Oh no.
This was a big, big mistake.
My hands rested on my lap as we drove back to Ardnoch, and I couldn’t stop staring at the gold band on my finger.
After we’d signed all the necessary documents, we’d bid the registrar and the strangers who’d acted as our witnesses goodbye. Their names were Carol and Susan. Susan had given me a hug and whispered in my ear, “You know, for a moment there, I was worried you were being blackmailed into the marriage. Until that kiss. Woo!” She’d waved a hand over her rosy cheeks with a chuckle.
I’d laughed, flushing at the memory of Jared’s mouth hungrily taking mine. Of the tickle of his short beard against my skin. I wanted to feel it between my thighs.
My fingers curled against the fabric of my dress as I threw that image out of my mind. We’d already decided there would be no funny business between us. In fact, I should be pretty pissed at him for that kiss.
Why did he have to kiss me like that?
The question suddenly blurted out of me.
Out of my periphery, I saw Jared’s hand flex around the wheel. Then he replied gruffly, “The registrar looked suspicious. If by some chance Immigration interviews her, I wanted to leave her with a lasting impression that helped to not betray us.”
So he’d kissed me like he wanted to fuck me and it was as fake as our marriage?
Stupid disappointment filled me. “Right. That makes sense.”
“Sorry if … sorry if it made you uncomfortable.”
“No. Nope. It was fine.”
At his silence, I turned to find him glowering out at the road ahead of us.
“You regret this, don’t you?”
He glanced sharply at me. “Do you?”
“No.” And I actually didn’t. “I get to stay now.”
Jared nodded. “Look … I’ve been thinking and I know you’re not going to like this because I don’t like it, but I think we need to lie toeveryone.”
“Everyone?”
“Sarah, Aria … your parents. Everyone.”
No. It wasn’t possible. “They’ll know we’re lying.”
“Even if they do, if we don’t tell them the truth, it protects them legally. It might hurt us to lie to them and for them to know we’re lying to them, but once it’s all over, we can explain.”
Shit.
“Shit, shit, shit.” I pressed my head back against the car seat and heaved a sick-feeling sigh.
“I take it that means you agree?”
“Yes, unfortunately, that means I agree.” And it meant I was about to make my relationship with Aria worse than it already was.
“Fuck.”
Jared chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “You’ve got a mouth on you.”
“Well, you would know,” I quipped.
He flashed me a dark look before returning his gaze to the road. Noting the white of his knuckles, I apologized.
