Page 3 of The Contract Marriage

“I’m thinking about this one. Very chic,” she says, pointing to a draft that has three stones in the center of the band.

“It suits you,” I say.

“Mmm.” She shoots me an unreadable look under her lashes. “Maybe so, but it needs some modification, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course. We’re here to please.”

She laughs softly. “How about we make the center stone bigger? Let’s say… Five carats?”

I purse my lips as the new design takes shape in my head. “It’s going to look unbalanced.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. It’s a wedding band, which should be discreet. Noticeable when you look, but it shouldn’t be an attention grabber.”

Her face glows with satisfaction. “You have good taste, but a big stone is what I want.”

Probably because Brielle keeps forgetting that Olivia is the bride. Sympathy wells. “You shouldn’t have to settle for something ugly to make a statement,” I say.

“I’m not settling. I’m making a choice,” she says firmly, then looks at me. Her eyes soften. “I respect your aesthetic sensibilities, Liam, but can you trust me on this?”

Chapter Two

Olivia

If the Academy could see me right now, it’d give me an Oscar for Best Actress. Nobody’s caught on to the fact that everything I’ve done is for show.

A hint of helpless resignation flits across Liam’s eyes, as dark and deep as the Pacific on a stormy day. Looking into them never fails to soothe the jagged edges of my soul.

He’s changed so much since our days in college. He was unable to string a sentence together for a few months our freshman year, but only in front of me. Some jerks mocked him, calling him Liam the Stammerer, as though being brave enough to be honest with your feelings makes you pathetic.

Now he speaks articulately, hinting at his disapproval over the dynamic between Tyler and me without crossing the line. The fiery red tips of his ears betray him, though. If I point them out, he’ll probably flush with embarrassment. But that’s what is so amazing about him—he makes my heart soften despite my resolve to stay detached from everyone around me. Maybe it’s the openness in his gaze.

It was so hard to look past him in the four classes we had together in college, especially when he always sat in the same seats, right in my line of sight, and stole glances at me from time to time. Despite his dark hair and ocean-blue eyes, he radiates golden retriever energy—sunny and nearly impossible to resist. Doesn’t help that his hair looks so soft, and his features are even. He would almost look pretty if it weren’t for the square jaw.

“There’s something wrong with your judgment,” Liam says finally. From the way his mouth flattens, he means more than the rings.

I give him the first genuine smile I’ve managed today. “What can I say? The heart loves what it loves. But thanks for your concern.”

His eyebrows pull together. He drops his gaze to the sketches for a second before raising it to meet mine. “You know—”

The door bursts open again. Brielle barges in, shoving aside the poor woman from before. She should’ve been a linebacker.

“Oops, forgot my fob.” An airy voice, then she gasps theatrically. “Oh my God, why are you so inappropriate with him?” She points to Liam, her eyes saucer-wide.

“Inappropriate how?” he says, bristling.

Brielle misses the hostility. Or more like she doesn’t care about upsetting a person she deems irrelevant to her power play with me. “You guys are sitting so close together. Like are you about to kiss or something, rather than picking out the wedding bands like you’re supposed to?”

“At least she isn’t running her hand all over my thigh like some shameless homewrecker.” Impatience sharpens Liam’s voice.

She pulls back, her mouth slightly open. He obviously hit a nerve. But she doesn’t just want to cause trouble—she wants to steal Tyler, like she stole all of my boyfriends. This time, though, it won’t just end with a broken engagement—it’ll be a complete bride swap. She thinks she’s slick and subtle, but that’s a laugh. After having lived with her for close to a decade, I know how her mind works better than she does.

“Don’t be rude.” Tyler arrives and steps forward. From the way he’s shielding her, you’d think she was his fiancée. But just give it time… “She’s the bride’s sister—the most important person at the wedding.”

Brielle places a hand on her hip, growing smug now that she has some backup.

Liam gives him a mock-puzzled look. “Really. I thought that was the bride.”