Page 25 of The Temporary Bride

“Hold that thought,” I mutter, stepping out into the hallway. “I’ll be right back.”

I advance down the hallway toward Chloe and Jefferson. As I draw near, his words start to become audible.

“So, yeah, it was a really great performance. Highly recommend. You seem like a worldly type, have you ever been to the orchestra?”

I grit my teeth, fighting down the rising irritation within me. He’s pretty clearly angling to ask her out.

She’s having none of it, of course, but that doesn’t make it better. This guy doesn’t even know that she’s taken. Spoken for.

I clear my throat as I reach Chloe, coming up beside her and laying a hand on her shoulder. To her credit, she doesn’t jump or flinch, just turns those gray eyes on me, their depths heavy with disdain. Her eyeliner is thick today, a little more makeup than she usually wears, and the dark color accentuates the cool tone of her irises.

I break eye contact with her to give Jefferson a smile. Well, not a smile, per se. It’s a little more like baring my teeth.

“Ah, Kyle,” I say, my voice light. “I see you’ve met my future wife.”

Immediately, Jefferson’s eyes widen, and he blanches. He clearly had no idea who he was talking to—or how close he was coming to dangerous waters. He drops his gaze to the floor and says, “I… okay. Wow. Well, congratulations, Mr. Thorne. I had no idea you were engaged.”

My grip tightens on Chloe’s shoulder, and, almost imperceptibly, she lets out a small sigh. “That’s right,” I say. “We haven’t announced it yet, but it’s official.”

“That’s… that’s great.”

“Which means that Chloe here is off limits,” I add pointedly. “I’d suggest keeping your mind on your work, if you want to remain employed here.”

Jefferson swallows, nodding. “Right. Of… of course. I’d actually better get back to it.”

“You’d better,” I echo. My eyes don’t leave his back as he slinks away, crawling back into the elevator with his tail between his legs.

Once the doors are closed and he’s gone, I release Chloe’s shoulder. She glares at me, her eyes narrowed.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, actually, I did.”

“What the fuck did that accomplish?”

I meet Chloe’s challenging stare directly. “I already told you. I don’t share,” I tell her. “That includes letting other men eye-fuck my wife.”

She draws herself up taller. “I’m not your wife yet.” The quickness of that response bothers me. I frown, dropping my gaze to her hand, looking for the glint of that diamond. Her fingers are bare.

“You’re not wearing your engagement ring,” I say, letting the irritation slip into my tone.

“No, I’m not,” she replies. “I was planning to start wearing it once our engagement is announced. There’s no point in putting it on now. It’ll only confuse people.”

I inhale slowly through my nose. No point? The engagement ring is like a visible warning. She’s mine. If she’s not wearing it, then no one can tell when they’re about to piss me off.

A smirk flashes across my face, and I turn away, striding back toward my father’s office—my office. Reid is still sitting in front of the desk, staring at me in disbelief. I wonder briefly if he heard any of what just transpired.

I cross the room and sit down in front of the computer, opening a web browser. I type up a quick post for the Thorne Enterprises Instagram, then choose a picture of Chloe and myself that I had ready for the occasion.

“The Thorne family is proud to announce the engagement of Tristan Thorne, CEO of Thorne Enterprises, to Chloe Dawson of the MediaSphere family. These two plan to tie the knot within the next few months. Our only regret is that Tristan’s late father couldn’t be here to attend his son’s wedding. Best wishes to the new couple!”

I read aloud as I type, then click ‘post’ without hesitating. I look up at Chloe, who stands in the doorway gaping at me in obvious shock.

“There.” I lift a brow at her. “Now it’s been announced. The next time I see you, you’d better have my ring on your finger.”

Chapter 9

Chloe