Chapter Fifteen
Christian
W oke up a married man today.
And the idea of being legally and emotionally bound to the woman buried underneath the down comforter in the bedroom excites me. I get that this isn’t supposed to be forever. But I can pretend for a while...can’t I? After all, pretending last night was easy enough. Until she asked me to help her out of her wedding dress and suddenly it didn’t feel like we were acting at all.
I imagine that’s a normal thing for a groom to do for his bride, but for us, it felt dangerous. I tried not to notice the way her breath caught when my fingers grazed her skin. I even obeyed by closing my eyes. But that only served to heighten all my other senses. Each little sound she made, each hitch in her breath and tremble of her body, is now recorded on the spreadsheet in my mind labeled Roxy’s Physical Reaction to My Touch .
A guy could easily become addicted to that woman’s focused (and inadvertent) attention.
Every look and touch that we shared last night was like venturing into unknown territory. New and tremulous, but also completely right. It left me rattled, if I’m honest. I’ve never experienced instant chemistry like I have with her. Not with Stefany or any of the other women I’ve dated in recent years. Everything up until now has felt so...forced. Yet with Roxy, it’s as easy as breathing.
She’s so down-to-earth and interesting, the exact opposite of the kind of woman Dad has been trying to set me up with. What’s more, I know that she’s not with me for what I can do for her in the sense that she craves money and power. Sure, we’re together for what we can offer each other , but it’s mutual. She’s not a gold-digger with dollar signs in her eyes. She’s just...her. Genuine. Strong. Beautiful. And I admire the woman she is, especially when it comes to her fierce loyalty.
It takes a special person to enter into a marriage of convenience all for the sake of her nephew. She won’t go down without a fight, same as me when it comes to my grandfather's legacy. Maybe I could do something else with my life if I so chose, but I want to make him proud, keep my promise.
Besides, I’ve invested too much in this company to give it all up now. Running Grandfather’s legacy is all Dad has trained me for. With his ailing health, it begs the question of why he’d risk losing me over something as trivial as finding a life partner. At the same time, though, it’s very on-brand with his usual behavior. Dangle something meaningful over my head, then tack on a life-altering stipulation to receive it. Nothing with him surprises me anymore. Especially after his power move last night with Stefany. Was he seriously hoping I’d shove my new wife aside for her?
My phone buzzes beneath my pillow, and I reach for it with a groaning stretch. Speak of the devil.
“Hello?”
“You sound as if you’ve had quite the night.” Dad’s voice comes through the phone loud and clear, right along with his implied meaning. A cocky smile spreads across my face, despite the fact that what he assumes happened last night didn’t .
I resist the urge to clear the grogginess from my voice. “It was quite the night. Did you call to congratulate me again?”
Dad grunts. “No. I called to tell you that it’s not too late to course correct. I can easily have Jeffers write up annulment—”
“Stop. An annulment won’t be necessary. Besides, I have my own lawyer, remember?” Unfortunately, even the highest paid lawyer I know couldn’t find a loophole in the contract he slapped me with.
“You’re not thinking rationally.” Dad’s tone hardens, marking his irritation. “Infatuation feels good in the moment, son, but it doesn’t last forever. You might be riding on a love cloud now, but it’s a hard fall once you realize you’ve made the mistake of a lifetime.”
I'd laugh at the term love cloud if it weren’t for the barely contained fury fueling my next words. “Roxy is not a mistake.”
“Easy to say when you’re sleeping with her.” His derisive scoff has me flying off the couch, ready to wage war. But before I can step far enough away from the bedroom to not wake Roxy with my response, he continues. “But when she’s drained your bank account and broken your heart, you’ll have wished you listened to me.”
I step into the kitchenette and begin brewing a pot of coffee, needing something to do with my hands so I don’t break my phone in two. A low, mocking laugh escapes me. “You know, I thought you’d be happier about this. I could have sworn that you were the one who told me I needed to find a wife in order to become the next CEO. In order to claim my inheritance .”
There’s a weighty pause over the line, and I can imagine the steam rolling off him. As if he didn’t realize his grave error until now. “This is just like you,” he seethes. “To pick the most incompatible woman you can find to punish me for trying to do what’s best for my company !”
Grandfather's company, I want to correct, but don’t. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, forcing my voice to remain neutral. “Roxy and I are completely compatible. Our commonalities vastly outweigh our differences.”
He scoffs again. “Surely you’re joking.”
“Not at all. We’re very much alike.” As far as I can tell, it’s the truth. We’re both relentless in the pursuit of achieving our goals. We both enjoy riding and reading. Not to mention our similar sense of humor. “Besides,” I continue, “Roxy supports my dream of being CEO. In case you forgot, she’s a part of the company too and wants to see its continued success. Instead of having a wife who will beg me to stay at home and spend time with her, Roxy understands the demands at work.” It’s a stretch, but he doesn’t have to know that.
“You’re reaching, Christian.”
Okay, maybe he does know that.
“Doesn’t matter,” I say with a shrug he can’t see. “I’m not interested in an annulment. And neither is she.”
At least, I pray she’s not. Who knows how she’ll feel once she wakes up. Maybe she’ll wonder if it was all a bad dream brought on by too much pressure and the promise of multiple motorcycle rides.
A sigh of disappointment sounds on the other end of the line. “I had hoped that after you got what you wanted from this girl, you’d be able to see things a bit more clearly. But it’s obvious she’s got her claws dug in too deep.”
And there goes my rage again.
“You don’t know anything about my wife. And if you ever hope to see your future grandchildren, you’ll remember to never speak about her like that again.” I don’t know where that statement came from, but I mean it with every fiber of my being. Who cares if our marriage is short-lived, and those hypothetical grandchildren aren’t mine and Roxy’s. Either way, he’d better keep his thoughts about her locked up tight.
Instead of the hissing and spitting I expect to hear, the line goes deadly quiet for at least ten seconds. I almost wonder if he’s hung up on me until he breathes another heavy sigh. “At least tell me the two of you signed a prenup.”
I want to throw my phone across the room and never speak to him again. But I can’t. Because for all the trouble I went through to secure a marriage of my choosing just to gain my place as CEO, I can’t let it go to waste. If I don’t at least attempt to play by his rules, I’ll never convince him I’m worthy, and then all of this will have been for nothing.
“We did,” I say. “And despite what you think, she has assets to protect just as much as I do.”
His barely audible grunt has me shaking my head in disgust. “Why can’t you just be happy for me?” I ask. “Why is it so hard for you to accept that I am an adult who can make my own decisions?”
“When your decision-making skills are this questionable, I’m left to wonder if you being promoted to CEO is the right move.”
There’s an unspoken threat lining his words. But it’s too late now.
“I already signed the contract. My lawyer will fax it to you this morning.”
The line goes quiet once again. For one, two, three breaths.
“I’d thought you’d resume things with Stefany.” A surprising amount of regret tinges his voice.
“I don’t love Stefany,” I say emphatically. “I never did. And you were wrong to invite her to the reception.”
“Maybe so,” he says, sounding more resigned than regretful. “But I wasn’t aware love was a part of this equation. I suppose now you’ll start spouting some nonsense about Roxy being the love of your life.” He pauses as if waiting for me to either confirm or deny his claim.
I pause to think of how best to respond. If I outright lie, he’ll detect it in my voice. He knows my tells just as well as I know his. And I don’t love Roxy, not yet. Not that I could never love her, but...that isn’t what this is about. We’re only meant to help each other, not fall in love. And I refuse to wonder why that truth leaves a hollow ache in my chest. Still, I have to give him something.
“Is that so hard to believe?” I ask, carefully choosing my words. “That I could fall for a beautiful, capable, interesting woman who isn’t out to gain some sort of notoriety by being with me?”
“Is that what this is about?” Dad’s tone holds a measure of surprise. “You’re afraid of Stefany trying to ride your coattails?”
“No, it’s not—” I run a hand down my face, noting how badly I need to shave. “Look, my relationship with Roxy has nothing to do with Stefany. I’ve chosen who I want as my wife, and that’s the end of it.”
“Well, had I known—”
“Had you known what ? Are you saying that if you knew I was with Roxy you wouldn’t have shoved that contract down my throat? You’re unbelievable, you know that?”
“ I’m unbelievable? You know, for all your praise of your grandfather, it seems you’re forgetting that he was the one who drafted the contract in the first place. It’s his demands you’re meeting, not mine. You’d do well to remember that. As far as I’m concerned…” His voice trails off before some of the heat in it dissipates. “All I’ve ever wanted from you is commitment. Dedication to this family and this company.”
How can he not see the dedication and commitment I’ve already exhibited? I’m tired of never measuring up to his impossible standards. This time, I finally threw the whole freaking measuring stick away.
“Well,” I laugh despite myself. “Look at me now, Dad. A responsible, committed family man. Just like you wanted.”
“Son—”
“No, Dad, don’t.” Hurt and regret mingle with the anger he so easily brings to the surface. “It’s too late. I’m married; it’s done. Let’s just move forward and agree to do what’s best for the company.”
His silent irritation is so palpable it nearly rattles the phone. Or maybe it’s my own that makes my hands quake. “Fine,” he concedes. “We’ll table the discussion for now.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine. Now, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to get back to my wife.” My lips curve, knowing I’m digging the knife of his regret a little bit deeper with each suggestive remark.
“I’ll see you both at family dinner.”
“Until then.” I hang up and toss my phone on the counter, gripping the edge with all my might. I hate how easily I let him affect me. Hate that I’ve allowed him to back me into a corner like this, only for him to try and ride up as if he’s some white knight ready to rescue me from my “mistakes.”
Well, helping Roxy isn’t a mistake. Marrying her, giving her the chance to adopt Axel, isn’t something I’ll ever come to regret. Dad can take his judgy self-righteousness and—
A feminine throat clears behind me. “Um. Good morning.”