Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Poe pulls me a little closer, thumb brushing my hip in a way that sends an unwelcome spark through me. “Feels like I’ve known her forever,” he says, voice warm and convincing. “She keeps me in line. Keeps things interesting. Makes sure I obey her like a good little boy.”
My eyes widen, and I laugh, but it comes out tight. “He’s exaggerating. We’re very… normal.”
Mark, Tammy’s husband, claps Poe on the shoulder. “Normal is overrated! Come on, man, let’s get you a burger before the kids eat them all. Orchid, the ladies are dying to know all about you. Have fun.”
I end up herded toward a group of women lounging on pool chairs while Poe gets dragged to the grill. Every few seconds I glance over to make sure he isn’t whispering secrets to anyone. He catches my eye and winks. Actually winks. The bastard is enjoying this way too much. And can I say I’m sort of enjoying being his. Like is that weird to think? People don’t belong to other people, but the way this is all playing out I feel like I’m his. I’ve never been anyones before.
Tammy leans in, lowering her voice like we’re sharing state secrets. “So, spill. How did you two meet? Was it romantic? He’s gorgeous, like in a bad boy sort of way.”
I scramble for a story that sounds believable. “Work. We met through work. He was… persistent.”
The women sigh dreamily. One of them fans herself. “Persistent is good. My husband asked me out with a Post-it note. Romance is dead.”
Across the yard Poe is laughing at something Mark said, looking relaxed and normal in a way that makes my chest tighten. He’s good at this. Too good. Playing the doting husband while I stand here pretending not to want to drown him in the pool.
Lisa nudges me. “He keeps looking over here. You two are adorable. When are you having kids? The neighborhood needs more cute couples.”
I nearly choke on my drink. “We’re not… thinking about that yet.”
Poe must have super hearing because he appears at my side a second later, sliding an arm around me again. “Kids? We’re still practicing the fun part first.”
The women burst into laughter. I elbow him discreetly in the ribs but he just grins wider.
The afternoon stretches on in a blur of nosy questions and forced small talk. People ask how we like the neighborhood, what we do for work (I say consulting, Poe says tech), whether we have any pets. Every answer feels like walking a tightrope. Poe plays along perfectly, dropping little touches and pet names that make my skin heat in ways I don’t want to examine. At one point he even pulls me into the shallow end of the pool, claiming we need to “cool off.”
I stand there waist-deep in water, arms crossed, while he floats nearby looking smug. It makes my skin prickle. “You’re having way too much fun with this,” I mutter under my breath. I’m kind of annoyed, and kind of not. I know. I can’t even figure out who I’m more annoyed at. Him for being sexy. Or me for thinking he’s sexy.
He drifts closer, voice low enough that only I can hear. “Come on, admit it. It’s a little funny. Nosy Tammy thinks we’re the perfect newlyweds. Meanwhile you look like you want to murder me with a pool noodle.”
“I might,” I say, but there’s no real heat in it. The sun’s warm, the water’s nice, and for three ridiculous seconds it almost feels like we’re just two people at a party instead of captor and captive.
Then reality crashes back in. Serafina. Enley. The hack I’m supposed to make him do. The lie we’re both living.
Poe must see the shift on my face because his expression softens just a fraction. “Relax, Orchid. I’m not signaling anyone. I’m behaving. For now.”
I narrow my eyes. “There is no ‘for now.’ There’s only obey.”
He laughs quietly, the sound low and annoyingly attractive. “Yes, ma’am.”
We stay another hour, long enough to be polite without raising suspicion. When we finally make our excuses and head back through the gate, Tammy calls after us, “Come back anytime! We do this every weekend!”
The second the door shuts behind us I round on Poe. “Never again.”
He’s still grinning, water dripping from his hair onto the floor. “Admit it. You had fun pretending to be my wife.”
“I hated every second.”
“Liar.” He steps closer, close enough that I can see the tiny droplets clinging to his lashes. “You didn’t hate the part where I called you beautiful.”
My face heats. I hate that he noticed. I hate that my body reacted. “Get changed. And stay out of trouble. We have work to do tomorrow.”
He heads toward the stairs, but pauses at the bottom, looking back at me with that same mischievous spark. “Whatever you say, wife.”