Fake Bride’s First Love: A Friends to Lovers Romance (Tall, Dark and Handsome Billionaires Book 2) Read online

  “I told you that I wasn’t sure I could make it, Ria. In fact, I was crystal clear when I said that I’d text you by six o’clock if I could make it. It’s not my fault that you went there on your own accord.”

  “You were talking with her last night, weren’t you?”

  I was about to ask who Ria was referring to, but the emphasis on the word “her” told me—Ginger. “If you’re referring to Ginger, one of my best friends, then yes. She and I did speak last night. Why do you care so much?”

  “Does she know about me, Jorge?”

  I rubbed my temples out of frustration as we got stuck in traffic. “Does she know that I’ve had a friends-with-benefits situation with my business partner? Yes, Ria, she does know. Now, tell me the real reason you called.”

  She let out an obnoxious sigh, and I knew she was leaning back in her office chair, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “There will come a day when I say ‘no’ to your sexual advances, Jorge.”

  “My sexual advances? Are you kidding me right now?” I ignored the look of shock from my driver in the rearview mirror.

  Oh, please. Like you didn’t know.

  “So, how long until you get back to Belgium?”

  “I don’t know, Ria, and it won’t matter because everything I do can be done remotely. Just focus on running the business on your end, and I’ll do the same from mine. Everything will be fine.”

  “You’re so selfish, Jorge. Aren’t you interested in how I found out that you were going back to Miami?”

  A massive lump formed in my throat as I realized that she was right. The only person who knew was my secretary, and she was too damn trustworthy to have told Ria. The company-wide email she sent out merely stated that I’d be out of town for an indefinite amount of time, but business would continue as usual.

  I refused to give in to her bullying tactics, though. “Not at all, Ria. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.”

  I hit the “end call” button as soon as she started to speak again. Then, I nodded to my driver as the traffic eased up.

  About thirty minutes later, I was flying high above the Atlantic Ocean in my private jet, doing my best to forget all about Ria. Deciding that it’d be a long flight, I gave my best friend, Gavin, a call.

  The sound of people chatting blared into the phone when he picked up. “Hey, man! Hang on a second, let me go someplace quieter.” I adjusted my gold Rolex while waiting for him to return, admiring the diamond detail.

  “All right, there we go. What’s going on, man?”

  “Nothing, but it sounds like you’re pretty busy. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “Not at all, but you sound a bit under the weather. Is it stress or problems with women?” Gavin knew me all too well.

  “It’s Ria problems, man. That woman is driving me insane.”

  “How many times did I tell you not to get involved with her? Not only do you work with her, but she’s your freaking business partner!”

  I closed my eyes, realizing he was right. But the sex was good and, well, don’t we all have needs? “I know, but she said she was fine with a friends-with-benefits situation. How could I know she’d get so attached?”

  “Women always get attached in those situations, Jorge. It’s just how they’re wired. And I’ve never liked Ria, either.”

  “You’ve never even met her.”

  I overheard him place a coffee order to one of his assistants.

  “She’s the kind of person you can judge before meeting them. Some of the things she’s said just don’t sit well with me.”

  “Can you give me an example?”

  The stewardess brought me a bottle of champagne, which I quickly popped open and started sipping.

  “Whenever a large sum of money pours into your business, didn’t you tell me you always end up being a few thousand dollars short at the end of the month? That alone bothers me, especially since she handles the finances of your firm.”

  I took in what he was saying and knew he wasn’t wrong. “Well, it’s a large business, so I’m sure it went somewhere and she always has an answer for it.” I didn’t want to admit to Gavin that, yes, I was also suspicious of her taking money. “But as far as our relationship goes, she used to be cool about it until recently.”

  “That’s because you’ve been getting closer to Ginger, man. She’s direct competition to Ria because regardless of what she says that woman wants you all to herself. And really, can you blame her? You’re the perfect catch for a woman looking for someone to spoil her.”

  Gavin was right, and there was no way in hell that I’d ever date a woman like Ria. She was bossy, controlling, and extremely demanding. It was an ideal personality to have in a business partner but not in a romantic one.

  “But I keep telling her that I don’t want to be serious.”

  “Oh, come on man. Do you say this before or after the two of you have sex? Because women view sex as a sign of commitment. So while your mouth says one thing, the brain between your legs says something entirely different.”

  I finished my glass of champagne and quickly poured another one. “Let’s change the topic because the mere mention of her gets under my skin. Any new movie contracts coming up?”

  “There are a few in the works, but I’m skeptical about one of them. My agent tells me it’s bound to win an award, but the female lead reminds me too much of my ex-girlfriend, Melissa.”

  “You mean the mother of your daughter? That Melissa?”

  Gavin said, “thank you” to someone, and I knew he was taking his sweet time returning to our conversation. “Yes, that one. Anyway, our intimate scenes together will bring up too many painful memories, and I don’t need the added stress…or the effect it might have on my performance. I’m thinking, I might have to pass on this one.”

  “You can’t pass on a movie that has a good chance of winning an award! Don’t you want that for your mantle?” My hands clung to the armrest as we hit turbulence, which thankfully didn’t last too long.

  “At what price, though? There is no guarantee I could actually deliver what the director is looking for… there’s no award in that.”

  “Good point.”

  “Speaking of women, are you going to Ginger’s party this weekend?”

  “How did you find out about it? First, Ria finds out that I’m flying back to the States without anyone telling her, and now you found out about Ginger’s party.”

  Gavin chuckled into the phone. “Relax, man. Chase posted something about it on his social media, so I assumed you were going.”

  I wanted to come off as nonchalant as possible because I had never been one to get emotionally invested in a woman. As a diamond broker, women were always throwing themselves at me, and all it took was something sparkly to seal the deal. But there was something about Ginger that kept pulling me back, even though we were only friends.

  “That’s one of the reasons I’m going back to the States, actually.”

  “I knew—”

  “And before you say, ‘I knew it,’ no, we are not more than friends. But she just graduated with her MBA, plus she got a massive promotion at the spa. I would fly back if any of my other friends were celebrating those accomplishments too.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “Whatever,” I said while feeling the champagne give me a buzz. “Anyway, I should probably let you go. This champagne is starting to get to my head, and I could use a good nap.”

  “All right, man. Let me know how your girlfriend's—I mean friend’s—party is this weekend.”

  I chuckled while hanging up the phone, then leaned back and fell asleep for the rest of the flight.

  The pilot had to wake me up once we had landed several hours later, and I happily took the latte from the stewardess while getting off the plane. The hot, humid air hit my face as I made my way through the executive airport, walking until I saw my driver waiting for me while holding the door open to the limo.

  It felt good to be b
ack in Miami, and I took in all of the surroundings as we made our way to my penthouse. As much as I loved my apartment in Antwerp, the penthouse felt more like home to me. A furniture designer had made my couch, which was a mix of contemporary and vintage. I had fallen asleep on it numerous times because it was so damn comfortable. Plus, I had a mini bar in almost every room.

  Once I arrived home, I quickly looked over at Ginger’s condo to see if she was there. Her car was gone, which meant she was either at work or spending time with the girls.

  Relax. You’ll see Ginger this weekend.

  I opened the door to my penthouse, threw my suitcases onto my bed, and headed straight for the shower. I loved a hot, steamy shower after a long flight. I closed the glass door and allowed the water to drench my body. After washing myself from head to toe, I wrapped a towel around my waist and plopped onto the sofa.

  Just as I finished the rest of my latte, which had started to get cold, my cell phone went off. Usually, I’d let it go to voicemail after such a long flight, but I thought it might be Ginger. Maybe she saw me walking inside right as she was pulling into the parking lot.

  It was Ria.

  As soon as it stopped ringing, I turned it off and chucked it onto my bed.

  What have I gotten myself into?

  3

  Ginger

  There must have been several hundred guests at my party that night, which far surpassed my expectations. When I asked how many people Guadalupe and Yuslan had invited, she insisted that I not worry about anything other than having a good time. I pleaded with her to keep it low-key and only invite my family and friends, but of course, she didn’t listen to me. Nearly every client of Lavender Dreams Spa was there to celebrate my MBA and promotion.

  Everyone in Miami Beach loved Guadalupe and Yuslan, and it showed.

  Even though Miami was a pretty large city with plenty of spas for people to choose from, Lavender Dreams Spa was known as one of the top five in the area. We catered to everyone from regular, blue-collar people to celebrities who either lived in Miami or were in town visiting. And while I didn’t see any famous people that night, I did notice a few managers of actors who I had every intention of meeting one day. That was one of the perks of working in that type of industry.

  While I was thrilled to see so many people there celebrating with me, I focused on Margo’s massive engagement ring. “I can’t believe you two are getting married! When did Chase propose to you?”

  Margo’s eyes lit up as Eva and I studied it. “This morning, over pancakes and while I was feeding Joanna!”

  Eva’s eyes bugged out as she looked up at Margo. “Are you serious, Margo? He proposed over pancakes? Why does that sound so romantic?”

  I knew my brother all too well, though. “That doesn’t surprise me one bit, guys. Chase has always been an ‘in the moment’ kind of guy, and I bet he saw you feeding Joanna and just knew it was the right time.”

  Eva ran her fingers over the stones, no doubt thinking about how her ex-boyfriend used to always say that she was “the one.” “You’re so lucky to have found someone, Margo. I’m so happy for you.”

  Margo and I knew better than to bring up her ex-boyfriend, though. “You and Chase were meant to be together,” I said as Eva took a long sip of her champagne and eyed the room, probably looking for a guy to flirt with.

  We’ll make that jerk wish he’d never broken up with you.

  Tears came to Margo’s eyes as she smiled and nodded at me. “It was such a passionate speech, you guys. But I don’t want this to take away from your night. That was my first thought after I accepted his proposal.”

  I wrapped my arms around Margo’s neck and pulled her in for a tight hug. “Margo, the fact that we’re going to be sisters-in-law is all I care about right now!”

  As her enormous ring dug into my shoulder, I overheard one of our regular client's screech while rushing toward us. “Margo, you’re engaged! Oh, honey, isn’t that wonderful? I’m so happy for you!”

  Alona was an over-the-top, eccentric, middle-aged woman with a heart almost as pure as Guadalupe’s. She often referred to us as her daughters too. I embraced it, although her shrieks often went right through my head. She was the reason I started keeping ibuprofen on hand.

  As Margo told her all about the proposal, I casually sipped champagne while looking at the door. People were still making their way into the party, but there was no sign of Jorge. I tried acting nonchalant by smiling at people standing near the door, pretending as though I were simply paying them some attention.

  And I had every intention of staying in that spot until Yuslan tapped me on the shoulder. “Would you care to dance, dear?”

  I couldn’t turn down a dance with a man who was like a father figure to me, especially after he went to such great lengths with the party.

  The two of us danced around the ballroom while the live band played, his hands resting on my hips as Guadalupe watched with a smile on her face. I let him lead, even though I craned my neck every time he turned us around and I was facing the doorway.

  My stares didn’t go unnoticed by him, either. “What’s his name?”

  I give up. “Nothing gets past you or Guadalupe, does it?”

  Yuslan flashed his usual ‘I know you too well’ smile at me. “So, what’s his name?”

  Just as I was about to tell him the whole Jorge story, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and stopped dead in my tracks. There was Jorge, smiling down at me and looking sexy as hell.

  “Jorge, you made it!”

  The two of us hugged as Yuslan let go of my hips.

  Ever the gentleman, Jorge, acknowledged what he had done. “I’m so sorry, but would you mind if I cut in? I’m Jorge, by the way.”

  “Yuslan,” he replied while shaking his hand and smiling. “And no, not at all.”

  I gave Yuslan an apologetic look, but he had no problem passing me off to Jorge. He winked at me and then made his way over to Guadalupe, who looked ravishing in her cobalt-blue sequin dress, and the two of them started dancing.

  “I’m so happy you made it,” I said as Jorge took my hands.

  We started dancing across the ballroom, and for a few minutes, all we could do was stare into each other’s eyes. It was as though time stood still and our year-long friendship had culminated into something a bit more in that moment. I snapped myself out of it when I saw Margo comforting Eva in a corner, though.

  Eva was sobbing into her hands as Margo rubbed her shoulders. The poor girl had been through enough. After catching explicit text messages on Anthony’s phone, she had confronted him, and he told her everything. The worst part was that Eva had repeatedly told us that she knew he was “the one” from the moment their eyes had locked.

  “Of course I made it, Ginger. Why would you doubt me?”

  “Well, you did have to come all the way over from Belgium. That’s a far cry from Miami.”

  His grip on my hips became a little bit tighter, and it started to feel as though the room were closing in on me. There was an undeniable heat between us that I kept trying to push away, but it felt like a magnet. All of our late-night conversations had led to that moment, and I started to rethink my feelings toward him.

  “It was worth it, though. You’re just as beautiful as the last time I saw you, by the way.”

  I could feel my cheeks turning a deep, rosy hue as I took in his compliment. “Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.” Oh, God. That was awful!

  Thankfully, Jorge chuckled at my bad joke. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “I mean—”

  Jorge put his finger to my lips and shook his head. “Don’t even worry about it, Ginger. I know it’s always a bit awkward after you’ve been chatting with someone remotely, and then you finally get to see them in person. I’m just delighted to be here.”

  We started dancing again, and this time he pulled me closer to his chest. His cologne was intoxicating, and if it weren’t for his strong hands
holding me in place, my knees would have given out. I looked over at Eva, who was no longer crying. In fact, when our eyes met, she gave me a cheesy thumbs-up.

  I rolled my eyes while smiling at her, knowing she had nothing but good intentions. My only concern was someone seeing her and telling Jorge because, as much as I was drawn to him, I intended to stay single for the next several years. I had spent the last few years chained to a desk whenever I wasn’t at work, doing my best to earn nothing but straight As. Now it was my time to sit back and enjoy life, before settling into another romantic relationship.

  As the band announced they’d be taking a short break, Jorge walked me over to a nearby table and sat down. “I meant it when I said that you’re beautiful, Ginger. That emerald dress really brings out your thick, auburn hair.”

  Yes! I knew I made the right choice.

  I pretended to wipe something off my dress, and when I looked up, Guadalupe was smiling at me.

  “Thank you, that’s what I was hoping for when I picked it out. Although, you’ll have to thank Guadalupe. I told her it was too much money, but she insisted on buying it for me.”

  “Well,” he said while leaning forward and taking both of my hands, “I’ll be sure to do that. In the meantime, however, that wrist looks awfully lonely.”

  I glanced down at both of my wrists to see what he was talking about, and then it hit me.

  Dammit! I knew I should have worn a bracelet!

  “I was so worried about looking good for tonight that I completely forgot about jewelry! Well, except my pearl earrings. But I didn’t go with a necklace because—”

  Jorge put his finger to my lips again while his other hand reached into his pocket, only to reemerge holding a diamond tennis bracelet. He took my left hand and wrapped it around my wrist, clasping it shut. My mouth fell open as I held it up to the massive crystal chandelier dangling above us, mesmerized by how much the bracelet glittered.