Married By Mistake by Holly Rayner

Author:Holly Rayner [Rayner, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Luciano

I found it almost impossible to sleep, knowing Dani was in the next room. So many times, I tiptoed past her door on my way back from some completely made-up errand. I made a snack, I refilled my glass of water from the filtered tap in the kitchen three times. I even retrieved my slippers from the living room, despite the fact that I was in bed and had no need whatsoever for slippers. Every time I passed the guest room door, I slowed right down, hoping to hear…I don’t know what. Maybe just that she was as restless as I was.

But I never heard movement from within the guest room. Eventually, I retreated to my own room, where I lay awake for hours, just thinking about the fact that she was there.

Predictably, I am exhausted this morning. I splash water on my face and towel it dry vigorously. By the time I’m done, Dani has emerged from the guest room, fully dressed in a pretty sundress and a cardigan and looking very appropriate for a meeting with an officer of the county.

“I called for a car already,” I say. “Do you want some breakfast before we go?”

“I’m not really hungry.”

She looks nervous. She’s clutching the straps of her purse and scratching at the back of one ankle with the toes of the other foot, and I’m suddenly aware of how young she is. I’ve been through a marriage before. I’ve been through a divorce. This isn’t nothing to me, but it’s less dramatic than it is for her.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” I say. “We’ll explain what happened, we’ll sign a few forms, and we’ll go on our way. They’ll probably be doing twenty-five of these before lunch.”

“Will it be expensive?”

“I’m paying.”

“No, I can’t let you do that.”

“Yes, you can,” I say firmly. “It’s practical. I have the money. In fact, I have it in cash. So, you let me take care of it, and then you can buy us lunch afterward if you want to. But you should eat something before we go. At least have some fruit.”

Dani takes a banana from the bowl on the counter and lets me lead her down to the car. Despite the fact that she’s on edge, she’s letting me lead, and I appreciate the trust she’s showing in me. It makes the whole thing much easier.

It occurs to me, as I help her into the town car and shut the door behind her, that this could have been much more difficult to negotiate. Dani had every right to insist on her own legal representation. For that matter, she could have refused the annulment altogether after spending a night in my apartment. I know she’s aware of the extent of my income—she knows exactly who I am—but she hasn’t given any sign of wanting to profit from this situation.

I wonder how much of this—this kindness of her nature, this compatibility of our personalities—came out the first night we spent together. Yes,

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