1 Leo Vance married me to piss off my sister. After the wedding, he found a million little ways to get under my skin. No fork at dinner, no blanket at bedtime, and I had to report my every move like I was on parole. I was miserable, but too much of a coward to fight back. Until one night, I accidentally overheard him on the phone with my sister, Chloe. He was practically screaming. "Your sister is a block of wood! A beautiful, infuriating block of wood!" "Come on! A block of wood should've caught fire by now! I've tried everything!" "Fine! The Westgate development deal is yours! Just figure out a way to get your sister to jump my bones tonight!" I just stood there. "Huh?" It had all started when my sister, Chloe, bailed on her own wedding. It was spectacular. A full-blown, Hollywood-style runaway bride situation, leaving the groom standing alone at the altar. In front of the grand ballroom, guests whispered behind their champagne flutes. Backstage, my father was turning purple, jabbing a finger at Chloe. "Are you getting married or not?" "Not!" Chloe's voice echoed, sharp and final. My dad clutched his chest, looking like he was about to have a heart attack. He fumbled for his nitroglycerin pills, stuffing them into his mouth. I peeked through the curtain. Leo Vance stood on the stage, a vision in a custom white tux with a subtle damask pattern. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, facing a hundred tables of the East Coast's elite with a look of pure, unadulterated boredom. If this wedding didn't happen, the Vance family's reputation would be toast. The ceremony was supposed to have started an hour ago. Chloe, completely unfazed, was already taking off her makeup. Everyone was talking at once, trying to reason with her. "This merger has been in the works for months! Why back out now?" "You can't just call it off! What about our family's company, the Jennings Corporation?" "Leo Vance holds a grudge. He'll ruin you!" "Think about the family, Chloe! Not just yourself!" "Chloe Jennings, aren't you scared?" My sister just scoffed and rolled her eyes, continuing to wipe off her foundation with a vengeance. I was in awe. That was my sister, alright. If it were me, the family coward, I’d have just nodded meekly and walked down the aisle. Speaking of which... was that makeup remover irritating her skin? Her face was getting all red. I should probably run to CVS and get her something better. The moment I stood up, my dad's desperate gaze landed on me. "If you won't marry him, are we supposed to send your space-cadet sister out there?" Chloe stopped cold. She stood up, her perfectly sculpted brows knitted together, hands on her hips. "Who are you calling a space cadet? My sister is more than good enough for him! Claire!" I flinched. "Here!" "Marry him!" "What? Me?" The room went silent for a second. It was like they all suddenly realized that my sister and I were identical twins, with faces about 80% the same. It was their life raft. They practically ripped the Vera Wang gown off Chloe and stuffed me into it. A frantic five-minute makeup job later, I was pushed onto the stage. 2 My brain basically blue-screened. I stood at the entrance, clinging to my dad's arm, the officiant's words turning into meaningless noise. Then I saw Leo. His eyes lit up, and the first genuine smile of the evening spread across his face. A collective sigh of relief went through the crowd. The officiant, bless his heart, stumbled through the rest of the ceremony. Leo took my hand from my father's, his lips curling into a smirk. During the ring exchange, he pressed a kiss to the back of my hand with an almost religious fervor. I snatched my hand back like I’d been burned. This was so, so weird. I was a walking, talking mannequin for the rest of the wedding. Finally, I was bundled into Leo’s car, headed for our new home. I sat there, stiff as a board, my sister's promise echoing in my head: Don't worry, Claire-bear, I'll come rescue you. Would she, though? I wondered, feeling small, pathetic, and utterly helpless. The man beside me shifted, moving a little closer. I jumped, sitting ramrod straight. Leo chuckled. "You seem terrified of me." Well, duh. The guy had a reputation. Ruthless, unpredictable, mercurial... that's why our family sent Chloe, the firecracker, to handle the "merger." Chloe and I were twins, born ten minutes apart, but it felt like she’d absorbed all the guts and brains in the womb, leaving me with... well, me. She was always the one leading the charge while I cheered from the sidelines. Chloe wouldn't be afraid of Leo Vance. "Hmm?" The low hum from his throat pulled me back. He was leaning in, his face unnervingly close. I could smell the faint, expensive scent of his cologne. I snapped back to reality, my eyes meeting his. I almost scrambled onto the roof of the car. "Uh, Mr. Vance... you're a little too close." 3 Leo's brow furrowed. He swiped his tongue across the inside of his cheek, the smile vanishing from his eyes. "You don't have to call me Mr. Vance. You're the one I'm married to now." I blinked. There was an edge to his voice, something I couldn't quite place. The rumor was that Leo had seen a picture of my sister and fallen for her instantly, agreeing to the business marriage on the spot. But somehow, in the month leading up to the wedding, they’d never actually met in person. Today was the first time. Obviously, Chloe wasn't impressed, hence the great escape. She’d caused him a massive public humiliation. He probably couldn't stand hearing anything related to her right now. Remembering his reputation, I figured it was best for Chloe's sake if I just played along. I lowered my eyes. "Okay." "So what should you call me?" he coaxed, his deep brown eyes fixed on me. "Huh?" I looked up, meeting his teasing, almost intimate gaze, and my mind went totally blank. What else was I supposed to call him? I blinked a couple of times, then ventured, "Leo?" He stared at me for a solid two seconds before letting out a short, humorless laugh. He leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes and lacing his fingers over his lap. Since he didn't say anything, I took it as a yes. The drive to our new penthouse was long. I stared out the window, but I couldn't ignore the heat radiating from the man beside me. I decided to just endure it, pressing myself so hard against the car door I was practically fused to it. I don't know when Leo opened his eyes or how long he’d been watching me. All I knew was that I got this prickly feeling on the back of my neck, and when I turned to find the source, his eyes were locked on mine. "Claire Jennings," he said. "Yes, Mr. Vance." He took a deep, slow breath, like he was steeling himself for something. "Don't call me Mr. Vance. We're married. Do you know how to say the word 'husband'?" "Yes." "Say it for me." "Excuse me?" 4 Why did he want me to say that? I frowned, instinctively reaching for my phone. "Hang on, let me ask my sister." Leo's face went blank. I ignored him, my thumbs flying across the screen. Me: Chloe, he wants me to call him 'husband'. She replied instantly. Chloe: In his dreams! Don't you dare, Claire-bear. Don't let him push you around. If he tries anything weird, you call me! Me: Okay! With my sister's blessing, I felt a surge of confidence. I put my phone away and met Leo's expectant, encouraging gaze. I opened my mouth, hesitated, and then slowly said, "Mr. Vance." The light in Leo's eyes died. He laughed again, but this time it sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth. "Your sister told you not to?" I just hummed noncommittally and turned to look out the window. I saw him clench his fists in his lap out of the corner of my eye. The temperature in the car dropped about twenty degrees. After a moment, he took a deep, angry sigh and pulled out his own phone. Two minutes later, my phone buzzed. It was Chloe. Chloe: You know, sweetie, a marriage is your own thing. I can't really interfere. You do you, boo. Smooches! "What?" I looked from my phone to Leo, then back again. Something was fishy. Given his reputation, a lightbulb went off in my head. You bastard. You threatened my sister! Leo leaned in again, a triumphant glint in his eye. "Ready to try again?" No way. I had to protect my sister. My newfound courage rose up... and then immediately fizzled out. It wasn't that I was scared of him; I was scared of what he'd do to Chloe. I looked down. "Can we maybe... not do that right now?" I mumbled. Leo actually laughed, a real laugh this time. He ran a hand through his hair, looking genuinely defeated. "Fine. But no more 'Mr. Vance.' Call me by my name if you have to." I nodded. "Okay, Mr. Vance." Oops. I slapped a hand over my mouth, glancing at him guiltily. Our eyes met. He looked completely and utterly hopeless. 5 We finally arrived at the penthouse. I remembered scouting this place out. Chloe was too busy with the company, and our dear "groom-to-be" said he'd be happy with whatever his bride wanted. So they sent me, the unemployed freeloader, to pick out the marital home. And now, here I was, living in it. I sighed quietly, got myself ready, and burrowed under the covers. Weddings are exhausting. I was out the second my head hit the pillow. Or so I thought. Just as I was drifting off, the mattress dipped beside me. The comforter was yanked away, and a blast of cold air hit my skin. I blinked my eyes open just in time to see Leo sliding into bed next to me. My brain stalled. Our bodies were inches apart under the sheets. I could feel the heat rolling off him. I didn't dare move. I didn't even dare breathe too loudly. I just lay there, hands folded primly on my stomach, staring at the ceiling. My lips moved. "Mr. Vance." No reply. Then I remembered his rule from the car. I struggled internally for a few seconds until my leg went numb. Swallowing hard, I tried again. "L-Leo." "What?" Thank god. He was talking to me. I kept my eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Could you maybe sleep in another room?" "No." His refusal was instant and absolute. I picked at a loose thread on the sheet. "Why not?" "We're married. Married people sleep in the same room." He had a point. I couldn't think of a comeback. I swallowed my pride. "Okay... then could you get another comforter? I can't sleep sharing one." Only Chloe gets to share my bed. Not her angry husband! A soft chuckle came from beside me. I whipped my head around to see Leo looking at me, his eyes full of amusement. He was propped up on his elbow, looking down at me. "Say 'husband' and I'll go get it." "Seriously?" We just went over this! Are you trying to bully me, Leo Vance? I must have looked as indignant as I felt, because his smile widened. He sat up, ruffled my hair, and then swung his legs out of bed. He went to the linen closet and came back with another comforter. He even pulled our pillows further apart, creating a respectable no-man's-land down the middle of the king-sized bed. A veritable River Styx. "Go to sleep," he said softly, turning his back to me. The room fell silent again. I smoothed down the hair his big, warm hand had just touched. Was this one of the "weird things" Chloe was talking about? ... continued in the next response.
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