kiss sealed the deal."
His grandmother raised an eyebrow. "Is that so, Anna?"
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to deny it, but not wanting to confirm it either, Anna simply said, "Your grandson is very persuasive."
Especially, she thought with a flush she couldn't contain, when her wrists and ankles had been bound and he'd been driving her wild with more pleasure than she'd ever thought she could feel.
"Tell me about yourself, honey."
Anna could almost feel Cole's silent sigh of relief that his grandmother had bought his story and was moving on. Barely restraining herself from elbowing him in the ribs simply for the pleasure it would bring her to hear him grunt in pain--but that would be immature and she was never immature--she said, "I'm a first-grade teacher."
"Isn't that perfect, Grandma?"
There was no helping it. Anna's eyes rolled. And she snorted aloud. And she said, "I hate it when you say that. Like I'm some sort of prize instead of a flesh-and-blood person."
"That's right, honey, he needs someone to give him hell. Women have been coddling him for too long, giving him everything he wants. You tell him."
Anna's eyes widened at his grandmother's approval and she quickly said, "I'm one of five girls."
His grandmother's smile nearly broke her heart. "I wish I could see Cole surrounded by little girls." Anna found herself blinking back tears as Eugenia turned to him. "I always knew you'd be a wonderful husband and father. The very best, just like your grandfather. Just like your father was before the accident."
And in that moment, as Cole's mouth tightened in pain, as sorrow filled his eyes, it didn't matter what he'd said to her in the car. It didn't matter that he'd lied to her every moment since they'd met.
All that mattered was comforting him.
She brushed his jaw with the fingertips of her free hand and he turned into it just enough that she could feel the pressure of his cheek against her palm.
"I'll take care of him for you."
The promise left her lips before she could stop it, before she'd even known it was on its way.
His grandmother put her hand on top of their entwined fingers. "Thank you for loving my baby, Anna. It's all I've ever wanted."
* * *
"Oh God, I shouldn't have done that." Anna wrapped her arms around her waist. She felt nauseated. Dizzy with remorse. "Your grandmother didn't deserve any of those lies, but especially mine."
Cole pulled her out of the hallway and in through the nearest door, a linen supply closet.
"You did a good thing, Anna. You made her happy. Just like I knew you would."
"But none of it was true."
"All of it is true."
"You just twisted your story to fit the situation."
"Damn it, Anna, I did see you across a crowded room. You do have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. And we really are married."
And she supposed he was right, all of those things were true. Especially since not once had he mentioned love anywhere in there, not to her, not to his grandmother.
So, then, why was she still stupid enough to long so desperately for his love?
"I can't do that again, Cole. I can't stand pretending to be someone I'm not." She hugged herself tighter. "I made good on my side of the deal. Now it's time to make good on yours." She lifted her gaze to his and held it. "I want a divorce. Today."
"What if my grandmother finds out?"
Anna shook her head. "No one knows we're married, so no one will know we got a divorce. I'm sorry. I know how hard it must be for you, but I can't keep bending my moral code for you."
"You're right. You shouldn't make the decision to stay married to me for her. Or even for me." He paused, dropped his gaze to her mouth with such desire her traitorous lips actually tingled. "You should do it for yourself."
"How could I possibly want to stay in a fake marriage to you for myself?"
The supply room suddenly seemed too small as he moved closer and she backed into a laden metal shelf.
"Remember what you said to me last night, sweet
His grandmother raised an eyebrow. "Is that so, Anna?"
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to deny it, but not wanting to confirm it either, Anna simply said, "Your grandson is very persuasive."
Especially, she thought with a flush she couldn't contain, when her wrists and ankles had been bound and he'd been driving her wild with more pleasure than she'd ever thought she could feel.
"Tell me about yourself, honey."
Anna could almost feel Cole's silent sigh of relief that his grandmother had bought his story and was moving on. Barely restraining herself from elbowing him in the ribs simply for the pleasure it would bring her to hear him grunt in pain--but that would be immature and she was never immature--she said, "I'm a first-grade teacher."
"Isn't that perfect, Grandma?"
There was no helping it. Anna's eyes rolled. And she snorted aloud. And she said, "I hate it when you say that. Like I'm some sort of prize instead of a flesh-and-blood person."
"That's right, honey, he needs someone to give him hell. Women have been coddling him for too long, giving him everything he wants. You tell him."
Anna's eyes widened at his grandmother's approval and she quickly said, "I'm one of five girls."
His grandmother's smile nearly broke her heart. "I wish I could see Cole surrounded by little girls." Anna found herself blinking back tears as Eugenia turned to him. "I always knew you'd be a wonderful husband and father. The very best, just like your grandfather. Just like your father was before the accident."
And in that moment, as Cole's mouth tightened in pain, as sorrow filled his eyes, it didn't matter what he'd said to her in the car. It didn't matter that he'd lied to her every moment since they'd met.
All that mattered was comforting him.
She brushed his jaw with the fingertips of her free hand and he turned into it just enough that she could feel the pressure of his cheek against her palm.
"I'll take care of him for you."
The promise left her lips before she could stop it, before she'd even known it was on its way.
His grandmother put her hand on top of their entwined fingers. "Thank you for loving my baby, Anna. It's all I've ever wanted."
* * *
"Oh God, I shouldn't have done that." Anna wrapped her arms around her waist. She felt nauseated. Dizzy with remorse. "Your grandmother didn't deserve any of those lies, but especially mine."
Cole pulled her out of the hallway and in through the nearest door, a linen supply closet.
"You did a good thing, Anna. You made her happy. Just like I knew you would."
"But none of it was true."
"All of it is true."
"You just twisted your story to fit the situation."
"Damn it, Anna, I did see you across a crowded room. You do have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. And we really are married."
And she supposed he was right, all of those things were true. Especially since not once had he mentioned love anywhere in there, not to her, not to his grandmother.
So, then, why was she still stupid enough to long so desperately for his love?
"I can't do that again, Cole. I can't stand pretending to be someone I'm not." She hugged herself tighter. "I made good on my side of the deal. Now it's time to make good on yours." She lifted her gaze to his and held it. "I want a divorce. Today."
"What if my grandmother finds out?"
Anna shook her head. "No one knows we're married, so no one will know we got a divorce. I'm sorry. I know how hard it must be for you, but I can't keep bending my moral code for you."
"You're right. You shouldn't make the decision to stay married to me for her. Or even for me." He paused, dropped his gaze to her mouth with such desire her traitorous lips actually tingled. "You should do it for yourself."
"How could I possibly want to stay in a fake marriage to you for myself?"
The supply room suddenly seemed too small as he moved closer and she backed into a laden metal shelf.
"Remember what you said to me last night, sweet
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