Page 32 of Fair Trade (New York Monarchs #2)

twenty-eight

I married Nicholas fucking Stonehaven.

Those words play on a loop in my head as I look down at the glittering wedding band covered in diamonds on my left ring finger.

The party is over, and the last of the guests have left Nick’s home.

Our home for the next year.

Explaining this to my parents was the toughest part. I asked them to arrive before anyone else, because they deserved a heads-up before the news became the biggest media story in the country.

My mother was shocked, but she immediately burst into happy tears, pulling Nick into a fierce hug as she mumbled nonsensical plans for our future.

My father, on the other hand, was silent.

He’d be happy for me if he was sure this was what I truly wanted, accelerated timeline be damned.

So I put on an Oscar-worthy performance to ensure that he knew I was okay, and, in fact, not being held hostage by a billionaire.

It seemed to have worked when he accepted Nick’s handshake. But then he said, “One. You get one strike with me, and you’ve already used it by not asking for her hand in marriage. Tread lightly if you expect to remain welcome in this family.”

“Understood.” Nick bowed his head in an unexpected sign of respect.

“And trust me, I will go about things the right way from here on out. I’m sorry our excitement got the better of us and we ran off to get hitched without any of Luisa’s family.

Believe me when I say from here on out, you will all be included in everything we do.

” He made a sweeping motion around the grand living room we’re currently all standing in.

“Consider this place your home. Please don’t hesitate to ask for anything.

I truly want to do right by your daughter, and that includes having her family at ease with her decision to marry me. I am well aware that I married up.”

My mother’s eyes had widened right before she slapped my father’s arm. “You heard the man. We’re family! Wait until my sisters check this place out. And that kitchen. Dios mío. We are going to have the best holiday parties here. I can feel it.”

“Wait. Hold on, Mami. Nick was being polite offering his—”

“Angel.” Nick stopped me with a gentle hand on my lower back, and I’m surprised at how easily I leaned into his touch. “This is no longer my home. It’s ours. We’ve discussed this.” He places a soft kiss on the top of my head, and I feel myself sinking further.

“Ay, Javier. Look at them! They’re so in love. My little girl is married.” My mother started to weep softly, and my father moved in to rub her back.

“Javier, I would love to give you a tour of our place. I haven’t really had the chance to do much with it since I’ve left most of the work to the interior designer.

But there is a game room on the floor below that opens up to the patio.

I have multiple TVs, gaming consoles, and a pool table.

And I had a domino table delivered this morning in hopes that—”

“Hold it right there.” My dad lifted a hand.

“You’re telling me you got a gaming room with TVs so I can watch the game while I play dominoes?

” My father’s eyes bored into my new husband’s as Nick slowly nodded.

A loud clap and laugh from my father startled us all.

“Pero mijo, why didn’t you lead with that?

I could have saved you a few gray hairs.

” He playfully pointed at Nick’s trim beard.

“Yep, right around there. I could see a few coming in right before my eyes,” my dad teased and I swear Nick deflated beside me.

To the point where I found myself mirroring his stance and placing a hand on his back to make sure he stayed upright.

After that, he gave them a quick tour that passed in a blur, and then I had to get ready to announce to the entire Monarchs family that their team owner and general manager had gotten married.

We were able to fend off our friends by promising to give them the full story at a later time—a fake one we’d have to rehearse in order to keep straight.

My friend Isabella, Mateo Martinez’s girlfriend, gave me a look like she was onto me.

Daisy seemed happy but slightly bummed that she was kept in the dark about our whirlwind romance.

And everyone else got drunk on Nick’s dime.

I’m exhausted, and all I want to do now is climb into my bed and forget about the media shitstorm that’s about to hit us.

“And where do you think you’re going, my blushing bride?” Nick chimes from down the hallway that leads up to the master bedroom.

“I spotted some bedrooms this way during the tour earlier, so I’m going to claim one and settle my stuff into it later in the week. When I find the time and energy. So good night, Stonehaven,” I say as I take off my heels and wiggle my toes on the smooth wooden floors.

Nick tsks as he closes the distance between us. “You clearly didn’t pay attention on the tour, since our bedroom is that way.” He tips his head, gesturing behind him.

I lift my hands to my face and start to rub my temples. “Nick, I don’t have the energy for this. If you really think we’re about to consummate this marriage, you’re clearly more deranged than I gave you credit for.”

“Is your mind always in the gutter? I was merely pointing out the fact that your belongings have already been stored and sorted in our room. There is no need to run off like a bandit in the night. Besides, we’ve already been well acquainted with one another.

Seeing your unicorn jammies shouldn’t be any more intimate than what we’ve already done. ” He smiles salaciously.

What the hell?

I blow past a chuckling Nick and enter his palatial master bedroom, heading straight into the walk-in closet that is twice the size of my one-bedroom apartment.

There, along one side of the wall, are all my work suits and tailored shirts. It only takes up about a quarter of the space available, but that’s for sure everything I had hanging in my closet this morning.

I start to pull open drawers and find the rest of my comfy clothes.

Leggings, sweaters, underwear, even the lingerie Nick bought me.

All of it’s there. Including a set of unicorn pajamas I bought for my cousin’s five-year-old’s birthday party sleepover.

They’re fleece, and I only wear them during the winter when I need the extra warmth.

But if Nick knows about these jammies, the ones that were in my bottom drawer, then he must have seen… oh God.

I spin and almost run into Nick’s solid, bare chest. He’s removed his dress shirt, shoes, and socks and is currently standing in only his slacks, expensive-looking watch, and his silver wedding band.

Holy shit, my husband is hot.

Fake. Fake husband, I remind myself, forcing my mind back to the task at hand.

“Where is the rest of my stuff? You couldn’t possibly have gotten…” I clear my throat a few times. “Everything.”

Nick moves closer to me, his steps silent on the plush closet carpet as a wicked smile plays on his lips. “Oh, dear wife, I most definitely got… everything .”

My face heats up at the insinuation, because that means he most definitely saw my collection of sex toys.

His eyes gleam with unrestrained mischief.

“Oh, no need for that. We’re a very sex positive household, aren’t we, Angel?

” He licks his bottom lip, and for a second I almost allow myself to lean forward and bite it.

“But no need to worry. I handled the delivery of your special toys myself. Even washed and stored them in your nightstand. At least as many as I could fit. I had to organize them by size, charging capabilities, and—”

“Okay, that’s enough.” I interrupt, knowing my cheeks must be as red as a tomato.

“And I don’t know when you had the time to do all of this,” I wave around the closet, “but I’m not sleeping with you.

Like actually sleeping. There are more than enough rooms in this house for me to claim one as my own. ”

His head is already shaking before I finish my sentence. “Sorry, but that’s not how this is going to work.”

“Oh?” I raise a threatening brow as I place my hands on my hips.

“What is rule number one about our little arrangement?”

“No one can find out.” I repeat the words his attorney drilled into us right before we signed our marriage license.

“Exactly. So what do you think would happen if one of our housekeepers or maintenance staff were to notice that the loved- up newlyweds were actually sleeping in different bedrooms, hmm? It would raise questions. Questions we can’t afford at a time where our focus is to spin the story of how we fell in love before we started working together and how our relationship was never inappropriate. ”

Dammit. Our team publicist almost had a coronary when we told her we had eloped last night. And I know every important media outlet is working on overdrive, waiting for any juicy detail to offer the world besides the carefully written wedding announcement Stonehaven Media put out a few hours ago.

I know better than anyone how easy it is for stories to leak and have the full wrath of social media come at you at a moment’s notice. Isabella had a rough brush with it once, and Nick recently played a hand in making sure the tabloids wouldn’t speak ill of her again.

He protected her and Mateo’s now public relationship.

Which means he would do the same for us, and it seemed like I was going to have to play by these ridiculous rules.

“Fine,” I say through gritted teeth. He flashes a satisfactory smile, so I continue. “But first, repeat my rules back to me.”

His scowl automatically brings a smile to my face.

“We’re adults, Luisa. Surely we don’t have to—”

“Mr. Stonehaven, are you going back on your word?”

His hands fist at his sides and he slowly works to unfurl them. “Of course not.”

“So let me hear them.” I wave him on.

“All right, let’s see.” He sighs as he rubs his large hand over his mouth, his wedding band playing a quick round of peek-a-boo with me.

“Ah, yes. I’m only allowed to touch you in public, and only for the purpose of solidifying the validity of our relationship.

Kissing is okay, as long as it’s a quick peck and not overly indulgent.

” He rolls his eyes, and I work to hold back my laughter.

“After the year of marriage is up, you have full control of the media narrative as to the reason for our separation. Something along the lines of: we are better suited as friends and that there is no scandal to speak of. And I’m pretty sure I’ve captured it all. ”

“Nick,” I warn.

“Luisa.”

“You’re conveniently leaving out a big rule.”

“Have I? It has been a long day. I don’t know if you recall, but I got married less than twenty-four hours ago—”

“Stonehaven.”

“Fine. No sex. It’s off the table, as explicitly expressed by your wishes.”

“You know that would complicate things. We already know it wouldn’t be a one-time thing.”

“Again, I’m failing to see the problem with that,” he mutters.

I sigh, because there’s no way to explain that if I have sex with him again, I’m going to be in deep shit.

Because I’ve already caught myself falling for this infuriating man.

The man who is now my husband . Add in earth-shattering sex, and I’m a goner.

But this marriage will only last a year.

It’s in the contract I signed. And once Nick walks out of my life and I move out of his home, I will have to go on.

And it doesn’t feel smart to add walking away from a broken heart and mind-blowing sex at the same time.

So, instead, I’ve inadvertently signed us up to a year of celibacy.

I haven’t had sex since the night we met, so it’s not like I have a roster of men to clear. But I doubt Nick is holding on to the same record as me, and I have to push down the ugly green monster that threatens to choke me with jealousy.

“You promised,” I say instead.

Nick surprises me by gently grabbing my left hand and lifting it between us, the sparkly diamonds on my ring shining under the closet lights.

“And I never break my promises.” He squeezes my hand.

“Look, I know this is a lot. It is for me too, believe it or not.

I know our relationship has been anything but conventional, but I need you to know that no matter what, you can count on me.

I may be your husband in name only, but I vow right here and now to be your person.

“You have a shitty day at work? You come to me. See a funny meme that is meant to be insulting toward the entire male population, you send it my way.” His thumb brushes over my ring.

“If you feel like you need a minute to catch your breath because life can get overwhelming, turn around and you’ll find me standing there, ready to hold you up until you feel steady on your own two feet again. ”

My eyes instantly start to water, and I have to swallow roughly and pray my voice doesn’t betray me. “You promise?” I ask shakily.

He lifts my hand and presses a soft kiss over my ring. “I vow.”

I let out a ragged breath, not used to seeing this side of Nick. If I thought withholding sex from our arrangement was going to help salvage the future tattered pieces of my heart, I may have gravely underestimated his capabilities.

“Okay, I guess now is a good time for me to hear your rules.” I softly remove my hand from his gentle hold.

I’m certain he’s not going to answer when he simply smiles and turns to leave.

But when he eyes me over his shoulder and opens his mouth to speak, I have to strain my ears to make sure I heard him right.

Yet there was no mistaking what he said.

“Wife, when it comes to you, I have none.”