Page 27 of Claimed By my Fake Husband

Tess takes my hand and squeezes. "I'm not in a rush. You don't have to tell me now."

I cup her cheek instead, running my thumb over that impossibly soft skin. "I know. And I don't think I'd be able to say it at all if you weren't so damn easy to talk to."

She grins, and I swear I'll never get tired of that face. Beautiful, sure. But more than that—open. Holding nothing back from me.

"I had a sister." My throat tightens, but I push through it. "I loved her so much, but I was overseas. I didn't think she needed me back home. I was wrong. She was dating some asshole, and I tried to warn her. I don't think she was blind to it. I think she knew exactly how bad he was. But it's hard to leave a situation like that."

"Oh, Logan. That's terrible." She slides closer, wrapping an arm around me.

"Yeah. He killed her, Tess. And I wasn't there to stop it." My chest aches, tight enough to hurt. "For years, I cut myself off from everyone. Because I figured I was cursed to lose the people I loved."

She tips her face up to mine. "I understand why the risk mattered so much to you. You weren't being irrational. Not with what happened to her. And you're right—I need to be better about it. Apparently I've got someone now who'd be wrecked if I weren't around."

"Damn straight you do." I tip her chin up and kiss her.

"So we try this?" She smiles, brow raised.

"We try this, sweetheart." I kiss her again, something in my chest finally settling. "I am your husband, after all."

10

Tess

My life is strange—in the best possible way.

I stretch in front of the mirror, which is kind of a silly thing to do. But I'm not a virgin anymore, and it's fun to look at myself as a sexual being for the first time.

That's also the most I've ever opened up to anyone in my life. I have a feeling Logan can say the same.

Ha. Life is so weird. Go into witness protection single, walk out with a boyfriend. Amazing.

I'm chuckling to myself, thoroughly on cloud nine, as I head to the closet to get dressed. Logan went out to get food, and I'm starving.

I promised not to leave the house and to keep the alarm set while he's gone. A reasonable trade.

The house feels a little cool, so I pull on leggings, a thick sweater, and socks before I go check the thermostat.

"Ugh, he better not have done the guy thing and set it to sixty-eight. That's too cold!"

Complaining to myself isn't new, but I'm still tickled by how good a mood I'm in. Nothing could bring me down right now.

All Logan and I have to do is wait this whole mess out. Then we can go on a real date, like a real couple.

When I leave the bedroom, it's even colder, and that makes me uneasy for some reason. Autumn's rolling in, sure, but shouldn't the sun be warming the place up by now?

I find the thermostat halfway down the hall. I go to turn it up, but the screen isn't lit.

"What?"

Tapping it does nothing. It's not getting power. Why isn't it getting power? I flip the hallway light switch.

Nothing.

"What the—I was just using it. Goddamn it."

I head down the stairs, grateful for all the windows letting in morning light. At least I can see where I'm going. But I'm still confused about the power.

Wait. First things first.