Page 27

“It’s either that or sleep in your underwear. I don’t mind either way.” Cash smirks.
I take deep breaths to maintain my composure. He’s only lightening the mood, and I should appreciate his effort. It would be far worse if he were grumpier than I am.
“You remember where the bathroom is?” He nods toward the connecting door.
“Yup.”
I clutch the shirt close to my chest as I make a mad dash to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. Once I’m alone, I set the band tee on the counter and look into the mirror. My reflection portrays a polished, put-together businesswoman, but inside, I’m a hot mess.
“God, this is such a disaster,” I mutter as I fight back tears.
How could I have let a routine business trip to Vegas end with a spontaneous marriage, and potentially face a reality where I can’t get out of it for the foreseeable future because of a deal between our family businesses that I knew nothing about?
“What am I going to do?” I ask my reflection.
The silence is deafening. I consider calling August, but it’s the middle of the night in London. Besides, there’s nothing he can do to help. Who am I kidding? He’d commend me for my irresponsible behavior.
I hate to say it, but maybe Cash is right. Tomorrow is a new day; hopefully, things won’t seem so bleak come morning.
The soles of my feet throb, and I grip the counter to keep steady as I slip my heels off, sighing in relief when my feet touch the cool tile. They’re my favorite heels, but they’re not the most practical when standing for hours.
I check the top drawer to find several toothbrushes still in the packaging. It looks like Johanna hasn’t changed much around the house in the past fourteen years.
After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I change into Cash’s T-shirt. Even after being in a drawer for years, it holds the faint scent of his cologne—citrus, musk, and sandalwood. Theshirt hits my mid-thighs, and I curse myself for not asking for a pair of sweats.
For a moment, I consider sleeping on the bathroom floor, but quickly decide against it. Minutes ago, I was scolding Cash for being immature, and now I’m hiding out, which is just as bad.
After giving the bottom of the T-shirt a firm tug, I ease the door open and peek my head into the bedroom. Cash is sitting in bed, back against the headboard, with the covers pulled up to his waist as he reads something on his phone. He must have used the bathroom down the hall to get ready.
His bare chest is on display, and I catch a glimpse of his sculpted stomach. My gaze peruses the defined contours while he’s preoccupied.
Thankfully, I come to my senses before he catches me ogling him… again. I have a bad habit where he’s concerned, but it’s not my fault he’s so damn sexy.
I straighten my spine and cross the room. I’m halfway to the bed when he looks up, his gaze shamelessly trailing down my bare legs.
“You’re staring,” I snap, not caring that I’m being hypocritical. It’s not like he saw me checking him out, so it’s irrelevant.
“I remember the night I bought that shirt,” he says, gesturing at me with a lazy grin.
My stomach flips as a rush of warmth flows through me, knowing he remembers that night with the same fondness as I do.
I clear my throat. “Speaking of T-shirts, where’s yours?” I nod to his bare chest.
“I sleep naked,” he ribs me, his eyes twinkling when he notices my jaw drop. “Don’t worry, just from the waist up. Besides, given your ogling when you came out of the bathroom, I don’t think you mind.”
A blush spreads across my cheeks. “Sure, from a distance you’re easy on the eyes, but the second you open your mouth, all bets are off,” I taunt.
“And yet you still married me,” he says as his gaze drifts back to my legs.
“Why do you have to be so infuriating?” I hold my hand up when he opens his mouth. “Don’t answer that; it was a rhetorical question.”
I gingerly climb into bed next to him. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough pillows or space to build a barrier between us, so I slide as close to the edge as possible.
Before I can turn off the lamp on my side of the bed, my phone buzzes, and several texts appear on the screen.
Landon: I had a meeting with your dad yesterday.
Landon: I’ll be in London in a few weeks and want to take you to dinner.