Chapter 6
SIX
Heath
We’re getting married.
I keep thinking that as we leave the courthouse and head home. Sienna is quiet in the passenger seat, and I glance at her as I take the turn up the mountain to my place.
Today has been a whirlwind. Waking up to Sienna grinding on top of me was a fucking dream come true. I thought we were making progress, that maybe she wanted me as much as I wanted her, but then she pulled back. She’s been quiet and reserved ever since.
I don’t like it.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She jumps a little in her seat. “Yeah. Why?”
“You’re quiet.”
“Oh. Did you want to talk?”
I can feel her eyes on me, and I glance over at her.
“About what?” she finally asks.
I shrug. “We should talk. Get to know each other better.”
“Right. Can’t have your parents ask a question and I don’t know the answer.”
That’s not why I want to get to know her, but I don’t correct her.
The truth is that I want to get to know Sienna because I need to know her.
I want to know what she likes. I want to learn how her brain works, what makes her tick.
I want to know what she likes so I can give it to her, so I can be what she needs.
“Well, I was born and raised here in Wolf Valley. My parents passed when I was young, and my grandparents raised me. They passed away last year,” she finishes softly.
My heart breaks for her. “I’m sorry, Sienna.”
She nods, swiping at a few tears. “Thanks.”
“Why were you at that auction?” I need to know if she’s in trouble so I can take care of it for her.
“My grandparents’ house. They left it to me, but it needs repairs. I can’t afford the mortgage, insurance, and to fix it up. I was close to losing it, so I signed up for the auction, hoping to get enough to get caught up on the bills.”
“And instead you got ten million.”
“Well, minus fees. But yeah. Now I have enough to take care of everything, plus be set for life.”
I turn into the driveway and park in the garage. We climb out and head inside. Sienna wanders into the kitchen, and I follow her.
“Hungry?” she asks.
I nod. “I could eat.”
“Tell me about yourself while I cook. Where are you from? What do you do?”
“I was born and raised in New York City. My family still lives there.”
“I can’t picture you in New York,” she muses.
“It’s not the place for me. Too many people. The crowds, the noise, the traffic.”
“The food, the sights,” Sienna counters, always looking on the bright side.
My sexy little optimist.
She digs around in the pantry and the fridge. I watch as she pulls out garlic, tomatoes, and bell peppers. She rummages around for a baking sheet and hums as she works.
“You really do like cooking,” I comment.
“I did it with my grandma all the time,” she says, smiling fondly at the memories. “To be honest, it’s been sad cooking for just myself for the last year. Why? Do you not want me to cook here?”
I snort, shaking my head. “I’d have to be a fucking idiot to complain about a good home-cooked meal.”
She smiles happily and goes back to work, and I smile as I watch her.
“What about your family?” she asks.
I sigh. “Picture a stereotypical Upper West Side family, and you’ve pretty much nailed it.”
“I’ve never been to New York.”
“They’re egotistical. All they care about is their money, their social standing, and their public image.
They’re exhausting to be around because everything always comes back to those three things.
They’re snobby, and I know they’ll take one look at you and declare you’re beneath them and our family name. ”
“So maybe you should find someone else to play pretend with,” she says quietly.
“There’s no one else. It’s you I want, Sienna.”
“To piss off your family?”
I shake my head, but she’s busy sliding the baking tray into the oven and doesn’t see me.
“Why do you want your inheritance so bad? You said your grandpa owed you last night.”
I grind my teeth. “He does. He was an asshole my whole life. So controlling. Bossed everyone around and expected them to jump when he said so. Used money to keep people in line. He wasn’t a nice man, and didn’t use his power or control for good.
He was a narcissist, and it killed him that I never fell into line.
He tried everything, but I kept bucking. ”
“What do you mean he tried everything?” she asks worriedly.
“He beat me,” I say bluntly.
Sienna flinches, looking horrified. “Heath, I’m so sorry,” she says, stepping toward me.
“It’s fine. I survived. He’s dead.”
She doesn’t look convinced.
I lean back in my chair. “It’s fine, Sienna. I’m fine. We never got along, hence why I was the only one with a requirement in the will.”
She frowns. “But why marriage?”
“Because I never looked at a girl twice in my life. I never wanted to settle down. I didn’t want the life they had planned for me.”
“They had a wife picked out for you?” she asks in disbelief.
“Yeah. Maybe not anything nailed down, but I’m sure they had a list of options.”
She huffs. “That’s so… messed up.”
“It’s how things happened in my life growing up.”
Sienna wipes the counter and grabs a frying pan.
“They wanted me to take over from my grandpa. I didn’t.
I started my own investment firm. Grew it until it was bigger than his.
He was pissed and retaliated with other business dealings.
We went back and forth for years until he died.
Getting married for my inheritance was his one last fuck you to me. ”
“But if you get married, you win,” she points out.
“Yeah. I win.”
I win because I’ll be married to the girl of my dreams, but I don’t say that to her. She’s not ready to hear it. Not yet.
“Why Wolf Valley?” Sienna asks, changing the subject.
“Because it was the farthest from New York, both in distance and in energy. No crowds, no traffic, no noise. It’s peaceful. I’m at ease here. This is where I want to be.”
She nods and grabs the loaf of bread, buttering the slices.
“Does that bother you? My past?”
She looks up at me. “No. Why would it?”
“Because you’re doing all this for love, and I’m doing it for revenge.”
“No. I understand your reasons. I wish you hadn’t grown up like that, but I can’t change it.”
Maybe I shouldn’t do this. Maybe I shouldn’t involve her in my plan. I know my family, and I know they’ll be cruel to her because of her last name and her size.
At the same time, I can’t let her go. I’m already in over my head with her, and I can’t imagine marrying anyone else. Pretend or otherwise.
“Blender?” Sienna asks.
I blink, standing to fetch it for her.
She makes us grilled cheese and pulls the vegetables from the oven to blend them with cream.
“Grilled cheese and tomato soup,” she says, smiling happily as she slides my food in front of me.
“Looks delicious.”
“But how does it taste? That’s the most important part!”
Sienna slides onto the stool next to me, and it hits me then how perfect this all feels. She fits into my home, into my life so perfectly. She was made for me; I know it for a fact as we eat our lunch.
I want Sienna. Not for a few days. Not as pretend.
I want her to be my wife for real, and I’ll burn the whole world down before I ever let her go.
Now I need to convince my fake fiancé that this is the real deal.