The Billionaire’s Fake Marriage: (Crystal Beach Resort Standalone Series) Read online

  She’d spent the entire day there, irritated that the news of Josh had upset her. She didn’t want anything to interrupt her day with Zoe, yet every time she thought she had settled down, she would feel a bulb of unease growing in her stomach.

  Riley came back to Logan’s late that night, unable to sleep. She knew she was going to have a big day tomorrow, getting married and all. If she learned anything from her first wedding, it was that weddings are tiresome.

  She was so restless and antsy that she found herself hovering outside Logan’s bedroom door, willing him to wake up.

  “You’re getting restless!” she whispered, flinging her fingers toward his door like a mock hypnotist. “You want to get up!”

  To her surprise, Logan’s door came flying open, and she yelped and jumped back in surprise.

  Slapping her over her heart she exclaimed, “You scared me!”

  He laughed, looking equally as startled. “Sorry! I thought I heard you talking out there.”

  “Oh,” she blushed. “Well… I sort of was.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I was just,” she shrugged bashfully, rubbing her shoulders with a laugh. “I was just trying to will you awake with my magic powers.”

  Logan pursed his lips, giving a surprised expression as he nodded. “Well, I’m impressed,” he chuckled. “And how can I help my humble house guest?”

  “I…” she began but wasn’t sure how to finish.

  In all honesty, she just didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t want to have to think about her day, or Josh, or the wedding. She just wanted to have some company.

  “I was wondering if I could come in,” she said sheepishly, bending her knee and tapping her toe against the smooth, cool floor.

  “Come in…?” Logan trailed off, taking a step backward into his bedroom and glancing at the king bed behind him. “In here?”

  Riley nodded.

  Logan’s hair was a bedhead mess of dark brown locks; shirtless, in only checked pajama bottoms as he opened the door wider and said, “By all means, make my castle your abode.”

  Riley smiled and stepped into his bedroom; four sliding glass doors making up the far side of the room. They led out onto the deck, but they were covered by gray curtain panels to block out any light.

  His bed was massive and was set on a dais: one step up from the rest of the floor. She looked around the white and gray room at the modular furnishings and modern art on the walls, unsure if she should feel uncomfortable.

  “Everything okay?” Logan asked, watching her roam alongside each wall of the bedroom until she got to the bed.

  She sat on the edge and looked over at him, waving him closer.

  Logan hopped into the bed like a child and bound up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her into the bed. The action caused her to laugh, and she spun around to look at him.

  Putting on a fake French accent, Logan gestured with his hands as he said, “It is so rare that I have such a bea-u-tee-ful girl in mah bed!”

  “Shut up,” she laughed, pushing him away as he lay on the left side of the bed.

  His blue eyes pierced into her and made a swarm of butterflies erupt in her stomach.

  They lay next to one another, Riley staring up at the skylight and Logan on his side, watching her. “Are we going to talk, or just stare at each other?” he teased, but she said nothing.

  “You know, the bride and groom aren’t supposed to see each other before the wedding,” he smirked.

  “Then,” she announced with a breath, “I guess I felt like breaking some rules tonight.”

  “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

  “No! Nothing like that. I just didn’t want to be alone tonight.”

  “So you said,” he smiled. “What’s up?”

  She thought long and hard about telling him about Joshua. Better not to, she decided, but even as her resolve grew she could already feel the words leaving her mouth.

  “My ex called me today,” she said with a sad smile. “His girlfriend is pregnant.”

  “Ouch,” Logan winced, and she rolled on her side so they were both facing one another.

  “Yeah,” she agreed, “They’re getting married.” She paused. “My ex is getting married.”

  “Guess what?” Logan began, setting his thumb on her chin and tilting it up, “So are you. Tomorrow, in fact!”

  Riley laughed and shook her head. “I know. But he’s in love.”

  “And you’re going to be a half-millionaire.”

  A broad smile fell across her lips then, and she felt a heat rise up inside her. “I guess you’re right.”

  “Of course I am! There’ll be plenty of time for love later, but for now, this is your journey. And that’s his! He’s saddled with a kid and an ugly cow.”

  “She’s very pretty,” she said with a resigned shrug.

  “See,” he began slowly. “That’s your problem, Riley. You’re too nice! You need to get some of that cathartic girl stuff out.”

  “Cathartic girl stuff?” she mocked.

  “Yeah, you know… burn pictures of him, talk about how his new girlfriend is an ugly skank, and essentially put him down until you have assured yourself that you’ve won the breakup game.”

  She blinked, paused, and then gave a hard laugh at the ridiculousness of it.

  “I haven’t won,” she said. “I’ve far from won.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m… homeless, for one,” she laughed sadly. “I… haven’t exactly been taking care of my responsibilities,” she said, looking away from him and thinking about Zoe. “And my only job is to…”

  “To be my wife,” he said with a smile, preventing her from saying the real truth that he job was to lie to his family and friends.

  “The thing is… I don’t want to feel this way. I want to be one of those amazing exes who can be friends and say they want good things for the other person.”

  “Those exes don’t exist,” Logan said, raising both brows sky high. “And if they do, they’re on Quaaludes.”

  Riley laughed. “No, they do exist. I’m just not one of them.”

  “Well, then I’m not either. When Stephania and I broke up…” he paused, as though something was dawning on him. “She was pregnant, by someone else.”

  Riley swallowed. Turns out they had more in common than they thought.

  “And it’s not like I wanted her to die or anything, but if she happened to be shipped off to a volcanic island and never returned, I wouldn’t have been sad about it.”

  “That’s morbid,” she scoffed.

  “Nah,” he shrugged, “That’s just grief.”

  “I guess it just makes me go… what did I do wrong? What’s so special about her that he wants to start a family?” A new family, is what she meant. “Why is he buying diamond rings and I’m living in my car?”

  “Don’t do that,” he said, softer now. “You’re amazing, and smart, and sexy, and if he didn’t see that, then the guy’s a jackass. Besides, we’re getting married tomorrow, and I can bet you sixty grand it’s going to be a hell of a lot nicer than his wedding.”

  Riley looked at Logan and studied his face; the sharp jawline and the wry smile that was ever-present on his lips. She traced her finger along the stubble that dotted his cheeks and admired the way his eyes were set back and gave him an aloof, sexy, mysterious visage.

  And before she knew it, she was kissing him. A deep, impolite kiss that only grew more passionate the longer it went on.

  She thought he might push her away, but he didn’t. He leaned into her mouth and pushed his tongue against hers, giving gentle flicks that sent her heart racing.

  Riley had only ever kissed two men before. Joshua and a boy when she was just starting high school named Fletcher Brown.

  They were nothing like this.

  This kiss had fire.

  And just as she was starting to enjoy herself, Logan pulled away.

 
“I should go back to my room,” she said in a mortified haste. “Get my beauty sleep for the big day tomorrow.”

  “Right,” he nodded. “Right.”

  She launched out of the bed as fast as she could and made her way to his bedroom door, her heart pounding. She turned to give him a polite smile, already halfway out the door as she called, “Goodnight!”

  “Night,” was his half-hearted response back.

  What was she thinking?

  Chapter Eleven

  Logan

  Everything leading up to the wedding was a blur to Logan. There were family meetings, last minute papers to sign to leave the company, a day out with the guys, and then Riley, coming into his room late at night.

  She’d been gone all day, spending time with friends on the mainland, he figured. Then she’d come into his bedroom.

  Nothing happened, except for the kiss.

  And he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. He always knew he had fun with Riley, but now he couldn’t wait to be next to her again. The same way he knew Riley was beautiful, but he was never attracted to her until now.

  A kiss changed absolutely everything. And in just under an hour, he would be able to do it again.

  The wedding planners had done a great job with the yacht.

  "Nervous?" Gabriella said as they waited for the bride to emerge down the aisle. She stood up from her front seat and had walked over to him, fitted in a deep purple chiffon dress.

  As extravagant as the wedding was, neither of them had wedding parties. His mother detested this, but as far as he was concerned, there was no reason to have them. And he was more than happy to be standing at the altar with only his partner-in-crime to look at.

  "No," he said, and Gabriella gave him a look. "Yeah," he admitted and was surprised to feel his pulse racing as he waited for Riley to come onto the deck.

  "Huh," his sister nodded in surprise.

  "Have you talked to her?"

  "Course! I helped her get ready. Her dress had like a gazillion buttons. I'm pretty sure she's going to be trapped in that thing for life."

  "And did she say anything about me?"

  "Yep," she grinned and shifted her weight to her other heel.

  "Oh, come on, don't be difficult," he said, his heart pounding.

  "Anything in particular you're looking for here or...? Should I keep guessing? I mean, what could the love of your life possibly have to say about you on her wedding day besides how lucky and happy and—"

  Gabriella kept going, taunting him. He set his jaw as she spoke. "Is she... happy?"

  "Happiest day of her life!" Gabriella said. "She's very excited to," his sister drew out her words and then snipped, "kiss you, at the altar."

  He smiled at that; a reaction pulling hard at his lips.

  "Gabby, sit down," his mother cautioned as violins began to sound out the wedding march.

  Riley came onto deck and suddenly, the wedding didn't feel so fake anymore. She wore a sleeveless lace dress that buttoned up to her neck. The bust was see-through in spots, while the rest of it hugged her body just well enough for him to admire her small curves.

  Her hair was down, curled, and her normally gray eyes looked blue against the ocean that surrounded them.

  She offered him a big, goofy grin as she reached him and he couldn't help but laugh.

  The wedding officiant read off their vows, which they repeated. It occurred to him that while this was his first time saying these words, it was Riley's second. And even though he knew this, knew this was all a means to an end, nothing about the words he was saying felt hollow.

  "I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you," he finished repeating the vows.

  That part he liked. Because it was the only true statement he could make to her.

  "And do you take Riley Armstrong to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold for as long as you both shall live?"

  He smirked. "I do."

  At least for the next year, anyway.

  "And do you, Riley Armstrong, take Logan Williams to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold for as long as you both shall live?"

  "I do," she said quickly.

  And with that, they were married. The next thing he knew, the officiant was telling them to kiss and he couldn’t reach her lips fast enough. He pulled her body close to his so that he could feel the heat rise between them. Grazing his palm along her cheek, he pulled her into a deep kiss that he wished could last forever.

  People began cheering and wooing their kiss the longer it went on, and so he pulled away. The crowd whistled and clapped as they walked down the aisle together and he and Riley laughed.

  Once inside the yacht staterooms, all Logan wanted to do was be alone with Riley: kiss her more, hear her voice, but he knew there was an entire evening of socializing left to do. An evening of convincing people they were truly in love.

  The reception started soon after their vows with the yacht turning into a dancefloor and formal dining room all in one.

  Beyond the rails, Logan could hear the splash of the ocean water up against the side of the boat, and it made him smile. There was something comforting about being this close to the sea.

  Classical music played from the immense speakers on deck, and he and Riley began making their way down around the perimeter of the room to socialize before they sat down for dinner.

  “You feel okay?” he smiled and she gave a nod.

  "I feel great," she said and looked down at her dress. "I'll be excited to get some food in me."

  “Soon,” he said,

  Riley flipped her blonde strands behind her back and gave a knowing laugh. “Food never comes soon at a wedding,” she snorted. “It’s always speeches and dancing and taking photos.”

  “Not here,” he said, somehow wanting to make the night perfect for her. “Tonight, you get to rip right into a six-course dinner. No waiting.”

  They stopped to talk to several relatives and work associates before they stopped at his mother’s table.

  She stood up and hugged them both, congratulating them on such a beautiful ceremony.

  “I wish your father could be here,” she said, gripping Logan’s wrist and taking a deep breath to prevent herself from crying.

  “Me too,” he said, squeezing her hand.

  “Now you be good to this girl,” she said, still trying to pull herself away from her emotions. “Make the time for her, always,” she said, looking between him and Riley.

  “Oh, I won’t let myself be ignored; don’t you worry, Denise,” Riley said.

  His mother laughed at that. She wasn’t an outspoken woman. She had a very old-school value of a married couple. The man works, she stays home, quiet as a mouse. It worked for his parents, but it certainly wasn’t the way most marriages were today.

  “Be open about your needs, dear,” his mother said. “It’s very important that you both communicate about your needs inside and outside the bedroom.”

  Maybe she wasn’t as old-school as he thought, disturbingly.

  “Mom!” he scolded, his face going a thousand shades of red.

  Riley gave a hard laugh and pulled Denise into another hug, probably unsure what else to do. “Denise,” she said slowly, “I think I’m going to love having you as my mother-in-law.”

  “I think I am going to be mortified,” Logan added and began pulling on Riley’s arm. “Sorry, mom, but we have other people to talk to who aren’t going to bring up our sex life.”

  “You’ll be surprised!” his mother laughed from her chair and waved them off.

  “I thought you said your mother was conservative?” Riley giggled into his arm, and he shook his head, embarrassed.

  “And if you care about me at all, you’ll let me go on believing that,” he said.

  “Deal,” she laughed again. As soon as they were out of earshot of his mother’s table, Riley asked, “Doesn’t your mother wonder why my friends and family aren’t here?”

  “There are
so many people here from the island, she wouldn’t know the difference. I could probably tell her she’s already met your parents tonight and she’d be none the wiser,” he said, making a drinking motion with his hand.

  Riley laughed and exclaimed, “That’s horrible!”

  They stopped when they reached the gifts table, located inside the yacht. It was a massive wooden structure with a throng of gifts next to an oversized glass card box.

  "That... is a lot of gifts," she laughed.

  "We are a beloved couple," he shrugged.

  "They don't even know us as a couple," she said, smacking him on the arm. "What are we going to do with these?"

  "We're going to wake up tomorrow, have an amazing breakfast, and rip them open like little kids."

  "We can't do that!" she giggled.

  "We must do that," he insisted and slipped his hand inside hers. "It'd be rude not to."

  Riley's beautiful face tilted sideways as she stared down at the mountainous array of gifts and she relented, "I mean, if it'd be rude, we wouldn't want our guests to be disappointed.”

  “That’s my girl,” he said, the words slipping off his tongue with ease.

  The rest of the night was a raving success. They danced, ate good food, and he got to spend some actual time with his family.

  With a simple ‘I do,’ Logan was now a married man.

  And even though it wasn’t emotionally real, part of him still felt proud of himself. Somehow, it felt like an accomplishment. Like he was finally doing something with his time. Something his father would have been proud of.

  But, of course, that couldn’t be true.

  Because just this morning he had arranged a meeting with his lawyer to discuss how to go about getting his inheritance now that he was married, and then how to get his divorce with as little complications or aroused suspicion as possible.

  “Congratulations on the marriage,” his lawyer, Dave Daniels, commented as he began rummaging through the inheritance papers Logan had flopped on the table.

  Logan had known Dave since he was eighteen and had to get a lawyer in order to be a part of his father’s business. The two became fast friends, and Logan soon found himself confiding in Dave more than he did his own family.