Her Fake Billionaire Husband

4: Better than Marilyn

 *Maceo*

 Ines gives our names at the door to the VIP room and a waiter in a classic tux instantly leads us to a round table in the corner with a plush couch going almost all the way around it.

 Of course that vile snake Mr Levi is already there, wearing one of his fancy tailored suits, this one the same navy colour as Ines’s new dress and with a red tie matching her bow. He gets up when he sees us approach.

 “Ines, darling you look sensational.. I knew that dress would fit you like a glove”. He grabs her hand and presses a long kiss to it. “Come sit my dear, the best table in town…ocean view of course”.

 I clear my throat and he looks at me like I am in his way, then he smiles and holds out his hand. “Well hello again Mac, how nice of you to join us”.

 I try not to flinch, but seriously the man is strong as a bull and my hand feels rather crushed under his handshake. “Mr Levi, how very… nice of you to invite us”.

 “Oh it’s all my pleasure Mac''. He gives me a sly smile and slides in beside Ines on the couch, I quickly slide in on the other side of her. Making sure I sit closer to her, feeling a need to claim my stake here.

 “Champagne darling ?” His attention is back on Ines, his full attention, as in he is turned slightly towards her, one hand gently touching her arm.

 She giggles softly. “Oh I am not sure, I don’t really often drink alcohol, my daddy still thinks I’m too young”.

 “Well daddy isn’t here, unless that’s what you call dear Mac here”. He raises an eyebrow at her and she blushes, shaking her head. “Okay then”. He snaps his fingers, and instantly a waiter is there. “Champagne, from my private shelf thank you”.

 The waiter comes back with an expensive looking bottle and Mr Levi takes it, pouring a glass for Ines and one for himself, pushing the bottle across the table. “Here you go Mac, if you are old enough for a glass”.

 I take the bottle and pour myself a glass, hearing how he orders the special menu, after checking that Ines has no allergies. Me, I apparently do not matter. Even with not much knowledge about champagne, I have no doubt this bottle probably costs more than I earn in a month, and Ines’ father actually pays me pretty well.

 “Jackson.. darling”. A sultry female voice calls out, making us all look up. “I was starting to think you were hiding from me, you naughty, naughty boy”.

 He gets up from his seat and gives the blonde woman an airy kiss on each cheek. “Of course I wasn't my dear, I never would... but well work and.. “. He glances at Ines. “I have been busy”.

 Ines is pulling at my arm. “Maceo... that…that is… oh god”.

 “Let me introduce you, this stunning creature is Miss Ines Vega”. He holds out his hand to Ines and she takes it, standing up looking all nervous. “Ines my dear, this is the one and only Marilyn”.

 “Oh I know. It’s such an honour to meet you Miss Monroe”. Ines looks like she is about to curtsey or something.

 Marilyn giggles breathlessly. “Oh ain’t you a pretty little thing, so fresh faced and innocent, but please call me Marilyn”.

 “Thank you miss… Marilyn, can I say that you are just stunning”. Poor Ines is clearly all star struck.

 “Of course you can, dear… Oh Jack, she is just adorable”. Marilyn claps her hands, then she pouts at him. “But does this mean I am not your favorite anymore ?”

 He chuckles and takes her hand kissing it. “But Marilyn dear, remember you went and married that… baseball player”.

 She makes a face. “Only because someone else claims he isn’t the marrying kind”.

 “Sorry darling, but you will always be special to me”. He flashes her that megawatt smile.

 “Uhh you scoundrel”. She slaps his chest playfully, then she looks at Ines. “Watch out for this one my dear… he steals a woman's heart in seconds if she looks away”.

 *Jackson*

 Marilyn leans in to kiss my cheek softly before disappearing with a wave, she always was trouble that one… oh such sweet trouble, but trouble nonetheless. 

 We sit back down and Ines looks at me with wide blown eyes, she really looks beautiful in that dress. “Oh, you know Marilyn”.

 “Know...”. Maceo huffs from his spot behind her. “Oh no doubt he… knows her”.

 “Know...”. Ines gasps, looking at me with a hand pressed over her mouth. “Oh god… you know her”.

 Well thank you Mac, you bastard. I take her hand softly, looking in her eyes. “Knew...  all in the past, she is a married woman now as you know”.

 “And you Mr Levi is apparently not the marrying kind”. She pulls her hand free and starts on her appetiser, which has just been placed before her.

 “Maybe I just needed the right woman to turn me into the marrying type”. I let a finger trail down her arm.

 She moves closer to Maceo. “If Marilyn Monroe couldn’t do that, I am not sure that woman exists… the food is great by the way”.

 Maceo grins at me behind her back, dammit that little indiscretion has knocked me right back to square one. Telling her I have already been married probably will only make it worse

 *Ines*

 I try to focus on the food, even with living at a luxury hotel, it’s probably the best food I ever had. The champagne is amazing too. Jackson, on the other hand, confuses me, he seems so on top of everything... and apparently that includes women.

 He had an affair with Marilyn and rejected her. I mean…wow… Also it makes a woman feel inadequate, not that I was like, interested in that kinda way. I mean I am engaged and he is…also he is much older and my father says he is a gangster, like a mafia guy so... but still.

 Soon I start to relax again, to be honest Jackson is easy to talk to, and opposite most men he actually seems to listen and to care about what I have to say and he has a lot of interesting stories to tell.

 “Thank you for an amazing dinner and the view really is spectacular”. I say looking out the window that our table is facing, It shows the sunset over the ocean, a couple of ships on the horizon.

 “The view is.. unbeatable”. He isn't looking out the window though, but at me. Then he takes my hand, kissing it. “Allow me to escort you to your home”.

 Maceo looks about to protest, and for some reason I don’t even understand, I quickly answer. “Sure, okay”.

 “This way my dear”. He places a hand softly on my lower back, and leads me out the room, Maceo trails after us with a sour face.

 As we reach the elevators Jackson slows down, letting Maceo get in first, then he holds me back telling the operator. “Down to the lobby, please”.

 Maceo turns, looking confused. “What ?”

 “Night, night Mac, you don’t mind if I show the lady my private elevator do you pal”. Jackson gives him a smile and a small wave.

 I turn to look at him. “What the hell was that ?”

 “An easy way to get rid of dear old Mac”. He gives me a lopsided grin. “Also my private elevator only takes two people”.

 “I am not sure I want to go alone with you in an elevator, that sounds rather unsafe”. I huff at him, dammit he is just so full of himself sometimes, but also so damn charming doing it.

 The most cheeky grin ever slides over his lips. “Oh I am sure that it is darling, but I do promise that you will enjoy it”.

 “Mr Levi”. Yeah I know I sound kinda like my late mom now.

 “Ouch… I thought we had moved to first names by now, darling”. His hand finds my lower back again, leading me forward. “Oh don’t go all prude on me, I meant the elevator ride, it’s quite a swanky elevator”.

 I feel my cheeks heat up as he leads me into the elevator. “Oh sorry Jackson, I didn't mean to imply that you were going to...”.

 “Going to what darling ? Take liberties ? Kiss you ?” He looks at me, then makes a motion to the beautiful mahogany and gold elevator cart. “Swanky right ?”

 “It’s beautiful”. I breathe in slowly as he pushes a button and the door closes. “And yeah… sorry for assuming that”.

 He grins teasingly. “Oh don’t be sorry about that... I am”.

 “You are, what ?” Suddenly my breath gets stuck in my throat, and I feel my eyes blinking wildly. 

 “Going to kiss you darling, I have been waiting patiently all night to get rid of that utterly boring fiance of yours…and finally we are alone”. He steps closer.

 I feel like all the air has been sucked from the small room and my voice is shaking. “You... you shouldn’t… you can’t”.

 “Oh but I should, I am sure you could use a real kiss from a real man”. He steps up to me, his large hand reaches up to cup my cheek as his face comes closer. I feel his warm breath on my lips. He smells faintly of chocolate. “And I can… because you are not gonna try and stop me”.

 I somehow feel like he is speaking Russian, like the words coming from him are some I am not able to understand. “Kiss me ?”

 “Oh with pleasure darling”. His lips instantly on mine, my back against the wall. But the kiss is much more gentle than I expected, soft even. His hands hold my face like the most precious treasure.

 It’s not my first kiss, I mean Maceo has kissed me a couple of times and a boy when I was 12 too, but I would say it’s my first real kiss. Maceo tried that tongue… french kiss thing once, and I almost threw up, like for real, It was so uncomfortable. 

 So when his tongue starts probing for entrance I tense up a bit, but it’s like my lips part on their own, and it is a totally different experience. It's enticing, a bit naughty and so damn amazing.

 When he pulls away slowly I feel totally out of breath and slightly dizzy. “Why.. Did you stop ?”

 “Well if I had continued I would have you naked on the floor in about 5 minutes and I am not sure that is how you want to tell dear Mac the news”. He grins at me. “But don't worry my dear, there will be plenty more kisses”.

 I feel flustered and completely beside myself. s**t ! I just let a man kiss me, a man I hardly know, a charlatan who has affairs with Hollywood starlets. What's wrong with me ? “Tell Maceo what ?”

 “That you are breaking the engagement of course”. That cheeky grin again. “That you found something better... that you prefer my kisses to his... you pick”.

 “No”. The nerves of this guy, thinking he can just... “No ! And who says I prefer your kisses ? I didn’t even want you to kiss me”.

 One raised eyebrow. “Your moans, your hands… your… tongue”. He grins. “And of course you wanted me to kiss you, you have been wanting it all night”.

‘Smack !’ My hand connects with his check and for a moment I see how his eyes darken and his hands ball up. “That will be the only time you do that… and only couse you clearly can’t accept your own desires, yet…you will come around”.

 “You bastard”. I lift my hand again, wanting to hit him.

 “Ah ah”. He steps forward, looking into my eyes. “I said one time... so, do not do that”.

 The elevator dings and I quickly back out. “Leave me alone”.

 He gives me the most cheeky grin and blows me a kiss as I hurry off, grabbing Maceo’s arm and pulling him with me. “See you around, darling”.