He rarely lost his cool like this. Probably because he didn’t waste emotional energy letting others get under his skin. But as others weren’t supposed to know that our marriage was purely a business arrangement, he naturally had to play the role of possessive husband. And since there was no missing the blatant edge of danger he carried, he certainly had a menacing vibe going on right now.

Casual and confident, he steered me into the restaurant. The pressure from his hand was light but very much firm and dominant as he, essentially, took control. No, I hadn’t seen that coming,” replied Vienna. “Especially since he’s my boss—I don’t believe in mixing business with pleasure. But, well, some things are just inevitable. Fighting the inevitable is quite simply pointless.” Just then, the car began to slow. I looked out of the window and saw the restaurant in the near distance. Beside him, one of his old colleagues Darcy smiled at Dane, and said, “When I first heard you’d gotten married, I wasn’t sure I believed it. But I have to say, married life suits you.”He’d never seen the appeal in marriage. It was merely a piece of paper that legally bound two people, making it more difficult for them to go their separate ways if their relationship didn’t work out. It didn’t guarantee happiness or stability, and there was no knowing that the people would adhere to the vows they’d taken. His father hadn’t. Nor had Travis and Hope. And Dane had had enough married women come onto him over the years that he had to question why these people bothered entangling their life with that of another. The fact was that Vienna Davenport—and yeah, her having his surname brought him far more satisfaction than it should—mattered to him on a level he wasn’t sure he liked. My stomach plummeted and twisted painfully. A horrible pressure began to build in my chest, and I swallowed hard. “Really? Well, congrats.” God, that couldn’t have sounded faker. “I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone.” Maybe not, but you’d have to ask them to lie for you to others—including people they may care for. You’d have to ask them to put on an act for you when they’re around everyone else. Would you feel comfortable asking that of them?”

Dane had watched her carefully when she was around her ex. The way she looked at Owen, the way she spoke to him … you would never think they’d ever been intimate. It wasn’t that it seemed as if what she’d felt for him had died, it was as if she’d never felt anything for him at all. I’d heard that sextortion went on, but I hadn’t believed I’d ever be a victim of it. I’d known that if the secret video he’d taken of us ever went live on the internet, I’d lose everything. I’d literally felt my world coming apart around me. It wasn’t that I was an unforgiving person. I didn’t hold grudges or refuse to accept apologies. But if a person ever sincerely screwed me over, it was like a mental wall slammed up between us. I didn’t purposely put it there. It just happened. It was a self-defense mechanism, I supposed. It had protected me from my foster sister’s hurtful words and actions for a long time. I was pretty sure he grunted by way of hello, but it was hard to tell from all the way over here. Taking in his default unimpressed expression, one might think he suffered from chronic indifference. It tended to make people nervous; they often seemed compelled to try to please or amuse him. The latter was truly a waste of time. In all the years I’d worked for him, I’d never heard him laugh. Not. Once.It wouldn’t require any acting skills on my part to seem attracted to him. I just hoped he believed it was an act, because I didn’t want him knowing about the little crush that I’d done an amazing job of hiding so far. And how did I know he was clueless about it? He hadn’t found a new PA. Dane did not keep women around who mooned over him. Yeah, well, being your PA kind of eats up my time,” I said, feeling a little defensive. “Why ask me to play the part of your wife?” No. I bumped into his aunt a few times over the years, so I know he’s married, has a kid, owns a huge house, and has a cushy job.” I sighed. “I’m glad things worked out so well for him. I really am. It’s just made me painfully aware of how little my own life has changed since we last saw each other. Not that I don’t like my life, it’s just become sort of … stagnant.”