Все главы The Alpha's Contract Marriage: Глава 21 - Глава 30

When I got to the hotel's restaurant, the maitre d' told me that the table I wanted would be free in about half an hour, but he was sorry about it.I gave him a smile and told him, "No problem." "I'll be there as soon as the bar opens."The horseshoe-shaped hotel bar was sleek and modern, but not very interesting. The only thing that was even slightly interesting about it was a single person sitting on the other side.Her hair was the first thing that caught my eye. It was longer than usual and a thick, shiny shade of rust. It fell over her shoulder in soft waves. Her cocktail dress was a beautiful shade of plum and draped around her in a way that reminded me of Grecian dresses. One hand played around with the stem of a wine glass that was still 3/4 full of what I thought was rosé. She drew something with the other hand in a small notebook that was open in front of her.As I got closer to the bar, I took another look at both women's hands. No rings. So then. I may have just found the

I thought Olivia was only half right when she said "the middle of nowhere" I was in a small, quiet, mountainous part of New England. It wasn't a big city, but it was on the map, and it had a hotel for long stays. That meant that something was going on or had been going on not too long ago.The hotel didn't look like much, but at first glance, it seemed like it was run by someone who knew what they were doing. Everything was clean, the person working at the front desk was friendly and helpful, and the room was nice enough for the price.After putting my things on the table in my room, I grabbed my camera, phone, and keys and got back on the road right away. I had rented a burnt-orange Land Rover Discovery Sport and driven it on purpose through some mud before I got so far north that everything was still half-frozen. It would fit with my usual cover story as a freelance photographer because it was tough enough to handle any terrain and dirty enough to look real.Based on the information

WYNETTEMy break finally arrived, and by that time I'd had plenty of time to think about whether or not I should extend an offer to Ale. My anxiety was so intense that it made my chest sing.As I nervously swiped at my blazer, the word "stupid" roared through my thoughts. It's possible that Ale means what he says about wanting to date me, and certainly, there might be things in the next few years that will keep him here.Nothing in any of that spoke to the viability of a romantic connection between us. Hadn't I just finished explaining to Teagan how unable our mother was to maintain a relationship with a partner? Hadn't I just been brought back to the realization that none of my siblings or I had been able to maintain even the remotest semblance of a normal, long-lasting relationship? Teagan was so certain that it was impossible for us to find a partner in love that she decided to get into a contract marriage for the purpose of convenience.Why should that rule not apply to someone li

Wynette I was on his mind. As I poured us both coffee from the little pot in the back office, the thought lifted my spirits and made me feel buoyant. I had been just as hesitant to take myself away from his arms as he had been to let me go, but I had to get to work, which was something that was brought to both of our attention by the screech of the phone that broke up our hug. Ale, on the other hand, displayed a wonderful lack of concern as he released me to attend to the phone and made himself at home at the tiny table that was crammed into the corner of the room. I came to the conclusion that he was more akin to the rakish space captains or cosmic pirates that populated Teagan's favored genres than any of the stately gentlemen that were featured in my most cherished romance novels. Despite this, when I looked over my shoulder to ask him how he liked his coffee, he was staring at me with the same kind of concentrated focus that heroes in stories of every genre give to the love int

Wynette I couldn't remember how I got inside my suite. I also didn't know where Ale's camera or either of our coats went, but when he pushed me against the wall and nuzzled my throat, I didn't care about anything but how he felt against me. I had missed the heat of his solidly muscled body more than I dared to admit, and the fact that he wanted me even though I was wearing jeans and a sweater instead of a beautiful dress was both heady and magical. "I dreamed about you last night," he said in a raspy voice. He kissed me behind the ear, which made me tilt my head back and sigh. “Mmmm?” I meant to ask a real question, but his hand got under my sweater and threw me off, so all I could do was hum. "Tucson was in my dreams. Of waking up before you left." “Oh.” I was filled with guilt. "I didn't—" Ale's fingers picked at the thin fabric of the thermal top I was wearing under my sweater, pulling it away from my fleece-lined leggings. "—I didn't want to disturb you." He grunted