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It’s not.

There is money in belonging to the Order. The Hellers, being one of the founding families, are loaded with a capital L. My dad is more than comfortable. I don’t have to work, but I like the idea of having some independence while I’m playing the part of Adrian’s wife.

I don’t tell him that. That would make him fight against me just because I want it so badly.

Instead, I say, “I’m not going to just sit upstairs, waiting for you to remember that you married me. You have a job… you do have a job, don’t you?”

“I’m a financial manager.” A sly smile tugs on his lush lips. “All of the money in Harmony Heights goes through me.”

Figures. Our fondness for numbers was one thing we had in common. It annoyed me to no end that, despite the two of us being in the same advanced math class, Adrian made it seem like I was a numbers nerd. The teasing got worse when I beat him on midterms senior year, even though he bought me ice cream to celebrate my high grade—then fucked me in the alley behind the ice cream shoppe.

I shake my head, knocking out one of my few positive memories of my time with Adrian. “That’s what I mean. You have a job. I like mine, and it keeps me busy.” It allows me to be independent. “If I can work from here, I want to keep it.”

“Done,” announces Adrian. “I have a study on the third floor that’s my workspace from home. I can give you one of the spare rooms next to it to set up your own office. I’ll stay out of yours if you stay out of mine.”

I can do that. He told me during his tour yesterday that there were a few spots in the house that he preferred I didn’t go to unless he was with me. The gym in the basement was one; the study on the third floor was the other. Considering my imagination still had blood on the mind and I conjured up some Bluebeardesque room full of Offerings he sacrificed to the Order, it’s a relief to know that they were as mundane as his private work area and his testosterone-fueled playground.

“Great. And I was also thinking?—”

“Hang on there. I know what’s going on here.” He leans back further into his seat, arms crossed over his chest. “You want to establish some more rules between us.”

Took him long enough.

I nod. “I think it’ll help this… arrangement between us.”

“The word is marriage, princess. Say it with me. Marr-iage.”

Dick. “Arranged marriage,” I add, enjoying the fleeting annoyance that flashes across his face. “And I still think we need to set rules if we have any chance of making it work.”

“I distinctly remember you trying to do that once before,” Adrian reminds me. “Something about telling me I needed to wear a condom when we were both virgins in the beginning and not fucking anyone else. And when I got you to see my point, you changed it so that I couldn’t come in you.” He chuckles softly. “As if I’d waste a drop of what I had when it belonged to you.”

I remember, too. That’s how he convinced me that it wasn’t such a bad idea if he didn’t pull out. That he chosemeto fuck that first time, and I was so stunned that Adrian Heller was still a virgin—because, even if he lied to get me on my back, itworked—that I let him do whatever he wanted. The two minutes he lasted after the most uncomfortable sex I’ve ever had makes me sure he was telling the truth, but the more we spent time together, the better we both got.

And he came in me almost every single damn time.

I snort. “I was such a stupid kid back then. It’s a miracle we didn’t have a pregnancy scare.”

“You wouldn’t have been able to get away from me if I knocked you up.” His eyes spark. “Maybe that’s my plan now.”

My stomach turns. Setting my fork down on my plate, I push it all away from me. “You want kids?”

Oh, God. I knew we’d have to have this conversation sooner or later almost immediately after I was forced to say ‘I do’. To keep his position in the Order’s upper ranks, he needed to be married by thirty. Check. The old guard prefer to see the young guys popping out ‘heirs’ so that the founding families don’t die out. It’s not a non-negotiable—it depends on the couple, their fertility, and whether they want to be parents or not—but I saw the spark in Adrian’s eyes when I mentioned the word ‘pregnancy’ just now.

His shrug could possibly be perceived as casual, even if I’m not buying it. “Do you?”

Ah, fuck.

“I’ve never really thought about it before,” I admit. “Not that it matters right now. I’m on birth control.”

A muscle tics in his jaw. “What’s the matter, Loni? Didn’t want your boyfriend leaving a little something behind?”

Look at that. The return of asshole Adrian.

Okay. So I tried to fabricate a boyfriend so he’d see how insane it was to kill Desmond and think that he could easily take his place. When he easily called me out for lying later, it became clear that he didn’t buy my ‘boyfriend’ story for a second.

So him bringing up my imaginary boyfriend now? He’s fucking with me.

If that’s how he wants to play, fine. “More like I wanted to fuck whoever I wanted without worrying about getting pregnant.” I grin at him, enjoying the dark shadow that falls over his face at the reminder that he’s not my only lover anymore. “I grew up, Adrian. Condoms are a must, but even they’re not a hundred percent effective.”