Because He Plays Me (Because He Owns Me, Book Seven) Read online

  “There they are,” he said, leading me over to a table where a woman and man sat deep in conversation. When the woman looked up, the floor shifted under my feet.

  I nearly lost my breath and my balance. My legs were suddenly unsteady.

  It was her.

  The woman who had been tied and bent over his desk only two nights ago. I yanked my hand free of Madden’s grip and stormed out of the restaurant. I wasn’t going to sit and eat dinner with the woman that he had sex with.

  A shadow moved in front of me and when I looked up, Madden stood there. “Where the hell are you going?” he said, his commanding voice stopping me in my tracks.

  “I can’t believe that you brought her here. I know who she is,” I spat. “Even though she had on a blindfold, I’m not blind.”

  His eyes narrowed and he wrapped his fingers around my arm, pulling me to the side. “First, I don’t owe you an explanation. We have an arrangement and I expect you to honor it. That includes eating dinner with me and whomever I invite. If you don’t come back inside with me, you lose the ten thousand dollars. What you need to do is ask yourself if it’s worth it.”

  “Why? I wasn’t enough so you had to bring in your go-to-girl as well?” As soon as I said that, I realized what problem actually was. I wasn’t good enough, after everything that happened between us.

  I took a step closer to him. “I would have let you tie me up and blindfold me you know. I expected it after what I saw, but instead, you bring her here.”

  My body vibrated with anger. I wanted to walk away, wished that I could, but I needed the damned money.

  Madden leaned in close and I could see the dark flashes of anger in his eyes. “What is your choice?”

  He had me over a barrel. “Fine. I’ll go back inside with you, but I draw the line at threesomes, for the record.”

  “I don’t share...with anyone,” he growled before guiding me back into the dining room.

  Madden had regained his cool, unaffected demeanor by the time we arrived back at the table.

  “This is Ms Kinsey,” he said, introducing me to the man and woman seated at the table. “This is Jenna my Public Relations Liaison, and her fiancé Anderson.” I reached out and shook the offered hands, ignoring the look Jenna shot between me and Madden. She had some nerve, sitting there beside her fiancé while the man she was screwing on the side sat across from him.

  “Do we know anything new?” Madden asked.

  “It’s a small newspaper out of Rochester, circulation about 5000, but the problem is that the Times caught wind of it and their people called me for an official statement. I of course said it was all slanderous hearsay, that your old roommate was jealous of your success and was spreading lies about plagiarism in order to get money, but they smell a story.”

  I glanced at Madden to try and see his reaction to what she was saying.

  An old roommate spreading lies about plagiarism?

  Madden was annoyed and dismissive. “He was a punk even back then. What do we do?” Madden threw back this bourbon on the rocks and signaled the waiter for another. Anger radiated from him in waves.

  Jenna tried to sound confident, but it was clear that Madden’s displeasure had put her on the defensive. “Well, my suggestion is to put something else out there, something juicier that the major newspapers can run with. If we come out with a better story, they’ll forget about the roommate and his accusations. We just need a story.”

  Madden scowled. “We need a story?” he scoffed. “No, Jenna. We don’t need anything. It’s your job to diffuse these things. That’s what I pay you for.”

  Madden stood and held out his hand. We hadn’t even ordered our food yet but his eyes dared me to argue. I pushed back my chair. Jenna’s stare was focused on where Madden had his hand resting on my hip.

  “Call me with a solution,” Madden barked, then he guided me from the dining room.

  Once again, we were in the elevator surrounded by angry silence.

  “So your lover is also your PR person. That’s convenient.” I stared straight ahead and refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing how much it bothered me. As soon as the elevator dinged, I stepped out and walked to our door. He swiped his keycard before I could get mine out of my purse.

  As soon as the door clicked shut, Madden took my arm and stormed over to the small dining table. “Take off your clothes,” he growled.

  “You’re kidding me. After all that you expect me to just lie down and roll over?”

  “What I expect,” he said through tight lips, “is for you to do what I tell you to. That was the agreement was it not?”

  I really did not like him at this moment.

  And yet another part of me wanted to be closer to him more than ever—to cross the enormous gulf that seemed to have opened between us these last few hours.

  I reached up and unfastened the shoulder on my dress and let it fall to the floor. Tonight I had on a white lacy strapless bra and a matching thong.

  “Everything.” His voice was hard and it matched his eyes. Something was missing. Last night he had been forceful and demanding, but he was there in every moment. This Madden was different. His thumb flicked over my nipple and I couldn’t stop the involuntary shudder of pleasure.

  He still knew how to play my body.

  With very little effort, his touch ignited the familiar ache inside me. He reached up and undid his tie, then unbuckled his belt. He moved until he stood behind me and I heard the swish of fabric. I had time to register that he held his tie in his hands before it covered my eyes. He wrapped it around my head and tied it off, not tight enough to hurt, but enough so that I could see nothing.

  My pulse thundered in my chest. Even though I was mad at him, I could not deny that I wanted him too.

  “Bend over.” His hand on my upper back guided me to the table. Glass felt cool under my cheek, on my overly sensitive nipples. “Hands behind your back.”

  Once he had them secured with his belt, I heard his pants hit the floor.

  “This is what you wanted?” He dragged a finger along my slit, spreading the wetness that was already gathering inside of me.

  “This is what you expected from me?” He slid a finger into me and I moaned. I couldn’t move and was at his mercy. Pleasure swept through my body, but before it could center on just one spot, he withdrew.

  I heard the crinkle of a condom wrapper, then he moved closer, his thighs against the back of my legs. He rubbed the head of his cock up and down just once before thrusting inside me. The table rocked and I groaned loudly. Almost at once, Madden started to thrust forcefully. His fingers dug into my hips, holding me, using my body as he wished.

  Pressure started to build inside me. His hands left my hips and one rested on my lower back, pushing down. I felt him gather my hair around his other hand and he tugged until my neck was arched back.

  The angle shifted and now he was pounding right on the spot inside my slick walls. I cried out and stars danced behind my eyelids. I needed to move but could not. It would be Madden who had to push me over the edge.

  His movement became faster, harsher, and I could hear the low growl building inside his chest.

  I pushed up onto my toes and arched as much as I physically could. It was all I needed. Pleasure exploded inside me and I cried out Madden’s name. He drove mercilessly into me until his own hoarse shout filled the room.

  Almost immediately he pulled out and undid my hands. My fingers prickled as the blood rushed back into them. I used my hands to push up off the table and remove the blindfold. The bathroom door clicked shut and tears burned my eyes.

  I wanted it to be like last night.

  Last night felt special. Tonight...tonight had been sex. Nothing more. And that’s when it hit me. I went to the bed, crawled into it, and pulled the covers up to my chin. Suddenly, I was exhausted.

  I still couldn’t understand how his entire attitude had changed so drastically when I’d asked him a simple question. Or maybe it
hadn’t been about the question at all.

  Maybe he’d just grown tired of me. The weekend, after all, was nearly over.

  I heard the shower start and closed my eyes. He was shutting me out tonight.

  I didn’t want our last few hours together to be filled with hostile silence. Somehow, I drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  And if I dreamed that Madden held me in the night—if perhaps his strong arms around me felt as real as anything else we’d done together—the memory of it was almost gone by morning.

  * * *

  When I opened my eyes, I saw Madden sitting in the chair next to the bed dressed in yet another suit. The lines on his face were gone. He looked relaxed. When he met my stare, he even smiled.

  “Morning,” I managed to get out. “You seem like you’re in a good mood.”

  “I’ve figured out what story we’ll feed to the press to distract them from my old roommate’s claims. It’s a sure thing.” He stood up then and came over to the bed where he sat on the edge.

  “That’s good right?” I asked.

  He cupped my face and ran his thumb along my jaw. Another one hundred and eighty degree turnaround from last night. “It’s very good,” he agreed.

  I leaned into his touch. Soon we would get back on the plane and that would be the end of all this.

  As much as I knew it was all according to plan, a piece of me longed to have more time with this strange, magnetic man.

  “So how are you going to throw them off that story?” I asked, looking up at his him.

  His dark eyes glittered and he leaned down, his lips inches from mine. “Easy,” he whispered. “We’re getting engaged.”

  END OF BOOK ONE

  Part II

  Wicked Lie

  (The Billionaire’s Fake Fiance, Book 2)

  Chapter 1

  My mouth opened wide and I stared at Madden Cross, unable to even speak.

  I heard him wrong, I had to have.

  The handsome billionaire had gone from paying me for one weekend of pleasure to asking for my hand in marriage.

  “Engaged?” My voice squeaked out like I’d been inhaling helium. “That’s ridiculous. We barely know each other.”

  Madden lifted one eyebrow and his gaze fell to where the sheet hung off my shoulder. “I know that your eyes crinkle up when you get confused, and I also know you spasm around my fingers when I touch you just…”

  “I’m not talking about sex.” I swung my legs out of bed and stood. He was insane. And he was the last person I’d ever want to marry. “Why me? What about one of your other women?”

  “This is the most expedient solution. You’re here with me now.” He held up his hand when I started to argue. “It’s only for one day, two at the most. Long enough for the news to latch on and run with it and forget about the other stuff.”

  I sat across from him and he poured me a cup of coffee and added cream and one teaspoon of sugar. He handed it to me with another lift of his eyebrows.

  “Just because you know what I put in my coffee doesn’t mean we should get engaged.”

  Although, having said it, I had to admit that I liked this a bit too much. That he’d paid enough attention to know such a little detail about me caused a warm thrill to tickle my stomach.

  He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. Today he had on a dark blue suit that brought out specks of grey in his eyes. Guys in suits never really did much for me, but seeing Madden in one had changed my mind pretty fast.

  “It’s not real, Skylar.” His lip twitched into a tiny grin. “But this has to happen right now. Jenna has created a press release to be fed to the media in an hour. Then we head back to Boston so we can be seen together at a few strategic places, and once the story takes off, I’ll have what I need.”

  “All this to bury speculation that you plagiarized a paper years ago?”

  It seemed too extreme. Who would go through this big of a lie just to hide something that happened back in college? Something that couldn’t even be proven. It seemed to me that there had to be more.

  “What’s really going on?” I asked, suspicion tingeing my voice.

  If he had a good enough reason, then maybe I would help him. That was a big maybe.

  “How much?” he asked, uncrossing his arms, picking up his mug and lifting the cup to his lips. He watched me over the rim with indifference. Like we were discussing the weather or something mundane like that.

  Coffee sloshed over my hand and onto the white tablecloth as he asked the question. “What?” I said, my heart beating faster now.

  “I’m already giving you ten thousand for this weekend. How much more to agree to be my pseudo fiancé for two more days? Twenty five thousand? A total of thirty five for your time?” Madden put the mug down, sat back and adjusted the cuffs of his dress shirt like it was already decided.

  “Not everything is for sale,” I muttered.

  He threw back his head and laughed. Something tightened in my stomach at the rich sound. It sank right down to my bones. Until he spoke. Then ice filled my veins.

  “You’ve already proven otherwise, Skylar.”

  I pushed away from the table. A sick feeling filled my stomach. I had my reasons before, but agreeing to anything more at this point went beyond what I needed. “No. The answer is no. You could offer me a million dollars and it would still be no.” Without looking back, I hurried into the bathroom. Before he could actually do it. If he offered me a million dollars, which was absurd, I’d cave. Anyone would.

  I turned on the water and waited for it to fill the tub.

  Thirty five thousand dollars.

  My stomach rolled and I sat down on the edge of the tub. I could go anywhere with that much money. Go so far away that Jacob would never find me. Two more days of pretending, would it be so bad? I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror over the marble vanity. At what point would it be impossible to look myself in the eyes if I kept doing this?

  No more money from Madden. No more bargains.

  I shed my robe and sank down until everything but my head was submerged in hot water. It wasn’t just compromising my principles that stopped me. It would be bad because if my name, if my face were splashed across the front page of every paper in the country, Jacob would know where to find me. It would be like putting a glowing red beacon on my head.

  The twenty five thousand that Madden offered me would be enough to get away. I had to take what I had, for my own safety. It hadn’t been a bad experience either. This weekend, shotgun engagement aside, had been pretty good. The sex had definitely been better than I’d ever had, at least that first night.

  I frowned and ran my hand through the bubbles. The first night I actually felt a connection with Madden. He was giving, very giving and in tune with what I needed. He had taken me by surprise too.

  I’d expected to be tied up. I’d assumed that was what he liked. His anger didn’t make sense and then the second time, when he did tie my hands; he took. It was all about him. There was no caring about me or my needs.

  That’s how it had been with Jenna when I saw them in the office. Which made me even more confused because what exactly was that first night? What had any of it meant to him—or to me? I sank my head under the water and let the warmth seep into my head; easing the pounding that had started the second Madden said we were getting engaged.

  When I came back up, Madden was standing next to the tub. I should have been surprised to see him, but after only two days, I knew he was the kind of man who did whatever he wanted. He stared down at me and I watched as his gaze moved down to where my breasts were just above the water, the suds doing nothing to cover me.

  His eyes got dark and I heard him inhale raggedly. Part of me wished the he would strip down and join me, but he didn’t seem the type to take bubble baths.

  “Have you changed your mind yet?” he asked.

  Part of me wanted to, could not stop thinking about the money, but the reality was that I couldn’
t take the chance. Not with Jacob looking for me. It had only been a week since I left and I knew my ex well enough to know that he would eventually find me if I didn’t disappear soon.

  “I haven’t.” For one second, I thought I saw a flash of vulnerability in Madden’s eyes, but then he blinked and the hardness was back. He nodded curtly.

  “Very well, I’ll call Jenna and tell her to nix the story. The plane will be ready in an hour. We’ll be leaving then.” He turned and strode from the bathroom and a wash of cold air made me shiver.

  As I stood and toweled off, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had somehow let him down. Heaviness sank into my gut and only got worse when I heard Madden’s raised voice from our room. I wrapped the oversized towel around my body and opened the door.

  “I told you to wait on that,” he shouted into his phone. “Pull the god damned press release now.” He listened for a few seconds and a vein in his forehead stuck out. “Are you fucking kidding me? So now what?” After a few more seconds, he threw his phone down on the table.

  “Bad news?” I asked.

  He turned slowly and after running an assessing gaze over my half naked body, he looked into my eyes. “Jenna sent the notice into the papers first thing this morning. The Associated Press grabbed it and it’s front-page news already. I didn’t authorize the release, but my people screwed up. It is what it is.”

  I thought I saw remorse in his eyes, but my entire body started going from hot to cold. It was on the front page of the Associated Press? Jacob would see it. He’d see me. Tears burned the back of my eyes and I spun away from Madden. One stupid mistake by Jenna and my life was in danger.

  And I couldn’t escape the feeling that perhaps Madden had even secretly intended it to go this way. If I accepted, he got the story and if I refused…he still got his precious story.

  And he could even claim plausible deniability.

  “I want to leave now.” My voice shook. I couldn’t think straight. I ignored all the new clothes that Madden had bought for me and pulled on my jeans and peasant blouse, ignoring the feel of his stare on my naked back. I had to get my car at the motel. Money, I needed the money that Madden had promised. Maybe I’d have time to disappear before Jacob tracked me down.