Her Fake Billionaire Husband

8: The lie

 *Ines*

 My head is hurting and everything is slightly spinning as I try to focus. Why can’t I remember my name or where I am ? Or this gorgeous man looking at me with confusion written on his handsome features ?

 His hazel eyes narrow and his voice sounds slightly uncertain. “You are Ines Vega”.

 “I am ?” The name does seem familiar, I taste it.. yeah it kinda does feel right, even if I can’t remember for certain that it is right. “And you are ?”

 “Jackson… you really don’t remember me ? Or yourself ?” He looks doubtful. “Or this place ?”

 I shake my head, trying hard to remember any of it, but it just makes my head hurt. “No... nothing... I mean I remember the basics... like this is a bed and a blanket.. stuff like that, but no details... no people”.

 He looks thoughtful for a moment, then a cheeky grin spreads on his face. “I feel kinda hurt my love... you don’t remember your husband ?”

 “My husband ? I ... I have a husband”. I scrunch up my forehead, I don't remember a husband, but on the other hand, I don’t really remember anything. “Where is he ?”

 He throws out his arms, like he is presenting something grand. “I am right here baby”.

 “You ? You are my husband ?” My eyes run over him again. He is wearing dark dirty pants and an even more dirty shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal strong masculine forearms.

 My eyes travel over him, he is tall with broad shoulders. His face is handsome and a good mix of masculine angles and a boyish charm. Heavy stubbles frame the rather full lips and warm hazel eyes look at me from under dark unruly hair. 

 He is no doubt attractive, but there's a subtle air of danger to him. Another one of those things I seem to know.

 “Yeah”. He looks like he is about to say something, but then he kinda shrugs, but it seems more to do with some inner conversation he has with himself than it does with me. “Me, I am your husband”.

 “Oh”. I bite my lip, I feel like I should remember being married to this man... to be loved by him, I mean if we are married he must love me... And I must love him, right ? “I don’t remember... sorry”.

 He comes over sitting on the edge of the bed, and by instinct I pull the blanket closer, realising I am wearing only panties which makes me blush.

 Again, while I do not remember being married, I do know what it means, what goes on between a husband and wife. Apparently someone has drilled into my head what is expected of me, did he do it, my husband ? Or did my parents ?

 “It’s okay darling.. Do you not remember anything about what happened tonight either ?” He places a hand gently on my knee, and even with the blanket between us I feel a warmth spread up my leg.

 “I do...”. I nod, then feel bad when I see the hope in his eyes and quickly add. “But only waking up here.. did something happen ?”

 He closes his eyes for a moment, breathing slowly, his jaw tense. “I pulled you out of the lake, you were not breathing”.

 “I fell in the lake ?” I am not sure why this sounds wrong.. I just have this feeling that I should have been able to handle that... like swimming to the shore or something.

 “I had the doctor look at you. You have a nasty bump on your head…we believe someone tried to kill you”. He says, his voice is getting an angry edge. 

 My heart makes a weird little skip. “Someone would want to kill me ? Why ?”

 *Jackson*

 “I ... I don’t know”. I say, instantly knowing she won’t be happy with that answer, but what else am I to say ?

 And don’t get me started on why I told her we are married… I mean, seriously it’s not like I even want that to be true, right ? 

 At first it was because I honestly thought she was faking the memory loss, I expected her to throw a fit at the suggestion. But now I also kinda realise that I have no idea who tried to kill her and as I honestly wouldn’t dismiss the possibility that it could be a family member or someone else close to her, the safest place for her until we know more is here.

 “Hello ?!” She prods my shoulder and I realise she has been talking to me. “Do I have any enemies ? Why would I deserve to die ?”

 The sadness in her eyes hits me and I take her hand. “You don’t.. Most likely it was not about you, maybe they wanted to hurt me”.

 “Why would someone want to hurt you ?” She looks at me, her eyes turning suspicious. 

 Damn, I wish she would stop asking all these questions. I get up and kinda start pacing. “I am rich, I run a casino, I am American… pick one for a start.  It’s a competitive business”.

 She is looking at me. “Are you some kinda bad guy ? Like a gangster ?”

 “What’s with the questions ?” I stop to stare at her. She doesn’t need to know everything.

 “I don’t remember anything. If I am in danger because you are.. some kind of criminal, I think I deserve to know it”. She gives a small huff.

 I rub a hand over my face. “I am not.. and not please be a good wife and stop with the questions.. I think it is time to get to bed”.

 “Oh.. to bed”. She sighs softly. Then she stands up, letting the blanket drop to the ground. “As you wish”.

 My mind goes blank for a moment and I stare at her enticing curves, wondering how it would feel sinking into her softness. Then I quickly grab the blanket, wrapping it around her. “Why did you do that ?”

 “That’s what a good wife does, right ?” She seems confused, almost hurt. “You said you wanted to go to bed so… did I do something wrong ?”

 “Darling, I would never touch you in this state… you are not remembering me, not actually knowing if you want me…to”. I say softly, I couldn’t take it that far. “And, personally, I would never expect my wife to do anything of that sort unless she wanted to. I actually meant you should sleep, you need to rest and recover”.

 She looks down, biting her lip. “Okay. Thank you”. She leans forward, kissing my cheek. “You seem like a good husband”.

 That stings a bit, knowing I am lying to her. “Now get to bed my dear”. 

 She gets back in the bed and I tug her in.

 “Are you not… coming to bed ?” She looks up at me.

 “I still have work to do”. I say, I will set some investigation in motion, then go sleep in a guest room. I lean in to kiss her forehead. “Sleep well. You are safe here, so do not leave the room.. Okay ?”

 She nods slowly, then yawns. “Okay”.

 “See you later”. I tell her, hurrying out of the room. 

 I need to get Nick to look into this, hopefully we will find out something, and hopefully when she gets her memory back she will remember who attacked her.