Terms and Conditions (Dreamland Billionaires, #2)(17)

At least she lives up to her name.

“You should know better than to underestimate me after all this time.”

She puts a hand on her hip. “Declan Lancelot Kane. I swear if one single shoe goes missing, I will—”

“Don’t call me that,” I snap.

She grins. “Would you prefer for me to use the more formal Sir Lancelot?”

“What I prefer is your silence.”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re no fun.”

“This isn’t supposed to be fun.” Yet it certainly doesn’t feel like work.

Exactly why all this is a bad idea.

It’s easy to fall into a comfortable rhythm with Iris. Almost too easy.

“I swear, you’re going to die of a heart attack one day from all this pent-up angst. It’s not good for your blood pressure.”

I ignore her as I walk toward the staircase. “I’ll show you to our room.”

“Our room?” She trips over her boots.

“I can’t have the housekeeper speaking out against the legitimacy of our agreement.”

“Right. Of course.” She nods with a doe-eyed expression so unlike her usual quick rebuttals.

She’s nervous. I give her my back, concealing my small smile as I lead Iris up the grand staircase toward my bedroom. She helps me with the door, and it opens to reveal my favorite space in the whole house. The light blue walls and white furniture stand out against the dark wood floors.

“Wow. It’s a lot brighter than I expected.”

“Contrary to popular belief, coffins don’t make for comfortable sleeping arrangements.”

Her howl of a laugh makes my lips twitch in response.

I drop the box near the entrance to her empty closet. “You’ll keep your clothes in here.”

“But I’m not—we’re not—you don’t expect me to—” Her eyes dart around the space, not quite landing on anything.

My ability to be the only person who can throw her off-kilter fills me with a burning sense of satisfaction.

“Sleep in the same bed as me?” I finish for her.

Her throat bobs as she nods. “Right. That.”

“No.”

She gnaws on her bottom lip. “Thank God. That would have been awkward.”

“Right.” The back of my neck prickles. “In the house, we can act how we want. But in public, I expect you to appear affectionate toward me.”

“Are you sure you can stand my touch for extended periods of time?”

“It’ll push me to my limits, but I’ll make do.” I step into her walk-in closet and open the door on the other end.

She halts. “You built a hidden door to another room? In a closet?!”

“Yes.”

“But why?”

“Because I was preparing for something like this.” The words slip past my lips easily.

“Wait.” She holds up her hand. “People prepare for fake marriages?”

“It’s to be expected once you reach a certain tax bracket.”

Her nose crinkles. “That’s gross.”

“No. It’s life.”

She stares at me with parted lips. I turn around and enter the second bedroom. The colors complement my master suite, but instead of blues, the walls are covered in a pale yellow.

“This is beautiful.” One of her hands traces the lacy bedspread. The room is large, with its own sitting area, bathroom, and windows overlooking the expansive backyard.

“You can decorate it however you want. I only ask that you keep on top of cleaning since the housekeeper isn’t permitted to enter.”

She looks up at me. “You’ve really thought of everything, haven’t you?”

“Everything except for you.”

“Looks like Iris is making herself at home. I’m sure you love that.” Cal assesses one of the plants she added to the corner of our living room. My home has slowly turned into a nursery, with new plants arriving every day to fill empty corners and blank walls.

I ignore him as I take a sip of my drink. “How is the progress on your part of Grandfather’s will?”

He shrugs. “What’s the rush? It’s not like you’re becoming CEO

tomorrow.”

“No, but if I have my way, I will be by the end of the year.”

His brows rise. “Does Iris know about this accelerated timeline?”

“She knew the deal when she signed the contract.”

His brows jump. “Doesn’t mean she’s ready to have a child right now.”

“Good thing she will have an additional nine months to warm up to the idea then.”

A noise gets trapped in the back of his throat. “And here we thought marrying her would humanize you a bit.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because you respect her.”

“I do.” Her ability to work by my side as a resource rather than a hindrance already puts her leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else. She is quick on her feet and willing to go above and beyond to ensure I’m successful, even if it means marrying me and having my child. I couldn’t pay for that kind of loyalty. I tried, but after scaring off multiple fiancées, I’m well aware of how much I need Iris. If she thinks we will become the best of friends because of it, then so be it.