Chapter 47 FORTY-SEVEN
Lennox woke up slowly, confused about where she was, then she remembered.
Oh god. She'd fallen asleep and she shouldn’t have. That was the whole point of keeping things casual, you didn't fall asleep in each other's beds like actual couples.
But she'd been exhausted. From the gala and the investigation eating at her brain and the emotional whiplash of the past week. Must've just passed out.
She opened her eyes. Found Callum awake next to her, propped up on one elbow, just watching her.
"Hey," he said quietly.
"Hey." Her voice came out scratchy. "What time is it?"
"Almost seven."
"Shit. I fell asleep."
"You did."
She sat up, pulled the sheet with her even though he'd already seen everything. "Sorry. I didn't mean to."
"Don't apologize." He reached out, tucked hair behind her ear. "You talk in your sleep."
Her whole body went tense. "What?"
"Not much. Just little mumbles here and there."
"What did I say?" Her heart was pounding now. Had she said something about the investigation? About being Cipher? About the files she'd been digging through?
"Nothing clear. Just sounds mostly." He was still watching her too closely. "But you seemed scared. Like you were having bad dreams."
She forced herself to breathe normal. "I don't remember dreaming."
"You kept saying 'no' and 'stop' and your hands were clenched."
"It's nothing. I'm fine."
"Lennox..."
"I should go." She started to get up, looking for her clothes scattered across his floor. "This was good. Last night was good. But I should get back to my room."
His hand caught her wrist. Gentle but firm. "Stay."
"Callum, we said this was just physical. Falling asleep together isn't..."
"I know what we said." He pulled her back down. Not rough, just persistent. "But you're already here. And it's early. Just stay."
"This is a bad idea."
"Probably."
"We're going to mess this up."
"Maybe."
But she didn't pull away. Just laid back down, let him pull her against him. His arm around her waist, her back against his chest. Too comfortable. Too easy. Too much like something real instead of what this was supposed to be.
"This doesn't change anything," she said. "We still have rules."
"I know."
"Just physical. Nothing more."
"You keep saying that."
"Because it's important."
He was quiet for a minute. His hand traced lazy patterns on her hip. "What are you so scared of?"
"I'm not scared."
"You are. I can feel it. You're tense even now."
She was. Her whole body was coiled tight even though she was trying to relax. "I'm just not used to this."
"To what?"
"This. Sleeping with someone… waking up with them. It's been a while."
That was true enough. Her ex had been a disaster and before him there hadn't been anyone serious in years. She'd forgotten what this felt like. The intimacy of morning light and shared sheets and someone knowing you well enough to notice when you had nightmares.
It terrified her.
"Go back to sleep," he said against her hair. "You're exhausted."
"I can't. I'm awake now."
"Then just lay here."
So she did. Laid there in his bed watching the sun come up through his windows, feeling his heart beat steady against her back. It was a mistake. Everything about this was a mistake.
But she stayed anyway.
She must've dozed off again because the next time she opened her eyes Callum was gone and the smell of coffee filled the room.
She sat up, looked around. Found her dress folded on a chair. Someone had picked it up off the floor. Him probably.
The door opened and he walked in with two mugs, already dressed in pajama pants and a t-shirt. Handed her one.
"Figured you'd need this," he said.
"Thanks." She took it, grateful. The coffee was perfect. He knew how she took it by now.
He sat on the edge of the bed, close enough to touch. Leaned in and kissed her shoulder. Soft. Casual. Like they did this every morning.
"Sleep okay?" he asked.
"Yeah. Better than I have in weeks actually."
"Good."
They sat there drinking coffee in comfortable silence and it felt too domestic. Too much like a real relationship instead of whatever this actually was. Contract marriage with benefits. Fake partnership with real sex. She didn't even know what to call it.
"I should shower and get dressed," she said finally. "You probably have work stuff."
"Sunday. No work today."
"Right. Still. I should go."
"Okay." But he looked disappointed. Like he'd wanted her to stay longer.
She gathered her things, went back to her room wrapped in his sheet because her dress was too much effort. Took a long shower trying not to think about how easily she'd fallen asleep in his bed. How safe she'd felt there. How wrong all of this was getting.
She was investigating his company. Lying to him every day. And now sleeping with him like it meant nothing when it was starting to mean way too much.
This was so messed up.
Across town, Callum sat in his office at Westbrook headquarters even though it was Sunday. Cole had called, said they needed to talk about something that couldn't wait.
His brother showed up at noon with coffee and a concerned expression.
"So," Cole said, settling into the chair across from Callum's desk. "You want to tell me what's really going on with you and Lennox?"
Callum's stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"
"Come on. I saw you two at that investor dinner last month. And I've heard things. The way you look at her isn't exactly normal."
"It's complicated."
"Complicated how?"
Callum ran his hand through his hair. He hadn't told anyone the truth about the marriage. Not even Cole. But maybe it was time. "The marriage isn't exactly real."
Cole blinked. "What?"
"It's a… contract. She needed money and I needed to fulfill the will requirement."
"You're kidding."
"I'm not."
"So you hired a wife?"
"More or less."
Cole leaned back, processing. "And now?"
"Now it's more complicated."
"Because you're sleeping with her."
It wasn't a question. Callum didn't bother denying it. "Yeah."
"Does she know you have real feelings?"
"I don't have real feelings. It's just physical."
Cole gave him a look. "Right. Keep telling yourself that."
"Cole..."
"I'm serious. This is dangerous territory. You're lying to everyone including probably yourself and her. Deceit like this always comes with a price."
"I know that."
"Do you? Because from where I'm sitting you're in way over your head."
Callum didn't answer. Just stared at his desk because Cole was right and he knew it.
"Be careful," Cole said quietly. "Whatever this is with her, it's real on your end whether you admit it or not. And when the truth comes out, and it will come out, people are going to get hurt."
"There is no truth that will come out Cole. And for the rest… I can handle it."
"Can you?" Cole stood up. "Just think about what you're doing here. Think about what happens when this ends."
He left and Callum sat there alone in his office, thinking about Lennox asleep in his bed that morning. How right it had felt. How terrifying that was.
Cole was right. This was going to blow up eventually.
He just hoped they both survived it when it did.