Page 6 of The Rancher Married the Wrong Sister (Billionaires of Evergreen, Texas #13)

CHARLEE-MAE WOKE UP the next day to a bedside note.

We'll talk when I get back.

~ P.

She flipped the note around just to be sure there wasn't anything else written, and when she found out there was none, she settled back against the pillows with a sigh.

Huh.

Last night, Nurse Stella had come in before Philippe could answer her question, and after that, Dr. Manolis had also come to check on her, and before she knew it, the phone extension in her room had started to ring, and his sister-in-law Greta's call had ended up taking her husband away for good.

It was frustrating to say the least, but since Greta's call had been about work, Charlee-Mae had quickly assured her husband she was fine on her own.

Except she was not.

Her gaze flicked back to Philippe's handwritten note, and she wondered if she was being unreasonable to hope that there was an 'I love you' hidden somewhere in Philippe's note.

She had imagined Frenchmen in general to be romantic, but maybe her beautiful and sexy husband was the exception to the rule.

He was super, super sweet after all, so maybe, he was simply being considerate.

Since she had lost all memories of meeting and falling in love with him, her husband might've imagined telling her 'I love you' could make her feel pressured into saying the words back.

Charlee-Mae thought this over, and after a moment, she decided it was so. After all, Philippe didn't seem to be the type to let himself be caught up in a whirlwind romance if his feelings weren't involved. Add to that their undeniable sexual chemistry, and voila : a couple in love was born.

Her positive outlook now fully restored, Charlee-Mae hummed happily as she swung her legs off the bed and headed to the en-suite for a much-needed shower.

It was a bummer that her head wound meant she wouldn't be able to wash her hair for almost a week, but at least the rest of her would feel fresh and clean.

Deliciously hot water warmed her skin as she soaped her body, and just like she always did every morning, Charlee-Mae started talking to God in her mind, and Lord, oh Lord, did she have a lot to say, like—-

Thank You, God!

She had always dreamed of having a grand romance that would look like it was straight out of a Dynasty episode, and that was exactly what she had now, with Charlee-Mae having fallen in love, getting married, and losing all memories of her husband in the span of two weeks.

She was sure things would only get more exciting from here, and the thought had Charlee-Mae cheerfully singing Lady Marmalade as she finished her shower.

After unpinning her hair and drying herself off, she wrapped the towel around her body.

..and bumped straight into a hard wall of muscles as soon as she walked out of the en-suite.

Charlee-Mae looked up, and her throat went dry as her mood changed lightning-quick from stunned to feverish.

The lust blazing in her husband's jade-green eyes made her remember how he had made her cum, and Charlee-Mae could only gulp and fidget as she struggled to control the desire that was spreading fast through her bloodstream.

How amazing was it that this beautiful and oh-so-sexy man was her husband.

..but at the same time feel like a virtual stranger?

Just looking at Philippe made her feel so hot, and the fact that she didn't remember marrying him just made things more exciting.

It was like wanting something forbidden, except it wasn't really forbidden, and when she saw the way Philippe was staring at how half of her breasts swelled over her towel—-

He wanted her as bad as she wanted him , Charlee-Mae realized dizzily, and the knowledge made her reach up, and before she could let herself think twice, the towel wrapped around her body had already fallen to the floor—-

"Mon Dieu."

—-just as both of them heard the door start to open.

Nurse Stella entered her patient's room while patting her pockets to see which one of it.

.. ah, there it was . She fished her pen out of the pocket of her pants.

"Good morning, Mrs. DeRose—-" She looked up and belatedly noticed her patient's elegantly handsome fiancé, who remained to be the favorite topic of the entire hospital staff. "—-and Mr. DeRose."

Charlee-Mae couldn't help beaming even though she was completely naked under the sheets.

"Good morning." It was her first time to hear someone address her as Philippe's wife, and she loved it.

No more Cha-Cha or Charlee-Mae! From now on, she wanted only to be known as Mrs. DeRose, for ever and ever!

"Good morning." Philippe's tone was stiff, just as the rest of him was.

He could not remember having moved so fast in his life, but what stunned him more was how such a thing had happened in the first place.

He had fucked literally countless women in the past two decades, but not once had he ever been put in a situation where anyone could have caught him in flagrante delicto.

The only thing that made today different from all the other times he had sex was his wife...and that was definitely a problem.

His brooding gaze swung back to his wife, who remained under the covers while she answered Nurse Stella's questions in a voice that was still slightly breathless, and fuck, fuck, fuck—-

The sound of it made him harder under his pants, and Philippe had to clench and unclench his fists in an effort to control himself.

"That's it then," Nurse Stella said cheerfully. "I'll be back in perhaps two...no, actually, I think I'll just come back after lunch."

"Thank you."

" Merci ."

Nurse Stella smiled at the couple, and on her way out, she bent down to pick up a discarded towel off the floor and made sure to discreetly lock the door before seeing herself out.

Charlee-Mae burst into laughter. "Oh my God." They clearly hadn't fooled Nurse Stella at all, and when she looked up at her husband—-

The faint grimace on his beautiful face was too precious by half, and she automatically thought of reaching for her phone to take a photo—- oh!

Philippe immediately saw the way Charlee-Mae's forehead start to furrow. "Qu'est-ce que c'est?"

"I just remembered I don't have my phone."

"I am sorry to say that the old one is irreparable, but your replacement unit should be with you tomorrow at the latest." This was a lie, of course, but his I.T. team needed another half day at least to complete their tasks.

"I see..."

"If you're thinking of calling your parents, they're still in a couples' retreat that doesn't allow for outside communication. I thought I would let you decide if you wish them to know about your accident—-"

"I'd rather not, to be honest. I love my parents, but they can be a bit over the top." She looked at him curiously. "Have you met them yet?"

" Non . They had already left for their retreat when we met." He paused. "Is there anyone else you'd like to call?"

"My sister-in-law," his wife said right away. "Just like you have Greta," she added with a smile, "I have Charlotte."

"Is that so?" Philippe's courteous tone effectively masked his discomfort. If Charlee-Mae hadn't lost her memories, she would've known it wasn't like that at all. She would've been aware that Greta was not just his sister-in-law but his mistress as well.

But because she had lost her memories—-

Just hearing her say Greta's name already felt as if he was doing her a disservice, and so...

Philippe's jaw clenched as he came into a decision.

For as long as Charlee-Mae thought their marriage real, his honor required him to act similarly. And that was all there was to this , Philippe told himself forcefully. A matter of honor—-

"Philippe?"

Merde.

He saw Charlee-Mae looking at him questioningly, and he realized he had been too busy thinking of Greta that he had missed whatever it was his wife said.

"Je suis désolé," he apologized. "I have much in my mind—-"

"Because of work?"

Her words gave him the excuse he needed, and he took it without hesitation. "We are just busy with last-minute adjustments, but do not concern yourself about it. I will not let myself be distracted again—-

Charlee-Mae shook her head. "There's no need to apologize, and there's certainly no need to treat me like an invalid you need to look after. I only lost my memory," she reminded him, "and aside from this stupid head wound, and a few scratches here and there, nothing's really wrong with me."

"That stupid head wound," he said dryly, "required twenty-four stitches."

"Stitches," she emphasized, "not brain surgery."

His lips suddenly twitched, and Charlee-Mae's breath caught. How was it that her husband managed to look a thousand times hotter every time he had even the barest hint of a smile on his oh-so-lovely lips?

"What exactly are we arguing about here?"

His teasing words made her realize she hadn't an answer to that either, and she could only shake her head with a rueful smile. "No idea either."

"Then let's talk about something else, oui? "

His wife's expression brightened. "I'd love to know more about your launch, if that's okay?"

" Bien s?r, ma femme. We are in the winemaking business—-"

Charlee-Mae's heart was singing again. Philippe had said 'we', and that made her feel very much 'married', never mind if she still couldn't remember a thing about meeting him.

"But this year we have chosen to expand into luxury liquor chocolate. We want in particular to be associated with holidays and special occasions—-"

"Like Tiffany's for engagement rings," Charlee-Mae guessed, "only you'd be the Tiffany's for chocolates?"

"That is correct."

"And the reason you're here in Jackson Hole is, mm..." Her eyes lit up. " Foxtown! It's fast becoming America's #1 tourist destination for adults, and you've tied up with them for—-" It was now the first week of February. "—-Valentine's?"

"Tout à fait." Exactly .