Jameson Fox
By: Nina Levine“So, because you didn’t get your way with an outlandish request for a closet the size of some people’s homes, you’re going to sulk in here?”
“I’m not sulking. I simply don’t want to sleep in the same bed as you, and I don’t see why I have to. We’re not really husband and wife, so—”
“You know why you have to sleep in there with me. Don’t be childish. It doesn’t become you.”
She moves off the bed and comes to me, her features schooled as if she’s unruffled by this conversation. I know different, though. After three months of being around her, I’ve come to know what pushes her buttons, and if there’s one thing Adeline doesn’t like, it’s being told how to behave.
“Bill isn’t going to drop by unannounced at night to check if we’re sleeping together. It’s absurd to think that. We only saw him five times during our engagement. He’s not checking up on you.”
Adeline doesn’t know Bill Johnson like I do. The man is ruthless when it comes to his business and fierce when it comes to family. The fact both are involved in this means I can’t leave anything to chance.
“Bill has eyes everywhere. I’m not taking the risk. Get your ass back in my room.”
Her glare is glacial. “Does this kind of approach work on women? Or is it your money that keeps them coming back for more?”
“It doesn’t matter what works on other women. You and I have a contract, and the terms are more than clear. I can print you a copy if you need the refresher.”
“Yes, the terms are more than clear. They state we’ll live as husband and wife for one year. And do you know what husbands and wives do, Jameson? They fight and they sleep in separate rooms. If Bill drops by, we had a fight. And if you need it to feel real, I can make that happen.”
Her tone makes it clear she’s not even close to moving that ass back to my bed.
I rest my shoulder against the doorjamb and cross my arms, settling in for the conversation she appears to want to have. “This is because I kissed you at the reception.” She was less than happy about that kiss and didn’t fail to let me know. She spent every minute after I kissed her making sure I was aware of her feelings over it.
“No, this is because I need some space. We’ve barely been apart for three months, and we’ve been together all day today. Trust me when I tell you that tomorrow morning will go a lot more smoothly if we sleep apart tonight.”
I press my lips together, unimpressed with her. “You told me you had a year in you. This doesn’t give me faith you do.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Jameson. Do you always have to be an overbearing asshole?”
I run my eyes over those long legs of hers again before pushing off from the doorjamb. “This isn’t me being an asshole, Adeline, but that can be arranged. I expect to see you in my bed in the next twenty minutes.”
Without another word, I exit the bedroom and head to my office. I need to finalize a few things before I call it a night, one of them being a tour we’re taking on our honeymoon in Italy, which we leave for tomorrow. My assistant, Shantel, emailed me an hour ago to let me know some issues with it cropped up.
I reach my office and pull out my phone as a text comes through from my brother.
Hudson: Is your dick still attached?
Me: Firmly.
Hudson: Impressive. I thought for sure she would have hacked it off by now.
I’m not a fan of texting when a conversation can be had, so I call him.
He answers the call. “You know what’s not impressive?”
“What?”
“The fact you haven’t slept with her yet. You’re losing your touch.”
“You’re forgetting the fact I married her so I could inherit a company. The minute I fuck her is the minute I lose that company.”
“How the hell do you figure that? I would have thought sex in your marriage would only help convince Bill it’s a real marriage.”
“Sex complicates relationships, and Adeline is far too fiery and impulsive to risk complicating this relationship. She wouldn’t last the year. Her emotions would get in the way.”
“I don’t agree. Have you seen how driven that woman is in business? I think she’d be able to stick out five years with you if it meant she’d get her company back. Even if you were fucking her and complicating the shit out of the marriage.”
