“That’s Uncle Warren to you.” His voice had lost some of the swagger of before, and he coughed nervously, the sound turning phlegmy.
“You aren’t my uncle, the same way you aren’t his father. You lost the right to call yourself that years ago. Now go the fuck home, or I’ll be the one calling the police to have you arrested for trespassing.”
The world blurred, and I stepped back from the gate.Lucian has got this. Lucian understands.
“Come on, Bax. He’s gone. Let’s take a few deep breaths, and then we’ll go back inside.”
I focused on my box breathing: in for four, hold, out for four, hold. It helped. The blurriness faded, but I was still wound tight, strung out, like one wrong move would snap me.
“Let’s start walking,” Lucian suggested. I moved, one foot in front of the other, keeping my eyes on my feet.
“You can’t ever offer him money, Bax,” Lucian murmured. “As soon as you do, you’ve set yourself up for him to come back, over and over again.”
“He threatened Irina,” I grunted, fists clenching once more. We were halfway back to the yacht. “I won’t let that bastard hurt her.”
“You’re in so fucking deep with her.”
It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t grace it with an answer.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
On the Very Edge of Losing It
IRINA
ODoamne.
I clutched at the edge of the bench as the kettle started to rumble in front of me, trying desperately to get my heart to settle the fuck down.
He’d been about to kiss me. Hadn’t he? He’d stared at my mouth with such raw hunger on his face …
And fuck me, I’dwantedhim to kiss me. Every cell in my body had been begging to lean just a millimetre closer, just enough for his lips to brush mine.
But I’d chickened out. When the fuck did Irina Rusnac chicken out of a kiss with a certified hot nerd? A hot nerd who was my husband, none the less! I had every right to kiss him!
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. I didn’t have every right. He was literally saving me from a shitty fate, and if he didn’t want to kiss me, then forcing myself on him was despicable, no matter how much I might want to.
But if hedid…
Next time he looks like he wants to devour you whole, just fucking let it happen!
I forced myself to focus on making his coffee, as per his instructions. Two sugars, a dash of tap water to cool it down. I set it on thebench next to my milky one, fluttery feelings skipping their way around my chest. It was so domestic, making coffee for my husband.
Henry was right. If we were going to pull this off, we’d have to be convincing as husband and wife, and how could we do that if we weren’t even living together?
But how could I tell Kat? Holy shit!Whatwould I tell her?‘Oh yeah, by the way, I met a billionaire while pantyless at a party, and he offered to marry me so I could stay, so … I’m kinda moving onto his yacht with him.’
I’d known from the start that I couldn’t drag Kat into my fucked up life choices, but it would be kind of hard to live in two places at once. Kat’s life had been busy the last few weeks, but she was smart and observant. She’d know something was up.
I fiddled with the beautiful jewel-encrusted wedding band that fit perfectly on my ring finger. Sapphires were my favourite gemstone, not that Henry could have known that. Or maybe he could, I thought with a smile.
Such a stalker.
Although he’d said it was because they matched my eyes … which, if anything, made it even sweeter.
I’d inspected it last night when I took it off to shower, and I’d noticed the Tiffany and Co. embossed inside it. Who just casually dropped Tiffany’s money on their fake wife—the fake wife who was already getting the better end of the deal?
Someone like Henry Baxter, that was who.
