She nodded.
“I’ll put more money on it. Go and get what you need to make this place comfortable for you.” He leaned closer to her. He wasn’t sure what the protocol was for a long absence from a woman he was supposed to pretend to love. Did he hug her? Kiss her goodbye? Instead of making a decision, he gave her a one-armed hug and pulled away. Embarrassment coursed through him, heating his entire body. Why was he such a bumbling fool sometimes?
Deciding it was best to leave before he did another idiotic thing, he started toward his room then stopped. His mom was most likely not going to be happy that he was leaving. She had made it very clear that they were to be married immediately. But, she was going to have to wait. There was nothing to inherit if the company was going under.
“My mom will most likely want us to wed when I get back. Call Cassie and ask her to take you shopping.” He ripped off a piece of paper from a nearby pad and wrote down Cassie’s number. “I’m sure she’ll love to take you out again.”
He walked over and shoved the scrap into Lillian’s hand, trying to ignore the surge in his chest from their contact. He glanced down at her and she met his gaze. Truth was, he didn’t want to leave. But distance from his contract wife was probably smart. The feelings brewing in his gut were confusing him.
“Stay safe. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Lillian nodded. “You too.” Then she tilted her head. “I mean, stay safe.”
He leaned down and brushed a kiss on her cheek. Then he turned and left the kitchen before he saw her response. Once he got into his room, he walked straight into his bathroom and started his shower. He needed to get out of here. He was enjoying this fake relationship situation a bit too much.
Chapter Nine
The early morning sun crept into Lillian’s room, waking her up. She stretched out on the bed as she stared up at the ceiling. Her body ached from all the shopping Cassie made her do yesterday. From the moment Reed left until nine o’clock at night, it was nothing but store after store, trying on this and that.
It was exhausting but in a good way. While trailing behind enthusiastic Cassie, Lillian began to wonder if this was what it was like to have a sister. And she didn’t realize how much she longed for it. Tamara was great, but her job forced her to be gone for weeks on end. With no one else in her life, Lillian was used to being alone.
But being around Reed and the people in his circle, she found herself enjoying all the company. It made her realize how much she wanted a family and a place to belong.
A flutter raced across Lillian’s stomach, grounding her in the present. She reached down and rested her hand on her stomach. Realization of what that meant settled in around her. She was nearing month six. That meant, if she went into premature labor, there was a chance that the baby could survive.
Survive.
The word echoed around in her mind and caused her heart to pick up speed. For a moment, she allowed herself to hope. But then, she pushed that ridiculous notion out of her head and pulled her covers off. She was made to be alone. Hoping for a life outside of what she was destined for was ridiculous. It was time for her to stop wishing and get moving.
Boxes of unopened decorations were scattered throughout her room. She hadn’t had any time to hang anything up. As soon as she got back from shopping, she went straight to bed.
She climbed out of bed and shuffled over to her door where she paused. She could hear faint singing. Who was here?
Twisting the door handle, she peered out of her room toward the kitchen. The light was on and someone was opening and closing cupboards all the while singing a song in a language Lillian didn’t recognize.
“Hello?” she called out, making her way toward the intruder.
The noise stopped and suddenly, a woman with dark, curly hair appeared. “You must be Ms. Lillian,” she said, crossing the space between them and wrapping her into a hug. After a few uncomfortable seconds in the arms of this stranger, the woman pulled back and kissed both of Lillian’s cheeks. “I am Desiree. I came yesterday but you weren’t here.” She waved Lillian toward the kitchen.
Lillian hesitated but followed. “I’m sorry. I was out with Cassie, shopping.”
Desiree laughed. It was deep and throaty. “That sounds like Ms. Cassie. She’s always shopping.” Desiree motioned toward the table where a plate was sitting. “Sit. I made you breakfast,” she said.
Lillian complied and took a seat. Desiree appeared and dished her up a portion of a quiche.
“I hope you like eggs.”
Lillian nodded. “That works.”
She ate while Desiree whirled around the kitchen, putting dishes away and mopping the floor. It seemed strange that this woman was already cleaning an impeccably kept house, but what did she know? The wealthy lived very differently than she did.
“How long have you known Reed?” Lillian asked as she took another bite.
Desiree paused and began tapping her fingers. “Well, it was about a year before he met Hannah, so. . .” She glanced toward the ceiling. “Seven years.”
Lillian swallowed sharply and a piece of crust scraped her throat. She coughed as the pain of the bite radiated in her chest.
Desiree looked concerned, but Lillian just waved her away.
Once her coughing fit was done, she took a sip of the water that Desiree had placed in front of her. “They were together that long?”
Desiree had returned to mopping. “Yes. They’d known each other since high school. That’s why what she did to Mr. Reed was just awful.” She spat on the ground but then mopped it up.
Huh. “He must have really loved her,” Lillian said, taking another bite.
Desiree nodded in time with the rhythm of the mop. As silence fell around them, Desiree glanced over at Lillian. A sheepish expression passed over her face. “I mean, he did. But he’s moved on.” She gave Lillian a wide smile. “With you!”
Before Lillian could respond, there was a knock. Desiree motioned for her to remain seated as she made her way over to the door. There were some muffled voices and then Desiree nodded and shifted to the side.
“Office is the first door on the left,” she said, waving toward the hall off of the kitchen.
Three burly men stepped in, nodding in acknowledgment. They passed by Lillian, each mumbling a hello and then disappeared down the hall.
“What’s going on?” Lillian asked as she stood and made her way over to the sink. Desiree appeared next to her, taking her dish before she could set it down.
“Mr. Reed has a surprise for you,” Desiree said as she wiggled her eyebrows.
Lillian’s heart quickened. “A surprise? For me?” She let out her breath slowly. There was no need to get her hopes up. She was lying to herself if she said that she didn’t miss him. Thankfully, Cassie had kept her distracted yesterday. “Have you spoken to him?” Lillian asked, glancing sideways at Desiree.
“Yes. We spoke. He is flying in tonight.” She studied Lillian. “It’s lonely around here without him, huh?”
Lillian cleared her throat as she dropped Desiree’s gaze. She didn’t want Desiree to see her reaction at the news. Her stomached lightened to hear that Reed was on his way back. Then dread filled her chest. She still had boxes to unpack and an apartment to decorate and deep down, she wanted to surprise him with having it all done.
“What’s the matter?” Desiree asked.
Lillian steeled her nerves as she tried to shoot Desiree a confident smile. “I was hoping to surprise Reed with a few of my decor touches, but I’m not sure I can do it all.”
Desiree dropped the rag she was using to wipe off the counter and turned. “Honey, you are speaking my language. Let’s do it.”
Dusk spilled in through the windows as Lillian pulled the roast she’d been cooking out of the oven. The smell of carrots and potatoes filled the air. She placed the dish on the stovetop and turned, yelping as she pressed her hand to her heart.
The older one of the three men who had been w
orking on a project in the office, was standing behind her with his hat in his hands. Lillian had been too busy with Desiree to notice what the men were doing all day and had completely forgotten that they were even there.
“Yes?” she asked, clearing her throat.
“I just wanted to let you know that my men and I are finished and will be getting out of your hair.”
Lillian nodded. “Well, thank you.”
He smiled and waved toward the two men behind him, who straightened. They all nodded and said “Ma’am” as they passed by.
Now, alone, Lillian glanced toward the hall. What had those men been doing back there? Just as she took a step toward the room, she heard the lock on the front door turn. Her heart picked up speed as she brushed down the apron she’d bought and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
The door opened, and Reed walked in. He paused as he glanced into the kitchen. His eyes widened. Lillian took this moment to study him. He looked worn out. His shirt was unbuttoned, and his tie hung around his neck.
Feeling awkward standing there, staring, Lillian took a step toward him. “You’re back,” she said.
Reed turned and a smile spread across his lips. “Wow,” he said, leaving his suitcase by the door and glancing around. “You did all of this?”
He was being too kind. A few pictures and couch pillows. Little splashes of color here and there. Nothing mind altering. “It wasn’t that much,” she said, feeling sheepish about how much she wanted him to like what she did.
He glanced over at her, giving her an approving look. “Well, it looks a lot less like a show room and more like a home.” He shrugged out of his suit coat and hung it on the back of the chair. “Did you cook?” he asked, walking over to the stove and dipping down to smell the roast.
“Yes,” she whispered. What had felt like an exciting surprise now seemed like a stupid mistake. What had she been thinking? Reed wasn’t her fiancé. He wasn’t hers to take care of. This was a contractual marriage. It had an expiration date. Besides, what was he going to do when he found out she’d withheld a huge secret? She wasn’t going to be able to hide this pregnancy much longer.
A sour feeling rose up from her stomach. She was such a fool. She’d allowed the excitement of potential home and a person to care for her take over.
“It really wasn’t a big deal. I was just bored.” She tried to downplay what she had done.
Reed turned and studied her with his eyebrows furrowed. “You’ve been bored? I thought Cassie was going to take you out.”
Lillian stepped forward with her hand raised. She hadn’t meant to offend Reed, just push off the feelings that were lingering in her chest. “She did. It was nice. I guess, I was just lonely here.”
He glanced around. “I understand. This isn’t your home.”
“Or life,” she whispered. Heat raced to her cheeks. Why had she said that out loud? The look on Reed’s face was hard to read. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of hurt in his expression.
“I understand that,” he said, grabbing his suitcase and wheeling it behind him. “I’m going to unpack and take a quick shower. Then I can join you for dinner.” He passed by her without glancing over.
Lillian nodded, her chest squeezing from the sudden distance he put between them. She didn’t mean to hurt him. She just wanted to guard herself. Reed was too nice. If she wanted to walk away from this contract unscathed, she needed to build a wall.
Fifteen minutes later, Reed emerged from his room in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. His hair was damp, and he looked refreshed. He shot her a smile as he made his way over to the table where she sat and pulled up a chair.
They ate in silence. When Reed was finished, he set his silverware down and glanced over at her.
She gave him a smile, hoping to make up for earlier. “I’m sorry for what I said.”
Reed studied her. “It’s okay.” He leaned forward, not breaking her gaze. “I get it. This was probably not how you dreamed of meeting and marrying a guy. And after this, what, you’re going to tell people that you’re a divorcee?”
Lillian tried to ignore the ache that took up residence in her chest. If he only knew how true that statement already was. The truth was, there was nothing about the past few years that came even close to what she’d dreamed of. She leaned forward, hoping that she seemed more relaxed then she felt. “And you? Was a contract always a part of your dream when it came to love?”
He laughed and stacked his utensils on his plate as he stood. “Oh yeah. I always imagined that my mother would be involved as well.” He winked as he made his way over to the sink and set his dish into it.
“Typical of a teenage boy,” Lillian said as she grabbed her dish and joined him.
He hesitated, pressing his hands down on the counter. When she neared, he glanced over at her with a serious expression. She wondered what he was thinking. Did she want to know?
She turned on the faucet and rinsed her dish. Reed turned and leaned against the counter with his arms folded. Suddenly, the memory of him standing in the kitchen the morning he left without a shirt on raced back to her. Her cheeks heated as she tried to force the image of his muscular chest from her mind.
“Truth is, I always thought I’d have the normal guy-meets-girl kind of romance. They fall in love and have boatloads of kids.”
Lillian paused and glanced over at him. A sadness crept up inside of her. That was definitely not their relationship. At all.
“But this is better. No feelings, just a mutual agreement.” He tipped his head, cracking his neck. “It’s literally written in the contract that we can’t get hurt. All relationships should be like this.”
Lillian nodded as she focused in on the plate she was rinsing. Why did it hurt to hear him say those things? It was the truth. After all, that’s what they’d agreed to in the beginning. “Agreed,” she said, forcing a smile.
He studied her and then turned his attention to the windows. “Did Patrick stop by?” He squinted over at Lillian. “He’s my contractor.”
“Patrick? That was his name. There were three guys working in your office all day.”
“Did you go in there?”
Lillian glanced over at him. “Was I supposed to?”
He shook his head as excitement brewed in his gaze. “Come with me,” he said, waving toward her.
“Right now? I’m doing the dishes.”
He turned off the water and then reached down and grabbed her hand. Her heart stuttered as he entwined her fingers with his and motioned for her to follow him.
Lillian took a deep breath and forced her feet to move. When they stopped outside the office door, Reed glanced over at her. She couldn’t help but notice that he kept her hand wrapped in his. Did he enjoy it as much as she did?
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. Should I be worried? We covered me not being a serial killer, but I never asked you.” She was hoping humor would help hide the nerves that raced around in her stomach. What could he have possibly done?
But instead of denying that he was a serial killer, Reed just laughed and rested his hand on the door handle. “Close your eyes.”
Lillian gave him an exasperated look and then complied. She waited, straining to listen as the click of the door handle filled the silence. He guided her into the room and turned on the light.
“Open your eyes,” he said.
Lillian hesitated and then peeked through her eyelids. When she saw a pottery wheel, her heart picked up speed. Glancing around, her lips parted. His entire office had been turned into a pottery studio. There was a small kiln in one corner with paints and a clay roller in the other. Lillian stepped farther into the room, turning to look at Reed.
He looked sheepish as he glanced over at her. “Do you like it?”
Lillian had no words. When Reed began to look concerned by her silence, she nodded. “It’s beautiful. Is it for me?”
Reed laughed as he walked over and ran his fi
ngers over a nearby shelf. “Well, you don’t want to see what kind of pottery I would do.”
Before she could talk herself out of it, she crossed the floor and wrapped her arms around him. As much as she wanted to keep her distance, no man had ever treated her as good as Reed Williamson had. A hug felt appropriate for what he’d done.
He hesitated at first but then returned the hug. She closed her eyes as she memorized how it felt to be held by him because in a moment, she was going to need to pull away.
“Wow,” he said with his voice low.
“Thank you,” Lillian replied before she dropped her arms and fled the room. Once she was in the safety of her bedroom, she shut the door and collapsed on her bed.
Why did Reed have to do that? Everything about this arrangement had just become that much more complicated. She was getting into deep and this was not going to end well, no matter how much she might want it to.
Chapter Ten
The next morning, Reed called Persphanie and canceled all his appointments. There was one very pressing meeting he needed to attend to and he wasn’t looking forward to it. He needed to introduce Lillian to his grandfather—as his future wife.
Reed swallowed as he stared up at the ceiling. Why was he so nervous about this? All his grandfather had said was that he needed to be married to inherit the company. There was nothing in his stipulation that said Reed had to love the woman.
Love.
His heart picked up speed when he thought about Lillian. It was a feeling he hadn’t allowed himself to think that he could ever feel again. Not since Hannah. But, somehow, Lillian was beginning to wiggle her way into his mind, confusing even his most ingrained decisions.
Feeling ridiculous for even thinking about having feelings for his fake wife, Reed threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. He needed a shower and clean clothes.
Fifteen minutes later, he was dressed. Pulling open his bedroom door, he walked down the hall to find Desiree in his kitchen. She was dancing and lip-syncing while wiping the counter tops down. She stopped when she saw him approach.
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