Chapter 8: A Billionaire's Paradise

༺RAYNE༻

Liam takes me from city hall to his house, a ridiculously huge mansion in the upper east side of New York City, the part of town where only the super-duper rich people live. I can't stop myself from staring at the place. It's breathtaking.

“If you're done gawking, you can come inside now.” Liam's irritating voice ruins the moment for me.

Ugh! He's so annoying and so arrogant!

I roll my eyes at his back and stick my tongue out when he's not looking. He walks ahead of me while his bodyguard is just right behind me like a big, burly watchdog.

I follow Liam up the beautiful sweeping staircase at the entrance and through the large wooden doors. As soon as I step inside the foyer, I gasp like a goldfish out of water. The mansion is a billionaire’s paradise!

My eyes dance all over the place, admiring the interior and I walk further into the living room. There are quite a lot of chandeliers, all glittering like magical, light-up disco balls. The artwork on the walls looks like it’s worth more than a lifetime of working a 9-to-5 job.

My shoes click softly against the marble floors, making me glance down. The floors are so shiny, I could eat off them, not that I'd want to. I chuckle at the silly thought.

“Is something funny?” Liam asks and that's when I realize he's been staring at me this whole time.

I sigh wearily. “Can you just let me be?”

He's always on my case, always breathing down on my neck. He’s like a persistent mosquito that won’t stop buzzing in my ear no matter what I do. It’s like the word “relax” isn’t in his vocabulary.

“Let you be? What kind of husband would that make me?” He replies calmly, stepping away from me.

“Fiancé,” I correct him with a huff. “We're not married yet, remember?”

We would've been married about an hour ago. I was so shocked when I found out that Liam already had everything planned out before he made the proposal to me. He'd gotten the marriage license, booked an officiant and picked a spot at the city hall for the ceremony.

He'd even arranged for two persons to be witnesses. This cocky man was so sure that I was going to accept his offer right away. And I can't blame him though. $10 million dollars and lifetime of health insurance isn't something that anyone with half a brain would say no to.

However when the time came to tie the knot, Liam changed his mind. For a moment, I was scared he didn't want to marry me anymore. Well, not really scared. I was mostly confused at his sudden change of mind.

But he made it clear that our deal was still on. Instead of holding a private wedding at city hall, we would get married in a grand style. It suddenly dawned on him that a real wedding would convince his grandfather and everyone else that we're madly in love.

There would be no room for suspicions.

He's one clever asshole, isn't he?

Liam replies, burying his hands in his pockets, “It's only a matter of time, a few weeks perhaps. We'll be married before you know it.”

“I can't wait,” I deadpan, shooting him an obviously fake smile.

“I'm sure you can't.” His tone is just as dry as mine.

Maybe we'll get along just fine.

Liam shows me around some parts of the mansion and then leads me to my bedroom. Apparently, we'd be sleeping in separate rooms. I have to say I'm relieved by his respect for my personal space. I was worried I'd have to share a bed with him tonight.

Worried? Like he didn't have your legs hung on his shoulders and his dick buried deep inside of you about a week ago—my subconscious mocks me. Yeah, Rayne, you were totally worried about that. Sure you were.

I scowl inwardly, wishing my subconscious would just shut the hell up. It's bad enough dealing with Liam and his overbearing presence. Now I've got my own mind mocking me too.

I shake my head, ignoring the taunting voice inside to focus on the room Liam has shown me. It's luxurious, of course, with a fancy queen-size bed that could fit a whole football team. The walls are painted a soothing shade of blue and there's a balcony overlooking the lake and the garden.

Liam clears his throat, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Disappointed?”

I glance at him, raising my eyebrow. “What?”

“Are you disappointed we won't be sharing the same bedroom?” His expression is blank but his voice carries a cocky undertone.

My jaw drops.

“I can always change my mind, you know. All you need to do is behave and be a good girl.” He says it so nonchalantly, like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

But the truth is, he’s right about me being disappointed. The thought of being with him again, it does turn me on. What I felt that night was pure ecstasy. I've never felt anything like it before.

However, it doesn't mean I'll just hop on his bed again like a sex-starved maniac. No way. I've got a bit more self-control than that. Even though Liam's proximity is making me weak in the knees.

I scoff, my lips twisted in a smug smile. “I’m not that desperate, Liam.”

“But you were desperate that night when you came begging me to fuck you.” His voice drops to a low and sinful tone that makes my body tingle in all the wrong places.

My face burns at the memory. He’s so wrong. I wasn’t begging; I was simply… eager to get revenge on that bastard, Henry. That's all!

Damn him for bringing that up! Even with a straight face on, I can practically see the wheels turning in his head right now. He’s enjoying this, taunting me like this. Well, I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that he got under my skin. No way Jose!

I fold my arms across my chest and stare him down. “You’re not going to get a reaction out of me, so you can stop with the mind games.”

Liam shrugs and goes quiet for a while. He glances at his wristwatch, his expression hardens and his eyes turn cold.

“Get some rest,” he says and it sounds like a command. His voice is now as chilly as his gaze. “The cook will make your food. I'm heading out now. I have work to do. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me.”

And with that, he turns on his heel and leaves without so much as a backwards glance. I'm dumbfounded as I watch him walk away. He is suddenly a different person from the flirtatious, cocky guy he was just moments ago. Did I say something wrong?