You're The One (Very Irresistible Bachelors 1)

Josie

While at the spa, I tried to occupy my brain with an upcoming case. It didn’t really work. My thoughts kept drifting to Hunter. We’d been living together barely a week, and everything was already awkward. I could feel our friendship changing, metamorphosing into something I couldn’t define. I could only see this tension escalating.

We were adults, we both had needs, and a three-year dry spell wasn’t exactly plausible, was it? And still, I didn’t want to go back on that. We could be careful, of course. We wouldn’t have to be seen in public at all with other people and the immigration services would be none the wiser. But the truth was, I couldn’t bear the thought of smelling another woman’s perfume on Hunter. Of hearing him come home in the morning and knowing he’d been with someone else. This already felt more real than it was supposed to.

I felt more confused when I arrived home than when I’d left. I lingered a little outside, not quite ready to go in. This place was just beautiful, with the mix of colors and explosion of smells: a gardening company had brought pots with anemones and freesias, laying them on the steps in front of the house. In the hot summer night, the smell felt more intense, somehow, perhaps because of the humidity.

Tearing my gaze away from the flowers, I headed toward the front door, finally gathering the courage to push it open.

When I stepped inside, I sighed. It smelled absolutely mouthwatering.

Hunter was in the kitchen, cooking steaks.

“Hey!” I greeted.

He winked. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Want me to set the table?”

“Already done.”

I squinted. “Are you trying to bribe me again?”

He chuckled. “Just wanted to cook you dinner, future Mrs. Caldwell.”

“What?”

“What what?”

“There will be no future Mrs. Caldwell. I’m keeping my name.”

Hunter set down the steak fork, frowning. “No, you’re not.”

“I can’t believe we’re arguing about this the day before the wedding. A real couple would have discussed this ahead of time. How the hell are we going to pull this off?”

“You’re gonna take my name, and that’s that.” His voice was dominant, but he didn’t think I’d just relent, did he? I liked making Hunter happy, but I did have some solid reasons for sticking to my guns.

“No, I’m not.”

“No one would believe I couldn’t convince my wife to take my name.”

“I’m not going to the hassle of changing my name only to change it back in three years.”

“Josie....”

“Don’t Josie me. It’s not negotiable.”

He tilted his head, a twinkle appearing in his eyes. “Everything is negotiable.”

“You’re so full of yourself. There is no guarantee a real fiancée would want to take your name.”

“I would convince her.”

“How?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

He was looking at me with the same fire as this afternoon. Clearly, the hours apart had not only not extinguished it, but stoked it.