Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Isank my head deeper into the pillow, so damn snug that I didn’t want to open my eyes. I’d long ago developed a habit of waking up ten minutes before my alarm went off. Which was annoying, really, because it felt like I’d been robbed of a further ten minute’s sleep. But I couldn’t shake the habit off, no matter how hard I tried.
I didn’t usually sleep well in a strange place—I found it difficult to settle. But I’d slept like a log last night. My new bed wasn’t just pretty, it was comfy as hell. And the pillows … God, the pillows were divine. Not too flat, not too soft, not too plump, just perfect.
I wondered if Dane would let me take the bed with me after the divorce. It wasn’t like he’d have any use for it.
Yawning, I forced my eyes open. I’d lowered the electronic shades, so the room was still dark. Fuck, I had electronic shades. And a walk-in closet. And antique furniture.
Not one thing in my life had prepared me for the eventuality that I’d be living with Dane Davenport—especially as his temporary wife. Just the same, nothing had prepared me for the realization that he’d furnished the room specifically to suit me.
I wasn’t reading anything into it. I didn’t think it meant he cared or something. I wasn’t delusional. I was just stunned. And grateful. Even a little touched, because—if nothing else—it meant he recognized how hard all this was for me, and he wasn’t ambivalent toward how I was feeling. For Dane, that was noteworthy. And almost enough to cheer me up after the break-in.
When my cell phone alarm finally went off, I hit the “snooze” option. Purely because I didn’t want to leave the bed. But, intent on not being late for work, I jumped up when the alarm went off a second time. Well, I didn’t quite “jump” up. It was more like I reluctantly edged out of bed with a petty moan.
In the gleaming private bathroom, I did my business and then made use of the walk-in-shower with its head-to-toe power jets. I also made a mental note to soak in the huge, claw-footed bathtub at some point.
Once I’d dried and styled my hair, I applied some makeup, pulled on my clothes, and headed downstairs. The place was so eerily quiet I might have shivered. I expected to find Dane in the kitchen or dining room, but he was nowhere to be seen. The coffee machine had been recently used, though, so he was obviously awake. He’d probably already had breakfast.
While eating my toast and chugging down my morning intake of caffeine, I sifted through some of the emails that he and I had received overnight, just as I always did each morning—it helped me get a head-start on my workday.
Coming across a particular email, I froze. No. Freaking. Way. This had to be a fucking joke.
I’d known Heather would do something stupid out of sheer vindictiveness. I just hadn’t thought she’d send Dane an email in which she tried convincing him that he’d made a mistake in marrying me. Basically, she’d pulled a Travis. She’d given a friendly warning to Dane that I wasn’t someone he should be with, claiming “my conscience just wouldn’t let me stay quiet.” Like the woman even had a conscience.
Damn Heather. Another person might have thought, “Oh, Dane and Vienna are married now; it’s too late to split them up.” But Heather didn’t believe in the sanctity of marriage. She separated couples all the time. And she was good at it.
Either she had no idea that I screened Dane’s emails, or she wanted me to be the one to first read it. Whatever the case, I was pissed.
My fingers itched to type a rude response, but I didn’t for the same reason that I didn’t call her and demand to know what the hell she’d been thinking. I’d deal with her face-to-face. But not until I’d let her sweat for a while—she’d hate that her antics hadn’t garnered her an immediate response, so I was all for that plan.
I blew out a breath. I’d have to delete the email. If Dane read it, if he knew she’d made yet another shitty move, he’d retaliate for sure. I couldn’t have that. It would lead to a clusterfuck.
Wanting to keep Heather’s email as evidence in case I needed it, I forwarded it to my own inbox and archived it. Only then did I delete it from Dane’s account.
He would not be a happy bunny if he later found out I’d kept this from him, but he also wouldn’t be surprised. If he had a huge problem with it, well, he’d just have to deal with it. If we were true partners, I’d have told him. But we weren’t, and so I was entitled to my secrets just as he was to his.
By the time I’d scoffed down my breakfast, he was striding into the kitchen. He looked the epitome of well-groomed with his clean-shaven jaw, white shirt, charcoal tailored suit, black tie, and gleaming back shoes.
That easily, heat coursed through my blood. For the billionth time, I found myself wishing I could feel him moving inside me just once. Because I was that stupid.
His dark eyes locked with mine, and he frowned. “You look tired again.”
I wasn’t so much tired as weary. Weary of Heather’s antics, to be precise. “Good morning to you, too. Is Sam outside?”
“Not yet. We’re not going to work until this afternoon.”
“What? Why?”
“My personal shopper is coming to see you.”
I gave my head a little shake, struggling to keep up. “Um, personal shopper? Why?”
He looked at me like I was dim. “Because most of your clothes were robbed yesterday—especially the suits you wear for work.”
“I can just head to the mall at some point.”
“You’re wearing the only suit you currently own. With everything else that’s going on, do you have time for a shopping trip?”
I shifted a little on my seat. “Well, not really.”
“Then personal shopper it is.” He planted his hands on the island. “After work, we’ll visit Simon and your foster parents—all of whom have texted me, asking me to keep an eye on you; they’re worried and need to see you. Then we’ll pick up your car. And if there’s anything you desperately need from your apartment, you can grab it tonight, since the police are done searching it for evidence. The moving crew will pack and transport everything else.”
“How do you know the police are done?”
“I called the officer who took your statement last night.”
I bristled. “I was going to do that myself.”
“Now you don’t have to. Griffin said the security cameras show a hooded figure slip into the main door just as a woman exited; that same figure later left with your suitcase. But Griffin couldn’t tell whether the figure was male or female—they were careful not to look at the cameras. The police found no fingerprints, footprints, or blood samples.”
“Hell.” I drained the last of my mug, staring at him. “I don’t like that you made that call for me.”
“I can see that. But why wouldn’t I have done it? You are my wife.”
“Your fake wife. And even if I’d been your real wife, I’d still be unhappy with you taking over.”
“And I’d still have done it. You know me well enough to know that.” His gaze dropped to my hand. His brow knitted. “Where are your rings?”
I glanced at my finger. “Oh shit, I left them upstairs.”
“Why did you take them off?” he asked, like I’d committed a capital crime.
“I don’t like to wear jewelry while I shower.” I hurried back to my room, slipped on the rings, and returned to the kitchen.
Dane glared at me. “Don’t forget them again.”
“Stop being snippy.”
“I’m never snippy.”
I snorted. “Whatever.”
“Ican’t believe you’ve moved out,” said a pouting Ashley on Sunday evening. “I almost cried when the moving van drove off with your stuff. Who am I going to talk to when I argue with Tucker?”
Lounging on a chair in the library while on a video call to both Ashley and Hanna, I smiled. “You can still talk to me. We’ll just need to do it over the phone.”
“It won’t be the same,” Ashley complained. “I won’t be able to come see you to talk it out. I so wished I could have last night.”
“What did you and Tucker argue over this time?” asked Hanna, sipping wine.
“The cat’s name,” replied Ashley.
Hanna’s nose wrinkled. “Huh?”
“He stupidly proclaimed that our cat likes him better than me. I said, ‘No, she’s all about her momma.’ He said, ‘Nah, I’m Snuggles’ favorite.’ I was like, ‘Her name is not Snuggles, it’s Brandy.’ He wouldn’t accept it. He insisted we’d called her Snuggles. What dumb fucker would forget their cat’s name?”
I felt my mouth twitch. Honestly, I sometimes wondered if Tucker annoyed her on purpose just so that she’d storm out and give him a little alone time.
Hanna leaned forward. “How long have you had the cat?”
“Three years,” Ashley bit out. “He has no excuse for this shit.”
“Wow.” Hanna chuckled and shook her head. “I adore Tucker but … wow.”
“I know.”
“Well, at least you have a guy of your own. I’m still painfully single.” Hanna looked at me. “It wasn’t so bad when you were single, too, but now … Damn, I’m still processing that you’re married to Dane. No, I haven’t finished processing that you’re even a couple.”
I was still processing it all myself.
“Of course, I suspected he was into you,” Hanna went on. “You’re one of the only employees at o-Verve whose ass he hasn’t chewed a verbal chunk out of, even though you’re in his company almost every day. And when that guy from marketing came onto you a little too strong—complete with groping—Dane was furious.”
Ashley’s brows arched. “Yeah? I didn’t hear about that.”
“Ooh, he reamed the sleazy fucker so hard I was pretty sure the guy would cry,” said Hanna. “Dane doesn’t yell or blow a fuse when he’s mad at you. He talks quiet and stays in complete control, but he turns ice freaking cold and systemically rips your character apart like a twisted psychiatrist. That’s why quite a few people have quit their jobs in tears.”
Dane had been super harsh with him. Really, though, he would have been furious no matter which employee was groped.
Hanna drank more of her wine. “He’s been a lot less eager to jump down people’s throats since you became his PA. You do seem to have a way of … I don’t know … soothing him, I guess you could say.”
“I know what you mean,” said Ashley. “I noticed at the barbecue that he’s at ease no matter who he’s talking to, but he relaxed a fraction more when Vienna was by his side. Like, yeah, she soothed him in some way.”
No, he was just that good an actor.
“I’m not even sure if he’s conscious of it,” Ashley added.
“Oh, he’ll be conscious of it,” said Hanna. “Dane knows himself inside and out. Knows every strength and every fault. And he can live just fine with those faults, because his psychopathy—”
“No, we’re not doing this,” I cut in, slashing my hand through the air.
Ashley rolled her eyes. “Fine. He’s a very well-adjusted, emotionally stable man.” She paused. “Are you sure you made the right decision in marrying him so soon?”
I lifted my shoulders. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“He might be a person who moves fast, but you aren’t. I’ve never known you to throw caution to the wind. Yet here you are, moving in with a guy you married after only a month or so of dating him.”
“Yeah, well, I love him.”
“Do you? Because sometimes I worry that you don’t really see him. And I don’t get why you two had to rush into anything. That usually doesn’t end well for couples.”
Hanna let out a dreamy sigh. “I think it’s romantic the way he decided that, hey, he was done fighting what he felt for her and then he just set out to make her his in every way.” She gave me the stink eye. “I also think it’s unfair that you won’t give us details about what he’s like in bed.”
“You’ll just have to use your imagination,” I said.
“Oh, I do. Lots. I’ll try to stop it now that you’re married to him, but it won’t be easy. Not gonna lie, I’m jealous.”
“Speaking of jealousy … How’s Heather taking all this?” Ashley asked me.
I shrugged. “I haven’t seen anything of her since the barbecue.” I still hadn’t dealt with her shitty email, but I figured it could wait. Compared to everything else that was happening, it wasn’t important.
“She’s going to shit a brick when she sees that iceberg on your finger,” said Ashley. “You know how much she likes her bling.”
Hanna swirled her glass. “It’s a shame she has to be that way.”
It was. Mostly because the situation hurt my foster parents so much. “The people who matter are happy for me. That’s what’s important to me.”
When I’d visited my father to assure him that I was okay after the burglary, I’d also been careful to monitor how he reacted to my being married. I wanted to be sure he was truly good with it. It appeared that I’d been worrying for nothing. He seemed incredibly content about the whole thing. He loved the copy of the wedding photo we’d brought him, and he’d almost died with laughter on watching the recording of the ceremony.
I’d also visited Melinda and Wyatt, who eventually settled when they saw I wasn’t an anxious mess about the break-in. Like Simon, they were thrilled to have a copy of the wedding photo, claiming they loved how “happy” I looked. They’d also laughed their asses off watching the recording of the ceremony.
With tears in her eyes, Melinda had proclaimed, “It was just perfect. So much smiling and laughing.”
She’d somehow managed to talk Dane into throwing a post-wedding party sometime in the next few months. I’d insisted it wasn’t necessary, but then Wyatt had jumped on board, they’d all started exchanging ideas, and the idea of a celebration took on a life of its own.
I’d later told Dane that I could talk my family out of it, but he’d said a party would help make the marriage look more real. He’d also announced that he’d hire wedding planners to take care of the details.
“Why was Dane in such a rush to get married?” asked Ashley. “Are you pregnant?”
“No, of course not,” I said. “He just doesn’t see a need to wait. Look, I get that this sounds fast to you. But to us, it’s been years in the making. As Melinda once pointed out, he and I were like a platonic couple. But now we’re annoyed with ourselves for taking so long to make the jump; we didn’t want to waste any more time.”
It was a rehearsed response, and it appeared to have mollified Ashley a little. That didn’t please me, though, because I hated that I was deceiving her.
“All right, I get it,” said Ashley. “I still think it wouldn’t have been so bad for you two to wait a little longer, but I won’t mention it again.”
I let out a long breath. “Thank you.” Hearing the buzzer, I said, “Ooh, my stuff must be here.” I said my goodbyes, promised to call them again soon, and then left the video call.
When I made my way to the foyer, Dane was already there. “I’ll tell the movers where to unload your things,” he said. “Are there any boxes you want brought to your room?”
“Yes. When I talked with the packing team over the phone, I told them what stuff I wouldn’t be putting in storage. They said they’d clearly mark each of those boxes as ‘non-storage.’”
He nodded. “I’ll order the crew to move the marked boxes upstairs and leave them on the landing.”
Because he couldn’t very well tell them to put them in a separate bedroom from his, considering we were married.
It didn’t take long for everything to be unloaded. The process of unpacking didn’t take long either. Even with the help of Dane’s personal shopper, I didn’t have enough clothing to fill the walk-in closet, so there was ample space to put my miscellaneous items.
The shopper was a freaking clothes genius. She’d noted my size, asked a few questions, wrote down my budget, and then came back later that same day with all kinds of clothes. Personally, I wasn’t convinced she’d stuck to my allotted budget, and I suspected that Dane might have given her extra money to spend, but they’d both sworn he hadn’t.
By the time I was done unpacking, the room officially had my stamp all over it, especially with the photos I’d placed on the mantel, the sunrise alarm clock on my nightstand, the blanket I’d slung on the recliner, and the perfumes I’d added to the vanity desk.
A short while later, there was a knock at the bedroom door. Knowing it could only be Dane, I called out, “Come in.”
Walking inside, he glanced around and settled his gaze on the empty boxes. “I was going to ask if you needed help unpacking.”
“Nah, I’m good. What should I do with all the boxes?”
“I’ll take them downstairs. The cleaning staff will get rid of them tomorrow.” He twisted his mouth. “I have a few things to do and a conference call coming up, so I won’t be having dinner until late. You’ll be eating alone.”
“Oh. Okay.” I flapped my arms slightly, strangely feeling a little lost all of a sudden. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, I guess.”
He inclined his head, nabbed the boxes, and then disappeared, leaving me alone. I had the distinct feeling he was going to leave me alone a lot.