And I think about the way Callum's hand felt around mine. Strong. Certain. Like he knew exactly what he wanted and wasn't afraid to take it.
"What are your terms?"
Something flickers in his gaze. Approval, maybe. Or anticipation.
"Simple. We attend together. We're convincing. And when the weekend is over, we go our separate ways. No strings, no expectations, no complications."
"That's it?"
"That's it." He pauses, and when he speaks again, his voice is lower. Rougher. "Unless you want there to be more."
The words land somewhere in my chest and detonate.
I know what he's really asking. Can see it in the way he holds himself, the way he's been watching me since I sat down. This isn't just about the wedding. This is about chemistry. Attraction. The kind of tension that crackles between two people who recognize something in each other.
Something that wants to come out and play.
"I don't even know your last name," I hear myself say.
"Ridge. Callum Ridge. I own Ridge Brothers Timber. I have three younger brothers, I don't have any exes who are going to show up and cause drama, and I haven't been in a serious relationship in eight years because I prefer honesty over games."
"That's very... thorough."
"You should know what you're agreeing to." He leans closer, and I catch his scent. Cedar and leather and something warm underneath. "I'm not a simple man, Nadia. I have particular tastes. Specific needs. And I've found that it's better to be upfront about that than to pretend otherwise."
My heart is hammering against my ribs. "Particular tastes meaning what, exactly?"
His smile finally breaks through, and it transforms his face. Makes him look almost boyish despite the silver hair and the commanding presence. "Meaning I like control. Clarity. And women who aren't afraid to push back."
"And if I push back too hard?"
"Then we'll have a conversation about it." He extends his hand again, palm up this time. An offering. "What do you say, Nadia Smith? Do we have a deal?"
I look at his hand. Look at his face. Look at the whiskey in front of me and the snow falling outside the window and the life I left behind in Chicago that doesn't exist anymore.
And then I put my hand in his.
"We have a deal."
CHAPTER TWO
CALLUM
Idon't do impulsive.
Twenty two years of running Ridge Brothers Timber has taught me that patience yields better results than recklessness. You don't rush a cut. You don't force a deal. You read the grain, assess the conditions, and make your move when the timing is right.
So what the hell am I doing offering a fake relationship to a woman I met fifteen minutes ago?
Nadia's hand is still in mine, her pulse quick against my palm. She's watching me with those dark eyes that haven't stopped challenging me since she sat down, and I realize I'm in more trouble than I anticipated.
She's not what I expected.
Tyler mentioned his future sister in law a few times. Marketing executive from Chicago. Driven. Single. The way he said it made her sound like a cautionary tale about women who prioritize careers over connection. I pictured someone brittle and defensive, armored in designer clothes and bitterness.
Instead I got fire wrapped in silk. Sharp tongue. Sharper mind. And a vulnerability underneath all that attitude that sheprobably thinks she's hiding but broadcasts with every defensive joke and self deprecating comment.
She's exactly the kind of woman I've spent eight years avoiding.
