Fake Marriage Box Set

"He should. He's the one that summoned me."

Penn shut his door, and Tom jumped into the driver's seat. The engine growled as Tom left a black mark on the pavement behind us. I glanced back to see Allen shaking his enormous fist in the air. Whatever he yelled was drowned out by the high-performance engine.

> "I only hire Tom when I'm in town."

"'Cause it pisses off his boss." Tom winked into the rearview mirror.

Penn gave him a murderous glance and turned to me. "I hate to say this when he can hear, but the gaunt, little brat is the best driver. If you want to beat the traffic in the Bay Area, then this is your guy."

"At your service," Tom gave me an outrageously flirty smile and earned himself a whack on the back of his head. "Ow. Careful, man, or she might ask me to drive her away from such a brute."

Penn turned back to me. "We can drop you off wherever you want. Chinatown is minutes away."

My heart skittered. What was I doing? I was riding with a mysteriously connected, tattooed man in a brand new Maserati with a juvenile delinquent driver. It was the middle of the night, I was hours from home, and Ginny was off somewhere in Chinatown. Every rational fiber in my body screamed to redirect the kid to the address Ginny had texted.

Then, the burning in my chest flared up. Every time I thought of Joshua's condescending reminders of how to further my career, the frustration enflamed me. I was free to do as I chose. And if I chose to spend the night with Penn, that was my decision. No one would blame me; a lot of my friends would probably applaud.

Despite Penn's careless and shaggy appearance, he was incredibly attractive. Strong hands that could be so gentle, a rock hard chest between broad shoulders, and dark, smoldering eyes that could melt a girl right down to her toes. I took a deep breath. The scent of him was an intoxicating mix that reminded me of sunshine and warm pine needles.

The heat in my chest radiated through me and changed. The burning I had felt was lust for Penn. The blush was instant, and I prayed the streetlights didn't show him. But he was looking at me, waiting for me to answer.

I licked my dry, panicked lips and said, "I'd rather go home with you."

Tom gave a randy growl and then laughed. "Good thing, 'cause we're here."

Penn's dark eyes were locked on my lips, and it took a moment for him to blink and then punch the back of the driver's seat. The temperature in the car had risen at least ten degrees. I looked at my window and wondered if there was still time to roll it down and soothe my heated blush.

I glanced at Penn. Why was he being so nice? Could he really be so gallant, or was he expecting this to be a one-night stand? A passionate one-night stand. The thought melted me right to the core.

I shook my head. What was I thinking? I wasn't that kind of girl. The last person I had been with was Joshua. He was an energetic but predictable lover, and everything had been so polite. I didn't know how to be with anyone else, especially not someone who looked like Penn.

The rugged and rough look of him had my insides quivering. I could imagine those wide lips of his searing mine with a hard, passionate kiss.

I definitely needed to roll down the window. I fumbled with the sleek switches on the door handle. Then, I saw what was outside and fell back in my seat.

Enormous gates decorated with intricate scrollwork iron swung slowly open. The driveway dipped low and revealed a breathtaking view of San Francisco Bay. My eyes touched on the red Spanish tiles of the mansion's roof. Before I could blink, we swept down the driveway and under a wisteria-covered pergola and parked in front of a set of arched doors.

Lights blinked on behind the wall of windows, and I could see through the top floor to the twinkling red arches of Golden Gate Bridge. Tom jumped out of the driver's seat and opened Penn's door. I was ensconced in the silent luxury of the Maserati again, and all I could hear was my own shallow, shocked breathing. I had gone home with a complete stranger and ended up facing the most jaw-dropping mansion I had ever seen.

Penn pulled open my door and offered me a hand. As I eased myself from the car and blinked in wonder at the mansion, he spoke over my head to the young driver. "That's it for tonight. And, no, you can't borrow the car. I already transferred your fee to your account."

"Who needs a car?" Tom snarked. "From this hoity-toity hill, I can skateboard to the Embarcadero without putting a foot on the ground."

The exchange made me smile, and I felt the overwhelmed tangle in my gut unknot. I had seen Penn interact with Ginny, his bouncer friend, and the scrawny teenage driver. He might look tattooed and tough, but Penn had a caring and generous heart. My nerves were still jumping, but I was sure that I was safe alone with him.

He watched Tom glide out of the gates with his middle finger extended and laughed. "I hope he didn't scare you. Tom seems reckless, but he's the most hyper-aware and fast-reflexed driver I've ever known."

"He seems charming," I said.

Penn glanced at me, and when he saw I was being honest, he smiled. "That must be why I like him."

I slipped my arm through his and felt his biceps tighten. The jolt of power I felt from causing him a physical reaction made my head giddy and light. "How about you give me a tour?" I asked, and the breathless tone was unintentional.

"My pleasure." Penn's voice was gravel-rough.

I shivered deliciously as we walked together up the wide, sweeping front steps.

"This isn't like a normal house," Penn said, pushing open the double-arched doors.