Wicked As He Comes (Tiger in Her Bed)

Jane grabbed his clothes and thrust them in his arms. She was too mortified to answer. Caught in a compromising situation by her brothers. Her younger brothers. Those innocent children. She was beyond embarrassed. Especially when George could guess what they were about to do.

And where did George learn such thing, anyway?

Ugh. She needed to screen his reading materials from now on.

“Good night, John.”

She closed the door on him.

* * *

She couldn’t sleep a wink that night. After putting the twins to bed, she retreated to John’s room to rest for the night. Her new husband left after he said goodnight to the boys, saying he had some business he had to take care of. She didn’t ask and John didn’t offer explanation. She still couldn’t overcome a wall of awkwardness between them, even though John made himself fit in her life effortlessly.

Twenty-four hours ago, John Alexander was still a stranger.

And now, he was her husband.

Husband.

Jane wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. She hadn’t calculated that her plan would take this dramatic detour. She’d thought John would begrudgingly agree to marry her in secret, and then after some time, he’d consent to a quiet divorce. She had presented him with her terms that she didn’t want any monetary support from him during and after the marriage ended and with his most charming smile, he flat-out rejected.

What kind of man willingly went along with being blackmailed? With no prenup, she could get away with half of his assets once they got divorced.

But then he told her divorce was out of the question. Once he married, he married for life. Be careful what you wish for, he’d said. You’re stuck with me, for better or for worse, ‘till death do us part.

Jane pulled up the comforter up to her chin. Staring at the ceiling, she wondered why the prospect excited her? It wasn’t because of his wealth or his fame. It was because, well, he was John Alexander. He was quick to smile, with a warm disposition, and yet beneath his debonair persona, he seemed dangerous to boot. In a way, it added to his charm.

Husband…

She was clearly in way over her head with this blackmailing business. Was John serious about making this marriage work? Did he really have feelings for her?

How could he develop feelings for someone that easily? Considering his reputation, it felt like this marriage was nothing but a game for him.

He kept telling her it was love at first sight, but he had to be joking. But then again, she had a hunch he was serious. If he was joking, he wouldn’t bring her and the twins to live with his mother and all that talk about a grand wedding.

A grand wedding. To make it official. Announcing to the world that she was his, he’d said.

Good lord. Was he serious about that? Out of nowhere, heat flooded her cheeks. Her heartbeat quickened.

Being with him made her feel some emotions she’d buried inside a long time ago. She had sworn she would never open her heart to someone again after Nick. Nick Preston, the boy who broke her heart.

Even though her father had only begrudgingly claimed her, she was brought up in a ritzy environment. However, her status followed her and made her an outcast among the children of the elites.

In her sophomore year, she had a crush on a popular boy in school; Nick Preston was everything that she wasn’t. Then, one day, Nick asked her out on a date. She thought dreams did come true. They dated for about a week when Nick suddenly broke it off. She was devastated. And to add salt to the wound, she found out that Nick only dated her because he’d lost a bet.

The truth crushed her to the core. From that moment on, she had sworn she’d never fall in love again.

Although, she hadn’t avoided the opposite sex altogether. She had casually dated over the years, mainly for sex. But when the guy was getting serious, she’d always run.

Now that she was officially John’s wife, running seemed like it wasn’t an option.

Especially when the ice in her heart was slowly melting.

Ugh. Jane hoisted herself into a sitting position and massaged her temples.

I’m losing focus.

Falling in love wasn’t part of the game even though the man in question was her own husband. The welfare of the twins came first.