Noah
This wasn’t supposed to feel so damn good.
This wasn’t supposed to feel so damn right.
This wasn’t supposed to feel…like anything.
I was holding Emery’s hand because she asked me to, that was all.
I was her stand-in husband who was only in her life to keep her safe and help her fulfill the marriage stipulation.
The fact that I was allowing myself to feel anything but platonic about holding her hand was one hundred percent my fault.
I was a weak man who needed to be stronger.
We rode the elevator in silence. I wasn’t sure if Emery wanted to talk, so I decided to let her lead. If she wanted to engage in conversation, I’d oblige. If she didn’t, I was willing to remain quiet. I was here for whatever she needed.
I could feel her nervous energy as she stood next to me. I hoped it had to do with her imminent meeting with the board and not because she was holding my hand. I wanted the uncomfortableness of our situation to be mine alone. All I wanted was for her to feel at ease.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked as she shifted her attention away from the numbers that were climbing higher and higher.
I glanced in her direction, but as soon as I took in her bright blue eyes and earnest gaze, I dropped my focus to the ground. Meeting her gaze was too intimate. Too vulnerable.
“To tell the board?” I asked, my voice low and gruff. I cleared my throat, hoping to dispel the emotions that were lodged there.
She expelled her breath. “Yeah.”
Out of instinct, I gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
I wanted her to feel my support because I knew I wasn’t good at voicing it.
When it came to expressing with words what was going on inside of me, I consistently fell short.
It was probably one of the main reasons I was still single.
Women had little patience for a man incapable of communication.
“You’ll do great,” I said as I brought my gaze up to the floor numbers above us and decided to keep my attention there.
From the corner of my eye, I saw her drop her gaze down to our hands before she nodded. “I hope so,” she whispered.
There was no time for a response. The doors slid open, exposing a large waiting room complete with a worn leather couch and a coffee table full of magazines. The woman sitting in the corner was staring at her computer, the clacking noise of her keyboard the only sound in the vast room.
I glanced over at Emery, who didn’t seem alarmed.
She looked determined as she tightened her grip on my hand and moved to step off the elevator.
I let her lead me up to the woman who’d stopped typing and was now watching us.
Her gaze landed first on Emery and then settled on me.
She glanced down at our hands before her eyebrows rose and she glanced over to Emery once more.
“Mrs. Torres,” she said as her gaze drifted back to me. She had a curious glint in her eyes. “How can I help you?”
She was unabashedly staring at me now. Her gaze drifted once more down to our clasped hands before she brought it back to Emery.
“Is Charles here?” Emery asked as she jutted out her chin.
I loved it. I loved it when strong, defiant Emery emerged.
“I’m so sorry, he’s on a phone call.”
Emery began to walk towards the large oak doors, taking me with her. “Tell him he can call them back,” she said as she reached out, turned the brass door handle, and pushed inside.
I could hear Charles’s low voice as Emery pulled me into his office. Her entire body tensed as the door shut behind us with a resounding thud. I waited for her to walk further in, but she didn’t move. She seemed frozen to the spot, like she couldn’t believe what she had just done.
“You okay?” I whispered, leaning in so only she could hear me.
She swallowed and then slowly began to nod.
Her body was like a springboard. Any second now, she was going to react, and I feared what she was going to do.
Luckily, she was still gripping onto my hand, the pressure of her fingertips digging into my skin.
She could squeeze it as hard as she needed to if it made her feel better.
“Mrs. Torres, this is highly unprofessional.” Charles had hung up and moved to stand. He was grabbing the edges of his suit coat, his fingers finding the buttons and corresponding holes.
“Noah and I are getting married.” Emery blurted the words like she’d finally given up on holding them inside.
Charles’s fingers stopped moving as he glanced up to Emery before he slowly brought his attention over to me. I could see the questions in his gaze, but when his focus drifted to our hands, his eyebrows went up.
“I’m assuming you’re Noah?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“We’re getting married on Monday.” Emery let go of my hand and moved further into the room.
I was acutely aware of the absence of her presence. I drew my fingers into a fist as the ache to touch her once more rushed through me. I cursed myself for being selfish. I was here for Emery, not for my own indulgence. She was all that mattered.
“Monday?” Charles had finished buttoning his suit coat and was moving around his desk. He leaned against the front and extended his legs.
Emery nodded.
“And who is Noah?” His skeptical gaze was on me now.
Emery scoffed. “Doesn’t matter. All you said was I needed to get married.” She raised her arms and then let them fall to her side.
Charles’s attention remained on me. I could feel him sizing me up. There was a flash of concern in his gaze, but it wasn’t concern for Emery. It was something different. Something darker.
“You have to stay married for three years.” His gaze was back on Emery.
“I know,” she replied.
His focus shifted to me. “Does he?”
I didn’t like how he was talking to Emery. His dismissive tone was pissing me off. “Of course,” I said as I approached Emery. Out of instinct, I reached down and took her hand in mine. I squeezed her fingers to let her know that I was here. I wasn’t going anywhere no matter what this prick said.
I kept my gaze forward even though I could feel Emery study me. I wasn’t sure if she was shocked or appreciative, but I was going to take assurance from the fact that her hand was still in mine.
“And you have to be married.” Charles folded his arms. “Fidelity matters.” I felt like the last bit was directed at me.
If this man only knew. Cheating on Emery—even in a fake marriage—was not an option. I would be hers until the day she asked me to leave.
Emery scoffed as she moved closer to me and then wrapped her left hand over mine. “Not that it’s the board’s business, but we will be married.”
Charles’s gaze had turned into a threatening stare.
I wanted to pull her behind me, positioning myself between them, but I wasn’t sure she would appreciate that.
So, I resigned myself to glare at the man, daring him to meet my gaze again.
If he did, it would remove any doubt he might have as to how I felt about him.
Silence filled the room. The only sound came from the ticking of the clock on the wall. Charles glanced between us once more before he sighed and shrugged.
“Okay,” he said as he pushed off his desk. “Bring me the marriage certificate when it’s done.” He walked around the desk and settled back into his chair.
“Okay?” Emery seemed surprised. “That’s it?”
Charles looked up. “Was there more?”
Emery shook her head. “Um, no.” From the corner of my eye, I saw her glance up at me. “I think that’s all,” she whispered.
Charles nodded as he reached out and pressed a button on the phone base. “If that’s all, I have a call I need to return.”
Emery nodded. “Of course.” Then she paused. “I won’t be in on Monday.”
Charles glanced up at her and then over to me. There was a relieved look in his eyes. I frowned. I didn’t like this man.
“I think that’s a great idea. Take more time if you need to,” he said, his nod a bit too vigorous.
I glanced down at Emery, but if she’d noticed as well, she didn’t say anything.
“I will still need to be kept up to date on the merger with Galaxie Tech.”
“Of course.” He paused. “But the board can handle everything. Take your time.”
“I know. But I should still be kept in the loop.”
Charles glanced at me once more before he focused back on Emery. “Okay.”
That was the last time he looked at either of us. He didn’t wait for Emery’s departure, instead he paged his assistant in the waiting room and asked for her to contact the previous caller so he could finish their conversation.
Emery held onto my hand as we walked through Charles’s office and out into the lobby.
She kept her fingers entwined with mine as we stood in front of the elevator.
She didn’t break the connection between us until we’d boarded the car and the doors slid shut.
Only then did she let go of my hand as she collapsed against the wall with her head tipped down and her eyes closed.
I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, so I just stood there, studying her. Her countenance seemed lighter. Like talking to Charles had taken a load off her shoulders.
“That was ridiculous,” she said as she brought her attention to me. “I felt like a high-school girl bringing her boyfriend home to meet her dad.” She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “What the hell is my life?” she whispered.
“It is ridiculous,” I said. This whole situation seemed antiquated and barbaric. Who needed the approval of their colleagues to marry someone?
She pushed her hand out toward me. “Right?” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.” She tipped her head up before rolling it like she was trying to dispel the tension in her neck.
“I’m not going anywhere.” The desire to confess my loyalty to her had taken over, and I spoke without thinking. Heat warmed my skin as I glanced at her and then dropped my gaze to the ground, fearing I’d said the wrong thing.
I never wanted her to feel pressured.
She studied me before she began to slowly nod. “I know.” Then she paused. “Thank you.”
I flicked my gaze up to her and then back to the ground. “Of course.”
Silence fell between us. I could feel her gaze on my face. I feared that if I met it, I’d say something stupid, so I remained focused on the marble floor underneath our feet.
Seconds felt like hours before Emery turned her attention to the elevator numbers and sighed. “Well, I guess I don’t need to go to work today.” She glanced back over at me. “You and I have a marriage to arrange.”
I hated how my heart lightened at that thought.
I was never going to get used to hearing her say those words.
Never in my life did I imagine marriage, Emery, and I would ever exist in the same sentence.
It was stupid and foolish, and if I didn’t get a handle on whatever this was, I was going to lose my mind.
Emery may be mine in marriage, but she was never going to be mine.
She belonged to Carson, and I could never ever take his place.
“What the actual hell, man? You’re marrying your client?” Chris must have been somewhere loud. He was shouting into his phone, and I pulled the receiver from my ear to save my hearing.
Heat pricked my skin as I glanced toward Emery’s room. Could she hear Chris’s words?
Not wanting Chris to say something stupid, I moved toward the sliding door that led out to the balcony of Emery’s condo and pulled it open. Once I was safely outside, I switched Chris to speakerphone and collapsed against the siding. I tipped my head forward and closed my eyes.
I wasn’t going to be able to get away from this conversation. Leading with an apology seemed like the best course of action. “Listen, I might not have been completely honest—”
“You think?”
I winced. I’d originally convinced myself that lying to Chris about knowing Emery Torres when I first took the position was the right thing to do if it meant I got to protect her. I had never planned on him finding out that our pasts were so intertwined.
“So what? You dated this girl in the past?” He paused as if he’d just realized something. “Was this your plan all along?”
The accusation in his voice had me straightening. “No, no. I had no idea when I met you at Harrington’s. I just overheard your conversation…” I winced as I closed my lips.
There was nothing I could say after that confession that would redeem me. No matter how I sliced it, I’d lied to my friend through omission and I needed to own that.
“Listen, Chris, I never meant for this to happen. I just…Emery just…” How did I explain without confiding in Chris that the marriage was in name only? Emery would not want me telling people the truth. Not when Charles was already suspicious.
I didn’t think Chris would go around telling others about our arrangement, but this wasn’t my secret to tell. It was better that Chris think the marriage was for real than to tell the truth. The only two people who knew what we were doing were Emery and I. And I was determined to keep it that way.
“I just love her, man,” I said. Those words were supposed to be a lie. I’d lied before. But that statement didn’t feel dishonest. It felt...real.
Get it together, idiot, I inwardly chastised myself.
Chris didn’t respond at first. It was almost like he was waiting for me to walk back those words and tell him the actual truth. I didn’t like admitting it, but Chris knew me. He knew that I didn’t rush into anything. Since he’d never heard of this woman, he had to know there was more to the story.
But I wasn’t going to confess. I was right where I wanted to be. Carson had my back in high school, and it was my responsibility to have his when it came to his wife. I may be a reserved person, but I was loyal.
“You sure?”
I swallowed. Was I sure? No, I wasn’t. But that didn’t matter. I didn’t matter. So I swallowed my fear and nodded.
“I’m sure.”