CHAPTER FOUR
My fist hovered in front of the door. I should knock.
I really should.
It took me an hour to walk up that drive, so I was now late according to Marriage Match’s guidelines. There was a hefty penalty in the contract. It would deplete my savings if Mr. Wood complained to the company.
My fist jerked, knocking on the door.
I stared at my hand, my brows puckering.
What the fuck was that?
I blinked in confusion but slowly lowered my hand.
Well, I had knocked…without thinking.
Apparently, my body knew what to do even if my mind didn’t yet. This needed to happen, no matter what. It was the law.
I waited with my suitcase at my feet.
No one came to the door.
I sighed and knocked on the door again.
The mansion—it was bigger than his neighbor’s—sat on a hill with a forest surrounding it. A maze of shrubs sat to the left of his house, a little sign next to the lush entrance indicated it was actually a “maze.” I stayed clear of that, not wanting to get lost. There was a pond to the right of the mansion with a stone gazebo near the water’s edge. The mansion itself was made of brick, and only brick, each one at different angles—a beauty of the design. Lights from inside shone through the floor to ceiling windows, lighting up the yard, spotlighting an enormous and intricately carved brown bear in the center of a fountain not far from the front door.
The place was beautiful. Majestic.
And, obviously, too damn big for the man to hear a simple knock on his door.
“Hello!” I banged on the door this time.
And…finally.
The great door opened.
The sexiest man alive stood in the doorway.
Wearing a pair of grey pajama bottoms.
And…holding a beer in his hand.
And…glaring into my eyes.
“Can you not understand a hint?” he growled, sneering down at me. “When I don’t answer the first damn time, I don’t want to answer!”
The door slammed in my face.
I jerked back a step. Husband from Hell alert.
I stepped forward and banged on the door.
I yanked my hand down and stared at it in front of my face. That was getting a little weird. Once was odd, but twice was plain spooky, an unsettling chill raising the hairs on the back of my neck.
The door flew back open, and I jerked my hands behind my back as Mr. Wood glared daggers at my eyes. He leaned down, placing his face directly in front of mine, and hissed, “Get. Off. My. Property.”
I swallowed and lifted my chin. “No.”
