Page 3 of Hired Husband

I sighed, but he wasn’t wrong. My life had become remarkably predictable lately, a rinse-repeat of work, home, and sleep. With the GlobalStar merger in the works and Alex working tirelessly to help Jane expand the company into even more new markets and areas, things had been crazy at the office.

It was about time I found my sea legs again. “Yeah. Okay. I’m in, but I’m not going dancing.”

He laughed. “Dancing is optional. Now go get ready. Grab a shower, wash off the boring, and I’ll be over in an hour to start with a celebratory shot of tequila.”

I almost argued, but honestly, breaking routine already felt like a breath of fresh air and I hadn’t even done it yet. For whatever reason, there was a new kind of electricity in the air and maybe it was just being featured in the magazine of my dreams, but I didn’t plan on letting it go to waste.

It had been too long since I’d really felt like me, and maybe a night out was exactly what I needed to get back to it.

CHAPTER 2

JASMINE

My father was a great many things to a great many people, but one thing he was absolutely not was subtle, especially with his family. He could do the boardroom dance with the finesse of a prima ballerina even while attending a perfume launch, but with us, he often had the tact of a rusty teaspoon.

“This is the kind of man you should marry,” he said, tapping his finger over the face gracing the cover of the boring magazine he’d spent the last hour of our flight poring over. “He’s intelligent, ambitious, and standing right on the cusp of professional stardom.”

I barely even glanced at the magazine before I felt my face pull into a grotesque mask of disgust. “That’s Isaac, Daddy. He’s Deja’s brother-in-law.”

“I’m well aware.”

“He’s family.”

“Of your sister’s,” he said firmly. “Don’t act like you share blood just because his brother married into our family.”

“Fine.” I leaned back in my chair, willing the pilot to land the damn plane faster. “He’s also the same guy who refused to help with my bags at the airport when I came to visit last winter.”

“He took them from you eventually.”

I rolled my eyes. “That was only so he, and I quote, ‘wouldn’t freeze to death’ while waiting for me to do it. Oh, and he was afraid I’d scratch his new pickup truck if I tried to load them in.”

“That’s a valid concern, darling,” Dad said with the corners of his lips twitching into a smile. “Anyone who knows the value of things would agree.”

“I know the value of things.” I scoffed and folded my arms, glancing out the window to see Chicago finally rise up from below.

Thank God, we’ll be on the ground soon. I can do this. I can survive without having to jump out of the jet.

After Deja and Colin got together, I had spent a few months in Chicago before my parents insisted I come home. Egypt was great but I loved the energy in the States. As soon as I heard my father was heading to Chicago again, I jumped at the chance to tag along.

Dad gave me an indulgent smile. “You know the value of some things, but you’ve never had to save up to buy your own car.”

“He told me no one in their right mind would ever marry me,” I retorted. “Apparently, I’m too much of a handful.”

“I’m sure he was joking.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t funny. I don’t appreciate being teased.”

“That’s because you appreciate getting your own way so much and Isaac didn’t let you get away with it.” My father smiled before looking back at the magazine.

Unfortunately, I looked too. It was instinct, but that didn’t mean my eyes didn’t linger once they landed on his face. In my defense, however, it was an objectively good face.

I bet the magazine photographer didn’t even have to do anything to make him look that good. The guy probably just pointed his camera and snapped the picture and is now being lauded as a complete genius.

The thought almost made me roll my eyes again, but I resisted, just in case my father noticed and realized I was thinking about Isaac. That wouldn’t do. Especially if he’d now moved on from the match he’d been considering for me before and put Isaac in that idiot’s place.

Still, as Dad lifted the magazine with the cover very much within my line of sight, I stole another glance at Isaac’s face. At thirty years old, he looked just mature enough to make him seem authoritative, those bright blue eyes looking out at me with that knowing gleam in them he always seemed to get when I was in the same room.

Paired with striking cheekbones and broad shoulders, those eyes really were just the cherry on top of a very delicious cake. Urg, so annoying.