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“Why don’t you ask me why I haven’t shared the details with you? Have you considered that I might share them during this lunch date?”

Her expression changed as she weighed my statement. “Why haven’t you shared?”

“You had a traumatic experience yesterday. I figure your mind needs a break. If you behave, I might share it after I eat.” I flipped open the menu. “Now, what do you recommend?”

“Are you always this annoying?”

“No.” I smiled. “Only with you.”

She stared at me for a long moment as though something had grown on my face. Vanessa was a fascinating woman, indeed.

My stomach growled, and she asked, “Are you in the mood for noodles, rice, or sandwiches?”

My gaze swung to aman in a suit standing by the window with his sandwich. “How about a little of everything?”

“Have you had Vietnamese food before?”

“A long time ago. Just the fresh spring rolls.” I looked around. “But I’ve had nothing here. It looks like it’s been around for a while.”

“It has. New owners, though. How about we do this?” She pointed to a rice dish. “You get the lemongrass beef with rice, and I’ll get the lemongrass pork and shrimp with noodles. I’ll order beef and cold-cut subs. We’ll get plates to share so you can try everything.”

“Okay. Sounds good.”

After we placed our food and drinks orders, I pushed the yellow envelope over to her. “Review the contract and let me know.”

She gasped as she looked at the envelope and tossed me an inquisitive look. “Already? You’re efficient.” She opened it.

“Things need to get done, and this situation falls under the urgent category.”

I was waiting on the results of the DNA testing on the finger. Before the detective took it, I’d taken a blood and skin sample. Orion owned a lab that would garner results quickly. Though I valued Detective Farmer’s work, I didn’t trust his department. The system had failed me before, so I needed to get results another way.

As she read the contract, I studied the way her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed in concentration. She was analyzing every sentence, which demonstrated her thoroughness. She wasn’t simply an artist; she was also a businesswoman. I’d met several artists, and some of them didn’t have the organizational skills Nessa showed. However, this skill set likely originated from her years of studying botany and horticulture.

Nessa was like a unique painting I couldn’t stop admiring. The more I studied her, the more I discovered something new. She was like a portal, with the ability to lure me out of my dark world, helping me remember the joy I once had.

An ache bloomed on my right wrist, and my fingers curled in discomfort. According to the doctor, my wrist had healed frombeing fractured all those years ago. Perhaps certain things would never disappear.

“Are you done looking?” Vanessa glanced up.

“Is there a problem with me looking at you studying the contract?” I sipped the lychee iced tea with jelly bits she’d recommended. It was light and tasty, and I wouldn’t have ordered it if I’d come here by myself.

“Do you have a habit of staring at people?” She considered me while sipping her mango iced tea with the same jelly bits. I loved the way her pink lips wrapped around the straw. My dick twitched, and my mind spiraled out of control.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I had to trek carefully around her if I wanted to maintain my sanity.

“No. Just with you—my future wife.” I placed the drink down. “How else will I know everything about you if I don’t study you?”

“There’s no need for that. I’m not studying you. I think our relationship will be just fine.” She gestured to the contract. “Why are there only two pages?”

“Does it need to be more?”

“No.” She shrugged. “I just assumed there would be more.”

“It’s an arranged fake marriage that will end in six months. Nothing ties us together other than a marriage certificate. A document that will mean nothing when this marriage is nullified.”

I didn’t know why, but that knowledge bothered me.