Page 27 of The Accidental Wife

“Well, I’ve been single for two years and in no rush to jump into another relationship anytime soon, so you’re safe on my account.” She clarifies and leans over to read through the rest of the contract. I caught a little bitterness in her tone, and I couldn’t help but wonder why her relationship ended. Did someone cheat on her? Is that why she has issues trusting men? I poke her side with my pen and smile at her when she looks at me with a scowl fixed on her pretty face.

“What kind of fool would ever dream of breaking your heart?” I ask. Shayla licks her lips, and she looks ahead.

“The kind that didn’t think I was good enough to be with him. He chose to believe his family when they filled his head with all sorts of shit, and he broke up with me. After I gave him almost three years of my life, he dropped me like I didn’t even matter. Arsehole.” She explains resentfully, and I felt my gut clench at the sorrow in her voice.

I reach over and rub the nape of her neck gently. She looks over at me, and I brush a strand of her hair out of her face so I could see those beautiful green eyes. “What an absolute arsehole indeed. One would have to be completely dense to ever let a girl like you go,” I tell her earnestly, and she stares at me surprised, her eyes searching mine for sincerity. I force myself to keep my eyes on hers and not look down at her lips because if I so much as glance at them, even for a second, I’ll lose the battle within me and kiss her. Her face was glowing under the late afternoon sun, catching her eyes perfectly. I never noticed that her eyes have flecks of hazel in them.

“Cole.” She says softly.

“Yeah,”

She licks her lips slowly and leans in close, and I feel my heart rate accelerate, “You’ve put a clause that I get a settlement figure of two million pounds when we divorce.” She whispers. I must be honest. I didn’t hear a single word she was saying at this point. I was too lost in her eyes and the sweet smell of her perfume.

“Mhm.”

“Strike it out.” I blink, and when she averts her eyes, my senses come rushing back to me.

“What?” I utter confused, while she taps her pen on the papers in her lap.

“I already told you I don’t want your money.” She states openly, and I frown. Is this girl for fucking real?

“Shayla, that clause will stay. You need to get something out of this; otherwise, what is the point.” I explain, and she shrugs her shoulders in a blasé manner.

“I’m not doing this expecting to get anything out of it. Besides, you’re helping me too, with my family. That’s more than enough.” I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose.

“No, don’t be ridiculous. The clause stays, and that’s final.” She glares at me hard.

“Are you not listening to me? I don’t want it.” She argues back.

“I don’t care,” I contend sternly. “You’ll get the settlement, and I don’t want to hear any more about it, understood?” Shayla juts her chin out defiantly and rolls her eyes, shaking her head, clearly displeased with me. She can be angry all she wants. She’s getting that money whether she likes it or not.

We went through the rest of the contract and continued bickering for another hour. “Shayla, you’re my wife. I have to be able to touch you in public! Jesus, I’m not going to maul you in front of everyone. Relax.”

“Minimal contact! Change it. Right now.”

“Shayla, you’re being very irrational. How are we supposed to convince people we are in love if I can’t even touch you? I don’t have a problem with you touching me.” I try to reason with her, but she shakes her head stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest.

“I said minimal Cole,”

I throw my hands up in frustration. “Define minimal?”

“Hand-holding. One arm around the shoulder—”

“—waist.”

“Shoulder.”

“Waist.”

“Shoulder!”

“Waist!”

“Argh! You’re so infuriating!”

“Right back at you sweetheart!”

“I really don’t like you!”

“Oh yeah? I’m not so crazy about you either!”

There we stood. Nose to nose, in the middle of my terrace as the sun sets around us. Our lips a mere breath apart, staring angrily at one another, and all I could think about is devouring her beautiful mouth.

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