Page 103 of Marrying Off My Husband

“Not bad if I do say so myself,” I said with a grin as I stepped back and studied the room.

I’d made certain to create an inviting space for her, focusing on small touches like a desk where she could work stocked with all the well-worn translation books she used at home, a comfortable bed with Egyptian cotton sheets and a fluffy duvet for when she slept, and a generously-sized closet that I’d stocked with new clothes to make sure she looked recovery-chic while rooming with my future ex and her future husband.

My mind stuck on that statement for a second, my nose wrinkling. The comment she’d made about me falling for Spencer still stuck in my mind. Hopefully while she lived here, she’d see that there was absolutely nothing between us, and then she’d finally open up to Spencer.

I heaved a sigh. Of course, Spencer had to open up to her. I really hoped living together for weeks would mean he’d actually kiss her.

With a huff, I made a mental note to talk to him about it. Maybe a movie night in the living room with a cozy fire, the sounds of the sea outside, and a romantic movie playing in the background while they canoodled under a blanket.

I grinned and clapped my hands. This plan was definitely going to work.

Spencer cleared his throat behind me. “Uh, I got Eve all set up on the couch.”

I spun to find him hovering in the doorway, eyeing my final touches on her room. “This looks nice.”

“I aim to please,” I said with a smile.

“Looks like you pleased yourself,” he answered. “Were you applauding your own efforts?”

“Not exactly.”

He studied me for a moment before he bobbed his head. “Well, I’ll be in my office. I’ll just…try to stay out of everyone’s hair.”

“Uh-uh-uh,” I said with a wiggle of my finger, “get your bottom back in here, Spencer Whitaker.”

He winced as he reversed course and stepped back into Eve’s bedroom. “Yes?”

“You arenotgoing to hide in your office, Spencer.” I settled my arms across my chest.

“Well, I mean, I’m sure Eve is going to be working a lot. You are going to be spending a lot of girl time together. And…while she’s recovering, she’s not going to want me to be hounding her.”

“Hounding her? Spencer, it’s time you started to hound. Because what you have been doing so far has been weak, sugar.”

“What? It hasn’t been weak. I’ve been bringing my A game.”

“Thisis what you call your A game? Darlin’, you need to redefine your letter grades because this is C-level at best.”

Spencer frowned at me. “Well, I just…Eve…look–”

“No, you look, I have managed to get her living under the same roof as you for weeks. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get closer to her, learn more about her, to kiss her.”

“Oh, the kiss again,” he said, throwing his arms in the air. “Stop with the kiss already, Lou. I’m not going to force a kiss on her now.”

“You’d hardly be forcing it,” I said with a scoff.

“Really? Because look at this from a perspective outside of these romantic rose-colored glasses you keep wearing. No wonder Eve thinks this is going to end like a rom-com. You keep treating it like one.”

“What?” I tugged my chin back toward my chest.

“Yeah,” Spencer said with a nod. “Yeah, I did my research after you brought it up to me. I watched some of those ridiculous movies. And contrary to what they say, it’s creepy to basically force a girl to live with you so you can prey on her like a wolf.”

I raised my eyebrows in the air as my jaw dropped open. “You must be joking, Spence. Kissing Eve at this point in your relationship isn’t creepy.”

“It is when you’ve basically contrived a situation where she’s trapped under your roof.”

“You would have kissed her at that lighthouse had it not been for her cold,” I argued.

“But I didn’t. And now it looks like I’m forcing the issue. I just…want to give her space. I don’t want it to look like I’m preying on her.”

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