His Absolute Arrangement: A Scandalous Billionaire Love Story (Jessika, #1) (2 page)

I blushed and mumbled, turning my head away from him.  "So you're calling me a homewrecker, too, are you?  Literally?"

He shrugged, nonchalant.

"Asher, I know you think it's funny or something, and you laugh it off, but no one's ever called me things like that before.  It's not like it was just one time, either.  It went on for months."  I... I didn't want to talk about this, though.  It wasn't even just this one thing, but everything.  I had more worries now, more regrets and anxiety and maybe I was just worrying over nothing?  Asher said as much, but I didn't know how to deal with it yet.

"I'll do anything to make you happy," he said, smiling softly now.  "You know that, don't you?  It doesn't matter what happens or what others think, I still want to be with you."

I nodded.  I nodded and remembered one of the more recent attempts at bashing me.  "Even if I can't give you a child?"

He blinked.  I doubted he'd expected that, but the rumors were going around, and those were some of the ones that hurt the most.

"We still have plenty of time.  It's not like there's a rush," he said.

"I suppose."  Yes, we were still young enough, but...  "The whole reason we met in the first place and continued to see each other was because I was supposed to be an egg donor and surrogate mother for Beatrice," I said as a point of fact.  "We've been trying for nearly a year now, Asher, and I'm not pregnant.  What if there's something wrong with me?  What if...?"

"There's nothing wrong with you," he said.  Scooting the chair forward, he took my hands in his.  "We weren't doing anything special to make it happen, right?  But we've been trying harder these past few months, working around our schedules, and doing everything we can, so it'll happen.  It doesn't matter when it happens, but it'll happen."

And if it didn't?  I'd read some trashy article theorizing that I'd get dumped by Asher just like he'd left Beatrice.  Once we talked about bringing in an egg donor and surrogate, he'd start an affair behind my back.  Once a cheater, always a cheater.  That's what they said.  I didn't know if I believed it or not, but the idea still hurt to think about.  That people didn't understand, that they didn't care about connections and love and hope and passion.  I didn't even hate Beatrice, though it was hard to like her, but even she agreed that she'd never bothered to try and love Asher.

"Tonight," Asher said, interrupting my thoughts.  "We've got to start again tonight, don't we?  Today's the day."

I sighed and squeezed his hands.  "Tonight could be the night, but tomorrow's more likely."

"I've been waiting, though.  You aren't going to make me keep waiting, are you?" he asked with a smirk.

"How long have you been waiting?  A whole day?  It's not as if we don't have sex, Mr. Landseer.  Often, too."

"Oh?  Mr. Landseer?  Is that how it is now?"  He snuck in close and kissed me quick.  "I think we should both take a few days off, though.  Just to be sure.  Spend it in bed, relaxing, no stress.  Stress doesn't help, so I think if we do that, it'll increase our chances."

"You want to just stay home and have sex as much as possible for four days?" I asked, eyes wide, laughing.  "I think maybe that's taking ovulation cycle preparation to the extreme.  Not to mention I have no idea if you can even replenish your little swimmers fast enough to make it worth it."

"Little swimmers?" Asher said, snickering.  "Did you really just say that?"

"What do you want me to call it?  Your sperm?  Seed?  Cum?"

"Can you say that last one again?  Maybe a little sexier?"

"You want to cum inside of me as much as you can over the next four days and impregnate me with your seed, Asher?"

"I'll cum inside of you right here and now if you keep it up.  Just toss you across the desk, hike up your skirt, pull your pantyhose down, and spank you right before I—"

Someone stood in my office doorway, mouth agape.  They were probably walking by at the time, nothing doing, but upon seeing us sitting there so closely, Asher not even trying to hide what he was saying to me, well... they weren't walking past us now.  I saw them out of the corner of my eye and turned to look.  Asher noticed me looking and glanced their way, too.

It wasn't anyone I recognized.  An ordinary woman, pretty in her own way, with her hair done up in a bun and wearing casual corporate attire.  A nice skirt, a blouse, heels.  Regular, like me, except for the fact that I had some rich and powerful CEO sitting next to me, telling me how he was going to fill my womb with his child.

Asher went from playful and fun to serious and stern all at once.  "Did you need something?" he asked.

"N-no, sir," the woman said.  "S-sorry, Mr. Landseer.  Mrs. Landseer.  I... I didn't mean to interrupt you."

I smiled and shook my head.  "No, it's fine.  We shouldn't have been so loud.  I apologize."

The woman attempted to stammer out a response, but nothing she said made much sense at the moment.  Instead of trying more, she waved her hand around and pointed and then she left.

"I should have closed the door," Asher said.

'I think if you had closed the door, I'd be tossed across the desk with my skirt hiked up, pantyhose pulled down, and spanked right about now, so maybe it's best that you didn't."  I grinned.

"Tonight, though, right?" he asked.  His eyes glimmered with the most charming hope and excitement I'd ever seen.  I loved seeing Asher get so excited.  It was infectious.

"Hm..." I said, pretending to think about it.  "I don't know, Asher.  It might be better if we waited until tomorrow, don't you think?"

"Jessika, I can't," he said.  "I mean, I don't think I can.  There's the party to think of, too, and who knows when everyone will leave?  It's our party, so it's not like we can just disappear, do our thing, and come back.  I want to spend a little more time on it than that, anyways."

"Our party, yes," I said, nodding confirmation.

"I know it's technically in celebration of one of our foreign business agreements closing last week, but I've invited a few extra people."

"Huh?"

"I know our wedding wasn't the most engaging.  It was quiet and nice, but I know that's not what you wanted.  Even before I read what you wrote just now, I could have guessed.  Not a lot of people actually want a quiet wedding.  I understand that.  So, I thought that maybe tonight could be a wedding party of sorts?  I invited your mother and some of your friends.  My mother and stepfather will be there, too.  I know it's not the same, but I thought we could have a little gathering beforehand and—"  He stopped.  I must have been looking at him strangely and I belatedly realized my mouth had been open for awhile.  I probably looked like that girl who had stopped to stare at us only a moment ago, though for an entirely different reason.

"You planned out a wedding party?" I asked.  "We're celebrating something entirely different, but you planned it so that we could have a huge wedding party at the same time?"

"Um, kind of?" he said.  "I doubt it'll be as wedding-centric as an actual wedding party.  I did hire a catering service to bake a giant cake, but I'm not sure about the usual wedding party games and other events.  If you want, we could do a first dance with you and your father?  I asked if everyone would be willing to come early so we could do a quick vow renewal ceremony, too.  It won't be legitimate and real, just us and our friends and family, but your father wanted to walk you down the aisle."

"Asher..."  I nearly choked up, crying.  Who was this man and how did I ever come to know him?  How could I ever deserve him?

"You don't like it?" he asked; his eyes flashed with panic and pain.  "I should have told you earlier.  I wanted it to be somewhat of a surprise.  I thought we could plan out a real wedding party and arrangement later, but everything happened and this came together, so I thought... I'm stupid, aren't I?  To combine a wedding party with a corporate celebration?  I'm an idiot.  Jessika, I'm sorry.  I really am.  I wasn't thinking."

"What?"  I laughed.  Asher rarely acted this way.  He always seemed so confident and secure in himself.  "Asher, no.  No, I love it.  I do.  I'm so happy.  I can't believe you planned all of this.  Is it real?  Are you being serious?"

He let out a noticeable sigh of relief.  "No.  Well, yes.  Yes, it's serious.  It's real, but I do want to plan something with you, too.  You've just been so distracted sometimes lately, and I was actually going to keep it a surprise until tonight, but then I saw your story, and I knew I needed to tell you now.  I thought I screwed up for a second there."

I bent forward and put my hands on his cheeks, pulling him to me.  Pressing my lips to his, I kissed him.  We lingered like that, affectionate and loving.  I cared for this man so much.  I loved him with everything I was.  And he loved me, too, didn't he?  I never needed to worry.  I never needed to doubt him or myself or anything involving the both of us.

I never needed to...

Someone standing in the doorway to my office cleared their throat.  "Excuse me," he said.  "Am I interrupting?"

I snapped my attention towards the man, planning to become as serious and austere as Asher and force him to wander off while mumbling incoherently.

Except, no, that would never happen.  Lucent stood in my office doorway, smiling amiably, holding a folder full of documents.

"Oh," I said.  "Lucent.  Hello."

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Landseer.  I apologize for interrupting you and Mr. Landseer."

"You can call me Jessika," I said.  "And you've known Asher longer than me.  I think you can call him Asher, too."

Lucent shrugged his shoulders lightly.  "I appreciate your consideration," he said.

By that, I knew he meant that he wouldn't be doing either of those things any time soon.  I'd tried to get him to refer to us on a first name basis for awhile now, but he only seemed able to do it with one person, and even then, not always.  The thought made me smile, though.

"Where's Elise?" I asked.

Lucent smiled softly, losing his strict sense of self for a moment.  "Miss Tanner is currently writing her next story for publication with Landseer Publishing.  I believe she'll want to show that to you shortly.  This one is a good one, she's assured me."

"I'm sure it is," I said, trying not to laugh.  Elise was... Elise. 
Miss Tanner
, as Lucent called her, and entirely unlike Lucent in some of the most extreme ways possible.  They went together so wonderful because of it, though.

"Did you invite Lucent and Elise?" I asked Asher.

"Invite them to...?"

"The party?"

"If you're speaking of the celebration of Landseer Enterprises arranging a foreign rights agreement for tourism and traveling in Greece, yes," Lucent said.  "I'll make sure Miss Tanner attends, and of course I'll be there."

"She doesn't want to go, huh?"

Lucent merely smiled and said nothing.

"It's not that, though," I said.  "Asher planned something else beforehand, and I'd like for you both to come if he hasn't invited you already."

"Oh?" Lucent asked, lifting one brow.

Asher explained it; he told Lucent about the wedding party plans, and the cake, and everything else.  Thankfully he left out my writing about our quaint wedding, because I didn't know if I wanted to tell everyone about that.  I'd started writing it in hopes of figuring out some sort of story to publish soon, but in hindsight maybe that wasn't the best topic for a book.

"We'd be honored to attend," Lucent said.

"Oh, good," I said.  "Good.  I'm really glad.  I'll send her an email letting her know, too.  It doesn't have to be too dressy, alright?  Just come in whatever you want.  Be comfortable.  Casual?  At least a little formal, but nothing excessive, you know?"

"Yes, of course," Lucent said.  "And, if you don't mind my intrusion, may I speak with Mr. Landseer about the weekly reports?  It's of a semi-urgent nature."

I shrugged and nodded.  "Sure?"

Asher rose from his chair, but not before giving me another quick kiss.  "Remember, though," he said to me.  "We need to meet to discuss some things a few hours before the party.  It's important.  I told you before that it couldn't wait, and I meant it."

"Oh?" I asked, feigning demurity.  "What do we need to discuss?"

"Important things," Asher said with a silly glare.  "Very important ones, Jessika.  It can't wait.  Meet me in our bedroom two hours before the party is set to start.  I expect you to be there promptly, and in appropriate attire."

"Yes, sir," I said, nodding twice.  "I understand, Mr. Landseer."

"Don't you
Mr. Landseer
me, Mrs. Landseer."

I rolled my eyes.  Asher went to join Lucent and the two of them left.  I heard them talking as they walked down the halls of Landseer Tower, but I couldn't make out what they said.  Sighing to myself and turning back to my laptop, I spared a glance at what I'd written.

Hm... should I continue?  It was getting to a sexy part, which might be fun.  I wasn't sure I wanted to publish this, or even if anyone would want to read it, but maybe it'd be fun to relive the memory a little?  Asher really had been amazing right then, whether we were officially married yet or not.  It wasn't as if that was the first time we'd had sex.  Nor the last.  Thank God it wasn't the last!  I didn't think I could handle that.

When was the first, though?  Did the time in his office count?  I was just a temp worker then, and... I still couldn't believe he'd done that!  It was so outrageous.  And arousing.  It confused me at the time, but thinking back on it, it was hot.  Hotter than hot.  That wasn't actually sex, though.  So... after?  The next day, sort of?  Photography?

This was a bad train of thought, and I knew it, but I couldn't stop myself now.  Well, if I was going to think about these things, I told myself I might as well type them out, too.  That seemed slightly more productive, right?  It was practice.  Writer's training.  Yes, that was it.

I buckled down and wrote a sex scene.  I wondered if I should embellish it a little, but in thinking about it more, I realized I didn't even have to.  Just write what you know, right?  I laughed to myself while typing.  Hopefully no one snuck up on me and started reading this story, because that might be a little awkward.