“Are you feeling all right?” Chase asked. “You look pale.”
“That’s her natural coloring,” his mother said in a dismissive tone. “It’s her British heritage.”
He sent his mother a quick glare as his hand squeezed Katie’s arm. “I think you should sit down.”
Katie sighed. “It was a long drive here, and I’m just tired.”
“You’ll stay in the city with me tonight,” he said.
“Will you be home for dinner?”
It was a wifely thing to say. She’d done it on purpose for his mother’s benefit. She hoped he understood that and wouldn’t blow the whole deal by saying something suspect. Holding her breath, she waited for his response. A stiff smile stretched his mouth.
He slipped an arm around her waist and walked her to the elevator. “I have a few things to take care of first, sweetheart, but I’ll make it in time.”
Katie tried not to notice how the other two secretaries gawked at them, the younger one with envy in her eyes. Her coworkers probably thought she’d been carrying on with the boss right under their noses. She wanted to return to work as soon as possible, but didn’t want to deal with all the judgmental stares. Maybe she was better off at the lake house.
♥♥♥
Despite his words to the contrary, Chase was late getting home.
Katie glared at the cold pot roast and the candles that were burned down to short blobs of wax when she heard the front door close. Still sitting at the table in his cramped kitchen, she scowled at the ruined dinner. Her plans to impress him with her culinary ability fell short. She felt like a real wife now with a husband not bothering to let her know his plans had changed. She didn’t want to sound like a nag. Their marriage wasn’t real, but she expected a little courtesy.
She remained seated and sipped her wine in an effort to look calm. Silently, she gave herself a little pep talk. Showing the world a cool, efficient exterior while she was a hot mess on the inside wasn’t anything new to her. She did it every day from the moment she stepped into the Grayson building until she left in the evening.
“You made dinner? Aw hell, I would have been here on time if you had told me you were cooking. When you asked if I’d be home for dinner, I thought you were just playing the part.” He sat across from her and picked at the roast with his fingers. “Things got busy after you left. You would not believe the phone calls and the people dropping in to congratulate me. I barely got any work done.”
He ate a bite of roast before grabbing a small chunk of potato.
“Don’t eat that,” she said. “It was in the oven for an extra hour, and it’s dried out and cold now. At least warm it in the microwave.”
“Some things are better cold.”
“Is that an American thing?”
He grinned, deepening his beautiful dimples. “There you go again, bringing up our cultural differences.”
She took a breath and watched him eat for a minute without speaking. Today, confronting his family in the boardroom and signing the contract giving her stock made everything real. It wasn’t a fantasy anymore. It wasn’t just talk. She and Chase were married, and he expected her to give him a baby to save his place as CEO. She felt the pressure mounting.
“How was your day?” he asked.
“Did your mother have anything to say about me after I left?” When he hesitated, she gave him a verbal push. “It’s okay. You can tell me. I have a pretty thick skin.” She shared a broad smile with him. “I need one to work for you.”
“Amusing.” He left the table long enough to get a beer. He took a swig, his eyes on her face the entire time as he leaned against the refrigerator. “My mother thinks you’re a strong and capable young woman.”
Katie’s eyes narrowed as she tried to read his expression to see if he was telling the truth. “Did she say that? Or are you paraphrasing?”
“If you want it verbatim, I don’t remember exactly what words she used. She did say Poppy has met her match, and she called you one tough cookie.” He chuckled. “I mean, one tough biscuit.”
“I’ve been wanting to tell you this for years.” Katie waited for him to return to the table and give her his complete, undivided attention. “You are not as funny as you think you are, sir.”
He laughed again. “You’ve been waiting for years to tell me that?”
“Absolutely.” Growing serious, she asked, “Has there been any hint of fallout from the meeting? Has Poppy made her move yet?”
He picked at the roast again. “There isn’t anything she can do. We’re married.”
“That woman doesn’t strike me as someone who gives up easily. She’ll try something. I know she will.”