Page 123 of An Inevitable Marriage

I admired her bravery. I respected it. But if she thought for one second I’d let her walk into my building while Shane was still there, she was dead wrong. I could never put her in harm’s way like that.

So I did the only thing I could. I said fuck the contract and fired Shane. I didn’t give two shits about my grandfather and whatever hell he wanted to bring to my life. None of it was more important than Snow’s safety.

“She’s great,” I finally answered. “Working hard on the year-end function.”

“Yeah, she did seem overly excited about that when we stopped by the other night,” Tristan drawled. “And you two did seem awfully cozy, too.”

Because I’d never been with anyone, I had no idea how to tell my friends I had very real feelings for my wife. Life-altering kind of feelings. So when they’d stopped by—unannounced, I might add—I figured the best way to let the cat out of the bag was by kissing the shit out of Snow.

In front of them.

The expression on both their faces would forever be burned into my brain.

“On a more serious note,” Tristan went on. “Don’t you think it’s all a bit fast? I mean, how long before you get bored?”

“Oh, for shit’s sake,” Rafe growled.

“What?” Tristan shrugged. “Have you seen him with the same woman twice?”

It might have been time to confess the truth. Time to finally let go of this secret I’d been carrying with me for so damn long.

Ready to let it all out, I opened my mouth. No words came. At least not the ones I wanted. Why the hell was it so difficult to shine light on the darkest parts of me in front of the people I trusted the most?

“I won’t get bored,” I said instead. “Besides, when did our weekly lunch turn into a dissection of my relationship with my wife?”

Tristan and Rafe shared a look.

“Well, I’m happy you actually listened to someone other than yourself for once,” Rafe said. “It’s a good look on you.”

I thought so, too.

Snow wasgoodfor me. Or maybe her goodness just rubbed off on me. My nightmares were gone. I hadn’t had a single one since she’d started sharing my bed. My smiles came more freely, even if they were only aimed at her.

And my chest felt ten fucking times lighter.

“So, did you ever figure out that job thing?” Tristan interrupted my thoughts.

I blinked back to the present, my attention shifting to him. “What job thing?”

“I’d like to know, too,” Rafe chimed in.

Tristan chuckled. “Of course you would, you nosy bastard.” To me he said, “You told me Evie blamed you for losing her job.”

“Ah, yes,” Rafe answered before I could. Undeterred by the glare I pinned him with, he just shrugged. “She told me that first day you met. She was about to walk out as soon as she saw who she was meant to marry.”

My glare intensified. “And you didn’t think to tell her the truth?”

“Nope.” With a laugh, Rafe shook his head. “Figured it would be more fun if she kept believing you’re an asshole.”

“Okay, I’m officially lost.”

“Bastard.”

Tristan and I spoke at the same time.

Leaning forward, I placed my folded arms on the table and gave Tristan the quick and dirty of why Snow had blamed me for losing her job. By the end he was laughing so hard even the waiter who cleared our table couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

Hell, even I couldn’t.