Page 42 of The Wife Situation

Love that I can teach an old dog new tricks. Next up, begging.

Easton

I don’t beg anyone either.

My Wife

Your brother told me.

Of course he did.

Easton

Good night, Alexis.

She reads my text message, but doesn’t reply.

I’m more than ready to play this game with this woman. I have been since the moment we crashed together at the W.

One year with Alexis Matthews as my temporary wife would bepriceless.

She wants twelve million, but I’d pay twenty-four.

She’s theonly onewho can do this.

11

LEXI

Couch springs shove into my back, and I roll over while Carlee brews a coffee pod in the kitchen. The rich scent of caffeine wafts through the air, but I focus on pretending to be asleep. After last night, she’ll have a million questions I won’t be able to answer because of the NDA.

“Is Sleeping Beauty awake?” she asks from the end of the couch, and it takes every acting skill I have not to answer or smile.

Nearly ten minutes later, the front door opens and closes. Once she’s gone, I sit up and run my fingers through my hair before twisting it into a top bun.

I glance at the heels on the floor and my clothes that are in a small pile. Then, I recall last night.

I kissed him. I lost control.

And he did too.

I snatch my phone from the coffee table, open my Internet app, and type his name into the search bar, just like I did last night. Pictures of us kissing were taken from all angles, three hundred sixty degrees. Combined are pictures of Weston pickingme up in the Mustang, and they think it’s Easton. They have no idea.

My eyes scan over the fresh articles that were written this morning. Easton is right; the tabloids are constructing the story about us.

I reread our convo from last night and chuckle at my bluntness, but I can’t deny the dash of flirting too.

He texted me good night, but when I saw he used Alexis, I didn’t respond. I’m a gangster, and I keep my read receipts on so people know I’mpurposelyignoring them.

He knows I read it and ignored him. My energy is expensive and exclusive, something money can’t buy. Well, that’s not true.The price tag is twelve million dollars.

The thought of being his temporary wife almost sounds too good to be true. However, I think we could be good friends.

As I’m doomscrolling gossip sites, the door swings open, scaring the shit out of me. I almost scream, but when I see Carlee, my brows crease.

“Why are you grinning like that? Like you’re daydreaming.”

“Why are you home?”

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