Chapter 54

Chapter 54
Chapter 54
LUCAS
I couldn't stop smiling.
Jose noticed immediately when he walked into my office forty minutes later, his eyebrows rising as he took in my appearance. I'd done my best to put myself back together after Sophia left, but there was only so much I could do about the satisfied glow I was apparently radiating.
"Well, someone had a good afternoon," he said, dropping into one of the chairs across from my desk with a knowing smirk. "Let me guess—your wife stopped by?"
"Shut up," I said, but I was still grinning like an idiot.
"Lucas Davenport, giggling like a teenager after getting laid. I never thought I'd see the day." Jose shook his head in mock disbelief. "You've got it bad, man."
"I'm not giggling—"
"You literally just giggled. That sound that came out of your mouth? That was a giggle." He leaned forward, his expression shifting to genuine curiosity. "Okay, what happened? You look like you just won the lottery."
I debated how much to tell him, then figured what the hell. Jose knew everything anyway. "Sophia was jealous."
His eyebrows shot up. "Jealous? Of what?"
"Sofia Lang, apparently. She overheard Sofia saying something about us having lunch plans together—which wasn't true, by the way—and came here to..." I trailed off, not quite sure how to phrase it.
"To mark her territory?" Jose supplied helpfully. "Let the other woman know exactly who you belong to?"
"Something like that." I felt heat creep up my neck. "She, uh. She said she wanted to have sex in my office. Right then. And she made sure Sofia heard her say it."
Jose's eyes went wide. "Holy shit. Your sweet, innocent contract wife declared war on Sofia Lang by announcing she was going to fuck you on your desk?"
"Essentially, yes."
"And did you?"
I didn't answer, just gave him a look.
"Oh my God, you did." Jose started laughing. "Multiple times, judging by how wrecked you look. Lucas, you dog. How many rounds?"
"I'm not answering that."
"Four? Five? Jesus, I didn't know you had it in you. Literally." He was still laughing, clearly delighted by this turn of events. "So what does this mean? Is Sophia falling for you? Or was she just playing her role really well?"
That was the question, wasn't it? The one that had been circling in my mind since Sophia left.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Part of me wants to believe she was genuinely jealous. That it means she's developing real feelings. But another part thinks maybe she was just trying to maintain the image. We've been very public about being obsessively in love. Maybe she thought Sofia knowing about us could threaten that narrative."
Jose considered this. "Or maybe she's just a woman who saw another woman making moves on her husband and decided to shut that shit down. Doesn't matter if it's a contract marriage or not—you're still hers on paper. She has a right to protect that."
"Sofia wasn't making moves," I protested. "She's just been... friendly. Grateful for the opportunities I've given her. Maybe a little too familiar, but nothing inappropriate."
"Lucas." Jose's expression turned serious. "I'm going to say this as your friend: Sofia Lang has been making moves. The texts checking in on you. The offers to bring you work outside office hours. The way she dresses when she knows she has meetings with you. I've noticed it, Sandra's noticed it, half the marketing department has noticed it. The only person who hasn't noticed is you."
I frowned. "You really think so?"
"I know so. And clearly, your wife picked up on it too." He leaned back in his chair. "The question is, what are you going to do about it?"
I'd been thinking about that. About the delicate balance I needed to maintain between being appropriately grateful to the woman who'd saved my mother and not giving her the wrong impression about our relationship.
"I need to set clearer boundaries," I said. "Make sure Sofia understands our relationship is strictly professional. No more personal texts. No more offers to help outside of work. Just employee and employer."
"Good. That's the right call." Jose paused. "But Lucas? Be careful. Sofia's been through something traumatic. You've given her a lifeline—job, housing, stability. She might be more attached to you than you realize. Cutting her off too sharply could backfire."
He was right. I needed to handle this delicately. Make it clear that I was unavailable without making Sofia feel rejected or ungrateful for what she'd done for my family.
"I'll talk to her tomorrow," I decided. "Set expectations. Make sure we're on the same page."
"And in the meantime?" Jose's smirk returned. "You're going to enjoy the fact that your wife was jealous enough to claim you very publicly and very thoroughly?"
"Maybe a little," I admitted.
Jose laughed. "Look at you. A few weeks ago you were convinced this was just a business arrangement. Now you're glowing after office sex and analyzing whether your wife has feelings for you. You're in love, man. Completely, hopelessly in love."
"I know." The admission came easily. "I fell for her, Jose. Somewhere between Barcelona and now, I fell completely in love with my contract wife."
"Does she know?"
"I told her I loved her. Earlier, when she was leaving. It just... slipped out."
"And what did she say?"
"She said it back. But I don't know if she meant it or if she was just playing her role." I rubbed my face. "God, this is complicated. I never meant for it to get this complicated."
"Love is always complicated." Jose's expression softened. "But Lucas, for what it's worth? I think she feels the same way. I've seen you two together. The way she looks at you when she thinks no one's watching—that's not acting. That's real."
I wanted to believe that. Wanted to believe that Sophia's jealousy was born from genuine feelings rather than just protecting the arrangement. That when she'd demanded I fuck her on my desk where anyone could hear, it was because she wanted to claim me, not just maintain our public image.