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She lets out a sigh. "Not completely horrible, but I mean, I wouldn’t say that you were gonna win any prizes for being great."

"I didn’t wanna win any prizes. I know you're upset with me because you found out a lot of things you didn't know, and I apologize for that, but honestly, none of it was personal to you, and?—"

"And what, I'm just meant to be okay with that now?"

"No, but I don't know how you would like to move forward. Would you like me to tell your father to cancel the contract and that you can marry someone else? Is that what you want?"

She shrugs.

"I mean, if that's really what you want, I can call him right now, and you can?—«

“I just don’t know, okay? I just don’t know. All of this is just overwhelming, and…" She blinks. "I just don't know!" She grabs a pillow and covers her face with it and screams into it.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I reach over and touch her shoulder. Her skin is silky soft.

She puts the pillow down on her lap and turns toward me. "No, it's not okay. I feel like a fucking idiot right now."

"You're not an idiot."

"I know I'm not an idiot, but I'm just conflicted."

"Because of what?"

"Because you're an asshole, yet I still am tempted by you, and I don't understand why."

"Oh," I say, smirking. "Tempted how?"

"Tempted…" She shakes her head. "You know what? It doesn't matter."

"So, this marriage, are we consummating it?"

"I don't know. I mean, I don't wanna consummate something with someone who's not interested in me sexually." She stares at me.

"I mean, that's true. I mean, because you're not interested in me sexually, are you?"

"Not at all," she says with a little smile.

"I didn't think you were." I grin at her. "I mean, maybe before but definitely not now."

"Exactly," she says, shaking her head. "Definitely not now."

"I mean," I say as I reach over and touch the side of her cheek, "you don't want me at all."

"Nope, I don't."

"My touch does nothing to you," I say, my thumb gently caressing her lower lip.

"Absolutely nothing."

"I could tell." My hand moves further down her shoulders and along her arms. She's shivering now.

She's staring at me with bated breath, and I wait for her to tell me to stop, but she doesn't.

"This does nothing to you, does it?" I reach my hand across her stomach, and she shakes her head.

"What does nothing to me? I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Oh, okay." I move my hand lightly up her right breast.