him catch a string of chee se on his tongue. His answering grin was almost boyish.
“Yeah, I didn’t get to consume too many pizzas over the last few years. ”
“You’ll have to come to the bakery and treat yourself.”
“Oh, no, I’d buy one of everything.”
She laughed.
“So are you going to ask me what happened with Ella?”
“I thought you would tell me if you wanted to.”
He ran a hand over his hair and sighed. “Well, I at once feel like the luckiest man on earth and one of the biggest fools. I narrowly escaped simultaneously losing the best thing to ever happen to me and being married to a woman who could not have cared less about me.”
“What?” She was flattered that of all his accomplishments that he could consider her the best thing to happen to him. But she was distracted by the news that Ella wasn’t in love with him. Was the woman insane?
“Yeah, she more or less admitted to wanting to marry me for my money.”
Sienna cleared her throat at the reminder of his financial status. “I didn’t know you were so well off until I talked with Mika today.”
He shrugged. “I’ve been fortunate with my investments. I’ve been a big earner each year. I’ve signed some lucrative endorsement deals.”
“If it makes you feel better, I don’t care about the money.”
He smiled and she was struck anew by how sexy he was. And he was all hers.
Chapter Nine
Day 5 of Cohabitation
“Do I look okay?” Sienna nervously patted her hair and smoothed her ankle-length floral print skirt. She’d paired it with a sleeveless black blouse. She had dressed carefully as though they were going to a job interview. Her long hair was styled into a tidy knot at the back of her head. Though she wore no makeup, her skin was flawless and creamy.
In comparison he was dressed casually in jeans and a short-sleeved dress shirt. “You’re beautiful. As always.” He folded her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “You have no reason to be this nervous. What do you think she’s going to say? That our marriage was a mistake?”
“She might!”
“She will not. That’s not her job. The counselor’s job is to make sure our marriage succeeds.” He leaned over and gave her a kiss on her temple. “Not that we need any help.”
The small waiting room they sat in had the capacity to hold about two or three couples. They were currently alone, the receptionist having announced their arrival and then left to go to the restroom.
The door separating the waiting room and the doctor’s office opened and a smiling couple walked out. A moment later an attractive woman with very blue eyes filled the frame. Her dark brown hair was in a severe bun much like the one Sienna was sporting today but her expression was kind. She glanced at them and then conferred with a tablet. “You must be… Jakob and Sienna House.” She smiled. “Come on in. I’m Dr. Alana Roberts.”
They followed Dr. Roberts into her office where she sat behind a large glass desk. She put the tablet aside then ran a fingertip over the glossy surface. Jakob assumed she was opening files. Opposite her desk was a loveseat. He waited for Sienna to sit and then joined her.
“So,” Dr. Roberts said with a faint smile, “I see that the two of you have already begun your cohabitation period.”
Sienna frowned. “How did you-”
“The rings,” Jakob reminded her. The white stripe of light signified to anyone who cared to look that the two of them were paired through Bioexpa and had joined as one.
“Oh,” Sienna replied and he could have sworn that her cheeks grew rosy.
He laughed and kissed her temple. “Get used to it.”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Dr. Roberts added. “Chemistry plays a large part in how pairs are matched at Bioexpa. If you could have kept your hands off each other, then you wouldn’t have likely been paired with each other. I generally see couples around their fourth or fifth day of cohabitation.
“Yeah, I didn’t get to consume too many pizzas over the last few years. ”
“You’ll have to come to the bakery and treat yourself.”
“Oh, no, I’d buy one of everything.”
She laughed.
“So are you going to ask me what happened with Ella?”
“I thought you would tell me if you wanted to.”
He ran a hand over his hair and sighed. “Well, I at once feel like the luckiest man on earth and one of the biggest fools. I narrowly escaped simultaneously losing the best thing to ever happen to me and being married to a woman who could not have cared less about me.”
“What?” She was flattered that of all his accomplishments that he could consider her the best thing to happen to him. But she was distracted by the news that Ella wasn’t in love with him. Was the woman insane?
“Yeah, she more or less admitted to wanting to marry me for my money.”
Sienna cleared her throat at the reminder of his financial status. “I didn’t know you were so well off until I talked with Mika today.”
He shrugged. “I’ve been fortunate with my investments. I’ve been a big earner each year. I’ve signed some lucrative endorsement deals.”
“If it makes you feel better, I don’t care about the money.”
He smiled and she was struck anew by how sexy he was. And he was all hers.
Chapter Nine
Day 5 of Cohabitation
“Do I look okay?” Sienna nervously patted her hair and smoothed her ankle-length floral print skirt. She’d paired it with a sleeveless black blouse. She had dressed carefully as though they were going to a job interview. Her long hair was styled into a tidy knot at the back of her head. Though she wore no makeup, her skin was flawless and creamy.
In comparison he was dressed casually in jeans and a short-sleeved dress shirt. “You’re beautiful. As always.” He folded her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “You have no reason to be this nervous. What do you think she’s going to say? That our marriage was a mistake?”
“She might!”
“She will not. That’s not her job. The counselor’s job is to make sure our marriage succeeds.” He leaned over and gave her a kiss on her temple. “Not that we need any help.”
The small waiting room they sat in had the capacity to hold about two or three couples. They were currently alone, the receptionist having announced their arrival and then left to go to the restroom.
The door separating the waiting room and the doctor’s office opened and a smiling couple walked out. A moment later an attractive woman with very blue eyes filled the frame. Her dark brown hair was in a severe bun much like the one Sienna was sporting today but her expression was kind. She glanced at them and then conferred with a tablet. “You must be… Jakob and Sienna House.” She smiled. “Come on in. I’m Dr. Alana Roberts.”
They followed Dr. Roberts into her office where she sat behind a large glass desk. She put the tablet aside then ran a fingertip over the glossy surface. Jakob assumed she was opening files. Opposite her desk was a loveseat. He waited for Sienna to sit and then joined her.
“So,” Dr. Roberts said with a faint smile, “I see that the two of you have already begun your cohabitation period.”
Sienna frowned. “How did you-”
“The rings,” Jakob reminded her. The white stripe of light signified to anyone who cared to look that the two of them were paired through Bioexpa and had joined as one.
“Oh,” Sienna replied and he could have sworn that her cheeks grew rosy.
He laughed and kissed her temple. “Get used to it.”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Dr. Roberts added. “Chemistry plays a large part in how pairs are matched at Bioexpa. If you could have kept your hands off each other, then you wouldn’t have likely been paired with each other. I generally see couples around their fourth or fifth day of cohabitation.
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