She wasn’t overdone in the least, just… stunning. Was it the white? The cut that emphasized her chest?

Her dress was sexy in its attempt to be subtle and nearly sweet. It was the nearly that had me unable to form words. That and the expanse of soft-looking skin between her shoulders and the neckline.

“Wow,” I finally managed. I glanced down at myself and felt outclassed by my bride.

I guess that was how it should be. I sure as hell would be happy to have her on my arm.

“It’s time,” she said, flashing me a smile.

There was not a hint of vulnerability on her face. She looked calm and confident, as if she’d just signed a billion-dollar contract for her business. That was the side of Chloe that had always blown me away most. Looking at her now, you’d never know she had any insecurities. I knew she hid her self-doubt from just about everyone but me. The real Chloe was somewhere in the middle, with an exterior shell of steel and soft insides.

As I stood looking at the woman who was going to be my wife in name only, it hit me that I wanted more. I was attracted to her. I wasn’t having trouble because there was a woman in my bed; I was having trouble because Chloe was in my bed.

There was no longer any denying that Chloe Abrams, soon-to-be Henry, got my blood pumping.

The deal between us had nothing to do with blood or anything else pumping. We might not be in love with each other, but I couldn’t deny that, as of this moment, I was open to anything.

The next year was either going to be fun in more ways than I had expected or it was going to be the longest, most painful twelve months of my life.

Chapter 12

Chloe

Twelve minutes later, Holden and I were husband and wife.

We’d elected to exchange vows and rings. And when the justice of the peace had asked if he wanted to kiss his bride, Holden’s brows had floated up, his grin had widened, and he’d pulled me into him before I could prepare myself and kissed me till my legs went weak, which, I’ll be honest, took approximately two-point-two seconds. It didn’t matter what the justice of the peace thought, but I felt confident the guy believed we were madly in love, based on the show Holden put on.

The photographer had been waiting on the courthouse steps as promised, and not only had she been organized and efficient but she’d made it easy to forget we weren’t a couple madly in love, what with all the gazing into each other’s eyes and the traditional “in love” poses. Holden had acted fully into it and made it fun instead of awkward.