Page 58 of The Exception

I felt the ghost of a whisper of his touch on my back, and then it was gone. He cleared his throat. “Need anything else?” The dark tone of his voice had my pulse quickening.

I paused, turning to find him watching me with something a lot like hunger.

I have to get out of here before I do something stupid.

“Nope!” I chirped, bolting for the door. “Thank you.”

When I glanced back at him, he was leaning against his desk. I gripped the edge of the door for support, annoyed at the sight of his long, elegant fingers wrapped around his glass of whiskey. “Enjoy your drink.”

He frowned, but I closed the door before he could say anything else. It was going to be a long, lonely two years of marriage.

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

Less than a week into our marriage, and we were about to put it to the test. We were going to break the news to my family at dinner on Knox’s yacht, and I only hoped we could be convincing. If not, well, we’d be headed to France soon for our “honeymoon.” Maybe that would be enough to show them this was real.

I pulled up to the marina and put the car in park. The scent of Lily’s perfume was intoxicating, distracting, and I needed to get out of the car before I did something stupid like haul her into my lap and kiss her.

Lily had spent most of the drive peppering me with questions about my family, claiming it was things my wife would know if this were a real marriage. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but it felt like she had placed a heavy emphasis on therealmarriage part.

Was something bothering her?

If it was, I wished she’d just come out and say it. I was observant, but I could be shit at reading between the lines when it came to emotional subtext. Especially in romantic relationships. Not that this was a real romantic relationship, but it was a pseudo one.

However, now wasn’t the time. So, I switched off the engine and rounded the hood to open Lily’s door.

“You ready?” I smoothed down my shirt as I scanned the gated parking lot for my family.

I held out my hand for Lily, sensing her nerves. This was our first major test as a couple, and I knew my family would have questions. Lily and I had done our best to prepare, and now it was showtime.

She placed her hand in mine, and her diamond glinted in the light. I admired her ring briefly before spinning it so the band was facing outward. I wanted to buy us a little more time to break the news on our terms.

Her nails were painted a pale pink, and I briefly imagined her fingers wrapped around my cock. I quickly pushed that thought aside, but it wasn’t the first time I’d fantasized about Lily. God, our wedding had been fucking torture. That kiss had sparked something inside me, unleashing a wildfire of desire that was becoming more and more difficult to extinguish.

So when she’d come to my office to ask for my help with her dress… It had taken all my restraint—more than I’d even thought possible—to resist touching her.

“Graham?” she asked, making me realize I was still holding her hand. Still having completely inappropriate thoughts about my wife.

Right.She was nervous. She was looking to me for reassurance, and here I was, thinking about her hand around my cock.I am such an ass.

I cleared my throat and released her. “You look great, and you’ll do fine.”

And she did—look great. She’d opted for a flirty sundress in a cheerful yellow that made her blue eyes glow. She looked like sunshine personified.

My eyes followed the line of her delicate collarbone. The swell of her breasts. Jay had done a great job styling her. She looked like the wife of a billionaire, but she also looked like herself.

“I hope you’re right,” she said, clutching her purse.

I ushered her toward Knox’s yacht, a hand on the small of her back. “I usually am.”

She elbowed me in the side. I glared at her, and she laughed. When she tried to do it again, I grabbed her arm, and she pretended to try to fight my hold. She was laughing harder now, and I was holding in a smile.

As we neared the yacht, someone called out, “Graham?”

I shaded my eyes from the sun and peered at the upper deck. Knox was standing at the railing, his arms wrapped around Kendall’s waist. The sun made it difficult to see their expressions, so I waved up at them.

Knox disappeared briefly before reappearing at the gangplank. He smiled, his eyes full of questions. Fortunately, he was polite enough to keep them to himself—for now anyway. I wasn’t sure I’d be so lucky when it came to my other siblings.

Because while Knox and Nate were technically my cousins, they’d always been more like brothers to me. When we were younger, Knox had always had my back. And as we’d grown and matured, he’d been a good sounding board. Calm. Patient. Full of wisdom.

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