Chapter 20

Rossalyn stayed perfectly still in the dark for a moment, hesitating between what she wanted and what she knew she ought to do. She wanted to keep her promise and try to make things work with him. Allowing intimacy to form between them and affection to grow would be very good for their relationship going forward. Especially since she didn't really see a viable way out of the situation that had been more or less forced upon her. What she ought to do was to try to keep as much physical and emotional space between them until she could find a way out of the situation. Unfortunately, getting a way out could take years and if that was the case, she'd be much better to allow him as close to her as she safely could.

She scooted closer to him until her body was pressed up against his and her head lay in the crook of his arm, cushioned by a pillow. She felt his body relax behind her and his arm come around her and pull her a little tighter to his chest. She lay there for a long time listening to his slow deep breaths and feeling as his body relaxed even more while he fell asleep. The room was completely silent apart from the sound of slow breaths and slowly she felt her body start to relax.

Josiah awoke in the morning to find that at some point during the night he had rolled to his opposite side and apparently she had snuggled to his back in her sleep. He carefully got out of bed to find her laying on her back, halfway out from the covers and her arm over her face to block out the light. Even fast asleep he found her breath taking. Not wanting to activate that instinctual sense of being watched and wake her up he decided to go ahead and start his morning routine of showering and shaving.

A little less than a hour later, Josiah came back into the bedroom to find Rossalyn awake and sitting up in the bed. She'd clearly just woke up and not real sure what to do with herself. He smiled at her as he made his way toward the closet to find clothes. He should have thought ahead and at least brought some pants into the bathroom with him, but she'd have to get used to his body and he did give the courtesy of wrapping himself in a towel.

"Good morning." He called from the closet as he chose the outfit he'd wear for the day.

"Morning." Came the sleepy response from his bedroom along with the sound of shuffling.

Rossalyn got out of the bed blushing a little from the sight of him nearly naked walking around in front of her. She made her way to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Instantly, she was enclosed with the deeply masculine scent of his showering products. It was the same as the scent that clung to his skin all day and she couldn't help but take a deep breath and close her eyes. It smelled really good to her, though privately she admitted it smelled better coming directly from his skin.

She gave herself a silent order of the get-it-together sort and went through her morning routine. She'd left her bag of belongings in the bathroom to make it easier on her in the morning so she didn't take long. She changed into a casual outfit of jeans and t-shirt and slipped her feet into flip flops since she wasn't aware of any plans of them going out that day. She brushed her hair and teeth then packed her belongings back into her bag and carried it back out into the bedroom with her.

"Is that what you're going to wear today?" Josiah asked as he came out of the closet dressed in his normal suit pants and white button up dress shirt.

"Is there any reason I shouldn't wear this? Are we going somewhere requiring I dress up?" Rossalyn asked looking up at him worriedly.

"Thats all just very.....casual." Josiah said the last word with a little wrinkle in his nose, clearly not approving of her wardrobe choices.

"Again, I ask: Are we going somewhere that requires I dress up?" She repeated patiently, starting to become suspicious that she'd be forced into some Stephord Housewife scenario.

"We aren't going anywhere special today. I just think it'd be better to be prepared if guests arrive at the house unexpectedly." Josiah said with a shrug.

"Well, if guests arrive at my home unexpectedly, then they have little right to judge how I am dressed for the occasion." She shrugged and headed toward the door of the bedroom.

Josiah didn't stop her but he frowned as he watched her leave his bedroom. He wanted to be patient with her since she wasn't familiar with the rules of his world, but he didn't see how to inform her of the rules without some kind of confrontation. He hadn't pushed his case with her initially, since the first few days of her arrival were met with wedding planning and all kinds of changes. He'd really enjoyed the last 24 hours of them peacefully co-existing and actually working as a team with informing Sarah of what her husband had been up to. Then having Sarah and the kids over the night before felt like a real bonding experience between them.

He'd have to address the situation though. Wives of men like him were expected to be dressed more formally than she seemed to be willing to do without cause at all times. They were a reflection of their husbands. Running around the house in jeans and flip flops with no make up was no longer an option for her. She promised she would try to make their relationship a happy one and he believed that part of that was fully accepting her role in the family which was essentially the role model for all the wives. If she got away with behaving inappropriately, the rest of the wives would think they could as well.

He went down to the dining room a few minutes later and found her there waiting for him. They'd had breakfast together every morning since she arrived and he was glad that was something he didn't have to ask her to do, at least. In the time between the bedroom and meeting her in the dining room he had decided to have a couple of his top men's wives come over to chat with her. He'd make sure they went into detail about their morning routines and how important it was to always be presentable through the day. He felt like that might be a big enough push to get the point across he was trying to make without making her feel like a chastized child.

"This afternoon a couple of the wives are going to come have lunch with you." Josiah told her while he doctored his coffee.

"How many is a couple?" She asked suspiciously, she'd yet to be asked to entertain anyone from his 'family' outside of the first night she was with him. She was suddenly nervous of that duty.

"Two, maybe three. I think you've had a few days to get settled in and now it is time to start some of your duties as my wife, even though the title is still a couple days away. They've been begging to spend time with you but we've both been busy the last few days. Now the big part of the planning is finished and we're just biding time until the day arrives, I don't see why you can't have a small luncheon." Josiah said.

"Where will their husbands be during our little luncheon?" She asked watching him warily.

"Well, either with me or home minding their children. We have a staff of nannies, but most of us prefer to watch our own children if we're not otherwise busy." Josiah said with a shrug.

"Figured you'd have the little ladies busy entertaining each other while you guys planned world domination." Rossalyn quipped, half jokingly.

"Ah, dear, don't you realize yet? Its the ladies of the group that plan the world domination, us men just eaves drop. Its why most of the plans go awry since we couldn't catch the full plot." Josiah waggled his eyebrows at her and grinned.

Rossalyn choked on her coffee as she laughed and sat her cup down to get a napkin to wipe her chin with. Of all the possible things she'd expected him to retort with, that was not on the list. She heard his laughter join hers and she looked at him shaking her head. His sense of humor snuck up on her sometimes and she wondered if he was like that just for her benefit or if he goofed off with other people. As serious as he liked to be most of the time, she bet that it was rare for him to make jokes in the presence of others.

"Alright, fine. I will have this little luncheon. But I'll be sweeping the room for bugs so you boys can't overhear our plans for anarchy." She informed him grinning over at him.

"Excellent, they will be here around one this afternoon." Josiah said returning her grin then turned his attention to the breakfast that was being served to them.