Page 21 of Her Possessive Dominant Fake Husband

I huffed a short laugh. “Good. That means I wasn’t completely unbearable like usual.”

Her lips twitched—not quite a smile, but close. Close enough that something in my chest tightened.

And then, as if deciding something in real time, she stepped forward. The distance between us shrank and she moved in—wrapping her arms around me.

I stiffened at first, unprepared for the contact, but the moment I let myself settle, something inside me unknotted. She smelled like home—like a place I hadn’t realized I’d wanted until now. Not only that, but I wanted her. More than a hug, more than the kiss I’d almost planted on her the last time this happened. I’d kept my distance before, but with every passing second, that seemed more and more impossible.

I let my chin rest lightly against her hair, breathing her in, feeling the tension drain from my being.

Her hands slid up my back, pressed against me, steady, grounding, and for the first time, I felt I belonged.

Too much.

Because when I pulled back just enough to look at her, our faces were too close, her breath warm against my skin, her lips just barely parted. Her gaze darted back and forth between mine, as if she was… waiting. For what?

A fraction closer—just a breath, just a tilt—and I would have kissed her.

I could see it in the way her eyes flickered to my mouth, the way her fingers curled slightly against my back.

I moved back a step, careful to steady her so she wouldn’t fall. I couldn’t let this happen. The contract stated very clearly no physical intimacy beyond the necessary – like kissing her at our wedding or the wedding dance.

Neither of us spoke.

Without a word, I left the room, shaken by the night as a whole. I didn’t belong in her world, but the longer I stayed around Claire, the more it felt like I didn’t belong in mine, either.

The next day

She wasn’t supposed to know. The files weren’t meant to be found, but here she was, holding the evidence in her small, shaking hands. “What are these?” Claire’s confused, angry expression met mine.

“Walk away, Claire. Right now. Pretend you never saw this.” My words were meant to push her away, but she stood firm, eyes blazing. She was too close to the truth, too close to what I had buried. I saw the exact moment she understood—our contract, this careful arrangement, was not just a farce, but worse. The realization sent a jolt through both of us.

"When were you going to tell me?" Claire’s voice pierced the quiet of my office, her presence as unexpected as the files she clutched.

My throat tightened. She shouldn’t have seen those. "I wasn’t," I said, my voice sharp enough to cut.

Her eyes narrowed. "So, what is this? Some kind of game to you?"

"It doesn’t concern you," I said, standing. I reached for the files, but she didn’t let go.

"Doesn’t concern me? How does it not concern me when it’s about your brother and—" She stopped, the words almost choking her. "And Allison. What are you doing?"

I needed to shut this down, to push her away before she got any closer to the truth.

"Don’t," I said. "You don’t understand."

She took a breath, a flash of hurt crossing her features. "Then help me understand, Alexander. Why are you marrying me when it’s her you—"

"I said, don’t." I cut her off, my voice a warning. The edges of my control frayed as she continued to stand there, unyielding. She had no idea what she was digging into, the ghosts she was waking.

Her determination only grew. "You’re trying to sabotage your brother. I can tell you hate each other."

It was too close, too raw. My chest tightened with emotions I didn’t want to name. I grabbed the files, yankingthem free. "I told you not to pry into my life. That was in the contract."

Claire didn’t flinch. Her gaze was fierce, as if daring me to admit what we both knew. "What is this, then?"

My hands clenched, and I turned away, unable to meet her eyes. "Think what you want," I said, my voice hollow, echoing the emptiness I felt. "You seem to forget I don’t answer to you."

I heard her breath hitch, saw the way her body tensed. She wasn’t leaving. She wasn’t giving up.

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