Page 34 of His Bride Bargain

I, Aiden Fletcher, do so promise to instate Candice Fletcher to the board of Fletcher Tech and allow her full and complete control over Mettie’s Marketplace without question.

Hastily, I sign it, tear the note off and thrust it towards Candice. She stares blankly at it. “What?”

“You have to sign too,” I say, pressing it into her hand. “Or else you can’t hold me to it.”

She reads it, her eyes widening as she realizes what it means, then crosses to the desk and signs her name beneath mine. I smile to see both signatures on the page, sitting together as naturally as a handshake.

“Stay for today. Please,” I say quietly. She frowns at me, and I really think she’s going to say no again. “Let’s run away from the hotel and go exploring. Let’s go to the lake and skim stones and enjoy the sunshine. How often do either of us have a real, work-free holiday? Let’s make the most of it.

“Okay,” she sighs, and I blink. Did I hear that right? “Only if I don’t have to do any more stupid games.”

“Okay,” I say, grinning in relief. “Okay!”

“Don’t get too excited,” she says, bending down to her bag to stash the contract note somewhere safe. Even without the paper, I would stand by it, though. I meant every word. “I still haven’t made any decisions about you.”

“Just you wait.” I raise a cheeky eyebrow at her and she shakes her head, but for the first time in hours, her smile is genuine, even as she tries to hide it. This is the Candice I fell in love with eight years ago — strong and gorgeous and funny. This is the Candice I’ve neverstoppedloving.

She slips her shoes onto her feet and offers me her hand. I stare at it, confused. “Come on, then,” she says, spreading her fingers insistently. “Before June comes to find us. Let’s get out of here.”

I don’t need any more persuasion. I take her hand, and she drags me along the corridor — and to my delight she doesn’t let go.

CHAPTER23

CANDICE

Although we’re technically not doing anything wrong, we still tiptoe as we sneak down the corridor, both of us looking over our shoulders every now and again like we’re in a shitty spy movie. I would feel bad for abandoning June if she wasn’t so frustrating. She’s a nice enough woman, but I do not see the world like she does in the slightest. I guess living in an oasis gives you a unique perspective on life.

I slip my sunglasses on as we walk through the atrium. It’s not much of a disguise but it makes me relax more. Neither of us make eye contact with the receptionist as we make a beeline for the door.

The second we slide out into freedom, we’re hit with a wave of heat — I’d almost forgotten it was still summer out here. Despite the sunglasses, I still squint in the bright, late morning light. A light breeze blows around us, rustling leaves overhead and taking the searing edge off the heat.

“Where are we going?” I ask, realizing suddenly that we’re walking without a goal. This wasn’t at all a well-thought-out plan, but it is nice to be free of the hotel. Even if I’m still mad at Aiden, it’s getting harder to hold on to that anger. Every time I want to hate him, he does something else to prove that I shouldn’t.

Aiden shrugs. “Wherever. So long as we don’t have to play any more weird card games or anything.”

I let out a snort of amusement. “She means well,” I find myself saying, jumping to June’s defense. “She’s just…”

“Got the wrong end of the stick?” Aiden supplies and I nod with a slight chuckle.

“You could say that. She’s lovely and all, but tell me you believe a single word of the ‘lines of fate and destiny’ stuff she keeps going on about.”

“I mean…” He trails off, unable to think of a good argument. I grin, smug at winning.

“If I’d known that all it takes to find your soulmate is a guessing game and choosing the same answers every time on This or That, then I’d have had way better luck dating.”

He gives me a curious look. It’s cute when he does it, this double blink and almost frown when he’s processing information he wasn’t expecting. “You’ve dated recently, then?” he asks in a way that’s almost casual.

I shrug. “Kind of. I’ve been on dates but I haven’t really dated, if you get me.”

“Yeah,” he says. “Ihaven’t.”

“Really? I’d have thought you’d have girls hanging off you left, right and center, a handsome guy like you.”

“Yeah, exactly why I haven’t. And hey, you think I’m attractive?” He smirks, and I pretend to go in to hit him on the arm.

“Shut up. I didn’t say that.”

“Actually, you literally did.”

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