Forbidden Billionaire (Paperback)

Jamison Lancott’s fake marriage makes everything about our love forbidden.

It doesn’t matter if his wife approves of me.

He’s rich, gorgeous, and the most generous man I’ve ever met.

I don’t care about his billions or his gifts.

When I’m with him, my soul feels on fire. Life has purpose.

When we’re apart, the hole in our hearts only grows.

He says he wants to give me everything.

But he can’t.

I want the marriage that comes with the happily ever after.

But his phony wife’s father is a Colombian drug lord.

Divorce isn’t an option, even though he and his wife both want one.

So when they disappear to change their fate, I regret all the time I spent worrying about that damn piece of paper.

Jamison Lancott

Fifteen Years Ago

Innocence is at the root of my mistake. Fear is the branch that continues to grow and thrive, keeping me locked into my fallacy.

It’s already been a long day. I’m walking up the stairs to my apartment floor and about to open the door to leave the stairwell when I hear the sobs.

I look behind me, but no one is there. 

“It’ll be okay,” a female voice says. 

Just go to your apartment and stay out of it.

“My life is over,” she says in her Colombian accent. 

Shit, that’s Valeria.

I’m a sucker. I’ve always been. A woman crying is the worst sound on earth for me. Instead of staying out of it, I butt right in. 

I walk up the stairs. Sure enough, Valeria and her roommate Mary are there. 

“Valeria, what’s wrong?”

Her tear-filled eyes stab me in the heart. “I have to go back to Colombia.”

“What? Why?”

“My student visa ran out, and I haven’t been able to get a job that will get me a work visa.”

“What? Surely there is something you can do.”

“There isn’t. The only way I can stay in the country without marrying a United States citizen is by getting a work visa.” She starts to sob again and puts her head between her knees. 

That’s not fair.

Mary rubs her back, helpless.

I sit on the step right below Valeria and realize she’s clutching a piece of paper. “Can I see that?” 

Valeria hands me the paper.

It’s from the United States immigration office. I read it, and my heart drops. “This says you need to leave in the next week?”

“I’ve been here since I was fourteen and in high school. I don’t want to go back to Colombia. My father will make me marry one of his men, and I won’t be able to pursue my acting career. I don’t want that life.”

I do the math in my head. “You’ve been here for six years?”

“Yes.”

Six years, and they are making her go back? She’ll be forced into a marriage?

“There has to be something we can do,” I tell her. I’ve known Valeria for the last two years. I moved into this building when I was eighteen. We are part of a group of tenants who get together often for parties, as we are all around the same age. 

“There isn’t. My life is over,” she sobs again.

“Maybe we can find someone to marry you,” Mary suggests.

Valeria head snaps. “I just said I don’t want to get married.”

“Yeah, to one of your father’s men. Get married to a citizen to keep your status.”

“And who’s going to do that, Mary?” Valeria asks. 

Mary addresses me. “Jamison, you could marry Valeria.”

My pulse increases.

“Mary, don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t Jamison’s problem.”

My mouth goes dry. I stare at Valeria.

I could marry her, and then she wouldn’t be forced to get married back in Colombia. 

“You wouldn’t have to stay married forever,” Mary states.

“How long would we have to be married?” I ask. 

“You’re not considering this?” Valeria furrows her brows.

I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s just a piece of paper, and it doesn’t seem fair for you to have to ruin your life over a technicality.”

“You would do that? You would get married?” Valeria asks.

“I wasn’t exactly looking for a wife this morning when I woke up, but I don’t see the big deal. If we don’t have to stay married forever and it helps you out, then what’s the big deal? If I can’t help a friend out, then what kind of friend am I?”

“See? I knew we could come up with a solution!” Mary hugs Valeria.

“We would have to live together,” Valeria says. 

“I’ll kick Chase out. He’s talking about buying a house anyway.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You can have his room and do whatever you want to do. I’ll do the same. You get to stay in the country, and I get to help out a friend. Win-win.” 

Mary claps. “This is perfect! Can I be your maid of honor?”

Valeria frowns. “This isn’t a real marriage. We aren’t going to have a big white wedding with a reception.”

I wink at Valeria. “You can wear white if you want.”

Valeria’s face gets red. “No offense, but you aren’t really my type.”

She is definitely not my type, either. Valeria is beautiful and kind, but there is no chemistry between us. I also know Valeria is a lesbian. A hot lipstick lesbian, but still, a lesbian. She wants no part of what I can offer her. It’s another reason she shouldn’t be marrying anyone her father picks. 

“What’s so funny? You can’t expect her to sleep with you,” Mary accuses me. 

“I have no plans of sleeping with you, Valeria, or attempting to. If I kissed you, I’d feel like I was kissing my sister. This marriage will be strictly in the friend zone. You can date whoever you want. I will date whoever I want,” I assure her. 

Valeria smiles. “So you will marry me, lie to the government, and we both can live how we want to?”

“Why not? It’s not going to change my life at all.”

And that’s what I had all wrong.

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