A Marriage of Convenience
an
f the gavel echoe
3.2 milli
-unsurprisingly-fell
thly without you." Lydia smiled as she departe
g what I w
n important client's wife and securing the item she desi
ington, Lydia's husband, a man who held domi
r gone to such l
for his
than a civil arrangement-polit
e grand hall, Raphael turned back toward th
she had been sitt
he bid for what s
d upon something ev
re she could leave, she sig
husband ended up buying
ling sweetly, but her ey
re I thought you didn't even kn
in Grace's expression
ghtly, but there was not a
aunt her-to watch her fal
ought those earrings for a movie star or some oth
ne-outwardly warm, yet beneath the surface, a
atus, they couldn't openly turn ag
tertwined, their paths ov
thood, it was about who commanded more attention, who o
poin
tifled
bother coming up
o think she had
her ever-absent husband to sudd
sic still played
azily-only to see Dana's
t n
y for a warm, weighty presenc
t the heat o
ded at that exact moment, sh
was i
u ready
iliar, like this was just another ord
nd, Grace's mind
he could, and even in three-inch heel
impossible perfection loomed
y lived with this
ment of him ha
g was a master
urteous, u
led too much, never gave away an
heavy with rain,
enough to be polit
ly lightly on her shoulder,
a slight nod toward Dana, a compo
he carried himself with the unshakable comp
the rules o
she would return the favor-esp
eyes
ue gaze was
y shifted her focus to the bridg
id, her voice
inishing up w
, standing together like this, compared to just an
momentari
s distance, Raphael Ste
mmanded attenti
been momentar
his well-timed entrance-saving her from
ion had only come
an
k to her, her ex
ty, half-narrowing her eye
what she had b
isplay-a husband and wife standing tog
nched h
rn out like this, she would have
romantic." Dana laughed lightl
for a fracti
t repeat her words
he had been badmouthi
orced a
know how t
light, casual
ing. My husband just landed
ward Raphael, her voic
at right,
utifu
tiful
ce laced
ond, Raphael's
s quickly, h
acies of these games women pla
mm
enough for her to feel the dry warmth of his touch, en
ed the urge
wanted
d lost
dn't want my husband
lled her eyes so hard
changed polite,
venue, his arm loosely around her as
already waiting
composed, swiftly
plush interior, Grace exhaled-finally free to
her face actually hurt
ately reclaimed her personal space. Th
e distant, unfamiliar
usual
erent version of
and swiftly removed her contact lenses, bli
er eyes co
the driver and the b
ch it-the faint trace
scen
ili
ightly, lips parting a
, she swallowe
er gazed out the window, watching
eople spilling out of bars, la
atmosphere inside the
h
ike the e
he silence-deep,
bring it up, let alone catc
r head, she quickl
r you bought them for, i
ng the window, as if the passing c
w furrowed ev
hed tone was genuine-or if there was
who offered explanations. H
was hi
things...
m." He paused, deliberately omitting th
ent, deliberately leavin
ing ground for envy and rivalry
ingtons had kept a low profile
of si
h
M
ifferent ack
n't press
back into word
at her from the
ut, her head tilting sl
st be
tinted window, casting a soft glow across her f
too long before he pulled it aw
g to, his attention drif
rs, elegantly
uxury, glitt
u
dding
darkened
recognition earlier that n
hat his family
, unspoken, at th