After betrayed, I married the man in the Forbes

Haven Peters’ cheeks burned bright crimson the second she felt Leonard Voss’s magnetic presence roll over her—man, the guy knew exactly how intoxicating he was. She wrenched her gaze away fast, forcing her voice to stay steady, desperate to hide how badly her insides were spinning. She scrambled to her feet, turned her back, and dove under the covers, yanking the thin sheet tight around her shoulders and pressing a palm to her hammering heart, muttering a silent, repeated mantra to get a grip.Leonard was effortlessly charming—almost too much for her to handle. Sharing a bed with him had her nerves shot, and that old anxiety she’d thought she’d buried for good flared right back to life.Leonard’s gaze lingered on Haven, all curled up tight against the edge of the mattress, before drifting to the thick comforter they’d dragged between them like a wall. Without a word, he settled onto his own side.They lay back-to-back, keeping that polite, careful distance between them. Then, in the dead of night, lightning split the inky sky open, followed by a crack of thunder that rattled the windowpanes in their frames. Rain hammered against the glass so hard it sounded like it was trying to swallow the whole world whole.Haven was caught in a nightmare, the thunder locking her in place. Her lips trembled, and a tiny whimper slipped out: “…I’m scared…” In her dream, she was locked in a pitch-black room, thunder booming over and over and over. She fought like crazy to get out, but her feet wouldn’t move.Leonard was already awake, and every flash of lightning lit up Haven’s terrified, shaking frame. He pulled back the comforter splitting them apart, and gently pulled her trembling body right into his arms.“It’s okay. I got you.” Leonard’s usual cool voice was soft and warm now, breath fanning over her ear as he whispered. He held her tight with one arm, the other brushing slow, gentle strokes over her hair to calm her down.Haven clung to him like he was her lifeline, arms locked around his waist, face pressed deep into his chest, even though she still shook a little. Leonard held her tighter, murmuring soft, steady reassurances until she finally went limp against him. The warmth of his hold, the steady care of it, seeped into her bones, and she drifted back off into a quiet, peaceful sleep.Leonard never loosened his hold, his arms a solid shield between her and all her fears. As he watched her sleeping face, he wondered why Haven—raised in comfort, never wanting for anything—was so terrified of thunderstorms. What had happened to her, to leave her this scared?When dawn broke, soft golden light slipped through the curtains, painting the whole bedroom in a warm, hazy glow. Haven woke up in the quiet, and the first thing she saw was Leonard’s chest, his jaw soft with sleep.Her cheek was pressed right to his sternum, one arm curled around his waist, Leonard’s arm slung heavy over her shoulder. Their legs were tangled together, so close it felt like they’d been made to fit there. Her mind went blank for a second, then started racing. Blood rushed to her face, her cheeks flaming, her ears burning hot.She shoved him away hard, like she’d just pressed her hand to a hot stove. Leonard jolted awake, blinking blearily at her pink, flushed cheeks and wide, panicking eyes as she scrambled to wriggle out of his arms.“Chill out,” Leonard mumbled, his voice thick with sleep, rough around the edges from being woken up. Dark circles ringed his eyes, proof he hadn’t gotten much rest.Haven clutched the comforter tight to her chest, her face so red it looked like it might catch fire. Embarrassment and confusion swam in her eyes, and her voice came out shaking: “What the hell happened? Why were we…?”It clicked for Leonard then, what she was so flustered about. A flicker of awkwardness crossed his face as he sat up, putting a little space between them, and said casually: “There was that bad storm last night. You were scared, you kept clinging to me. I couldn’t get you to let go, and I ended up crashing here.”Some of Haven’s embarrassment ebbed, but the flush stayed on her cheeks. She bit her lip, refused to meet his eyes, and mumbled: “Let’s just… forget it happened.”She hurried into the bathroom, leaving Leonard alone to think through all the messy, soft feelings from the night before.When Haven came back out, Leonard was already out of bed, ambling slowly toward her. Her cheeks flared all over again, the memory of their warm embrace flooding back. She dropped her gaze fast to hide how flustered she was, and darted around him to get past.Leonard noticed how embarrassed she was, but he didn’t say anything about it. He just huffed a quiet laugh and headed into the bathroom. Once the door clicked shut behind him, he pulled out his phone— a dozen missed calls, and one text from his grandfather.He tapped the message open, and his brow pulled into a sharp frown as he read.[Since you’re already in town, go see Mr. West. It’s his granddaughter’s wedding today. Let me make this clear: I only ever will accept Mr. West’s granddaughter as my grandson’s wife. If you don’t show, don’t bother coming back home.]Leonard locked his phone, his mood dropping straight through the floor. It was time to sort this out once and for all.Out in the bedroom, Haven was getting dressed, listening to Leonard move around in the bathroom. The sound of the shower running felt weirdly comforting, and for a second it felt like they were just a normal couple, starting a quiet morning together.Leonard walked out, fully dressed, and his eyes landed straight on Haven, sitting on the edge of the sofa. “Let’s go.”Haven looked up, meeting his unreadable gaze. “Go where?”Leonard paused for half a second, his voice steady and firm. “Today we go to the county clerk’s office to get our marriage license. Or… are you backing out now?”