Chapter 11

Another fifteen minutes passed. Matthew didn’t come knocking again, and Serena, finally done soaking, stepped out of the tub. Before the bath, she’d been wearing a full face of heavy bridal makeup—her real features completely hidden. But now, makeup-free, her bare face was on full display. Her big blink-blink eyes, long lashes, flawless creamy skin, small oval face, sharp nose, and pouty lips—maybe not a classic beauty, but definitely jaw-dropping at first glance. Matthew got momentarily lost in her face. Originally, he’d just brought her back to deal with Vivian. But now? Vivian wasn’t going to give up until she saw a marriage certificate. And with no better alternative, this girl seemed smart enough. “What? You just gonna stare at me?” Serena tugged her robe tighter. Matthew snapped out of it, going cold in an instant. “Take off my bathrobe.” “No way! Your shirt’s too short anyway, I’m not—no.” He took a step closer, leaned down beside her ear, the corners of his lips lifting, and said softly, “You wanna see me come out of the shower naked instead?” “You—” Her face flushed instantly as she shoved him away and dove under the blanket. Underneath, she wriggled out of the robe and flung it toward him. Matthew picked it up with one finger and tossed it over his shoulder, smirking all the way to the bathroom. She was honestly exhausted and fell asleep not long after. But it felt like barely a few minutes had passed when a low, devilish voice came from beside the bed: “Get up.” She jolted awake, clutching the blanket. “W-What do you want?” “I told you—we’ve got business to take care of.” His tone was teasing, with a hint of something suggestive. Serena instinctively scooted back. “Don’t even think about it. I’ll scream, I’m serious. You don’t want Vivian finding out I’m just a last-minute stand-in, do you?” She reached out trying to stop his approach, but accidentally yanked his robe open, exposing a whole lot of defined chest muscle. Oh dear god. Absolute temptation on full display. Good thing her heart was still full of Dylan Wood. Otherwise, she legit wasn’t sure if she could resist making very bad decisions. Seriously though, men with good looks and a hot bod? They could throw a trash bag on and still look expensive. “You keep staring at me like that, I’m gonna start misbehaving,” Matthew said with a smug grin. Serena turned bright red, slammed her hands over her face, and stayed silent. First time seeing each other post-shower, and it was as awkward as it gets. She had no idea how to deal. “Okay, come sit over here.” She hesitated. He didn’t wait and just pulled her over to the bed, grabbed a blow dryer, and started working through her damp hair gently. Even his voice softened. “Don’t know how to use a hairdryer?” Caught off guard by the sudden tenderness, she fumbled for an answer. “I... I wasn’t sure where it was.” Once her hair was dry, Matthew pulled up a chair, paused briefly, then said seriously, “Alright, time to talk business.” “Business?” Serena blinked, her mind flashing back to everything that had happened today. Leaning closer, she kept her voice low. “Wait... you’re not actually planning to marry me, are you?” “Yeah. We’re getting a marriage certificate.” His tone was flat, not a flicker of emotion.