Page 4 of Marrying Off My Husband

I had my work cut out for me. He was going to resist this every step of the way. I pushed a piece of lettuce around the plate as I narrowed my eyes at my soon-to-be ex-husband.

I had to find the perfect woman for him, then trick him into falling in love.

But how could I do that when he didn’t even bother to look at most of them? With a sigh, I returned to eating and making small talk during our meal.

I spent the night tossing and turning, going over every social media profile I’d seen, every woman who’d walked into the barat the club, every woman I’d ever met and still couldn’t find anyone suitable for Spencer.

I smashed a pillow over my face to muffle the scream that escaped me. I had to find a woman for Spencer. But the task seemed impossible. Could I succeed or would my playing Cupid end up with a shot in my own rear?

CHAPTER 2

SPENCER

With a frown, I stared down at the gold band stark again the marble countertop. My finger reached for it, but before I touched it, I turned my attention to the fogged mirror. With each swipe of my hand, my reflection became clearer, but I saw a man I didn’t want to see.

I saw a man clinging to the sham of a marriage because it made things easier.

I flicked my gaze away from my own face. I’d known the score when I’d married Louise. She needed a husband on paper to claim her inheritance, but she hadn’t wanted any entanglements.

And I’d been more than happy to provide it in exchange for being left out of any necessary social functions.

People were not my jam. That’s why I’d created a fantasy world where I could disappear for hours.

My marriage to Louise had put an end to those pesky questions, blind date set-ups, and of course, the incessantflirting from women looking to land an easy life with a self-made billionaire.

With the gold band on my finger, I didn’t get that anymore.

Maybe I could hang on to the ring after our divorce.

With a sigh, I shoved it onto my finger and finished my morning routine. As I pulled on my favorite blue blazer and adjusted my sleeves, an idea popped into my mind.

It curled the corners of my lips.

Louise wanted her freedom, but she wanted to saddle me with someone new. I knew her well enough to realize that this was just guilt. She was hoping to find love, and so she planned to project her desires onto me.

Well, I was going to return the favor. If she was determined to find love, I was going to make sure she did.

I left my bedroom behind, heading downstairs towards the kitchen. Louise sat at the breakfast bar, her high heels hooked over the rung as she stared into her coffee cup as though it held all the answers to her problems.

“Good morning, Lou,” I whispered before I skirted the counter and poured myself a mugful of coffee.

“Morning, sugar.” She eyed me, one of her eyebrows arching before she tossed a fiery lock of hair over her shoulder. “Well, you look like the cat who caught the canary this morning. What are you hiding, Spence?”

I took a sip of my coffee, enjoying her anticipation. Louise hated waiting.

“I had a brilliant idea.”

Her full lips tugged into a frown. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me you’re going to make another one of those hide-under-a-rock-and-spend-your-life-in-your-room video games.”

Louise didn’t approve of my vocation. I spent a lifetime at my computer creating something that others could spend a lifetime playing to avoid society.

“No,” I answered, “though I do have several ideas for that after you leave me.”

“Oh, sugar, you’re going to have a new friend to spend your time with, remember? You promised me you’d start dating.”

I tugged my lips back in a wince. “Yeah.”

“Oh, no,” she said, her eyes going wide as she poked a manicured nail at me. “Spencer Whitaker, you are not about to renege on a promise.”

---