Page 28 of Sweet Wicked Vows
Was it his choice to let Frederic be the face of the company? Did he care that many people idolized his older brother over him?
Teeth skimmed my bottom lip. “We need to get booked in with an event organizer. I think I have secured a venue, but everything else will need to be arranged. Also, we need to sit down and look into ordering stuff for the house and hiring a housekeeper.”
Jaxon pulled out his wallet. “Take my card and order whatever you want.”
Was he joking?
I gritted my teeth behind a fake smile. “I don’t need your card.”
He put theBlack Amexcard on the kitchen island. “Bookin with an event organizer and keep me posted with what’s happening. If there’s any issues, you know where to find me.”
Heat rolled up my neck. I could feel my brother’s eyes on me. “Send me your calendar so I can get an appointment that we can both attend.”
“Same goes for a housekeeper and furniture,” Jaxon continued, glossing over what I said. “Whatever you want and need, charge it to my card. I’ll order you your own card today between meetings.”
“I already said, I don’t need your card. I think I can manage perfectly fine without it.”
Jaxon cocked a brow. “What’s mine is yours, remember?”
I was half a second away from becoming a widow.
“You don’t want to have any input?” I tried to remain calm. “You realize this is your house, too, right? You should have a say before I go and decorate it top to bottom in neon pink and glitter. Or go and hire a housekeeper that will poison us with their bad cooking.”
“Do whatever you think is best.”
Poppy cleared her throat quietly. “Evie, dear, I might be able to help with the housekeeping. Your father said that he’d like me to come and be with you. He’s already got someone to fill in for me, just for a couple of months until we get everything sorted.”
“No, wait a second.” I shook my head. “You can’t just leave him there. Who’s going to be there to look after him? With me not being there, he’s going to need you. You can’t leave him alone.”
“What am I? Invisible?” Flynn muttered. “He still has me there.”
“Merci,Poppy.” Jaxon flashed her a tight-lipped smile. “There you go, Evelyn. That’s one problem already solved.” He grabbed a cup of coffee and headed back out the door. “The rest you can surely handle.”
I followed him, ignoring Flynn’s watchful gaze. Before Jaxoncould disappear up the stairs, I grabbed his wrist. He flinched, but didn’t shake me off. “You can’t expect me to do all of this by myself, that’s not fair. I get this whole thing isn’t ideal, but I’d appreciate your help with at least the party.”
“It’syourfather that wants to throw the party. Last time I checked, you’re the one who wants to pretend to the world that we’re in love. I am not trying to save face,” he said bluntly. “I have no qualms telling people exactly what this is. I live in the real world, where I was under no illusion that I’d marry for love. Arranged marriages happen all the time. It’s not my fault you lived your life in a dreamland.”
“No wonder you’re still single. Are you always this much of an asshole?”
He shrugged. “I’m a realist, Evelyn. You can continue to live in your little fantasy, slap on a big fake smile and pretend to the world, but I have other more pressing things to be doing with my day.”
“You said you would try and pretend,” I snapped. “You’re going back on your word.”
“In public,douceur.Not within the confines of this house.” In return, he wrapped his hand around my wrist, sending my heartbeat into overdrive. His tongue skimmed his bottom lip as he stroked along my quickening pulse. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have meetings to get to.”
Chapter Nine
I didn’t know why I thought Jaxon was going to be more receptive to helping me than he actually was.
The more time we spent together, the more he proved that he wanted this marriage as much as I did.
Was I that naïve to think he willingly went along with his brother’s plan to marry us?
As punishment for refusing to help me find an event organizer, and not picking a single item for the house, I went on a shopping spree with the card hegraciouslygave me. I took the day off from work with my next article pretty much ready to be sent to my editor.
I loved my job, and as much as Laurence used to call it a hobby, not a real job, journalism and writing was my passion.
One day, I hoped to start my own publishing firm.