Just Pretend

Chapter Eleven

Jason

At first, I think I'm dreaming because the smell of bacon tackles my nose, waking me up gently and it's quickly followed by the smell of coffee. I open my eyes and see that I'm not in my own bed, but rather in one that feels like I'm lying on air, and swing my legs off the bed.

I jump when I put my feet on the carpet, feeling something squish under my foot and I look down to see a large rubber spider next to the bed. I smile with a shake of my head as I get out of bed and pick the spider up. I check my watch and is surprised to find it's only six as I walk to the door.

When I open it, the scent of eggs wafts up to me and I almost groan out loud at the delicious smell as I make my way out of the bedroom, not quite the zombie I usually am on a Monday. I jog down the stairs and I can hear activity coming from the kitchen, the smell of a full breakfast luring me into the kitchen.

Jesus Christ, she's gorgeous.

Gwen's hair is pulled up into a messy bun at the base of her neck and wearing a pair of boxers and a tank top that's ridden up to the middle of her back and a hint of ink catches my eye from under it. I'm curious to see the rest of the tattoo hidden underneath and my fingers itch to lift her shirt, but instead I stop in the doorway, taking in the sight of her. Gwen moves around the kitchen with ease as she continues preparing breakfast.

It's only when she reaches up into the cabinet that I notice how short she really is; she puts her knee up on the counter and lifts herself up, bringing down two plates carefully and putting them beside her thigh and lowering herself again onto the floor with a small jump.

I will steal this woman from Mark if I have the fucking gap.

I'm planning on using this week to get closer to her in any aspect that I possibly can without forcing her to compromise her morals.

She keeps her back to me the entire time I'm admiring her, so, when she speaks, I nearly jump out of my skin.

'How'd you sleep?'

'Good! Good. I did step on something, though, when I woke up,' she stills her actions for a brief second before she continues.

'Oh yeah?' She asks curiously and I bite the chuckle threatening to bubble up while she pours coffee out of the French press into the two cups in front of her.

I walk over to the counter, barely able to stop myself from standing behind her, and actually groan out loud at the sight of the breakfast she puts in front of me a few seconds later.

'This looks...wow. I can't wait,' I say, earning a soft laugh from her as a knife and fork pair slides into my vision.

'Dig in,' she says as she sits opposite me and I forget about the fake spider in my hand as my mouth starts watering. I put it down on the counter and sink down into the chair, picking up the knife and fork on the way down. I'm aware that she's watching me, but I don't look up until the first delectably soft bite of egg hits my tongue. I groan and look up to see a small smile on her lips before she looks down and starts eating her own food.

If this is her breakfast, I don't understand how Mark can enjoy takeaways more that her cooking.

We eat in silence and when I'm done, I'm surprised to find a joint and a fresh cup of coffee beside my empty plate. This woman is an angel.

I see her draining the last of her first cup of coffee and start to gather the dishes together. I help her put everything in the sink and follow her out to the patio, carrying our coffee cups while she brings the joints and a lighter.

We smoke and chat about nothing really, but I find that I enjoy her company more than any woman other than my sister's. She's easy to talk to and she loves finding the opportunity to tease me about something she's picked up over the last forty-eight hours.

'What would you have done of the guy in the club didn't believe we're together?' she asks suddenly and I look her dead in the eye; not wanting any kind of misunderstanding when I answer her.

'I would have kissed you,' I say simply and her lips part slightly as she gasps softly. She doesn't react in any other way, and reaches forward to flick the ash on the tip of her joint into the ashtray.

A few hours later I'm standing in the lobby of my dad's office building with Howard and Finn, and they can't stop yapping about the night before; how I went home with the most beautiful girl in the club and all the things that I could possibly have done to her.

'She's engaged, guys. I only went home with her because she's Alyssa and Will's new neighbour and she couldn't possibly have carried Lyss alone,' I don't know which part of my sentence has them blinking at me in confusion.

'What?' I finally ask and then Finn hits me with a curveball.

'She wasn't wearing a ring last night, dude. And there's no tan line on that finger.'

I wrack my brain to remember ever seeing her wear her engagement ring and my mind conjures the image of her sitting across from me this morning with her knife in her hand – ringless.

'She probably doesn't like wearing it,' I say with a shrug and Finn raises his eyebrows at me.

Finn has known me forever, since he joined our family by starting to date my sister eight years ago, they're now married with a child. Will is the only one of my brother-in-law's that is not working for my dad; the rest of them, including Howard, works at the company. They're the only ones that I get along with.

'Jace, what's Gwen do for a living?' Howard asks slowly, his eyes glued to a spot over my shoulder.

'She's a translator, why?' I respond but he doesn't have to reply; the laugh that I've been hearing the entire early morning floats across the lobby to me, but the voice that follows speaks Japanese. I turn around much slower than I want to and watch her step out of the elevator with a broad smile on her face and wearing a neat three-piece black pinstripe pantsuit.

'She's fucking gorgeous,' I whisper under my breath, unable to help myself. She walks with her body turned toward her client and I realise it's the same client I'm seeing in twenty minutes with my dad.

'That she is. Hey, look, she's spotted you,' Finn says with a smirk and his eyes fall to her left hand at her side as she gestures to her client with the right, but her eyes are on me. She smiles when she sees me looking at her and seems to excuse herself from her client and walking straight towards the three of us.

'Hi, guys!' she calls as she nears and I instinctively hold my arms out to her. She surprises me by slipping into my embrace and wrapping her arms around my waist. The hug lasts a few seconds before she pulls away, a reluctant expression flickering briefly over her face before settling into a smile again as she faces Finn and Howard.

I drop my arms to my side as Finn shoots me an odd look, looking between me and her for a second before introducing himself. Howard follows and I'm jealous of the smile she gives them both, but that jealousy evaporates when she turns her smile on me and it's ten times more radiant than the one she gave them.

'It seems that we'll be working together,' she says teasingly and I can't help but smile back at her. The action causes half the lobby to pause for a second but I shake off the uneasy feeling that Finn and Howard are just waiting for her to leave.

'I'll see you, Mr. Harrington,' she says coyly and I feel my suit pants tighten around my crotch at her words as she walks away, her ponytail swaying gently against her back as her hips sway with each step she takes.

My eyes follow her the entire way to her clients and all the way to the elevator where they pause as she calls it.

'We'll continue this later,' Finn says and looks at me meaningfully to which I frown and he just shakes his head. Not long after, Howard and Finn leave me alone to carry on with their own work and I make my way to the elevator way slowly.

By the time I reach the floor the meeting is being held on, the meeting's started in the first glass-walled boardroom. Gwen is sitting with her back to me and she's hung her jacket over the back of the chair, revealing the tight-fitting vest and white shirt combination she's wearing underneath.

My father is the first one to see me and he mentions me over urgently. I focus on getting rid of the impromptu erection between my legs as my make my way into the boardroom and sit across from Gwen.