Flynn took in the sight of the girl in old pajamas with cartoon prints—washed so many times they'd faded into something almost sad. His nose wrinkled, but he couldn't stomach the lumpy couch, so he lowered himself onto the bed beside her.
In thirty years, he'd never once shared a bed with anyone. And now it was with a girl barely out of her teens. The thought twisted something inside him, leaving him deeply conflicted.
He had to find a way to get her to show her true colors fast, so *she'd* be the one to push for a divorce.
As if she trusted him completely, Julissa sank into sleep almost instantly, her breathing evening out into a soft, steady rhythm. She looked… oddly comfortable.
Flynn, on the other hand, was wide awake. He'd braced himself for some sort of seductive move, but instead got nothing but the quiet, innocent breathing of a girl who was clearly out cold.
*Damn it.* She couldn't care less about his physique. Or maybe…
Was he not good-looking enough?
Flynn plunged into a pit of insecurity.
---
The next morning, when Julissa woke, Flynn was already gone. She sat up, eyeing the empty space beside her, and her cheeks flushed a sudden shade of pink.
He really was considerate—a husband who actually respected his wife.
Maybe it was the restful sleep, but Julissa felt lighter than air that morning. With plans to take Abel and Kori to preschool, she hurried to wash up and pull together some breakfast.
To her surprise, Flynn was already at the table, dressed sharply, leisurely munching on a bagel and sipping his coffee.
When he spotted her, he said coolly, “Get the kids ready. After they eat, take ’em to preschool.”
Julissa herded her little brother and sister through washing up, then settled them down to eat. Abel beamed at Flynn. “Morning, brother-in-law!”
“Morning,” Flynn replied, his tone casual. He rose after finishing his meal and told Julissa, “I’ve already sorted out the preschool. The tuition’s covered; you just need to drop them off with the teacher. I’ve got to head to work now. Call me if anything comes up.”
Checking the time, Julissa nodded. “Okay, take care.”
Before leaving, Flynn added, “Oh, and leave the dishes—I’ll handle them after work.” He’d ordered breakfast delivered because cooking was, in his book, a colossal hassle.
Julissa couldn’t believe her luck. She’d landed a husband who barely expected anything from her—just looking after the kids. As she fed Kori a slice of spiced honey cake, she caught herself smiling, watching Flynn walk away.
At the door, Flynn paused and turned back. “You haven’t touched the card I gave you?”
He’d set up spending alerts and hadn’t gotten a single notification. Was Julissa too nervous to spend his money, or just waiting for the right moment?
Julissa glanced up. “No, I’ve still got some savings, and I just got paid. I haven’t needed it.” She hadn’t even checked the balance; the card was still untouched in her purse.
Flynn’s jaw tightened, his handsome face unreadable. He’d pegged her as a gold-digger, so the fact that she wasn’t spending a dime stung his pride.
“Use it,” he insisted. “I’ve noticed you don’t have many clothes. After you drop the kids off, go grab yourself some new stuff—and pick up a few things for them, too. If you need more money, just say so.”
He was dead certain she’d jump at the chance to go on a shopping spree.
Not wanting to hold him up, Julissa nodded quickly. “Okay, I’ll go shopping after I drop them off.”
With that, Flynn left. Julissa refocused on the little ones. After feeding them and dropping them at the nearby preschool, she hurried home to tidy up before heading to work.
On her way, her phone rang. It was her cousin, Gabriela. “Julissa, I heard from my mom that you up and got married?”
Julissa had a decent relationship with Gabriela, even though her cousin was timid and overly obedient to her parents. During the year Julissa had lived with them, Gabriela hadn’t been able to help her much.
Knowing she was just concerned, Julissa didn’t bother denying it. “Yeah, I got married.”
“Why the rush? My mom’s saying you married some older guy who’s divorced with a kid?”
Julissa frowned. *Divorced?* As far as she knew, this was a first marriage for both of them. Just another one of her aunt’s wild assumptions. Still, if her aunt got wind that she was doing okay, she’d probably try to wring a bride price out of Flynn. So Julissa answered lightly, “Mm-hmm, my husband’s older and has a kid, but he’s super caring.”
“Julissa, this is so hasty. Did you do this because you couldn’t stand living with us anymore, or to get away from the guy my mom wanted to set you up with? Do you even know this man? How much older is he? Are you sure this isn’t a mistake?”
Gabriela’s worry was real, but she knew she was powerless to help. She had her own mess to deal with—her parents were forcing her into a marriage just to get the dowry they demanded. Overwhelmed, Gabriela buried her face in her hands and started to cry.
Julissa didn’t pick up on her cousin’s distress. “My husband’s ten years older. We haven’t known each other long, but he’s a good guy. Don’t worry, Gabriela—I’m fine, and Abel is too.”
“Okay. I’ll try to visit when I can. But keep your location a secret, okay? If my mom finds out where you are, she’ll come after you.”
Julissa agreed. “Got it. I’m heading to work now—gotta go.”
After hanging up, she rushed to catch the subway. She worked at a high-end luxury hotel downtown. Even though she hadn’t gone to college, her knack for languages was a huge plus with international guests, and her looks sure hadn’t hurt during the interview.
The hotel was super swanky, with killer pay and benefits. The shifts were flexible, so she worked nine-to-five—which suited her, even though the pay was lower than the night shift. Her base salary was around $700 a month, plus bonuses.
Julissa was content with her job, which was why she’d taken a week off rather than quitting.
When she reached the hotel, she quickly changed into her uniform and slipped discreetly behind the front desk. Her two close work friends were already there.
They spotted her and greeted her like a long-lost sister. “Did you run off and elope or something? You were gone for an entire week!”
Julissa laughed. “Yeah, I went home and got hitched.”
“Oh, come on! But seriously—is your sister feeling better?”
They knew she’d taken leave because her sister was in the hospital. One of them, Alora, suddenly remembered something. “Wait, I thought you had a brother? How come you’re also taking care of a sister? Don’t tell me you’ve got both?”
Julissa nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got a brother and a sister.”
“Oh, honey, that’s gotta be so tough. With your parents gone, looking after them both… Julissa, if you ever need anything, we’re here for you.”
“Yeah, and if you ever need cash, don’t be shy,” came a muffled voice from under the counter.
Leaning down, Julissa spotted her other colleague, Elodie, tucked out of sight from the security cameras, chomping on a sandwich like she hadn’t eaten in days.
Julissa chuckled. “Aren’t you worried the manager will bust you?”
“What’s to be scared of? Worst-case scenario, I get canned!” Elodie shrugged, still munching contentedly.
That wasn’t surprising, given that the hotel actually belonged to her cousin. School had never been her thing, so her parents had foisted her onto Flynn for some real-world work experience.
