My parents will notice those gaps.
“You think you know better? Think you understand what's at stake here?”
He steps close enough that I have to tip my head back to maintain eye contact.
Hate looking up at him. Hate that my body notices how solid he is against me.
“Are you okay?” His voice is soft, genuine, like he gives a shit.
I fist his shirt, eyes narrowing. “Just remember you’re here because I own you, and you’ll do whatever I tell you to.”
A hand clamps down on my shoulder.
Zach.
“Let's go.” He turns to Henneman. “Go back to your friends.”
The moment Zach lets go, I slam my shoulder into Henneman, causing him to stumble. “Know your place.”
I barrel toward the exit. The bouncer barely has time to step aside before I'm past him and out on the sidewalk, putting distance between me and that bar.
Between me andhim.
My shirt sticks to my back, the heat making everything worse.
This wasn't the plan.
Marriage was supposed to be simple. Strategic. A clean solution to my parents' game.
It wasn’t supposed to throw me completely off balance, or give me a hard-on for my fake husband.
So, fuck this. And fuck him.
Chapter 11
Ryan
The Uber drops me off at the main entrance to Crestwood. Everything's buzzing, and not just from the beer. But more from how I told Connor's little redhead back the fuck off. How I called him mine in front of everyone.
Then he shoved me. Told me to know my place.
My fists clench as I walk through campus toward Young's Hall. I shouldn’t have gone to the bar. But Kai kept blowing up my phone until I agreed to go out with him. Promised he'd watch out for me and make sure I had a good time.
And I did.
Murphy’s is the go-to spot for Kai and his friends. Bouncers never give them trouble. No one even checked my fake ID.
Then Connor showed up.
Thought he was gonna drag me out by my neck. I could see it in his face, especially when that girl was flirting with me. And definitely when I hopped up on the bar top.
Ugh, fuck.
Why did I do that?
Oh, yeah. Because I wanted to piss off my husband.
I push through the doors of Young's Hall. Check the corners. Nobody there. I take the stairs two at a time, my fingers gripping the antique wooden railing.
