- Kieran -

"Mr Knight, your client, Miss Alina Simmons is here for your 4pm," my Personal Assistant called out through my office phone and I glanced at my Rolex.

3:54pm.

I raised a brow, Lucy should know better than to let clients meet me before their appointment time.

I reached over to my phone and pressed the intercom, "Let her in in six minutes."

I sighed and leaned back in my seat, only to hear a sharp knock on my mahogany door. I stood up and eyed the door, pressing on the intercom again, "Lucy, what's going on?"

The door handle cranked open and my hand was on my gun in my holster, hidden away by my jet black blazer.

I came face to face with a gorgeous beauty.

Her feminine scent of flowers invaded the stale musky smell of my pristine office and I gripped my gun tighter, a frown plastered on my face.

I noted the way her long wavy brown hair framed her angelic features, her slim yet curvy body hiding under her white formal attire and her pink plump lips almost calling out to me.

Her jumpsuit had a deep V-line down her front, with her boobs tucked neatly in her outfit and her stilettos seemed sharp enough to kill.

She snapped her fingers, "Eyes up here buddy, I hope to get this done and over with as quickly as possible. I have an appointment with the caterer for my wedding."

My eyes snapped up to meet her silver ones and I immediately shielded my hormones. As beautiful as this client was, she was just another client. A soon-to-be wedded client.

I turned back to the door, seeing Lucy, my 63 year old Personal Assistant, watching me with worried eyes. I didn't take intrusion very lightly.

The beauty made herself at home and strode over to the plush leather seats of my sofa set and sat on my seat. She crossed her legs and dug around in her purse, fishing out her lipstick and small cosmetic mirror to touch up.

"Mr Knight, I-"

"Is this Miss Simmons?" I cut Lucy off and she nodded. I rarely saw her this frightened, no one has ever stepped into my office like this without permission before.

Those who did were normally part of gangs or the mafia.

I waved my Assistant off and she turned to leave, letting the door click shut behind her.

I breathed in deeply and let my gun go, straightening my blazer, "Miss Simmons, to what do I owe the pleasure of you barging into my office?"

She clearly didn't pick up on my sarcasm, "Alina is fine, I'll be 'Mrs Anderson' soon anyway. I'm helping my fiance claim his insurance for his damaged vehicle. I'm sure he told you about it."

I picked up her confidential file and walked over, sitting on the opposite sofa from her.

Good Lord she was stunning. Her eyes captivated me and her confidence was actually sexy.

And to think I was nicknamed 'Mr Emotionless'.

I shifted myself to get comfortable, feeling the gun dig into my back a little, "I have to say, it was very rude of you to storm your way into my office."

She slid her lipstick close and tilted her head at me, as if scrutinising me, "I have to say too Mr Knight, that you are too timely for your own good. Lucy told me you do this to all your clients. Also, I asked her and she said that your client before me left almost a whole hour ago and you have no urgent work or meetings to attend to.

Hence my early arrival should not bother you in the slightest. And might I dare ask, why are you so angsty because of a few minutes difference? Are you doing something illegal in here? Or do you just want the privacy to jerk off?"

I cracked my knuckles and raised a brow at her, "What I do in here is none of your business, I expect an apology."

She watched me warily, her eyes dragging up and down my form before clucking her tongue, "Well then, I apologise for disturbing your peace. I guess you won't exactly need to pump yourself off when you're looking like that. I believe you have more than enough ladies to keep you company at night."

Did she just compliment or throw a shady remark at me?

I ran my hand through my hair, feeling the impending headache ready to strike, "I accept your apology. Now for your fiance's claim-"

"I want to see the pictures taken for the claim."

My forehead creased in confusion, "I'm sorry?"

She leaned forward, her delicious cleavage in clear view for me as she rested her delicate fingers on the confidential file and slid it over to her, "I want to see the damage done to the car. Connor is being very uptight about this issue and I can't understand why.

This is not the first car that was wrecked 'accidentally'.

He said a truck hit his parked car as it was reversing in the parking lot but I feel that there is more to this than meets the eye. He's been acting weird lately."

She rambled on and flipped through the file, reading the records and claims to be made. I rested my elbows on the arms of the leather chair and studied her.

Branded bag, high end clothing, diamond necklace, Ray Bans and Christian Louboutin pumps.

She screamed wealth and fortune and I wouldn't expect any less for the heir to one of the biggest banks in the world.

She looked up at me from under her lashes before continuing to scan the document in her hands, "Like what you see Mr Knight?"

I suppressed the growl that was rising in my chest, why the **** did she sound so sensual?

"On the contrary, I don't hit on married women. Or those soon-to-be."

She smiled and faced me properly, "Well Mr Knight, I'm not here to flirt either. I am here today personally to ask you for your opinion."

I raised a brow and leaned forward slightly, feeling the tension crackling in the air. Whether it was related to work or sexual frustration, I had no idea.

"Ask away then."

"Do you not find it weird that your client has been getting his cars crushed accidentally for three consecutive months?" She closed the file and placed it back on the table, her manicured index finger drawing circles on the brown cover.

I nodded and leaned back in my seat, already bored. My staff in my Private Investigation firm had already run checks on Miss Simmons' fiance. Apparently Mr Anderson, a risky businessman, found himself in a bit of a pickle with a gang.

Clearly, his damaged cars weren't accidents and this would be the last time he'll be claiming his insurance from me. I'm pretty sure I got my message across to him last week when I made him spill the beans about his dealings. He denied everything even when I told him I knew all about him.

He finally gave in and admitted to his doings when I pointed a gun at him.

Stupid fool, who did he think he was? Claiming his insurance and using it to pay off debts to those gangsters?

"I do find it weird, in fact I've already told your fiance that this will be the last time he'll receive his claim. He has broken more than one clause in our contract agreement and I do not even have to approve this claim. I have the right to reject.

But seeing as how you came on his behalf, I'm more than willing to release the money to him," I smiled and breathed out, letting the stress and sexy scent of this woman out of my system.

She didn't even flinch or move a muscle as I informed her of her new situation. She blinked once then leaned back in her seat, "Under what circumstance have you decided upon that my fiance will no longer be insured under you anymore?"

Why couldn't she take the cue to leave?

I sighed and reached over the table, flipping the file over to the page where the cancellation of the contract was final.

"He is in debt Miss Simmons, he has not been paying his monthly fees and his 'accidents' were actually staged by a gang he is involved in. I'm surprised he managed to keep this under wraps from you when you seem like such a sharp woman."

She glared at me and though it was good enough as a death sentence to others, I enjoyed the sensation of riling her up.

I'll do a heck load more than rile her up if she wasn't engaged.

She huffed and stood up, grabbing her Gucci bag along with her, "So you're telling me this is the last claim he can make? And he's bankrupt?"

I nodded stiffly, forcing my eyes to remain on her gorgeous face instead of all over her.

A smile crossed her face and I realised her eyes were glassy, teary if it may be. I would've reached out to comfort her but I will never do so. Women read too much into such details and are hard to get rid of after a night of pleasure. Besides, the fire behind those tears stopped me from doing anything.

"Thank you for your time, I'm sure this will be the first and last time I'll see you. I wish you all the best Mr Knight," she spoke icily and strode over to the mahogany doors.

I rubbed my hand over my tired face and watched her leave, letting my eyes drink in this beautiful specimen of a woman.

If only. If only. If only she wasn't engaged.

She left the room with a loud slam of the door and I sighed, the echo ringing in my ears.

The weekends couldn't come any sooner.

Lucy entered my office and placed a cup of black coffee on the table in front of me, "Do you need some aspirin for your headache Kieran?"

I shook my head and picked the cup off its saucer, the black bitter liquid forcing the pounding ache in my brain to leave.

Lucy used to be my caretaker during my teens and has been working by my side ever since my parents passed away. They left me nothing but a huge inheritance to last my entire lifetime.

Being rich had it's perks, but it didn't help to cure a severe migraine or headache.

"I'll be fine Lucy, is it possible for you to arrange a flight out to Hawaii? I wish to spend some time in the sun over the weekend."

"Of course, I'll have Richard get your plane ready. When do you wish to depart?"

"Tonight, this is one horrible Friday I can get away from," I got up from my seat and saw a small gold tube on my table.

I picked it up and pulled the tube apart. I smirked, "Well what do we have here?"

"Goodness Miss Simmons must've left it here, I'll take it off your hands," Lucy quickly reached for it but I tucked it into the pocket of my blazer.

"Don't worry about it, red doesn't suit her anyway."

"Are you sure about-"

"She's the heiress to a multi-billion dollar bank Lucy, I'm sure she won't notice one missing lipstick."

She was about to protest further but thought better of it, "Alright then, I'll have Richard arrange your flight and accommodation ready for your visit."

She left my office and I walked over to the floor to ceiling glass panel overlooking the city. The concrete jungle, I'll escape it for a few days to untangle my twisted nerves

I reached into my pocket, retrieving the stunning woman's lipstick.

I sighed, the image of her juicy lips were literally begging to be tasted by me.

If only.

- Alina -

If he looked any less perfect, I would have stomped on his foot in my heels and slapped him across his emotionless stoned face.

But heck he definitely was hot as hell.

More so when he was getting frustrated.

What kind of Insurance Agent looks that sexy? Oh right him, the CEO of the damn company.

Black fitted suit, slicked back hair, sharp facial features and sculpted body. And damn those eyes, they were endless.

I gritted my teeth and gripped the steering wheel tighter, if only I wasn’t going to be married.

Well, if the marriage was still going to proceed anyway.

I drove my silver Bugatti Veyron through the open gates of my estate and pulled up at the main door. The rage for my fiancé took over the lustful attraction for the emotionless Mr Knight and I was ready to snap.

The tires screeched to a halt and I hopped out, my chauffeur quickly running down the steps and into the car to park it in the garage. My heels clicked against the stone of the steps as I marched up to the main door. My butler, Wilson, opened them the moment I approached, “Welcome home Miss, can I get you anything?”

“A bottle of red wine will be nice, thank you,” I continued making my way through the luxurious living room of my mansion and up the grand staircase to my room.

“I shall prepare two glasses then?” Wilson asked and I paused in my steps.

I turned and looked over the staircase to where he was still standing by the door, “Are you kidding me? I’m having the bottle for myself. Mr Connor Anderson is not getting a single drop.”

The moment I reached my room, I flung the door open and Connor, my fiancé, looked up at me from his packing. His eyes were bright with happiness until he let my deadly expression sink in.

“Hey babe, what’s up?” He asked carefully and I let a grim smile appear on my face.

“What’s up? Guess where I went today? Just guess my lovely sweet friend,” I taunted and he visually gulped.

“Something happened at work didn’t it? I hardly see you this angry, I told you not to go in to work today. Tomorrow is our big day and you need all the rest you can get babe,” he reached out to hold my shoulders but I took a step back and glared at him.

“I did not go in to work today. I went to the ‘Knight Insurance Agency’, the insurer for all your cars, does that ring a bell?”

His eyes seemed to pop when he realised what I was talking about, “What? Why would you go there? You said you were dropping by the office-”

I raised a finger, “I did say that, I didn’t say which office. And you have no right to question my twisting of words when you were the one lying to me.”

“I never lied to you Alina, I love you, why would I-”

“Then explain what Mr Knight told me then. In debt? Meddling with gangs? Claiming from the insurer to pay back your debts? What the ****?”

His knees bent and he knelt on the ground, his voice desolate with desperation at this point, “I-I’m sorry Alina, I was doing a few deals with them. It wasn’t big. Just helping them find some properties to do their work and they paid me a huge sum for commission. They asked me to work for them but I rejected Alina, I cannot do that to you, to us. What I was doing was risky enough and if the police found out, I’ll be taken away from you.

I swear Alina I never worked for them, I only found places for them to rent and that was it. They started pressuring me to find bigger places for them and when I couldn’t meet their demands, they stopped paying me entirely. I couldn’t afford it, I had to keep it from you and the debts just kept increasing. Then I remembered the large sum we put into insuring the cars. It was the only way, there was no way you would agree to selling the house-”

My body burned with fury and my hand flew across his cheek before I could even think about stopping it and the slap reverberated through the room, “You think I’m pissed because of the money?!”

He seemed to cower back as my eyes stared daggers at him, my voice increasing as anger took the reins, “My father is in the hospital all because of your stupid staged accident! He was hurt because of you and your idiotic idea! You crashed into him!”

I grabbed his collar and shook him as tears flooded my eyes, the image of my father lying on the hospital bed, injured and broken, broke my heart and I wanted to snap this fucker’s head off.

“I’m sorry babe, I didn’t mean to- I swear I-” He held my shoulders steady and pulled away from the force of my grip.

I swung a punch to his face and kicked him in his family jewels, hearing him cry out in pain before holding me at arm’s length to stop my attacks. I swiped his hand away, seething as he wiped the blood off his nose and pressed on his crotch.

His eyes were almost begging, “Alina please, I need you. I love you.”

The tears that fell down my cheeks were new ones, crying for the love that I have lost. I can’t live with someone who hurt my father. Much less marry someone who would do something like this behind my back. Accident or not, the damage was done and it was his decision that had my father lying in the hospital. And he had the audacity to pretend it was none of his business.

Gangs? I despite anyone who has to do anything with them.

I steeled my heart and emotions, feeling the muscle in my chest clench painfully, “It’s over Connor, the wedding is off. I don’t want to see you ever again.”

***

- Kieran -

I woke up to a ***** curvy body curled up next to me and groaned. Well, time to go.

I pushed myself up, the sun streaming brightly into the room. For a normal room at the hotel, it was relatively decent. Though it felt too small for my frame.

I arrived in Hawaii just past midnight and went straight for a drink. Hoping to drown everything out before enjoying the sun in the morning.

I picked my clothes up off the floor and got dressed, hearing the woman stirring under the covers, “Leaving already?”

I barely glanced at her, “I have someone I have to meet.”

Lies, but what did it matter? This random girl didn’t know me.

I caught her gazing at me at the bar last night and I took the chance to relieve some pent up stress. And to forget the gorgeous beauty that invaded my office.

Alina Simmons.

I forced my mind to focus on something else when I felt the girl, whose name I can’t even remember, wrap her arms around my waist and whisper into my back, “Can’t you stay for another round? Or maybe I can invite you here again tonight before I leave for my flight?”

I pried her hands away and turned to look at her. She had beach blonde curls that draped over her shoulders and her lips were still swollen from a whole night of copulating. Though it was some good sex, I felt hollow, empty.

“I can’t, I don’t go for seconds,” I answered coldly and she frowned.

“But you even got me a gift!” She raised her hand and held up the gold case of Alina’s lipstick.

I narrowed my eyes at her and snatched it back from her, “Did you search my clothing?"

She huffed and folded her arms over her bare self, "And here I thought you were some romantic. Giving a girl some Limited Edition, customised cosmetic. Turns out you're just another lying cheating bastard. What's the lipstick for? Your girl's birthday? Anniversary?"

Good God, and all I wanted was to take a break.

"Have a save flight," I answered without a single ounce of emotion and left.

I let my black blazer hang over my arm, the sun now warm with a light breeze compared to last night’s chill. I looked once over my shoulder to make sure the girl didn’t come after me and waved down a cab.

I let the sunshine and beautiful scenery flood my mind and senses. The strain and ache that nestled in my mind seemed to float away and I breathed the salty air of the beach in.

The weather was perfect today and I wanted to settle down at the beach to unwind.

The cab drove up to the entrance of the five star hotel that I would be staying at for the duration I was here. I tipped the driver before stepping out and heard a screech of tires as a car stopped abruptly just a distance away.

A silver Aston Martin roared and the chauffeur climbed out, quickly swinging the passenger door open.

The sexy heels of the woman hit the marble floor of the drop off area and she got out, a champagne flute in hand as she downed every last bit of its contents.

I folded my arms and kept my expression under control, what a surprise to see her here.

She handed her flute to her chauffeur, resting her hand on his shoulder, or using him for support, I don't know.

"Tell Wilson to make sure to get Connor out of my house by the end of the week. This is my honeymoon and mine alone!" She whispered to him harshly and I blew out a breath of air.

Well, she doesn’t seem very engaged anymore.

She strode forward confidently even in her sparkling stilettoes and slightly drunk state towards the lobby. I followed after her and kept a safe distance in case she was the kind who got violent when they were tipsy. Her chauffeur was left behind and he grabbed her luggage with the help of the bellboy.

Alina leaned against the Reception Counter to check in and I stood back, watching her.

She handed her identification and reservation confirmation to the lady behind the counter, “Hi, I’ve booked a suite for my honeymoon? But I uh-”

The receptionist looked up at her, “Oh you must be Mrs Anderson, we weren’t expecting you till tomorrow-”

“THAT is Miss Simmons to you, I am no longer engaged and I refuse to marry at the moment. Please just check me into a room, I don’t need the damn ‘Honeymoon Suite’,” Alina slurred and wobbled on her feet.

Clearly she’s no longer taken.

“I’m sorry Mrs Anderso- I mean Miss Simmons, we’re fully booked for today. Your suite will only be available tomorrow, it is currently occupied.”

Well yeah, by me.

“Listen here you-” she started and I couldn’t watch her destroy the lobby of my favourite hotel.

I stepped in and held her arm, “Darling, I’ll settle this for you.”

Alina looked up at me, her glassy eyes staring depths into my dark soul. Her brows furrowed together and she raised her index finger, tapping the tip of my nose.

“I know you, don’t I?” She mumbled and I wrapped an arm around her slender waist.

I turned to the receptionist with a wide smile, “I’m sorry about that, my friend, Mr Anderson, was supposed to reserve the suite under Alina’s name but he used his own name.”

“Mr Knight, are you related to Miss Simmons?”

I held Alina tighter against me, enjoying the warmth of her body, “Miss Simmons is my wife. Please address her as such.”

The receptionist’s eyes widened and she quickly made the arrangements while Alina continued staring at me.

“What?” I cocked my head and she ran her hands down the buttons of my shirt.

I fucking gulped.

“You are that handsome man from yesterday! I remember you!” She squealed and I leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

“Keep it down sweetheart, my good looks won’t be a secret anymore if you keep this up.”

Alina laughed then hiccupped and I pulled away to see her face turning a sickly green before she spewed her guts all over the majestic marble floors and my ten-thousand-dollar shoes.

So much for not destroying the lobby.

- Alina -

“Are you sure you want to do this?” My father asked hoarsely, his healing body much better than the last time I visited.

I nodded and squeezed his hand, “I’m not going to marry someone who does illegal things behind my back dad. It’s all my fault, if only I paid more attention to what he was doing, you wouldn’t be-”

“Shh… Stop blaming yourself my Princess. It was Connor’s choice to do what he did, I happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time,” my father coaxed and wiped away the stray tear that rolled down my cheek.

I sniffed and took a deep breath, “I’m sure about this dad, I won’t marry him. A man involved with the mafia only spells trouble. I will never marry someone who has relations with those illegal gangs. I’ve lost mum to them, I won’t lose you too.”

He sighed and I bent over for him to press a kiss on my forehead, “Alright then, stop crying now. You still have a holiday to escape to.”

“I can’t leave you here dad, come on. Besides, there is no honeymoon for just one person.”

“This is an order from your old man, go on a nice holiday before coming back to take the burden of the company from my shoulders. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“But dad I-”

“Go now, have fun.”

I shifted in my bed, the soft sheets pulling me out from my last meeting with my father at the hospital.

"Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," a deep yet familiar baritone rang across the space and my eyes flew wide open.

The bright Hawaiian sun flashed in my eyes and I pulled the sheets over my head to shield the harmful rays.

I checked my body and realised my clothes were changed.

Fucking damn it.

I sat upright, glaring at the hot man standing at the floor to ceiling window, overlooking the gorgeous beach and endless blue sea.

His brows shot up, "What? No thank you?"

"What the heck did you do to me?!" I nearly screamed and he eyed me.

"I didn't do anything to you. In fact you were the one doing everything."

"What the **** does that mean?" A serious full fledged headache was sitting on the edge of its seat, ready to attack me at full force.

He sighed and walked over to me, my mouth going dry at the sight of him.

He wore a black polka dotted shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows with a pair of khaki bermudas. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone and a strange urge to touch his chest invaded me.

Simple never looked this sexy.

Mr Knight leaned over me, making me recline backwards as his lips came a mere inch away from mine.

His masculine scent masked every other smell in my mind and I felt woozy.

He smirked and my cheeks heated up, what the hell did he want?

He reached over to the bedside table and picked up a glass of water and two pills. Aspirin.

"Here," he handed the glass to me and dropped the pills onto my open palm.

I stared blankly at the fucking sexy beast for a while longer and threw the pills into my mouth, gulping it down with the water.

"You've not answered me," I reminded him as he leisurely left me alone in his room.

This must be the Honeymoon Suite. Considering the humongous expanse of the room.

I chucked the sheets aside and clambered after him out of the room into the hall. It was so simple yet it made me feel more at home than I did at my mansion.

The warm sandy and beige tones made everything more cozy than it already was. Light splashes of pastel blue and green lit up the interior and I actually felt at ease here.

Comfortable.

The aroma of chicken and waffles made my dry mouth water and my stomach growled, unhappy that I kept it empty for as long as I did.

I went to the bathroom and got the shock of my life in the mirror.

My eyebags were completely obvious and my eyes looked so drained and tired.

I was changed out of my dusty pink dress into a casual white blouse with denim shorts.

Which brings me back to the question, what did he do to me?

I brushed my teeth ferociously and cleaned myself up. Dragging the hair brush through my mane to untangle the mess of my hair.

I dusted some face powder on my skin and went back out into the living room, seeing Mr Knight place two plates of breakfast on the dining table.

He looked up at me and stared for a few seconds before pulling a chair out for me, "Have a seat."

I bit my bottom lip and went over, letting him push my chair in when I sat.

He came round to the other side of the table and sat himself down, "Now, about your question."

I grabbed my fork and knife and pierced a piece of chicken, biting into the tender and well seasoned meat

"I did not have sex with you if that's what you're worried about. I prefer when both parties agree to a night of debauchery and last night was definitely not one of those nights."

I coughed and reached out to take a sip of the tea, "You seem to partake in nightly activities often."

A small grin greeted his usually stony features and I found myself smiling, he had the faintest hint of a pair of dimples. I wonder how they'll look like when he actually smiles properly.

"I do, it's my way of relieving tension."

I forked another bite of waffles into my mouth, "Who changed me out of my clothes?"

His smile stretched a tiny bit more, "Lucy helped with that, I let her and her husband come with me. It's like a short vacation for them."

I pursed my lips, "That's quite nice of you. Though going anywhere with my boss isn't exactly my idea of a holiday."

He sipped on his black coffee, "It doesn't really seem like much of a holiday for you anyway huh?"

I stopped chewing and looked him dead in the eye, a silent challenge for him to tell me what he thought he knew.

I swallowed hard, my appetite gone down the drain with the change of the conversation topic.

"Go ahead then, tell me what you know," I dared him and his brows lifted slightly, before settling back into his cold exterior.

"You were drunk yesterday when you arrived at the lobby, mumbling something about chasing Connor out of your house. Then you started rambling about no longer being Mrs Anderson. So I'm guessing the engagement is off and this is supposed to be your honeymoon. Of course, it's only a good guess," he finished the last of his coffee and locked his eyes on me.

The deep dark intensity of his gaze, I could drown in them.

I blinked hard and placed my utensils down nicely, "Well then, you hit the jackpot."

He smirked, the genuine smile gone from his handsome face, "That's not fun now is it?"

"Explain fun."

"Enlighten me Alina, you broke off the engagement based on what? Money? Betrayal?"

I took a deep breath, seeing as how he has also put his fork and knife down. Seems like an interrogation is due.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on either side of the plate, "I assure you Mr Knight, there are more pressing matters than a simple lie and finances."

He reached for my hand and pressed the back of my hand to his lips, "Kieran is fine."

My skin scorched at his innocent gesture and I lifted my hand away. The heck was wrong with me?

I cleared my throat, "I'll call you whatever I want."

His grin appeared again, a naughty one, "Oh I'll make sure of it."

I seemed to stop breathing and I quickly drank my tea, soothing the drought in my mouth.

He picked his fork up and continued eating, "What are the pressing matters then darling? It's a big thing to call off an engagement on the day before the wedding isn't it?"

I gripped the flimsy teacup tighter and placed it down on the saucer, "I don't think this is any of your business."

"Ironic, seeing as how you're my wife for now."

The tiny porcelain handle of the cup snapped between my fingers and the broken shard pierced my flesh. Crimson red dripped down my fingers onto the white tablecloth and Kieran looked at me with an unreadable expression before leaving the table.

I'm what now?

He came back out with a first aid kit and took my hand, pulling me up to follow him, "That was probably the last thing I expected from you when I told you we were married."

He let the water from the kitchen sink wash the wound and I took the chance to admire his astounding good looks. Even the annoying pain in my finger couldn't stop the silly attraction I had for him.

He had the sharpest, most chiselled jawline I've ever seen. His sleek black hair was slicked back with pomade and I wanted to tangle my fingers in them. I wanted to be the one to mess up the glory of his perfection.

"You don't seem all that affected, other than the cut on your finger. I have a feeling you'll actually enjoy being my wife."

"Quit the joke Mr Knight, it's not funny."

He turned to face me, the short distance between us driving my body wild for his touch. But I stayed completely still, I wasn't going to let him think he could play games with me.

"Technically we aren't married, but the staff working at this hotel most probably think we are," he shut the tap and grabbed a soft towel to dry my hand off.

He directed us to the living room, picking the first aid kit up as we passed the dining table and sat us down on the plush off-white sofa set.

He got out some antiseptic cream and dabbed it on the small wound.

"Why would the staff think we're married?" I questioned and his tiny smile appeared.

"You couldn't handle the receptionist in your state and apparently all the rooms were fully booked yesterday. So I took it upon myself to introduce myself as your newly wedded husband. This way, you can rest in my suite and no one will give us dirty looks. Sweet plan huh?"

I pulled my hand away just as he was about to wrap it up in some bandage, "What do you want from me? What do you gain from this- this- thing?"

His dimples deepened and if I wasn't sitting down, my knees would have gave in.

"I don't gain anything, I just thought it'll be nice to have some company on my short vacation, seems like you could use it too," he twirled my hair between his fingers before tucking it behind my ear.

"I'm fine Mr Knight. And if I got one thing right, this room rightfully belongs to me as of today, you can leave after you're done with your breakfast," I snapped at him and stood up, my nerves a jumbled mess from his gentle touches.

He circled his hand around my wrist and got up to lock our gazes, "I know the last thing you need right now is to have someone butting into your personal problems. I get it, but I'm sure you need someone by your side through this supposed honeymoon.

I may not be the ideal surrogate boyfriend or friend in any case, but I'm a decent companion. I'm sure I'll be of some assistance to help get rid of the thoughts of your ex. Besides, I quite enjoy your company."

I raised a brow at him, wondering why he was even bothering with me. We barely knew one another.

But again, I didn't feel particularly edgy or uncomfortable with him here. If anything, I felt relaxed. Somewhat.

"Is this a business proposal of some sort?" I inquired and he chuckled.

A low hearty sound.

"If it will convince you to let me be your substitute fiance or companion, then yes it is a business proposal."

I couldn't help the stupid grin that snuck up on my face, "Business deals during a holiday isn't really a holiday though. I prefer a simple agreement between two willing parties."

I held a hand out for him to shake and he grinned, slipping his hand into mine and whispering in my ear, "I look forward to spending time with you Alina."

I found my confidence lying in a puddle from his presence but managed to get out a relatively firm response, "Likewise Kieran."