Alex My condo at the St. Regis was too damn quiet. I didn’t notice it so much until Nate walked in, stamping snow off his boots and scanning the space like he expected to find someone else here. Suddenly, the lack of another person seemed jarring, the silence absolute. Because there wasn’t anyone else. It was just me. As always. A fact he seemed to process as he slid out of his coat and brushed past me after I st epped aside to let him in. Wordlessly, he crossed the room to the kitchen, his head turning from one side to the other like he was still trying to work out if I was really alone. It had been three days since the wedding. Three days since I’d dropped Jane off in front of her home and watched her walk up the st eps without looking back, and I hadn’t spoken to my wife since. That alone should have told me something was wrong. The fact that she wasn’t here sure seemed to say that to Nate, but he didn’t mention it, setting a folder down on the kitchen island instead. “Zach forced that Thayer board member he was working on into a cushy retirement.” I nodded, cocking a hip against the counter and folding my arms. “That didn’t take long at all.” “It didn’t,” he agreed, but his eyes stayed on mine for another beat before he looked around again, then paused, sighed, and brought his gaze back to mine. “Are you okay?” I frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be?” He shrugged. “You seem distracted.” I scoffed, but the sound rang hollow even to my own ears. If I was honest, distracted didn’t begin to cover it. Jane had been a constant presence in my head since the courthouse. Since dinner. Since I’d watched her disappear behind that brownstone door and hadn’t heard from her since. I couldn’t work without thinking about her. Couldn’t sle ep without remembering how she challenged me instead of shrinking. The way she looked at me like she saw straight through the businessman to whoever the hell lived inside. The only thing that had made the total radio silence bearable was the fact that the gala was tomorrow night. We’d been on the same page that we needed to attend together, which meant that I would be seeing her again in less than twenty-four hours.
Even so, it was ridiculous how much I’d been thinking about her, even catching myself wondering what she was going to wear. Why am I thinking about that? It’s not like I care. “Distracted, huh?” Nate arched an eyebrow at me. “You’re sure that’s all it is? Because you don’t seem like yourself at all, bro. Not enjoying your honeymoon?” “I’ll be fine.” I forced myself to uncross my arms and waved him off, suddenly unable to remember what I usually did with my hands. To give them something to do so he’d stop asking about me, I headed over to the cabinet and pulled out two glasses. “There’s just a lot going on.” “Yeah, sure.” He watched me pour us each two fingers of scotch and took the glass I handed over, but didn’t bring it to his lips. “What are your plans with Jane for tonight?” I glanced at him. “What do you mean?” His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” “She’s busy,” I said automatically. “I’m busy. Why would we have plans?” Nate took a long sip of his scotch, his eyes narrowing on mine. “Isn’t she your wife?” “Yes.” “And I don’t see her here.” “That’s because she doesn’t live here,” I said, perhaps a beat too fast. “Yet.” The word lingered in the air between us, implying expectation. A future. But I wasn’t sure it would ever come to pass. I was so conflicted about what to do next that I just wasn’t doing anything. Not my usual style at all, but this was starting to feel so much more complicated than necessary. My brother picked up on that little conundrum without skipping a beat. “So we’re just... not going to see or speak to her?” “I’m sure we’ll cross paths,” I said. “When?” “At the gala.” He stared at me. “That’s tomorrow.” “Yes.” “So nothing tonight?” “I told you, we’re both busy.” I exhaled slowly. “I don’t need to hover over her.” “That’s not what I’m suggesting.” “What are you suggesting, then?” “That you don’t know what you’re doing or what the next move is,” he said evenly. “Which is new for you.” I groaned. “This isn’t exactly a normal situation, Nathaniel. Everything about it is fucking new.” He put his hands up, his head shaking slightly before he took another sip of scotch. “I know, but you’d better figure it out and fast.” I ran a hand through my hair, glancing at the snow falling outside my kitchen window. De ep down—hell, not even that de ep down—I knew he was right. Jane and I would have to figure this out, and the sooner the better, but fuck.
It wasn’t easy. She had her reasons for not wanting to move in together and I respected them, but at the same time, this situation we had going on right now wasn’t sustainable. “Dad’s already talking about grandkids,” Nate added casually. “He’s chomping at the bit at the prospect of you having a son.” I shot him a look but stopped short of actually admitting that I was nowhere near consummating my marriage, let alone thinking about children. But I wasn’t surprised my dad had gone there. No doubt her mom was wondering about it too. We were married now, right? To people of a certain age, that meant kids were the next logical st ep, regardless of our situation or our own feelings about it. None of which, however, was Nate’s fault. “Jane and I haven’t even spoken about procreation yet. Drop it.” “Sure,” he said. “I’d get ready for the questions if I was you, though.” I nodded slowly and took a long sip of my scotch. The smooth liquid slid down my throat, relaxing me slightly. “This marriage is strategic. Dad has to cool his fucking jets and let us get the Thayer acquisition finalized. We can deal with everything else after that.” Nate studied my face. “Just be careful not to treat her like part of the acquisition, Alex. No matter how you got into this thing, she’s still your wife now. If you’re going to make a go of this, it’ll help if you’re on the same team.” “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” I held his gaze, then sighed when he didn’t back down. “I wouldn’t treat her like property. You know me.” “That’s why I’m worried you’re going to screw this up. Despite having met her because of the job, she’s not a part of it, Alex. Remember that.” He shook his arm out a little, then glanced at his watch and drained his drink. He set his empty glass back down on the counter, grabbed his coat, and straightened up. “I’ve got to get going. I’m meeting Will for dinner. All the paperwork for that deal he made is in the folder. I think he crossed all the t’s, but look it over and let me know if we’re missing anything.” “Happy to help.” I nodded and walked him to the door. “I could use the distraction from my marriage.” After he left, the condo felt even emptier. I stood by the window, my reflection staring back at me. It was no wonder Nate had been worried. Even people who didn’t know me would be able to see that I was completely off kilter. Three days married. Three days without hearing her voice. It’s fine, though. Space is healthy. Especially in a situation like ours. I’ll see her tomorrow and we’ll talk. Probably.
My phone felt heavy in my pocket as I drummed my fingers against my thigh. I pulled it out, mostly so I could stop feeling the weight of it, but now that the seemingly inoffensive, innocent black rectangle was in my hand, I couldn’t stop staring at it. This is fucking insane. I closed billion-dollar deals without blinking. I dismantled boards before breakfast and rerouted legacies on my way out of the office. Yet calling my wife—my actual, legal wife—felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, wondering how badly it was going to hurt if I jumped. Grow some balls, Westwood. Fuck space. Before I could change my mind, I scrolled to her number and hit call. She answered on the third ring. “Jane Thayer,” she said crisply, ever the professional. “Did we ever discuss you changing your last name?” I asked. She hissed out a breath that wasn’t quite a sigh but sounded more like she was bracing herself. “No, and we’re not discussing it now.” Background noise filtered through the line, shouts, a sharp whistle, and people yelling things that sounded vaguely threatening, but enthusiastic. I frowned. “What are you doing? It sounds like you’re in a cage match.” She snorted. “You’re close, actually.” “An MMA fight?” I teased. “If that’s your thing, I can get us seats in Vegas.” “I’m at my brother’s wrestling meet,” she said dryly. “It’s not MMA and it’s not the kind of wrestling with cage matches.” I blinked back my surprise. “Just plain old wrestling?” “Yes.” “Like, high school wrestling? You’re watching children fight?” “Well, technically, yes, but it’s a competition, not a street fight.” “Where is this happening?” She named an inner-city high school I’d never been within five miles of, but then there was a pause and I could practically hear the moment she realized what she’d just done. “It’s almost over,” she said quickly. “Do not come here.” I cut her off before her protests could gain momentum. “I’ll see you soon.” “Alex—” Without letting her finish the thought, I said goodbye and hung up, and less than half an hour later, I was standing in the doorway of a public high school gymnasium, a first for me in more ways than one. Inhaling the unfamiliar scent of sweat, popcorn, and industrial-strength chemicals masquerading as cleaner, I looked out at the meet. The bleachers were packed with families, banners hanging crooked from the rafters, the atmosphere loud, alive, and chaotic in a way I wasn’t used to. Finally, however, as I searched the stands, I saw my wife.
Jane sat halfway up with her elbows on her knees, leaning forward with an expression of intent focus on her face. She was in jeans with a soft sweater, her hair pulled back in a no-nonsense tie that exposed the elegant line of her neck. As far as I could tell, she wasn’t wearing any makeup and she was damn beautiful. It looked like she was comfortable here, just being herself, supporting her brother. I forgot how to breathe for a second as I watched her, not looking like a CEO, or a takeover weapon, or even my wife right now. She just looked like someone who belonged exactly where she was, shouting encouragement at a teenage boy currently trying to throw another teenage boy onto a mat. These kids were not messing around. Hell, if he could find some popcorn and a beer, it wouldn’t be a bad way to spend an evening. The company wouldn’t be so terrible either. It was illuminating, really, seeing her like this, and for a few long seconds, all I could do was stare, awed by this side of her. I finally managed to shake myself out of it and climbed the bleachers toward her. I was two st eps away when she finally noticed me. Annoyance rippled across her features as she gave me a glare sharp enough to draw blood. “I told you not to come.” “And I chose not to listen,” I said, taking the empty spot beside her. “How’s he doing?” She ignored the question and leaned back, crossing her arms but still ke eping a careful eye on the boys on the mat. “You didn’t have to come.” “I wanted to.” “Okay, but for the record, me answering a question about where I was does not equal an invitation.” She sighed, but after another beat, she nodded at the boy on the left. “That’s Wyatt.” I followed her gaze to a tall, broad-shouldered kid, all muscle and nerves. He glanced up at the stands and frowned when his eyes landed on me. Realizing he had no clue who I was, I lifted my chin in a nod. His confusion de epened, but it didn’t last long before his attention was back on his opponent. The kid had the eye of the tiger. Or was that just for boxing? Whatever the case, the kid looked like he could suplex a minivan, and I didn’t envy his opponent. The energy of place was infectious, and now that I had someone to root for, I leaned forward and clapped my hands together. “Come on, Wyatt!” Jane shot me a mildly confused, mildly unimpressed look. “Do not distract him.” “Hush, I’m cheering for my brother-in-law.” She frowned at that, and I chuckled quietly, hidden in the noise of the crowd. I k ept watching the boys, a veteran at cheering on younger
siblings, and actually found myself getting immersed in his match. Wyatt and the other kid grappled and broke apart, neither one able to find an advantage, but when the kid came at him again, Wyatt grunted, shifted his weight, and executed a clean takedown, pinning him. The gym erupted and I was on my feet before I even realized I was about to move, clapping and cheering with everyone else. “Yes! Go, Wyatt!” Jane laughed as she stared up at me. “You don’t even know the rules.” I shrugged. “No steel chairs. That’s one rule.” She shook her head. “You’re thinking of the other wrestling.” “So steel chairs are allowed here?” I grinned at her and she scowled in response. Soon after, Wyatt ended up on the podium, flushed and grinning as he waved at the crowd. His eyes found us again, and this time, he smiled and waved directly at me too. On instinct, I raised a fist to his victory and waved back. Jane must’ve noticed the quick exchange because she was looking at me in a way that was a lot less guarded when we sat back down. “He doesn’t know about us,” she said quietly. “About the marriage?” I clarified. “Not that or anything else.” Following some kind of instinct I hadn’t known I’d developed, I glanced down at her hand for the first time since I’d arrived, finding her ring finger bare. There was a vague imprint there, like she’d been wearing it until very recently, but still. For now, it was gone. “Is that why you’re not wearing your ring tonight?” She hesitated just long enough to let me know I’d hit the nail on the head. Without even thinking about it, I reached out and brushed my thumb over the faint, raw imprint, and she didn’t pull away. We both froze at the contact though, unexpected electricity passing between us as our gazes locked, our hands still joined. “He’s young,” she said after a moment, her voice steady despite the tension humming between us. “He won’t understand, but I’ll tell him when it feels right.” “Okay.” That was it. Just okay, because it was okay. I got where she was coming from, and although a part of me wished things could be different, they weren’t. Where Wyatt was concerned, it wasn’t about strategy. He was her brother, her family, and if she wasn’t ready to tell him, I wasn’t about to argue about it. The meet ended after Wyatt st epped off the podium and people started bundling up in their coats before spilling out into the cold. Jane stood and reached into her purse, pulling out her phone. “We usually get burgers after this.” I saw her thumb hover over the screen, the Uber app already glowing. Immediately reaching for her again, I closed my fingers gently around her wrist and shook my head
when she glanced up at me with confusion shimmering in her eyes. “That won’t be necessary,” I said, aware that I was once again inviting myself, but something told me this ritual with her brother was important to her. I wanted to be there, to get to know who she was with him, her family, who was now also mine. “I’ll drive.” Either this could prove to be a turning point in our relationship and we’d finally start figuring out who and what we could be together while we were married, or I’d just made a mistake and slammed the first nail into our coffin. Perhaps pushing too hard would end up pushing her clean away, but at this point, all I knew was that I had to do something—and this was the opportunity I was being presented with.