Chapter 10
Marissa had only been in New York for an hour now, but so far everything was well beyond her expectations. If she’d thought the traffic in Toronto had been bad, it was nothing compared to the drive from the airport into the city. The limo had picked them up, making the entire ordeal far easier to handle. Well, except for the fact she’d hadn’t quite recovered from their previous limo ride. Her lips were still sensitive from their kiss, her body primed and ready for action.
Thank God, she was going to have her own bed, because she needed to get herself off in the worst way.
She’d never heard of The Greenwich Hotel, but Vince assured her that her stay would be a treat. That was the bloody understatement of the century. The lobby had been elegant and far more spa like than she’d assumed a hotel would be. But that was nothing compared to the moment Vince opened the door to the penthouse suite.
Marissa held her breath as they walked inside. “This is the most beautiful room I’ve ever been in.” She walked fully into the room, touching the tables, chairs, even the walls as she went. “Oh God, there’s an outdoor hot tub!”
“No two rooms are the same here.” Vince draped his coat along the back of the chair. “I asked for the penthouse specifically for the outside terrace. Tomorrow while I’m at my meeting, you can enjoy the complementary spa treatment. I hear it’s wonderful.”
The city lights brightened the night sky, and the sounds from the city echoed up to her as she stepped out onto the terrace. This was a fantasy world compared to her tiny basement apartment. The smell of must and mold had been swapped for incense and wood. She continued to touch everything she saw, as though this dream would somehow become less real if she couldn’t remain grounded. The brick ledges and stone paths led her around the secret garden, high above the city streets.
She could feel Vince’s eyes on her as she made her way around to the stone hot tub. The water gurgled as it flowed, steam rising into the air with an effervescent hiss. “I’ll definitely be trying this out later.”
“They can get you a swim suit if you don’t have one.” Vince stood in the doorway, his arms crossed and his lips turned into a soft smile. “They have bathrobes waiting for you in your room.”
Shit, she’d forgotten that part of the deal was her having her own room for this little adventure. “Which one is mine?”
“I figured I’d let you pick the one you’d be the most comfortable with. They’ve brought our bags up to the living room for now.”
Seeing him standing there, light from the outside fireplace flickering across his skin, sent a shiver of sexual awareness through her. God, he was far too fucking handsome for his own good. For hers as well. It was going to be brutal to keep her hands to herself, to keep their arrangement completely about playing a part, and having nothing at all to do with sex.
It was getting more difficult to remember why having sex with him was such a bad thing to begin with.
Forcing her gaze away, she sat down on the edge of the hot tub and dangled her feet inside. “What time is your meeting tomorrow?”
“Not until eleven. We’ll have time to eat and I’ll be able to get you set for the day. We don’t have our first event until three.”
She’d have to make sure she had her game face ready. “Excellent. That will give me time to get ready.”
Vince toed off his dress shoes, before walking over to join her. He stood still as he pulled his socks off and rolled up his dress pants to his knees. “It would be easier if we just got naked and went in.”
Her nipples hardened. “I believe that goes against the rules, Mr. Taylor.”
Vince snorted. “It does. I guess this will have to do.” He sat down beside her, and slipped his feet into the water, careful not to get his pants wet. “That’s far more relaxing than it should be.”
“Oh please. You wear dress shoes all the time.” She picked up the stiletto closest to her. “These things are brutal.”
Vince took the shoe from her, examining it closely. “Honestly, I don’t know how women don’t break their necks in these things.”
“I’m impressed with women who can run in them. I have a friend, Naomi, who I’ve seen race to catch a bus in heels. I swear she could run a six-minute mile wearing them.”
There was something wonderful about hearing Vince chuckle. It was a sound she suspected he didn’t make all that often, which was a shame. It was magical, warm in a way that felt like a hug. “You’re far too serious.”
His gaze shifted to a point in the sky. “That’s something my life requires from me. Serious, smart. But I have to be enough of a playboy to make the media happy. The coverage helps keep my business relevant.”
“And staying relevant is what helps pay the bills.” It was so weird hearing some of what she’d learned in her business classes being spoken of so cynically. “I’m sorry that’s how things have gone for you.”
“I’m not.” There was something in his tone that gave her the impression that wasn’t exactly true. “I’m a rich, white male who is in complete control of his life. I have so much privilege I can’t fathom what it means to struggle. What kind of man would I be to not be grateful for the life I’ve been given?”
Marissa stared at him hard. For the life of her, she didn’t know if he was somehow trying to get her to feel sorry for him, or if he was genuinely aware of the blessings in his life. “You’d be an utter asshole.”
“Exactly. That’s something I try to avoid at all costs.” He reached down and splashed some water with his fingers. “Though if you ask Caroline, I fail miserably at that.”
“You do come across as a bit of a controlling jerk at times.” She reached down and splashed some water as well. “But you’re helping me out, so I can’t exactly be too hard on you.”
“I do try and help others. That’s one of the reasons I want to see GreenPro in the right hands, it has the potential to do a lot of good. We need more sources of clean energy if we’re going to make a dent in climate change.”
“In order to do that, you need to sell it to these ETS Investment people?”
He frowned. “No, I’d much rather keep the business myself and see how far I can take it. But I’m not the majority owner, my father is. He wants to sell it to Simon’s company, and I’m not exactly in a position to stop him. Like it or not, I need to ensure ETS buys GreenPro.”
She’d never considered someone in Vince’s position would feel as though they had no control. “And in order to do that, you need me to pretend to be your significant other so they think you’re respectable.”
“Let’s say Dad’s history with Simon is complicated at best. I’ve unfortunately been painted with the same brush as him, which makes these negotiations difficult. Having you…paying you to be here, it takes away some of my tarnish. If someone as down to earth as you will be with me, then perhaps I’ve been redeemed.”
“As long as we both behave.” Her words were meant to be teasing, but they sounded serious even to herself.
“Yes, both of us. It shouldn’t be that hard to remain professional.”
She knew that he wanted to keep things as calm and steady as he could. But while she didn’t want to open up something that neither of them could control, there was no denying the connection they shared in the limo. “That might not be as easy as either of us anticipated.”
Vince looked over at her, and for the first time since she’d first met him, he looked to be completely relaxed. “You’re not exactly the type of person I thought you would be.”
“You either. When we met on the yacht, I had…assumptions. Given how many problems I’ve had with men recently, I thought someone like you was the last type of man I’d ever want to be around, let alone kiss.” Marissa ignored the way her face heated, praying her blush wouldn’t be overly noticeable in the glow from the patio lights.
If Vince noticed, he didn’t say anything. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I seem to remember being the one climbing onto your lap.” God, there’d been no stopping her once she’d gotten the idea in her head. She’d needed to feel his lips on hers, wanted to know how hard his body would be beneath her. “I promise, I won’t do anything else like that while we’re here.”
Come hell or high water, she’d keep it in her pants.
Vince nodded, before climbing to his feet. Water trickled down his legs, making little rivers in the coarse hair that covered his skin. “I need to check some emails.”
Exhaustion washed over her. “I think I’ll call it a night as well. Best go pick out my room.”
She was about to push herself up, when Vince reached down and offered his hand. “Allow me.”
Shit, the feel of his skin on hers, his strength as he helped her to her feet sent a shiver through her body. “Thanks.”
They didn’t immediately pull apart, and Marissa gave in to her desire to lean her body fully against his. God, this was such a horrible idea. Hadn’t they just finished saying that neither of them wanted to take things beyond the kiss? Her past with Andrew was still causing her daily trauma, something that she needed to sort through before she could even think about having a relationship with someone, let alone develop feelings for someone who’d clearly stated that they weren’t interested. That would be far worse than anything that had happened with Andrew; instead of being duped, she’d be walking into a disaster, eyes wide-open.
Marissa let Vince’s hand fall away as she moved back to the penthouse. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll take the bedroom closest to the bathroom. I tend to get up through the night, and I wouldn’t want to wake you.”
“I can bring your bags in for you.” He fell into step behind her. “Why don’t you go check it out and I’ll grab them.”
“Thanks.”
The marble floor was cool against the wet soles of her feet as she padded through the living room to the far bedroom. Marissa held her breath as she stepped inside, her gaze touching upon the beautiful natural stone and wood. Along the center of the back wall sat the large, queen-sized bed. The solid piece of wood that comprised the headboard must have come from one hell of a big tree. She couldn’t imagine how the hell they’d been able to get it into the penthouse in the first place. The fireplace was already lit, the warmth from the flames filling the room and chasing away the chill from her damp legs.
The scrape and grind of her suitcase wheels snapped her attention back to the door. Vince didn’t hesitate as he stepped inside and spun the case around. “Ah, this is an excellent spot. If the fire dies down and you get cold, there are extra blankets in the closet. The kitchen is fully stocked, as is the bar. Make sure you help yourself to whatever you want. And if there’s something missing, let them know downstairs and they’ll get it for you.”
“Thanks.” It was hard to look away from Vince; shadows from the fireplace dancing across his chest and face. She forced herself to turn her back to him. “I better get changed and turn in for the night.”
Vince didn’t respond immediately. She listened as he shuffled around for a moment, before clearing his throat. “I’m going to head out for a run. I won’t be longer than an hour.”
Shit, now she was going to have images of him all sweaty, pounding the streets of New York. “Okay. Have fun.”
“I’ll see you in the morning.” And with a click of the door behind her, he was gone.
Marissa sat down on the edge of her bed with a sigh. God, her life…
Her cell phone in her purse rang. She scrambled off the bed, snatching it from her purse and answering it before looking at the call display. “Hello?”
“Hello Marissa.”
Andrew.
Marissa swallowed, her gaze flicking to her closed bedroom door. “What the hell do you want?”
“Baby, I’m just calling to check in on you. Can’t a friend stay in touch?”
“You’re not my friend. You fucking screwed me over.” Her voice echoed in the room. The last thing she wanted to do was have Vince come in and see her a mess. “How did you get this number?”
“Your mom is still a sweetie. I told her that I wanted to apologize to you and she was more than happy to give it to me.”
She was going to have to have a long conversation with her mom once she got back to Toronto. “Don’t bother putting me on speed dial. I’ll be dumping it as soon as I get home.”
“Oh. Where are you, baby bird?”
There was a time long ago, when she’d loved his pet name for her. Now, the sound of it turned her stomach. “None of your goddamned business.”
“I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Then you shouldn’t have fucked me over. Goodbye.” Without waiting for another word, she ended the call. Then she turned her phone off.
Dear God.
Her entire body shook as she set her phone beside her on the bed. Andrew never did anything without a reason, nor did he simply reach out to see how she was doing. He didn’t give a flying fuck how she was.
No, Andrew was clearly up to something.
She couldn’t afford for him to know how badly she was doing, nor about her deal with Vince. While she doubted there was anything Andrew could do to him, Vince didn’t deserve to have her shit-show of a life spill over onto him.
She’d have to keep her phone off and her mind focused for the rest of the weekend. She’d be there for Vince, help him however he needed her to so he could sell his company and then she’d get the hell out of his life.
For both their sakes, she had no choice.