“I’m going to mention you to Dad and Byron today. Tell them I’m falling in love or whatever people say. How’d your texting go, by the way?”
“Oh,” I almost chuckle, “Surprisingly well. This might be easier than I thought, at least until we have to see Skye in person.”
“Same for me. Samantha has dubbed us ‘Banie.’”
I grin, “We knew that was coming.”
“We should…” he looks me up and down, slowly. I try not to react. “D’you have a robe?”
“Yes?” I frown at him.
“Put it on so you can’t see your clothes,” he says. I make quick work of retrieving the white fluffy hotel robe from the bathroom and putting it on.
“Good. Quick selfie and I’ll be off until this afternoon.”
“We’re not schmoozing today?” I ask, following him over to my room’s single corner window.
“Weare not.” He waits until I stand beside him and extends his phone out to take the photo. “You’ve got a date with the Amish wives.” I can’t help but smirk at that and he catches it. “Aha! There’s some enthusiasm.”
I roll my eyes, still smiling about my day in bed, which he captures, tapping away in his camera app. I start to actually pose but he locks a hand on my hip and pulls me into him. It’s intimate, possessive, without escape. And so sure. Zero hesitation, like he knew exactly how to hold me. Like I’ve been tucked into his side a thousand times before. It shocks me, so when my hands collide with the side of his chest, I’m looking up at him instead of at the camera. He snaps that moment as well.
He releases me but quickly commands, “Look out the window.”
I’m in such a tingly, shocked haze I just obey. I don’t even huff in protest or roll my eyes.
“There,” I hear his phone’s camera sound one last time. “Thatis another reason I'm choosing you.”
“What?” I turn to ask.
He’s looking down at the image and backing away as he answers softly, “You’re just so unbelievably gorgeous.” I open my mouth to tell him not to say things like that but he turns his back to me and calls over his shoulder, “Be quick about the contract! We’ve got to have it buttoned up so we can get married tomorrow.”
Then he’s gone.
And…
How long have I been staring at the door?
Why have I been staring at the door in some kind of trance?
And what did he say?
Did he say tomorrow?!
10
JANIE
“Thanks,” I say, but it sounds more like a sigh. I hang up with my second cousin a thousand times removed, or whatever Lyle is. My lawyer, I guess. He doesn’t seem very…lawyer-y. Though, I don’t think he can practice without passing the bar so he must’ve at least done that.
Most of all, he was cheap and quick when I needed to help my brother in the past. And now, myself. I hesitated sending him a legal document with my name next to so many zeros but he’s got a family and seems to stay on the straight and narrow. He also knows not to cross powerful people.
Powerful people, as in, my future husband.
Ugh.
He said he couldn’t find any snags, loopholes, or clever tricky wording in the contract. I wish that made me feel better. He’s going to look through it a few more times and get back to me, but nothing will help.
Because. This. Is. Insane.
