This was all Charlotte’s fault, dammit.
He had fucking told her exactly what he wanted, and that was someone boring and biddable. Someone without any personality and whose smile wouldn’t make him think of sunshine and sex all in the same breath.
Boring and biddable, goddammit.
That was what he had asked for.
So why the fuck had Charlotte sent him someone bodacious and beddable instead?.
Chapter 3
Tilly jumped off the bar stool as soon as the billionaire strode inside the kitchen, which was this massive, industrial-looking beauty with all the necessary bells and whistles. It was twice as large as her entire apartment actually, but as soon as Logan Hardwall walked in, his presence immediately made the kitchen feel cramped and claustrophobic.
Or maybe it was just her being horny?
Tilly quickly summoned a smile as he slid into the stool next to her. “Hello again. I hope you like tomato soup.”
Logan saw that there was only a single placemat on the counter. “You’re not having any?”
“I’ll just have tea if that’s okay?”
“Of course.” He took a sip and was pleasantly surprised. “This is good,” he said gruffly.
Tilly beamed. “If you’re wondering what makes this soup different,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper, “the secret ingredient is cheese.”
“Illuminating.”
She choked back a giggle at his dry response, but she was secretly relieved. The man had a sense of humor. For someone like her who lived by the ‘laughter is the best medicine’ mantra, that was a very, very good thing.
When he finished the entire thing, she said eagerly, “There’s more if you want?”
“If it’s not too trouble…”
“Of course.” Tilly made short work of heating the rest of the soup she had set aside, her movements in the kitchen depicting assurance and grace despite the rather unnerving sensation of having the billionaire’s gaze following her every movement.
Because there couldn’t be any mistake this time.
He was staring at her, and she just didn’t know what it meant, considering what she knew of him.
After signing the mail-order wedding contract Heart’s Match had brokered, she had subsequently received two letters in her mailbox. The first had been from Charlotte, the agency’s CEO, and apparently Logan’s childhood friend as well.
I’m breaking company rules by writing this, but since it’s my friend’s happiness at stake, and I truly hope your marriage would work…
Logan has a habit of isolating himself from people by acting – okay, by being – cold and aloof. From what I can tell, the guys and I, and the women they’ve married, are the only ones he’s lowered his guard with.
He thinks of marriage as a business, and all his life he’s only let himself date a certain type of woman. Usually, they’re doctors, lawyers, accountants – “smart” women, extremely polished, and socially savvy. He thinks his future wife must be an asset to his business.
I have no idea what’s going to happen when you two finally meet for the first time, but just remember…Logan has had a lifetime to living like some kind of cold-blooded machine, and every decision he makes is based on how much money it would bring him.
It may not seem obvious now, but who you are as a person is exactly the kind of wife Logan needs.
The second letter had been an even bigger surprise, since it was from Mrs. Devon Montgomery herself.
Thank you so much for warning me about what Caryn intended to do. It was something you didn’t have to do in the first place, and you even stood to lose your job by doing it. I know it’s not much, now that you are about to marry Logan, but I’d like to let you know my husband and I are truly grateful for what you’ve done. So if there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either of us.
And as for Logan…I’ve always found him to be courteous and kind, but I think this also has to do with the fact that I’m Devon’s wife. There are times though, when I think he has the saddest eyes, so perhaps…you’re the one to make him smile?
My own marriage had a very rocky start, and there was a time I even had to leave Devon, thinking there would be no hope for us. But we’ve obviously worked things out, and I do hope and pray it will be the same for you. I very much trust Charlotte’s instincts with these things; if she believes you are the one for Logan, then I believe in this, too.
Your new friend for life,
Harry
P.S. Logan’s heart may seem like it’s made of the toughest, coldest ice, but even the smallest fire can make it melt. You just need to keep the fire burning long enough for the ice to thaw.
Remembering that last line almost made Tilly smile. It wouldn’t have surprised her if Harry had become a lot more sophisticated after marrying a billionaire, but with her adorably cheesy postscript claiming otherwise, Tilly could allow herself to believe that maybe what Harry had said was true.