”

Typical. Just fucking typical. There was no doubt in Luke’s mind about how furious Alicia would be. They both only used each other for the type of sex they couldn’t get anywhere else, but she was an actress. She was just as cold as Luke could be himself.

And she loved money. She grew up with a CEO of a bank on Wall Street as her father and a fashion designer as her mother. Neither of them had ever been around throughout her childhood from what Luke had gathered, but he didn’t care to listen to Alicia’s emotional issues. The woman was a fucking beast in bed who knew what he liked, and she could handle whatever he wanted on any given day.

Just thinking of her made him hard. It didn’t help that Paige Scott had been haunting his every step since Friday night. Having her in his bed would be ideal, but until Toby and Shannon convinced her to give him a chance, he had to rely on Alicia to satisfy himself.

“I’d never marry a woman like Alicia anyway,” Luke said. “She’s a bitch and too much for any bastard who has the balls and a bank account big enough to please her.”

“Regardless of what you say, your father seemed to think you’d use her for that.”

Luke shrugged his shoulders. “I guess my father knows me better than what I originally assumed.”

“It appears so. Anyone else?”

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Luke thought of Shannon’s words on Friday night. It’ll take time, but trust me. She’s a romantic. She’ll give in if you play the cards right.

“I did go on a date with a woman named Paige Scott,” he said. “She’s a student at NYU. She’s from Wyoming.”

“Well, there you go then,” Peter said. Someone knocked on the door. “Excuse me, Mr. Turner. I have another appointment to take. I’ll call you next week to discuss this topic further.”

“Fine.” Luke stood up from his chair and flourished his pocketbook at Peter. “Just think about what I said too. Money is no problem for me either.”

He left Peter to mull over those words, pushing the door open to nearly hit the middle-aged secretary on the other side.

“Excuse you,” she barked out.

“Don’t care,” Luke said.

The SUV was waiting in the spot Luke had told them to be in. He climbed into the back seat to see Toby grinning at him.

“Don’t grin at me,” he snapped, slamming the door shut. “Back to my apartment. Now.”

The driver didn’t even flinch. He merged calmly into traffic while Luke bounced his legs in irritation, thinking about his conversation with Peter. He hoped to God that Shannon had managed to convince Paige to go on a date.

“What did you hear about Paige?” he asked.

“You’ll be happy to know that Paige agreed to the setup,” Toby said. “The only thing is that she agreed to it with the rest of us around.”

That only provided a small bit of relief. At least that part had turned out in his favor, partially. The only problem Luke had was with walking around with Paige on his arm while trying not to push things too fast with her. He had to be calm and patient and treat Paige as delicately as possible.

A small bit of guilt trickled through his mind. What they were doing was fucked up. He had no doubts about it. He didn’t bother convincing himself that he was doing this for her. He wanted that damn business and inheritance—something he had worked his ass off day and night for.

“Whatever,” Luke said, sighing. “If that’s how it’s going to be just for us to get our damn money, then I don’t give a fuck. Sign me up. I don’t have much of a choice anymore.”

“Not really,” Toby said. He lowered his phone to look at him. “Alicia called while you were in there with Peter.”

“What’d she say?”

“She said that she’d meet you at your apartment. She wouldn’t say anything else.”

Good. I need to get this frustration out. He ached from that brief encounter with Paige. He needed a release to feel calmer.

“I don’t recommend you messing around with Alicia,” Toby said, reading the thoughts in Luke’s head. “You know that bitch tends to get a bit crazy and possessive of you. Plus, I imagine your father said no Alicia in the will.”

“I’ve gotta do something to feel better,” Luke said irritably. “Seriously. My entire body is going blue from that night we danced.” He ignored the odd look Toby gave him. “And yes, my father said no to her being a part of anything. Which suits me just fine, because she is not receiving a dime of money from me. She’s got her own wealth to live off.”

“I don’t think that matters when it comes to Alicia.”

“It doesn’t.”

As they pulled into the parking garage, Toby nudged him in the shoulder. “Not trying to take away from your time with Alicia, but I think you’d win brownie points if you called Paige to ask her out. She refused to talk to me.”

Luke stomped down on the annoyance building up in him. Thirty days of pretending to be in love was almost too much work. Still, he was at a dead end, and he needed to do something to get Paige to actually like him.

“Fine.” He sighed and pulled out his phone. “Read the number to me.”

They parked in front of the elevators that led directly up to his apartment. Luke dialed the number as Toby read it out. He half expected it to go to voice mail since it was the middle of the afternoon, but he was surprised when Paige’s voice answered warily.

“Hello?”

“It’s Luke,” he said. “Luke Turner. We met on Friday night, remember?”

“I remember,” she said, still wary. “I'm surprised you’re calling instead of your assistant, who happens to be Shannon’s half-brother.”

He clenched his teeth to keep control of his already fraying temper. “Yeah, sorry. I shouldn’t have let him do all my dirty work for me.”

“Most people apologize themselves when they mess up.”

“Well, that’s why I’m calling,” he said. He glanced at Toby, who gave him a cheerful thumbs-up. “I was wondering if Shannon had talked to you about coming out with me. I just wanted to ask you myself too.”

He mentally thrashed himself for how awkward he sounded. He never asked women out. Never. Suck up fucking your pride, Turner. Just suck it the fuck up.

“That’s a start, I suppose,” Paige said. “I already told Shannon that I’d give it a shot if you apologized to me for acting like a forward prick.”

“I just know what I want,” Luke replied tightly. “But, forgive me for thinking you were beautiful and wanting to be with you.”

Toby smacked his head in dismay. “Wow, bro,” he whispered, shaking his head. “Tone that shit down. Be normal.”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Luke said when Paige didn’t reply. “I’m an asshole, and I know it. I’m just not used to being a—”

“Gentleman?” she supplied, a bit sarcastically. “I guess that will work for me. The apology at least.”

“So, it’s set then?” Luke asked impatiently. He had a woman upstairs waiting for him, and he wanted to bury himself in her to get his frustrations out of the way.

“We’re set,” Paige said. “See you Saturday.”

She hung up without waiting for him to reply. Luke stared down at his phone, surprised to hear that timid and shy woman no longer there. Then again, what had he expected? He had basically tried to get her into his bed Friday night. That strategy wouldn’t work when it came to Paige Scott, so he had to resort to other measures.

In the meantime, though, he stepped out of the SUV without waiting for Toby’s response. He had to take care of other business.

 

****

 

As he expected, Alicia Poole was draped elegantly over one of the couches that overlooked the patio and city. She wore a long black dress with a slight all the way up to her right hip, and her short black locks of hair were curled carelessly. She rose from the couch to face him.

“I was wondering when you would make an appearance,” she said, pouting prettily. “I’ve been waiting for you for hours it seems like.”

Luke tossed his wallet and keys onto the table next to the elevator doors. He couldn’t stand it when Alicia dropped in without an invitation, but today he needed a release. He needed something.

Her bare feet padded over the hardwood floors. His eyes hungrily took in the tanned skin of her thighs that flashed through the skirt of her dress when she walked. She stood on tiptoes to casually wrap her arms around his shoulders and then pressed her lips up against his in a kiss that he returned eagerly.

“Slow down,” Alicia said, resting a hand on his chest. “I have nowhere to be today, so you can wait a minute. What did your father’s lawyer say?”

Just thinking of their conversation brought on the need to drink. Luke untangled himself from the circle of Alicia’s arms. After stalking over to the bar, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey.

“It was complete bullshit,” he snarled, taking a long drink. “My father still thinks he can control my life from beyond the grave.”

“How so?”

“He refuses to let me have my inheritance or the company unless I’m engaged, or married, within the next thirty days.”

“That should be easy for you then.” He turned to glare at Alicia, who laughed in amusement. “I meant, I’m an actress. There is no possible way you can meet someone, get them to fall in love with you within thirty days, and accept a proposal. It’s not possible.”

“And this involves you how exactly?”

“Come on, baby,” Alicia said, rolling her eyes. “It’s been over three years now since you and I started seeing each other casually. I know you. You don’t ever return to the same woman more than once.”

“You’d only want to get married to me because you’d get something out of it,” he said. “What’s the catch with you?”

“There’s no catch. I just care about you is all.”

She was careful not to mention the word love. That one word never felt good on Luke’s tongue. It opened you up for certain heartbreak, so he never said it to anyone. Even his own father had never said it.

Luke took a long drink before pouring himself another glass. “Well, I appreciate it, but you were voted off that island a long time ago.”

Alicia stiffened. “Come again?”

“It mentions your name specifically in the will,” Luke said. “My father will not hand anything over with you tied to me.”

“Bastard,” Alicia spat, shaking her head. Her nice and pleasant attitude was gone, as he had expected it would be. “What does he have against me exactly?”

He set his empty glass down on the bar top. “I have no idea. He’s apparently against me too, so don’t feel too shitty over it. He doesn’t want me to have his business; that’s for damn sure.”

“What is your plan of attack then?” She crossed her tanned and slender arms expectantly. “There has be a loophole around that will of Roderick’s. Do you have a lawyer scouring that document yet?”

“Already did,” Luke said. “He’s told me the same thing. There is only one way to get this inheritance.”

“Find someone to love you in thirty days?”

“Yes,” he said, and capped the whiskey bottle. “That’s what I’m going to have to do.”

Hands were suddenly touching his chest. Deft fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt before slipping inside. Luke let his eyes close in pleasure as one of those hands meandered downward to the one place he really needed it.

“I don’t know if I can stand the thought of someone besides me touching you,” Alicia purred into his ear before nipping on the lobe.

His arousal hardened even more, aching to be released from the confines of his pants. He didn’t bother stating that he had slept with other woman besides her. The last thing he wanted was to have an angry confrontation with Alicia when all he needed was a good lay. She had a temper on her, similar to his own, and was unafraid of anyone or anything.

Those skilled fingers sank past the waistband of his jeans to grasp him firmly. Luke let out a groan before reaching down with his own hand to guide her movements against him.

“Someone has missed me,” she whispered, giving him a wicked squeeze. “You can’t tell me that there is someone else out there in the world who can take it in bed like I do.”

She had him there. Alicia felt no pain. There were even a few times Luke had hesitated in fear that he had hurt her. He wasn’t afraid to be dominant in the bedroom, but not on the painful side of things. Still, Alicia would only murmur to keep going or flip him over to ride him wildly until release.

Today, though, he was in no mood to let her be in control.

Savoring the touch of her fingers against him, Luke whirled around to grasp Alicia’s head in a searing kiss. They kissed hotly while Luke ripped at the straps of her dress, shoving the thin material down her slender arms to bare her breasts to his touch. She hadn’t bothered with wearing a bra on her way to his apartment.

He gripped at the tender flesh there while Alicia’s hands ripped steadily at his clothes. The fabric of his shirt parted, and he stepped back to shrug out of it quickly. He tugged the rest of Alicia’s dress down past her slender hips and legs. She was completely bare beneath the dress, and he hardened even more at the sight of her sex already moist for him.

Raising a hand, he let his fingers slip into the wetness between her thighs. Alicia’s head tilted back as she moaned in pleasure. He set a hard and rough rhythm that he knew she could handle but would bring her to a quick climax.

Sunlight danced between the valley of her breasts. A sheen layer of moisture covered her entire body. Her legs trembled, a sure sign of an impending orgasm. Blinded by the lust and frustration simmering in his veins, Luke withdrew his hand before she could go over the top.

Alicia tilted her head down to look at him with a mischievous smile. She knew well that he liked the feeling of her orgasm while inside her.

He didn’t give her a chance to speak. Swooping her up into his arms, Luke threw her down onto the same couch she had been lounging on while waiting for him to arrive. He unbuttoned his pants and then shoved the offending fabric down his legs, followed by his boxers.

“Come to me,” Alicia said, holding out a hand and letting her long legs fall apart in a wordless invitation. “I know you want this.”

He was so hard he couldn’t think coherently. Grabbing ahold of Alicia’s right leg, he propped it up on his shoulder while adjusting himself to sit comfortably between her bent legs. Her thighs immediately squeezed his hip bones in a silent encouragement.

“Fuck me,” she whispered.

Not needing any more encouragement, Luke thrust hard into her with a relieved groan. He thrust hard and fast, the pace as brutal as he could handle. Alicia let out whimpers of pleasure while her hands palmed at his backside.

This sort of thing would never win over Paige’s affections. That thought trickled into the back of his mind.

Virgin. It was fucked up to think about it, but the thought aroused him even more. He thrust harder to the thought of Paige underneath of him, writhing in pleasure on the edge of her climax. He could picture it so vividly in his mind that when he glanced down, it took him a second to realize it was Alicia’s face contorted in pleasure.

He could only imagine how it would feel to have Paige in his bed for the first time. He had no intention of sticking to her afterward, but it was for the better. He was too far gone to ever be in a normal, healthy adult relationship.

Hot muscles constricted around him. Alicia let out a trembling scream as she bucked up against him in a series of moans and pants. Letting go of everything, Luke clenched his teeth as he thrust wildly into the tightness and wetness. His orgasm came barreling down hard on him.

“Fuck, Paige,” he groaned out, sweat dripping off every inch of him.

Hands shoved violently at his chest. Luke slipped away when he realized what he had said. Sitting up quickly, Alicia glared at him. Her face was also sweaty and flushed from their ardent activities. “Who the fuck did you just call me?”

“No one,” he said coolly. “Don’t worry about it.”

Alicia huffed as she slid off the couch. “Right, don’t worry about it, Luke. Next time we fuck, I’ll make sure to yell out some other man’s name when I’m fantasizing about him with you on top of me.”

Irritation shot through him. That sated feeling hadn’t lasted long. Alicia stomped over to the bar to grab her dress from the floor. Not in the mood to fight, Luke sat back on the couch to let the sunshine warm his naked body. He didn’t care if his neighbors in the other building got an eyeful. It felt relaxing, despite Alicia hurling insults at him.

“Are you even listening to me?” Alicia demanded, thumping him on the shoulder hard.

“No, I’m not,” he snapped, looking up at her with a glare. “Get out, Alicia. If you’re going to act like a psycho, get out. I’ve got enough to deal with without your crazy moods.”

She hugged her dress close to her chest angrily. “Fuck you, Luke. Just fuck you.”

After stomping across the floor, Alicia punched the elevator button. She stepped inside with her dress still clutched tightly to her chest, completely naked behind it. Her eyes narrowed at him before the elevator doors shut and he heard the whir of it heading down.

There was no doubt that his team would get a good eyeful when she reached the bottom. Things like that never mattered to Alicia anyway. Hell, they had fucked in a hotel elevator that had a camera at one time, the feed of which had been aired on TMZ a few years ago. He could still remember his father yelling at him over that one.

This was revenge for all the times Luke had done everything he possibly could to defy his father’s values. Marriage, relationships, things like that had never been high on his agenda. He loved oil. He loved being in business. Those were the things that were the most important to him. Now he had to adjust those around in the next thirty days to win over Paige. Money obviously didn’t impress her, so he had to do something else.

Even if it gave him a headache.

“You’re a prick, Dad,” he said, shaking his head with a sigh. “I don’t think you realize how much of a fucking prick you really are.”

Chapter Five

 

 

Paige

 

 

“This is where Luke wanted us to meet?”

Paige took in the jungle of greenery as they drove up a twisted and private driveway to a small restaurant centered in the middle of it all. It was still warm, even a bit balmy, when she rolled down the passenger window to inhale the scent of fresh herbs and greenery.

“Yes,” Shannon said, gazing out the window as well with a smile. “It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?”

“I never imagined it’d be so nice here upstate,” Paige replied. She shook her head in amazement. “Who knew you all had farms upstate. It’s almost like being home.”

A pang of homesickness went through her just thinking that. Her parents were most likely out working on the farm right now. It had taken all day with the three of them doing it together, but she imagined it took them longer now that she was gone.

If her parents even knew about Luke. A headache pounded in Paige’s head as she imagined the onslaught of questions. She’d definitely get a lecture about dating an older man with tons of money. It wouldn’t be a “I’m so happy for you, honey” type of conversation. It’d be a “I don’t think you can handle that type of situation, Paige” type of conversation. They had never been approving of her possibly dating—even in high school.

That was what had driven her to sneak around with Marcus after school. She had loved it back then, too. It had been thrilling to sneak around until that night Marcus had convinced her to make out in the back of his Jeep.

After that, her hopes of finding a boyfriend like any other sixteen-year-old girl in her class had been dashed. Her parents had set a harsh rule that there would be no dating until she was eighteen and out of their house.

Not that it had mattered anyway. She never trusted anyone again after finding out that Marcus had been in on it just to appease his ex and friends at the time.

The car pulled up next to a large patio area with lantern lights wrapped around the porch railing. Luke stood on the porch with one hand tucked casually in the pocket of his dark jeans. Unlike the other time she had seen him, this time he wore a simple white shirt with a zip-up sweater. His blond locks were tousled but pushed back from his sharp face. He looked more at ease than the other time as he talked to Toby while they waited for the girls’ car.

Nerves fluttered in Paige’s stomach when Luke turned to look at the car. Smoothing the silky fabric of her floral dress, Paige reached for the door to open it but found Luke already there.

“Hey,” he said after tugging the door open. “I’m glad to see you here. You look beautiful by the way.”

He smiled, revealing a set of white pearly teeth. Paige stared up at him as she tried to discern if any of that was fake, but she couldn’t pick anything up. He seemed genuinely happy to see her.

“Hi,” she said, and she slid out of the passenger seat with help from Luke’s hand. He let it drop the second she was standing. “This is a beautiful place up here. I never thought there would be a place like this in New York.”

“Upstate is different from the city,” Luke said. “I have a farm up here that I come to whenever I need a break from the city.”

He extended a hand toward the patio. Paige stepped up onto it gingerly in her pair of strappy heels. Without pause, Luke held out an arm with a charming grin.

Maybe Shannon is right. Paige took ahold of his arm, tucking her hand into the strong curve of his elbow. She felt his muscles flexing beneath his sweater as he led her around the corner with a chatting Toby and Shannon behind them. He is different when he isn’t moody.

“I figured you would like this place,” Luke said. “I’m sure it’s a lot better than how crazy it was in that lounge.”

“A bit better,” she agreed, tensing at the mention of last Friday night.

Luke glanced at her with a contrite expression. “I am sorry about that night, by the way. Whiskey can get me in a bad mood if I’m not careful.”

“I noticed,” Paige said, and grimaced at how bitchy she sounded. “I’m sorry too. I have a tendency not to let things go easily.”

“Duly noted.”

A large greenhouse covered the back part of the restaurant. Flowers, vegetables, and herbs all grew around the tables that were in the middle of it all. Luke led them to a private table through a bush of flowers before pulling out Paige’s chair for her.

“I know the chef here,” Luke said, giving her a small wink that made Paige’s stomach flip. “I had a feeling you were a pasta type of woman, right?”

“Good guess,” she said. She looked over at Shannon, who smiled brightly. I told you so, was what her smile said. “Is this how you got all your previous girlfriends to like you in the past?”

Toby broke out into a fit of coughs that sounded like hidden laughter. He shook his head when Luke glared at him.

“Sorry,” he said. “I wouldn’t necessarily call them girlfriends.”

“Shut up,” Shannon said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t listen to my brother. He’s an idiot sometimes.”

“Yes, please don’t listen to him,” Luke said. “He has a habit of saying things that aren’t necessarily true.”

Despite his glare, a playful grin tugged at Luke’s lips. There was an ease around the three of them Paige hadn’t noticed before that suggested years of strong friendship. It helped her nerves even when Luke scooted close to her. The smell of his cologne, a spicy musk, filled Paige’s lungs pleasantly.

They talked absently about things to do in New York while they waited for their food to arrive.

“So, you’re not a native of New York then?” Paige asked curiously.

“No,” Luke said, sipping at his water. “I was born in Bismarck, North Dakota. I lived there for a long time. I worked on a few oil rigs under my father after I graduated from high school.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “I have a hard time imagining you as a roughneck.” A blush filled her cheeks when Luke playfully glanced down at the muscles that wanted to bulge out of his shirt. “Never mind. I can see that you used to work on an oil rig. How long did you work there for your father?”

“Until my mother died.” A dark shadow danced in Luke’s eyes. “After that, I came to New York to help the other side of the business.”

Both his parents were gone—one of them recently. Paige had a hard time imagining that type of heartache, but she could see that Luke hadn’t necessarily come from a loving home. His sour mood Friday night was a testament to that.

She didn’t push the subject though.

Their food arrived a moment later. The smell of shrimp sautéed in rich butter and garlic caused Paige’s stomach to rumble happily. The food back at NYU wasn’t too bad, but it was never filling. Paige thought it was amazing that she had yet to put on a few extra pounds.

They ate while they conversed about classes at NYU. Luke appeared genuinely interested in Paige’s classes and asked questions about art history. It wasn’t until they were finished with their meals that he told her about his fondness for good art.

“That’s why I love New York,” he said, guiding her along the garden pathway out back. “There are some talented artists here with their galleries.”

“Oh, I know,” Paige said, her heart swelling with excitement. “I’m hoping that one of my professors will let me showcase some of my work in his private exhibit.”

“If you do, let me know. I’d like to see them.”

She blushed. “I’m not that good. I mean, not compared to some of the artists I have seen here in the city.”

“If you were accepted into NYU for your art, trust me, you’re good at what you do.”

They reached the edge of a pond with goldfish happily swimming about in it. A small water fountain trickled peacefully. Paige sat down on the bench facing the pond, crossing her legs when Luke took a seat next to her with a relieved sigh. There was less than a few inches of air between them. Her heart skipped when she realized that Toby and Shannon had disappeared from the pathway behind them.

They were utterly alone in the middle of a garden with no one to interrupt them.

“You’re nervous to be near me,” Luke said, tilting his head back to let the sunlight warm his face. A smile tugged at his lips when Paige turned to look at him. “You’re always looking around for Shannon or Toby.”

“Well, for one, I don’t want repeat of last Friday night,” Paige said. “Shannon promised me that wouldn’t happen.”

“Do you honestly think I’m that type of guy?”

He opened his eyes to look at her intently.

“No,” she said, and then she shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea who you are. You’re completely different now than you were on Friday night, and when you called me.”

“I told you that I’m sorry. I try to steer clear of whiskey when I’m already pissed off about something that’s bugging me.”

“Well,” she said hesitantly, “this is a nice change. I like this side of you better than the other one.”

“I’ll make a note to work on it,” Luke said, and his eyes closed again. “Do you really believe that having Toby and Shannon around will prevent me from what I want to do?”

The sultry tone dripping off Luke’s voice caused goose bumps to break out across Paige’s skin. A warm and hazy sensation crashed over her.

“What do you want to do?” Paige asked breathlessly. “I still don’t know why I’m even here with you.”

“For one,” Luke said, opening his eyes to look at her again, “you’re an attractive young woman. I don’t know why you think otherwise. You’re obviously smart and talented, because you're at NYU because of your passion, not because of money. Why wouldn’t I want you here with me?”

“I-I guess I’m just still trying to figure things out in my life is all,” she said, twisting her hands nervously in her lap. “You’re billionaire. I’d think you’d have your eyes somewhere else than on me.”

“Well, you’re wrong about that,” he said. “My money doesn’t dictate who I find attractive. Let’s just get that straight along with something else.” Reaching out a calloused finger, he stroked along her cheekbone before tucking a curl behind her ear. A shiver went up her spine at the simple but intimate contact. “You’re sexy as hell in a lot of ways you aren’t even aware of. I want to kiss you too.”

“Oh,” she said softly. “That’s what you want?”

Luke shifted to bring their faces closer. She felt his warm breath wash over her as his hand smoothed down to rest on her shoulder.

“Yes. That’s what I want.”

“And that’s all you want? Because—”

A finger pushed against her lips. Luke chuckled at her with a shake of his fair head.

“You think too much, sweetheart. Just let me kiss you. That’s all that is going to happen today. Scout’s honor.”

She couldn’t even respond. Having Luke so close, close enough for her to see the bristles of his blond beard, was intoxicating in a thrilling way. Their lips brushed lightly when Luke leaned in further to kiss her. The contact sent jolts of electricity down her spine. Her stomach fluttered erratically. It was a soft kiss, the softest type of kiss that left her yearning for more.

 

****

 

The feeling of Luke’s lips moving against hers, coaxing her lips to open to him, was more than what Paige could handle. Her blood raced through her veins. Her heart pounded erratically against her chest.

All from one single kiss.

She gasped when the tip of Luke’s tongue caressed hers lightly. The taste of him overwhelmed every one of her senses. Luke’s fingers squeezed her shoulder gently before trailing up to rest on the side of her neck.

While a part of her screamed to get away, to stop it before anything else could happen, the other part of her that wanted to be touched and kissed screamed louder.

Reaching forward hesitantly, she placed her fingertips on the strong curve of his jaw. The bristle of a beard poked her sensitive fingertips. It felt too good, too entirely good to pull away. This wasn’t the same man at the lounge who had openly felt her up with lust raging in his eyes. This man was patiently kissing her while rubbing the side of her neck soothingly.

He coaxed her head back to kiss her again, but this time, it was much deeper. It had undertones of lust in it that rendered Paige completely motionless from the crashing sensation.

One of Luke’s hands found its way to rest on her bare knee. His thumb traced errant circles there, leaving trails of fire. Feeling emboldened, she let her hand fall from his jaw to rest on the center of his chest. She felt his heart thumping steadily against his ribcage.

The pace increased slightly underneath her palm.

Footsteps approached them. Paige drew back with a gasp to turn around as Shannon and Toby entered through a separate pathway. Heat filled her cheeks when Shannon arched a knowing eyebrow at them.

“Well, well,” she said, crossing her arms. “Look what we have here. Ms. Scott didn’t want me to leave her alone, but she snuck off to have a moment over here.”

“Don’t tease her,” Luke said, wrapping a strong arm around her shoulders. “You were the one who set this up.”

Shannon grinned at him. “That I did. I should make money for what I do.” She motioned for them to get off the bench. “Come on. Let’s walk around this place for a bit before we head back into the city. I have homework to do.”

“What about you?” Luke asked softly. His fingers rubbed her shoulder, and it felt nice to have someone strong to lean into. “Do you need to get back to the city to do homework? I don’t want to take you away from your studies.”

“I do,” she said, but she loathed the idea of holing up in her apartment when it was still nice out. “It can wait until tomorrow though. Unless you have plans you need to take care off.”

“Nothing that can’t wait. We could get some coffee. I didn’t sleep very well last night.”

“It’s settled then,” Toby said. “We will drop Shannon off at NYU, and then I’ll disappear to give you two some space.”

“That works for me,” Shannon said, shrugging her shoulders. “That okay with you, Paige?”

She looked pointedly at Paige, silently asking her if she needed a way out, as they had discussed on the car ride up.

The day was pleasant, and the mention of coffee did sound good. Chewing on her lip, Paige studied the relaxed expression on Luke’s face. He seemed much more at ease than before.

“That’s fine with me,” Paige said. “Let's look around a bit. I want to see the rest of the garden too.”

“Great,” Shannon said, grabbing ahold of Toby’s arm. “Come on, brother. Let’s look around the garden a bit.”

They strode out in front of them, chattering away. Luke stood up wordlessly to hold out his hand for Paige to take. His fingers laced through hers as they walked slowly hand in hand behind Toby and Shannon through the rest of the garden.

Once the air started to become chilly, they piled into Luke’s large SUV to drive back into the city. The entire time, Luke kept a hand resting on the bare skin of Paige’s knee, and it caused her stomach to flutter. She could hear her mother’s voice scolding her inwardly. Tell him to keep his hands to himself. You shouldn’t have worn that dress.

She didn’t move his hand or ask him to move it. The heat and weight of it on her knee felt comforting as she half-listened to the three of them amicably chat about next weekend’s flight to North Dakota.

“Maybe you could come,” Shannon said, twisting in her seat to look at Paige. “It’d be nice to have another girl with me.”

Paige looked over at Luke, who had a frown etched onto his face. “I don’t know. I don’t want to impose or—”

“You wouldn’t be,” Shannon said.

“I have a lot of homework to do as well,” Paige said, unable to read the look on Luke’s face as he gazed out the window. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll stay behind.”

Shannon pouted, but she let the subject drop as they pulled up to the freshman apartment building.

“You still want coffee?” Luke asked a bit distantly.

It was such a strange thing to see him so relaxed and then suddenly closed off again. It had something to do with that trip to Bismarck. Confusion filled her again.

“If you want to still,” Paige said reluctantly. “I don’t expect you to spend tons of time with me.”

“I want to,” he responded firmly, and then he opened the door for her to get out. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

She nodded while pulling out her dorm card to swipe it through the card reader. Paige glanced over her shoulder right as Shannon slid out as well. She gave Paige a thumbs-up before sweeping a silent Luke into the conversation.

Jessica’s door was closed when she made it up to her floor. Unlocking her door, Paige slipped out of the heels Shannon had insisted she wear with a relieved sigh. She managed to unzip herself out of the dress as well while pulling out a pair of black leggings and a T-shirt. She was done trying to impress Luke with clothes that she didn’t even own herself.

Paige glanced out the window to find the SUV still there, but the sidewalk was empty. She pulled on the pair of leggings and had barely slipped into her T-shirt when the door to her dorm room crashed open, followed by loud voices. Startled, Paige fell into her bed in surprise as Jessica slammed the door shut.

“Jessica? What the hell is—”

“You need to hear this,” Jessica said, panting as she flourished a hand in front of Paige’s surprised face. “I’m serious. You need to hear this shit.”

She caught sight of Jessica’s phone clutched tightly in her fingers. “Okay, if it’s that serious. Tell me what is going on.”

“Don’t trust Shannon, Luke, and the other guy that’s with them,” Jessica said hurriedly. Her fingers danced along her cell phone screen. “I was walking back to the apartment when I overheard them talking. This whole thing has been a setup.”

Paige’s heart dropped. “What do you mean?”

“There’s a reason why Shannon picked you as a freshman sister. It has everything to do with Luke. He’s trying to—” She pulled up a video on her phone. “Here, listen to it.”

“Just remember she’s a virgin, Luke.” Shannon’s voice echoed in the room from the recording. “I mean, I know it’s props right now for you because it’ll look good to your father’s lawyer.”

“This has been too much of a headache for me,” Luke said. “It’s fucking bullshit that I have to do this just to get my damn inheritance from my father’s lawyer. Who the hell is that recording us?”

The video cut out. Paige’s heart thudded hard against her ribcage, but this time it was out of sheer anger. She looked over at Jessica, who nodded grimly.

“I heard them talking about it. The only reason Luke is trying to get you is so he can get his money.”

It made perfect sense, every single bit of it.

Tears filled Paige’s eyes as footsteps and a hushed conversation approach her dorm door. She stared at it while someone knocked on it a few times before slowly rising to her feet.

“Don’t answer it if you don’t want to,” Jessica said, rising from the bed as well. “Seriously, don’t answer it, Paige.”

She opened the door to see Luke standing there with a hand propped on the doorframe. Gone was his kind expression. It was cool and calculating, similar to the one she had seen at the lounge on Friday night.

“I know what you probably think,” he said, sweeping an angry glance at Jessica, who stood resolutely behind Paige. “Just let me explain it first.”

“Is it true?” Paige asked. Her fingers tightened on the doorknob. “Just tell me the actual truth, because that video says a lot.”

Luke sighed in irritation. “Fine. Yes, it’s true. I won’t try to lie to you anymore about it.”

“That’s a first,” she said coldly. “This whole thing was a setup for you to get an inheritance. Right?”

“It was to a degree,” Luke said. “I’m in a bit of a situation right now, and Shannon mentioned you to me. I didn’t think any harm would come of it.”

“Well, you harmed me in the process.”

“Then name your price for this to work,” Luke said. He glanced at his wrist watch. “Look, I’ve got some place to be in an hour. If this isn’t going to work, then—”

Anger ripped through Paige. It left her dizzy and breathless as she grabbed ahold of the door.

“You’re out of your fucking mind,” she cried, and she slammed the door directly in his face. “Go away. I never want to see the three of you again.”

She collapsed on her bed with an aggravated sigh. “I knew it was too good to be true, Jess. I knew it like you did.”

“I know,” Jessica said. She locked the door for good measure despite the retreating steps. “I didn’t want to think Shannon was in on it, but it makes sense, though, seeing that her brother is close to Luke.”

“It makes tons of sense now. Every single bit of it does since last weekend.”

“I wonder if they are getting a cut of money out of this,” Jessica said, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to Paige’s feet. “What do you think?”

“Most likely,” Paige said, rubbing a hand over her face in exhaustion. “I just can’t believe I convinced myself to kiss that man.”

“You kissed him?”

“Yes, at the restaurant and garden today. He kissed me, but it was all an act, Jess. Don’t look too thrilled about it.”

Jessica immediately wiped the ecstatic expression from her face. “Sorry. I was just excited for a moment. Even if the guy is a jackass, you have to admit he’s hot.”

“The only thing I’m going to agree with is that he’s a jackass.”

“I’m sorry they took advantage of you,” Jessica said, patting Paige’s knee in the same spot Luke’s hand had been. “It’s over though. You won’t have to worry about it now.”

“Right, thankfully.”

It wasn’t until Monday morning that Paige realized it wasn’t over, though, even though she wanted it to be.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Harry Scott said, sighing into the phone. “We just can’t afford it. Everything is slow around the farm. We can barely make the mortgage payments.”

“There has to be something that can be done,” Paige said, rubbing a hand over her face. “I love it here, Dad. I don’t want to go to school in Wyoming.”

“Well, honey, talk with NYU. See what they say, or if they have options for this sort of situation.”

He hung up after telling her that he loved her. Paige stared down at the phone as tears filled her eyes. There weren’t any options for a situation like theirs. They were broke compared to some of the other students who went to school there. She couldn’t shake the feeling that while her parents had done all they could to make sure she went to NYU, it felt a bit perfect in timing for them. Not once had they verbally vocalized their support about her going to NYU.

There was only one option that Paige could think off, and it involved Luke Turner.

Chapter Six

 

 

Luke

 

 

“Mr. Turner.”

Luke glanced up from the email he had been reading through regarding one of his rigs drilling up in Canada. Annoyance filled him when his secretary, JoAnne Collins, poked her head through his office door apologetically.

“I know you don’t want to be disturbed—”

“That’s why the phone is unplugged,” Luke snapped, flourishing a hand at the handset he had unplugged to find some quiet. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry, but there’s a woman on the phone for you,” JoAnne said. “She won’t let me go until I tell you to pick it up.”

He tensed. “If it’s Alicia—”

“It’s not. She says her name is Paige Scott.”

He stared at her in disbelief. “You’re shitting me. Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. She said it’s urgent, and that the two of you know each other.”

“Thank you, Jo,” he said. He plugged the phone line back in. He couldn’t deny his curiosity over what Paige wanted after what had happened thanks to that damn freshman friend of hers. He picked up the phone after hitting the flashing line one.

“This is Luke Turner speaking.”

“It’s Paige.”

“I’m surprised to hear from you,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Something change your mind?”

She ignored the coyness in his question. “Yes. Something did come up that I need to talk to you about.”

The distress in her voice alerted him that something had happened over the past few days. Something that had changed her mind and would hopefully benefit the both of them.

“All right,” he said. “I’m interested in hearing what you have to say.”

“I’m sure you will be,” Paige said. “Is there anywhere I can meet you? I’m not going to arrange this on the phone.”

Arrange? Hope and relief filled Luke. Still, he was cautious. He had no idea what had changed Paige’s mind. “I’m thirty minutes away from NYU at my father’s office. I’ll have one of my drivers pick you up if you give me the address of where you are at.”

“I’m at the only Starbucks around NYU. I don’t know the streets yet.”

“Just stay out on the sidewalk. He’ll see you in a few minutes.”

He hung up the phone with a smirk tugging at his lips. This little twist worked out in his favor, no matter what Paige wanted to talk about. He had no intention of staying with her beyond the thirty days.

Luke got up to pace around his office after sending one of his drivers to pick up Paige. He called Toby next while he waited for her.

“I don’t know what she wants to talk about,” he told Toby eagerly. “I don’t care either. You realize that this will work out no matter what she says, right?”

“I wonder who gave you this brilliant idea of a fake marriage,” Toby said sarcastically. “They should get a nice hefty bonus for thinking of it.”

“Yeah, yeah. Money is always such a big deal to your greedy ass.”

“No more than for you,” Toby shot back, chuckling. “I’ll be over to your office with the lawyer just in case. I know Shannon said not to underestimate how smart Paige is.”

“I have no doubts about that either.”

He tried to keep his giddiness under control when Paige arrived with Toby and his lawyer, Adam King, in tow. Even dressed in paint-splattered leggings, a pair of flip-flops, and a ripped white shirt, he still found her incredibly attractive. Her brown locks were pulled up in a messy bun that was pinned with what appeared to be the broken handle of a paintbrush. There was a blue smudge of paint above her right eyebrow.

Despite all that bravery on the phone, Paige took a seat nervously in front of his desk when Luke motioned for her to sit down. She chewed on the pad of her thumb while Toby shut the office door behind them to block out the sounds of phones ringing and unwanted eavesdroppers.

“So,” Paige started, bouncing her legs anxiously. “I’m here because of what you proposed to me on Saturday.”

Luke arched an eyebrow at her as he took a seat in his chair. He folded his hands over his stomach while he studied Paige intently.

“I have a feeling there is something you want out of what I proposed,” he said.

She nodded. “Yes. There are some conditions I have thought of if you’re still desperate to get your inheritance.”

The insult dripped off Paige’s words, but he let it slide. He didn’t care what she thought of him at the moment. It didn’t matter in the long run.

“What are your conditions?” he asked, but he already had a gut feeling what she wanted. Money. There was a conflicted look on Paige’s face, and he waited for her to lay everything out.

“My parents called me today to tell me that they are struggling with money,” Paige said. Guilt laced her voice. “They had taken out a second mortgage on their house to help pay for my college, but it’s not enough. If I don’t come up with the money by January, I will be kicked out of NYU.”

“Touching story,” Luke said dryly. “How much are you going to ask of me?”

Paige set her jaw. Anger glittered in her eyes as she gazed at him.

“I need at least three hundred thousand dollars from this arrangement,” she said. “Two hundred thousand of it needs to go directly to NYU. The other one hundred I want to give to my parents.”

He snorted indelicately. “You want to give my money to your parents?”

“It’d be mine if you want me to do this,” she pointed out. “You are the one who is desperate for money too, remember?”

“I already have money, sweetheart,” he drawled out, but he considered her amounts. It was chunk change in all reality compared to how much his inheritance was. “What other conditions are there?”

“Because you’re actually well-known where I’m from, I want you to meet my parents.”

“Fine,” he said, but he had no intention of ever meeting Paige’s parents. Thirty days went by fast, faster than what he suspected Paige thought. “What else?”

“No sex before the date we set,” Paige said firmly. “I promised myself at seventeen that I wouldn’t give in before marriage, and I have no intention of going back on my word.”

Toby coughed in the corner to hide his laugh at the scowl on Luke’s face. He stared at Paige in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right? You don’t believe in that type of shit, do you?”

“I happen to, yes,” she said, frowning at him. “What’s so wrong with waiting for marriage?”

“Nothing I suppose,” Luke replied warily. “If this is going to appear real, there needs to be that physical contact to make it look real.”

Paige tensed. “Take it for what it is,” she said. “I’m not going to hop into your bed despite your best efforts.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Toby stepped in before Paige could reply. He rested a hand on Luke’s shoulder and gave him a warning look.

“I think what she is saying is fair,” he said. “After all, we do owe it to her after everything we did. She knows now that Shannon only picked her as a freshman sister for this reason. We did fuck up her experience in that regard.”

“After everything you did,” Luke corrected sourly. He couldn’t get over how trapped he was between his father’s expectation from beyond the grave and the virgin who was holding the fate of his father’s business and inheritance in her tiny little hand.

He craved a strong drink. A real fucking strong drink.

“If you tell Paige no, that’s it for everything,” Toby said as reasonably as possible. “Think about it, bro. This is your ticket, and you need to take it while you can.”

Luke looked over at Paige as she continued to bounce her legs anxiously while waiting for his answer. If she wanted to set these conditions, that was fine by him. He only had one condition he planned to honor. The rest of those conditions were only a matter of time.

“I guess we have an agreement then,” he said eventually. Looking over at Adam, he nodded his consent to the conditions. “Go ahead and draft up the documents for me, Adam. We’ll sign them here and now.”

“Just give me a minute to type it all up,” Adam said. He excused himself from the office to borrow a computer.

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Toby said, glancing down at his phone. “I have to make some quick phone calls, start the whole publicity tour for you two.”

Paige visibly blanched. “I just thought this was going to be for his father’s lawyer. There’s going to be press involved?”

“It won’t be a problem, will it?” Toby asked.

“No, of course not,” she said. She added sheepishly, “I’m just not used to cameras like you two probably are.”

“You don’t ever get used to them,” Luke said darkly. He hated those damn reporters that followed him around the city, documenting whoever came and went from his apartment.

Toby shot him a dirty look. “It won’t be anything major. Just a few events here in New York that Luke will be expected to be at.”

He squeezed Paige on the shoulder in passing. For some reason, Luke’s chest burned hotly at the soft smile she gave Toby before he stepped out. He shook the feeling away before he could think about it.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “Once we sign that document, you’re stuck with me for thirty days.”

“As long as I get what I asked for,” Paige said. “It seems we both need each other more than we want to admit.”

“So it seems,” Luke replied.

They sat in tense silence for a few minutes while they waited for Adam and Toby to return to the office. It was Paige who broke the silence with a question.

“I know you said before that your father’s office is here in New York, but why? Why not somewhere where there is an abundance of oil?”

“My father came to New York when he was a teenager,” Luke said, shrugging his shoulders. “He loved the rich and the parties here. My grandfather started Turner Oil by himself. When he passed away, it went to my father, and he did return to Bismarck until he married. Once I was old enough to work on an oil rig, he came back here to the office to do the overseas business.”

Paige’s eyes widened. “Overseas?”

“Overseas,” Luke confirmed with a tense smile. “We have oil rigs all over the world, and in the oceans as well.”

“Wow,” she said, sitting back in her chair. “I didn’t realize this business was that well-accomplished.”

Pride filled Luke just thinking about it. For the past few years, he had navigated through the rocky market and international ties. His father had been far too drunk and beligerent to deal with anyone.

The door to his office opened. Adam stepped in with the freshly printed document. He handed it over to Luke to glance over. He signed it after skimming it quickly and then scooted it across the desk.

His heart pounded, much to his surprise, as Paige picked up the pen with a shaky breath. She looked up at him then, a vulnerable tinge in her eyes.

“You aren’t going to screw me over, are you?”

That question added to the small ball of guilt in his stomach. Not with the money portion of it. Ignoring that thought, Luke reached over to lay a consoling hand on her trembling one. Her skin felt clammy and sweaty against his dry fingers.

“I don’t plan on it,” he said. “I can’t anyway, but don’t sign this unless you are confident in what you are about to do.”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “My future is on the line too. I don’t want to lose sight of what I want either.”

She picked the pen up again, and this time she signed her name neatly on the line.

 

****

 

Luke stared down at Paige’s neatly scrawled name on the line. He tried to keep the pleased grin off his face, but he knew he had failed when Paige rolled her eyes at him.

“Don’t look too pleased about all of this,” she said. “I still don’t want to sleep with you even if we are going to fake a relationship.”

“I don’t fake sex, darling.” The center of her cheeks reddened. “How long do you plan on teasing me with that condition?”

“I’m not teasing you. That is honestly how I feel about it. You signed the document, so you can’t convince me otherwise.”

He sat back in his chair with a frustrated sigh. If she wanted to play that sort of game, then she’d lose. “We’ll see about that,” he said confidently, and when Paige’s eyes flashed defiantly, he continued. “Moving on though. That event Toby was talking about is this upcoming weekend, Friday night. Then I have to be at another party Saturday night. Right?”

Toby nodded when he looked over at Luke.

“Yes. We are busy this month with appearances he needs to do here in New York before returning to North Dakota.”

“Why are you going back to North Dakota?” Paige asked.

“To tour the oil rigs there,” Luke said, glancing down at the documents he had been going over before Paige’s phone call. “All business, sweetheart. I plan to squeeze a trip to Alaska in there too.”

Paige’s eyes widened. “Alaska? All in one month you plan to do this?”

“Yes,” he said, shrugging. “This is my life. You’re hitched to me, so get used to it.”

“That’s fine and dandy for you,” she said, “but how am I supposed to do any of my homework? I have responsibilities here in New York too.”

“Bring it along for all I care.”

“What Luke is saying,” Toby said, shaking his head at his friend’s roughness, “is that we will work with you if you work with us. We’ve been in business for a long time. You can look at our business friendships if you are worried about us not being willing to work with you.”

“I just don’t think either one of you understands that my schoolwork means a lot to me,” Paige said. She looked over at Luke, who shrugged his shoulders. “Your business means everything to you. My schoolwork means the same thing to me.”

Luke felt Toby’s fingers dig into his shoulder. Wincing, he nodded mutely in agreement with her. “Yeah, I get it. I promise to respect that.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“All right,” Toby said, clapping his hands. “It’s settled then. We’ve got the terms spelled out for the both of you. Let’s just do some publicity leg work before we see Peter.”

“Right,” Paige said, and stood up from her chair. She slipped the strap of her leather satchel over her shoulder. “I guess we’ll be in contact, then, when you need me?”

“I’ll email you a list of everything and a schedule,” Toby said, smiling. “Just so you have a heads-up with your schedule.”

She started in the direction of the door, but Luke stood up from his chair. He needed some air and food.

“I can have my driver take you back to NYU,” he said. “I’ll walk down with you.”

Paige hesitated before nodding. She waited patiently as he left instructions for his employees before they took the elevator down to the lobby. He couldn’t contain his glee, but neither could he contain his nerves. Paige was going to be perfect in Peter’s eyes, but he knew he had to keep things to himself for the next thirty days too.

A group of reporters appeared in view when they stepped out of the elevator. Luke reached out to grab Paige’s arm before they could see them. He tugged her back into a small hallway out of their sight.

“What is it?” Paige asked, confused. “I thought that was the way out.”

“One of the ways,” Luke said, texting his driver to pull around into the private garage. “There are reporters out there. They’ll bombard us with questions the second they see you, along with plastering our pictures all over.”

Her eyes widened. She glanced around the corner to watch the group of them mill about the front of the building with bored expressions. “Are they paid just to sit there and wait?”

“They are paid for a story shot,” Luke muttered grumpily. He was in no mood for them to harass him before they were prepared to face the cameras.

“How does an oil tycoon get front-page coverage?” She blushed when he looked at her sharply. “No offense. You aren’t a celebrity who is seen on the front page of magazines all the time.”

“No, I’m not. I don’t like being there either.”

“What put you there then?”

It was the last thing he wanted to explain to Paige. What was he supposed to say? I got skunk drunk one night, had sex with a complete stranger in an elevator, and the whole thing was recorded on camera. Then, my father released a furious statement about it. That’s why they follow me. They thrive off that drama.

His phone buzzed as the driver confirmed he was in the private garage.

“This way,” Luke said, nodding to Paige to follow him. “I don’t care what people say about me in the papers, but it gets annoying to have cameras shoved up in your business when you step outside.”

“I imagine,” she replied.

Once in the garage, Luke opened the passenger door and helped Paige climb in before rounding the SUV to hop in himself. The second they pulled out onto the street, cameras flashed, but it was too late. They had already merged into traffic.

Luke sat back in his seat with a relieved sigh. His stomach growled hungrily, and he looked over at Paige, who was toying with her phone nervously.

“Do you want to get something to eat?” he asked.

“What?”

“There’s a diner that my mom used to own. No one knows about it besides a few people.”

Paige chewed on her lip in contemplation. “I guess. I haven’t eaten today yet, but I need to get back to NYU soon. I have a class.”

“We won’t be long. I promise.”

They pulled up to the small diner ten minutes later. Just seeing it filled Luke with a painful nostalgia for the days when he would come in with his mother whenever they were in the city. Surprisingly, his father had been supportive of his wife owning a diner. She had a talent for cooking.

The smell of chocolate milkshakes and cheeseburgers filled Luke’s lungs as he guided Paige inside. He nodded his hellos to the few employees who had worked there since his mother had owned it.

“Just the usual?” one of the waitresses asked kindly. “Cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake?”

Luke nodded as he held up two fingers. “Make it double. She has to try my mom’s cheeseburgers and fries.”

Paige looked mildly impressed as she gazed about the diner curiously. “I have to admit,” she said, looking back at him, “I didn’t think you’d be the type of guy to order a cheeseburger. You look like you count calories.”

“Fuck no,” he said. “The only way I ever bulked up was eating meat and working on that oil rig for years.”

“Makes sense.” Paige took a sip of water when the waitress returned with their drinks. “So, your mom owned this place?”

“Up until she passed away,” Luke said, smoothing his hands over the tabletop. “She was a fantastic cook, but she loved dinner food in particular. My father encouraged it because it gave us something to do while we were in New York for business.”

“It’s just so…” She trailed off while searching for the right word.

“Random?” he supplied, and chuckled when Paige nodded. “It is, but it made sense to my mom at the time.”

“Why don’t you own this?” she asked curiously. “If it was your mom’s—”

“My father sold it,” Luke said, sharper than he meant. Anger bubbled in his chest still despite how many years it had been. “I was too young to run it when my mom died, so he sold it because he had no idea how to run it.”

“Oh.”

They fell into silence while Luke squashed the anger in him. This wasn’t the time to hash out the screwed-up things his father had done over the years.

“Your childhood wasn’t the best,” Paige said quietly then. “Shannon told me about your dad. I don’t blame you for being so angry.”

“I’m not anymore,” Luke said, even though it was a lie. “I channeled all of that into everything I do for this business.”

As she ran a hand through the curly waves of her hair, Paige used her straw to stir her water around. “My parents aren’t perfect examples either. They didn’t even want me to come to New York in the first place.”

“They’re strict Christians, right?” When she looked at him in surprise, Luke added with a smile, “Shannon told me about your family.”

“Shannon is the middle woman here,” Paige said. He picked up the anger in her voice. She obviously still hadn’t forgiven them for how they had gone about trying to woo her into his arms. “To answer your question, yes. They got to church all the time. They don’t believe in sex before marriage. They didn’t agree with me coming here because they are afraid that I’ll go back on my vows.”

“Vows?” he repeated, scoffing. “No offense, Paige, but this is the twenty-first century. People have sex before marriage all the time.”

“And you’re a prime example of that,” she said cynically. “It’s a long story how I got to those vows. I’d rather not tell you about it.”

“I don’t care to know anyway. I’m just saying that you’re an adult. You aren’t controlled by your parents here in the city.”

“It’s different for you though. I have to rely on my parents to help me get through college. Their opinion does matter to me to an extent.”

“So, you’re saying they’d disown you for having sex with me before our wedding?” Luke asked.

That pretty red color returned to Paige’s cheeks.

“First off,” she said, “it’s not a real wedding, right?”

“It might have to be depending on what my father’s lawyer says.”

“You’d be stuck with me then,” Paige said. “I don’t believe in divorce either.”

Luke drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “It doesn’t work like that. You wouldn’t want to be stuck in a marriage with me, anyway.”

“Why is that?”

“I’m not a good guy to be with long term,” he said, catching her eyes. “I don’t believe in marriage, or waiting for the wedding night.”

“Don’t you think it would be better to wait for thirty days?” she asked. “Imagine the anticipation behind that.”

He couldn’t tell if Paige was teasing him intentionally, but it aroused him. He had no plans on waiting thirty days to persuade her into his arms. Even if he had to exhaust every move in his book, he planned on getting Paige Scott in his bed well before the date they set.

“You don’t know me very well,” Luke said, grinning at her. “I’m a very impatient man. There is no such thing as anticipation for me. I can build it up in other ways that you don’t even know about yet, baby. Trust me on that.”

Chapter Seven

 

 

Paige

 

 

“I don’t know about this, Paige. Are you sure you can trust these people?”

Paige clicked through the schedule that Toby had sent to her school email. Her stress levels rose just glancing through it. He hadn’t been kidding when he said they were going to travel a lot. Most weekends for the next thirty days, she wouldn’t even be in New York.

“I don’t know,” she said, and turned in her chair to look at Jessica. She was going over the document, and she looked apprehensive. “It’s the only way, though, that I thought of to keep going to school here at NYU.”

“Did you call to check with financial aid yet to see if he actually sent over a check?” Jessica asked. “I’d check there first before you commit to this event thing at the end of the week.”

“Good point,” Paige said. She rose from her chair. “I’ll just go down there, and we can grab a bite to eat for dinner before I respond to this.”

“It’d be smart,” Jessica said. “I mean, this man does business every single day of his life. I don’t want you to get screwed over in all of this.”

It touched Paige then how much Jessica seemed to care. She smiled thankfully at her as they left the freshman apartments to head over to financial aid office. They ran into Professor Grey as he exited the glass doors.

“Ah, good afternoon, Paige,” he said, smiling at her and Jessica. “I was just in there talking with a financial counselor regarding the question you asked me the other day.”

“Oh, right.” She had completely forgotten about asking Professor Grey if there were any scholarships or ways that he could think of for her to keep going to NYU. “Did they say anything?”

“Well, it was a bit strange,” Professor Grey said, frowning then. “We were in the middle of talking about what we needed to do for you when your counselor received a phone call from someone over at Turner Oil.”

Her mouth dropped open in shock. There had been a very skeptical part of her that didn’t think Luke would hand out a check to pay for the rest of her college education. Then again, she supposed two hundred thousand dollars was chunk change to a man of wealth like Luke.

Professor Grey was studying her intently. “Do you know who Luke Turner is?”

“Sort of,” she said. “What did he say on the phone?”

“It wasn’t him on the phone. It was his secretary arranging your financial account with NYU. The next three years are paid in full, including supply fees as per Luke’s instructions.”

“Holy shit!” Jessica exclaimed. “He did it.”

She winced when Paige nudged her painfully in the side. Professor Grey watched their exchange before placing a hand on Paige’s shoulder. Concern stretched across his bearded face.

“I know you are new to this city, but Luke Turner has a reputation among the female population that isn’t favorable. A man like him uses wealth to get what he wants out of a woman.”

No kidding. Unable to stand the intensity of his gaze, Paige dropped her eyes to the sidewalk while she nodded quickly. “I understand, Professor Grey. You see, I promised him a painting.” The lie came to her surprisingly quickly. “It was an agreement, because he wants a painting in his office and I agreed to do it, and that was the price I asked for.”

He didn’t believe her. The skeptical look on Professor Grey’s face spoke volumes regarding how much he doubted that.

“I’ve dealt with Luke Turner quite a bit, believe it or not,” he said. “It isn’t in his nature or character to do something this charitable.”

Desperate, Paige glanced over at Jessica, who seemed equally floored about what to do. She grabbed ahold of Jessica’s arm then. “We have to get going, Professor. It’s been a long day, we’re starving, and we have tons of homework to do.”

“Get along then,” he said, but he stopped Paige before she could go. “I’m just warning you about him, Paige. I don’t want to see a good woman like yourself get taken advantage of.”

“I’m not, Professor,” she replied thickly. “I’ll see you in class on Wednesday morning.”

She hurried along the sidewalk with Jessica until they were both confident that Professor Grey was well out of earshot. Paige let out a strangled, pent-up breath when she looked over at Jessica.

“I didn’t think he’d actually do it,” she said, still in shock. “I thought he’d wait it out for the next thirty days.”

“I thought so too,” Jessica said. “What is he going to expect from you in return?”

Paige’s throat clenched thinking about those conditions they had talked about. There was no doubt in her mind that Luke was not happy about the no sex condition. She had seen that challenging glint in his eyes.

“I can think of a few things,” Paige said nervously. They entered one of the many restaurants on NYU’s campus that accept their dinner cards. It was busy, as expected for 5:00 p.m. on a Wednesday night.

Once they had their sandwiches and bowls of soup, they sat down at an empty table in front of the windows that overlooked the sidewalk. The sun had started to dip down earlier than what they were used to, a sure sign of the pending fall season.

He can’t honestly expect me to have sex with him. Paige looked down at her sandwich when a wave of nausea crashed over her. He signed that contract. He agreed to the terms of it.

Except, she knew Luke didn’t follow the rules. He had enough money to buy himself out of legal troubles anyway.

“He can’t force you to have sex with him,” Jessica said then, reading the expression on Paige’s face. “He really can’t. There are many things he could face if he did.”

“He wouldn’t force me. As sleek as he is, he isn’t a guy who just goes around forcing women into his bed.”

“That’s true I suppose. He’s attractive, so I’m sure it’s easy to fall for those charms.”

“It is,” Paige said, sighing. “It’s just so strange, because there are times when he’s calm and relaxed. He seems completely at ease and normal, but then it changes within a matter of minutes.”

Jessica looked thoughtful for a long moment. “Brooding is what they call that, but I’m pretty sure he had a rough childhood. That tends to play on people quite a bit.”

“I know he has. I don’t know much about it besides what Shannon has said to me, or what he has said himself.”

“If you’re in over your head, then back out,” Jessica said. “You have to admit that Luke is way experienced in certain areas that you’re lost in. I just worry that he’ll charm you before the end of this contract.”

“He won’t,” Paige said firmly, even though she had her doubts too. “I vowed to myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t give in before marriage. He can’t change my mind no matter how hard he tries to.”

Jessica gave her a long, hard look. “If you’re sure about that, Paige. I just know what marriage means to you because of the values you grew up with. I don’t think it matters if you even wait until beyond the wedding—he’ll still leave.”

“I don’t think so. Something is—” Her phone vibrated in her back pocket. “Hold on. I need to take this real quick.”

“Is it Luke?”

Paige nodded in confirmation before rising from the table to go outside. Not that it was much better with the noise. She slipped into the alleyway next to the restaurant to answer her phone.

“I wanted to call and confirm that I upheld my end of the bargain,” Luke said. He paused for a moment. “Where are you? I can hear cars.”

“I’m getting dinner with my friend,” she said. “I’m standing outside, but—”

“What type of friend?”

She arched an eyebrow at the harsh question. Jealousy was in, and she smiled in amusement. She briefly contemplated telling him it was Kyle Duncan just to hear his reaction but decided to leave it alone for the meantime.

“It’s Jessica,” she said. “That friend who blew the whistle on your plot.”

“Right,” he said humorlessly. “What were you saying?”

“I was going to tell you thank you for that. I didn’t expect it until the end of our arrangement.”

“The other half you can get after thirty days. I wanted something in return for honoring a portion of my end of the contract.”

Her heart started to pound. “Okay. Like what?”

“I want to be able to kiss and touch you whenever I want,” he said. “We have to make this look real, and I’m going to have blue balls if you keep your distance from me.”

She let out a shaky breath. It was exactly what she had assumed he would ask. “Toby told you that sleeping with random women in the meantime wouldn’t work?”

“Not if I want this to work,” he replied, obviously not pleased with that. “I did what you asked, so it’s your turn to do what I’m asking.”

“I’m not going to have sex with you,” Paige said firmly. “If we have to go through with this marriage, I’ll consider it then.”

“Fine.” He sighed into the phone. “But we had an agreement. This is the only thing I’m asking for in the meantime. I’m going to go crazy if you tell me no.”

“You sound like a typical teenage boy,” she commented, rolling her eyes. “Just kissing and touching. That’s it. Don’t think you’re going to get anywhere else.”

“We’ll see about that.”

He hung up without saying good-bye. Paige lowered her phone to stare out across the street with a racing heart. He was pushing her boundaries to see how far he could go. It wouldn’t be so bad… That wicked thought crossed her mind. It wouldn’t be like the last time she had been tangled up in someone’s arms. Luke’s hands never fumbled. He kissed expertly and passionately.

There was obviously something there that kept women flocking to him.

She went back inside to sit down at the table across from Jessica. Breathless, Paige sat in her chair, unable to think about picking up her sandwich.