Page 98 of The Contract Marriage

I imagine what her reaction will be when Olivia sees me. She probably can’t even have lunch, so this is what I can do to ease her pain. If she complains that I’m slacking off at work, I’ll just tell her I’m doing it for the baby. She softens every time I bring up our child.

The door to her office is open. She’s at her desk, tapping a finger against a sticky notepad as she reads some documents. Simon, of course, is standing right next to her. Doesn’t he have a job that doesn’t involve hovering beside my wife like a creepy stalker? No matter how open-minded I try to be, I just can’t bring myself to like the guy.

Doesn’t matter. My rings sparkle on her hands. I tighten my grip around the bag, feel the weight of the jars, and imagine my wife’s face bright with joy when she receives them.

“Hey.” I smile.

Olivia looks up from the papers. “Hi, handsome. What a great-looking tie!”

“Yeah, it was the weirdest thing… A beautiful woman gave it to me this morning.” I stroke it with pride. “Makes me look a thousand times more handsome.”

She laughs. “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming over.” She suddenly looks worried. “Are we scheduled for a lunch date?”

“Nope. Just wanted to stop by with a little something for you.”

“What is it?” Excitement sparks in her eyes as she comes over.

Simon looks at me like I just stepped on his best toy car.

“Ta-da!” I hand her the bag, then shoot him a smug look over her head. “It’s a little heavy.”

“I can feel that.” She accepts the bag and opens it, then pulls out each jar. “Ohh… Are these homemade?”

I nod. “With love.” Instructing Frederich counts.

“Thank you!” She glows and places them on the shelf next to her desk, pushing Simon’s store-bought tin to the back.

Simon turns white. I return the smirk from the morning.

“But I still think you should take some time off instead of fighting morning sickness with, you know…plants,” I say.

She sighs, then walks back to me and stops when she’s only an inch away. She tilts her head up, her eyes like an endless blue sky. “You know what works better than ginger and time off?”

“What?” I say gruffly, my hands in my pockets.

“A hug from you.” She wraps her arms around me before I can move, then buries her face in my chest. “You smell so good. The best morning sickness cure.”

I return the hug tightly. “Want me to just hang out with you all the time?”

“Who’ll run Kingswood Stones & Designs?”

“I can delegate. My people are perfectly capable.”

She wrinkles her nose. “No. I like it that my husband is a hot CEO.” She looks up at me. “With the vision to make everyone’s romantic ideas come true.”

I tenderly brush a few stray strands from her face. “Don’t work too hard.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“Lunch?”

She shakes her head. “Ugh, no. I might try some saltines later if I can stomach them.”

I shoot a pointed look at Simon. Is he going to get her saltines too?

“He’s going to lunch, of course. I’m not that mean,” Olivia says, obviously misinterpreting my expression.

I kiss her. “See you tonight.”