Page 9 of My Husband Problem

But they were, and we are, andIcan’t break us up. I’ve spent my life doing things to make my family happy and my country proud. Or trying to anyway. Agreeing to a marriage that has thrilled my parents and fulfilled my grandfather’s final wishes is totally on brand for me.

Pissing everyone off and not caring about it is Declan’s wheelhouse.

He has to be the one who calls this ridiculousness off.

Which means the more I annoy him, embarrass him, or just do everything contrary to what he wants, the better.

I pick another of the bourbon and brown sugar glazed shrimp off my plate and pop it into my mouth. I chew as I smile up at him.

“You’re being kind of?—”

Okay,fuck.I didn’t look carefully at my plate before choosing the shrimp.

This is one of Bruce’s sassy shrimps.

The people down here call it ‘sweet heat’, but they all burned their taste buds off before they went to kindergarten.

The cayenne hits me before I finish my sentence, and I take a quick breath. Which sucks the spice further into my throat.

My eyes water, and suddenly my entire face is on fire.

Through the watery haze, I see concern on Declan’s face, even as his hand shoots out.

“Spit it out.”

Then I do something I almost can’t believe even as it happens. I spit the hunk of shrimp right into Declan O’Grady’s outstretched palm.

I start to reach for my glass of water, but instead, he shoves a piece of buttermilk biscuit into my mouth.

“Chew.”

I don’t know if it’s the firm tone of voice or simple self-preservation, but I do as he tells me.

The burning eases slightly, and the next thing I know, Declan is beside me, scooping me out of my chair.

“I’m taking her.”

Is that really freaking sexy? Or am I dazed from sucking cayenne pepper into my frontal lobe?

CHAPTER 4

ASTRID

Declan carriesme across the café that is, once again, stunningly quiet.

It’s incredibly unusual for any gathering of the people in this town to be quiet. But I know from experience that Declan O’Grady elicits unusual reactions from just about everyone he encounters.

“And someone bring me some fucking milk.”

That is also going to go on my list of things I never thought I would hear Declan O’Grady say.

I can’t help it. I start giggling.

Which somehow makes the burning worse?

Fuck cayenne pepper, man.

This is all so stupid.