My feet followed suit by carrying me across the room where I began lifting the silver cloches. Nex filled one end of the rectangular table, setting the expectation that he wanted me near, and again my stomach betrayed me, desperate to be filled. I settled into the chair next to him and pulled a dish filled with a stack of fluffy, steamy pancakes toward me.
The display brought a smile to my face because they were decorated with strawberries topped with whipped cream emulating Santa hats. I pinched a piece from the stack and let it melt on my tongue, moaning in approval. Nex placed a small glass pitcher holding what my nose recognized as maple syrup next to my plate.
For the first few minutes, my time was spent drenching my pancakes, stabbing into them, and moaning through the happiness they brought my mouth and belly. In my peripheral, I could see my new husband watching me with a pleased grin on his face. After I was a quarter of the way through my stack of eight, I lifted the linen napkin, wiped my mouth, and guzzled half a glass of orange juice before I gave in and handed over my attention.
His grin expanded and his left brow lifted ever so slowly. “You approve?”
I shrugged and shoved another forkful of pancakes in my mouth, making sure to stab a strawberry in the process. “Yep, they’re good,” I admitted with a mouthful. “And I was starving.”
He chuckled and his eyes lowered to my plate. “I’m glad you’re enjoying them, however that’s a double stack, meant for two people.” I cringed with my fork millimeters from my mouthwith another layer of fluffy goodness and turned my eyes on him when he added, “That we were supposed to share.”
“Order more. You can afford to.” I shoved them in my mouth and he threw his head back and laughed.
“Not shy at all about testing the marriage theory, are you?”
I frowned and lowered my fork. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“My father didn’t offer much by way of experience when it comes to what a good marriage looks like but I’ve witnessed a few things in my line of work. What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine. Isn’t that how most wives think?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been a wife before and I’m forced to beyours. My experience is limited but I like the sound of what’s mine remaining mine and what’s yours also being mine.”
He nodded and sliced into the steak he claimed. It was sitting next to a pile of perfectly scrambled and fluffy eggs that looked appetizing. I lifted my fork again and scooped some from his plate. When they met my tongue, I nodded in approval, dragging his plate to mine and scraping half of them, then returning what was left.
“You also like proving points I see.”
“You don’t want to share, then divorce me. Simple fix.” I shrugged again.
“I’m not divorcing you. No matter how annoying you try your hand at being. I meant what I said, no outs. You’re mine.”
I exhaled a sigh, then reached for the plate of sausage and bacon. I moved it across the table, and after I loaded several pieces of both onto my plate, I turned back to him. “Merrick is pissed and he’s going to seriously complicate your life. Am I really worth the trouble?”
Something shifted in his eyes and I felt the air thicken around us…
Oh fuck, this doesn’t feel good.
9
Nex.
Am I really worth it?
When the words left her lips, I felt two different emotions rush through me fast and hard.
Anger first because how the fuck was she asking me that. Cia wasn’t insecure by any means but there was a slight fear that I could possibly say no, she wasn’t worth it, and give her what she was pretending to want. Out of this agreement. I stood on pretending, because make no fucking mistake about it, she did not want out and neither did I.
The second emotion I felt was confusion. How the hell had this woman changed my mind on what my future would look like? It wasn’t only with marrying her but from what marrying Cia Malone would mean.
A power shift was happening, which meant I would no longer have the ability to exist out of sight out of mind on my own terms. I wasn’t worried about Merrick. That much I had under control. He wouldn’t dare do anything to put his sister in harm’s way. She might not believe that to be true but it was the truth. Merrick Malone was a dark, twisted soul who would useanything to get what he wanted. Anything except his sister. She thought he broke a promise but he hadn’t. She would find out soon enough.
What he didn’t expect was for me to take matters into my own hands, which bound his in a way he wasn’t happy with.
I was fucking pissed about my role in this but also really fucking amused at how my little flame created the perfect storm that fucked both me and her brother at the same time. She was now my wife, which meant I had a rightful claim to Harte’s territories. A claim I didn’t fucking want but it was a condition that came with attaching to the woman I refused to let go of.
“Are you not going to answer?”
“I didn’t think I had to. My thoughts on you should be understood, but for your peace of mind, wife… Yes, you’re very much worth what’s to come.”
“Why?” She all but pouted, looking like the sweetest temptation all wrapped in Christmas sin, while she stabbed at a strawberry. She loved Christmas. Our situation ruined the holiday she typically spent with her family so the least I could do was give her some semblance of what she loved.
