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Mr. William’s eyes stare through my soul as I wait for his response, and I’m shaking like a leaf. I’m sure the immediate regret is plastered all over my face, and I want to crawl under the desk and disappear.
I’m so sorry, Kaden. You will be looking for a new fake wife after he kicks me out of the building,I think. The awkward silence rings in my ears. I start to feel sweaty, and my cheeks flush.
Until finally, he smiles. “Well, then, welcome to the family, honey!” he says. Relief instantly washes over me, and I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I figured he’d take one look at me and send me packing. But he stands out of his chair and walks around the side of his desk toward me.
He holds his arm out, and I stand to meet his embrace. “Visit us tonight, and I’ll throw a feast of celebration for my grandson’s marriage!” he says excitedly. After letting me go from the hug, he sits back in his chair.
“I thought when Kaden first told me he was married, maybe someone had tricked him for his money. I didn’t understand why it was such a rushed affair. But now, Amber, I understand perfectly after seeing it is you. It’s a bit of an awkward situation, dating the boss's grandson and all. To be honest, I appreciate your discretion until the matter was more settled. I’m so glad you have each other!”
I grab Kaden’s hand and squeeze it, pleased with the reaction. “Thank you! We’re so happy you understand. I’m also glad you agree with us doing it quickly. You’re very right. As two career-minded professionals, it was really the best choice for us,” I say, hoping to continue winning him over.
“Well, Grandfather, we won’t keep you. I know you’re a busy man. We will see you tonight for dinner,” Kaden says, pulling me to stand with him. His grandfather nods, and Kaden pulls me out of the office. I can’t help noticing how quickly he’s yanking me down the hall.
Is he upset? His reaction was better than I expected it to be. Was Kaden expecting more, or did I go too far?
He helps me into his Bentley and gets behind the wheel at record speed, starting it and flying down the highway toward home. The silence is almost suffocating as he doesn’t say a word the whole drive home. He doesn’t even take the time to turn on the radio.
My anxiety gets the better of me, and I have to break the silence. “Did I say something wrong?” I ask, worried he’s upset with me.
His eyes dart to mine “What? No! Why would you think that?” he responds.
“Oh, good. I just was worried when you pulled me out of there so quickly that I had done something wrong.”
“No, of course not. I was relieved with how it went, and I can’t believe he’s inviting us for dinner to celebrate. I just know how my grandfather is. We needed to bounce before he changed his mind!” He laughs. “Plus, I figured you might want some time to freshen up before dinner. I know how women are about dinner parties.”
“That’s true!” I giggle. “Thank you for thinking of me. Hopefully, I have something nice enough to wear.”
He turns to me with his handsome smile. “You look gorgeous in everything. It won’t matter what you wear.” Suddenly, his eyes widen, and he shifts his gaze quickly back to the road. My cheeks heat up, and his words ring in my ears.
Is he complimenting my appearance? What is he doing, and why do I enjoy it?
We pull into the driveway and head into the house, spending the next few hours showering and getting dressed for dinner. I actually decide to put on some makeup, something I rarely do, but I feel that a night like tonight is worth putting in a little extra effort.
Plus, I can’t stop thinking about Kaden’s compliment earlier. Part of me wants to show him how nice I can look when I want to. I want him to stop and look for a minute.
It’s worth the effort, even if I know it won’t go anywhere. It feels good to be admired, especially when the man admiring you is as attractive as Kaden.
Dusk rolls around, and Kaden pulls his Bentley into the driveway of the biggest mansion I’ve ever seen.
“Oh, my God. I thought your mansion was huge. Look at this thing!” I laugh, completely in awe over the size and beauty of the home in front of me. It looks more like a museum than an actual home.
The stone exterior and the large pine pillars leading to the front door only add to the magazine-worthy look this place gives off. The grass is neatly trimmed, and there are perfectly round hedges on either side of the driveway, suggesting he has several gardeners helping keep up the curb appeal.
“Seriously, this might be the biggest and fanciest place I’ve ever seen outside of a magazine. I can’t even imagine how much it costs to live here! Your grandpa must have more money than he knows what to do with,” I add after not getting a response from my first compliments on it.
Kaden chuckles, turns off the ignition, and grabs the door handle. “Just wait until you see the inside!” he says, walking around to help me out. He grabs my hand immediately, and we walk up the stone path toward the massive wooden castle-like door. He knocks half-heartedly, and it opens almost instantly.
Mr. William greets us and lets us inside. As the door closes, I notice a man who I am guessing must be Kaden’s father and a few other family members standing behind him. They all welcome us kindly. I respond as nicely as possible, thanking them for having us.
Kaden doesn’t say a word, causing my attention to turn to him, wondering why he’s so quiet suddenly. He doesn’t even look at me. He just walks past them into the kitchen.
They follow closely behind me, asking me questions and asking about our relationship. I’m answering to the best of my ability. It isn’t easy as we haven’t rehearsed most of the answers, and I wish Kaden would jump in to take a few of these questions.
But Kaden will not respond to a single one. The occasional half-assed comment he does offer is dry and full of irritation. I can tell he’s being apathetic to his mother, siblings, and father, and I can’t help but wonder what the hell is going on with him. What has he brought me into?
12
KADEN
