Page 17 of The Maverick (WaterFyre Rising #7)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ATTIKUS

We entered Saigon Bistro, a small restaurant with about ten tables. The savory smell snuck up my nose, and my stomach growled. I wasn’t hungry minutes ago, but now I wanted to try whatever they offered here.

A long line of people stood to the side.

The server with a pencil pierced through her messy bun greeted us and gestured to a table in the corner.“I’m Lulu, and I’ll be back.”

Still looking annoyed, Nessa pulled out a chair, sat down, and grabbed the menu. I sat across from her, placed the yellow envelope on the table, and stared at her.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, even though I already knew.

She flicked me a look and placed her menu down. “I should be the one asking you that question. You barged into my studio, demanded lunch, and coerced a social media influencer to be outside my studio for photo ops.” She leaned into the table. “I thought we had a deal.”

“We do.”

“It’s not a deal if you’re doing things without telling me.

You obviously have a plan. I need to know all the details.

If I don’t, I might do something that would derail this marriage before it even happens.

” She blew out a breath. “And please warn me the next time you have your ex involved in this. It’s weird. ”

“Why is it weird? She has a wide reach that can help us.”

“Maybe it’s not strange to you, but it’s strange to me.” I rolled my eyes. “Especially when she still wants you.”

I studied Nessa. Initially, I thought her annoyance stemmed from my unexpected visit to her studio and the disruption it caused to her work. But now I wondered if her moodiness resulted from jealousy.

No, it couldn’t be. My attraction to her lived quietly within me. Was she also attracted to me?

This fake marriage had just gotten more complicated. However, I could be wrong about my assumption.

“Miranda doesn’t want me,” I said.

“Whatever you say,” Vanessa replied, dropping her gaze to the menu.

Lulu returned, beamed, and asked, “Do you need a few more minutes?”

“Yes,” we both said simultaneously.

Lulu nodded. “Take your time.”

“Do you know Miranda?” I asked.

Vanessa lowered her menu. “It’s not important.”

“It’s damn important if it’s causing a rift between us.”

“I know her, but she doesn’t remember me.” She huffed out a breath. “And that’s all I’m going to say about this topic.”

I had to find out, but not today. I didn’t know why I felt the need to explain. “We only dated for a few months. Nothing serious. Besides, that was two years ago.”

“It’s serious enough that she’s still attracted to you.”

I wasn’t going to win this war. “How do you know?”

“I can tell, Attikus.” She leaned into the table again.

I did the same and clasped her hands in mine. “How?”

“A woman just knows. I can sense it.”

“Really?” I rubbed a thumb over her hand. “What else can you sense?”

“That you have an intricate plan, and you’re not sharing it with me.”

That wasn’t the answer I was hoping for. I wanted her to admit she was jealous. I wanted her to ask more about my relationships.

You value your privacy. Why are you asking for trouble?

“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 from being 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.

She pursed her lips. “Is it an arranged marriage, a fake marriage, or a marriage of convenience?”

“Does it matter? It’s not a marriage of convenience.” I leaned into the table. “It’s more convenient for you than for me. I’m just helping you out.”

“Because you’ve spent a lot of money on the gallery,” she retorted. “If I fail, you lose money.”

That was only a small percentage of why I agreed to help her, but she didn’t need to know that.

“I’d say this is both an arranged and fake marriage.” She took the document. “We’re both arranging things to suit our needs for the six-month duration. I’d like to add a few things that weren’t mentioned in the contract.”

“This is only a draft. I left room for your input. What do you want to add?”

The server came with our food, and the savory scents made my stomach growl again.

“Enjoy,” said Lulu. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” Nessa replied and looked at me. “You didn’t have breakfast? I can hear your stomach.”

“No. I went to physical therapy and then to the gym to spar with Orion.”

“Like martial arts?”

I nodded. “It’s a good workout.”

Sparring with Orion had helped release the tension in my body as I continued my search for Ashton.

Nessa scooped some noodles and rice onto my plate. Then she cut the subs in half. “If you like chili peppers, you can add them.” She gestured for me to try the food.

I grabbed the sub and bit into it. Flavors burst on my tongue. I wolfed it down in no time.

Nessa smiled and dug into her noodles with a pair of chopsticks. “I’d like to add four more requirements to the contract.

“Okay,” I said, devouring my meal.

“One, we can’t date anyone else while we’re in this fake relationship.”

“That should be a given.”

“But it’s not there. I need it in black and white.

Dating someone else while we’re ‘married’ makes it too complicated.

I want to avoid all the drama.” Seeing my confusion, she added, “Let’s say your girlfriend is visiting you at your house or you’re out to dinner with her.

Then the two of you bump into me. What if the media or people we know are around?

A small thing can turn ugly fast, and I’m not in the mood to deal with a jealous girlfriend. ”

The woman’s mind astounded me. She’d come up with an intricate scenario that would never happen. Did she think I was the type of man who could deal with multiple women at once? I was already having a hard time focusing when she was around. I didn’t have space for anyone else.

“Same goes with you—no boyfriends,” I said. “But I’ll avoid drama by getting rid of him quickly. A marriage demands respect, whether or not it’s real on paper. We will depict our marriage as real in every way.”

She nodded slightly. “Two. Respect each other’s privacy even if I’m living in your house.”

“Of course. The guest suite is being prepared for you.”

“You noted that in the document. Thank you.” She nodded. “Three. No extension to the marriage contract. We annul it on the dot after six months. This will give us the freedom to go or do whatever is necessary.”

Did she think I wanted to trap her in this marriage?

“What’s the last request?”

“No kissing, no sex, no crossing boundaries—no exceptions.”

I chuckled. “How are we supposed to get married if the groom can’t kiss the bride?”

She considered my comment. “Okay. Just kissing on the wedding day and during photo shoots. But no sex.”

I finished my meal, feeling satisfied. “Why do you think there would be any?”

Her eyes darted away from mine too quickly to focus on the document. Had she been thinking about it as much as I had? Was this clause a line she drew to restrict herself?

Curiosity rose in me, and I couldn’t help but ask, “How many times?”

“What?”

“How many times have you thought about it?”

What are you doing?

I shoved my inner voice aside quickly as Nessa’s eyes flashed. An adorable pink bloomed on her face.

I already had my answer without her having to reply. Being a gentleman, I saved her from embarrassment. “I can have the revised document for you to sign tomorrow.”

“Okay, thanks.” She looked relieved that we were no longer discussing that topic.

“Why do you need therapy? I’m only asking because I need to know details about my husband’s injuries.”

“My right leg.” I stretched it out under the table and touched her foot. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Is that why you need the cane?” She gestured to where it leaned against the wall. “How did your leg get injured? Running around trying to seal all the billion-dollar deals?” Amusement flickered in her eyes.

I took a moment to process her question.

It wasn’t a hard question at all. But she was the first woman to ask me, as if she was genuinely interested in my injury.

Like she wanted to know how I’d acquired it without sounding too nosy or awkward.

The women I’d dated hadn’t asked, or if they had, they’d only inquired because it was a conversation filler.

Though they hadn’t outright said it, I knew they hadn’t liked that I was physically disabled and needed a cane.

Perhaps one day, I’d share it with Vanessa, but not today.

“It’s an injury from when I was younger. It didn’t heal properly.”

“Things like that take time.” Her expression softened. “Some things take longer to heal.”

“And some things can’t be healed.”

She cocked her head. “Everything can be healed. It just takes time.”

“Are you saying this from experience?”

“Let’s just say it’s a healthy perspective from an artist whose tummy is full and happy. Ask me that again when I’m hungry. You’ll get a different answer.”

Before I forgot, I pulled out my phone and showed her an image of the two thugs. “Do you recognize these men?”

She looked at the pic. “No. Who are they?”

I didn’t want to reveal that I’d been at the auction searching for my curator and had taken it upon myself to track these men down. She didn’t need the extra stress.

“Just thugs on the detective’s radar. Maybe they delivered the box to the gallery opening.”

Vanessa shook her head. “They don’t look familiar to me.”

Her phone rang, and she reached for it in her purse. “Unavailable number,” she muttered.

She was about to put her phone back when it buzzed again, and her face paled.

I yanked it from her hand.

You have twenty-four hours to deposit the money into my account, or this image will be splashed everywhere.

The blurry image was of a young Vanessa in an alley with blood on her hands. Another woman was with her, along with two men. One man was on the ground.

I immediately blocked Emmanuel’snumber.

“I don’t understand. He wasn’t like this before.”

“How was he?”

“Not crazy. Not aggressive.” She shrugged. “Normal. Friendly.”

“Greed changes people. You won’t be receiving any more messages from this number.” Anger rose in me. “Ifyou receive another threatening text, let me know.”

“I blocked him before. He always gets a new phone.” She scowled. “This is my phone. You can’t just block a number without asking me.”

She sounded more annoyed that I had taken over the situation than the act of blocking his number.

“You’re not in the right mindset to think logically. You’re scared. It shows on your face, so I decided for you.” I looked at her. “You’re my fiancée now. Nobody threatens you and gets away with it.”