“Sleep in the same bed as me?” I finish for her.
Her throat bobs as she nods. “Right. That.”
“No.”
She gnaws on her bottom lip. “Thank God. That would have been awkward.”
“Right.” The back of my neck prickles. “In the house, we can act how we want. But in public, I expect you to appear affectionate toward me.”
“Are you sure you can stand my touch for extended periods of time?”
“It’ll push me to my limits, but I’ll make do.” I step into her walk-in closet and open the door on the other end.
She halts. “You built a hidden door to another room? In a closet?!”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“Because I was preparing for something like this.” The words slip past my lips easily.
“Wait.” She holds up her hand. “People prepare for fake marriages?”
“It’s to be expected once you reach a certain tax bracket.”
Her nose crinkles. “That’s gross.”
“No. It’s life.”
She stares at me with parted lips. I turn around and enter the second bedroom. The colors complement my master suite, but instead of blues, the walls are covered in a pale yellow.
“This is beautiful.” One of her hands traces the lacy bedspread. The room is large, with its own sitting area, bathroom, and windows overlooking the expansive backyard.
“You can decorate it however you want. I only ask that you keep on top of cleaning since the housekeeper isn’t permitted to enter.”
She looks up at me. “You’ve really thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“Everything except for you.”
“Looks like Iris is making herself at home. I’m sure you love that.” Cal assesses one of the plants she added to the corner of our living room. My home has slowly turned into a nursery, with new plants arriving every day to fill empty corners and blank walls.
I ignore him as I take a sip of my drink. “How is the progress on your part of Grandfather’s will?”
He shrugs. “What’s the rush? It’s not like you’re becoming CEO tomorrow.”
“No, but if I have my way, I will be by the end of the year.”
His brows rise. “Does Iris know about this accelerated timeline?”
“She knew the deal when she signed the contract.”
His brows jump. “Doesn’t mean she’s ready to have a child right now.”
“Good thing she will have an additional nine months to warm up to the idea then.”
A noise gets trapped in the back of his throat. “And here we thought marrying her would humanize you a bit.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because you respect her.”
“I do.” Her ability to work by my side as a resource rather than a hindrance already puts her leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else. She is quick on her feet and willing to go above and beyond to ensure I’m successful, even if it means marrying me and having my child. I couldn’t pay for that kind of loyalty. I tried, but after scaring off multiple fiancées, I’m well aware of how much I need Iris. If she thinks we will become the best of friends because of it, then so be it.
“And we know you are attracted to her.”
That is new. “Who is this we you keep speaking of?”
“Rowan and I.”
“Don’t you have anything better to do than gossip about me behind my back? Like, oh I don’t know, go find Alana and do whatever Grandpa asked you to do?” Cal avoiding his ex-girlfriend will only last so long, especially when Grandpa put a time limit on his inheritance clause. He needs to reach out to her by the end of the year if he plans on ever obtaining his part of the company shares. After all the grief he has given me about my part, the least I can do is remind him of his lack of initiative.
His jaw ticks. “It’s not going to work.”
“What?”
“You trying to get a rise out of me because you’re feeling defensive about Iris.”
“Why would I feel the need to be defensive?”
“You tell me since you were the one who said you didn’t care who you married, so long as they were… How did you phrase it again?” He taps his chin. “Oh right. ‘Practical, fertile, and has a face considered proportionate enough to be deemed attractive.’”
My fingers gripping the glass tighten. “I know what I said.”
“Didn’t seem to age well, did it?”
My jaw clenches. “What’s your point in bringing all this up?”
“I mention it as a warning.”
I don’t speak, instead choosing to take a long sip of my drink.
“You might be my brother, but Iris is my best friend. And while I want you to succeed and become CEO, I won’t let you destroy her in your pursuit of whatever you think might make you happy.”
I offer him a bored glance. “If Iris is concerned, she can speak to me herself. She doesn’t need to send her guard dog after me.”
“She’s not concerned, but I am.”
“If this is what friendship entails, I see why I’m better off without it.”
His lips press into a thin line. “Don’t break her heart.”
A soft chuckle spills out of me. “That should be the least of your worries.”
“Of course I worry. You’re a cold-hearted bastard who doesn’t know the first thing about taking care of someone else.”
“I helped raise you and you turned out decent enough.”
His jaw locks. “We’re your blood. You’re forced to like us, whether you want to or not.”
“Blood doesn’t mean shit to me. You of all people should know that.”
Taking care of my brothers had nothing to do with our shared DNA. I promised my mom before she died that I would be there for them, and I upheld my end of our deal regardless of the personal consequences.
He looks away with a sigh. “Just take care of her.”
My heart pounds harder against my chest as I reassess this entire conversation. A chill makes its way down my spine. “Are you in love with her?” The question comes out far more agitated than I’d like.
His eyes brighten as he laughs. “No.”
“For some reason, I’m finding that hard to believe.” Based on the way he speaks of her, I would be stupid to think they were solely platonic.
“We kissed once.”
Blood rushes to my ears, and I can feel the tips turning red. “You what?” The lethality in my voice draws Cal’s eyes back to mine.
“It was a mistake.”
“It sure as fuck better be.” The glass tumbler beneath my hand shakes from how hard I grip the cylinder.
His lips curve at the corners. “I knew you were jealous.”
“As if I could ever be jealous of someone like you.”
He winks. “The way you look like you want to murder me says otherwise.”
“Torture is my preferred method of revenge, just so you’re aware.”
He breaks out into a full-blown smile. “If it makes you feel better, the kiss was terrible.”