Crossing my arms over my chest, I watched Jade stare at everything except me. “Fine. I can handle that.” Her eyebrows twitched.
“You will be required to live with my client for those three months so your cycle can be watched. There will be monitored pregnancy tests every week, and a heat partner will be provided for you while you’re there.”
Ahh. Is that what she was mad about? Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me.
“That’s fine.” He got out two pens from his briefcase and passed me one. “I have stipulations too. I don’t want your money. And you don’t need mine.”
“Agreed,” Bernard said. “That is all outlined in the post-nup, along with a separate signed agreement to comply with the inheritance guidelines.”
The separate papers about pregnancy tests and living with Jade were underneath the post-nup. The chances of being pregnant were low, but not zero, and while the precautions seemed outlandish and unnecessary… there was still a possibility. What would happen if Ididget pregnant? It seemed the only opportunity to ask, and I didn’t want to wait for the answer three months from now when my belly swelled with a child I wasn’t sure I wanted.
“And if I am?” I asked, glancing up at Jade, her silver eyes latched onto me. “What if I do get pregnant?” Her lips pursed, but she betrayed no emotion behind her eyes. I could seeeverything, no matter how she tried to hide it. She was upset. But why?
“If you become with child, Ms. Hayes, and you still wish to dissolve your marriage with my client, a divorce will be granted once you give birth and agree to a custody arrangement.”
Of course. Sharing my baby would be a requirement. It was a good thing I had no intention of getting knocked up.
Chapter Eight
After a quick plane ride home, I was back in my apartment, packing up my things into a hastily put together stack of moving boxes. Three months wasn’t long enough to leave my apartment completely. Clothes and necessities were the only things I’d be taking with me.
It only took an hour to get everything ready and put all of my boxes into my car. I was supposed to be enjoying the Baking Expo today. I couldn’t walk around the booths with Jade’s ring on my finger, especially since everyone saw us kissing last night. The entire convention knew we hooked up, the people who hated each other. The smug looks and snide comments weren’t worth staying for. Not to mention, the hotel was decorated for Valentine’s day. I couldn’t handle looking at red hearts while knowing I was married to someone I couldn’t stand.
The bittersweet feeling of leaving my apartment behind did nothing for my sour mood. I wasn’t quite sure what was irking me so badly, or if it was just everything all at once. Hooking up with my enemy. Marrying her on a drunken whim. And now forced to live with her for three months. Being surrounded by her smell all day. Seeing her day and night.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I forced myself to stay focused as I drove. I had to keep a clear head from now on. No falling prey to her pheromones.
My phone rang through the car’s speakers, and I pressed a button on my steering wheel to accept the call. “Hello?”
My mother’s voice came through the car speakers. “Daphne. I’ve been trying to reach you. I heard about your marriage to the Rost heir.”
Why’d she say it like that?The Rost heir.
I grimaced as I pulled to a stop at a red light, anxiously drumming my fingers against the steering wheel. “It was a mistake. She basically dared me to do it. You know how she can be.” It wasn’tnottrue, per se. I just didn’t remember how we got from ‘heat sex’ to ‘marry me’ last night. “I signed a post-nup, so she can’t take my money when I get a divorce. Our lawyer blabbed about Damon’s latest financial blunders. I’m assuming you need me to help fix things?”
She went quiet for a moment, no doubt choosing her next words wisely. “I have it handled, Daphne.” Of course she did. “Anyway, it’s not a bad idea for you to stay married. If we go under, it’s better if you’re taken care of. Ms. Rost has always had a soft spot for you. I doubt she would let you or your bakery fall to ruin.”
Things had to be super desperate for her to suggest I stay married to her rival’s child.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to know how bad it was, and I used the convenient excuse of arriving in Jade’s neighborhood to hang up on her. Still rolling my eyes, I parked and picked up the first box, carrying it to the front door. Jade’s condo was nicer than my apartment, with clean lines and modern fixtures on everything. It screamed wealth and privilege. No surprise there. It’s easy to get rich off of other people’s ideas.
Balancing the box on my hip, I punched in the door code she’d sent me and reached out to turn the handle, only to almost topple over myself when the door suddenly opened. Jade stood there, a shocked expression on her face that quickly soured when she saw the box in my hands.
“What are you doing?”
I pushed past her, forcing her to let me inside. My arm brushed her chest, and a rush of heat burst over my skin. “I’m moving in,” I said, as if it was obvious. Because it kind of was.
“I told you I would hire someone to do that for you.”
The large living room made me pause for a moment, unsure of where I was going. I’d never been inside her home before. “I am not paying someone to move a few boxes, Jade. This is exactly why I told you to stay in Vegas and go to the damn convention, but you justhadto insist on coming home with me.” I grit my teeth together, trying to determine which doorway would lead me to the spare bedroom. “Where’s…” My throat actually hurt as I tried to get the words out. I hated asking her for help. “Where’s my room?”
“I’ll show you.”
Trailing behind her, it was all I could do to not stare at her ass and that tight skirt she was wearing. The sway of her hips was like a siren song. My pheromones strained to escape, echoing the call of her body, but I’d locked them up tight with an extra inhibitor this morning. I would not let Jade get the better of me before these three months were over.
Right off the living room was a short hallway with black walls and white plush carpet. There were three doors: a bathroom, and two bedrooms. Jade’s door was open, revealing a bright, clean room covered in sunlight from the patio doors and a line of windows. My room had a similar style. While smaller than hers, there was enough room for a bed, desk, and a plush chair in the corner. It would work for a few months.
I placed my box onto the desk and turned so I could go grab the next from my car, colliding with Jade as I did. I fell back against the desk, and she reached out, sliding her arm around my waist to keep me from falling.
