- Alina -

“Are you sure you want to do this?” My father asked hoarsely, his healing body much better than the last time I visited.

I nodded and squeezed his hand, “I’m not going to marry someone who does illegal things behind my back dad. It’s all my fault, if only I paid more attention to what he was doing, you wouldn’t be-”

“Shh… Stop blaming yourself my Princess. It was Connor’s choice to do what he did, I happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time,” my father coaxed and wiped away the stray tear that rolled down my cheek.

I sniffed and took a deep breath, “I’m sure about this dad, I won’t marry him. A man involved with the mafia only spells trouble. I will never marry someone who has relations with those illegal gangs. I’ve lost mum to them, I won’t lose you too.”

He sighed and I bent over for him to press a kiss on my forehead, “Alright then, stop crying now. You still have a holiday to escape to.”

“I can’t leave you here dad, come on. Besides, there is no honeymoon for just one person.”

“This is an order from your old man, go on a nice holiday before coming back to take the burden of the company from my shoulders. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“But dad I-”

“Go now, have fun.”

~ 

I shifted in my bed, the soft sheets pulling me out from my last meeting with my father at the hospital.

"Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," a deep yet familiar baritone rang across the space and my eyes flew wide open.

The bright Hawaiian sun flashed in my eyes and I pulled the sheets over my head to shield the harmful rays.

I checked my body and realised my clothes were changed.

Fucking damn it.

I sat upright, glaring at the hot man standing at the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the gorgeous beach and endless blue sea.

His brows shot up, "What? No thank you?"

"What the heck did you do to me?!" I nearly screamed and he eyed me.

"I didn't do anything to you. In fact, you were the one doing everything."

"What the fuck does that mean?" A serious full-fledged headache was sitting on the edge of its seat, ready to attack me at full force.

He sighed and walked over to me, my mouth going dry at the sight of him.

He wore a black polka-dotted shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows with a pair of khaki bermudas. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone and a strange urge to touch his chest invaded me.

Simple never looked this sexy.

Mr Knight leaned over me, making me recline backwards as his lips came a mere inch away from mine.

His masculine scent masked every other smell in my mind and I felt woozy.

He smirked and my cheeks heated up, what the hell did he want?

He reached over to the bedside table and picked up a glass of water and two pills. Aspirin.

"Here," he handed the glass to me and dropped the pills onto my open palm.

I stared blankly at the fucking sexy beast for a while longer and threw the pills into my mouth, gulping it down with the water.

"You've not answered me," I reminded him as he leisurely left me alone in his room.

This must be the Honeymoon Suite. Considering the humongous expanse of the room. 

I chucked the sheets aside and clambered after him out of the room into the hall. It was so simple yet it made me feel more at home than I did at my mansion.

The warm sandy and beige tones made everything cosier than it already was. Light splashes of pastel blue and green lit up the interior and I actually felt at ease here.

Comfortable.

The aroma of chicken and waffles made my dry mouth water and my stomach growled, unhappy that I kept it empty for as long as I did.

I went to the bathroom and got the shock of my life in the mirror.

My eyebags were completely obvious and my eyes looked so drained and tired.

I was changed out of my dusty pink dress into a casual white blouse with denim shorts.

Which brings me back to the question, what did he do to me?

I brushed my teeth ferociously and cleaned myself up. Dragging the hairbrush through my mane to untangle the mess of my hair.

I dusted some face powder on my skin and went back out into the living room, seeing Mr Knight place two plates of breakfast on the dining table.

He looked up at me and stared for a few seconds before pulling a chair out for me, "Have a seat."

I bit my bottom lip and went over, letting him push my chair in when I sat.

He came round to the other side of the table and sat himself down, "Now, about your question."

I grabbed my fork and knife and pierced a piece of chicken, biting into the tender and well seasoned meat

"I did not have sex with you if that's what you're worried about. I prefer when both parties agree to a night of debauchery and last night was definitely not one of those nights."

I coughed and reached out to take a sip of the tea, "You seem to partake in nightly activities often."

A small grin greeted his usually stony features and I found myself smiling, he had the faintest hint of a pair of dimples. I wonder what they'll look like when he actually smiles properly.

"I do, it's my way of relieving tension."

I forked another bite of waffles into my mouth, "Who changed me out of my clothes?"

His smile stretched a tiny bit more, "Lucy helped with that, I let her and her husband come with me. It's like a short vacation for them."

I pursed my lips, "That's quite nice of you. Though going anywhere with my boss isn't exactly my idea of a holiday."

He sipped on his black coffee, "It doesn't really seem like much of a holiday for you anyway huh?"

I stopped chewing and looked him dead in the eye, a silent challenge for him to tell me what he thought he knew.

I swallowed hard, my appetite went down the drain with the change in conversation topic. 

"Go ahead then, tell me what you know," I dared him and his brows lifted slightly, before settling back into his cold exterior.

"You were drunk yesterday when you arrived at the lobby, mumbling something about chasing Connor out of your house. Then you started rambling about no longer being Mrs Anderson. So I'm guessing the engagement is off and this is supposed to be your honeymoon. Of course, it's only a good guess," he finished the last of his coffee and locked his eyes on me.

The deep dark intensity of his gaze, I could drown in them.

I blinked hard and placed my utensils down nicely, "Well then, you hit the jackpot."

He smirked, the genuine smile gone from his handsome face, "That's not fun now is it?"

"Explain fun."

"Enlighten me Alina, you broke off the engagement based on what? Money? Betrayal?"

I took a deep breath, seeing as how he had also put his fork and knife down. Seems like an interrogation is due.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on either side of the plate, "I assure you Mr Knight, there are more pressing matters than a simple lie and finances."

He reached for my hand and pressed the back of my hand to his lips, "Kieran is fine."

My skin scorched at his innocent gesture and I lifted my hand away. The heck was wrong with me?

I cleared my throat, "I'll call you whatever I want."

His grin appeared again, a naughty one, "Oh I'll make sure of it."

I seemed to stop breathing and I quickly drank my tea, soothing the drought in my mouth.

He picked his fork up and continued eating, "What are the pressing matters then darling? It's a big thing to call off an engagement on the day before the wedding isn't it?"

I gripped the flimsy teacup tighter and placed it down on the saucer, "I don't think this is any of your business."

"Ironic, seeing as how you're my wife for now."

The tiny porcelain handle of the cup snapped between my fingers and the broken shard pierced my flesh. Crimson red dripped down my fingers onto the white tablecloth and Kieran looked at me with an unreadable expression before leaving the table.

I'm what now?

He came back out with a first aid kit and took my hand, pulling me up to follow him, "That was probably the last thing I expected from you when I told you we were married."

He let the water from the kitchen sink wash the wound and I took the chance to admire his astounding good looks. Even the annoying pain in my finger couldn't stop the silly attraction I had for him.

He had the sharpest, most chiselled jawline I've ever seen. His sleek black hair was slicked back with pomade and I wanted to tangle my fingers in them. I wanted to be the one to mess up the glory of his perfection.

"You don't seem all that affected, other than the cut on your finger. I have a feeling you'll actually enjoy being my wife."

"Quit the joke Mr Knight, it's not funny."

He turned to face me, the short distance between us driving my body wild for his touch. But I stayed completely still, I wasn't going to let him think he could play games with me.

"Technically we aren't married, but the staff working at this hotel most probably think we are," he shut the tap and grabbed a soft towel to dry my hand off.

He directed us to the living room, picking the first aid kit up as we passed the dining table and sat us down on the plush off-white sofa set.

He got out some antiseptic cream and dabbed it on the small wound.

"Why would the staff think we're married?" I questioned and his tiny smile appeared.

"You couldn't handle the receptionist in your state and apparently all the rooms were fully booked yesterday. So I took it upon myself to introduce myself as your newly wedded husband. This way, you can rest in my suite and no one will give us dirty looks. Sweet plan huh?"

I pulled my hand away just as he was about to wrap it up in some bandage, "What do you want from me? What do you gain from this- this- thing?"

His dimples deepened and if I wasn't sitting down, my knees would have given in.

"I don't gain anything, I just thought it'll be nice to have some company on my short vacation, seems like you could use it too," he twirled my hair between his fingers before tucking it behind my ear.

"I'm fine Mr Knight. And if I got one thing right, this room rightfully belongs to me as of today, you can leave after you're done with your breakfast," I snapped at him and stood up, my nerves a jumbled mess from his gentle touches.

He circled his hand around my wrist and got up to lock our gazes, "I know the last thing you need right now is to have someone butting into your personal problems. I get it, but I'm sure you need someone by your side through this supposed honeymoon. I may not be the ideal surrogate boyfriend or friend in any case, but I'm a decent companion. I'm sure I'll be of some assistance to help get rid of the thoughts of your ex. Besides, I quite enjoy your company."

I raised a brow at him, wondering why he was even bothering with me. We barely knew one another.

But again, I didn't feel particularly edgy or uncomfortable with him here. If anything, I felt relaxed. Somewhat.

"Is this a business proposal of some sort?" I inquired and he chuckled.

A low hearty sound.

"If it will convince you to let me be your substitute fiancé or companion, then yes it is a business proposal."

I couldn't help the stupid grin that snuck up on my face, "A business deal during a holiday isn't really holiday material though. I prefer a simple agreement between two willing parties."

I held a hand out for him to shake and he grinned, slipping his hand into mine and whispering in my ear, "I look forward to spending time with you Alina."

I found my confidence lying in a puddle from his presence but managed to get out a relatively firm response, "Likewise Kieran."