I lean toward the man at my side, whispering to him, “I’m sorry I freaked out earlier. It was all”—I pause and take a deep breath, letting it go—“a bit muchand I got overwhelmed.”
I watch goose bumps rise along his flesh and wonder if the beer is making him cold. Saying nothing, he nods and returns his gaze to his family.
Well, I guess that’s that.
Liam
I wasn’t worried. Well, maybe a little. The box in my pocket bounces dangerously near my balls and isn’t exactly returnable.
I’d never, aside from getting a rise out of her to get feisty Lorien to come out and play, make any wife of mine, fake or otherwise, wear a hexagonal nut from a hardware store as a ring. The one I got for her should make up for the odd situation we’re in as long as we’re in it and provide a little extra nest egg when we’re out of it.
But bailing on our arrangement before we’ve actuallyarrangedwould add another thing to my to-do list and I’m already juggling more things than anyone knows. Pawning jewelry isn’t anywhere in the top ten.
She moaned when she took that first bite. And then again after. My dick took notice. By the time she whispers in my ear and sweet words, no less, I’m fighting a semi.
I’m thankful Cian went over the top with this huge slab of marble in his kitchen. It hides my situation from prying eyes.
Shit is so complicated. I’ve avoidedcomplicatedmy whole life.
Dad was a mess. I turned eighteen, gave him the middle finger and moved out. Complication gone.
Women. Never for more than one night. No entanglements. Always a condom. Never bareback. Never. No possible problems.
Prying bosses and companies with shareholders, I don’tcontract with them. One on one. I choose my clients. Legally tight documentation. Nothing to get tangled.
Now my family is interlacing with the neighbor who’s agreed to a fraudulent marriage. For me. I feel like Frodo in Shelob’s lair, tangled and twisted, stuck and sticky, certainly worried I’ll be drained… or worse.
She’s finished eating and she made a dent in what she took. I’m glad to see it. If her cheeks are anything to go by, she’s been losing weight. And she doesn’t need that. In fact, she needs a snack and little extra if you ask me.
I pass Wills off to Lorien, much to her surprise. Her mouth pops open, and she looks taken aback. “You good?”
She nods quickly but still looks startled.
I grab her plate, drop it in the sink and grab my own, piling it full of all the good stuff, and slide a bottle of Tapatio out of the spice cabinet. I skip the tortillas and grab a handful of chips. Nachos sound great.
Renée starts high school in a little over a month. They’d planned to move before that happened, but Wills surprised us all.
I wonder if I should buy this place when they list it this fall. Their new-to-them home is in the middle of renovations and not quite ready for a move. My place would offer great rental income and since that will already be in the works, it would be a smooth transition. I’m more meant for off-grid living, or more accurately, less on-grid living. A log cabin in the mountains is more my speed. I wonder how long I’ll be married to the woman whose eyes are fixated on my nephew.
Shit. How had I not considered that? In my mind, it would be less than two years. A quick twenty-four months or less, no harm, no foul. Lawsuits settled, we quietly and amicably divorce, and I go on about my merry way.
If this shit extends out, I could be married for way longer than I estimated. Five years I can do. I can do any of it to protect what I’ve worked for. But a decade? Can a lawsuit or an appeal stretch that long? What would happen if we divorced in the interim?
Certainly, I can’t expect her to— I cut thatthought off at the knees.
Think good thoughts. Think good thoughts.
“Liam?” Cian asks.
What? “Yeah.”
“Were you listening?”
Not even close. “Yeah.”
“Repeat back to me any of the words in my last sentence.”
I make a face. “Sorry, Ci. My mind wandered. What were you saying?”
