A Fake Wife – Sierra Rose

A shadow suddenly flickered on the wall behind the beam of my flashlight, the silhouette of a man either very excited to see me or holding a long blade at his waist level. I swallowed hard as a figure approached me in the darkness, and I dropped my flashlight when I was thrown, quite roughly, up against the closest wall.

“Shit!” I cried, as the wind was almost knocked out of me and a shiver ran up my spine, pimpling my entire body with goosebumps of terror. The mask! He doesn’t recognize me because of the damn ski mask! Breaking into his house wasn’t one of my brightest ideas.

With a dangerous look in his eyes, he held the thin but sharp blade against my throat. “What the fuck!?” he shouted. “Do you think you can just come in my house and rob me blind?”

Busted, entirely screwed, I thought, but I didn’t dare to answer him, fearing my voice would give me away.

He threw me up against the wall once more, and as he did, the beam of light caught his face. This time I got a good look. Charlie was just as handsome as ever, and if the thudding of my body against the paneling hadn’t already stolen my breath away, those blue eyes would have done the trick. His hair was longer now, still as black as a stallion’s mane, wavy and cascading all the way down to his shoulders. Not only that, but somewhere along the lines, Charlie had grown up; he was far more muscular than he was the last time I saw him.

“Asshole!” he shouted.

“Please put the sword down,” I snapped, trying to reach a hand up for the mask, but he knocked it away.

“Maybe I oughtta put it through you instead! Gimme one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you where you stand,” he said, obviously not recognizing my voice.

I’d always been a bit of a sore loser, and this was no exception. I didn’t want to be caught, and I certainly didn’t want him to know who his intruder was. Most of all, I just wanted to bolt so he’d never discover my identity.

“Why, I oughtta…” he ominously threatened, not backing down at all.

I stared up at him and grew angry at myself for being attracted to him in that moment, when he was showing so much backbone. I liked that. Hell, I missed it.

Damn! He’s all grown up now, not the thin, wiry guy I remember. His physique was manly, with a broad, powerful chest. I wanted to reach out and touch his sculpted body, but I didn’t dare. Instead, I muttered, “I-I wasn’t trying to rob you.”

He pushed me up against the wall again. “Really? So you just dress up like a cat burglar for Halloween and break into people’s houses for fun? Maybe I should fuck you up instead of calling the cops. That will teach you a damn lesson, you little punk.”

“May I suggest a fencing match?” I teased. “Then again, I always kicked your ass at those.”

A puzzled look washed over his gorgeous face.

“Charlie, please,” I said sternly. “Just because you have a dick doesn’t mean you can be one. Please let me go.”

He cocked his head, but I wasn’t sure if it was because he recognized my voice or if he was suddenly shocked that I knew his name. He slowly slid the mask off my face and studied me intently. “You’re…a woman?” he slowly asked, putting down the sword he’d been brandishing.

“Hello, Wicked.”

“I haven’t heard that nickname in years.”

“It suits you perfectly, you know.”

“No, not at all! I’d never hurt a woman.”

“That’s a matter of opinion,” I blurted.

“I-I thought you were just some asshole punk breaking into my house.” He shook his head as recognition suddenly struck, and he pushed a few wayward strands of my blonde hair out of my eyes. “Oh my goodness! Shit! Jaime?” he asked in stunned shock.

“Please don’t call the police. If you try, I’ll be forced to kick your ass, like I used to when we were teenagers.”

He let out a long breath. “What the hell? I thought you were a robber. I could’ve seriously hurt you.”

“It’s been a long time,” I said.

He stared at me hard. “Yeah, it has. So how’s my favorite little brat doing?”

“And how’s my favorite little thief doing?” I retorted.

“I think that title belongs to you, darling,” he said with a sharp laugh. “You’re the one breaking into houses in a ski mask.” He stared deeply into my eyes and I shifted, suddenly unsure beneath the intensity of his gaze. “Damn, you’re beautiful, Jaime, all grown up.”

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said.

“What are you doing here? I mean, I know you still live in town, but why are you in my house, dressed like Catwoman? No complaints, because you look fucking hot in it, but there’s gotta be one helluva explanation. And I’m dying to hear it.”

I shot him my most seductive look, hoping to disarm his suspicions. “I heard you were back and just had to see you.”

He laughed. “I’m not gonna bite, Princess. I don’t buy that for one second. If you truly wanted to catch up, you would’ve called or stopped by during the day.”

I gritted my teeth thinking he could’ve just as easily called me to let me know he was back in town. “I’ve got a wild and crazy reputation to maintain, Charlie. Besides, I wanted to stick out in your head from all the other women around here. You know I’ve always loved a challenge, right?”

“Right, I guess,” he said, still eyeing me curiously. “So what’s up with you? Still single? You got any kids?”

“Yes and no.”

“Really? I was sure you would’ve settled down by now,” he said and I swore I heard hope in his voice.

Something else I couldn’t pinpoint and the way he stared at me suddenly had me worried I’d stepped into a mess I wasn’t going to get out of. “Can’t find a man who has more balls than me. But I’m sure he’ll show up. So I guess I’m waiting for Mr. Right. You?”

“Me? Nope, I’m not waiting for Mr. Right.”

“Miss Right?”

“You know full well I meant a woman.”

“I don’t know. It’s been a lot of years. Things could’ve changed.”

“Not a chance. Now back to the matter at hand. You sneaked into my house to seduce me? Are you into role-playing now? I mean, if you are, it’s no biggie. I have to say a girl in black really turns me on.”

My fingers slowly trailed down his face. “Just admit it, Charlie. I’m the most interesting piece of ass you’ve talked to all week.”

His eyes twinkled in the moonlight. “No arguments here.”

“Being with you is all I’ve ever wanted, and I can’t help noticing how muscular you are now. The way you came at me just now? Talk about badass. Your ninja skills really impress me, Charlie-san,” I said and sidled closer, too, resting a hand on his chest. Red flags shot up, but I pushed them aside, too caught up in the heat of the moment and the adrenaline racing through my veins.

He ran a hand down my cheek, and I shivered. “If you weren’t such a nice girl, I’d bang you in a heartbeat,” he said, then ran that same hand down my body and over my curves. “And for the record, I let you kick my ass at fencing all those times.”

“Yeah, right. You could never pin me down. Up for a rematch to prove it?”

He pinned my wrists up against the wall with a wicked grin as I stared into his eyes and the sexual tension brewed between us. I guess it’d always been there, but he’d been too busy banging anything that moved and I was too busy being the one girl he never noticed in that way. Not anymore clearly.

He leaned closer and whispered in my ear, “You know what, sweetie? I’ve gotten quite good over the years. You’ll never pin me beneath you again.”

“Aw, shucks. Does that mean I never get to ride on top?” I asked in a sultry voice.

His hands ran back up my sides. “You’ll never beat me again, not in fencing or in mind games. I know you’re not here to seduce me though. Tell me, luv, why the hell you’re sneaking around my place in the dark.”

“I’ll never beat you again? My, my, aren’t we a little competitive? I didn’t mean to emotionally scar you when you couldn’t take me down all those years ago.”

“Just answer the damn question, Jaime. What do you want?”

I ran a finger down his cheek. “Maybe I never got over you.”

“Oh, please.”

“Maybe we’re two unperfect people refusing to give up on each other,” I whispered in his ear.

“Stop it. You never had a crush on me. We established that long ago, and it’s bullshit. We used to talk for hours, and I know your deepest darkest secrets. I know how you operate, so maybe you’d better move on to Plan B if you hope to accomplish whatever you’re really up to.”

“Maybe I didn’t let myself have a crush because you noticed every other girl but me.”

His lips hovered dangerously close. “I notice you now.”

“It’s a little damn late for that now.”

“So you’re not here to declare your undying love?”

I laughed sharply. “Not a chance. But you do have nice, rock-hard abs.”

“So why are you here in my house dressed like a thief?” he asked. “I know you too well, darling. You have an ulterior motive. What is it you’re up to exactly?”

I shrugged, then shook my head. “I came here to get my damn money back.”

“Ah. So the truth comes out at last.”

“How could I ever lie to you, baby? Please don’t be mad. And please don’t call the cops.”

He pulled me close and I could feel the thick, impressive bulge between his legs.

“I’ll think about it long and hard,” he said.

I batted my lashes at him. “What I did was wrong. And I’m sorry. But please don’t be hard on me.”

Being pinned up against his big and powerful body was more than I could take. He was rock-hard and ready, and I could feel the heat radiating from him. I felt his intense need to fuck me senseless.

My heart beat wildly.

“You broke in here, but I don’t get it,” he said. “Stealing is not your style at all. Maybe we need to digdeeper.”

“Much deeper. Listen, I don’t know what you think of me after all these years, but I hope it’s X-rated.”

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