After betrayed, I married the man in the Forbes

Tonight looked like it might end with Haven and Leonard sharing a room. When her brother stepped up, Haven asked, "Nelson, where's Leonard?"

Nelson moved closer and gave her that knowing look. "He's resting in his room. I've got an early meeting tomorrow. Your stuff's already in your room. Go check it out when you get a chance."

With the housekeeper, Bo Mitchell, standing right there, Haven bit back the question of whether he'd arranged a separate guest room for Leonard. She bid Nelson goodnight and headed for her room, a tangled mix of anxiety and curiosity coiling in her gut—anxious that Leonard was actually waiting for her inside, curious what Nelson had left for her there.

The night sky stretched out like a vast curtain of black velvet, hanging quiet and swallowing all the noise of the day. The moon hung low like a silver lamp, spilling soft glow over everything, turning the whole world soft and dreamlike.

Haven turned the handle of her spacious bedroom door and pushed it open. The room was empty. Leonard was nowhere to be found, and a wave of relief washed over her. After spending all evening at her mother's fancy event, she'd been stiff and on edge the whole time. Finally alone, she slipped out of her evening gown, ready to head for the bathroom.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Haven's bare skin was right there in front of Leonard—her pale skin, her soft, graceful curves froze him in place. His throat went tight on instinct, his gaze darkening with a sudden, sharp hunger he couldn't hide. He couldn't look away if he tried.

Startled by the sound of the door, Haven spun around. Her eyes blew wide with shock, and a sharp little yelp slipped out. Flustered, she fumbled to cover herself, her whole face flaming bright red with embarrassment.

Leonard shook himself out of his daze fast, spinning around to face the wall. His voice came out low and rough, "Sorry."

Haven was already bright red, too flustered to get a single word out. She darted straight into the bathroom, her whole body burning with mortification. The slam of the bathroom door echoed in time with Leonard's hammering heartbeat, the image of her bare skin burned straight into his brain.

Locked inside, Haven paced back and forth, still mortified, muttering to herself under her breath. "Why right now? Seriously, of all the damn times. This is so embarrassing. How am I even supposed to look at him again after this?"

Thinking back to that split second, she wanted to just curl up and vanish off the face of the earth. Finally, after half an hour of talking herself down, she scraped together enough courage to pull the door open.

The door creaked softy as she stepped out, letting the warm, scented steam drift out into the bedroom. Leonard, who'd been scrolling through photos on his laptop, looked up on instinct. His gaze lingered on her for a beat too long before he looked away.

Haven came out wrapped in a crisp white towel, moving through the lingering steam. Her hair was still damp, little strands sticking to her rosy cheeks. Water droplets glistened as they trickled down her neck, disappearing under the edge of her towel.

Leonard's breathing went thick and heavy. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his throat inexplicably dry. He tried to look away, but the scent of her body wash mixed with her own natural soft smell flooded his senses, drowning out everything else.

Clenching the edge of the desk to keep his composure, he said, almost absently, "You were such a cute kid."

Haven could still feel his earlier gaze burning into her skin, and she blushed even harder, her fingers tapping nervously against her side. "Thanks."

Silence settled over the room, thick and heavy. Only the sound of their breathing cut through the quiet. Haven bit her lip and worked up the nerve to break it. "Why'd you come into my room all of a sudden?"

Leonard drew a breath, his deep dark eyes meeting hers, a flicker of vulnerability in his gaze. "Where else am I supposed to go? Can't let mom think this fake marriage is just for show, can we?"

Haven dropped her gaze, knowing he was right. A married couple sleeping in separate rooms didn't make any sense—it would only raise questions.

Seeing how uneasy she was at the thought of sharing a room with him, Leonard offered a compromise. "To keep people from asking stupid questions, let's just play along for a few days. We can hit the registry office first thing tomorrow morning. Tonight, I'll crash on the couch."

Haven glanced at the tiny sofa—it barely looked big enough for him to stretch out on, and she found herself shaking her head. Leonard wasn't the type to suffer through discomfort for no reason. "My bed's big enough for both of us. You should sleep here."

Her bluntness caught Leonard totally off guard. Amused, his voice dropped an octave, deep and warm. "Sure. But can I borrow the bathroom for a minute?"

"Of course." Haven nodded and turned to her desk, booting up her computer as Leonard headed into the bathroom.

Haven logged into her email to sort out a few urgent messages. No sooner had she connected than a voice call popped up on screen. She answered it, and a surprised, excited voice greeted her. "Wow, you're finally online! I heard the client's pulling that project from Joshua and giving it to a new designer—you, right? Is that true?"

Haven's gaze sharpened. Calm, steady, a sharp contrast to the caller's excitement, she replied, "Yeah. I'm just taking back what's mine. No point letting Joshua West profit off my work anymore. I'll be in London next week, we can hash out the details then."

The voice on the other end got even more excited, "That's fucking amazing! One week, see you in London!"

After hanging up, Haven's fingers flew across the keyboard, knocking out her to-do list. When she finished, she stretched and yawned, feeling her tired muscles finally relax. That's when Leonard stepped out of the bathroom.