Page 35 of His Fake Wife

I’d always thought she was beautiful. I had simply refused to say it out loud because we were always at odds. Now, I had no problem saying it and I wanted us to stay married. How would I tell her? I was no Shakespeare and I was afraid of saying the wrong things. So I decided to keep my feelings to myself for the time being.

Maybe we both tried to hide how we really felt because she wound her arms around my neck and hid her face in my shoulders as she shattered in my arms. I was grateful because hell if I wanted her to see that I’d...fallen in love.

Chapter 15

Adam

Things were going great until they weren’t. I had managed to sweep my growing feelings for Beth under the rug. I was too damn good at hiding my emotions, which only led to me suffering in silence. After our rendezvous in my office three months ago, we’d fallen into a new arrangement. I had Beth in my bed every night.

We were working with our new relationship just fine for a while until a couple of weeks ago. Out of nowhere, she started acting like the old Beth...freezing me out. Not that I was any better. Coward that I am, I’d started trying to pull away from the more emotional stuff. We pretty much went back to avoiding each other for the most part...except when the sun went down and we met in the bedroom to create pure magic. Our relationship was more complicated than ever.

I studied Beth from under my lashes where she sat across the table. She was in an animated conversation with my brother. The prodigal son had finally returned. Watching the two of them made me want to murder someone, preferably Nate. My brother and I had always been competitive over just about everything. I thought I’d won the ultimate victory when I gained control of Thorne Holdings. That felt like nothing now that I saw the way Beth lit up and smiled under his attention. Gone was her pensive aura and that lingering frown that had been present for weeks.

I wanted to tackle Nate and pummel him out of jealousy. She never smiled like that at me. She wasn’t that at ease with me. I continued watching them through a haze of fury. I’d never experience such envy in my life.

“Nathaniel, you’re just as charming as I remember,” Beth giggled.

What the fuck? Since when did Beth giggle like some schoolgirl? I held on to my fork so tightly, my knuckles turned white.

“And you’ve grown into a beautiful woman. When I left you were what seventeen?”

“There about. Welcome back, by the way.”

I couldn’t stop visualizing the hug I’d had to watch them share. Nate had held on to her a little too long if you ask me.

“Thanks,” Nate said, grinning.

He was gazing at Beth with too much damn affection. They weren’t even that close when we were kids. Nate was years ahead of us and we all hung with different crowds. Where was this camaraderie coming from? I was sure he was just flirting with Beth to rub me the wrong way. It was working, jealousy was eating me up inside.

“I’m planning to stick around for a while.”

Nate’s eyes swung to mine and I glowered.

Our mother gasped and clapped her hands.

“Oh, Nate, that sounds wonderful!”

“Great, you can tell me all about your adventures,” Beth smiled. “You have to tell me about South Africa and Dubai. Those are at the top of my travel list.”

The wine glass almost shattered in my hand. If she wanted to go anywhere in the world, I had a private jet she could use. I could tell her about the countries on her list. There was no need for Nate to be her travel advisor.

Hanging on to my temper by a thread, I asked, “Why exactly are you sticking around, Nate? Denver wasn’t good enough for you for the last ten years. What’s changed?”

The relaxed atmosphere seeped away as the silence stretched across the dining table. Our parents gave us warning glances while Beth pursed her lips and turned her attention to pushing food around her plate. Everyone would blame me for ruining dinner but I didn’t care. Nate sent me a cold stare, which I returned.

“Don’t worry little brother, I’m not here to fight for your precious company. I know that’s what you’re thinking. I’m successful in my own right.”

“Didn’t take you for a braggart.”

“Boys,” Martha warned, sending me another warning glare. That pissed me off some more. Because Nate just came back, I had to tiptoe around his feelings?

“I’m not bragging. I’m just putting your mind at ease. I have no need for anything of yours. Besides, I’m not a Thorne.”

Mom’s gasp echoed in the dining room and Nate had the decency to appear repentant. He grimaced and sent Mom an apologetic glance. There was a small groan from Dad, and Beth glanced at all of us with a frown. She hadn’t been let in on a lot of Thorne secrets, including the one that Nate and I were half brothers. That too had been swept under the rug to maintain public appearance.

“Please, excuse me.” My mother shot up, nearly toppling her chair.

Nate called after, “Mom, wait.”

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