Page 89 of A Dangerous Proposal

“Alex hasn’t mentioned him much.”

Cami’s smirk deepened. “Speaking of your new husband… How was your first full day married?”

Madison hesitated, her fingers absently tracing the edge of her notebook.

Everything wasperfectat night… but Alex had disappeared yesterday by the time she’d woken up, and she still felt uneasy about it. She knew she had no right to complain. This was the arrangement. They weren’t in love.

And yet… Shemissedhim.

The realization unsettled her.

Alex had come home in time for dinner with her and Jax, and it had beensurprisinglycomfortable. He’d even suggested they watch a movie together in the living room. Madison had been relieved to discover that the house did, in fact, have televisions—hidden behind paintings that disappeared with the press of a button.

He’d sat beside her on the sofa, his arm stretched along the back as Jax played on the floor, occasionally glancing up at his favorite animated movie. Alex hadn’t spoken, and he spent the majority of the time tapping on his phone. But every now and then, she would feel him gently playing with the ends of her ponytail, and she had needed to do everything in her power not to cuddle into him.

Cami cleared her throat expectantly, pulling her from her thoughts.

“It’s… satisfying.”

Cami’s mouth dropped open before she burst into laughter. “Satisfying?That’s what you’re going with?”

“It’s accurate.” Madison huffed.

“That is the mostloadedword you possibly could have used.” Cami’s grin widened. “Holy hell! Should I even ask for details?”

Madison threw her pen at her. “No. You shouldnot.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Alex straightened his cuffs and adjusted his tie as he entered his brother’s sleek office. He’d expected his brother would want to speak with him about his marriage, but being summoned was never a good sign.

It had only taken two weeks of married life for his world to shift in ways he hadn’t expected. That he enjoyed the changes was the most alarming part.

It hadn’t been a conscious decision to start coming home early enough to see Jax before he went to bed, but the way the toddler lit up when he walked in, babbling half-formed words and grinning like Alex was someone worth getting excited over, was not something he wanted to miss. It was mildly terrifying how quickly he’d become attached to the child.

Some nights, after Jax was asleep, Madison would come back to the living room. Those nights when she would curl up on the couch next to him with a glass of wine, her attention locked on whatever mind-numbing reality show she’d insisted on watching, were swiftly becoming his favorite time of day. Her taste in television wasatrocious. Some nights Madison talked about work, and other times they said nothing at all.

But every night he made sure she screamed.

And when he woke in the middle of the night, her warmth pressed against him and her scent on the sheets, he’d felt a peace he hadn’t expected.

As he stepped through the doorway, Mikhail looked up, his eyes narrowing. “So, my little brother got secretly married.”

Alex gave a slight shrug, keeping his expression neutral. “It wasn’t a secret. Just… a small ceremony. Madison’s preference.”

“Convenient that this preference of hers only surfaced when I was out of town,” Mikhail said, his voice low and edged with something unpleasant. He tapped his fingers against his desk, each beat deliberate.

“Madison didn’t want her parents there either, Mikhail,” Alex replied smoothly. “It wasn’t about you. It would have been awkward if my family were there and not hers.” He offered one of his cavalier smiles. “You know the saying ‘happy wife, happy life’.”

“How thoughtful of you.” Mikhail’s voice dripped with sarcasm as he folded his hands, his gaze unyielding. “I heard your mother isn’t too pleased that you excluded her. Selena isn’t thrilled about the bride you chose, either. She used some interesting adjectives, I was told.”

Alex fought to keep his expression blank, but anger bubbled, threatening to erupt. “Oh, I’m sure she’ll love Madison once she gets to know her. Who wouldn’t? She’s charming and beautiful.

“Charming and beautiful,” Mikhail mused in a low tone. “But is she capable of handling the realities that come with our world? I doubt you’ve explained that part to her.”

“Not in detail,” Alex replied. “But Madison is an intelligent woman. I’m not worried.”

“I hope she is. I hope yourbeautifulnew wife won’t cause trouble for you, and that you don’t come to regret your hasty decision.”

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