Page 8 of Forbidden Earl
Her heart stopped. It was one thing to marry him in theory and another to spend time with him. She felt a zip in her pulse that wasn’t normal as she clutched the strap of her backpack. “You want to have dinner with me?”
He nodded and motioned with his head back where he’d come from. “In Grannie’s room. She wants to talk about the wedding.”
A huge sigh of relief washed through her. Gigi was good company and the main reason Cassidy was here. “Okay, sure. Let me set up a few things in my room, which is?”
He motioned for the stairs and they both walked up as he said, “The countess’ room, of course. Cassidy, there is another thing about our marriage that you and I need to discuss.”
The thump in her chest meant they were going to have that conversation, on the steps. She swallowed. “Sex?”
When he nodded, his dark brown hair fell perfectly into place. “Yeah. It’s expected for us to have an heir.”
Her heart sped up, fast. She pressed her lips together while they walked to the second floor. She couldn’t think of what to say. She hadn’t had a boyfriend in years really and no one had excited her enough to even think about hopping into bed with. That couldn’t be said for Remy, however. Cassidy knew the names of every one of his ex-girlfriends. She’d thought he’d marry Lucinda until the supermodel had moved out of his estate last week.
He opened the door to a large room with a queen-sized bed covered with a light sea foam green comforter—there was other furniture in the room, but thanks to the conversation, that’s what she focused on. Cassidy pushed her hair out of her face and met his gaze. “Sex with you is going to be awkward, Remy.”
He sighed, as if she’d spoken out loud what he’d thought, though that hadn’t happened since they were children—before their teens they’d been very close. “I feel the same. Look, I won’t ever hurt your reputation or force myself on you. You’re like my sister, so I don’t want to hate myself either.” He moved to create distance between them.
Her pulse jerked. She wasn’t his sister or related in any way. She turned away and stumbled toward a white nightstand. Needing something to do, she unzipped her bag and started unpacking her glasses collection. “We’ll figure it out with time.”
He joined her and picked up the green frames. “Fair enough. And since we are having this very awkward talk, I have one more thing to request.”
“Yes?” She prayed he didn’t put them on his face. She didn’t actually need glasses but they’d been part of her everyday wear for years. Cassidy couldn’t be called out now, not by Remy.
He put the glasses down. “Get a haircut before the wedding. I’d like to see your face—from what I remember of it, you’re pretty. I’ll make the appointments if necessary. And have you considered contacts? Or laser surgery to correct your vision? We probably couldn’t get that done before the wedding, though.”
Marry him without her glasses? No one had ever questioned why she wore them so there hadn’t been a reason to lie. “I’ll take care of the appointments myself. I promise I won’t be an ugly bride and ruinyourreputation, Remy.” What had he meant by saying he would protect hers? That he wouldn’t take a mistress? “I know you’ve always cared about looks.”
He winced as if she’d hit him. “That makes me sound shallow.”
A small laugh escaped her as she finished with her glasses and she shook her head, glancing at him over her shoulder. “You’re not anymore?”
He reached for her hand. “I hope not.”
Her skin grew hot and pulsed with awareness. She took her hand back and zipped her bag. “Perhaps this is our chance to be friends again.”
He stepped back but crossed his arms. “That’s a good start,” he agreed. “I want a wife in every way, Cassidy. We need to be on the same page, willing to try.”
“I won’t disappoint you on purpose.” She hoped that was enough. He could ask her family to see that she tried and yet she still managed to disappoint. And she wasn’t ready to talk about sex, not now, not ever.
Remington dropped his arms and walked to the door to allow her privacy. “Meet you downstairs in a few minutes?”
She nodded. Maybe Gigi’s presence at dinner would stop her gut-reaction to pull away from Remy. Tomorrow she’d spend her day at her desk at work so she’d be safe. She’d take the wedding and marriage one day at a time. It was the only way she’d get through this.
Chapter 4
Remington laughed with his grandmother’s observations on Lord Paston until the door opened. Knowing who it was, he stood and watched Cassidy stumble in. She lacked grace at times but he blamed the hair she let fall in her face. Her nearness calmed something that raged inside him.
Before college, where she’d gotten a master’s degree in computer science, she’d smiled more and worn ponytails that showed clear skin and bright brown eyes. There was no reason to hide like she did now. He motioned for her to join them and held out a seat. “Cassidy, please sit here.”
She came forward and kissed his Grannie’s cheeks. “Gigi, it’s good to see you.”
Again, that hair of hers was getting in the way—he’d had enough. Cassidy was intelligent and easy to be around, but she needed some grooming—not that he would tell her so. Upstairs had been awkward enough. He stood, impatient. “I don’t know how you see like that. Be right back.”
He rushed out the door, across the hall to the bathroom. Lucinda had left behind some hair supplies when she’d stormed out of his house last month and he’d shoved them in the closet. He could hear Grannie ask Cassidy, “Do you like your room upstairs? I’ve always been fond of sea foam, but you can change whatever you want.”
“It’s twice the size of mine and well-staged with the view of garden. I won’t have to do anything to make it beautiful.”
“Good, but then we’ve always had similar tastes.”
