Five

~Reid~

A few days had passed, and I still hadn’t heard a word from her. Part of me wondered if the terms in the contract had been too much for her to handle.

Most women wanted the fairy tale —love, marriage, and the whole happily ever after package. A contract marriage? That was asking for too much, I suppose. I got it. But I wasn’t about to be tied down by any of that nonsense. The only reason I even agreed to this arrangement was because my father practically begged me to do it.

And Fallon? I wasn’t about to fake any interest in her.

I glanced at my watch —Friday night. Time to blow off some steam.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Dave. “What’s up?”

“You ready?”

“On my way. I’ll meet you at the club,” I said, hanging up.

Back at my condo, I took a quick shower before pulling on a pair of jeans and a leather jacket. Perfect for the night ahead.

Running into Fallon at the club? That was not part of the plan.

I froze when I spotted her through the crowd, feeling something weird twist in my chest. And then I noticed she wasn’t wearing her engagement ring.

What the hell?

If she wanted this arrangement to work, she could at least respect it enough to wear the damn ring. My jaw clenched, but I kept my expression neutral.

She saw me. I knew she did. But instead of acknowledging me, she looked away like I didn’t exist.

Seriously?

A flash of anger burned in my chest. I wasn’t the kind of guy to make a scene, but Fallon had this infuriating way of getting under my skin.

And then it got worse.

Some guy swaggered up to her, trying to grind against her on the dance floor.

Not on my watch.

Contract marriage or not, she was mine. No other man was going to put his hands on her.

I moved through the crowd, cutting a path straight to her. In one swift motion, I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the guy, ignoring his annoyed grunt. Fallon’s eyes widened in surprise as I led her outside.

To my surprise, she didn’t resist.

The cool night air hit us as we stepped out onto the street. I released her arm but stayed close enough to block her from going back inside.

“What the hell were you doing in there?” I snapped, the edge in my tone catching me off guard. I don’t usually lose my cool over women.

Fallon crossed her arms, completely unfazed by my anger. “It’s a club, Reid. People dance in there,” she said dryly, her sarcasm only fueling my frustration.

“We’re about to announce our engagement. You shouldn’t be doing stuff like that. Don’t embarrass me." I said, trying to control my tone to the best of my ability.

“How was I supposed to know you’d be here tonight?” She retorted.

“So if I wasn’t, you’d be frolicking with some random guy?”

“No,” she shot back, her voice steady. “I’d be having fun and forgetting about my problems."

Her words caught me off guard. There was something raw in her eyes that unsettled me for a second.

“So I’m your problem?” I asked.

She shrugged, and that was all the answer I needed.

“Fine then. Have fun watching your father’s company crumble because you can’t hold up your end of the bargain."

Yeah, that was a low blow, but she started it.

Her face shifted —a mix of shock and fury. My words had landed right where I aimed.

“Thanks for the reminder, asshole,” she spat, shoving past me.

I watched her walk away, fighting the urge to go after her.

No. We’d deal with this later —when emotions weren’t running this high.

~~~

I was seated in my office on Monday, only a few days after the squabble with Fallon, when I got a call from my secretary that I had an unexpected visitor.

She walked into my office, the flowery scent of her perfume wafting into my nostrils as she made her presence known, exuding an overpowering feminine aura.

Okay Reid, snap out of it.

I smirked slightly as she walked over to my desk.

"Hello Reid,"

"Hello Fallon. Have a seat."

She sat down opposite me, her twinkling eyes settling on my face.

"What do I owe this unexpected visit?"

"I went through the contract. It's signed." She pushed the folder towards me.

I picked it up and skimmed through it. She had indeed signed all the designated spots, including the attached prenup.

"You didn't argue over the prenup?" I asked, slightly surprised.

"I don't need your money, Reid. I just need you to save my father's company." She said without as much as a blink as she spoke.

"Alright then. I'll sign these and immediately send them to my lawyer." I said, ignoring the underlying anger in her tone. I was not going to pick a fight with her today.

She got on her feet just then.

"Why don't we go out and celebrate?" I offered as a way to make up after our last encounter at the club.

"No, thanks." She said and walked off before I could say anything else.

I shrugged casually as the door shut. I did try to make peace. She was the one holding grudges.