Marriage of Convenience: The Raven Brothers - Book 1 Read online

  “You want me to marry you so you can get the company?”

  He nodded. “In return, you’ll have a place to live, an allowance, access to my network and resources, and ten million dollars to do with as you wish when it’s all said and done.”

  Holy smokes. Ten million dollars! I couldn’t even imagine that much money. At the same time, he was doing exactly what every other man with power over me had done. The difference was the payoff.

  “You accused me of seducing you for money or marriage, and now you’re here offering me money to marry you.”

  He had the decency to look chagrined, when he said, “Yes.”

  “Is there anything else I have to do besides marry you?” I couldn’t believe I was actually asking this. I should have been telling him to go to hell.

  “You have to have my child.”

  I choked. “What?” I thought the marriage thing was crazy, but having his baby was nuts. Did this sort of thing happen a lot with rich people?

  “When the agreement is done, you walk away with ten million to do what you want. You won’t be a poor woman anymore,” he said as calmly as if he was asking me to sort data on a spreadsheet.

  “No.”

  His eyes narrowed as he cocked his head. “No?”

  I shook my head. Did he really think a woman would walk away from her child? “I’m not so proud that I’d turn down being your wife, but I’m not having your baby and I’m especially not leaving one to you to raise.”

  His jaw tensed. “You say that like you think there’s something wrong with me or that I wouldn’t be a good father.”

  I couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping. “Do you hear yourself? You’re hiring me to play your wife and sell you a baby. You don’t want either. They’re just pawns in a game, so no, I don’t think you’ll be a good husband or father.”

  “And you’re willing to walk away from ten million dollars because of that.” His face hardened. I wondered if anyone ever said no to Chase.

  “Yes. I know what it’s like to live in a world where people don’t care about you. If you think I’m going to subject another person, a child… my child… to that, you’re crazy.”

  “The child will have the best of everything. Nannies, tutors, resources.”

  “What about love, Chase? No amount of money would induce me to have a child grow up feeling abandoned by his mother and raised by a father who didn’t really want him.” I picked up my purse. I had no idea what I where I was going to go, but I couldn’t stay here.

  “What would it take?” he asked.

  I turned to him. “What?”

  “What would it take to induce you?”

  I gaped at him. Was he really going to push this? I began to see just how important this was to him.

  He slid his hands into his pockets, a relaxed move that belied the tension in his face. “What if you stay? You can raise the child. We’ll live as a family. You’ll have some limitations on what you can do that you wouldn’t have if you took the money and left, but if it’s important to you, we can continue the arrangement.”

  “What if you meet a woman you do want to marry? Then what?”

  He shook his head. “Won’t happen.”

  “What if you meet one you want to fuck?” I surprised myself using such a vulgar word. “Is that part of the arrangement too? That I have to take care of your manly needs?”

  “Fucking is part of baby making,” he quipped.

  “After that. When we’re pretending to be a happy family.” The other night, I thought I’d die if he didn’t touch me. Now I was repulsed by the idea.

  “I like to fuck, Sara, but I’m not like Hunter. I can go without. What I can’t miss is running this company someday. If you don’t want me to fuck you, I won’t and I won’t fuck anyone else either.”

  I hated to admit it, but I was beginning to think I could agree to this crazy plan. The idea of security wasn’t enough to make me hand over a child to a man like Chase, but if I could stay and be a mom, maybe I could do that. With a child, I’d finally have someone to love who’d love me back for me, not just because of my body. I pictured taking my baby to the park, teaching it how to read, and watching it play sports. All I had to do was turn my life over to Chase for the next eighteen years.

  He must have noticed I was wavering. “You’d have the security you want, Sara. I may not be marriage material, but I won’t hurt you. You and the child will have everything you want or need. All you have to do is follow a few rules and your challenges in life are gone.”

  The mention of rules made me flinch. My parents had rules. Glen had rules. Would Chase end up being controlling like them? He certainly was the type of man who could.

  “What do you say, Sara? Will you be my wife and the mother of my child in return for having the money and support you need?”

  “Yes.” God help me.

  11

  Chase

  What the hell am I doing? I was back at City Hall waiting for Sara to show up to get married. All week long, I had been second guessing my proposition to her. Not that I didn’t think she’d make a good wife or mother, but I must have completely lost my mind to think I could buy her and a child. And yet, here I was. When she said yes, I felt relieved. I knew normal people would feel happy, elated even. Then I handed her five thousand dollars to get a wedding dress and make arrangements to move into my place by Friday night. We got our marriage license, on Thursday, and today we’d be married, ready to get to work on baby making this weekend.

  The whole thing was ridiculous, which was why I hadn’t told anyone. The whole purpose of this marriage was to appease my father and meet the terms of his new inheritance requirements. I should have invited him to the wedding. But for now, this was going to be our secret.

  I supposed there was a part of me that didn’t like that I was turning out to be like the other men she’d run into in her life. I was going to give her something in return for sex. My stomach turned at the idea. Surely, I was better than that.

  “You sure she’s coming?” my lawyer, Tom Lister said. He’d drawn up a prenup that included the terms of our deal, as well as a few other new items. She didn’t want a cheating husband, and I wouldn’t be cuckolded, so there were legal ramifications if either of us cheated. I scoffed at myself. How could we cheat when we weren’t really committed to each other? At least not emotionally.

  “She’ll be here.” I said it, but a part of me wondered if she finally realized how crazy this was and went home. A part of me would be relieved if she did.

  Finally, the door opened, and she appeared. My breath caught. Bright light from the outdoor sun streamed in around her. She was wearing a simple flowing white dress and her hair was pinned up, but a few tendrils hung loose around her face. She looked like an angel.

  “Is that her?” Tom asked.

  “Yes.” My gaze stayed on her as she walked through security and then made her way toward us.

  “You sure know how to pick ’em, Chase.”

  I turned my head to him, not sure I liked his comment. “What do you mean?”

  “Nubile and ripe. She’s ideal.”

  Fuck. I hated that he’d described her like that, but that was exactly what this deal was about. A fertile woman to have my baby.

  She reached us and smiled, although I saw the nervousness in her eyes.

  “Let’s get these signed and then we can head to the marriage bureau. I’ve arranged for a private ceremony and I’ll be a witness.” Tom handed the papers over to her.

  She looked at them. “You sure know how to pour on the romance,” she quipped.

  My lips twitched up. “We’ll get along great if you think contracts are romantic.”

  She smirked at me and then took the pen and signed the prenup. We headed to the marriage bureau and stood before a judge, vowing to love and honor till death do us part. I felt sick through the entire thing, until the judge said to kiss the bride.

  I pressed my palms to Sara’s cheeks. She l
ooked so young and vulnerable, and my gut clenched with guilt to be putting her through this. “It will be okay, Sara.”

  She mustered a smile and nodded.

  I leaned forward, pressing my lips to hers. I intended a short kiss, but the minute my mouth was on hers, short wouldn’t cut it. So, I took my time, pleased that she allowed me to thoroughly taste her.

  “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Raven,” the judge said when I pulled back.

  “Thank you,” I said, taking Sara’s hand and leading her out of the judge’s chamber.

  When we got to the street, I shook Tom’s hand.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said, looking from Sara to me.

  “If not, I have a good lawyer.”

  He laughed. “I’d wish you happiness, but I think wishing you luck will be better.”

  I glanced at Sara beside me. She looked a little shell-shocked. “Let’s go home.”

  I guided her to the limo where I had champagne waiting. This might have been a sham wedding, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t enjoy the traditions that went along with getting married. I certainly was going to consummate the marriage when I got home. Maybe a baby would get made.

  My heart had a strange flutter at the thought of making a baby. Fucking nerves.

  “You alright?” I asked, popping the cork and pouring her a flute.

  She had a funny smile on her face as she nodded.

  “What?” I asked handing her the glass.

  “I didn’t think we’d have a celebration like a real wedding.”

  I shrugged. “No reason not to enjoy the finer parts of a wedding, like champagne and the honeymoon.” I held my glass out to clink against hers.

  She swallowed hard and then took a long gulp of her champagne. I realized she must be nervous. I remembered that until last Friday, she’d been a virgin. The sexual encounter we had was a bit rough, so perhaps she wasn’t eager to repeat it.

  “We don’t have to start the honeymoon right away,” I said. While I’d be happy to have her again, I wasn’t so sure I was ready for a baby yet.

  “A deal is a deal.”

  I frowned as I realized I was bothered by that statement. “Now that I know about your lack of experience, I’ll take better care.” It was important to me that she didn’t think I was some sort of uncaring monster. Yes, I was using her in the same way many men in her past had, but I wouldn’t touch her if she didn’t want to be touched.

  When we arrived back at my penthouse, we took the private elevator up. As we walked into the apartment, she looked at the hallway table.

  “You got a new vase.” She leaned over and smelled the flowers my housekeeper put there.

  “The old one was demolished in a fit of passion.” I hoped I could make her feel more relaxed with light humor.

  She smiled, but it wasn’t that bright one I’d first seen before I’d fucked her and then promised to pay her ten million dollars to marry me and bear my child.

  “Why don’t I give you a tour,” I said, extending my hand toward the living area. I showed her around the main room, the kitchen, my indoor gym, and home office. I also showed her the room that could be made into a nursery as well as a room she could have as her own office for whatever she wanted to do. I didn’t take her to my room, and instead I showed her the guest room. Like mine, it was spacious, with a king-sized bed and its own full bath. A bucket of ice with a bottle of champagne sat on a table in the corner.

  “Want more champagne?” I asked.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and shook her head. “Too much of a good thing is bad.”

  I laughed. “Were you hungover?”

  She shrugged and gave me a small smile. “A little. Besides, alcohol isn’t good for babies.”

  My dick perked up at that. It told me that while she was subdued, she was committed to this plan. With that said, I didn’t want to touch her unless she wanted to be touched.

  I squatted down in front of her. “We can wait, Sara. Really.” The truth was, I wasn’t in a hurry to have a kid. Maybe getting married would be enough to placate my father. “We can work on the contract later.”

  She gave a small laugh. “You and your sexy contract talk.”

  I took a chance and rested my hands on her thighs. Her dress was thin and filmy, so I could feel the heat of her legs. “Tell me something, and I’m not accusing you of anything when I ask you this.”

  “Okay.” She held her breath, as if she was expecting me to say something she wouldn’t like.

  “Why did you give your virginity to me?” I knew I was appealing to women, but I still found it odd that she’d let me be the one to touch her first. I wasn’t worthy.

  She sighed. “I told you.”

  “You thought I was different.” In that moment, I wished I was.

  “And you were the first one that made my body want to be touched.”

  I grinned. “I turn you on?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You turn everyone on.” Then she shrugged. “I don’t know. My body responded to you.”

  “Is it responding now?” I rubbed my hands on her thighs gently as I looked up into her lovely young face.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s important to me, Sara, that we don’t do anything you don’t want to do. I’m afraid I may have scared you away from sex. I worry you’re afraid of me.”

  “I’m not afraid of you. Nervous maybe, even though we did it before.”

  “Because I was rough? I’ll take more care this time,” I assured her.

  “I liked it last time.”

  I bit my lip to keep from grinning like a loon. Men were so easy. Tell us we got you off and we’re fucking filled with pride. “You did come. I made sure of that.”

  Her cheeks tinged with pink. It was adorable.

  “I’ll make you come every time we do this. Maybe even more than once.” I usually had pretty good luck making women orgasm more than once.

  She turned away, this time her entire face turned pink.

  I used my finger to turn her face to me. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m going to figure out what you like best in bed. That will require a lot of trial and error.”

  She laughed, and she finally started to relax. “I doubt there will be much error.”

  “Shall we find out?” Taking a chance, I slipped my hands under her dress to touch the soft skin on her thighs.

  She put her hands over mine and I worried she was going to make me stop.

  “Will you teach me what you like too?”

  My dick shot to full staff. “If you want.”

  “I want.”

  I smiled and moved her so that she lay back on the bed. I climbed over her, looking down on her lush body in her pretty dress.

  “Chase?” She pressed her hands to my chest.

  “Yes.”

  “What if we don’t make a baby?”

  “We’ll keep trying.” The idea of having to fuck her again and again appealed to me.

  “What if there’s something wrong with me?”

  I could see in her eyes that this truly concerned her. Annoyance flared that she’d be worried about her money if she wasn’t able to conceive. “I’ll still pay you, if that’s what mean.”

  She swallowed and then turned her head way.

  All of a sudden, my dick deflated. I started to move off of her.

  “I didn’t mean that.” Her voice was so soft that I barely heard it.

  “What?” I straddled her on my hands and knees as I looked down at her.

  “I didn’t mean about the money. I meant what if something was wrong with me and I can’t have babies?”

  My heart ached at the pain I saw etched on her face. I wondered where that came from. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Sara. Let’s not worry about that now, okay?”

  She sniffed as she nodded.

  “I’ll take care of you.” The need to protect her swelled in my chest. “Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  A part of me
thought I should give her some time before consummating our marriage. But then she reached up and put her hands around my neck.

  “Will you kiss me, Chase? I like it when you kiss me.”

  She didn’t have to ask twice. I kissed her, settling my body over hers. But our clothes were in the way. I undressed her and began my journey to discover every inch of her. Her skin was creamy soft and tasted sweet. Her tits were round, fitting perfectly in my hands and my mouth.

  “Chase… you have too many clothes on.”

  Not wanting to stop my exploration, I groaned but gave in and quickly got naked. Then my mouth was back to sucking her magnificent tits, one and then the other and back again. I’d be jealous of our baby when these were reserved for him or her.

  I moved down her body, over her stomach, to her hips and then the nest of curls between her thighs. They glistened as her wetness coated her pussy. I inhaled her scent, feeling a little drunk from it.

  “I’m going to eat you until you come,” I said, my voice hoarse with need.

  She gasped as I ran my tongue through her pussy folds, lapping up her juices.

  “You taste so fucking sweet,” I said as I used my fingers to open her pussy. It was pink and wet and pulsing.

  “Chase!” Her fingers gripped my head.

  “Hold on, baby, I’m gonna make you come so hard.”

  “But the baby—”

  “We’ll get to that later.” Then I dove in, flicking my tongue over her hard clit and then sucking it into my mouth. Her hips bucked up and her hands gripped the duvet under us.

  “Oh God.”

  I drew my tongue down her pussy folds and then thrust it inside her, loving how her walls squeezed as I entered her. She was so tight and this time when I fucked her, there wouldn’t be a condom. The thought of how that would feel nearly made me come right then and there.

  Her hips began to move in rhythm with my tongue thrusting in and out of her. Her breath came in gasps and I knew she was close.

  I pulled away and she cried out.

  “Come on me, baby.” I thrust my tongue inside her again, and used my thumb rub circles on her clit. Her entire body went taut and her pussy squeezed my tongue and then her juices flowed into my mouth like a fucking fountain.