Seven Minutes In Heaven: A Standalone Billionaire Romance (Betrothed Book 2) Read online

  She giggled. Ah, damnit! Blush, giggle, look away! The unholy trifecta of expressing interest in a guy!

  “Tell you what, Claire.” Jake popped one of the nuts into his mouth. “I’ve got some people I need to say hi to. If I see you around later, let’s have a chat.”

  “Okay,” she squeaked.

  He winked at her. “See you later. Enjoy your party.”

  Claire was too giddy to immediately go back to pretending to be the doting bride, full of love and sexual attraction for her husband. In fact, she was so infatuated with a man she could never have, that she excused herself to the bathroom so she could have a few minutes to regain her composure and come to grips with herself and her shit situation.

  “Hey,” she said to her reflection. The water closet was so tiny that she could flex her elbows against the door and kick her heels against the toilet behind her. But at least it gave her some privacy. Enough to let her splash water on her face and say, “You know what you signed up for. Don’t be a stupid, slutty bimbo who thirsts after the first hot guy to cross your path after your engagement goes public.” She wasn’t even thinking of Arthur – not really, because she knew the only reason he wanted to marry her was so he could access her tight ass – but of her reputation. Scandal could be an effective way to drum up interest with the public, but it wasn’t enough to get her good roles. She’d be type casted as Half-Naked Woman Who Gets Killed for the rest of her twenties. After thirty? She’d be lucky to get a bit part on a daytime talk show. Ongoing cash, but not enough to save her soul.

  Her grandfather hadn’t worked his ass off in Tinsel Town so his granddaughter could do that to her own acting career. Claire was better off working as a tour guide. Honest work for shit pay, but honest work nonetheless.

  She stepped out of the bathroom to find a small line. After apologizing, Claire hustled down the hallway in the hopes of finding some respite from the party.

  She settled in one of Arthur’s downstairs offices that he only used for entertaining Hollywood guests. The real shit was upstairs in another office: this place was decorated to show off his wealth, production experience, and the assorted acquaintances he had made over the years. He held no qualms showing off a photo of his first wife, either. Carmen Carter had been a bigshot star in the late ‘70s, with a string of blockbuster movies that showed off her natural charms – including that busty chest that Arthur had probably fallen in love with when he was a younger shit in the business.

  That marriage had ended over a decade ago. The rumors were that Arthur cheated on her so much that she finally had a meltdown and went into seclusion. Carmen hadn’t made a movie in twenty years.

  Claire sat in one of the corner leather chairs and helped herself to one of Arthur’s candies on his desk. She was conveniently located next to his private bathroom.

  The bastard had left the door ajar.

  “That’s it, baby.” Claire almost choked on her candy when she heard Arthur’s wheezing voice. “Think the stuff’s kicked in. That’s it. God bless those little pills.”

  Claire slowly turned in her seat. The door was ajar enough for her to catch an eyeful of young, firm skin. Some young blonde tart – like her! – already had her legs spread around Arthur’s waist.

  Chapter 2

  “Ya gotta be kiddin’ me.” Claire sank down in her chair as she listened to the blonde guest pretend to be enthralled with Arthur’s haphazard attempt at fuckin’ on a sink. “No wonder Carmen wanted to kill herself.” She made eye contact with the portrait on the wall. Carmen c. 1978, with her heavily eyelined brown eyes and straight, red hair returned Claire’s exasperated face. “You had a kid with him, huh?”

  There was a baby picture of Jacob on Arthur’s desk. Some fat little boy who had pudding on his face and a diaper ten times the size of his head.

  Claire plucked the photograph off the desk and studied the baby’s features. Behind her, Arthur wheezed through his thrusts, and the blond guest sounded like she was straight out of the worst porno Claire ever almost starred in.

  Wonder what Jake’s plans are for tonight? Easy enough to ask when she was still crushing on him – and Arthur made the most godawful sound when he climaxed.

  Time for her to get the hell out before anybody spotted them.

  “Consider the part yours, honey.” That was the last thing Claire heard before she made herself scarce. “Not that there was any doubt that you were perfect for the role.”

  Claire stole another candy on her way out. She popped it into her cheek as she sauntered back into the party and immediately began her search for Jake.

  There he was. Chatting with Randy Guiver, one of Arthur’s fellow bigshot producers in the industry. From the looks on their faces, they were talking about business matters. Whatever. Claire had few fucks to give as she sauntered up to them and said, “Randy! So good to see you at my party! I see you know Jake.”

  Randy swung his head toward her. “Ms. Finn,” he said with a professional tone. “Of course I know Jake. He and I go quite a way back.”

  I bet. Who didn’t Arthur go back with? Certainly, half the women in Hollywood! “Would you mind if I stole Jake for a couple of minutes? There’s something he and I need to discuss.”

  Jake’s eyes widened. While Claire expected Randy to express some level of confusion, he instead nodded as if Claire’s request were completely reasonable. Of course she had business with Jake! Why wouldn’t she? This was obviously a business manner! Claire was probably auditioning for one of Jake’s indie darling films. Wasn’t this marriage helping with that? C’mon, Claire, everyone is on to your gold-digging game. She felt even less like a loser when she insisted that they have a chat by the coat closet.

  “Uh…” Jake followed her with heavy steps. The rest of the guests parted around them, not even one giving a crap that Claire and Jake were seen together. While that was strange in a lot of ways, Claire didn’t give a shit. She was ready to get what was hers. “What is this about? Have I done something to offend you?”

  All Claire could think about was that terrible wheeze Arthur let out while he fucked that young actress in his bathroom. That was it. That was Claire’s future. She would spend at least the next few years pretending to give a fuck about sex with her “husband” while he also fucked whatever young woman would have him. Of course, he would get away with it. Nobody would care that a man constantly cheated on his wife. If she did it, though? Oh, hell would be paid. The price would be her career.

  How much did she care?

  “You said we would have a chat,” Claire said, leaning against the wall. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. There was no mistaking her cleavage now. “So, let’s have a chat, Jake.”

  “You found out, huh?” He attempted one of those boyish grins from earlier, but something made him uneasy enough to falter. Instead, the corners of his mouth twitched until it looked like he wanted to spit somebody’s name onto the floor.

  “Oh, yeah.” So everyone knew? Of course they did. Every man working under any subsidiary knew Arthur fucked every woman with blond hair and D-cup breasts. So what makes me so special? Why has he agreed to marry me? Must have been her connection to her grandfather. Money and prestige incited men to do stupid shit, like marrying random women when they already got all the pussy they wanted. Wasn’t that how arranged marriages worked in the modern day? “I found out, Jake. I found out the cold, hard truth.”

  Jake wasn’t smiling. “Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”

  She snorted. “Why would you tell me that? It’s business between me and Art, nothing more.”

  Jake’s mouth continued to twitch. “I see. I always assumed those were his feelings on the matter.”

  “Yeah, well, welcome to 2017. The world’s a mess, and men do as they please.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Claire had to look away before her eyes lingered too long on that jawline and her nose took in too much of the scent of a man. A young man. A young, virile man who exuded suc
h poise and southern Californian airs that Claire almost couldn’t help herself. Jake was exactly the kind of guy she would want to pick up at a night club or movie party… or her own engagement soiree.

  It would be so satisfying, wouldn’t it? Picking up the first hot guy she found after discovering Arthur’s dalliances. Nothing would be better than getting some of her own on a day like today.

  She was already about to throw her future away. What was truly stopping her from enjoying the moment? Jake saying no?

  From the way he also avoided eye contact and shifted his posture so she couldn’t see his groin, Claire had a feeling he wouldn’t say no.

  She wouldn’t know until she asked, huh?

  “Do you wanna go somewhere private?”

  Jake regained his composure at the sound of her voice. “Excuse me?”

  “Somewhere private.” Claire pretended that she could barely hear him over the music and laughter ringing through the party. “Somewhere quiet. We really should talk.”

  He nodded. “I suppose that’s a good idea. You must have a lot of questions for me, and it would be best to stay unfiltered as opposed to when we’re around my…”

  Claire turned before he could finish his sentence. The closest room that offered any privacy was the empty coat closet.

  Yeah. She really had no fucks to give.

  “What the…” Jake only followed her so he could ask, “what are you doing?”

  Once they were both in the closet, Claire closed and barred the door. Not that anyone would bother them in there. It was so far out of the way and out of use that not even the cleaning staff had anything to do with it. The rabble of the party outside was loud enough to drown out anything they said – or yelled.

  The more Claire thought about it, the more she started fantasizing about unzipping this man’s pants and having her way with him. Just like Arthur had his way with his women.

  She was going to enjoy this.

  “Hey…”

  Claire curled her hand around the back of Jake’s head and brought him down for their first kiss.

  She wasn’t normally this aggressive – or foolish. Yet the feelings festering in her gut and making her heart explode in both anger and indifference begged her to find some sort of outlet. Any outlet. Preferably, a sexual one.

  Jake really had nice lips, huh? Even when they were pulling away from hers and saying, “Whoa!”

  Claire laughed. The narrow closet forced them together, but she remained pressed against the wall. Those two inches were the only thing separating their bodies. “Whoa, yeah.”

  “What the hell are you doing?” Jake hissed.

  “Are you kidding me? You’ve been flirting with me from the moment we first made eye contact. You trying to tell me that you don’t want me, Mr. Jake?”

  “You’re… you’re his…”

  “I’m not anybody’s woman.” That’s what Claire had to tell herself to make it through this farce of an engagement and subsequent marriage. “No woman belongs to any man.”

  “But…”

  Claire wrapped her arms around his shoulders. So sturdy. So strong. Just imagine what he could do to her in this closet! “Shut up and fuck me, Jake. Ain’t nobody gonna know what we do in here.”

  It took him about two seconds to figure out what he wanted to do. Like a typical man, he chose sex over reason every time.

  Chapter 3

  “Hoooly shit,” Jake muttered upon Claire’s lips. “This is really wrong.”

  She giggled, even though his tongue was down her throat and she busied herself with feeling up his chest and tugging on his belt. “Yet it feels so right, yeah?” Assuming that by “right” she meant good. Right. Good. An in-the-moment tryst that she may regret later, but right now wanted so badly that her whole body threatened to burst in excitement. For all she knew, this was her last chance to have hot sex with a hotter man before she married Arthur Carter. Even if she arranged extramarital affairs to keep her sanity – because there was no way Arthur would give up his – Claire had no guarantee that she would ever find a man willing to piss Arthur off by sleeping with his wife. Like how Jake had uttered that this was “wrong.”

  “That man really has no idea who he’s marrying, huh?” Jake lifted Claire off the floor and propped her against the wall. Both of her legs wrapped around his waist. That was quick. Everything about this was deliciously quick. Reminded Claire of the tipsy games she used to play at high school parties. Seven minutes in Heaven. I hope this guy can last longer than seven minutes. “Because you’re a dangerous woman.”

  “What can I say? I need to be with a man who isn’t going to have a heart attack the first time he sees these.” Claire locked Jake into a kiss as she shimmied out of her dress straps and dipped her tongue beneath his chin. While he lost the will to not grab her bare breasts, Claire unzipped his pants and felt the fine silk of his boxers. Yup, yup, this is totally happening. She was past the point of no return. Claire didn’t care if she messed up her marriage arrangement to a cheating bastard she would never love anyway. Who knew? Maybe Jake was her true beloved, come to save her soul from eternal damnation!

  Just like a whimsical, romantic fairy-tale. Art was the greedy dragon hording his beautiful princess in an untouchable tower. Here came Sir Jake, ready to lop off the dragon’s wrinkly head and bed the young princess. Sounded like the kind of movie Jake needed to fund. Starring Claire, of course.

  “You gonna fuck me, Jake?” Claire didn’t wait for an answer before grabbing his cock. The man was already half-stiff and liable to jerk away from her at any moment. If he thinks he’s only getting a handjob in here, well, he’s an idiot. A cute idiot, though. Claire would only risk everything for a cute idiot. “You gonna show me what it’s like to get fucked by a real man?”

  “How about you shut up?” Jake slammed his hand against the wall. Claire’s skirt climbed up her thighs. “Because that diabolical mouth of yours is on the fast track to ruining this.”

  “You want it, huh?”

  He paused their famished lip-sucking to take a gander at her breasts hanging out of her dress and her limber legs spread around his waist. The tiny closet ensured they would never be more than a few inches apart. If Jake wanted out, he had to duck beneath her legs and leave her high and dry. As if. Like I’m dry. She was dry like Jake was hard. The more seconds went by, the harder he grew in her grasp. I’m so ready.

  “Oh, yeah. I want it.”

  “Did you want to fuck me from the moment you first saw me?”

  “Considering how we zero to sixtied this, I think it’s safe to say that the very first thought I had about you included sex.”

  Claire grinned. Jake had called her diabolical only a moment ago. She certainly felt like a dirty devil now. “Glad we’re on the same page. Because I had similar thoughts about you.”

  Jake pried her legs open and slammed his waist against her thighs. Gasping, Claire accepted all of him into her embrace, a part of her shocked that he had yet to fuck her.

  How much time had passed, anyway? Two minutes? Five? A whole ten of them thinking about doing it instead of getting to the main event? “Fuck me, Jake. For the love of God, I need you.”

  There was one little problem: Claire’s tights, which stretched across her pelvis, straining to keep her contained. It was the most fragile chastity belt in the world, but it provided one last barrier between what was right and what was wrong. Sex wasn’t supposed to be wrong. It was supposed to be the most glorious celebration of the physical human experience. No wonder Claire was so determined to experience it at least one more time before signing her life away to a man old enough to be her grandfather.

  Jake must have had similar feelings, whatever his backstory. For he tore apart Claire’s tights with one loud grunt echoing in the closet. That virile display of his masculinity made Claire groan as soon as her sensitive skin met the air.

  He silenced her with another kiss. The head of his erect cock touched her wet nether lips. Oh, God. D
o it. Please. Make me feel like a woman. It wasn’t enough to have him pay so much attention to her. To hear what he wanted to do to her. To feel his teeth nip her nipples and feel his hands grab her ass and thighs. She needed the whole experience. In as little time as possible, since she needed to get back to the party before anyone missed her.

  “You are such a liability.” It was like Jake tried to talk himself out of this, but Claire was too powerful, drawing him in one centimeter at a time. She threw her head back as her inner walls relaxed and accepted the girth of his cock. Hooooly shit is right. She withheld a cry of torturous pleasure. That is so amazing. Was it the forbidden nature of this tryst? Getting off on the thought of someone walking in on them? The unconventional position she hadn’t tried in years? Or was Jake that good inside of her? “I can’t believe I’m fucking doing this.”

  I hope for your sake you don’t have a girlfriend. Until then, Claire had assumed Jake’s problem had to do with Arthur. Maybe he was attached to another woman. Not. Her. Problem.

  Her only problem was taking that cock and kissing those lips as Jake fucked her.

  He did not hold back.

  Later, when her brain wasn’t fixated on sex and getting what she wanted, Claire would wonder if the intensity of Jake’s thrusts came from his frustration with the situation or his grand desire to have her. She was the sensual siren who had seduced him into a closet at her engagement party, after all. Now here he was, with her legs practically over his shoulders, her tits in his face, and his cock buried so deep within her that his heavy balls slapped against her ass every time he dove into her. Claire was in Heaven, of course. Seven minutes of it, if time hadn’t completely escaped her.

  She didn’t care what was in Jake’s head. It could have been blissful nothingness, a consuming need to fuck her, or so much guilt and shame that he would turn to the cloth after this. Didn’t matter. Claire only cared about the wonderful sensations claiming her.