Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” she mutters, crossing her arms.
I shrug, still riding the high of having an excuse to touch her. “What can I say? I make a pretty convincing husband. And face it, you don’t exactly hate it when I put my hands on you in front of them.”
Her gaze sharpens. “We’re not actually married, Poe. And we’re definitely not going on a real double date.”
“Tell that to Tammy and Mark. They already think we’re the hottest new couple on the block.” I step closer again, lowering my voice. “Besides, it’s a chance to get out. Fresh air. Good food.”
She looks away, jaw tight.
I keep going, soft but serious. “I saw your face in the office. You get why I stopped. That system protects people. Innocent people. If there’s even a small part of you that doesn’t want to hand all that over to Serafina, then maybe we’re not as different as we think.”
Orchid exhales slowly, eyes flicking back to mine. For a second the mask slips again and I see something real underneath. Conflict. Exhaustion. Maybe even a flicker of the same pull I feel every time we get too close.
She shakes her head. “You’re reading too much into it. My job is to make sure you deliver. That’s all.” But her voice is quieter than usual.
I don’t push harder. Not yet. Instead I let my gaze drop to her mouth for a beat, remembering how close we came earlier. “Friday night could be interesting. You in a dress. Me playing the doting husband again. Might even get a chance to do this properly.” I reach out and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers brush her cheek.
She doesn’t pull away immediately. Her breath catches, just barely.
I smile, slow and careful. “I won’t push anything you don’t want. But I wouldn’t mind kissing my wife goodnight if the moment feels right.”
Orchid’s eyes darken. She opens her mouth like she’s about to argue, then closes it again. The tension from the training session is still humming between us, mixed now with the promise of Friday night and the small crack I just saw in her armor.
She finally steps back, but there’s no real force behind it. “We should go inside. You still have work to do.”
“Yeah,” I say, letting her have the retreat. “But I’m looking forward to Friday. A lot.”
As we head back toward the house, I catch her glancing at me sideways. There’s heat there. Curiosity. Maybe even the start of something that feels dangerously close to trust.
I don’t know what Serafina really wants with Maddox’s system. I don’t know how deep Orchid is in all this. But I do know one thing.
Friday night is going to be my best chance yet to get a message to Ozzy, to find out what the team knows about Enley, and to see just how far I can push the beautiful, conflicted woman walking beside me before one of us finally gives in.
And if I get to act like her husband again, get to touch her, get to make her blush in front of other people?
I’ll take every single fucking second of it.
Because in this cage, those small moments of pretending are starting to feel like the only real thing I have left.
FOURTEEN
ORCHID
The black cocktail dress hugs my body like it was made for trouble. Simple, sleeveless, hem hitting just above the knee, with a subtle slit that shows a flash of thigh when I move. I smooth my hands down the fabric one last time, staring at my reflection in the bedroom mirror. Hair down and loose in soft waves, a touch of red on my lips, heels that make my legs look endless. I look good. Sexy, even.
And I hate how much I like it.
I haven’t dressed like this for anyone in years. Tonight is supposed to be work. A performance. But when I step out of my room and start down the stairs, Poe is waiting at the bottom in a dark button-down and slacks that fit him far too well. His eyes lift to me and the heat in them is immediate. Raw. Unfiltered. His gaze drags slowly from my heels up my legs, over the curve of my hips, lingering on the neckline before settling on my face.
“Wow,” he whispers.
Something warm and dangerous curls low in my stomach. I like the way he looks at me. I like it too much. For one reckless second I imagine him walking up those stairs, backing me against the wall, and ruining this dress before we even leave the house.
I push the thought down hard. “Ready?” I ask, keeping my voice cool as I reach the bottom step.
Poe clears his throat, but his eyes are still dark. “You look… damn.” He steps closer, close enough that I catch the clean scent of his aftershave. “Really damn good.”