Page 26 of The Devious Husband

I’m quiet as we follow our usual steps, my mind whirling. I accused him of being married to her. No wonder he told me the mere insinuation was sickening. I just wasn’t listening. My leg hooks around Xavier’s thigh, our eyes locking. “I’m sorry,” I tell him, my voice quiet. “I’d never tell anyone. You know that, right?”

He merely smiles at me without a hint of blame. “You don’t have a thing to be sorry about — except maybe my poor tires.”

I grin at him. “Says the man that stole my design plans. They were worth a lot more than your stupid tires.”

He laughs as he twirls me around and dips me, his gaze heated. “About as much as your jewelry, I suppose.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. My jewelry is priceless. Your tires were replaceable.”

His eyes twinkle, something I can’t quite read in them. “I suppose it’s time I return your jewelry, hmm?”

“I thought you said you wouldn’t return it until you got what you wanted?”

He pulls me against him, both of us straightening. “I did. I got exactly what I wanted, Sierra. You.”

Twenty-Four

Xavier

Sierra can barely look me in the eye as we walk out of the observatory together, toward the limousine that’s waiting for us. She blushes so beautifully when I open the door for her, only to tense slightly, her smile withering away as she sits down. It isn’t until I join her that I realize why.

Opposite my wife sit her grandmother and both of my parents, cryptic smiles on their faces. “What is the meaning of this?” I ask, irritated. Sierra finally seemed to let her guard down by the end of the night, only for these three to ruin everything.

“Congratulations on your wedding, kids,” Anne says, smiling tightly.

Mom nods. “Welcome to the Kingston family, Sierra. Roger and I are both beyond thrilled to have you.”

“Indeed,” he says. “However, as you’re well aware, this is an arranged marriage and a business merger. As such, it comes with a set of rules.”

Rules? They must be joking. So far, I’ve had to listen to rules from Sierra, and then her brothers, and now this? “They are meant to ensure you give your marriage a true chance,” Anne explains, smiling sweetly. “Though the merger is mutually beneficial, we wouldn’t want to do it at the expense of your happiness. Your parents and I firmly believe you can have both — your happiness and a thriving business, provided you’re willing to work for it.”

“We’ll only give you a few rules to abide by,” Dad says. “First of all, you must be faithful to each other. Should one of you stray, you both lose everything, and your company will fall into the hands of your siblings.”

I clench my jaw and nod, irritated. The mere insinuation that I’d ever cheat on Sierra is ridiculous. I know she doesn’t like me all that much, but I know her, and she’d never cheat either.

“Secondly,” Sierra’s grandmother says. “You must share a bed every night, and you can’t be apart for more than two weeks over a six month period. You cannot have separate lives or bedrooms.”

Sierra tenses, but personally, that’s a rule I can get behind. I hadn’t been sure what to expect of our marriage, and Sierra has pointedly refused to talk to me privately since I saw her at the charity gala. I figured I’d have quite the battle ahead of me, but this might just make things easier.

“Third and final rule,” Mom says. “You must remain married for a period of three years. If, after that time, either of you wish for a divorce, you’ll be granted one with your assets being split per the pre-nuptial agreement you both signed.”

Three years… is that enough time to make her fall for me? “Understood,” I tell them, uneasy.

Sierra nods too, seemingly just as uncertain about our situation as I am. “Sierra,” her grandmother says. “You’ll start off your marriage at Xavier’s residence, and I expect you to live there for at least six months. If, after that, you both would like to spend some time in your old home, you can. Raven has already arranged for your things to be moved to Xavier’s house. You should find everything you need.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. If her grandmother had allowed us to stay on the Windsor Estate, she’d find countless reasons to never be around me.

“What?” She looks out the window and realizes we’ve left the Windsor Estate. “But I thought…”

She thought we’d spend our wedding night at her house? I suppose it would’ve made sense, since our wedding took place on the Windsor Estate, but I’d much rather have her in my own bed tonight.

“For the first three months, you’re exempt from attending family events. I’d like you both to focus on your marriage, and give each other a real chance,” Mom says.

“Promise me,” Anne says. “Both of you. Promise me that you’ll actively try to make this marriage work.”

Sierra tenses, clearly not comfortable with lying to her grandmother. I reach for her hand, and she looks into my eyes as I entwine our fingers. “I promise,” I say, my eyes never leaving hers. She takes a shaky breath and nods. “Me too,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

I squeeze her hand as my parents and her grandmother begin to discuss the merger, and Sierra holds onto my hand tightly. She watches the scenery pass by, and I watch her, my heart beating faster the closer we get to my house.

---