Page 23 of Her Possessive Dominant Fake Husband

"Right." She stretched the word, drawing it out like a taunt, then broke into a light jog ahead of me. "I’ll let you catch up."

I was momentarily stunned by her nerve, by the sheer lightness of her being. It took me a second to realize I was following her, my feet moving before my mind had time to protest. She knew what she was doing. And worse, so did I.

My attempts to focus on anything but her were laughable. I couldn’t deny the way she unsettled me, throwing off my every calculation. I thought she’d still be mad, but no, things were comfortable and fun.

"Your girlfriend’s a firecracker," a passerby on the trail said with a knowing smile, as if he saw right through me.

I nodded, feeling a possessive edge creep into my voice. "You have no idea."

Catching up with Claire at the top of the trail, I caught her marveling at the waterfall surrounded by thick, dark evergreens. “I thought you’d never catch up,” she said, tossing a playful glance my direction.

The afternoon sun hung lazily in the sky as we walked back to our cabin. I found myself stealing glances, noting how the light caught in her hair. She caught me looking and flashed a smile that threatened to undo me.

"You know," she said, still teasing. "You could try it sometime."

I frowned. "Try what?"

"Enjoying yourself."

"I enjoy myself plenty," I said, knowing the words were a lie, watching her lithe movements as she veered off the path, crouching to examine a wildflower.

"Yeah, right," she said, disbelief lacing her tone. "It’s so obvious, I don’t know how I missed it."

She was making fun of me, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I was drawn in, lost in the way she saw the world. The sun dipped lower, stretching shadows across our path, and still I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

She glanced back over her shoulder. "You really think I’m wrong?"

I hesitated, feeling the warmth of the day seep into the cold spaces I carried. "About me having fun? Yes, I think you’re wrong."

She shrugged. "Is that so?"

"But I’m starting to think you might be right about something else," I said, the confession slipping out before I could stop it.

Claire slowed her pace, waiting for me to catch up. "And what’s that?" she asked, curiosity mingling with delight.

I shook my head, refusing to say any more.

Her expression shifted, the teasing falling away to reveal something heartfelt, something unguarded. It shook me more than I cared to admit.

The evening crept in, and we moved into the cabin, starting a fire in the fireplace and sitting side by side on the couch. “I’m sorry for yesterday,” I said.

She shrugged. “You were right. It’s none of my business, and the contract says I’m not allowed to ask questions. I’m just holding up my end.”

That stung, and I wasn’t sure why.

"It’s nice here," she said, her voice gentler than before. "Quiet."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

"Kind of makes you wonder, doesn’t it?" she continued, eyes fixed on the flickering flames.

"Wonder what?"

She turned to me, her gaze intense and searching. "What it would be like if things were... different."

Her words were an invitation, one I knew I shouldn’t accept but desperately wanted to. "You mean without a contract."

"Yeah," she said, breath catching just enough to make me regret asking. "Without that."

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