The Reluctant Bride (Arranged Marriage #1)(11)

When I finally dare look into Perry’s eyes again, I see that they’re still blazing with emotion. Not as much anger anymore, though.

No, now I see interest there. Intrigue. Curiosity.

I feel the same about him.

I will never let him see it though.

“Let’s sit,” Mother announces.

We both settle back into our chairs as Caroline and Perry sit across from us. His legs are so long and our table is so narrow that his knees bump into mine once.

Then again, sending a shockwave rippling through me.

Just from his knee touching mine.

“Sorry,” he says clearly, one side of his mouth quirked up the slightest bit.

“Sorry for what, dear?” his mother asks, turning to look at him with an adoring gaze. I wonder if he’s her favorite.

I wonder what that feels like.

“I keep bumping into my fiancée,” he says, waving at me with long, elegant fingers. I wish I could grab his hand and study those rings. They’re…interesting. “Under the table.”

Caroline turns her gaze upon me. “You’ll have to excuse my son. He doesn’t mean to be so clumsy.”

“He already apologized,” I say, wondering why she said that. Does she think it’s her job to speak for him? He’s a grown man.

Weird.

The mothers chat while I study the menu, sneaking glances at Perry every few seconds. I can sense him doing the same, though every time I glance up, his blond head is bent, his long eyelashes making me the tiniest bit jealous as he scans the open menu in front of him. At one point I’m openly staring at him and he lifts his head, his arresting blue eyes meeting mine and I just gape at him for a moment.

“Have you eaten here before?” he asks, lifting a brow.

I don’t like men who can lift a brow like that. Men who are handsome and know it, men who exude confidence, radiate arrogance. They can’t be trusted.

No man can. Not really.

“No,” I finally answer. “Can’t say that I have.”

“Me either.” He slaps his menu shut. “Been engaged before?”

“Can’t say that I’ve done that either,” I answer him, my voice light. Like this is a completely normal conversation. “How about you?”

“I haven’t even been in a serious relationship,” he retorts, leaning back in his chair in a rather insolent way.

Ugh. He’s too attractive. Too comfortable in his own skin, which I find completely aggravating.

“Same.” I carefully close my menu, resting my linked hands on top of it. “We need to figure out a way to talk. Communicate without…”

I tilt my head in the mothers’ direction.

He nods once, his expression impassive. “Open communication will help us.”

“Definitely.” I hesitate for only a moment. “I get the sense that you’re not particularly agreeable with this—situation.”

“I don’t necessarily agree with it, no.”

My shoulders practically sag with relief. “Me either. It’s the very last thing I want to do. I’m too young.”

“So am I.” His gaze narrows. “I don’t even know you.”

“I don’t know you either. I won’t settle for marrying a stranger.”

“They say the contract has already been signed.” He leans forward, as if he’s about to offer a delicious secret. “And it’s ironclad.”

That wasn’t delicious. In fact, that was downright unappealing, what he just shared. “We’re involved in this contract, yet we didn’t sign anything?”

“Oh, that’s coming,” Perry says with all that self-assuredness only an overconfident man would display. “I’ve seen the documents. We’ll have to sign all kinds of things, including an NDA.”

Of course, there’s an NDA. Can’t worry about us blabbing all the family secrets to the media.

“What if I refuse?” I raise my brows.

He shifts forward again, resting his forearms on the table, his face coming closer and closer, until I can smell him again. It should be criminal, to smell as good as this man does. “They won’t let you refuse. You’re stuck with me.”

“Then what’s the point of communicating without—” I incline my head toward the meddling mothers again. “—them being involved if we’re unable to get ourselves out of this?”

“Fair point,” he says with a nod. “Perhaps we could fix things to work in our favor?”

“How?” I don’t see how any of this could work in my favor. I’m stuck in an impossible situation. Engagement photo sessions and parties and weddings? That sounds…

Awful.

“Darlings,” my mother says, causing both of us to snap to attention. “We’ve been discussing the idea of finding you a new home. A place to call your own.”

Here’s where I can’t lie—I like the idea of getting away from my parents once and for all. Though I will miss Jasper, the family butler who I’ve grown quite close to over the years.

I suppose as long as I have Doja and all of my things, I’ll be happy wherever I end up.

Hmm. Maybe.

An idea forms, and I glance over at Perry. Maybe I can use him and our marriage as a way to get out from under my father’s control once and for all. He won’t care what I’m doing once my name changes to Constantine. He’ll probably forget I even exist.