Page 51 of The Contract Marriage

Dammit. I don’t want him in my home, but if I refuse entry it’s just going to make me look petty and ridiculous. I open the security app to let him in, then frown when a text from Grandmother’s assistant pops up.

–Georgia: Don’t forget dinner tonight. Sorcha is expecting you.

“By the way, about my grandmother’s dinner… You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.” Nothing makes a woman recoil faster than experiencing my family elders’ dramas. Max overcame it, but she wanted a forever with Rhys. Olivia, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as committed.

She hesitates for a second, then shakes her head. “I’ll go. It’s what I should do as your wife.” No hint of a smile, just grim determination. It reminds me of how she was in the conference room during the prenup negotiation.

“This is marriage, not just a job with obligations.” Or some bullshit you have to swallow to get what you want.

“I don’t want to put you in a difficult position with your family.”

“You’re my wife now. That makes you family, too.” And far more important than Czarina.

Olivia’s eyes widen for a moment. “Yes, I suppose it does.”

Her reaction is like a punch in the solar plexus. “Did I, uh, not make you feel married enough?”

“You did. You’re the most perfect husband. I just…” She shakes her head. “It just really hit me that I have a family now. I haven’t had one for so long.” Her eyes shimmer slightly.

The sharp pain vanishes, and aching tenderness fills my heart. She’s just so unused to being cared for after being with a father like Hugh for so long. Probably needs time to adjust. I’ve waited twelve years. I can be a little more patient. “No matter what, you’re always going to be my family, Olivia.”

The entry system announces Simon’s arrival. I force a smile that hopefully looks polite and head out, with an arm around my wife’s waist as she carries her purse.

He looks at her greedily. Bastard.

“Are you all right?” he asks.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” Her voice is light and glib.

It’s the exact tone she used before when she mentioned he’d come pick her up. She treats me the way she treats Simon and even Tyler—at arm’s length, outside the wall around her heart. The realization unfurls in my gut, more bitter than Campari.

Calm down. We’ve been married for all of two days. I still have time to change things between us. She already smiles more easily around me. We shared a lovely moment this morning. It’s just a matter of time before she opens up—and I become the one in her heart.

She presses a quick kiss on my cheek. “See you later.”

“It’s going to be a long day.”

She laughs while Simon glowers at me from behind her. I suppress a smirk.

He opens the car door for her, and she climbs into the passenger seat of the gray Audi. As he shuts the door, I wave. “Have a great day, wife.”

He shoots me a sharp glance. “I’ll make sure she does.”

I just smile. “Know your place, Simon. The best you can hope for is to share a car ride. Meanwhile, she shares my life and my bed.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Olivia

Despite Liam’s worries, I’m pretty confident that I’m going to be okay. What can Hugh and his family realistically do? If they come after me, they lose the right to receive money from the trust, and God forbid they actually have to work to put food on the table.

The tabloids and Instagram posts are annoying—and embarrassing, especially with Liam’s family involved—but they aren’t fatal.

I’ve survived worse. I can overcome this.

“Your breakfast,” Simon says, placing a bag with a fresh bagel on my desk.

“Oh, sorry, I should’ve said something earlier, but Liam already fed me breakfast.”