Vivianne

I felt a little better after my nap, but unfortunately I woke up still married to my boss. 

My boss who I found snoring on the couch of ‘our’ hotel room. I was so glad we wouldn’t be sleeping together, because snoring is an instant turn off. 

At least there was only one more stunt before this whole nightmare was over. A glance at my phone screen told me I had about fifteen minutes until I was supposed to be back in the dressing room for ‘repairs.’ My breath hissed through my teeth as I put on my shoes and slipped out of the room, leaving Dominic passed out. Part of me hoped he’d sleep right through the reception. I knew how important the whole facade was, but still. His embarrassment would be worth the risk.

On the long walk to the dressing room, I was at war with myself. Was money really worth all of this? We didn’t even know if the stunt would work, for sure. But we’d already passed the point of no return. I’d said yes. It was just six weeks. 

On the other hand, it was six weeks of Dominic being forced to keep his pants on. A smirk crossed my face at the thought. That should be punishment enough for a playboy like him.

The warmth of my realization carried me through another round of hair and makeup with a smile on my face. I didn’t even care that it took two people ten minutes to properly bustle the train. A plan was brewing in my mind, and I loved it. 

If he could be the overly-touchy husband, then I could be the jealous wife. 

The dressing room door opened, and in strolled the devil himself. He was already spiffed up in his suit and perfectly tousled damn hair. “There’s the lovely Mrs. Voss! Are you almost ready for the party, my love? The party is ready for us.” He flashed the room a smile, and half the hair and makeup team swooned. 

Gag.

“I think so, husband. Just make sure you keep those eyes on me, because you’re no longer a free casanova.” I put as much malice into my smile as I could fit, and saw his Adam’s apple bob. At that moment, I was pretty sure he knew the game was afoot.

But the smooth damn bastard’s smile brightened and he extended his hand. “How could I look at anyone else when I already captured the most beautiful star in the sky?” 

With everyone watching, I had no choice but to pretend to blush and take his hand. My temper flared at how badly that backfired. Yet I managed to keep smiling as we exited the room, despite the heat radiating from my body. 

Meanwhile, Dominic kept me close to his side and beamed at every person we passed. His acting skills were absolutely ridiculous. If I didn’t know better, I would almost believe he was thrilled to be my husband. Neither of us spoke until we reached those heavy wooden doors again, and he pushed them open.

The ballroom’s transformation pulled the breath right out of my lungs. Every surface glittered with clear crystals, as if we’d stepped into a winter wonderland. I shivered instinctively, despite the room being a perfectly comfortable temperature. 

Dominic led me inside, past the six piece orchestra playing softly in the corner and to the large display of refreshments. “Let’s get you fed before the activities start. I know soup and salad doesn’t last very long. What would you like? You can sit down so those shoes don’t start to hurt your feet and I’ll make you a plate.” 

“Just bring me the stuff I picked off the options menu that you tried to veto.” I gave myself a mental high-five, knowing there was no way he’d remember what I’d wanted versus what he finalized. And with that trap set, I strolled over to the table where Analise was chatting with Uncle Randy and some of our neighbors.

She gave me a wave and a side-hug. “So, how are you holding up? It’s been a really long day for you, I’m sure.” 

“Yeah. I put Dominic in charge of making sure the reception happened, and ended up sleeping for a couple of hours. Otherwise it was likely that I would drop dead during the reception.” 

Or someone else would. That was always a possibility if I hadn’t gotten a break…

Uncle Randy nodded knowingly and gestured to the food table with his head. “He seems to be keeping up, though. So far it seems like you’ve caught a decent one. If a bit extravagant.” 

“Oh yeah. He was insistent on a Hollywood-worthy wedding. He’s a bit of a diva like that.” I winked and the table erupted in laughter. “But he paid for literally everything, so I guess I can’t complain too hard.” 

In front of everyone, at least. Or without the ledger book in my hand, so I could tell him exactly how many dollars he better put back in the budget.

“Here you go, my love. I think I managed to grab one of everything you picked, before anything ran out.” Dominic’s voice startled me, and he chuckled low in his chest. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He put the plate on the table and, while he was leaned over, kissed the top of my head.

I suppose I deserved that counterfire.

He sat down next to me and extended his hand across the table. “It’s nice to put a face to the voice, Mr. Sinclair. Thank you for dropping everything to fly out here and escort my lovely wife down the aisle.” 

“Anything for my nieces.” Uncle Randy’s hand dwarfed Dominic’s, which was a feat because Dominic was no small man. “You better treat Viv right, you hear me? That girl has been through enough already. She deserves the world. Just like I told you on the phone.” 

“Absolutely. She already took over my world.” He turned and looked me in the eyes, and for a moment, I almost believed him. “I should go greet the rest of the guests. Viv, feel free to relax as long as you want. I’ll be around when you’re ready to start the fun parts. I hope you didn’t forget the garter.” 

Yes, I was wearing it. But I honestly hadn’t expected it to be more than tradition. The elastic suddenly felt tight around my thigh. So, to get my attention away from the discomfort, I glanced down at the plate he’d brought me.

To my surprise, he’d done exactly what I asked. The eclairs, cheesecake bites, and cucumber sandwiches I wanted lined the edge of my plate, and in the center he’d arranged slices of fresh strawberries into a heart. And to top it off, he’d taken one of the Mr. & Mrs. tuxedo cookies and placed it in the middle of the heart. The whole thing looked like a display in a wedding magazine.

“I dunno, Viv. Planned and paid for the entire wedding, shows up looking like a million bucks, and brings you cute arrangements like that? I’m not sure you know how lucky you are.” Analise smirked at me and snagged the black and white cookie from my plate. Before I could protest, she stuffed the whole thing in her mouth and waggled her eyebrows.

“I hope you choke on that cookie, Lise.” I glared at her, but there was no real malice behind it. “If you like his art so much, you can have it. I should probably go greet people, too.” I slid my plate over and stood to look for Dominic.

He was over by the orchestra, speaking to a familiar face. I probably should have expected Lucian Drake to show up, but the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. I blame all the other bullshit I had to deal with. 

I straightened my shoulders and walked up to Dominic, slipping my arm into the crook of his elbow. “Hello, Lucian. Glad you could make it to the wedding!” I poured as much acting skill as I had into the interaction, praying that he wouldn’t suspect anything. The man was sharp and shrewd, and any slip ups would be like blood in the water. 

“Ah, Miss Sinclair. Or should I say, Mrs. Voss? The reception is lovely.” His voice was smooth like velvet, and his dark eyes glistened in the dim lighting. He took my hand and brought it to his lips, maintaining eye contact the entire time. 

Gods above, the man was still charming.