Page 13 of An Inconvenient Marriage
For the first time in my life, I had freedom. Granted, I wasn’t away from my father and his dreadful demands just yet, but I was close.
So very close.
Still smiling, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to envision the day I would finally be in charge of my life. The day when I could chase and live my dream without fear.
A tiny sliver of excitement tickled my spine, and I let it roll through me, let it feed the hope building inside me. I’d use it as my fuel. I also decided right then and there that even if Zach turned out to be a dead end, I’d never go back to my father or the prison hiding behind mansion walls.
I let out a long, slow breath and opened my eyes. I didn’t know how long I’d been standing there but I figured it was long enough for Zach to have used the bathroom and be in bed already. And since I wanted to do both those things, I gingerly made my way to the bedroom.
The door wasn’t closed, just slightly ajar, so I pushed it open and stepped inside. My eyes instantly bugged out of my skull, and my hand flew to my mouth. Standing next to the rose-petal-covered bed was my new husband… in nothing more than a pair of black boxer briefs.
I could honestly say that whatever he was hiding underneath his tailored suits hadn’t been at the forefront of my mind. But now that I’d seen it, I didn’t think I could ever forget. So much so, it took me a couple of seconds to snap out of my stupor, and when I did, heat instantly rushed to my cheeks.
“I… uh… sorry.” I spun around so fast, I almost toppled over. “I thought you were… I wanted to… uhm…” Gosh, this was painful. Squeezing my eyes shut, I took a fortifying breath, then spoke again. “I really want to get out of this dress and maybe take a bath before bed.”
An exasperated sigh filtered through the air. “I don’t need a play-by-play. Do what you want to.”
Something clicked, and the room went dark. Well, semi-dark, since the glow from the living area still provided enough light to see. This time I knew it was safe to venture further into the room.
I made it two steps before Zach’s voice startled me. “Your luggage is near the bathroom door.”
“Thank you.”
He didn’t say anything else as I made my way to said luggage and then finally into the bathroom. Although bathroom wasn’t the right description. The place looked more like something that belonged in a luxury spa.
And I took the opportunity to indulge as if I were at one. Once I finally got out of my dress, I sank into the warmest, most fragrant bubble bath, leaned back, and just relaxed. I didn’t think about the past or the future or what could go wrong. I simply was, and it felt amazing.
By the time the water had turned cold and I’d turned into a prune, I finally climbed out of the tub. With great reluctance, I might add. And since I had nowhere to be, I didn’t rush through my nightly routine like I always did.
Deep down, I knew I was stalling because I still wasn’t sure where I was going to sleep.
Yes, the bed was big enough for both of us. But it also held a half-naked Zach. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. What if I tossed and turned in the middle of the night and ended up snuggled against him or, worse, sprawled out on top of his bare chest?
The thought alone had shivers running down my spine.
That was exactly why I ended up on the couch. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it was the safest option for sure.
I’d barely fallen asleep, or at least that’s what it felt like, when a hand gripped my shoulder and shook. Hard.
Struggling to open my eyes, I groaned, “Wha-what?”
“Wake up.”
That voice… it was enough to pull me from my deepest slumber. I jolted upright and stared at a—thankfully—fully dressed Zach. He was staring right back, eyes dark and intense and his jaw clenched so tight I feared it might snap.
“You need to get dressed,” he growled. “The plane leaves in two hours.”
His gaze flicked lower, and his nostrils flared with irritation.
With a frown, I followed the movement, and a fresh bout of heat sank into my cheeks. Sometime during the night, my robe had parted, and I was now giving him more than a good view of my cleavage.
Grabbing the ends of the fluffy robe, I tugged them together and covered myself. “Plane? What plane?”
Our gazes met, and his lips curled into a wintry smile. “The one taking us on our honeymoon,dear wife.”
6
Natalie
