Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
I loved Alex.
Now the question was, do I let him know that my feelings have changed or should I simply keep it to myself? He didn’t sign up for love, he signed up for a convenient wife and caretaker for his daughter, nothing more. Adding my feelings to the mix would only complicate the next two years of our life together.
That wasn’t the biggest problem, however. How could I love Alex and continue to enjoy the sensual benefits of being married for the next two years without falling deeper in love with him?
The simple answer was, I couldn’t.
The reality was, I would leave this marriage with a broken heart and now that I knew the truth of my own heart, there was nothing I could do about it.
Chapter 29
Alex
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Dante stood in front of me, straightening my bowtie because he was anal retentive about things like this. “Marriage is a big step. Very big.”
I nodded quickly even though I wasn’t sure at all if I was ready. “Yeah, I think so.”
Dante’s brows dipped. “Are you at least prepared to treat Sasha the way she deserves?”
I nodded easily. Last night I heard the way she championed me to her parents, the thing she said in my defense. When she told them she loved me, I was more than a little tempted to believe her. No one had ever defended me like that before. There was no need. I was a man who didn’t ask much from the women in his life, just a night or two of fun and then nothing else. “Were you, um, worried on your wedding day?”
Dante flashed a wide smile. “Fuck yeah, I was. I felt sure of my feelings for Lucy but I wasn’t sure if I could be the man she needed.”
Yeah, that was exactly how I felt. “And how did you become sure?”
“I took one look at her and I knew, without a fucking doubt, that I would do whatever was necessary to keep that beautiful smile on her face.” His smile told me everything I needed to know. “But I love my wife. For real.”
The door flew open and Jack strode in with a big ass, arrogant grin on his face. His thousand dollar tuxedo was so over the top I couldn’t help but grin at the spectacle he made. “Good morning, fuckers. Are we ready to get this over and done with?”
I frowned at Jack’s words. The way he spoke about the day rubbed me the wrong way but I kept those words to myself. “As soon as Dante gets my tie perfect, we’ll be ready.”
Jack barked out a laugh. “You sure you’re ready to take up the old ball and chain?”
“That’s not how I think of Sasha,” I assured him. She wasn’t an obligation or a responsibility. Hell, most nights I counted down the time until I could be with her.
Jack laughed again as if it was the funniest joke in the world. He clapped me on the back and shook his head. “Just get through the ceremony and the monkey dance, and we’ll find a way for you to get your needs met. That’s what I’m here for.”
I frowned and when my gaze slid to Dante’s, he was frowning too. “That’s not necessary,” I assured him but my words fell on deaf ears.
“Of course it is,” Jack said around a loud guffaw. “I’ll make sure it’s discreet. Maybe an apartment on the other side of Houston to make sure the little lady is kept in the dark.” His elbow nudged me in the side as if we were both willing co-conspirators. “You’ll get to be Alex Witter, man about town and faithful husband and family man. The best of both worlds.”
I should have told Jack to shut the fuck up. I should have been a man and told him that he sounded like an asshole, that I wasn’t looking for anyone to satisfy my needs but my soon-to-be wife. But I didn’t. Today was my wedding day and even though Sasha and I weren’t going into this with blinders on, it felt monumental. It felt momentous, taking vows and promising to be good to each other until the end of time.
It felt like I should mean it even though our relationship came with an expiration date. “Jack,” I growled.
His dark eyes widened and he nodded. “Mum’s the word,” he said and winked dramatically. “I’ll go make sure everything is on track.”
“Why don’t you just take your seat,” I asked. Jack had been drinking, that much was certain, and I couldn’t risk him saying anything disrespectful to Sasha. Not today.
Not ever.
“He’s an ass,” Dante said easily, finally satisfied with the state of my bowtie.
I nodded. “He is that, but he’s also damn good at his job. If not for him, I wouldn’t be the man I am today.”