12. William

Five days.

Five days of living with Jane Hart.

Five days of intense torture.

I stared at the documents in front of me until the words blurred. I tossed them aside because I realized I wasn"t making any progress. How could I?

Jane had only been living in my penthouse for five days but she had already affected everything about this place. Even from my home office, I could smell her familiar scent. She'd never entered this room and yet her scent was everywhere.

Jane was of woman who left a mark. The type you couldn't forget once you've tasted her. Five days had passed since our kiss in the hallway but it was all I could think of.

I'd been avoiding her since then but there was only so much I could do since we lived in the same apartment. I had my dinner in my home office. I left early for work and I came back late. It was my way of giving her space. I knew it was what was best for both of us.

Apparently, Jane didn't think the same.

A knock on the door brought my mind back to reality. The door opened and Jane walked in. My eyes scammed her short floral dress and I felt the circuits in my brain unplugging.

It was bad enough that she wore short skirts to work. At home, Jane's clothes were even shorter. The flowy dress stopped halfway to her knees, exposing her long smooth legs.

I drew my eyes up to her face. "What?"

Jane looked taken aback by my tone but she didn't say anything. "Josie asked me to tell you that dinner is ready. She thought it would be a good idea if you ate it in the dining room this time."

"And what do you think?"

"I… "

"You don't want me there, do you?"

"I never said that, William. Eating alone was a decision you made. You never asked what I wanted," she said as she walked closer.

I stood up and walked over. "I'm asking now."

A small gust of wind found its way into the office. It circled Jane's dress, threatening to throw it open. She adjusted her dress before glaring at me. "Do whatever you want, William."

"I'll join you."

I didn't know why I said that. All I knew was that I didn't want to be away from her tonight.

What was happening to me?

This was Jane Hart. We despised each other. We always have and we always will. I ran a hand down my face as I followed Jane into the dining area. Why did she have to wear that dress?

We took our seats, me at one head of the table and Jane as far away from me as possible. I sighed when I saw her sit down. "We're not enemies, Jane. If we're going to eat together then you shouldn't sit so far away."

I expected it to take a lot more convincing than that but to my surprise, Jane switched seats without picking a fight.

She sat beside me and offered me a tight smile. "Happy?"

"I'm simply thrilled."

This has been our dynamic for the last five days. Sometimes we were cordial. Sometimes we wanted to rip each other"s hair out. And sometimes I just wanted to kiss her again.

I wanted to kiss away the stubborn frown on her lips. I wanted to have her whimpering in my arms as I kissed her all over. I wanted things I couldn't have so I did my best to take my mind off her.

Josie served the food. We thanked her and she left. Silence settled between us. The only sound was cutlery hitting ceramic. I realized that I hated the silence. I wanted her to talk to me even if we were arguing. I hated when she wasn't speaking at all.

"Have you spoken to Ryan recently?" I asked.

It was a relatively safe topic. We both knew Ryan was still upset about our marriage. I hadn"t gotten the chance to speak to him since the wedding. We actually didn't speak at the wedding so technically the last time we spoke was at the bar. It felt weird not being able to call him up whenever I wanted.

"Yes. I let him know I was moving in with you."

I waited for her to continue, for her to tell me Ryan's reaction to the news but she said nothing else. "And?"

"He told me to call him if I ever wanted to leave."

"Do you?"

Jane set her fork down and stared at me. "Why are you asking me that? Neither of us actually wants this. You're doing this so you can be CEO and I'm doing it so I can get my old job back. You don't want me here."

I didn't contest it and just like that, silence filled the room again.

***

It was the weekend. The weekend had officially become the worst part of my week. With neither Jane nor I going to work, we spent the entire day at home. Josephine took most weekends off and this was one of them.

Jane and I were alone in the penthouse but I saw so little of her that she might as well not be here. The first time I saw her was in the morning when I got up to grab a glass of water. She was making breakfast.

"I could fry another egg if you're hungry," she said as she focused on the egg in the pan. She wore a pair of shorts and a spaghetti-strap top. The sight made me halt in my tracks.

"No, I-I'm good." I left the kitchen as quickly as I could, forgetting the glass of water I'd come for.

The second time I saw her was in the movie room. I hardly ever went in there but for some reason I did. I spent most of my weekends working but I felt the strange urge to watch a movie.

Jane's head snapped towards me when I walked in. It was my penthouse, my movie room, and yet somehow I felt as though I was intruding in her space.

I turned around. "Sorry," I said.

Jane called my name right before the door closed. "You shouldn't have to leave because of me. This is your house." She stood up and walked to the door.

"You were here first. You should stay."

"Technically you were here first. I just moved in here about two weeks ago."

"I barely entered this room even when you didn't live here. You have more right to it than I do." I realized it was pointless arguing with her but I couldn't stop myself. For some insane reason, I actually missed arguing with her. I chose not to dwell on the reason behind that. "You should stay."

"Fine," Jane said. "We'll both stay then."

We walked into the room and took our seats. A few months ago, if anyone had told me that I'd be watching a movie with Jane Hart in my penthouse and that she'd be my wife, I would have asked them what drugs they were on. But here we were.

Jane turned to me. "So what movie do you want to watch?"

"You decide."

"No, you should. It's only fair that you—

She paused and shook her head, clearly seeing that this was leading to another argument. "You know what? I'll just choose something."

After the movie, we went our separate ways. Jane disappeared into her bedroom and me, into my office. I didn't see her until the next day. This time she met me in the kitchen.

"Morning," Jane said. She poured herself a glass of water. "What's that smell?"

I flipped through the newspaper I held and spoke without looking at her. "I made breakfast."

"You made breakfast?"

"Why did you say it like that?" I asked, abandoning the paper. The article I was reading was about the news outlet that insulted Jane. My lawyers had done their job and they were now bankrupt. The CEO just declared bankruptcy and had to fire virtually all his staff. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. When I was done with him, there would be no company, let alone staff.

That would teach them not to mess with my wife.

"You're not exactly the breakfast-making type, William."

"And what type am I?"

"You're the… the maid-having type," she said as she approached the pot. She took cautious steps like she was scared a monster would jump out of the pot and swallow her whole.

I rolled my eyes. "So having a maid translates to not knowing how to cook?"

"I didn't say that." She opened the pot and inhaled deeply. "This smells divine. What is it?"

"Octopus liver," I said with enough gravitas that Jane seemed to actually believe me. The look of absolute horror on her face made me laugh. Long and hard.

"You're so mean."

I sobered up and wiped a small tear from the side of my eye. Then I stood up from the stool so I could serve her a plate. "It's Albondigas, a Mexican meatball soup."

"Where did you learn how to make that?" Jane asked as she took a bite. Her face lit up in a way I'd never seen before.

Who knew that food was the way to make her smile like that?

"My father taught me," I said. I returned to my seat and Jane sat beside me.

"Where did he learn it?"

"He traveled a lot. He loved trying new things and seeing new places. When he wasn't carrying the weight of being the Aldaine heir on his shoulders, he was exploring the world."

I realized this was the first time I was talking about my father in years. My mother and grandfather avoided the topic so I'd learned to do the same.

"How do you carry the weight?" Jane asked.

Her question shocked me. No one had ever asked how I was managing. Why would they? It was my duty to carry the burden, no matter how heavy it got. I shrugged in response because I didn't know what else to say.

"Does it ever feel heavy?" she asked.

"Every day."

A sad expression filled Jane's eyes. It was interesting to see that she actually cared about me. That she cared enough for my burdens to sadden her. "Well, you don't have to carry the burden around me. With me, you can just be William. Annoying, arrogant, won"t let me play football with him, William."

I laughed at the memory of her trying to play football with Ryan and me. She was a terrible player but that never stopped her from trying. Jane was the type of person who was motivated by failure.

What happened at her last job would have crushed anyone. Most people would have given up and moved on but she was determined to prove her innocence and get her job back. I had to admit that I respected her resilience.

That didn't mean I couldn't make fun of her though.

"You were an awful goalie."

She gasped loudly. "You and Ryan always distracted me before taking your shot!"

"That doesn't take away from the fact that you sucked."

"You're so annoying," she said but she was smiling.

There were moments between us that were so peaceful that I found myself considering things I shouldn't. I pushed those forbidden thoughts out of my head.

In a year, the contract would be over and things would go back to normal.

That was what I wanted.

"You're being unreasonable," I said as I massaged my temples.

"No, I'm not," Jane responded. She shoved her things into her purse and walked past me.

"It makes no sense for you to take a cab home. I have a car and we live together. Let me drive you home."

It was selfish of me to not offer sooner. I"ve allowed her to come home by herself for almost three weeks now. I couldn't allow it again. I didn't expect Jane to jump at the chance of driving home with me but I didn't expect her to be so against it either.

Was riding with me really that bad?

"No, William. I am not entering your car."

"Why not?"

"Because… because I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"Not wanting to is a perfectly good reason," she said.

We were in the elevator and she was making sure to keep a good distance from me. The doors slid open and she stepped out. She walked fast but it was easy to catch up with her.

"I'm not letting you take a cab home, Jane. Not when I can drive you home."

She laughed. "You've been doing exactly that for the past three weeks so what changed?"

"I realized I was an asshole."

Jane paused and turned to look at me. She cocked a brow. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Now, will you come with me?"

"Hmm." She placed a hand on her chin and pretended to be thinking. "Sure, why not?"

For a second I considered rescinding my offer. She could be so insufferable sometimes. We walked over to my car and I opened the door for her. Jane gave me a surprised look but I chose to ignore it. She wanted to get a reaction from me. I knew that so I didn't give her one.

"Who would have thought that the day would come when the great William Aldaine admitted to being an asshole?" Jane asked once I started the car. She had a faraway look in her eyes as she spoke. "It's a miracle."

"You're never going to let this go, are you?"

"You know me well, Mr. Aldaine."

I couldn't help but laugh. Jane was insufferable but I wouldn't have it any other way. She made our fake marriage somewhat… interesting.

I smiled at her as I zoomed down the street. The beauty of her features was even more prominent under the glow of the moonlight. She looked ethereal. Focusing on the cars in front of me was the only way to stop myself from doing something stupid.

Things were already complicated between us. There was no reason to make it even more complicated. All I needed to do was survive the next few months.

I could do that.