Liz Walters sniffed as she wiped her tear-streaked cheeks.
“I didn’t know I have an asshole of a cousin!” She mumbled to herself, unbothered by the people close to her staring at her as though she was insane.
“I can’t believe I’m fucking broke.” She couldn’t stop whining about her misery.
Her life took a terrible turn all thanks to her good for nothing cousin, the same cousin she trusted with all her money, her savings and apartment.
Enough was enough. No more crying, Liz! She reprimanded herself as she used the music blasting from the speakers to calm her tensed muscles. She needed to loosen up.
Thrusting aside those thoughts, she took a sip of her cocktail. She was starting to feel the heat of the whiskey in it. It burned down her throat and warmed up her chest. It felt good.
It was a bitter-sweet feeling.
She lifted the glass to her mouth to take another sip. But she got distracted when a man came to stand beside her and ordered in a deep, tipsy voice, “Scotch on the rocks.”
His voice was as fluid as hot caramel.
Curious about the man, Liz stole a quick glance, and her breath got caught in her throat.
The man was already looking at her and… their gazes locked.
He was tall; probably six-three or six-four, with Atlas-size broad shoulders and a narrow waist, the man wore a well fitted business suit of dark gray with subtle pinstripes, complete with a solid, darker vest. A black tie and matching pocket square rounded out the look.
His thickly muscled arms flexed as he swiped a hand through his dark brown hair. One broad hand smoothed his jacket.
He was, well, different from all the other men she’d met before. He was handsome, not perhaps in the conventional sense, but he had that appearance which could make him stand out in the crowd. He was fair, almost pale white. His unfathomable, dark green eyes contrasted exceptionally with his light toned face.
He gave a devil-may-care outlook.
“Are you okay?” The man asked her. His voice sent a shiver gliding down her back. She fought the urge to quiver.
Liz pointed at herself as if to asked, are you talking to me? There was no way this handsome man was talking to an average looking woman like her, she thought.
The man cocked a perfect eyebrow at her. “You seem upset.”
Realization dawned on her that he was indeed speaking to her.
“Yeah…” she whispered, still not so sure if she should start a conversation with a stranger while she was already feeling slightly drunk. She knew what this could lead to but then, she decided to just pour out her pent up frustrations and feelings. “I have had a bad day.”
“I could tell…” he drawled out.
His words sent Liz’s heart into her throat. Oh, crap. Crap, crap, crap. Could it be that he’d heard me complaining about my cousin, about my broke ass? She didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of a man like him.
Hell, there might not be enough alcohol in the bar to save her face from going up in flames. She could already feel the heat crawling up her neck at the mere thought of this man watching her rambling about her shitty life from afar.
She’d thought she would be free to drown herself in her sorrows with some drinks without anyone poking their noses in her business. Yet, she’d captured the attention of this man when she wasn’t even here to hang out with any man.
Every time she’d come down at the Helium bar ready to mingle, she’d never caught the interest of any man… but tonight, it happened when she least expected it. It was the last thing Liz wanted. She was no doubt looking terrible. Could this day get any worse?
She was relieved when the man kept the conversation going naturally and said, “Let me introduce myself…”
But then, she caught him watching her fidget nervously with her fingers, so, she quickly held the stem of the coupe glass which was chilled to the touch to hide her nervousness.
“I’m Adrian Moore.”
She swallowed hard. “I’m Liz. Walters. Liz Walters.”
A dark, seductive grin revealed dimples.
She’d never had an opinion on dimples. Suddenly, she loved them… craved them and thought every man should have them.
Shifting his green gaze down to the drink in her hands, he asked, “No offense but isn’t that drink too strong for a woman like you?”
Liz glanced from him to her cocktail and then shrugged, “Thought this would help me forget the bad day I had.”
“That’s… interesting.” Adrian flipped open the lower button on his jacket and slipped one hand in his pocket as he leaned against the bar countertop, facing her. “If you don’t mind, may I know what happened?”
She started feeling a bit tipsy. In spite of her conscience warning her, she found herself saying.
“My cousin swindled me out of my savings and apartment.” Liz disclosed with a tired sigh. “And here I am, spending the little money I’ve got left on drinks!”
Adrian glanced down at the luggage she’d left stranded at her feet. His lips twitched. “With your luggage in tow.”
Liz couldn’t help chuckling at her own miserable state.
She hated to admit this but she felt a lot better getting this off her chest. It didn’t matter anymore that she was telling a stranger about her personal life.
Her cousin, Drake, had ruined her perfect plan. She’d given him all her savings and even sold her apartment to give him the rest of the money with the promise that he would buy her the house she’d set her eyes on for years now.
Liz waited for him at the side road with all her luggage packed since this morning. But, he never returned.
It was with great regret that she’d finally registered the fact that she had been swindled by her own cousin.
Morning became afternoon and afternoon became night. She’s watched the whole day passed by as everyone went on with their life while hers had gotten stuck. She’s never felt this hopeless and helpless standing by the road, abandoned like a fool.
She felt like her life literally stopped while she was stranded in the middle of nowhere.
“I see I got here just in time to save the day.” Adrian winked at her.
Dreaded heat flooded Liz’s cheeks. One wink from this sexy man and she completely melted to a puddle on the floor. “W-What do you mean?” She stuttered, her voice faltering.
Adrian met her gaze. “I have a proposal for you.”
“Proposal…?” Liz arched an inquiring eyebrow at him. “What kind of proposal?”
“Sign a marriage contract with me and be my fake wife for three months.” He suggested with an indifferent shrug of his shoulder.
Except for the loud music playing around them, temporary silence fell over them until she decided to break it. “What’s in it for me?”
“A salary and a house… you get to stay with me at my place.” A slow, lazy grin tugged at his lips.
“I don’t even know you.” Liz darted a glance at Adrian. His grin never faltered, but his face seemed to tighten.
“Well, we’ve got the whole night in front of us to get to know each other.” His stare grew a little more heated as he held her gaze.
Liz’s heart started racing in anticipation at the double meaning behind his words.
She held her glass to her lips and chugged down the rest of her cocktail to buy herself some time. She raised her hand to order another one when Adrian signaled at the bartender, “Get the lady another one of those drinks.”
The bartender was quick, not wanting to defy Adrian’s orders. His reactions to Adrian got her thinking.
Who exactly was Adrian Moore? Was he an influential business man around here?
The bartender appeared to be scared of him as though he didn’t want to mess up when it came to Adrian’s demands. It wasn’t only now that Liz had noticed the bartender’s weird behavior around Adrian.
From the very moment Adrian came to stand beside her, the bartender had started being extra careful with the party-goers sitting by the countertop.
Could Adrian be the boss of the Helium bar? Liz couldn’t help but think about the identity of the handsome man who’d taken a liking to her.
When the bartender placed another cocktail in front of her, Adrian said, “This one’s on me. Enjoy!”
Liz remained silent, occupying herself by swirling the drink in her glass.
She noted Adrian’s stare on her but she kept her eyes on her drink until she heard him sighing tiredly, shifting his eyes elsewhere.
Despite all her baffling thoughts, Liz watched Adrian dig through his briefcase and couldn’t help but admire the chiseled line of his jaw and broad sweep of his shoulders.
She snapped out of her reverie when he placed something in front of her. It was the contract.
What the hell? Was he going around with the contract in his briefcase? How many women had he already asked before coming to her with the proposal? Had he been rejected? Why would any woman reject a man like him?
Did he not find anyone? Was that why he came to an average looking woman like her? Here goes her self-respect. Liz felt her chest squeeze in discomfort at her own thoughts. I should have known… no man would have been so interested to speak to me had there been nothing in it for them!
Hesitating for a split second, Liz made her decision. She held the papers in her hands and started flipping through the pages, reading its contents, its rules and regulations.
Adrian Moore had experienced a moment of absolute, unanticipated desire when he’d caught sight of Liz Walters. He’d seen lots of beautiful women before, but Liz was something else.
At somewhere near six feet in heels, she looked up at him with glistening denim-blue eyes framed by long black lashes. Pale pink lips had parted as she’d sucked in a breath. Color had stolen across her high cheekbones.
She’d dropped her gaze when she’d realized that he was indeed speaking to her.
Something inside him had shifted then… hard.
He knew instantly that she was the one he’d been looking for… she’d be perfect for the job, he’d thought.
She was the kind of woman he needed. Simple and modest, not like the arrogant woman his mother wanted him to marry.
Adrian had decided right there and then that he would never marry Jocelyn Hudson for she always showed an offensive attitude of superiority around her employees but acted as though she was the sweetest human alive around him.
But, Adrian knew that she was two faced.
When he’d heard Liz rambling about her cousin’s deceit, he just knew she’d be ready to sign the contact with him since it would benefit both of them.
She would get a chance to earn some money and would get to stay at his place while he would have a fake wife to throw dust in his parents’ eyes. They would have no choice but to respect his decision and accept Liz as his legal wife.
His parents would have to give him the sole ownership of the Moore’s corporation like they promised once he’d be married to this attractive woman beside him.
They wanted him married so he’d be once Liz would sign the contract but why was she taking so long to sign it?
Adrian bit his lower lip in nervousness as he waited patiently for Liz to sign the contract.
She took her time to read it thoroughly. Everything seemed to be going just fine until her forehead creased up with confusion with her gaze fixed on a certain spot on the paper.
He opened his mouth to ask her what the matter was when she spoke.
“Why do I have to sleep in the same room with you?” She slurred in between her words.
Was she already drunk? Adrian thought. He hated to admit it but he could feel himself getting a tad bit tipsy as well.
He shook his head to snap out of it and drawled out, “You’ll be my fake wife so…”
She hummed in response and chuckled at her own stupidity. “Right… we’ll have to pretend to be a happy married couple… got it!” She chimed before holding the pen Adrian had placed beside the contract in her right hand and… signed her name on the contract.
Adrian felt like he could finally breathe. He hadn’t realized that he’d been holding his breath.
The last thing he remembered was telling his secretary, James to book them both a hotel room.
Liz Walters stumbled into a dimly lit room with a hot guy right behind her. She fumbled with the light buttons on the wall before she turned on the main one. Looking down at the incredibly gorgeous, hot, sexy, shirtless man who had fallen down at her feet, she at first thought she’d had one too many glasses of cocktail and was seeing things. But considering she’d only had a few, she doubted she was intoxicated. Her second thought was that she knew this guy but at the same time, she couldn’t remember where she’d seen him. Anyhow, he shouldn’t be here, Liz thought. She immediately grabbed the first thing she could have her hands on… it was a vase. It was a heavy, leaded crystal thing, that would probably crack this man’s skull open. She came close – so incredibly close – to dropping it on his head, when a voice whispered in her mind, He’s Mr. Handsome, Adrian. He was drinking with you. It seemed crazy to suppose that before following her up here, he appeared to be a normal human an
Liz Walters sighed sleepily. “It’s so comfortable.” Squinting, she glanced at the unfamiliar roof that greeted her when she woke up. “When did my ceilings become so high?” She mumbled to herself. She sat up. A frown pulled at her lips when she didn’t recognize her surroundings. “When did my room become this big?” Pursing her lips, she ran a hand through her hair out of frustration until she spotted the glass of water sitting on the bedside table beside her. She was thirsty. Smiling, she reached for it and quenched her thirst by gulping down the cool water. It was refreshing. Everything was going just fine until she noticed her lack of clothes. “Where are my clothes?” She asked, looking down at herself under the bed sheets. She was momentarily confused. Placing the empty glass back on the bedside table, she searched the ground to find her dress scattered down there. She got up, leaving the warmth of the bed and the bed sheets and perched down to pick her dress up when someone wa
Liz Walters gaped at him. “Who the hell are you to stop me?” “I’m Adrian Moore.” He said with a cunning smile. His eyes bored into hers, making her slightly anxious. Still, she remained composed and strong. She was seconds away from crumbling down at the mere thought of having lost her virginity to this man but she didn’t let her inner dilemma show on her face. “Look, you’re scaring me.” Liz held a finger at him. “You look like a decent guy and I don’t want to argue with you. Just let me leave and we’d pretend last night never happened.” Liz tried to put some sense into him. “How can you say that when everything that was not supposed to happen between us happened last night?” Adrian refuted, closing the short distance between them in three big steps. Liz was rendered speechless. She gulped. He was too close. She looked elsewhere as she took a step back. “Listen, I’m not qualified for this job.” Liz tried again, looking back at him. “If you get someone who’s not willing to do the
Adrian Moore closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath before releasing it. “Listen, that’s a form of courtesy for when I’ll introduce you to some of my business partners, nothing else.” Liz thought about it for a moment and then, nodded. “Okay, fine.” He exhaled, not realizing that he’d been holding his breath. “Are we good with the contract or is there anything you’d like to add in it?” “You need to ask for my permission first before touching me.” Liz declared, raising her chin. “And if you touch me without my permission, I can slap you on the face… whether or not we’re in front of people, I don’t care.” She added. “If you agree then, okay otherwise –” “I agree,” Adrian interrupted, accepting her condition. “I’ll ask James to add this and then, I’ll give you a copy of the contract.” “Okay.” “Last night, my grandma saw us together in the hotel lobby, blabbering drunkenly.” He watched as Liz’s eyes widened in surprise. “James told her that you’re my girlfriend and tha
Adrian Moore noticed a little smear of peanut butter at the side of her mouth. Nodding, he pointed at his cheek, “You’ve made a little mess.” And then, pointed at her face from across the room. “Oh,” Liz got herself a napkin and pressed it against her lips. Smiling cheekily, she asked, “Is it okay now?” Adrian shook his head. “It’s right there,” he pointed at his right cheek. Since they were sitting facing each other, Liz thought he meant her left cheek so she dabbed her left cheek to clean it up but then, Adrian shook his head once again, so, she pulled the napkin away from her face. Confused, Liz stopped munching with her hand hanging mid-air when Adrian got up and closed the short distance between them. She watched him lean down until his face would be almost leveled with hers and held her wrist. Forcing the food in her mouth down her throat, she locked gazes with him. He guided her hand towards her right cheek. Liz felt awkward with him being so close to her face when there w
Instead of backing away and holding his hands up, palms out to surrender, a grin tugged at Adrian's lips. “I won’t go shopping with you for so-called high class dresses. I’m fine with my clothes.” She crossed her arms over her chest, keeping her mouth closed, not daring to deny it. Her quivering lips and out-thrust chin looked more adorable than determined. Adorable… like everything else about Liz Walters. She was gorgeous, funny, smart… and oh, so damn stubborn. He couldn’t resist teasing her a bit more. “With the clothes you’ve got on, my mom would never accept you as my wife.” Fire snapped in her eyes. “I don’t need her to accept me as your wife. I’m only here to be your fake wife, not someone’s fake daughter-in-law!” “But –” “No buts!” “Listen to me. We’ll have to pretend to be a real couple in front of them, especially in front of my mom. For that you’ll have to look like the perfect woman she’d want to see by my side and you should start with your first impression.” “What’
Liz Walters frowned in confusion. “My money, what money…? I’ve got nothing. Don’t you know?” She asked him through gritted teeth. “And don’t call me sweetheart,” she whispered angrily. “I have a name.” “Chill, woman!” He held her shoulders and lowered his face to her level, forcing her to meet his eyes. “I’ll deduct it from your salary.” “My salary…? How much will all of this cost?” She pursed her lips in disapprovement, glancing at the counter filled with clothes with fearful eyes before meeting his eyes back again. “Not much,” Adrian said slowly as though thinking about his choice of words. “Come on, she’s packing the clothes. We can get going now.” Shaking her head tiredly, she followed behind him. Leaning against the counter and looking at her joining him, he asked the lady, “Did you get the tops?” “Yes, Mr. Moore.” The lady replied politely as she packed the remaining clothes. It was a lot but she was fast. “This dress… didn’t I tell you to get the two of them,” he exclaime
Jocelyn’s face went pale. She looked at Adrian before looking back at Liz. The latter was satisfied seeing her loss of confidence. Poor woman! She totally wasn’t expecting that, Liz thought. She forced a sweet smile on her face as she squeezed her fingers around Adrian’s making him grit his teeth together. He bit back a cry of pain. Jocelyn glared at their conjoined fingers. If her eyes were laser beams, their hands would have been burnt to ashes within seconds. “Does Mrs. Moore know about this…?” She dared question Adrian as though she was superior to him and he was obliged to answer her. “About her…?” She sneered, looking down at Liz with one side of her lips curled up. “She’ll know soon… that is if someone doesn’t already go spill the beans before I tell her.” Adrian’s tone of voice changed to a condescending one. Liz sucked in her lower lip to hide the grin tugging at her lips. “Huh,” Jocelyn rolled her eyes at him. “Do you think I’m a telltale?” “Are you not?” He asked chal