Page 51 of The Plus One Contract

The house in front of me is nothing like the penthouses and high-rise apartments I’ve grown accustomed to. It’s warm, lived-in, the kind of house that’s seen years of laughter and chaos. Two-story, light blue siding, white trim, and a porch swing that looks well-used. The lawn is perfectly cut, not in an over-manicured way, but like someone takes pride in it. There are potted plants by the steps, a decorative wreath on the door, and a small welcome mat that reads,Come Back With Tacos.

I step out of the car, adjusting my cuffs as I take in the house, already feeling like I’m stepping into foreign territory. This is a place where people grew up, where they stayed. Something I don’t fully understand.

Before I even reach the front steps, the door swings open.

And fuck.

She’s beautiful.

Sienna stands in the doorway, a glass of wine in one hand, her weight shifted to one side, her long lashes framing those sharp blue eyes as she takes me in.

Her dress is simple—black, sleeveless, hugging her body in a way that makes my fingers twitch at my sides. Her hair is up, exposing the curve of her neck, the smooth slope of her collarbone. There’s a flush to her cheeks, and her lips are slightly parted, like she’s about to say something but hasn’t decided what yet.

Then, she sighs, holding up her wine glass. “You know, before this week, I used to have a glass of wine maybe once a month,” she says, swirling the liquid. “I’m running on the stuff in the last forty-eight hours. My livers are screaming at me.”

I arch a brow. “Livers?”

She shrugs. “Yeah, my mother thought for years that, just like your kidneys or lungs, you had two livers. She was shocked when she found out she was wrong. Absolutely devastated.”

I blink, then huff out a short laugh.

“She also thought bears were carnivores, like lions. You should’ve seen her face when she found out they eat berries.”

I shake my head, my lips twitching. “And this is the woman I’m about to meet?”

“Oh, yeah. Buckle up.”

Sienna straightens, eyes flicking over me, head tilting slightly. “You look nice,” she admits before her expression sobers, the humor melting into something more cautious. “Honestly, are you ready for this?”

She lifts a hand, brushing invisible lint from the shoulder of my white shirt, dusting me off like she’s prepping me for battle.

I catch her wrist before she can pull away.

“I’m good,” I tell her, my voice steady.

Her eyes flick to mine. I feel her pulse beneath my fingers.

“Areyouready for this?”

She exhales, closing her eyes before nodding. “Yeah.”

“Good.” I release her wrist, letting my fingers drag slightly as I drop my hand.

“They haven’t arrived yet, so I’ll introduce you to my mother first.”

Before she can turn, I hook a finger under her chin, tilting her face up. Her breath hitches, her lashes fluttering.

“If it makes you feel any better,” I murmur, my voice dropping, “you look beautiful.”

Sienna’s lips twitch.

“That,” she says, laughing lightly, “I already know.”

∞∞∞

Sienna’s mother was easier than expected.

Warm, talkative, and a little too invested in her daughter’s love life, but in a way that made it obvious she meant well. She pulled me into a hug the second I stepped into the kitchen, despite still holding a wooden spoon covered in sauce. A mess in progress, as Sienna had introduced her, and I got the sense she was the kind of woman who never stopped moving.

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