Page 15 of Perfectly Wedded

Before I can stop myself, Vale’s voice cuts in with a smirk. “Eyes up here.” He taps his face, his lips curling into a teasing smile. He’s clearly enjoying this way too much.

My face burns like I’ve been caught red-handed, and—okay, fine—I totally have. “Well, maybe if you wore a proper shirt, I wouldn’t be ambushed by all of...that.” I gesture vaguely at his chest, forcing my eyes back to his face. “And shopping for what? I don’t need anything.”

“For starters, I need some flannel pajamas, so I don’tambushyou,” he says with a smirk. “And you need a ring. It’s the only way we’re going to pull off this marriage when we return to Sully’s Beach.” Vale takes out his phone, tapping away as he searches for jewelry stores.

I blink. “You don’t have to buy me a ring, Vale. Seriously.”

He scoffs. “You are not wearingthatring. And lucky for us, Tiffany’s is close by.”

My jaw practically hits the floor. “What? Vale, no! You don’t have to spend that kind of money on something that isn’t real.”

For a second, his lips tighten. Did I just imply that our marriage is a complete farce? Well, okay, technically it is, but it’s not like I’m trying to be cruel.

“You’re not changing my mind about this. You deserve more than costume jewelry from a charlatan on the street corner.” Then he grabs my hand and holds it up for us both to see. “No wife of mine will wearthatring.”

I yank my hand away, feeling the heat creep up my neck. “No one would even know.”

“Iwould know,” he says under his breath in a low, growly voice that sends a shiver down my spine. “If we’re returning to Sully’s Beach as a married couple, then you’ll wear a ring that’s up to my standard.” He levels his gaze at me. “My wife only deserves the best.”

Hearing those words sends a tremor through my body, the kind that’s unsettling and oddly thrilling. Of all the things he could call me,my wifewill always be my kryptonite, the one thing that’ll make me crumble every time. But I can’t let myself get too comfortable, not when I know that someday, I’ll have to let him go.

I force out a laugh, trying to shake off the effect of his words. “Vale, come on. People in Sully’s Beach are going to have a field day with this. You know that, right?” I can already picture the way the team is going to take this news. And then there’s the whole family complication. “It’s not just about us. Your brother is married to my sister. If this goes south, the fallout is going to ripple through both our families.”

Vale stares at me. “You think I haven’t realized that? That’s why we’re not going to let it go south. We’ll make it work.”

“You say it like it’s simple—like you can just make things go according to plan.” I sigh, rubbing my temples where there’s still a mild ache from last night’s migraine. “Our lives are already tangled enough. This marriage just took things from ‘mildly complicated’ to ‘full-blown family soap opera.’ If something goes wrong, it’s not just us. It’s everyone—Brax, Jaz, your sister and mom. We’re practically one big, dysfunctional family now.”

He steps closer, his tone softening. “Sloan, I get that this isn’t easy. But we’ll figure it out. I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t think we could pull it off.”

I give him a smile that says I don’t believe him. “Yeah, but that’s the thing about me, Vale. I always manage to overcomplicatethings.” I point at the ring again. “Like buying a ring. But Tiffany’s?Really?”

He grins, shaking his head. “You deserve it. And if this marriage is happening, we might as well make it look good.”

I cross my arms. “You really don’t do anything halfway, do you?”

He smirks. “Nope. Especially when it comes to you.”

When I see the sign for Tiffany & Co., my heart does a flip. I never imagined I would be browsing for rings at an outrageously fancy jewelry store, let alone buying an engagement ring.

Two days ago, I would have screamed into a pillow at this news. Who doesn’t want a gigantic rock from an iconic jewelry store? But now I’m scared to death that Vale will drop so much money on a ring that means nothing.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I whisper, halting outside the door.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“For starters, I don’t belong at a store like this.”

“Hey, at least I convinced you to ditch the nightgown,” he says with a smirk.

Vale insisted I change before we left, so now I’m in a cute sundress, feeling a little more presentable but still out of place. Vale grabs my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Let’s go inside and look—just for fun.”

He leads me inside, his touch making my heart flutter. When I shoot a sidelong glance at him, he gives me an easy smile, clearly unaffected by the moment, while I’m silently reminding myself to keep him in the friend zone.

A man dressed in an immaculate suit approaches us. “Welcome to Tiffany & Co. My name is Edward. Are you looking for somethingspecial today?”

“We’d like to look at some engagement rings, Edward,” Vale says, then turns to me. “Unless you’d like something other than a diamond?”

My heart skips a beat, but Vale’s smile is the only thing keeping me from running out the door. If I’m this nervous faking our marriage in front of a stranger, how am I going to act when I have to put on a show for our friends and family?

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