Page 93 of Married to Lies

One by one, they picked up the itineraries, scanning them over. Brows furrowed. Lips pursed. Sighs were breathed.

Bryce was the first to complain. “I can’t put my devices on lockdown, Aaric. I have a newborn at home. What if something happens to her while I’m gone?”

I patted his shoulder because I could tell just the thought had him on edge. “I’ve already discussed it with Jada. You will have scheduled check-in calls with her twice each day. If she needs to contact you for any reason, she has my emergency line.”

His face relaxed a little, and he opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, Jude said, “You’ve got to be kidding me with this horse shit. Simon’s in the hospital! The police are still trying to find Damien’s drug dealer. Our security team is actively investigating espionage. This couldn’t be a worse idea if you tried.”

I leveled a hard stare at him. “All of those things are true. We’re facing more outside pressure than ever before with a weaker team than we’ve ever had. If you hadn’t tried to vote out our main founder, then skipped out on his wedding, we would be in a much stronger position to deal with these challenges.”

Cruz looked physically uncomfortable at the altercation, but Jude only blinked as if unfazed. “Fine. Take our stuff. But I don’t want to hear a word from Quentin when this affects Q1 earnings.” He slid his phone roughly over the table at me, and I pushed it back.

“I don’t need it until tomorrow morning,” I said. “And regardless of how important you are to the organization, our strength as a unit is more important.”

Bryce’s jaw clenched. Jude’s hands flexed on the table. Only Quentin seemed at ease, hands loose in his lap.

“Thanks for putting this together, Aaric,” he said.

The unexpected compliment meant more than I could say. “Thanks, Q.”

The chef brushed by, putting finished dishes in front of us. Our first meal was a steak or tofu bowl with mixed vegetables and a side salad.

Cruz took a bite and said, “Cute and a good cook. Good work, Chef.”

The woman’s cheeks flamed.

I glared at Cruz. “You’re an HR complaint waiting to happen. Back off.”

“Yeah? Well you’re a party pooper complaint in progress,” he replied, holding back a smile.

I rolled my eyes. “You’ve been spending too much time with your nieces and nephews. Find a better comeback next time.”

He stuck his tongue out at me.

Bryce stifled a chuckle, and Jude shook his head. “Children,” he muttered.

I held back a smile because my plan was working. If they were mad at me, maybe they’d stop being so angry at each other.

Quentin’s gaze narrowed as he looked out the front window to the driveway. “Did you have a delivery coming?” he asked me.

I got up from the table, going closer to the window. The sunset glinted off a black SUV with mirrored windows pulling slowly into the driveway.

“No one else should be here,” I said. With all we’d been through in the last couple months, my mind instantly went to the worst-case scenario. But I forced myself to think positive. “Maybe the landlord heard it was us and is looking to network...” I walked to the front entrance, planning to see them off, but when I opened the door, I froze to see who was getting out of the car.

Aleyna stepped onto the snowy gravel drive in thick, furry boots and skintight black clothing. And on the other side of the car, the driver was helping Simon into a wheelchair.

Jude approached behind me, saying, “What the fuck are they doing here?”

42 Rei

My bed had always been my sanctuary.

I had the softest down pillows, a memory foam topper thicker than my thighs, linen sheets that felt so fresh against my skin, a heavy comforter, and a soft, fuzzy blanket that felt so cozy in the wintertime.

With mood lighting on each nightstand, my room was a lover begging me for just one more minute.

But tonight, for the first time, it wasn’t enough.

It was like our wedding night had cemented Quentin in my heart. Everything from the way he pleasured me to how he cuddled and left thoughtful notes made me wish we could have a honeymoon like a real married couple. Our good-night texts earlier didn’t come close to sating the desire I had to be close to him.