Save the Date (Modern Arrangements, #1)

"Hey," she mumbled.

"I ordered delivery, please come down and eat. I think we should talk some more." She was lost in thought for a moment and then nodded before following me down the stairs.

"Do you really eat this much?" She looked around at the twenty different containers placed out on the counter.

I rubbed the back of my head.

"I...uh...wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a bunch of different things." She looked to me with a shocked expression.

"You ordered all of this because you didn’t know what I liked?" I nodded. "You are crazy, aren’t you?" she laughed.

I was glad to hear her laugh after our heavy argument.

"Um, take what you want. Do you want a beer?" I opened the refrigerator.

"Uh…no, I’ll just drink water," She began looking through cabinets. "Do you own glasses?"

Reaching over her head, I opened a cabinet with all the cups.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

We grabbed some food and sat down in the living room. After eating in silence for about fifteen minutes, I placed my food down on the table.

"Look, I don’t want to argue all the time and I don’t want any misunderstandings of our arrangement either." She sipped at the water and then placed her stuff on the coffee table too.

"I agree. I think we should talk and there should be some rules or guidelines established."

I raised my eyebrow. "Rules and guidelines?"

"Yep," her face serious, "For example: privacy and personal space," she raised her brow.

I smiled.

"You don’t get to just barge into my room. You knock and wait for response."

I nodded, agreeing because soon enough we would be sharing a bedroom. I would have any right to walk in if I wanted to.

"That includes bathrooms." She added. I nodded a little more hesitantly. This means no accidental walkins while she was showering. Damn!

"My turn," I grinned.

She nodded for me to go.

"No outside relationships with people. I do not want to risk losing everything. I’m trying to gain and keep."

She nodded reluctantly.

"So, we need to talk about the physical aspect of this arrangement."

She stiffened.

Damn did she really not want to be physical with me at all? Didn’t she feel that pull between us?

She cleared her throat.

"Aidan, I don’t see how a physical relationship is going to work." She sighed. "I already feel like an overpriced whore and that just confirms—"

"You’re not a whore," I shouted, but then got control of my temper. "We have an arrangement for marriage. I’m not paying you to have sex with me. But, part of that agreement is to have a child, so physical aspects will come into play. Also, when we are out in public I don’t want to look like we aren’t married, so hand holding, kissing, hugging, touching each other has to be gotten used to."

She went to say something but closed her mouth. I continued.

"Lilli," I sighed out. "I know I cannot go four years without a physical relationship, if I don’t have to. Honestly, I don’t feel I need to."

I watched her sigh heavily and pick up her food. She started eating again without saying a word.

"Well?"

"I’m not going to just sleep with you because we have an arrangement. You need a kid. Well we will talk about it and figure it out when that time comes." She sighed again. "I am not going to just allow you to pull me around like a caveman and put your lips, hands or anything else all over me when you feel like it." She pinned me with her eyes.

"Okay, but you’ll have to deal with touching in public," I threw out there, again.

"Fine, touching, not groping." She countered.

A nod of my head confirmed our deal.

~

Monday arrived quickly the next day and I was up and out the door without one hint that Lilli was awake. I left keys to the apartment, a credit card and a note.

The day at work was going along fine until around lunch time when my Uncle Henry burst into the office.

"Is it true? You did it?" His face was part anticipation and part hope.

"If you mean did I get engaged, then yes, it’s true," I sat back in my chair as he approached the desk. A smile spread across his face.

"Aidan, my boy, you are…oh hell…you know what you are," he chuckled. "Congratulations on the engagement! When is the wedding, this weekend?"

"No, Viola wants to have a more formal wedding." I shrugged. "So she is planning something for next month. I’m sure you will receive your invitation in a few days. You know Vi," Then a thought struck me. "Besides Uncle, James wedding is next weekend."

"Oh I know, but hell my boy, you shouldn’t wait. Seal the deal and get an heir." He advised. He must have seen my expression change at the mention of heir. "Is she already with child?" The look in his eye told me he would be impressed if she was.

And who says with child?

"Uh…no," I furrowed my brow. "I just have to do a little more ‘convincing’ with the heir part of the conditions, but…"

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