Chapter 2

Husband? Aiden? Oh no, this joke had gone way too far.

Grace's heart hammered against her ribs. She gathered herself from the shock, blinking hard like that would somehow reset reality. "You're saying this man here is my husband?"

Sophia answered with a sweet smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's right. He's your husband." She tilted her head, her voice dripping with false concern. "Oh, don't tell me you don't remember your own man?"

Grace stared at them. Really stared. Mason and Sophia were standing close together, too close, and Sophia's hand was resting on Mason's arm like she owned him. Like they were the couple here, not Grace and Mason.

"Really?" Grace's voice came out flat.

Mason shrugged. "Yeah, really. We're just here to visit you. Aiden here is your husband." His tone was casual, like he was discussing the weather.

Aiden looked at Mason with pure disgust. His jaw clenched. Then, in one smooth motion, he switched the ring on his right hand to his left, the one that looked like a wedding band. He turned to Grace, picked up her hand with surprising gentleness, and said, "Yeah. That's right. I'm your husband."

His touch was warm. Too warm. Grace felt her pulse spike.

Sophia continued, her voice sing-song. "Your room is next door, by the way."

Grace's mind raced. Can I still tell the truth now? Should I drop this act? What the hell is happening?

Mason leaned close to Aiden's ear and whispered something Grace couldn't quite catch, but she saw Aiden's expression darken. Then Sophia tapped Mason on his butt. Casually. Intimately. Like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Come on, babe. Let's go. We've got games to play."

Babe?

Grace felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. Her husband just let another woman touch him like that. Right in front of her. And he didn't even flinch. He looked... pleased.

Before Grace could process what she'd just witnessed, Aiden snapped her back to reality. "Come on. I'll show you to our room."

Then he bent down and scooped her up in his arms like she weighed nothing. Grace gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. His chest was solid against her side, his grip strong and steady. He carried her out of the medical room and down a hallway lined with wooden doors. The resort was beautiful, all polished wood and soft lighting, but Grace couldn't focus on any of it. Her mind was spinning too fast.

They reached a door marked with a small bronze plaque that read "Pine Suite." Aiden pushed it open with his shoulder and carried her inside. The room was spacious, decorated in warm tones with a massive bed covered in white linens. A fireplace crackled softly in the corner. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the snowy forest outside.

Aiden set her down gently on the edge of the bed. Then he straightened up and walked toward the bathroom without a word.

Grace just stood there. Frozen. Her thoughts were a tangled mess. Crap. What now? What am I supposed to do?

She glanced around the room aimlessly, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. She heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. Aiden was getting ready to shower. The reality of the situation hit her all at once. She was alone in a room with Aiden. Pretending to be his wife. And she had no idea how far this charade was going to go.

Footsteps. She turned.

Aiden stood in the doorway of the bathroom, leaning against the frame. He was shirtless now. Just a white towel wrapped low around his waist. His abs were carved like marble, his shoulders broad and powerful. Grace's breath caught in her throat. She'd never really looked at him before. Not like this. All these years, she'd only seen him as the cold, arrogant brother who tried to ruin her wedding. But now... God, he was stunning.

He looked at her with an unreadable expression. "You're just going to stand there?"

Grace swallowed hard. She didn't know what to say.

Aiden walked closer. Each step deliberate. His eyes locked on hers. "Do you wanna take a shower with me?"

Grace's mind went blank. What do I do? He's my husband's brother! Why is he doing this? He hates me, doesn't he?

Before she could answer, Aiden reached out and turned her to face him. His hands were firm on her shoulders. Grace looked up, and for the first time, she saw past his usual cold demeanor. His eyes weren't hateful. They were intense and almost... vulnerable.

Then it happened.

The towel loosened.

It slipped.

And fell to the floor.

Grace's eyes went wide. She couldn't help it. She looked. And what she saw made her entire body freeze. He was huge. Impossibly so. Heat flooded her face. Her mind flashed back to the dream. The pool. His hands on her body. The way he'd kissed her. The way he'd touched her. Oh God.

She screamed internally. Jesus, this is huge!

Aiden's voice cut through her panic. "Hey. Why are you so nervous?" He tilted his head, his lips curving into the faintest smirk. "Nothing you haven't seen before, right?"