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.”