o against Jack's long list of dietary restricti

as no need to order from Golden Hearth today, so he qu

e table was...

ving fork as she glanced at the roasted chick

kin really crisp. Might be

breast, avoiding the heavily glazed ski

t really your thing

then at Carol's quiet focus. His e

care about his reaction and j

in no time. By the time she looked up, she noticed just how refined Ethan looked while eating-movi

lear her throat awkward

atly, "Trying to act proper now?

on't get it-gotta look a little put-together in front of someone I like.

r bluntness caught him off gu

uched plate. "That's all you'r

meaning, "No appetite." Then stood up and head

ed plate of chicken she'd gone

der her breath,

pride

om his call. His eyes landed

icken was clearly touch

, almost dou

time Ethan turned up his no

y. "Gets in the way

d

ed. "All done with your call?

nk expression and declined polite

ff

bit after choking on it. She waved her hand awkwardly. "Whoa, first t

, tone neutral. "You'll

e table. Jack, standing off to the side, remi

pic

on the outside. "Relax. I'm keeping it f

and still complains? Just

r a second before speaking. "Ma'am, there's someth

casually, "You wanna know why I agreed to marry so

, and Jack instinctively glanced upsta

with calm eyes. "I already said-it's t

of beauty, you think I couldn't land myself in any rich guy's bed in Rivert

casting a couple mo

ght over Carol. Her skin was porcelain fair, her features d

wasn't totally

ch men in Riverton, who could be

ving all rights to marital assets. She'd walked away fr

as she re

the thought aside, offered a pol

ghtly, his gaze falling away from t

ing a

fall for that ki

past-there was nothing. No connecti

.

the cleaner came by regularly. She married into this h

to her room, pulled out her drawing tab

on leave, but the

ine in two weeks? All r

her phone lit up with a fl

g? That scary demon m

y something or I'm

Here, feast your eyes!

t a laugh an

la's pretty nice. I cooked.

sponded i

wisted and cold-blooded? What happened to scaring off every poor b

's been body-snatched.

w that's mo

Carol finally put her phone do

ers for work. By the time she loo

h cut through the silence from the room next door. It didn't stop, just kept going

ep in the throat, dragging itself out with p

ze, eyes

ha

breath, strai

let up. It was getti

had that odd flush against an otherwise sickly

ur mess," he'd said col

n't want her around, didn

be to pretend she heard n

team. If anything serious happened, he'd press a button, and Jack o

tend nothi

and pulled the bla

d unrelenting-clawed at her

in that lounge chair earlier, sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains,

l pushed herself up and ruf

quietly got out of bed,