Betting on the Bride, page 1
Betting on the Bride
Alexa Riley
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Read Me Romance
Stalk the Author
Copyright © 2022 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.
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http://alexariley.com/
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Edited by Aquila Editing
Betting on His Bride
by Alexa Riley
Mara’s family has encouraged her to wait and go to college before getting married. The only problem is the one person she can’t stop thinking about happens to be in the same building as her. Suddenly River is everywhere and she has no choice but to fall into his arms.
River has tried his best to stay away from Mara. She’s every temptation come to life and he’s no good for her. When his friends make a bet on who can nail her first, he tells them to count him in. It’s time for him to stake his claim, he just needs to make sure she never finds out about the bet. No problem, right?
Warning: Go all in with us as we follow these two into their happily ever after!
For summertime and lazy afternoons by the water…
* * *
Chapter One
Mara
This whole life thing isn’t going the way I thought it would. As excited as I am for the next chapter of it, I’m honestly not sure how ready I am for it.
“Come on, don’t you want to see?” my older sister Amelia asks as we stand in front of the Rockford Building. She’s holding one of my boxes in her arms as I look up at my new home.
A doorman who looks like he could double for a security guard opens one of the glass doors for me. We already had to go through a security gate to get onto the premises, and I noticed that this building was the only one that had that. It sits on the edge of Royal Rose University campus, and I see why my parents picked this place for me. Not only because it’s safe but because of my own issues.
“I do,” I say, but my feet don’t move.
“Is there a problem?” Felipe, my sister's husband, joins us with boxes in his hands as well.
They were the ones to pick me up today and grab the last of my things. My mom had been gradually moving my stuff over for the past few days. She and Dad are already here, and I’m sure my mom is up there right now pacing back and forth and asking my dad why I’m not here yet. She’s been bursting at the seams to show me my new place. My mom doesn’t do anything small when she has her hands involved. Especially when it comes to her children.
“No problem. Mara is just taking it in,” Amelia responds for me, knowing how I can be.
I’ve never been great with change, and this is a big one. One I didn’t see coming. Typically, this isn’t how things work for us. I don’t understand why it’s so different for me, but I don’t say that. The last thing I want to do is make waves. So many other people would be grateful for this, and I don’t want to come off as a spoiled brat.
I also know a part of me is scared to hear the truth about why this is my path and I hadn’t followed in my mom or my sister's footsteps. I’ve so badly wanted that, but I suppose that maybe no one wanted me. That’s the thing I fear, so I didn’t ask why a husband hasn’t been selected for me.
“It’s pretty.” The restored stone building screams of history, just like all of Royal Rose University.
“I bet you Mom got you one of the units with the rose vines.” Amelia nods toward them.
“That’s not a bet I’d take because you’d be right.” Part of it has beautiful rose vines that go all the way up to the top of the five-story building.
I start walking before people begin to stare and wonder what’s wrong with me. “What floor am I on?” I ask when we enter the building and I spot an elevator straight ahead and the stairs to the left.
“Third. Let's take the stairs,” Amelia says, already heading for them.
“I’m not new around here,” Felipe says as he follows her, and Amelia shoots him a smile.
They’ve been married for over five years now, and it’s true. Felipe knows about a few of my quirks and that it’s easy for me to get freaked out. I’ve spent a few summers with them, and he can tell when my imagination gets the best of me. Normally I spend my summers with my older brother Cillian out at his home in the country, but since getting married, he travels with his wife Glenda, something he’d never done until he met his wife.
Cillian can be a recluse, which was something I was more than okay joining him in, though his reasons for being one were a bit different than mine. While our reasons may have stemmed from the same traumatic event that changed both our lives, it’s clearly been in different ways. He ended up with visible scars, while mine were hidden from the world.
“There are three units on each floor except the fifth. That one big unit,” Amelia tells me as we make our way up the stairs. Amelia shoots Felipe another look, but this one is filled with sadness.
“What?” I ask, wondering what’s going on.
“You remember Felipe’s younger brother River?”
Oh, I more than remember. Felipe’s brother River is a year older than me. Felipe’s sister Glenda married my brother Cillian. His parents weren’t too happy about that because in our culture, most marriages are arranged. With Felipe, his parents didn’t have control over him. He’d ventured out and built not only a name for himself but wealth too.
He still had them reach out to our parents for Amelia’s hand, and his father agreed. With Glenda and Cillian, it hadn’t been so easy. They’d fallen in love, and Cillian did his part in the arrangement with Glenda, but the Andoras told him no. Glenda pushed back and said she’d do it anyway, which ended up ripping the families apart.
They wanted Glenda to marry someone else because they thought Cillian wasn’t worthy. It was bullshit. Cillian comes from a strong family and could even offer more than the man they’d picked for Glenda. Still they’d refused and said it had something to do with their company. There were also a few comments made about Cillian regarding his looks.
The scars he wore across his face were my fault. I can’t help but think I had a hand in the rift between the families. They say time heals all wounds, but no matter how much time passes, it seems my mistake keeps haunting both me and my family. It’s still causing destruction all these years later.
“I remember him,” I finally say, and I hate how much I remember him.
The first time I met River was at Felipe and Amelia’s wedding. He was my first and only crush to this day. After the falling-out between our families I’ve only seen him once. It was about six months ago and was completely random. I was walking down to the small bakery not far from our home in the city. I used to go almost every day.
One morning, I ran right into him, and my body collided with his. His hands held my shoulders to keep me from falling, which I certainly would have done if he hadn’t. Running into him had been like running into a brick wall. Gone was the body of a boy, and in its place was one of a man. River had become even bigger than Felipe, which is saying a lot.
I still remember his whispered words. Fuck, you smell good. His hands had even tightened their hold on me like he didn’t want to let me go. Then I looked up at him, and we both saw who the other was.
He jumped back while releasing his hold on me at the same time. I’d lost my footing and ended up falling on my own ass anyway. He looked down at me like I was the devil and told me to stay away from him or he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. His words still hurt. I never told a soul even when everyone kept asking why I didn’t go to my favorite bakery anymore.
“He lives on the top floor,” Amelia says, and my heart sinks. How is this happening? “He’s a sophomore here.”
Neither Felipe nor Glenda speak much about their parents. I’ve only met them a few times and it freaked me out. I was scared Amelia was going to end up with a marriage like theirs since she was marrying their oldest son. The parents hate each other, and even though I was young at the time, Felipe made it very clear how he would treat Amelia. Like a queen.
“Do you and him talk?” I look to Felipe.
“Yes, he’s my brother, and I love him even if he can piss me off most days.” He shakes his head. “But he’s damn smart. Reminds me a lot of myself.” A half-smile pulls at his lips, making guilt fill me. I hate that I had anything to do with his rocky relationship with his brother.
“Do you own this building, Felipe?” Now knowing River lives here, I’m guessing he does. Felipe has a ton of investments.
“Maybe.” He shrugs one shoulder as we step onto the third floor.
“Of course you do.” I shake my head but force a smile. I don’t want anyone knowing how I feel about River. Ever.
“What is taking you all so long?!” My mom’s head pops out from one of the doors into the hallway.
“I’m guessing that’s my unit?” I tease.
“Come on and hurry your booty!” She opens the door wider as we walk down the hallway toward her. I force a bigger smile on my face, not wanting anyone to know all the things rushing through my mind.
It’s not hard. Not anymore. I’ve pretty much perfected it after all these years.
Chapter Two
River
“Come on, River, what about the blonde?” Jack nudges me with his elbow, and I look up from my laptop.
“Out of your league,” I tell him and go back to typing.
“You’re wrong,” I hear him say as he keeps talking with Andy and Harris.
The four of us came to the quad to study, but I realized pretty quickly that I’m the only one actually doing it. They’re watching girls go by while they bet on which one could fuck her. I must be the only one with reasonable self-control and a fifteen-page report due tomorrow.
“You couldn’t even get her number.” Harris shakes his head.
Jack rolls his eyes. “I bet you couldn’t get her number.”
“Yeah, and what will you give me when I do?” Harris is taking the bait, which is a mistake. I know the blonde they’re talking about, and her girlfriend would laugh in their faces.
“I’ll buy your beers tonight.” Jack holds up his finger before Harris can agree. “But if she doesn't, you're buying mine.”
“Deal,” Harris says and takes off across the quad.
“Sucker,” Jack says under his breath, and then I remember he’s in that class with me too. He just played Harris like a violin.
“He’s going to regret this,” Andy agrees.
The three of us watch Harris make his way over, but he doesn't get three words out of his mouth before she’s shutting him down and walking away. Harris stands there stunned because it’s not often women turn him down.
“She didn’t speak English,” Harris says as he flops down next to me, and we all laugh. “It’s true,” he lies again, digging his hole deeper.
I go back to ignoring them as they argue and then go back to making bets. We all met our freshmen year in the dorms. We were all on the same floor and ended up hanging out almost every night. We still do when we can, but I’m not one for going out to bars and that’s their favorite thing at the moment.
Their second-favorite thing to do is make bets. Doesn’t matter what it’s about, but usually it involves hooking up and ends with the guys looking like fools. I don’t know why they can’t understand that women aren’t stupid.
“God, I need a blow job,” Harris groans as his head falls back.
“Who doesn’t?” Jack agrees.
Andy nods to something behind me. “Speaking of blow jobs. Fuck, that one looks like she could suck a dick all night.”
Jack and Harris sit up and stare over my shoulder with wide eyes. I’m surprised because they don’t usually have this kind of reaction to someone. At least not without a few drinks.
When I glance back, my fingers on the keyboard freeze. It’s her.
Felipe gave me a heads-up that Mara was coming to school here, but I thought with a campus this big, there’s no way I’d run into her. Even if I might have wanted to. Apparently I was wrong.
Mara is looking at the announcement board at the entrance to the quad and as she reads the papers people have tacked up, she licks her plump bottom lip. She has the kind of lips other women pay to have, but everything about Mara is natural.
“That ass would look good on my face,” Andy says, and I have the urge to backhand him across his mouth.
Instead, my eyes go to what he’s talking about and then I have the image of her round bubble butt smothering me to death. Fuck, that’s the way I’d want to die. It doesn’t help that she's got on tight booty shorts that are cut right at the cheek. It makes her thighs look thick, like I could dig my fingers into them. She’s wearing a T-shirt, which thankfully hides her big tits, because I couldn’t be responsible for their lives if they said something about that.
“Freshman fresh meat,” Harris says, and there’s a noise in the back of my throat that is something close to a growl. I play it off as a cough and then turn back around.
“She’s probably a prude,” I say and pretend to type. The words on the screen are jumbled up, and I can’t think straight.
“Nah, she looks like she knows what to do with a body like that.” Jack goes to stand up, but Andy stops him.
“I saw her first. I want this one.”
“You wouldn’t know what to do with a woman like that,” Jack spits back. “I bet you can’t get her to go out with you.”
“I bet I can get a taste of that pussy,” Harris pipes in, and that’s when I see red.
“Yeah, well, I bet I can I fuck her.” The words are out of my mouth before I consider them, but what choice did I have? There’s no fucking way I’d let these guys anywhere near my girl.
My girl? Did I just really allow myself to think that? There’s no time to analyze that now.
Jack laughs and shakes his head. “You? Nah, no way. You’re Mr. Golden Boy. Leave this to the rest of us.”
“River must have finally found one that meets his standards.” Andy smirks. “Although that ass is everyone’s standard.”
“I think River might be hiding something.” Jack narrows his eyes on me, and I try not to look suspicious while feeling a rage like never before inside me.
Harris nods to Mara. “Let’s see it, big man. If you think you’ve got so much game, how about if you don’t fuck her, the three of us will.”
“He needs a time limit.” Andy rubs his chin as he thinks it over. “How about a week?”
“That should do it,” Harris agrees.
Slowly, I close my laptop and grab my bag. When I stand, I tower over the three of them and give them a smile that’s cool and confident.
“Bet.” I raise my chin as I put my bag over my shoulder and make my way over to Mara.
My body is nearly shaking with anger as I pull my baseball hat down and ask myself what the fuck did I just do. I haven’t seen Mara since I nearly tackled her in front of the bakery and then proceeded to throw her to the ground.
Fuck, I was such an idiot. I went back every goddamn day to apologize, but I never saw her again. And there was no fucking way I was going to her house to tell her. Didn’t stop me from thinking about her every damn day.
Now here I am walking toward the only woman to ever get under my skin, all so my so-called friends don’t try and go after her. Will they try and fuck her if I don’t do this? Absolutely. Am I going to be able to convince her to sleep with me?
“I fucking hope so,” I say to myself as she turns around and runs right into me. Again.
Chapter Three
Mara
I stare in shock at River. I knew at some point I’d see him around, but I thought it would be in our building. I always take the stairs, so I’m sure that lessens the chance but I also peek past the gates before I enter to make sure that I don’t see him. I do the same before I come down the last flight of stairs. For the past two weeks, that plan has been working because I haven’t seen him at all.
With how big the campus is, I thought if I happen to spot him, I could easily remember when and where I was and then avoid that place. Of course, even with all my planning, I still manage to run into him. Literally. How is this my life? All of the creeping around was for nothing, and of course, I’m again running right into his giant body that’s as hard as a brick wall. I swear it’s even bigger than before.
