1. Crossland

CHAPTER 1

Crossland

“Istill can’t believe you two,” Weston said from his seat right next to Asher at the poker table, but his eyes were on Ethan and me. “You both repelled down a skyscraper today but wouldn’t tour the live volcano.”

Ethan and I shared a look, but Ethan was the first to speak. “Hey, I boarded down one. Isn’t that enough?” He jabbed a thumb in my direction. “He’s the one that didn’t do either. Why don’t you give him more shit?”

I gave him a mock offended look. “Thanks for throwing me under the bus.” I shook my head. “Repelling down the skyscraper didn’t involve being chased by hot lava at the same time.”

Fuck that. I was all for nature and hiking and exploring the local terrain, but it didn’t matter what Weston tasked me with. I would never be one to risk my life as much as he did. Though he had slowed down ever since he and Brynn got engaged.

Had to give him credit though, this morning had been unmatched. Dawn had just broken the sky when we’d repelled down the city skyscraper, the entire cityscape of New York stretching out before us as we plummeted down. It wasn’t something I’d easily forget. Thankfully, there was no lava included.

“I think you’re all nuts,” Asher said, leaning back in his chair just enough to flash his fiancé, Daisy, a wink. “You wouldn’t catch me doing that.”

“You did the volcano boarding,” Weston countered. “What’s so different about flying down the side of that versus going straight down a skyscraper?”

“The difference is I had control of the board, and my feet were firmly on the ground. There wasn’t just a flimsy harness and carabiner holding me steady.”

“What’s life without a little risk?” Weston teased.

“That’s the beauty of this group,” Asher said. “We get to choose our risks.”

“Speaking of this little group,” I said, glancing around the table and noticing one seat was empty. “Where is the dismal sixth player?”

Gareth had been uncharacteristically quiet—even for him—as we waited to get our game started, but I spared a glance to the empty seat, and the one directly behind it that Serenity usually occupied.

“He’s late,” Weston explained. “Let’s wait another ten minutes. If he doesn’t show up, we’ll start without him.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky, and he won’t show up at all.” I knew that wouldn’t be the case, but a guy could dream.

“I’m not that lucky,” Gareth said.

I glanced to my right, cocking a brow at him. “You don’t really mean that,” I said. “I bet my Rolex that you’d be the most upset out of all of us if Doyle suddenly lost his seat in this game.”

Gareth flashed me a warning glare, one that I dutifully ignored. The guy was undeniably scary, and, as his best friends, we’d certainly heard more than our fair share of stories that sounded more like a mafia movie script than real life, but he didn’t scare me. Maybe that made me reckless, but I didn’t care.

The guy couldn’t keep his eyes off Serenity whenever she was in the room. Even when he wasn’t directly looking at her, he always knew where she was, like he had a sixth sense about it. And yeah, we were all worried about the girl, especially with her father being the asshole that he was, but with Gareth, it was different, and I loved pointing it out when no one else would.

“Speaking of Serenity,” I said, even though no one had, I just enjoyed getting a rise out of Gareth. “Has she called in her chip yet?”

“Jesus, Crossland,” Ethan said, but laughed. “He’s going to murder you.”

“No way,” I argued, leaning over to nudge Gareth with my elbow. “He loves me too much. Not that you ever tell me,” I added for good measure, batting my eyes dramatically. It was enough to get the barest of smiles from him, which he held close to his chest like he’d run out if he used them too much.

“I wouldn’t murder him,” Gareth said.

“See?” I aimed at Ethan, who sat on Gareth’s right. “I’m his favorite. Come to think of it…” I tilted my head, dramatically running my fingers over my trimmed goatee. “Actually, I’m everybody’s favorite.”

Asher shook his head, barely holding back his laugh as he shuffled the cards.

“You’re not my favorite,” Gareth continued. “But I wouldn’t murder you. That would be too easy. Do you really want to find out what happens to people who think it’s entertaining to fuck with me?”

Now that was enough to pique my curiosity. Gareth rarely evoked the old-school tone we all knew he’d used when he’d been entrenched with his family legacy, but whenever he did, it was intimidating as hell. I knew he was just fucking with me, but damn, I never wanted to be on the other end of a genuine threat from him.

“I know I’m late,” Doyle grumbled as he entered the room, taking his seat on my left. Serenity followed him, lowering into her designated chair behind him.

I bit down on the question on the tip of my tongue, why don’t you sit with the other girls while they plan out their night? Brynn, Daisy, and Alex were already gathered around one of their tablets, checking out the best things to do in the city. They’d hang here with us for a while before heading out, as was their usual plan if they decided not to stay the entire game. But I knew from Doyle’s big mouth that Serenity was to be seen, not heard, and while I hated that, I didn’t want to say anything that would get her into trouble. Probably the same reason why Gareth so rarely vocally expressed his opinions about Serenity’s role here either.

“You’re not my favorite either,” Brynn said, ignoring Doyle. Her smile was bright as she glanced at Weston from where she sat just a little ways behind him in a grouping of plush furniture we’d brought in for her and the other girls. Her, Daisy, and Alex had been particularly giggly tonight, which I assumed had everything to do with Brynn’s approaching wedding more than the craft cocktails they sipped on. Thank fuck they had Weston’s driver to take them wherever they landed on going later.

“Please,” I drug out the word. “That’s not at all fair. I’m almost one hundred percent certain that before you and Wes became a thing, I was totally your favorite. Who was by your side touring that natural reserve in Nicaragua?”

Brynn smiled and shrugged. “That’s fair,” she said.

“You can deal those cards now, Asher,” Doyle said, raising his brows like he had no clue what Asher was waiting for, despite the fact that he’d been almost an hour late.

Dick.

“You can’t be serious,” Weston said to Brynn, peeking at his cards after Asher dealt them. “Even before us? He was your favorite?”

Brynn laughed, rising from her seat to cross the room and plant a quick kiss on her soon-to-be husband’s cheek. “So jealous,” she said, then winked at him.

Weston slid an arm around her lower back, tucking her against his side as he looked up at her from where he was still seated.

The way they held a silent conversation laced with nothing but excitement and love and tease was almost nauseating. Asher behaved the same with Daisy, and now even Ethan had fallen victim to the moon-eyed effect with his girl Alexandra.

It was a goddamn epidemic.

Luckily, Gareth and I seemed immune.

“I’m going to pretend that you didn’t say that,” Weston murmured to Brynn after he and I had called Gareth’s raise.

I had an ace and king of spades. I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Or what?” Brynn challenged him.

“We only have two weeks till our wedding, and you’re pushing me?” Weston asked her, his tone purely playful. “Say Crossland was your favorite again and see what happens.”

“I’m sitting right here,” I reminded them.

“And you’re really a delight, Cross,” Brynn said, pushing herself away from Weston with a sweet smile. “But let’s face it, that’s all you want, and that’s all you offer. Fun. Some women want more.”

“Not the women I see,” I said, smirking as Asher dealt the flop. A queen and a jack had me sitting on a nice straight draw. “And trust me,” I continued after betting. “I haven’t had any complaints.”

Weston, Gareth, Doyle, and Asher all folded, but Ethan called.

“That’s because you’re barely with the same woman more than a night or two at a time,” Ethan said as Ash dealt the turn. A two of spades, which now gave me a flush draw too. “It takes way more work to hold the attention of one woman for a longer period of time, trust me.”

“He’s not wrong,” Weston said. “It takes more than good looks, a smile, and a fun little outing.”

“You call a weekend on a private island a little outing?” I asked, referring to the date I set up for the last woman I’d spent more than a night with. Rochelle. That’d been a year ago. Three nights with her and she was more than happy to get back to the States and never call me again the second she realized I’d been serious when I said I didn’t want a relationship. I usually could tell when the women I dated were in it to change me, but I’d missed the mark with her.

I haven’t let that happen again since.

One or two nights.

That’s it.

“He’s saying…” Asher said. “That satisfying the same person over and over again is a completely different subject. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to do it.”

I furrowed my brow, shock rolling through me as I tried to keep track of the conversation and the hand.

Did my friends really think I didn’t have the talent to keep a woman entertained for more than a few nights? Sure, I might not be cut out for love like they were, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t maintain a steady partner.

Asher dealt the last card in the middle of the table, revealing a seven of spades. I had the nut flush, and I did my best not to react as Ethan threw out his bet—one of his three yachts.

“It’s okay,” Ethan said, continuing the conversation like he hadn’t just bet his luxury vacation home on the water. Too bad it was about to be mine. “We get it. We’re not trying to change you. We’re just saying that we’ve never seen you even bother to date someone longer than three days.”

“You didn’t, either,” I said. “Not before Alex.” I nodded to where she sat next to Daisy, and she grinned at me. “So, you aren’t really one to talk.”

“Touché.” Ethan grinned. “If you’re struggling with what to bet,” he continued. “I’d love that ’64 Ferrari.”

The mention of my father’s favorite car hit me right in the chest, not that Ethan meant it to. I couldn’t blame him for wanting it—it was a spectacular car—but it was my dad’s. The familiar sensation of grief trickled lightly into my veins, less than when Bristol and I had first lost our parents, thanks to the passing of time, but still very present.

“That confident in your hand, huh?” I asked, playing off the fact that I had the best hand out there.

“Try me,” Ethan said.

He must have a flush too and didn’t put me on the higher spades.

“Or we could keep talking about how you can’t compare your quick charms to something sustainable,” Ethan added, smirking. He was trying to shake me up, get me off the hand. It probably would’ve worked if I didn’t have the best one.

“You guys have no idea,” I said, shaking my head. I couldn’t believe they thought they were different from me. I could easily do what they were saying I couldn’t. “How do you know I’m not dating someone right now?”

Asher and Wes shared a look before laughing.

“Do you see anyone in this room?” I asked, motioning to the women who were all attached to someone at the table in one way or another. “Normally, I have at least one woman here, but not this trip. Haven’t you wondered why?”

Now that got their attention. I was full of shit, but they deserved it, ribbing me like they were. Truth was, I’d been…tired in preparation for this month’s game. I’d been bouncing back and forth between NYC and Calgary—my two main homes—so much that I often woke up and didn’t remember which bed I was in. Add to that my trips to Charleston to see my little sister Bristol, and I felt beyond restless…like I couldn’t find solid ground. The idea of dragging a random woman who was only interested in the monetary perks I could offer on this trip sounded like a chore.

“You’re saying you have a girlfriend?” Ethan asked.

“Are you going to call his bet or not?” Doyle asked, but I waved him off, totally ignoring him.

“Maybe,” I answered Ethan.

“Bullshit,” Weston aptly called, but I was so into this challenge now.

“Where is she then?” Asher asked.

“Downstairs,” I blurted without really thinking, a shit habit of mine.

Ethan laughed, then tilted his head. “You’re serious?”

“Call,” I said, wanting to take the spotlight off what I’d gotten myself into. I threw in my equivalent chip, and Ethan proudly turned over a flush. It was just lower than mine.

“Damn,” he said when he saw my winning hand. “Didn’t put you on the ace.”

“Clearly,” I said, raking in the chips.

“Why didn’t you raise me?” Ethan asked, eying me.

Because I’d been too eager to get out of the lie I’d dove right into. Shit.

“You had the best hand, and you knew it,” Ethan pushed.

“Maybe I didn’t want to take any more of your prized possessions.”

“Since when has that ever stopped you before?” Ethan asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Gareth asked as Asher dealt a new hand. “He didn’t want us pressing him on the dating stuff anymore. Because he’s full of shit.” He barely smiled, but I saw it. Fucker was getting me back for earlier.

I glanced at my cards and folded when it came to my action.

“That makes sense,” Ethan said. “So, about this imaginary girlfriend⁠—”

“She’s not imaginary,” I cut him off.

Okay, now what the hell was I doing? Why did it bother me so much?

Sure, all but Gareth had found the loves of their lives. Partners who supported them, challenged them, went on trips with them without expecting millions of dollars’ worth of luxuries in the process…but that didn’t mean I wanted it.

“Then go get her,” Wes challenged. “You know we’d all love to meet her.”

“You said she was downstairs,” Ethan pressed.

I laughed, pushing away from the table. “Okay, I will,” I said. “And then you’re all going to wipe those smug looks off your faces.”

My friends laughed as I headed out of the room and into the elevator that would take me down to the club level of the hotel. It was one of NYC’s most popular hotspots for nightlife after all—which is why I’d bought this building a few years ago.

The elevator doors glided open, and I stepped out, immediately entrenched in thumping music and muted lighting. The elevator was roped off and guarded for me and my guests only, and the bouncer nodded toward me as I headed past him.

“Girlfriend, girlfriend,” I muttered to myself as I navigated through the throngs of people dancing, drinking, or sitting in booths lining the walls. I scanned the crowd, looking for someone, anyone, who would play the role for me.

I mean, how hard could it really be to get a girlfriend, anyway?

“They don’t have any snacks here?” a light voice whined from beside me as I rounded the bar. “Ugh. What kind of place did you drag me to, Jesse?”

Damn, the woman in question was gorgeous, with emerald green hair with lighter green streaks that framed the most beautiful face I’d ever seen. She had full lips that were in the cutest pout as she stared up at an extremely tall, dark-haired guy. She had stunning hazel eyes that made her look almost otherworldly with all the gold shimmering in them, but she wore a casual black sparkly romper and well-worn sneakers that screamed innocent to me.

“Um, only the hottest, hard-to-get-into club in the city? You’re welcome,” her friend Jesse said.

“Okay, fair,” she said. “But I’m hungry. I don’t care how exclusive the club is, there should always be a food option.”

I laughed, totally shook by the knockout currently food-shaming my club.

She looked behind her and up, her eyes meeting mine before she spun back around.

“Excuse me,” I said, remembering why I was here in the first place. “This is going to sound strange,” I continued once I gained her attention, “but would you like to earn ten thousand dollars for thirty minutes of your time?”

“More power to you,” she said, shaking her head. “But I’m not a worker.”

I blinked a few times, shock blazing through me at that response—first, by her assuming I thought she was a sex worker, and second, by the chillness in which she’d responded.

It made me laugh.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” I said. “I need someone to pretend to be my girlfriend to prove a point to my friends. Ten grand. No questions asked.”

“Wait, what?” She fully turned around to face me, shock coloring her features.

“I’m serious. Are you in?”

“I…”

“Who the hell are you?” her friend asked, stepping up to her side. He was almost as tall as me, draped in some serious clothes I knew Bristol would love to take a closer look at.

“Fuck,” I said. “Are you two together?” I wasn’t about to start a fight over this.

“No,” she quickly answered.

“Babe,” he said, lowering his voice. “This is a line. He’s not serious⁠—”

I pulled out the cash I kept in my pocket on game nights, showing her how serious I was.

“Holy shit,” Jesse said. “I take that back.”

“Ohmigod,” she said looking from the money to me and back again. “Are you that desperate for a fuck?”

I blinked at hearing the word come from such a light voice, a jolt of heat spearing down my spine. “I don’t want to fuck you,” I said, then tilted my head. “That’s not to say I wouldn’t take you up on the offer, but for now, I just want you to be my girlfriend for half an hour.”

Jesus, it sounded as awful in my head as out of it.

“Cash first,” Jesse spoke on her behalf, and she smacked his stomach. He laughed, sipping from his drink. “What, girl, don’t turn the universe down when it’s trying to give you a gift wrapped in a hot-as-sin package. I mean, come on, he looks like the duke from the first season of Bridgerton. Be a duchess for a minute,” he teased her.

I pursed my lips, nodding my thanks to him.

“Time really is of the essence here,” I said.

“Why?” she asked, looking at me skeptically.

“I’m in the middle of a very important poker game upstairs, and my friends don’t believe I have a girlfriend and I want to prove them wrong.”

“By buying one?”

I shrugged. “Desperate times.”

She laughed, and I couldn’t stop the smile that shaped my lips at the sound.

“Why me?” she asked, glancing around the packed club. “There are tons of women⁠—”

“Ah, but none of them have your eyes,” I said. “I’m a sucker for all those gold flecks wrapped in green,” I continued, glancing at her hair. “So is your hair,” I said, and my fingers itched to feel if the strands were as soft as they looked.

“It’s also the color of all that money he has in his hand,” Jesse said, nudging her toward me.

She furrowed her brow. “No sex? No weird stuff? All I have to do is say I’m your girlfriend?”

“I promise,” I assured her. “You may have to sit on my lap.”

“As girlfriends do,” Jesse said, and I grinned at the guy.

“Thirty minutes,” I said. “That’s it. Then you can come back down here and dance all night.”

She still looked skeptical, so I handed her the cash. “That’s yours no matter what,” I said, hoping that would earn me some trust. “And I have food upstairs.”

Her eyebrows raised at that.

“Jesse comes with me,” she said.

Relief untangled the tension in my chest, tension I didn’t even notice until it was gone.

“Absolutely,” I said, taking her free hand in mine. “This way.” They followed me into the private elevator, and she and Jesse started whisper-fighting like I wasn’t there at all, her saying if we get killed it’s your fault, which really made me laugh.

“I’m Crossland McClaren, by the way,” I hurried to say as the doors opened and we headed back into the game room.

My friends immediately fell silent when the three of us entered, and I tried not to look too smug at the shock on each of their faces. “Everyone, this is Jesse,” I said, pointing to the girl’s friend, only then realizing I was an absolute idiot who didn’t ask her for her fucking name.

“Aspen,” she said, saving me the embarrassment as she waved to the room. “Food,” she said the moment she spotted the bar across the room. “Can I, babe?” she asked, falling totally into the role so quickly it took me a second to keep up. “I’m starving.”

“Of course, pumpkin,” I said, laying it on thick. She headed toward the bar, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her luscious ass. The girl had legs for days. Even in sneakers she was tall and curvy, and I knew she would look even better splayed out beneath me.

As much as I’d like to make that happen after this whole debacle was over with, I knew better than anyone not to mix business with pleasure, and right now, she was technically an employee.

I sat back down at the table, and Asher dealt me into the next hand, which I folded just as Aspen came over to me a few minutes later, having satisfied herself with the snacks. I scooted back just enough to pull her into my lap, sighing softly when she settled herself there easily.

“How long have you two been dating?” Weston asked.

“Three weeks,” I answered before she could.

“Three super fun weeks,” she added, shifting slightly so she could wrap an arm around my neck.

Fuck me, she smelled like citrus and rose and if she kept wiggling her ass like that, we were going to have bigger problems on our hands than trying to pull this off. The glittering romper she wore showed off her thighs as she sat perched on my lap, and it took all of my willpower to keep from skimming my thumb across her bare skin.

I kept my arms around her but my hands on the table as I waited for the next hand to be dealt. I folded the next few, happy when the sixth hand gave me a couple of lower connecting cards I could actually play.

“What’s the buy-in?” Aspen asked, the first question she’d asked in the twenty-or-so minutes she’d been here as we threw in our chips.

Doyle laughed. “More than you can afford, sweetheart.”

“Don’t,” I said with lethal clarity, “ever talk to her like that.”

“Fuck off, Crossland,” he said, waving me off. “You’ve been on me since day one. What more can you do?”

“A lot,” I assured him. “Back off or you’ll find out.”

Doyle rolled his eyes but focused on his hand.

“It’s an invite-only game,” I explained in a softer tone to Aspen. “But you’re here now. Want to play my hand?”

“Not with those cards,” she said, and Ethan and Gareth laughed.

“In that case,” Gareth said. “Raise.”

I groaned, but called because of the draw Asher dealt on the flop.

“Oops,” Aspen whispered into my ear, concern lining her face.

I smoothed my free hand down her back in reassurance. “All good,” I said. “I promise.”

To my surprise, she relaxed into my touch, and then laughed when she spotted Jesse across the room, making himself at home with Daisy, Brynn, and Alex.

Asher dealt the turn, and I missed my straight draw again, but called Gareth’s bet in case I hit on the river. Ethan called too.

“Oh,” Aspen said, as her phone chimed in the small clutch she carried. “It’s my sister. I’ve got to take this, babe,” she said, pushing off my lap. “You’ll come dance with me later, right?” She motioned to Jesse, who reluctantly got up and followed her toward the door.

“Definitely,” I said, more than a little shocked she’d set a timer. Thirty minutes had flown by. I didn’t realize I was hoping she’d lose track of time with me and want to stay longer. “Tell Craig I said let you back up,” I said. “In case you get tired of dancing.”

She winked at me, then blew me a kiss for good measure. I couldn’t help but smile as she and Jesse headed out.

I cleared my throat and focused on the hand, which had paused because Asher hadn’t dealt the last card yet.

“We playing or..?”

“Bullshit she’s your girlfriend,” Wes said.

I shook my head. “Did you not just see her?”

“She looked pretty into him,” Brynn said in my defense, and I nodded my thanks to her.

“Anyone can look into someone in the beginning,” Wes countered. “Doesn’t mean it’s a relationship.”

I sighed, but shook my head.

Ethan contemplated for a few seconds before a wicked smile overtook his expression.

Oh fuck.

“Put your money where your mouth is, Cross,” Ethan said in a mocking tone. “Three months of monogamy with Aspen,” he continued.

“Oh, here we go,” Alex chided in from where she sat with Brynn and Daisy. “What?” she asked when they gave her a questioning look. “You guys did it to me and look how that worked out!”

She wasn’t wrong. My bet against Ethan that he couldn’t make a woman fall for him longer than a week led to him meeting the love of his life.

That wasn’t what was happening here, though.

“Of course, I’ll be monogamous in a relationship,” I said.

I just didn’t happen to be in a real one, not that they needed to know that.

“Then write it on a chip,” Ethan challenged me, eying my blank chips. “If you win, who cares? You don’t have to stick with it. Don’t have to try. But if you lose to me? You have to stick with it, and if you can’t…I get that ’64 Ferrari.”

I swallowed hard, analyzing my hand. I still had several outs, and he could be bluffing. With the way he was talking, I was leaning more toward he was bluffing.

Gareth folded his cards, wanting no part in it.

Fuck it. I called.

The river came.

I didn’t get my straight.

Ethan checked, and I did the same.

He had a pocket pair of kings that annihilated my hand.

Shit.

Asher and Wes burst out laughing, and the girls gasped.

“Here we go again,” Doyle grumbled.

“If you don’t like the way we play, feel free to leave,” Gareth said.

Doyle didn’t respond, and I couldn’t throw in my own jab because I was too busy wondering how I’d pull off this bet because there was no way in hell I was losing that car to Ethan.

“I’m out,” I said, pushing away from the table.

If I was going to get Aspen to agree to be my girlfriend for three months, I had to act fast.