His Bought Fiancée (Wedded to the Sheikh Book 1) Read online

  “Okay, but tell us about you,” Piper said, grabbing Alyssa’s hand. “God, it’s been eons since the three of us were dorking around in band.”

  “I know, right?” Rachel asked with a laugh.

  Alyssa smiled. “I don’t remember you two ever being dorky. Me, maybe. Sure.”

  Rachel scrunched her nose. “I dunno. Remember my scrunchie phase?”

  “Hey, scrunchies are in again,” Piper pointed out.

  “But they sure weren’t in ten years ago,” Rachel quipped.

  They all laughed, and Alyssa took another sip of wine, the alcohol and the giggles warming her skin and calming her down. Maybe she was way too anxious. She’d overthought this whole reunion thing and turned it into a big bad wolf that didn’t exist.

  “Tell us, Alyssa.” Rachel jerked her chin at her. “What are you doing? Are you still living in the city?”

  “Yeah.” Alyssa ran her fingers through her hair. She hated talking about herself. “I have a place on the West Side.”

  “And what do you do?” Piper asked.

  “I work as a paralegal.”

  “Oh, cool.” Rachel’s voice was flat. They all knew it wasn’t cool. There was nothing very interesting to share about it.

  Alyssa’s stomach sank. Standing next to two beautiful women who had exciting things happening, she saw her life for what it really was. A flat, unemotional picture painted by someone else.

  Her job was decent, but it wasn’t what she wanted. She lived alone in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment with her cat. All her friends were too busy with their careers and families to hang out regularly anymore, so she usually spent the weekends eating takeout and watching TV on the couch or hanging out at her parents’. The most exciting part of her week was deciding on which route to run through Central Park on Sundays, or what new bar to try when Lucy had time for an after-work drink.

  What had happened to her dreams? Years ago, she’d entertained fantasies of being an interior designer. Of traveling the world, working as an activist. Of living her brightest, biggest life possible.

  Now, she had an okay job, and was lucky if she had enough money left over after bills to go to Long Island for a weekend. Her paralegal pay would probably go far in a more affordable area, but in New York City, it didn’t buy much.

  And love? Alyssa’s gaze fell on Rachel’s diamond ring.

  It had been years since Alyssa had had an official boyfriend. Since then, it seemed like every guy she met was only interested in “keeping things casual”, “chilling”, “having fun”, or whatever else they called it that meant they had no interest in settling down with one woman.

  Alyssa put her plastic wine cup down on the table behind her. “Excuse me,” she said. “I need to, um, run to the ladies’ room.”

  “Sure thing.” Piper smiled—was there pity in her smile? “We’ll be around!”

  “See you,” Alyssa mumbled, taking off without looking at them.

  “Hey, the bathrooms are that way,” Rachel said.

  Alyssa didn’t look back. She just kept barreling for the exit. She’d been right. Coming to the reunion had been a mistake. Maybe Lucy’s concerns were legitimate.

  Was this what they called spiraling?

  Her head down, Alyssa wound through the crowd. She needed to get home, take off these clothes, throw on her pajamas, and snuggle with Ralph on the couch. It was Friday night. That meant she could easily disappear for the weekend if she felt like it. Her mom would call, but Alyssa could lie and say she was out with friends. Or on a weekend-long date. Her mother would love to hear that.

  She was almost there. A few more good strides and she’d be through the door and in the clear.

  And then, she saw him. The man she’d glimpsed over Piper’s shoulder. She hadn’t wanted to believe he would be there, but he was…and he looked good.

  Derek Jones stood in a half-circle of people, his blond hair combed back and a big grin on his square face. In his arms, he held a gurgling baby. As Alyssa stood there dumbstruck, a gorgeous brunette put her hand on Derek’s shoulder and smiled his way.

  “A reporter,” a man on Derek’s other side said. “Good for you!”

  “At the Times, no less,” the brunette added. “My husband is too humble for his own good sometimes.”

  Alyssa’s stomach sank like a stone. In high school, she’d had only one boyfriend—but boy, had she been head-over-heels for him during that one year. When Derek broke up with her—just in time to take someone else to Homecoming senior year—Alyssa had thought she would die from the pain.

  And now, here he was, laughing with his beautiful family, probably looking forward to heading back to his amazing job on Monday.

  She had to get out of there. She had to flee before Derek saw her.

  Before she could take another step, though, he did exactly that. His eyes locked on hers and realization dawned on his face.

  Flight kicking in, Alyssa beat it for the door, her heart pounding. She clung to her clutch with sweaty palms, a thrumming echoing in her ears. Pushing the hotel’s front door open, she emerged into the street.

  Dusk was settling over the city, the first few cars turning their headlights on. Alyssa didn’t look at the doorman as she jogged down the sidewalk. Her cheeks burned and her heart ached.

  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

  At the corner, she looked over her shoulder. Derek hadn’t followed her.

  Pulling her phone from the clutch, Alyssa started to order a cab, but then, she paused. What the heck was she doing? Everyone would know she ran away.

  Looking around, she saw all kinds of people. Men and women in suits. Hipsters in flannels and glasses. Girls in yoga pants walking dogs. Everyone was headed somewhere. Everyone had something to do, some kind of purpose in life.

  Alyssa had to have had that at some point, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember when or what that was. Being a paralegal wasn’t chopped liver, of course, but it wasn’t exciting like Piper’s job. Or if she had a relationship, like Rachel, that would do it.

  Putting her phone away, she took a deep breath. This wasn’t how she wanted her first high school reunion to go. She might not have been the happiest, most successful person in the world, but she wasn’t about to run off with her tail between her legs.

  Alyssa just wanted to be happy. And, screw it, she wanted everyone to see her as successful. She knew it was shallow, but right then, she didn’t care. She was tired of feeling like a failure, and for just one night, she wanted to play the game and win.

  An idea forming, she scouted the sidewalk. What if she…?

  It was crazy, sure, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  Two guys in jeans and ball caps passed by, soon followed by a man yelling into his cellphone.

  “Nope,” Alyssa whispered to herself.

  Across the way, a small group of people crossed the street, headed in Alyssa’s direction. Most of them walked quickly, looking like they had somewhere to be, but one man lagged behind. He had dark olive skin, wavy black hair and a sharp jaw. He had his hands in his suit pants’ pockets, and he looked around himself as if he was enjoying the evening, a Middle Eastern god just casually out for a stroll.

  As he came closer, Alyssa’s heart sped up. The man was tall, and wow, was he handsome. He looked like he’d just walked out of a magazine.

  For all Alyssa knew, he had. This was New York, after all.

  Usually, Alyssa wouldn’t dream of approaching such a hot guy. At this point, though, what did she have to lose? Her dignity was shot. She figured she might as well take a leap and do something crazy.

  “Excuse me,” she said, rushing up to him.

  The man glanced over, looking annoyed. As his eyes landed on Alyssa’s face, though, his frown softened and he stopped walking.

  Alyssa smiled, glad Lucy had insisted she dress up for the night.

  “Yes?” the man asked, his voice deep and smooth.

  “Hi, um…” Alyssa smiled wide
r, her nerves making her stumble over her words. “This is going to sound a little weird, but are you busy right now?”

  The man paused, seeming to consider it. His brown eyes looked deep into Alyssa’s, and a shiver went up her back.

  “That depends…” he hedged.

  “Look, uh—I know this is bizarre—but it’s New York, right?” Alyssa laughed nervously, cringed, and threw the next words out there. “I’ll pay you fifty bucks if you come around the corner with me and pretend to be my date for the next hour.”

  Chapter 3

  Alyssa

  The man’s eyebrows rose.

  “I know it’s crazy,” Alyssa said. “But just one hour of your time. That’s all I’m asking.”

  The man grinned and looked up and down the street. Alyssa’s cheeks burned. Was she really acting this desperate in front of the hottest guy she’d ever spoken to?

  Don’t think about that now. You have a mission to accomplish.

  “Okay,” he finally said. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”

  “It does?” Alyssa asked, hardly able to believe her ears.

  The man shrugged. “It sounds better than the club I was headed to.”

  “Oh my God,” Alyssa gushed. “Thank you. And, uh, they have wine at this event, so it won’t be a total loss.”

  She chuckled nervously, and he smiled in a half-amused way.

  “It’s right down here,” Alyssa said, leading the way back to the hotel.

  “What’s the event?” he asked.

  “My ten-year high school reunion.”

  “Ah.”

  Alyssa didn’t look at him as the doorman opened the front door for them. She knew she was pathetic. No point in getting confirmation of that from others.

  Right before they entered the ballroom, Alyssa felt a touch against her fingers. She looked down to see the man holding her hand.

  Her heart leaped into her throat and she swallowed hard.

  “Is this all right?” he whispered. “I am supposed to be your boyfriend, after all.”

  At a loss for words, Alyssa nodded.

  More people had joined the celebration in the short time she’d been out, and Alyssa spotted a handful of old classmates she’d been friendly with. They weren’t who she looked for, though.

  Alyssa was on a hunt, her crosshairs looking for one prey in particular.

  She stopped in the middle of the floor, holding the man’s hand, and looked around.

  “Now what?” he asked, leaning in close to her ear. Alyssa’s neck tingled. How was she going to talk around this guy?

  “I thought that was you,” Derek said. He’d emerged from the crowd, and was walking Alyssa’s way.

  Alyssa’s heart flipped. Whether from fear or excitement, she didn’t know. All these years of going without seeing Derek, then one look at him and it was like she was back in senior year, crying on the subway after he’d broken up with her.

  “Derek,” she said. “Hi.”

  He stopped in front of her, smiling. “Alyssa. How are you?”

  “I’m well, thanks.” Alyssa stood a little straighter. “How are you?”

  “Great, great.” His eyes briefly flicked to the man standing next to her. “Hi,” he said. “Derek Jones. You are?”

  “Her boyfriend,” the man said, possessively wrapping his arm around Alyssa’s shoulders.

  Derek’s eyes narrowed and Alyssa almost sputtered, but she held it back just in time.

  “Sweetheart, would you like a drink?” Alyssa’s handsome fake date asked.

  She turned her face up to his. “Sure. Thanks.”

  “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.” Lifting her hand, he slowly pressed a kiss to the top of it before letting go and slipping into the crowd.

  Alyssa stood dumbstruck. Man, this guy was good. Had she picked up an actor or something?

  “He seems, ah…intense.” Derek jerked his head at the direction the man had left in.

  Alyssa smiled sweetly. “Yeah, he can be a little protective sometimes.”

  Was Derek jealous? Probably not. He’d been the one to break up with Alyssa, after all. She liked the idea of him getting at least a little miffed, though.

  “My wife’s here,” Derek said, not that Alyssa had asked. “She’s around…somewhere.”

  “That’s nice,” Alyssa said tightly. “How’s work? I heard someone saying you’re a reporter?”

  “Yeah, I work at the Times now, but enough about me. What’s going on with you?”

  Alyssa paused. Should she?

  Screw it.

  “Well, I’ve just been planning our next vacation,” she said. “We’re headed off to Costa Rica for a month.”

  “Oh yeah?” Derek’s lips pursed. He looked uncomfortable. “Business or pleasure?”

  “Both,” Alyssa said through her smile.

  “Here you are, honey.” Her fake boyfriend was back. Handing her a glass of wine, he looped his arm around her waist and took a swig from his beer. “Hi again,” he said to Derek, a bit of disdain there.

  Alyssa worked to keep back a laugh. Holy moly, this guy was good. He needed to go into business as a professional boyfriend-imitator.

  Derek cleared his throat and shuffled around a bit. “I need to go find my family. See you, Alyssa.”

  Not looking at her, he left.

  “Ex-boyfriend?” the man asked.

  “You got it.” Alyssa turned to him. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me,” he said. “This is fun.”

  His arm was still around her waist, holding her close to him. Their gazes connected, and Alyssa felt like there was a magnetic force drawing them together. She wouldn’t have been able to look away, even if she wanted to.

  “How did you know?” Alyssa asked. “That he was an ex?”

  “I could see it in your face the second he showed up.” He shook his head. “Whatever happened between you two, don’t sweat it. That guy doesn’t deserve you.”

  Alyssa tilted her head. “How do you know? You only just met me.”

  “Maybe I’m just that good at reading people.”

  Alyssa playfully narrowed her eyes. Was he flirting with her?

  The sound of someone tapping on a mic flooded the room, and Alyssa looked to the far end of the space. A pretty DJ with bright blue dreads stood on an elevated stage, her turntable and speakers surrounding her.

  “All right,” she cooed into the mic. “Ten years. How’s everyone doing out there?”

  Cheers and claps thundered through the space, but Alyssa made no sound.

  “We’re gonna start tonight off with a slow one,” the DJ said. The first strains of a smooth R&B song drifted across the floor. “Everyone grab your lover, and if you don’t have one…” She winked. “Well, tonight might be the night to change that.”

  The man next to Alyssa took her glass from her hand.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, watching as he set the drinks on a nearby chair.

  “What she said,” the man purred. “Grabbing my lover.”

  Taking Alyssa back into his arms, he twirled her around, then pulled her back to his chest. Alyssa gasped, surprised at his skill.

  “You can really dance,” she said as he guided her across the floor. She wasn’t even doing a thing. The man guided her along like dancing was as easy as breathing.

  “My parents made me start lessons young,” he explained.

  “Wow. Impressive.”

  He lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “That’s the way it is in my family.”

  Alyssa looked up at him, wondering about his family. Where was he from? A person living in New York could literally be from anywhere.

  Around them, other couples danced. Alyssa caught sight of Derek swaying with his wife while he held their baby between them. Alyssa tore her eyes away from them and looked back at her dance partner.

  “Thanks again for doing this,” she said in a low voice.

  “Thank you.” He spun her around and Alyssa’
s dress fanned out around her thighs.

  She laughed. “You’re having fun, huh?”

  Holding her hand against his chest, he set his simmering gaze on her. “A lot of fun.”

  Heat rolled through Alyssa and she licked her dry lips. “Uh, that’s good, at least.”

  A smile played on his lips and he studied her face. The attention made a weird mix of pleasure and embarrassment wind through Alyssa, and she looked away.

  “Tell me,” she said as she watched the other couples dance. “Where were you headed when I stopped you? You said something about a club, right?”

  He shrugged. “It’s not important. Like I said, this sounded far more interesting.”

  Alyssa looked back at him with a smirk. “Is it? So far?”

  “So far.”

  Without warning, he dipped her. When he brought her back up, she stood closer to him, their hips brushing, their faces not more than a breath away.

  “People are watching us,” he said, his gaze flicking past Alyssa.

  “Oh,” she breathed. Would she ever be able to speak properly again?

  “What do you think I should do about it?” he asked, his hand tightening the slightest amount on hers.

  Alyssa swallowed. “Um, what do you mean?”

  “I’m your boyfriend, right?”

  Alyssa bit into her smile. “For an hour, as per our agreement.” She glanced sideways and found Derek, plus several other people, looking their way.

  “Maybe I should do what boyfriends do and kiss you.”

  Alyssa blinked in shock.

  “Unless you don’t want me to?” he asked.

  Tongue-tied, Alyssa shook her head.

  The man wasted no time. Closing the space between them, he gently pressed his lips to Alyssa’s. His kiss was firm, yet tender. Electricity shot through her lips, down the length of her body, and into her toes.

  The man drew back, a playful smile on his mouth.

  “Convincing?” he whispered.

  “Very,” Alyssa croaked, not sure if he meant convincing for the people watching, or for her.