\[Rosco’s POV\]
I step out of the shower to find Denali sitting on the edge of the bed, looking uncomfortable. I had to admit that it was kind of cute. Honestly, all of her expressions were adorable, and that was why I couldn’t stop the need I felt to pick on her.
After coming to an agreement at the bar, we came home, and since I stunk of smoke and booze, I decided to get clean. Although I offered to let her shower first, Denali refused, and now she sat there on the clean comforter, getting her stink all over it.
“Your turn,” I announce, drawing her gaze to me, and when it fixes, I don’t miss how her eyes travel across my exposed body to the top of my sweats, which hang low on my hips and then back up. “Like what you see?”
“N-no!” She gasps, her cheeks turning a ferocious pink. “I’m just wondering if this is a habit of yours.”
“What?” I ask, making my way over to where she sits and then leaning forward so she is pinned beneath me. “You’re going to have to use your words, princess. I don’t quite understand what you’re asking.”
“This,” she huffs, motioning to my body. “Walking around half naked.”
“Half naked?” I repeat, raising a brow.
“And invading people's personal space.”
For a moment, I don’t speak as I bite back on the laugh that wants to escape me. It was cute that she was trying to act tough when she was in my domain. Didn’t she realize her resistance made me want to push even more?
‘Told you,’ Fabian murmurs, snapping in my head. ‘She’s different.’
‘That’s to be determined,’ I counter. ‘But for now, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.’
Maybe it was because I felt like she understood me from the day I found her crying alone, or that I just wanted someone in my corner. I wanted to believe she wasn’t like her father, her stepsister, or her stepmother. That didn’t mean that I would actually let her in, but I could still enjoy having her here for now.
‘Famous last words,’ Fabian laughs.
‘Shut up.’
Pushing him aside, I take Denali in once more and find that she is turning a bright red.
“You’re in my personal space,” I husk close to her ear. “So if anyone is invading, it is you.”
“Then I’ll go somewhere else!”
Before I can react, she is moving, scurrying from beneath me, and then rolling backwards off the bed so that she is crashing into the wall.
This time I’m unable to stop the laugh that escapes me as I see her flustered form lying there on the floor with her feet up and her eyes wide with shock.
“You’re much more amusing than I thought,” I puff, making my way around and lifting her. “Anyway, you’re going to have to get used to me being in your personal space.”
As I speak, I place her on her feet and then hold her there so she can’t try to escape until we address the elephant in the room.
“As my partner in crime, you’re going to have to play the loving couple perfectly with me. Otherwise, we won’t fool anyone.”
“Does that really involve you doing things like this?” She demands, pointedly looking at my hands, which still hold tight to her hips. “Is it really…”
“It is,” I respond immediately, giving her a squeeze and then feeling a pang of dismay. “And since we are going to be lovey-dovey like this in front of everyone, I would recommend putting some meat on your bones. You’re pretty boney.”
Frowning, I really take her in for the first time, realizing if I had just taken a moment to actually examine her physically, I would have seen from the start she wasn’t a cherished daughter. She was much too skinny, and even now I could see scars on her exposed skin. Fuck, I really did fuck up in the beginning.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, unable to stop myself.
“Sorry?” She repeats, her eyes growing wide. “Why in the world are you saying sorry?”
“For everything I’ve done and will probably do in the future.” I admit.
I knew I was asking a lot from her after being so awful to her earlier, and there was still a lot I was going to put her through to get where I needed to be. However, I hoped she wouldn’t come to hate me because of all of this.
“You’re acting weird,” she says, taking me in with a curious look. “Are you sure you don’t have split personalities?”
Letting out another laugh, I step back and then flop down on the bed while I take in her look of confusion.
“Maybe,” I admit. “But only when I’m with you.”
Now knowing she wasn’t the one I hated for all these years, I was feeling my guard going down, and everything I felt when I looked at her photo came back like a wave. Honestly, if I truly thought about it, I could say she was my first love and the one I wanted to protect. I knew that it was a silly whim, but I guess this was what they called fate.
Now that she was in my grasp, I wasn’t about to let her go so easily. For now, I would use our agreement to keep her by my side until I tore down that wall she had.
“You should go take a shower. You stink.” I announce, when she continues to stare at me. “Then we can go to bed. We have a meeting with your family tomorrow since I didn’t get to greet them before our wedding.”
“Our wedding,” she repeats, narrowing her gaze. “I don’t remember you being there.”
As she speaks, her voice turns icy, and I feel a pang of regret slam into me.
“I'll make it up to you by holding you a grander wedding.” I offer. “You can choose everything and..."
“No need,” she sighs. “We are already married, and there isn’t any reason to have another ceremony. Anyway, you said this is just for mutual interest. Once things are complete, we will go our separate ways.”
“I think I told you the only way to complete it is to create an heir,” I counter. “Until then, you’re stuck with me.”
“We’ll see,” she murmurs, before heading toward the bathroom. “When I finish, where should I sleep?”
“With me, of course,” I respond immediately. “Where else did you intend to sleep?”
"With you?" She gasps. "How can we..."
"We are husband and wife, princess," I chuckle. "You don't want others to get suspicious, do you?"
"No," she squeaks. "But how can we..."
"What?" I ask, getting up and heading toward her again. "Are you worried I'm going to try something? Get your head out of the gutter."
With that, she lets out an adorable growl of annoyance before whirling and storming away. And only when I'm alone do I let out a laugh as I realize I may already be in over my head. But I was also eager to see where this twist of fate took us.