Earlier that day.
I arrived home and Henry was there.
"Where is Seth," I asked.
"He's in his room sir, the one next to yours."
"What? Why is he in that room?"
"Well … sir I thought that …" he stammered, sounding unsure for the first time in years. "Since this is an arrangement, and you were tricked I didn't think you would want to sleep in the same room. After all sir, you didn't in New York."
"He chose to sleep on the sofa because he thought the same. I respected his decision but that didn't mean that was how I was going to live my marriage."
Frustrated, I left Henry and walked towards the hallway. My apartment had a large open area that housed the sitting, dining and kitchen areas. Down the hallway held the master ensuite bedroom, a guest ensuite bedroom and an office.
The door to the guest room was open and an angry voice stopped me at the door.
"We got the email about the ruse wedding and that he was married to a man. You must have let it slip, I bet you did it on purpose to embarrass us. How can I face his father and tell him that I let his son marry a man!"
I could hear Seth's weak replies. His voice sounded so broken.
"He is? That's good, good. Ok fine, stay there with him but don't even think about screwing anything up. Take advantage of his generosity if you want but do not mistake it for attraction. Do not seduce him and humiliate us!"
Maria, my house manager, came up behind me at the start of this rant. She looked up at me sadly as we listened to Seth's cries. I wanted to go inside but I doubt he would want me to.
Maria went inside instead and I headed to my room. I had a shower and then headed out into the kitchen. When Maria urged him to tell me about the phone call, he shrunk back into himself and left.
Instead of letting him go, I was gonna make him talk to me. Maria stopped me before I followed him.
"He might open up to you Mijo, if you open up to him," she suggested cryptically.
I nodded and she gave me one of her warm smiles.
---
"Now, are you going to tell me what Maria was on about?" I asked.
I found it hard to concentrate on what I was asking, his smooth pale skin glistened in the light. Thankfully, he quickly got dressed and I was able to pull myself together.
"Tell me Seth, something happened in New York and again today. Tell me what's going on," I ordered.
He sighed, "It's really nothing, just the usual type of family drama."
"I'm your family now, so tell me," I told him, pulling him down next to me.
Seth sighed and shrunk again. So, I pulled him into me and wrapped my arm around him. He sighed and then relaxed.
"In New York, my sister messaged me. She was horrible like usual, but I'm used to it."
I held my hand out for the phone and growled when he showed me the text. Without thinking, I tapped the camera button and took a picture of me kissing his cheek. Seth's eyes widened as I then sent the picture to his sister.
'What old man, this was the man you were meant to marry. He's my husband now!'
Seth smiled at me and I could see the light in his eyes brightened a little.
"Now tell me about today," I told him and he nodded.
"My dad called, he thought that the deal was gonna fall through since you found out. He accused me of …" he faltered.
I squeezed his shoulder to encourage him to continue.
"He accused me of seducing you to embarrass them. He told me to take advantage of your generosity if I wanted but not to think that it was anything other than an obligation to the deal. As if I needed him to tell me that."
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"I mean this is just a contractual marriage isn't it, it's just for show. I'm not stupid enough to think otherwise. Don't worry, I don't plan on seducing you or taking advantage of you. You can sleep with whoever you like as long as you help my family's business."
"Despite how they treat you, you still want me to help them?" I asked.
Seth shrugged and gave me a weak smile.
"They're my family."
"And yet they've never treated you like family."
He shrugged again and I growled. His eyes widened as he looked at me. I could feel a blush rising up his cheeks and I smirked inwardly. He liked it when I growled.
"You need to stop shrugging your shoulders as if it's nothing. The way they treat you is not nothing. Yes, this started as a contractual marriage but do you think that I'm not going to act like your husband?"
His raised eyebrows told me he had no idea what I meant. Slowly, I cupped his cheek and looked at his lips.
"No matter who I married I would be all in. I will not be unfaithful to you and I expect the same from you. I know Henry put you in here but that's because he thought, since we slept apart in New York, it was what we both wanted but it's not true."
I stood up with him and walked him to my room, well our room now. We sat down and that blush crept up again.
"Seth, you may not realise but I am bi," his wide eyes told me he hadn't known. "I came out to my parents when I was around the same age as you before my Mother passed. They were very accepting and welcomed my previous boyfriends as well as my girlfriends. So, I know my father has no issue with me marrying you."
I leaned down and pecked his lips lightly before leaning back.
"When I learned I was marrying you and not your sister, I had you checked out. You are the only reason I decided to continue."