Page 14 of Sweet Wicked Vows

I stepped aside. “Come in.”

He sauntered into my family home. The dark contrast of his clothing, and general aura, against the muted colors of the foyer were stark. It seeped off him, smothering the gentleness with each breath he made.

It was hard not to be drawn to him.

“Dinner is about to be served,” I said. “I’m not sure if you are aware, but my father is quite unwell at the moment. He’s fine. He simply looks worse than he actually is.” Was I rambling? “He may not stay the entire dinner, which is to be expected. He needs his rest.”

“Fine.” Jaxon nodded. “Then tell him before he retires for the evening.”

“I don’t want to cause him any more upset than this news is already going to cause,” I continued. “Therefore, I will do all the talking. If my father found out the true reason for our… our….”

“Arrangement.”

Marriage.

I swallowed the unspoken word. “I don’t want to think what it would do to him. I always told him I would only marry for love, and he supported that completely. If he knew that I married for any other reason, he’d try and get me out of it.”

“Ah.”

“I’ve thought all night about the best way to break it to him. If he thinks this is about business, or anything else, he will have lawyers round here before dessert is served.”

His lips twitched upward. “Let me guess. You wish to pretend that we are in love?”

“If you’re capable.”

He chuckled, stepping closer until all I could smell was his aftershave. Spice and coffee. It was hard to stop myself inhaling the provoking scent. “Lead the way,douceur.”

“What did you just call me?” Heat filled my cheeks at his lazy smirk. “It doesn’t matter. Just stop calling me that.”

Not waiting on a response, I turned and walked straight into the dining room.

There was no going back.

This was my life now whether I liked it or not.

Chapter Five

Reynolds looked like death was ready to pounce upon him any second.

All the years we spent crawling our way to the top, undoing the mistakes and damage from our father,I’d never gotten the chance to come face-to-face with the man behind it all.

The events, the charity galas, the fundraisers for some new bullshit cause, and the showcases for new jewels and diamonds—not once did we have the luck of bumping into Reynolds.

Perhaps once in his lifetime, before his business became an empire, he wined and dined with the high class of our society, too. But by the time we were making an impact, he no longer needed to prove himself. He could simply write a check for whatever the cause and it was enough to still be hailed a hero among the people.

Sitting at a dinner table meters away from him, he was not the monster I created in my head. He was not the man who was once plastered on every business magazine and voted most eligible, handsome bachelor of the United States.

The man sitting at the table, being spoon-fed by a carer, was nothing more than a husk of a man.

“What did you say your name again was, son?” Lexington asked between mouthfuls. “You look awfully familiar to me. Can’t quite place you, though.”

“Jaxon,” Evelyn answered on my behalf. “Jaxon Dade.”

Her father hummed. “Dade… one of the boys fromDade Diamonds,I am presuming?”

“Yes,” she replied for me again, pushing the uneaten food around her plate. “He and his brother run the company.”

“Oh, yes. Frank Dade, isn’t it?”