“Sixty-minutes is a long time.”
She rolls her eyes playfully and swats at my bicep with her free hand. “It felt like forever. It was fine. Mickey-D watched me get ready.”
“You look exquisite. Have I told you that yet?”
“More or less.”
“I’m like a moth to the flame, baby,” I tell her, cupping her cheek with one hand. With my thumb, I tip her chin, gently forcing her head back. My lips hover over hers, less than a breath away. “I can’t help but gravitate toward your light.”
The tension between us grows, and I know I could press my mouth to hers, but the sweet temptation is just as gratifying as the kiss itself.
“I love you,” she whispers, tilting her head just slightly, begging without words for me to close the distance, and I want to.Fuck, do I want to. But I also want to bring her to ruin later, so wanton and hopelessly in need of my touch, I can watch her come undone with a simple caress of my tongue.
“I love you,” I promise as the elevator dings and announces our arrival, the doors sliding open.
The temperature drops tremendously, and I lace my fingers with hers as we step out onto the rooftop.
My eyes are glued to the woman who’s captured my soul, hoping to catch every emotion as it dances across her features, and I’m rewarded with the pleasure as a small gasp leaves her.
Then, her face turns from awe to anger in the blink of an eye. My spine stiffens as her face pales, and she mutters one word that’s the last thing I expect to hear.
“Javier.”
At the sound of his name, my head snaps to where Raina is looking across the rooftop, landing on the smug bastard sitting at our table. Radiating confidence, he swirls my wine around in a wineglass meant for the woman of my dreams as if he isn’t the object of both of our nightmares. He has one ankle crossed over the opposite leg as he leans back in the chair, smirking.
“Motherfucker.” I stride over to him. With our fingers still laced, Raina trails behind. “What are you doing here, Javier?”
“I’ve come to see my wife,” he counters smoothly, pulling his gaze from me to Raina. “My, my. You look positively lethal, my dear.”
“Perfect, since I could strangle you with my bare hands right now.” Anger oozes from every pore of her delicate skin, and I tighten my grip on our hands, which Javier takes note of and smiles wider.
Ignoring her, he turns his attention back to me. “I see my messages were successfully delivered. My condolences to your face.”
“I wear purple well,” I hiss, clenching my jaw. “What do you want?”
“Skipping dinner and going straight to dessert, then? Noted. I’ve come to inform my beautiful bride she has fulfilled herduties. After your early departure from my father’s funeral, you, sweet girl, stirred quite the commotion within my family. I had to confess to them all about our little arrangement.”
Masking my features, I listen to everything he says, making mental notes in my mind to help compile anything I can use against him in court. Gone is the doting boyfriend—the fake fiancé—and in his place is another important role I play for Raina.
Her lawyer.
“What exactly did you tell them?” Raina asks carefully, quickly glancing at me.
“Everything. I did what you Americans call coming clean.” A smile plays on the bastard’s lips.
“Which. Was?” Raina’s words pack a lot of bite, but they’re enunciated slowly, and I can’t help but take notice of the nerves behind each one.
Javier’s smile widens further. Connecting his eyes with mine, he rubs his chin, a silent laugh shaking through his chest.
“Oh darling, I told themeverything.” He waves his hand around playfully, like she already knows. A spike of uncertainty crawls through my veins. “I told them about the night we met—how you were a lovely date, and an easy lay, although that part I only told to my uncle and male cousins.”
A growl vibrates through me, and I take a step forward, ready to use my fists on this asshole if need be. “Watch your mouth and respect my fiancée, Moreno.”
He chuckles. “Ah, you mean yourfakefiancée, Mr. Paladino. Are you herfakelawyer, too? I assume not, since your specialty is women seeking divorces. As I was saying, I confessed to our marriage being a fraud, admitting it was nothing more than an attempt on my part to make this transition easier for the family. They do not fault you for agreeing to the sham, Raina, although they are hurt about being lied to.”
All the air leaves my body as I process his words.
“You told them we were planning on getting a divorce and were only staying married for show?”
