Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
At night, I’d cook if Jared was running late, or if he got home early enough, we’d cook together. We’d listen to music on low and chat about our days as we made dinner and ate. Usually, we’d curl up on the couch after and watch some TV. Then, alone in our room, we always seemed to be in absolute sync. The sex was either adventurous and passionate or it was sweet and sexy and slow.
Either way, it was the best sex of my life. More intimate than anything I’d ever experienced.
And as much as I loved our sex life … I think I might have loved waking up next to Jared even more.
Sometimes I couldn’t believe how lucky I’d gotten. How we’d signed up to a fake marriage only for it to turn into a relationship I’d never dreamed I’d one day have. I’d always been envious of Aria and North, of Sloane and Walker. Of Sarah and Theo. Of all the Adairs and their partners. It was incredible to find so many truly happy couples in one place. No way could I be that lucky, right? They’d used it all up.
But they hadn’t.
I’d found some luck just for me.
I was thinking all this as Jared and I strolled into Ardnoch Castle with Walker and Sloane. Usually Walker would work at an Ardnoch event, but Aria had wanted him and Sloane to attend as guests, and for once, they’d agreed. Sloane had confessed she hadn’t gotten the chance to dress up in a while and fancied getting out of the house. As gruff as Walker was, he’d pretty much do anything to make his wife happy, so he’d agreed to escort her to the party, and Monroe and Brodan, who had decided not to attend, were babysitting Harry.
Feeling Jared stiffen a little beneath my hand, I looked up at him. His face was set in a neutral expression, but there was a hardness along his jaw that suggested more tension.
The great hall was packed with guests in summery cocktail and evening wear. A band was set up on a small stage in the corner, and the pop singer Koda belted out her latest number one single. It didn’t surprise me that my sister had managed to snag a megastar to perform at an Ardnoch party. There was a very good reason Lachlan Adair had left the running of the estate to Aria. My sister was excellent at her job.
However, as staff in tailcoats and white gloves moved around the guests, offering glasses of champagne and hors d’oeuvres, I realized how this must all look to Jared.
Like it was another world.
One he didn’t feel comfortable in.
The truth was neither did I, but at least I was used to it. “You okay?”
Jared glanced down at me. “Aye, I’m fine.”
We weren’t just putting in an appearance at the party for Aria’s sake. Tonight was the first night Jared would meet my parents in real life. They’d arrived in Scotland yesterday. Together they’d stay at the beach house for a week before Dad flew off to work on whatever film was up next while Mamma stayed on the estate for at least a month. Her time here was spent mostly walking on the beach and luxuriating in the spa, but she loved it. She said it reenergized her for returning to the States. My mother usually spent fall in our family penthouse in Manhattan.
“Allegra?”
The male voice drew our heads to the left. I immediately felt awkward. Pasting on a friendly smile, I turned, not letting go of Jared, to greet the handsome man. “Taka.”
If Jared was tense before, he went stiff as a board.
Taka Aikawa. My hookup buddy.
The gorgeous, suave Japanese American actor was killin’ it with one hit miniseries after another, so I was surprised he had time to spend at Ardnoch this year. I really hadn’t expected to see him or I would have prepared Jared. Taka’s dark gaze darted up and down my body with familiarity. “You look great.”
“You too. Taka, this is my husband, Jared. Jared, this is an old friend, Taka.”
“Husband. Right! I heard about that.” Taka reached out a hand to Jared. “Hey, man, congrats. You caught a good one.”
I really thought Jared wasn’t going to shake his hand, but to my relief he took it firmly (maybe a tad too firmly) in his and gave it a pump.
At his silent greeting, Taka’s smile wavered as Jared released him. He stretched out his fingers absentmindedly as he focused on me again. “Do you remember the weekend we met in Santorini? The Greek fisherman Quinn was obsessed with?” He referred to a long weekend I’d spent with him and his best friend Quinn on the Greek island two years ago.
“Yes …”
“He finally convinced him to move to New York. Took him two years, but perseverance.”