Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Why was his arrogance so goddamn hot?
North coughed into his fist. “Arsehole.”
Aria rolled her eyes.
“Hey!” I frowned. “Before I walked in the door and told you we got married, you and Jared were friends.”
“Aye, until he went behind everyone’s back and married my wee sister.”
That North thought of me as his sister warmed me to my soul. “North …” I released Jared’s hand to cross the distance between me and my brother-in-law. When I wrapped my arms around him, tucking my head against his chest, he couldn’t resist. The big softie hugged me tight. “I’m just worried about you,” he murmured in my ear. “So is your sister.”
I pulled back, gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and released him to reach for Aria. I hugged her and her arms banded around me.
“I’m going to be okay,” I whispered. “I promise.”
Discomfortingly, I wasn’t sure if I’d just lied to her again or not.
Nine
Jared
Even when we weren’t in the same room, I could feel Allegra. Just knowing she was in the farmhouse made me aware of her every second. It chafed. I was used to being able to go about my business without thinking or worrying about anyone else.
After the visit to her sister’s, we’d gone to her parents’ beach house and I tried not to overanalyze the sheer level of wealth Allegra was used to. I mean, I’d married her for it. But actually seeing the houses on the Ardnoch Estate, witnessing the quality of the goods inside, I felt less than. I didn’t want to touch anything. Felt like it wasn’t my place. And I didn’t do well with feeling like I didn’t belong somewhere.
All of that, along with the reminder that I’d married a woman for her money, sat heavily in my gut as we drove back to the farmhouse. What the fuck was I doing? Even knowing Allegra was gaining something from our marriage, too, didn’t make me feel any less of a dishonorable bastard. When North had called me out for it, I’d felt like scum.
Now seeing with my own eyes the world Allegra came from, discomfort and embarrassment rode my shoulders when I brought her back to the farmhouse. That just pissed me off because my family had built this place with their own hands, and there was nothing to be ashamed of here. It wasn’t my fault my fake wife was used to finer things. Or dating men like Taka Aikawa.
I’d googled him when I was alone in my room.
He was a good-looking fucker and according to Wikipedia, he came from money before his acting career took off. Taka was definitely more in Allegra’s league.
Yet here she was. Married to a Scottish farmer who’d once run around with criminals.
Not that she knew that last part.
Our plan was to tell Sarah in the morning about the marriage. I knew Aria and North didn’t believe us, and I had a sneaking suspicion Sarah wouldn’t either. It didn’t matter as long as they could claim ignorance to our scheming in case it went tits up.
I was awake before Allegra to meet Georgie out in the fields at five thirty. Years ago, when Grandad was still alive, I used to run regularly. I’d get up before he needed me on the farm and run for miles down the beach. Since taking over, I rarely had time for running. I missed it. But the farm came first. And we had a fault in the irrigation system to fix. They were forecasting a pretty dry summer, so we’d need it up and running.
“Every year this fucking thing needs fixed,” Georgie grumbled as we got to work. “How old is the system?”
“Too old.” I stopped what I was doing to look at my friend and farmhand. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. This fix is temporary. I’m going to invest in an irrigation boom.”
He snorted. “Aye, and how are you affording that, mate?”
“Allegra Howard and I married yesterday. Her money is now my money.”
Georgie’s head snapped up at my blunt declaration. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Is this a weird joke?”
“It’s not a joke.”
He sat up, wiping mud from his hands onto his jeans. “Allegra Howard, as in Wesley Howard’s daughter? Allegra Howard is your wife?”
“Aye.” My heart thudded a wee bit faster.
Eyes roaming my face, he shook his head. “What the fuck did you do? What is she getting out of it?”
“We married because we wanted to marry,” I lied. “The money is just a bonus. She wants to help.”
He huffed in disbelief. “You think for one second I’m going to believe you’ve been shagging Sorcha all the while you’ve had Allegra Howard in your bed? Do you think I’m daft? You did this for money, and she’s getting something out of it too.”
Expression hard, I replied, “Georgie, all you know is that I married Allegra and that I’ve been secretly seeing her for a year. Do you understand me?”