My Secretly Smitten Husband

arriage. It happene

friend gave me the rundown on

red – with everything needed to make it of

me idea. He pulled out his own

through everything, an

dence, professional independence, and personal independence. N

to the County Clerk's Office

end of it. But this "marriag

s old-school, and so was his look: 6 feet tall,

d match, visu

tra years in school, so he'd been out of grad schoo

smart, communicative, and always burie

iend Jenna, who introduced us, menti

was...

red if he mi

n messy relationships. Since I was just looking for a contract marriage, I figured

ging random people home. If he needed anyt

en kindly reminded him, "Hey, be caref

for a second, then

home from work and found him tan

he door, my bag of gr

d to leave, then remembe

'd caved to our families' pressure and

dn't afford his own place, he moved into mine – on

had every right

arms, and glared at the two o

up, smoothing her hair a

t of embarrassment. His eyes l

ch. He usually call

t awkward,

, her voice sugary sweet. "Edmund, is this your...la

use

ally around my shoulder. "Ms. Carter, l

at me as if I were a circus act. "Wife? That's

uld I be wearing the marriage li

re. To my surprise, he played along – leaning down to k

ust got married. I was planning to host a pr

arcasm dripping from my voice. "During a pandemic, you really shouldn't

ht red, perfectly ma

und Edmund's waist and playfully altering my

his waist was s

out, slamming the

ased, held up his h

hough I'd originally planned to keep my

t smile of his – it was annoyingly attractive. Why didn't he

he way, I left my grocerie

n carrying th

ze and, with a tone dripping i

you not cheat on me right under my

for the

if suddenly reali

e work materials and said it was too cold outside, so she insisted on co

After all, this was a marriage of co

you don't like w

eing 'cheated' on? We don't even have a real relationship. But

get somethin

apologetic. "Actually, I'll take care of the cl

surprisingly

s, I decided to soften up and make some smal

Probably not," Edmund r

anted to add someth

ly, this was the part where I should have said some

"Go ahead and eat something, then. My

my first sentence, but my unnece

," he said, almo

eries onto the counter and stepped as

ted. Other than exchanging basic background info and enduring polite int

irst time we'd actua

to wash vegetables, quietly watching as Edmund's cook

ething undeniably attractive a

hands. "You're going to ruin these." He then took over everything – washing

furrowed brow, he

his for?"

taste the dishe