Chapter 4 Congratulations, Mrs. Sterling

Daniel

"You have the next forty-eight hours so you don’t have to decide now," I said after studying her briefly.

"But if you agree, the contract will be sent to you and the moment you sign, there’s no turning back. You’ll be spending the next one year of your life playing the role of Mrs. Sterling.” I added while she swallowed hard.

I knew it was a tough decision for a girl like her and she would need some time to think things through. I was willing to give her time but then, I probably underestimated her desperation because the next words that came out of her mouth shocked me.

“I’m ready!” She let out.

“Congratulations then, Mrs. Sterling, the wedding is tomorrow. My lawyer will be there with the contract documents!” I said firmly.

“You can leave now,” I added after a long second and she was still standing there.

She turned immediately and hurried out while I just sat there and watched her get clumsy at it.

I grabbed my phone then, called my lawyer and told him everything. We made arrangements for the wedding tomorrow and I hung up.

I just knew I had to celebrate this good news so I called Sienna and we agreed to meet at the usual place and time later tonight…

“Come on, Daniel, stay the night." Sienna’s voice was soft, and seductive as she stretched her bare body but I didn’t even spare her a glance. I just ignored and buttoned my shirt.

"Not happening." I simply said while she pouted, rolling onto her stomach, her long nails dragging across the mattress.

"You said that the last time too. One of these days, I might start thinking you don’t like me." She retorted while I smirked, adjusting my cufflinks.

“You’re right, I don’t." I replied and she let out a soft gasp.

She was clearly expecting me to deny it, maybe give her some charming, reassurance but I didn’t. That wasn’t my style.

I walked to the dresser, picked up my Rolex, and slid it onto my wrist.

"Daniel!" She called.

"You knew the deal, Sienna." I cut in calmly.

“No attachments. No expectations. Just a good f*ck. And it was good, wasn’t it?" I asked and I already got my answer from the way she pressed her lips together and licked them.

Sienna is beautiful, I have to give her that. She’s tall, a blonde, and the kind of woman who turned heads the moment she walks into a room. The kind men fell over themselves to impress. I’m not like most men but when I saw her, I wanted her too and I had her just the way I wanted.

I grabbed my suit jacket and headed for the door.

"You’re such a f*cking asshole," she snapped but I didn’t even turn around.

"Glad you’re finally catching on." I replied and then walked out…

Women always wanted more and when I turn them down, they call me arrogant, ruthless, and a bastard with no heart. But despite all that, they still come back because no matter how much they hate me, they crave me more. I know what to say, what to do, how to touch them just right.

It doesn’t matter if they are lawyers, models, executives, or the spoiled daughters of wealthy men I met at business galas. They all want the same thing… a piece of me.

They wanted my attention, charm and money but not a single one of them wanted ‘me’ and that was what I wanted too.

I only want their bodies, and I get them every single time. In penthouse suites, in private yachts, in the back of my limo after a long night of drinking.

And once I’m done, I’m done done. I walk away, no second dates, attachments or goddamn strings!

It’s so easy for me because I’ve never been a man who believed in love. Not after what I’d seen and been through. I used to think love is a beautiful thing, but after having my heart cruelly broken too many times, I learned the hard way.

After my last heartbreak, I joined the bandwagon and started breaking hearts too until she came into the picture.

Eleanor.

It started as a one night stand until she showed up at my meeting the next morning. I thought she was stalking me but my assistant whispered to me that she was the representative of the company I was competing with.

I thought our little wild s*x would get into her head and make her timid. But it was the opposite. She held her own so well, and won the contract. I actually let her and my dad didn’t like that. But I did, and that was how it started.

I fell madly in love with Eleanor that I wouldn’t hesitate to give her my life if she asked for it. But then, death cruelly snatched her away from me. They said it was an accident but I never believed it. She was found on an empty highway, her car flipped over, her body burned beyond recognition. The official report said she lost control.

But I know Eleanor. She was a careful driver and yet, her car went off the road like she had no control at all.

I never got over it and after that, I stopped believing in love altogether. What was the point? What did it ever give me besides pain?

I went back to what I knew best… f*cking for fun. No attachments or emotions. Just pure, raw pleasure.

That was how I lived until my lawyer, Ethan, decided to ruin everything a month ago.

"You do realize that you have less than six months, Daniel." He said while

I stared at him, gently swirling the whiskey in my glass.

"And?" I quizzed nonchalantly while he exhaled sharply, adjusting his glasses. "And you lose everything if you’re not married by your next birthday." He revealed and I smirked.

"Everything, huh? Dramatic as always, Ethan."

"This isn’t a joke, Daniel. Your grandfather’s will is very clear. No wife by thirty, and no inheritance for you." He hammered.

I already knew that. It was my grandfather’s punishment for me. He never approved of the way I lived. He always complained that I was too reckless, irresponsible, and that I treated life like a game. He thought forcing me into marriage would fix me…

"So what do you suggest? That I fall in love? Settle down? Find my happily ever after?" I quizzed, leaning back,

"We both know that’s not possible. You’re never going to do that. What I suggest is that you find someone fast. It doesn’t have to be real, just legal. A year, or maybe less. Just enough to meet the conditions of the will." He let out while I stared at him again.

“A contract marriage?” I muttered while he nodded his head.

It actually wasn’t the worst idea but the only problem was that I don’t trust women with my money, name and sure as hell not with my inheritance.

Still, I didn’t have a choice so I started looking. I started within my own circle. The women I’d been with… the ones I knew would say yes in a heartbeat but I found nothing, they were all the same. They all want me for the wrong reasons, and getting legally married to them would be my end. It wouldn't matter if it's a contract marriage, they’d use it against me.

With this in mind, I started looking for other options but nothing worked until last night at the club…

Access Club is my go-to most evenings, where I let off stress. It’s a private club, a ridiculously expensive one but the girls and services are so worth it. Also, whatever happens in the room stays in there and that was exactly what I liked. Because I could just be myself, with no cameras in my face, interruptions, or paparazzi invading my privacy.

The manager knows what I like... Quiet, calm girls with mad energy and skills, and he always made sure I get exactly that.

They would strip, dance, tease… some nights, that was all I needed. Other nights? I fucked them senseless right there in the room, where no one could hear them scream my name…

But last night when she walked in, everything changed. She wasn’t like the others and I knew it the second I looked into her eyes that I had found my contract wife.

The way she hesitated and the way her breath skipped as her eyes met mine was everything. She was nervous and had no idea what she was doing here, and for the first time in a long time, I was intrigued. I let her try to impress me though. I let her fumble through her pathetic excuse for a performance, pretending like she knew what she was doing, until she broke.

"Please don’t report me. I really need this job.” She pleaded and that was the moment I made my decision.

I didn’t care about her striptease or how she failed to impress me. I already saw something in her that I hadn’t seen in any of the other women I’d been with.

I stood up, gave her some cash, and my card.

“There’s $10k there. Call if you want real work.” I didn’t say more than that or wait for her response, before walking out.

I already knew she would call, no girl from that club would receive that kind of money and not want more.

It wasn’t a question of if… only when. So when my manager informed me the next morning that she had called, I wasn’t surprised.

And when it was ten in the morning, and she didn’t show up, I still wasn’t bothered. Because I knew she would come, she had no choice. I’d seen the desperation in her eyes last night. Whatever brought her to that club wasn’t for fun, it was for survival. And when a person is desperate enough, they always come back.

Sure enough, at twenty minutes after eleven, the door to my office opened.

I didn’t even need to look up, I knew it was her…