Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Until Landry decides to serve in Parliament,” Cora pointed out.
“I’m not doing that. And even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t get elected.”
Cora huffed out a laugh. “You forget that what Teddy Baines wants, Teddy Baines gets. If he wants you in that spot, he’ll find a way to make it happen.”
Kenji didn’t say anything.
Cora looked between the two of us and sighed. “Fine, we’ll punt that. First, we need to decide if you’re Landry or Everett.”
“Everett,” Kenji said at the same time I said, “Landry.”
His choice was hurtful. As if he wanted me to be someone I wasn’t. Someone he didn’t know.
“Landry,” I repeated with a growl, piercing him with my glare. He could take over my life in a lot of ways, but not this. He couldn’t tell me who I was if he was going to get it wrong.
“Cora,” Kenji said in a lighter tone, as if there wasn’t a stew of noxious tension in the room. “Would you mind terribly if Lord Hawling and I take a break for a couple of hours? I’m afraid the jet lag is getting the best of me, and I need to lie down.”
Lord Hawling? Fuck.
Cora bit her lip to keep from grinning. “’Course not. Take all the time you need.”
I followed him through the house and up the stairs like a petulant child. I knew I was in for a brutal tongue-lashing once we were alone. Kenji was going to ream me out. Flay me wide open and take me to church about secrets and betrayal. About lies and disrespect.
But when we entered his bedroom and closed the door, that wasn’t exactly what happened.
ELEVEN
KENJI
This day had gone completely off the rails. I prided myself on being able to roll with the punches, but even I couldn’t absorb this many hits without taking a few moments against the ropes to recover.
“Don’t talk to me,” I snapped before reaching for the buttons of my shirt and kicking off my shoes. I had one destination in mind, and it was the now perfectly cleaned and pressed bed I’d left several hours ago.
“Are we having sex?” Landry asked incredulously. “Now?”
I closed my eyes and sent up a prayer to the universe to have mercy on Landry whatever-the-fuck his name was so that I didn’t strangle him right now with the lavender-scented sleep mask that was resting on a porcelain tray on the bedside table.
“You may be,” I said in a clipped tone. “I am not.”
I yanked off my shirt and dropped it on the floor before shoving my pants down and stepping out of them. My underwear and I climbed between the heavenly sheets and let out an involuntary groan of relief. “Thank fucking Christ for this bed and everything associated with it,” I breathed, settling into the luxurious bedding and closing my eyes. “Pull the curtains closed, please.”
“You were serious about napping?” Landry asked.
“I wasn’t until I saw the bed,” I admitted. “But I’m known for my adaptability.”
The light dimmed behind my eyelids as I heard the soft clink of metal curtain rings sliding across rods.
“We need to talk about this,” Landry said. “There’s time to correct this. To let you go back to the States.”
I kept my eyes shut as I listened to him yank another pair of curtains closed. I refused to acknowledge that I’d been planning to do exactly that—leave Landry and his lordly crisis management team to handle the boots-on-the-ground work while I did my part remotely.
More to the point, I refused to consider why I’d changed my mind.
“And leave you here to turn this into an even bigger clusterfuck?” I scoffed. “I don’t think so. You pay me to keep your life from imploding, Landry. Remember?”
The sound of fabric moving against fabric continued as he moved around the room. “I think everyone would agree pretending to be my husband is a bridge too far, Kenj.”
I shrugged, snuggling deeper into the mattress. “Silas did it for Way. What’s the difference?”
The mattress dipped on the far side as Landry slid between the covers. My lungs seized in surprise, leaving me unable to snap at him or tell him to get the fuck out of my napping chamber.
Landry’s voice was deep and familiar. And close. “The difference is the two of them were actually married,” he said, moving closer until his hand grasped one of my wrists and gently began moving my body where he wanted it.
My heart rate skyrocketed. “I’m not… we’re not… this isn’t… you aren’t the boss of me.”
I bit back a groan. He was literally the boss of me.
“I am your husband,” he said in a voice full of knowing, full of heat. Full of something I wanted more than I would ever admit. “And you will go where I put you.”
I was still angry. So, so angry. And hurt. And embarrassed.