Bought Bride

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2017 Sam Crescent

  ISBN: 978-1-77339-520-3

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Karyn White

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  BOUGHT BRIDE

  Curvy Women Wanted, 9

  Sam Crescent

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  Ellis Johnson really needed to get to this job interview. She’d been out of work for a few weeks, and she couldn’t stand another second without earning her income. Companies were in a time of struggle, so there was more competition now than ever before. Being the chubby alternative to a slim, beautiful woman, she often didn’t get the job.

  She didn’t mind most of the time. All of her life she’d been overlooked as the mousy, fat girl. She was pretty, but most people just saw her size eighteen curves, and often didn’t give her another look.

  Rushing across the street, she did everything she could to avoid bumping into other people, as she hated the heated argument that often came with that.

  “I need this job.”

  She was tired of being out of work, and she’d gone to so many interviews that it wasn’t even funny anymore.

  Don’t be late!

  She’d spent all morning getting ready, ironing her shirt so that it was crisp white, and talking to herself over and over, explaining her qualifications, and smiling. Her advisor told her to smile. Apparently, it made her face light up, and people were a sucker for a woman with a beautiful smile. She had a nice smile but she didn’t think it would get her a job; still, she had to wait and see.

  “Come on, you can do this.”

  She stepped up the pace, and rounded the corner of the block when she suddenly hit a solid wall of male, and the entire front of her very white shirt was suddenly wet, and not only that, it was hot.

  Glancing down at her shirt, she cried out. The white was gone, and all that remained was a very large, brown coffee stain.

  “Oh, no, oh, my God. No, this cannot be happening.” She felt tears well in her eyes, and she tried not to think about how bad this was.

  “Shit, if you’d been slower, and watching where you were going, that wouldn’t have happened,” the very masculine voice snapped.

  Turning her attention to the owner of that voice, she was struck by how handsome he actually was. Short, black hair, shocking blue eyes, and firm lips that seemed to be pressed into a scowl.

  “I’m the one in the wrong?” she asked, pulling the shirt away from her body. It was still hot, and she didn’t want it to hurt her. “I can’t believe this.”

  He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to stand in front of him.

  When he made to cup her cheeks, she pulled away. “What the hell are you doing?” she asked, trying to jerk out of his hold.

  “Oh, wow, you’re perfect.”

  “I don’t care what you’re thinking. You’ve just ruined everything. I need to go to a job interview, and tell me exactly how am I supposed to do that?” she asked, hands on her hips.

  She was so angry, and it was a struggle to not just burst into tears. This was not going her way. She’d planned for everything that was going to happen, but having coffee spilled down her shirt wasn’t the plan.

  This was, like, the biggest disaster of her day so far.

  “I thought I was looking for a miracle, and right now you’re standing in front of me.”

  Ellis just stared at him, wondering if he was crazy.

  He began to circle her, and the weird thing was, she didn’t feel threatened.

  “I was heading toward a job interview, and they’re known for their neatness, and you’ve just created—”

  He waved a hand in front of her face. “No, you don’t need to worry about that.”

  “Are you for real right now?” Her anger was growing.

  “You’re so cute. Right, how about we head to somewhere private? I know this fantastic coffee shop, and I think we’ve got a lot to discuss.”

  “We’ve got nothing to discuss. I’ve lost a job because of you, and I need to work.”

  She went to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.

  “What if I told you I had a job for you, and not only that, you’ll never have to work a day in your life again?”

  “I wasn’t born yesterday, whoever you are. Miracles don’t happen like that to me, and I don’t believe you.”

  “I’ll give you one million dollars right now just to have coffee with me.”

  This made her stop and stare at him. “That’s ridiculous. You can’t pay me that.”

  He pulled out his cell phone and began to type away on it. He held it up. “All you have to do is type in your numbers, and it’ll be there.”

  She shook her head. “This is a scam.”

  “My name is Rafe Shawl,” he said.

  “That’s supposed to mean something to me?” she asked.

  He chuckled. “So cute. I’m the son of one of the wealthiest empires in the world, and right now I’m in the battle of a lifetime.”

  She frowned at him. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because over coffee I was wondering how you’d feel about being my wife?”

  For several seconds neither of them spoke, and then Ellis burst out laughing. “That’s a good one. I mean seriously, you expect me to believe that? I’m a poor person. I have more debt than money, and you’ll never get anything out of me.”

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Ellis Johnson.” She turned to leave, but he caught her again.

  “Ellis Johnson, all of your debts have been paid.” He held up his cell phone again, and any humor she had died as she took his phone and scrolled through the list of bills and debts she’d been trying to organize over the weekend. It was all gone, paid for. In fact, in her account was also a million dollars. Pulling out her own cell phone, she quickly checked her balance, and there it was, the chance of a lifetime.

  “So, how about that coffee?” he asked.

  How the hell could she refuse?

  ****

  Ellis was perfect for what Rafe had in mind. She was homely, pretty, and didn’t command too much attention. The perfect woman he needed to play his wife. In order to inherit the family business, he had to settle down and find a wife. It was all in his father’s will, and everyone had been telling him that he wouldn’t get what he wanted. The company would never belong to him.

  Well fuck them!

  This was his chance.

  He watched as she took a seat in the private booth, removing her jacket then her shirt. The coffee he’d accidentally spilled down her had gone through to the white vest shirt she wore underneath, and she released a sigh.

  She pushed some hair off her face and called the waitress. He didn’t stop her as she offered money for one of the shirts they had for sale, which had the brand logo on the front, and she excused herself from the table to go and change.

  When she returned a few minutes later, her brown hair was no longer stuck at the back of her neck in a bun and fell around her, framing her face. The length was long, thick, and for a few seconds, he was drawn to the freshness of her features.

  She wasn’t like any of the women he was used to; models, actresses, women who demanded attention. This woman didn�
��t, and yet she captivated him. She flicked some of her hair off her shoulders, and for the longest time looked everywhere but at him.

  Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, she looked at him, her brown gaze nervous and unsure.

  “What do you need?” she asked.

  “Here’s the deal. My father died a couple of years ago, and in his will he made a few conditions for how I can own the company outright. One of those was waiting two years and learning every single part of the infrastructure. Then I was asked to stop the partying and women, and I’ve done that. Now, I need a wife, a good one. You’re perfect.”

  “You don’t even know me,” she said.

  “I don’t need to know you. I will pay you. All I need is five years of your time,” he said. He’d already planned everything. One trip to Vegas, and then getting her the perfect wardrobe, and it would all fall into place. Just thinking about the shock on the board of directors’ faces, along with his mother’s face, filled him with a great deal of joy. He’d paid her the million dollars from an offshore account that wasn’t even registered in his name. His mother could look into it, but it would always be a dead end. There would be suspicion about how she got the money. Unless once Ellis agreed, he removed the money and gave her a credit card in his name instead? There were always ways of getting what he wanted.

  The board of directors and his mother thought he was a waste of space, but so far, he’d proved them wrong. He’d found in the last couple of years that he liked to do that. His father had always told him to live a life he wanted. He’d done that, but his father had also asked that he not allow his company to be left to his mother or the directors.

  Rafe now made it his mission to screw with the people who’d tried to push his father out of his own company.

  “You want five years.”

  Should he tell her that he needed an heir as well?

  Right now, she didn’t look convinced by what he was asking of her. He needed a wife and a child.

  “Yes, five years.” He’d leave out the little detail of needing to have sex to have a child. Also, he actually hoped they could have a really good marriage.

  He was an optimist.

  “You’ll get whatever you want. I have a really nice home, several apartments, and villas across the world.”

  “I don’t need to be told all of this.” She held up her hands, and neither of them said anything as the waitress brought them some coffee. He’d also ordered a muffin to go with their drinks, an apple cinnamon one. She blew out a breath and sighed. “This is completely crazy. You’re inviting a total stranger into your life.”

  “Look, I’m desperate, and judging from how weird you looked when I spilled coffee on you, you clearly need the money.”

  “No, I need a job. I like to work.”

  “So work for me. Work at being my wife.” He didn’t see the problem, but then, he needed her to make his plan work.

  “This is crazy.” She took a sip of her coffee and sat back. “You can have anyone.” Her cheeks heated.

  “Thank you for the compliment.” He winked at her, and loved the way her skin blushed. He’d not been around many women who blushed at a simple conversation, but here she was.

  “I’m stating a fact.”

  “I don’t want just any woman. I’m looking for a certain kind of woman, and you fit the bill.”

  She averted her gaze. “I don’t want to know what kind of woman you’re looking for. I know I’m not going to like it.”

  “I’m looking for the kind of woman who’d stay faithful.”

  Ellis rubbed her temple. “I’m getting a headache.”

  “Look, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can make every single one of your dreams come true. All I need is five years of your life, and for you to say ‘I do’ when the time comes.”

  He tapped his fingers on the table, waiting to see what she’d say. She’d not touched the muffin, so he picked it up, peeling back the paper before handing it back to her.

  She took little pieces of the muffin and ate them.

  “We wouldn’t have to … do anything?” she asked, moving her hand between them.

  “You mean sex?”

  “Yes.”

  Not straight away, but I kind of need a kid.

  Don’t rush this, Rafe.

  Take it slowly.

  He had five years to get her pregnant, and to make her fall in love with him. “No, we don’t have to. You’re going to have to play the part though, which means you’re going to have to accept my touch at public events, hold my hand, and smile a few times when needed.”

  “I know how to be courteous.”

  “Then be so now. Help a guy out.”

  Chapter Two

  Two weeks later

  Ellis couldn’t believe how fast the rich actually worked. Within two weeks, she’d gone from poverty-stricken to the wife of a billionaire. The process had been … numbing. She couldn’t really recall a single thing, apart from the wedding. Flying to Vegas first class and walking down that aisle to Rafe had been weird.

  From the moment they got back to his home, her apartment had been cleared, her rent paid up, and her life moved in with his. She had her own room in his country home, and also the spare bedroom in his penthouse suite. One day of being married to him, she’d been given a brand-new wardrobe, jewels, a makeover, and of course a crash course in knowing absolutely everything about him from his favorite color. She had to play the lovestruck teenager, only in the twenty-five-year-old body of a wife.

  Twirling the ring on her finger, she stared across his office. That was another part of the deal as well. She had to be everywhere with him. If he went to appointments, she’d wait in the waiting room. At work, she’d sit in his office and read the file he’d given her, or whatever else he wanted her to read. In truth, she’d become a living, breathing toy. That’s what her life was.

  “Are you okay?” Rafe asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

  “Yes.” She glanced over at him to find him staring back at her.

  “I’m heading to the board in an hour.”

  “Okay.”

  “I want you to come with me. I’d like to introduce you.”

  She nodded.

  “This is going to require some touching,” he said.

  They’d not shared a bed, and other than a peck on the lips for their wedding, they’d not shared anything else.

  He stood up, and she watched as he walked over to her, urging that she stand up as well.

  “What’s my favorite color?” he asked.

  “You don’t have one.” The question and answer sheet she’d found incredibly lame, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.

  “Good, hug me.”

  She winced and slowly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, keeping as much distance between them as possible. Patting his arm, she pulled back, and had a large smile on her face.

  “Have I hurt you in some way?” he asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Then do you think you can at least pretend to like me, and not treat me like an abuser, or suspected abuser?”

  She rolled her eyes and threw her arms around him. “Oh, Rafe, whatever will I do with you?” She couldn’t help but laugh at their situation. No matter what she read on him, they were complete and total strangers. Resting a hand against her head, she sighed dramatically. “Don’t you think you’re worrying about this a little too much? You’ve got a wife.”

  “Yes, well, you see, part of the condition is that my wife needs to love me,” he said.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, and if I go in with a woman that is completely stiff as a board and looks like she’d rather be watching paint dry, they’re not going to believe me.”

  “Why not just find a woman and get her to fall in love with you?” she asked. His entire plan was ridiculous, and she couldn’t act.

  “So you’d rather I get a woman to fall in love with me, knowing that there’s a chance I never would fall in
love with her, and make the rest of our life miserable.”

  She winced. “Well, put like that, it doesn’t sound so good.”

  “I’m being open and honest with you, Ellis. I’m trying to be, and you’re not helping me.”

  “Sorry, I guess I don’t lie very well.”

  He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I’ve been giving you time, trying to get you used to my company.”

  “You ever thought they won’t believe you anyway? We already agree that you’re handsome, and I’m not. You could have any model, anyone.”

  “They wouldn’t have done. I need a good wife. A wife that shows I’ve grown up.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I think your plan is doomed to fail. I’m not a very good wife.”

  “That’s because you’re not really trying. You’re just seeing all the faults, and not what could be.” He dipped her down so that her head was backward, as if they were dancing. She held his hands on instinct, and stared around the office, looking at it upside down. Finally, he lifted her up. “We could have some fun while we’re together.” They moved up and down his office, his hands going to different parts of her body. If he touched her ass, she grabbed his hand, and moved it up. “See, would a married couple do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “You’ve got to let me touch your ass.” He stopped, resting his own against the edge of his desk.

  “You’re talking nonsense.”

  “Married people, recently, in love, married people, can’t get enough of each other. They’re always touching.” He pulled her closer with the hold he had on her hand. Rolling her eyes, she stood between his spread legs. “Now, I’m going to touch your ass.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  His hands rested on her ass, and she rolled her eyes, fighting the temptation to move his hands. Raising a brow, she glared at him.

  “You’re meant to have a smile on your lips. Come on, Ellis, help me, please. My father didn’t want this company to go to those assholes or to my mother. I think in a weird way, he still loved her, and hoped that he wouldn’t find out what she was doing. He didn’t want to really know the truth.”