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I’ve always been a straight shooter—to a fault. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to.”
Her bitter laugh sends a wave of uneasiness through me. “Then I’m sure it will be extremely difficult for you to accept that my answer is no.”
“Why waste time denying what we both already know?”
“Because the last thing we need is to further complicate things.”
“Hate to break it to you, but our relationship is nothing but complicated.”
“No, Declan. Our relationship is nothing but a façade.”
Her words land their blow, and I’m struck speechless as I process her words. She stands and grabs her purse. The small smile she shoots my way feels all kinds of wrong. I don’t want her to leave. That much I know is true, yet she doesn’t seem to acknowledge the silent plea in my eyes.
“I think it’s best if we pretend tonight never happened. For both of our sakes.” She bends down to kiss my cheek, and she might as well have burned the impression of her lips onto my skin. “I’ll meet you in the car. Take your time.”
A tightness in my chest grows with every step she takes away from me. I hate the feeling sprouting inside of me like a weed, tangling around my heart like a vine, almost as much as I hate Iris walking away from me.
Tonight might not have gone like expected, but I am not the kind of man to admit defeat.
I plan. I act. I conquer.
Iris might have rejected my first offer, but I will rise to the challenge and prove just how good things can be between us if she were to give me a chance.
Our marriage might be fake, but these feelings burning inside me are anything but. It’s only a matter of time before I make her mine. She just doesn’t know it yet.
* * *
The car isn’t even parked before Iris escapes the garage.
Harrison opens my door with his lips pressed together.
“How long have you been married for?” I exit the car and button my jacket.
His head rears back like I have never spoken to him before. We might not be confidants, but he has been my driver since before I ever had a license. Of course I interact with him. He even has my personal number strictly for coordination purposes.
“Forty years and counting.” He smiles to himself as if the idea pleases him.
“Willingly?”
As opposed to what? A contractual agreement like yours?
He laughs. “She might say no if you asked her.”
My head tilts. “Why?”
He looks at me as if he’s questioning my IQ. “Because marriage is hard, and apparently I’m not the easiest person to get along with. Plus, I snore.”
A laugh gets trapped in my throat. “Makes sense.” I turn toward the door, but Harrison’s words stop me.
“Mind if I offer you some advice?”
I sigh and look over at him. “Only if you feel that it’s absolutely crucial.”
His eyes wrinkle at the corners as his lips turn up into a small smile. “You might have gone about all the steps in the wrong order, but that doesn’t mean you can’t restart from the beginning and try again.”
