The Billionaire's Pretend Wife (Isabella)

When Isabelle woke up the next morning, the sun was shining brightly through the curtains. She moaned and turned away from the light, hiding her face in the pillow.

Why was the sun on her window in the morning? She could only see the sunset from her-

She froze.

Her next breath-which flooded her senses with Jacob's scent-confirmed that she indeed wasn't in her own room.

Her eyes fluttered open again. Slowly, she scanned the area next to her. It was empty. She turned her head just as slowly to the other side. Empty. Relief swept through her. He was gone. That meant she could slip away.

The relief waned as soon as she took note of the sunlight filtering through the curtains again. Her stomach sank. Oh no! She hadn't overslept, had she?

She scrambled from the bed, her body screaming in protest from about a hundred places. Her muscles hurt big time, but she didn't have the luxury of sleeping around. She had a job to get to.

The moment she got to her feet on the floor, she gasped and sat back down on the bed. Grimacing, she looked at her naked abdomen. It felt like someone had rammed a hammer in her abdomen all night. Her entire body flushed as she recalled Jacob ramming into her, alright. Just not with a hammer. But from how hard, thick, and long he had been, it could as well have been one.

"Oh no," she whispered, not sure what she was lamenting. The soreness between her legs that made it hard to remain seated, much less get up and ready for work? Or the realisation that she crossed a line she never should have with Jacob?

What was she going to do? Could she pretend that nothing had happened? Call it a one time mistake and demand that they forget about it?

Was it too late to take it all back?

Did she want to?

She faintly remembered convincing herself that she would allow herself to give in to her desires for just one night. How stupid she must have been.

Her entire body heated up as memories from the previous night flashed through her mind. Her core, which should have no business craving anything with how sore it was, tingled. She was in trouble. How was she going to stay away from him when she wanted him so badly?

She needed to think about that, but not now. Now, getting to work was more important. She scanned the bed, and then the floor of the room, for the clothes she had been wearing last night. Nothing. They also weren't on the cabin. Maybe Jacob had taken them to the laundry basket. With nothing to wear, she took one of the bedsheets and wrapped it around her body.

And then she got to her feet again, biting back a wince with every step. She hoped he had already left for work. It would be hard trying to run away from him with her thighs protesting her every move. She was almost to the door when it opened and Jacob appeared. She froze at the spot as he caught sight of her and his face brightened as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. "You are awake," he said, walking over to her.

She stumbled a step back. Clutching tightly to the sheet and avoiding his eyes, she said, "I'm running late for work."

"Work?" he asked. "You shouldn't even be out of bed."

She frowned and looked towards the window. "It looks like it's eight already-" Her words got swallowed by a gasp as he scooped her in his arms and walked towards the bed. "What are you doing?" "Stay here," he said as he placed her back down on the bed. "How are you feeling? I'll get a warm bath started for you."

She shook her head and attempted to get her feet to the floor. "I don't have time for that. I'm probably already late for work."

"Can you even walk?" he asked, arching a single brow. "You're in no shape to go to work today. Stay in."

"I can't just do that," she said.

"Yes, you can. Tell your director that you're not feeling well."

"Jacob-"

He bent down and pressed a finger to her lips. "I'm not letting you go anywhere today. I'll start a bath for you, and then you'll come and eat the breakfast I'm making for you. I have an important engagement at work today, so as much as I want to stay with you, I can't. But you, you are not going anywhere. You spent the entire weekend working, for heaven's sake. And after last night...you need to rest." Before she could protest, he moved his finger and replaced it with his lips. She did not dare open her lips, aware that she was yet to brush. "If you're a good girl," he said, pushing strands of hair behind her ear, "I'll reward you tonight."

He didn't need to expound on what he meant by 'reward' for her core to clench.

Her heart pounded. She had to tell him this couldn't go on. "Jacob-"

"Look," he said, lifting his left hand to her eye level. "I'm wearing a ring. I had this around somewhere, so you don't have to buy me one."

He was wearing a simple platinum wedding band on his ring finger. She hadn't thought he would take her request seriously.

"Okay," she said.

"I should probably bring you to your room," he said. "I'll have your bath ready in a few minutes."

Before she could tell him that she could make it to her room on her own, he had scooped her again and began the walk towards the door. Soon enough, he had her deposited on her bed, given fresh instructions about not going anywhere, and then left to go prepare her bath.

Her heart was still pounding crazily in her chest. She had thought she had seen the sweet, romantic side of him before. But this...this was something else. He was treating her like she was his new bride and he thought she was the most delicate thing on earth.

It was as if he now considered them a true couple.

Her stomach twisted into knots. She couldn't lead him on like this when she was lying about her identity.

Should she come clean? Would he hate her? Would it make a difference to him that she wasn't the eldest daughter of the Cruzes? Or would the deceit be too much?

Before she could worry herself to death, he showed up again to tell her that her bath was ready. And as if he wasn't being sweet enough, he told her that he had added some fresh herbs to help with her aching muscles.

This time, she was able to convince him to let her do the walking by herself. Before he left, he said he would be in the kitchen making breakfast.

She made her way to the bathroom and found that he had indeed prepared a herbal bath for her. Dropping the towel she had warped around her body, she stepped into the tub and sat down.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep inhale. The soothing fragrances of the herbs floating around the water soaked into her senses, and she could swear she felt calmer instantly.

Maybe besides helping relieve her aching muscles, the bath would also help her string her thoughts calmly enough to tell him what she needed to.