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“That’s not what I meant.” He pulled into the driveway and parked in front of a garage with four cars beside it.

What was wrong with me? I had to rein in my emotions so we could both survive this marriage.

“I’m sorry. I’m just anxious. You’re doing me a huge favor, and I should be grateful and not take things too seriously.”

He reached over and brushed a knuckle down my cheek, surprising me. “You want to resume your peaceful life. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve lived alone for a while, so this is the first time I’ve had someone here.”

“No one has stayed over?”

“No.” He got out of the car.

I stood next to him as he opened the trunk. “Not even your mom or sister?”

“They only visit.” He dragged out my luggage. “They prefer their house like I prefer mine.”

I didn’t know what to think about being the first person to stay at his house. He must’ve been feeling uncomfortable too.But he was better at keeping calm than I was. This was going to be interesting.

“Are you sure you’re going to survive sharing your house with me?” I grabbed the third piece of luggage and followed him into the house, which had marble flooring.

Out of habit, I stopped at the mat and kicked off my sneakers.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said.

“I prefer it. It keeps the house cleaner. My mom used to make me sweep the floor whenever I forgot and trekked in dirt from outside. You should try it. It’s good feng shui.”

“You know feng shui?”

“Only a little. But it’s common sense. If you bring nasty things into the house, most likely those nasty things will breed negative energy.” I glanced around his home and saw some plants, but not enough. “Having plants in the house would help transform that heavy energy into something better.”

“I see my fiancée already knows how to improve my living situation.” He left the luggage, walked back to the doormat, and kicked off his shoes, placing them next to mine.

The act surprised me. I didn’t think he would adopt my preferred way of entering the home this quickly.

“This is your house. You don’t need to change it for me.”

“I’m not.” He walked to me and grabbed the handle of the suitcase, pulling all of them down an eggshell-colored hallway. “I’m an open-minded person. I can adapt to a new environment with ease, especially when it makes sense. Who doesn’t want more positive energy in their home?”

I didn’t know if I could adapt to things the way he could.

He came to a door, opened it, and walked in. “This is your suite. There’s a compact bathroom, a living room, and a small kitchen here.”

I gaped at the lush living room and modern kitchen with appliances that still gleamed. “Has anyone lived here?”

“No.”

“Why do you have a suite when you never have guests over?”

“It came with the house, and I didn’t need to change it.” He shrugged. “I had a feeling it would be useful one day, and I was right.” He stepped closer and tipped my chin up. “Are you ready to play the role of my beloved fiancée?”

“I’m not an actress,” I murmured, struggling to think clearly. “But it seems like you’re good at it.”

“Sometimes, we have to wear a mask to survive,” he breathed into my ear, the warmth of his breath making me shiver. When he drew back, his brown eyes had darkened to a lustful chocolate.

“I’m afraid I might forget who I am if I wear a mask.”

“Or you might find a part of yourself that was dormant.”

Was there a hidden message woven within his statement? Probably. But my brain cells were all frozen. How many masks had he worn to survive? What did he discover about himself?