Shit.
I’m so far gone it’s not even funny anymore.
The real estate agent’s eyes light up when Rosa and I get out of my Aston Martin and start walking up to the gate of the home she’s going to show us this morning. I guess if I was in her shoes, I would be, too. I mean, just from the outside of the estate, I can tell this home has a large price tag on it. A cool thirty million at least. Which means her commission for the sale will make her year, if not her decade.
“Wow,” Rosa mutters below her breath. “This place is… just… wow.”
“Can I pick ‘em, or can I pick ‘em?” I tease with a wink.
“You found this house?” she asks with genuine surprise.
“Hey, just because I live with my parents doesn’t mean I don’t like to dream about other places to live.”
“I didn’t think made men dreamed about anything aside from slaughtering their enemies.”
“What can I say? I’m a enigma.”
“Yes, I’m starting to see that.” She smiles at me, making my insides turn to goo.
Shit.
When did I get so pussy-whipped?
The next thing you know, I’ll end up like one of those teenage girls who spend their days flipping through their diary, writing fanfiction about Shawn Mendes or some other teenage heartthrob.
I swear this woman’s smiles are making me stupid.
“Too bad Colin couldn’t come with us today. I think he would really enjoy this front garden.”
I don’t touch that remark with a ten-foot pole.
Colin is going to need some time to get his head on right.
If I thought fucking Rosa only once was doing my head in, then Colin was currently having an even harder time compartmentalizing the need he has to fulfill his duty to his Boss and the way he wants to steal this Spanish rose right out from under him.
I’ve never seen the big guy so out of it.
But then again, it must be overwhelming for the tinman to suddenly be burdened with a heart and feelings and shit.
I sure as hell am having a tough go of it.
“Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, I presume? My name is Morgan Tracy, and I’m about to show you your brand new home,” the real estate agent beams self-assuredly.
I take her confusing me with my brother as a cue from God himself to play a little trick on her while also using it as an excuse to touch Rosa and not get slapped for it. I wrap my arms around Rosa’s waist from behind, making her stiffen in my embrace while I shower the agent with my best cocky grin.
“Now, just hold up there, Morgan. My wife and I have many more houses to see today. You don’t expect us to fall in love with the first one we go to, do you?”
Her head falls back in laughter.
“How about we take a tour, and then you can tell me if you don’t love it? I will have to warn you, though. I have more clients lined up today to have the same tour. This home has only been on the market for less than a week and is in high demand. I wouldn’t be surprised if I got a few offers before the day’s end.”
“I’m not worried. In fact, play your cards right, and you might just get an offer from us higher than the asking price. I’m sure that the number I’m thinking would blow the competition out of the water. If my wife says this is the home she wants, then this is the home she gets. Money is no object.”
“A man who knows what he wants. Your wife is one lucky lady,” Morgan coos, her hungry eyes scanning me from top to bottom with a newfound appreciation now that she knows how deep my pockets are.
“Yes, I am,” Rosa chimes in, throwing daggers at the agent, not one bit impressed this woman is brazenly flirting with her fake husband.
I tilt Rosa’s chin to the side and gently caress her face.
“As am I,” I whisper, placing a small kiss to the tip of her nose.
Her gaze turns soft, and her body begins to melt into my embrace, almost as if she’s forgotten that this is just a game and that I’m not really her husband.
If only I were.
I would treat her like the fucking queen she is.
Not a whore to be passed around between my men.
When the real estate agent clears her throat, it’s enough to break the little spell Rosa and I were momentarily under.
“How about I show you around then?”
Rosa pulls away from my embrace and offers the woman a thin smile.
“Yes. Please.”
“Very well, let’s go in.”
For the next half hour, Morgan shows us around the large estate, talking about original crown molding and marble kitchen counters that came all the way from Italy. I zone her out for most of her babble and focus on the siren that gracefully walks around each room, completely spellbound by the home. The way her body moves and glides around every room makes me feel like I’m watching a beautiful dance taking place right in front of my eyes. And when we go upstairs so Morgan can show us the nursery, that’s when Rosa really swoons and shines.
“This home is perfect to raise a family. A large one at that,” Tracy adds when she sees how in love with the room Rosa is. “Are you expecting?”
“I’m not sure yet. But hopefully I will be soon,” Rosa explains, still eyeing the room like it’s some fairytale wonderland she just stepped inside.
“How about I leave you and your husband for a few minutes so you can fully appreciate the room? Maybe even talk about making that offer we discussed earlier?” Morgan adds shamelessly.
After the infuriating woman leaves us alone, I stare at my brother’s wife, wondering if my suspicions about her wanting a baby so bad are on the mark.
“Can I ask you a question?”
She hums absentmindedly, enthralled with her surroundings as if picturing in her mind where she would put the crib or bassinet. I bet she even has the color scheme down to a T.
“Why do you want a baby so bad? I mean, is this degradation Tiernan is putting you through really worth it?”
She chews on my question and then breathes out a yes.
“Why?”
“You want the truth?”