The Billionaire’s Double, His Wife’s Pawn

The richest man in the country chose me to be his double—for a five-million-dollar paycheck. I thought my job would be to make appearances whenever he couldn’t. Instead, my first assignment was to spend his wedding anniversary with his wife—and satisfy her every request. Meanwhile, his stunning secretary kept hinting that she wanted to offer me more than administrative support. I lost myself in his world of beautiful women and outrageous luxury, never realizing he had a secret agenda of his own… “Ethan, you’ve got a letter.” My name is Ethan Brooks. I’m a programmer, and both my parents are dead. I work from dawn until late at night, putting in endless overtime for less than five thousand dollars a month. Forget buying a house or a car. In a major city, that barely keeps me afloat. I don’t even know anyone outside my coworkers. Who would send me a letter? I opened the envelope. Inside were an address and a key. Nothing else. What was this supposed to mean? Had some distant relative I’d never heard of suddenly left me a property? As I wondered, my phone rang. An international number. I hung up. I’d been getting so many scam calls lately that my phone was practically overheating. Always the same tired tricks. Couldn’t they come up with anything new? Before I could put it down, it rang again. Apparently, whoever it was wouldn’t take no for an answer. I picked up. “Please don’t hang up, Mr. Brooks. I’m Mr. Victor Sterling’s butler. Yes, the billionaire. “You bear a remarkable resemblance to Mr. Sterling, and we’d like to hire you as his double.” “His double?” I froze. I’d heard of Victor Sterling, the richest man in the country, but that was about it. I had no idea what he looked like or what he did. “Correct. Mr. Sterling needs to spend six months abroad receiving medical treatment. “To keep the company’s stock price stable during his absence, he needs someone to take his place. “He’s offering five million dollars. All your expenses will be covered as well. You’ll simply need to follow his instructions.” “Okay. I’m in!” Hesitating for even half a second would’ve been an insult to five million dollars. “Be at the address in the envelope at six this evening. We’ll send some information to your phone. Tonight will be a test. If you pass, an advance of two million dollars will be deposited into your account.” I looked down at the key to the mansion and grinned. Who would’ve thought I’d ever make a living off my looks? I spent the afternoon studying the information the butler sent me, committing the basics to memory. At exactly six, I arrived at the address. One look at the luxurious mansion, and I had to admit I was jealous. Calling it a mansion barely did it justice. This was an estate! I took out the key and opened the front door. The moment I stepped inside, the housekeeper, Martha, hurried over. “Welcome home, sir. What would you like to drink?” As she spoke, she bent down, took a pair of slippers from a cabinet, and set them by my feet. Her low-cut maid’s uniform revealed quite a view as she leaned over. She was in her thirties, with curves that made me blush. No one had ever waited on me like this before. It felt strange—but pretty damn good.“An Americano.” According to the briefing, Victor Sterling was stern, commanding, and obsessed with Americanos. Martha nodded, still slightly bowed. “Mrs. Sterling is upstairs choosing an outfit. It’s your wedding anniversary today. She’s been looking forward to it all day.” My scalp prickled. Wait. His wife? Wedding anniversary? Why hadn’t anyone told me? Cold sweat soaked my back. Suddenly, everything in my hands felt heavy. Tonight wasn’t going to be easy. Click. Click. Heels sounded on the stairs. I looked up. A pair of long legs caught my attention first, followed by an absolutely gorgeous woman. Victor Sterling’s wife, Clara. At the sight of her face, I swallowed. Beautiful. Seductive. No—downright bewitching. Those eyes could ruin a man. One glance, and I felt like she was pulling my soul right out of my body. No wonder Mr. Sterling needed medical treatment overseas. With a woman like this at home, even the healthiest man wouldn’t last! Then she spoke. “I’m surprised you remembered what day it is.” “I might forget other things, but never today.” I smiled, though sweat was already beading across my forehead. A soft fragrance drifted toward me as Clara reached up and wiped it away. “Look at you. Go wash up.” She turned to the housekeeper. “Martha, tell the kitchen we’ll eat in half an hour.” I steadied myself, went upstairs, found the master bedroom, and hurried into the bathroom to turn on the water. I’d just taken off my clothes and settled into the tub. Then the bathroom door opened. Clara walked in. “Let me give you a massage, honey…” A pair of soft hands settled on my shoulders and began kneading. My heart hammered. It felt strangely like the thrill of an affair. Dangerous. Exciting. If Victor found out, he’d strangle me. I closed my eyes, hoping she wouldn’t notice anything wrong. Just as I was starting to enjoy myself, her hands began wandering. They slipped lower along my body. “I’m done. Let’s go eat.” Fighting down the heat rising inside me, I caught her hands. I looked up into her glistening eyes. My heart lurched. Once again, I tried to sound like Victor. “I’m hungry.” “Where? Your stomach, or…” Her gaze dipped lower.I got her meaning immediately. “My stomach! I’m hungry for dinner!” Clara gave me a reluctant, sulky look. “Your clothes are by the door. I’ll wait downstairs.” Only after she left did I breathe again. No. I needed an excuse to get out tonight. If I stayed, something was bound to happen! Sure enough, by the time I came downstairs, Clara had changed into a white evening gown. She sat across from me and told Martha to open a bottle of red wine. “Try the lobster, honey. It was flown in from Australia this morning.” As she served me, her neckline offered an unobstructed view. I quickly lowered my eyes and focused on the lobster. “Come on. Happy anniversary.” I wasn’t much of a drinker, but on an occasion like this, I couldn’t risk giving myself away. I forced myself to raise my glass. “To my wife getting more beautiful every day.” Clara laughed, her alluring eyes roaming over me. “You’re a little different today.” Damn. Had she noticed? My heart began racing. Why had I opened my big mouth? Why add that line? Then a hint of hurt crossed her face. “You haven’t been home in over six months. I thought you wouldn’t come back today, either.” So she hadn’t caught on? I relaxed a little. Apparently, their marriage wasn’t exactly happy. Why else would a man leave a wife this gorgeous alone for more than six months? To avoid saying anything else wrong, I kept quiet. I focused all my attention on the food in front of me. Across the table, Clara kept serving me more. “Slow down, honey.” “Here. Have another glass.” Before long, we’d emptied the bottle. The food on the table had all found its way into my stomach, too. With my low alcohol tolerance, my head was soon spinning. I leaned back in my chair. Clara’s face was flushed as well. She watched me through heavy-lidded eyes. “Do you know how much I’ve missed you these past six months?” Her perfume drifted toward me. Beneath the table, her foot kept rubbing against my calf. The fire I’d barely managed to put out flared right back up. With the wine clouding my judgment, I stood, swept Clara into my arms, and carried her toward the bedroom…