Why it matters.
Why, now, it’s in my head, and I want it.
I want to be her husband.
How would it feel to openly touch her without consequence or impeding thoughts of betrayal? When or will it ever stop?
“Let me make you a sandwich,” Bay says gently. “And we can watch Bridgerton together.” I don’t know what the hell that is, but she releases me from her hold as I help her gently to her feet, but she doesn’t move from against the wall. “If you need to tell them, go ahead. I’m not going to ask you to do otherwise. I trust you with what you want to do and how you want to handle this.”
Then she slips from between me and the drywall, and I faithfully follow her to the kitchen anyway.
FORTY-EIGHT
cairo
“Here.”I’m immediately handed a glass of top-shelf whiskey, and my sister, Luisa, is at my side. She’s been a faithful companion tonight, fully aware this party was strategically rushed to make my father feel better. “You’re going to need this.”
“Why?” I ask over the rim with zero energy. “Did Mom finally find the distributor who sells loofahs?”
“What—no,” she replies with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Dad invited Sienna Matthews.”
I lick at my bottom lip because my parents are serving expensive shit tonight, apparently. Why not? Their only son is officially being coronated as King of Wharf Bay. An expedited and grand affair I believe my mother has been planning for longer than she’s let on. Especially since my father has been on one since Wallace died and Bay is—waspregnant.
Shit is going to hell real quick around here, and my father won’t allow any more time to go by to secure my place.
“Cairo,” my sister urges with a gentle nudge of her elbow. “SiennaMatthewsis here.”
“Who?”
“Mystic Hallows…your so-called arrangedwifeis here.”
I jerk my head to my sister, eyebrows pinned furiously at the fucking audacity my old man just pulled after all the shit I have going on.
Bay and the baby.
Torin trying to make peace with the fact he doesn’t have a pot to piss in.
Reeve being a fucking stupid lunatic with getting his hands on blow.
I don’t needthison top of it.
This whole marriage bullshit was spoken about last year, but with everything happening, I’ve completely pushed it back to the spare space in my head. Why the hell would I think of some random bitch when I have a woman that takes up all my spare time.
“Where?” I grind out because I’m ending this shit right now. I’m not getting married. I’m not having a wedding. I haven’t met this woman yet, and I sure as fuck am not going to add more problems to the laundry list I already have.
“Did you ever tell Dad you wanted out?”
I clutch my glass harder. “I thought I made it abundantly clear when I’ve been taking care of Bay Astor.”
Luisa bats her fucking eyelashes at me. “So?” My nostrils flare. “Easy fix, brother. Tell her you’re committed elsewhere.”
“Easy foryouto say when this arrangement has nothing to do with you.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“My cock is a little more deep than that. Beauty has nothing to do with?—”
“Disgusting,” Luisa extolls, wrinkling her face. “Honestly, Cairo…what the hell does Bay even see in you?”
