Page 80 of The Unwilling Bride
What if he annoyed me so much that I snapped and did something I’d regret… Like killing him? Then my sister and niece would be left to fend for themselves. The ridiculous turn of my thoughts makes me chuckle.
I turn it into a cough.
He reaches for the glass of water on the coffee table and hands it to me.
“Thanks.” I avoid his gaze, take a few sips, steady myself, then set it down.
My body is drawn to him, but the sensible part of me is sounding every alarm. There’s too much at stake.
I need to resist the pull James Hamilton has on me.
I pull off the hair tie from my ponytail. Then scoop my hair back and snap the hair tie around it again.
It’s a nervous tic of mine, but it helps to soothe me. Enough for me to ask the question I’ve been thinking since I picked up the contract: “What about appearances? Would we have to kiss or touch in public?”
He freezes. Every muscle locked. The stillness of a predator marking his territory.
"We'll do everything needed to convey that the marriage is real. Holding each other. Being affectionate." His gaze drops to my mouth. Stays there. "Kissing." His throat moves. "When needed."
My lips tingle.
Just his eyes on my mouth and my insides have turned to liquid. If he presses his mouth to mine, I'm done.
I manage to tear my gaze from his and gather my thoughts. What about Angelina? Would he still see her? My stomach tightens.
I raise my chin, “Are we allowed to sleep with anyone else while we’re married?”
A nerve pops at his temple. The veins on his throat stand out in relief. "If you're my wife, you are mine. You are not to kiss or fuck anyone else."
Heat crawls up the back of my neck. The possessiveness radiating off him turns my pulse into a drumbeat I feel in my throat.
“This also applies to you,” I manage to choke out.
He leans in toward me, his gaze intent.
“I would take my marriage vows seriously. I wouldn’t be with anyone else for the duration of the marriage.”
A thrill runs through me. It’s as if we’re really going to be married. Which we are. Because the wedding ceremony is real. The marriage certificate is real. This marriage is real.
My stomach drops. My mouth goes dry.
I try to focus on the words in the agreement, but I’m too aware of his nearness, the heat from his body, his scent which surrounds me, the solid bulk of his which makes me want to melt into him.
The air between us hums. The space between us seems to shrink.
As if unable to stop himself his gaze lowers to my mouth again.
Sparks fire through my veins. My stomach trembles. If he touches me now, I’ll fall into his arms. So, I stay still. I dare not breathe.
Once again, it’s James who slowly pulls back. “I’ll let you read the rest of the agreement.”
What? Oh, the agreement.
I lower my gaze to stare at the contract, read a few more lines. Hold on a second. “This is a non-disclosure clause.”
“It’s standard. To protect both of us.” His tone is casual.
“This means?—”
