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I gaze at her with bemusement. Aye, I'm sure I look this way often when I'm with Emery. The lass confuses me so often that it shouldn't surprise me anymore, but it does.
She kisses my cheek and releases me, backing up a few steps as if to give me space. I must admit she is a very thoughtful lass.
I survey her wee, one-room apartment. Cannae believe she lives in such a cramped space. Emery seems like the sort who needs plenty of room and plenty of soft pillows and quilts. I will make certain all her possessions get to Scotland as quickly as possible to ensure she'll feel at home there. "I'll hire someone to take care of your belongings."
The lass flies at me again and plants another kiss on my cheek. "Thank you, Rory. You're a real sweetie-pie."
"Donnae say that in front of my family, or Aidan will be calling me 'sweetie-pie' for the rest of eternity."
"I will try to restrain myself, but no promises. I'm impulsive, you know, which you really ought to like since it's the impetus for me marrying you."
She makes a valid point, but I need a moment before I can admit to the truth. "I can live with your outlandish enthusiasm."
"Thanks a bunch, sweetie-pie."
I grumble and pick up her solitary suitcase.
Emery watches me in silence while biting her lip.
The lass seems to want to say something, but it fashes her for some reason.
At last, she pulls in a deep breath and tells me, "There's something you should know before we tie the knot, in case it changes your mind."
"Nothing will change my mind."
"You haven't heard my confession yet."
I set down the suitcase. "Tell me, then."
"Remember how I said I hate secrets and lies?" Her gaze flits around the room, everywhere except to me. "That's because my ex took naked pictures of me and posted them online without my knowledge or consent. I mean, I consented to him taking pictures of me. But I had no idea he'd post them on social media. He swore they were just for him to look at. After I broke up with him, he got revenge-y."
"Revenge-y?"
"It's called revenge porn." She looks almost sick, though she keeps talking. "I'll spare you the details. The gist is I got the photos taken down from his social media accounts, but there's always a chance the images had been propagated elsewhere. Our contract talks about moral obligations, and I don't want you to be humiliated if nudie pictures of me turn up somehow, somewhere."
A flash of movement makes me glance down at her belly, where she's wringing her hands. She honestly worries I won't want her anymore if I see those pictures.
"I won't be humiliated," I tell her, doing my best to sound soothing. Not my strong suit. I squeeze her shoulder, then wrap my hand around both of hers. "And I haven't changed my mind."
Now she chews on her lip and pinches her face.
I duck my head to look into her eyes. "I don't treat women that way, no matter what they do to me. Do you believe me?"
She nods once.
Peeling her hands apart, I release one but keep hold of the other, threading our fingers. "All of that is in the past."
I lead Emery out of her depressingly small apartment. Earlier, I'd spoken to her landlord to take care of terminating her lease. The man had gawped at us both when Emery informed him that she was marrying me and moving to Scotland, but eventually, he'd offered us both his congratulations and wishes for good luck.
Aye, I'll need luck on my side. My family will be…surprised by the news. I haven't told anyone I'm bringing a wife home with me.
Just a few hours later, we stand before a magistrate who solemnizes our marriage. That's the official term for it. I wear the same suit as earlier, but Emery has changed into a knee-length, cream-colored sundress with a modest neckline. Even sedate clothing can't diminish her sex appeal. Though she wears shoes with heels that add another three inches to her height, I still sort of tower over her, though not on purpose. I avoid looking at Emery during the solemnization ceremony, even when we slip the rings onto each other's fingers. My new wife must, of course, take a picture of us with her mobile, while we're still in the magistrate's office. The second the deed is done, I rush us back to the limo. We head for the Garden of the Gods resort for our wedding night, and in the morning, we will fly to Scotland.
Perhaps I shouldn't have arranged for our wedding night to take place at a posh resort, since I don't want Emery to think I'm being romantic, but I felt compelled to give her something nice in exchange for the arrangement I've convinced her to sign onto with me.
What have I done?
Exactly what I need to do. I ensured my family will stop harassing me and stop shoving poor lasses at me at random moments. But aye, I've also ensured that I will have free access to Emery's body for one year. By then, I'll have her out of my system. She will leave, and I will go back to my life—alone. I feel slightly nauseous, but that has nothing to do with Emery. It's only… I have no sodding clue what it is, but I do not feel nauseous because I know I'll have her for only one year.
