Impostor

Chapter 8

I slipped my hand into his and he gently pulled me to my feet. The contact between our hands caused the butterflies to erupt in euphoria. I practically skipped up the stairs to my room to put on my bikini. I loved it; it was red with black polka dots. My towel matched my bikini. I quickly got dressed and skipped down the stairs with my towel hanging over my shoulder. I was pretty confident about my body. As soon as I heard him at the top of the stairs, my confidence faltered. I pulled my towel off my shoulder and wrapped it around my body protectively. He saw this as he descended the stairs and frowned deeply.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of." He said touching my cheek lightly. I couldn't help but lean into his touch. The left corner of his lips lifted slightly before he retracted his hand and tangled his fingers with mine. He smiled excitedly as he pulled me towards the balcony. He looked younger and carefree and I loved every moment of it. The pool had blue pool lights, making it seem like the water was glowing. The pool was at the edge of the balcony making it possible to float in the pool while looking down at the city. It was absolutely beautiful. I turned to Michael with a giant smile on my face before dropping my towel on a sunbed. I forgot all about being shy and dashed over to the pool.

"The last one in is a rotten egg!" I shouted over my shoulder without slacking. I heard his feet hit the wooden floorboards as he sped towards me. He jumped and tackled me into the water. I let out a short scream before taking a breath and preparing to hit the water. The splash of cold water was refreshing. When we surfaced I sighed before splashing his face aggressively with water. Loud laughter filled the night as we tried to playfully drown each other. I must admit, he was a pretty strong swimmer. I also have to admit that he had rock-hard abs that caught my eye a few times. His shoulders were broader without a shirt on and his arms were relatively muscular. His calves were also a bit larger than expected. He was beautiful.

He started singing the theme song to some or other shark attack while making a fin on his head. He smiled wickedly at me and started moving in my direction. A giggle escaped my mouth as I slowly backed up. His smile widened, displaying his perfect white teeth. His advance increased in speed with each step he took. He suddenly leaped forward in the water, creating a wave that splashed into me while I tried to turn and escape. He waded through the water faster than I could and soon I felt his strong arms wrap around my waist from behind. He made a roaring sound and then started to playfully bite me. I laughed and screamed while trying to escape his clutches. His bites sent a shiver through me that resulted in my entire body being covered in goosebumps.

He bit a spot on my neck that sent a feeling of euphoria throughout my body and I tilted my head back to give him better access. This movement made him freeze behind me. He bit a little harder and my head rested on his shoulder while my body shuddered a little. He pulled away from me and turned my body around to face him. His eyes were hooded and darkened. He kept his eyes locked on my lips for a few moments before snapping his intense gaze to mine. My breathing hitched and if we weren't in the pool, my palms would be sweating. I gulped and waited for him to make a move. He finally started leaning forward. I stayed rooted to the spot. My eyes couldn't break the intense connection with his.

It felt like I had a fever even while being submerged in cold water. He made me feel hot and cold at the same time. His hand reached up to gently caress my cheek before his soft lips touched mine. The kiss started slow and passionate but soon turned hungry like he couldn't get enough. I was in a dark void of euphoria and a distant voice in my head nagged about something. I enjoyed the moment for a few seconds before the voice shouted into my mind. "He's your employer!" those words were like a slap to the face. My lips stopped moving in sync with his and my body tensed back up. What the hell was I doing? He looked at me dumbfounded as I backed away from him.

"We wouldn't want you to catch a cold out here. There's a gala tomorrow. We should get to bed." I said as I backed my way to the ladder. The air was chilly when I got out and my towel provided me with just enough heat to get inside. I looked through one of the windows to see him still frozen in the pool with an adorable frown on his face. I smiled to myself as I ascended the stairs to go and take a quick shower. The smile stayed glued to my face throughout my shower and I imagined it stuck throughout my sleep because I woke up with a smile on my face. I was finally happy. I had a billionaire chasing me, I had a fabulous apartment and I had a great job. What more could a girl want?

I skipped down the stairs to prepare breakfast for Michael but stopped dead in my tracks at what I saw. I felt sick to my stomach. My smile vanished instantly and my heart cracked a little. Michael had his back to me, but I could clearly see what was going on. I held the tears back just in case he turned around and saw me. He was groping and kissing a girl against the wall across from the staircase landing. He hadn't even heard her come down the steps, or maybe he had and was now punishing her for stopping their kiss in the pool last night. A loud ringing suddenly filled the air and the girl broke their kiss to get her phone, but paused when her eyes met mine.

She smiled at me with kindness shining in her bright blue eyes. Michael turned around to see who she was smiling at and made eye contact with me. He didn't smile like she had. He just briefly scanned me from head to toe before turning back to the gorgeous girl beside him. "This is Emma Johnson. Em, this is Jane." Michael introduced us curtly. She beamed as she walked over to me and took my hands in hers. "It's so nice to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you. We are going to be best friends. The last assistant Mike had was such a snob." She said and wrinkled her nose adorably.

Who was this lady? She looked considerably rich. "I wish I could say the same, but Michael has told me absolutely nothing about you." I said and glanced over at him. He just shrugged and continued to watch our transaction. "Oh, I guess he just wanted to make sure that you wouldn't quit on the first day before he introduced us. I'm his fiancée. "She said with a bright smile. My heart froze and then burst into a million pieces. How could he do this to such a nice lady? I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. I glared over at Michael who was staring at me with a bored expression on his face. What a jerk!

Emma grabbed my hand and started pulling me up the stairs again. "No work for you today, we've got to get ready for the gala tonight. Do you have a date yet?" she asked excitedly. "No, I don't even have a dress yet." I grounded out as I looked back at Michael. She gasped at my answer and spun us around again. She dragged me over to Michael and let go of my hand to stick her hand into the pocket of his suit. She pulled out his bank card and smiled at me. "Let's go shopping." She giggled and grabbed my hand again. We waited for the elevator and she confidently pressed the button to the garage when we stepped inside.

"So, who do you think we should get to escort you?" she asked as we waited for the elevator to reach the garage. I wanted to tell her that Michael was actually going to be my date, but I just couldn't bring myself to break this kind girl's heart. "I have no idea." I said and kept my gaze down. How was I supposed to look her in the eyes after making out with her fiancé on multiple occasions? She grabbed her chin and pouted a little while thinking. "I have this one friend that I could ask." She suggested with a small smile. "That would be great." I said relieved that I wouldn't have to attend this gala alone. She smiled genuinely and pulled out her phone. "I'll give him a call real quick." She said and dialed his number.

The phone call was short and to the point. He must be a busy man. After she ended the call she turned to me with an excited smile gracing her face. "He's in!" she exclaimed and grabbed my hands while jumping a little in her heels. "Imagine you guys dating, or even better, getting married!" she gushed. "Whoa, hold your horses. I haven't even met the guy yet!" I laughed excitedly. This was exactly what I needed to move on from Michael. I didn't kiss taken men and he was taken by the sweetest girl I have ever met. I wasn't going to hurt my newest best friend, but I would make him pay.