Page 75 of Scandalous Contract

No matter how hard I scrubbed, I couldn’t get that scent off me. It was in my nose, in my hair, under my nails. It would take a while to get that stench and the memory of how those women looked out of my head.

I’d just gotten out of the shower, body still damp, when my phone rang. I grabbed it off the nightstand, towel slung low around my waist. Aiden’s name lit the screen. I answered.

“What’s up?”

“I looped my brothers in regarding what happened with Louis and the Clarks,” he told me. “They’re pissed but keeping it quiet. For now. My youngest brother is a hothead, so I’m going to have to stay on him about not getting involved. By the way, he told me he’s messing around with a woman who works in the office at Clark Constructions.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. He told her to go in early tomorrow because he doesn’t trust the secretary not to try and cover shit up if she finds the bodies first. His girl has been instructed to walk in, see the mess, and call the cops right away to ensure the Clarks don’t have time to clean up their mess.”

Smart. Risky, but smart.

“Can he trust this woman?”

Aiden sighed. “I asked him the same thing. He said he could. But he’d already made the call before telling me about it. If it becomes a problem, I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks for the heads up. If you run into any problems, let me know.”

“Will do.”

He hung up, and I dropped the phone onto the dresser. My gaze drifted around the room of the home I’d bought last year. A mansion on the outskirts of the city where the next house was miles away.

Stefanie’s dream home. One she’d shared the listing for on social media with a caption that read:If I had a million dollars, I’d definitely buy this house.I started looking into buying it the next day. Now, I owned it... for her.

From the bed, to the dresser, even the wall colors, every piece in here had been chosen after I’d perused Stefanie’s Pinterest page. I hadn’t even known what the fuck Pinterest was until hers came up while I was social stalking her.

The site contained all of her dream ideas. Dream homes. Favorite plants. Books she loved. Reading nooks she wanted. She even had a favorite brand of candles. My sweet Stefanie liked cozy decor. Calming decor.

I didn’t get it at first. But the longer I looked at the boards she shared, the more I understood her. She wanted a home she could feel at peace in. I wanted the same thing. The world outside these walls could get as chaotic as it wanted.

But as soon as I stepped in here, I felt like I was stepping into my own personal haven. A place where I could leave the stress of my family and my job behind. I hadn’t thought the colors of your walls could help soothe your mood until I read her posts about the importance of Feng Shui while decorating your home.

This place wasn’t just for me. It was for her. There was even an office for her future use. And there was a room for India and one for Aubrey because she sometimes needed a place to go to escape our mother’s nagging.

I sat on the edge of the bed, the towel still clinging to my damp skin. I know I’d gotten ahead of myself with this purchase. I bought it before approaching her and without consulting her. But I’d known in an instant that she was the one for me.

I’d never believed in that love-at-first-sight crap until I saw Stefanie Adams. The moment I saw her, it was like everything in me shifted. My heart started beating differently. I’m convinced it now beats in sync with hers.

My mindset changed. I was no longer all about me and my family. I now had someone else who mattered just as much as my family did. And to think, I’d purchased all of this stuff before ever laying a hand on her.

Now that I’d touched her, now that she’d sat her pussy on my tastebuds, I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to let go of her. She had no idea how deep I was in already. If she knew, it would probably scare her.

And if things went sideways with the Clarks, she might never know. I wasn’t gonna let that happen. Not a fucking chance. When it came to Stefanie Adams, I was more than in love. I was fucking obsessed. And my code didn’t apply when she was involved.

Deaths I would normally deem unnecessary became necessary when she was involved. If I had to go on a killing spree just to end this shit with the Clarks so I could get back to courting Stefanie Adams, then call me Julian Cattaneo, the grim reaper.

Because I would bring death to the doorstep of the entire Clark family for my woman.