Page 49 of Fake Wife
And yet the look of regret searing through his cornflower blue eyes is something I cannot forget.
He wants that dream. He simply doesn’t envision it with me, not long term, anyway.
I tossed and turned all night long, my racing mind keeping me awake despite the orgasm I gave myself to help me sleep; and yeah, it was Corbin I was thinking of as I came, biting my lip to keep from crying out his name.
I’m dressed and out of my room early, sunlight not yet visible through the windows when trying to sleep is pointless.
After using the restroom and pulling on a pair of black yoga pants and an old gray Tennessee sweatshirt, I throw my hair up into a messy bun, tucking in the ends of my hair beneath my hair band so it doesn’t look too wild. I have circles under my eye showing my lack of sleep and there’s nothing special about what I’m wearing. The sweatshirt is old and became so holy I cut off the cuffs at the wrists and around the collar. It drapes off one shoulder and shows the strap of my hot pink yoga bra, the only pop of color I’m currently wearing, but it’s not like it matters.
Corbin might be attracted to me, he might even want me in some physical way, but that doesn’t mean he wantsme.
“Fantastic,” I mutter, and blow out a breath. Grabbing my laptop and a notebook with outlines of plans I need to finish that I started working on last night, I quietly hurry down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I make a quick cup of coffee and settle in at the kitchen table.
I figure if we announce our engagement tomorrow, talk to his mom, we can get everything planned and be married out here in less than a month. I’m sure with their wealth, rushing floral orders or anything else his mom will insist on for our wedding will not be a problem. And I don’t care if I have to buy a dress off the rack.
Labor Day is four weeks away, and to me it sounds like the perfect weekend to have our wedding.
Early September, a short week of work for Corbin. We can take a couple of nights as a honeymoon, and I have no doubt Tray and Caitlin will mind standing up for us as our witnesses. Corbin can invite whoever else he wants as long as we keep it small, limited to close friends and family, so we can have it outside overlooking the ocean.
I don’t have any real friends to invite other than William and Mary Tanner.
Perhaps he’ll consider walking me down the aisle.
I add seeing them to my to-do list, perhaps bringing Corbin to meet them for dinner one night, and pull up my laptop.
Before I fell asleep last night, the one thing that stuck in my mind was all the things Corbin mentioned about me heading back to school. There’s a small college nearby, just thirty minutes to commute, and I pull up their application along with deadlines for late enrollment.
I still have two weeks to apply, and I’m hoping I can pick up a couple of classes for the semester.
If I work hard, I can finish my business degree by the time our marriage ends, and I’m sure I can find a part-time job working at some horse stables I’ve found online as well.
Cannon Bluffs is a small coastal town, but I’ve seen several stables that offer horseback riding lessons.
I’m so lost in thought about getting back on a horse, trotting down sandy paths leading to the ocean, guiding families and children, perhaps hosting birthday parties or other special events, that I jump when a chair is pulled out at the table.
“Hi,” I gasp, putting my hand to my chest. “You startled me.”
Corbin has taken a chair next to me, a cup of coffee in his hands. He’s not looking at me, and that only furthers my belief about how much he regrets last night. A moment of passion, nothing more.
I need to stop remembering how good his hands feel when they’re on me. How large the bulge in his jeans felt pressed against me.
He shifts a paper and scans the guest list for our wedding. His brows furrow and he runs his thumb over Caitlin’s name. “You’ve been busy today. What is all this?”
“You’re looking at the wedding guest list. I figure if we have it here, your mom can help us have the wedding Labor Day weekend. As long as it’s not raining, it could be a great weekend to have it outside. It’ll still be plenty warm.”
“Who are William and Mary?”
“My boss at the library and his wife.” He turns to me, question in his eyes, and I shrug, look back at my computer screen. “They’re really the only friends I have here.”
“He fired you.”
“He didn’t really have another choice.”
Silence falls, and I read the same paragraph for Oregon West College registration at least three times, not comprehending any of it. Everything blurs together until all I see is a mess. Which is perfect, because I’m a giant blurry mess right now.
I ignore Corbin, the way he glances at me, shifting through papers before turning his head.
“Looks like you got this all figured out.” He drinks from his coffee, and I steal a glance at him, only to find his eyes are directly on me. Narrowed and intense, there’s absolutely no passion or warmth from last night remaining.
