“Good.” I throw a few bills on the table and give Adam a sidelong glance. “My fiancée doesn’t eat meals another man paid for.”
* * *
The 4D Agency is mostly empty—almost everyone is out for lunch. Madison’s at her desk, and she rises to her feet whenI stalk toward my office. She notes my hand wrapped around Grace’s wrist, then turns her attention back to me.
“Huxley, do you need—”
“Hold my calls,” I say as I pull Grace inside my office and slam the door shut.
“What horrific bug crawled up your ass and died?” Grace demands, yanking her arm out of my grasp.
“Did you expect me to be kind and sweet when you tell another man you love him? Andin public?”
She stares at me. “He’s afriend! Like, since forever! And he wanted to help.”
I snort. “Help himself to my fiancée, more like. No more men, Grace. I will not have you cheat on me, emotionally or physically. I want your everything. It isn’t such a high price to pay to marry into money.”
She clenches her hands, her eyes glittering. “Oh, okay. And does this little rule go both ways? I’d hate to be pitied because you can’t quit eye-fucking other women or get an STD because you can’t keep your dick in your pants.”
“Obviously.” I don’t want to be another Ted Lasker. “I’m not a scheming hypocrite, unlike some people I could name.”
She glares at me like she’d love to wrap her hands around my neck and squeeze.
I continue, “You’ll behave like a proper fiancée, then a proper wife. And you’ll stay away from him. No talking or meeting.”
“Like I said already, he’s afriend.F-R-I-E-N-D. Friend.”
“Then get a newfriend. A female one. That’s the least you can do forgetting a rich husband.”
“Are you offering to buy me a friend?” she says sarcastically.
“I’ll ruin him first,thenbuy you a friend. One who doesn’t look like she’d love nothing more than bend you over the edge of a bed!”
Her face scrunches. “You’re disgusting. And for your information, Adam isgay.”
I bark out a laugh. “If he’s gay, I’m a Pomeranian.”
“I can’t believe you!” She throws her hands up. “Just becauseyoucan’t be friends with the opposite sex doesn’t mean I can’t. Not every man wants to sleep with me.”
“Then why do they look at you that way?”
“What way?” She looks genuinely confused. A damn good actress is what she is, I remind myself.
“Like they want to fuck you on the spot!” I seethe. I’m being jealous, and it’s difficult to deal with when I’ve never experienced this particular emotion before. I hate it that she comes in a package so pretty I can’t let my guard down without jeopardizing my sanity. Does she want me to acknowledge out loud how she affects me? Fuck that. Over my dead body.
Grace puts her hands on her hips. “You are so”—she hunts for a word—“delusional! Oh myGod! Why did I ever think—”
“I don’t care what you think, Grace. You’ll do as I say, or there will be consequences. As a matter of fact, I think it’s time you moved in with me.”
“Why? So you can keep an eye on me twenty-four seven?”
“Somebody needs to keep other men away.”
She inhales audibly. Her jaw tenses so hard, I can almost hear it creak. “Why don’t you go ahead and get me an ankle bracelet, too? It’ll go nicely with that chastity belt.”
“Great idea. Thanks for suggesting it. I’ll have Madison get on that right now.”
Her knuckles whiten. A vein throbs visibly in her neck, but the sight doesn’t give me much satisfaction. To be honest, I don’t know what would after that infuriating scene at the restaurant.
