His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 12

GABRIE

I’m not a man who usually listens to any woman, but this one had a hold on me. Not her, but the dress she was wearing. The way it hugged her upper body and then flowed down, showing her leg perfectly. Every time a man in this room looked at her, it drove me insane. It made me want to go up the stage and announce her as my wife.

“I don’t dance. I tell her firmly as 1 stand in front of her on the dancing floor, studying each move.

She pretended to be unbothered by what happened with Arthur, but I knew she heard every bit of my conversation with him, and it affected her.

“I know,” she replied, wrapping her hand around my neck. Her fake smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Can you stand here for a bit anyway?”

“Why

“Mrs. Johnson was talking about how we didn’t even dance at our own reception so we should take the floor now. I tried refusing, but she wouldn’t buy it. I was going to come find you after freshening up.”

My eyes reflexively found the sixty year old woman who was looking at us from a corner with her husband, who happened to be my grandfather’s friend. I put my hands on her waist. “So, you’re doing this to keep pretence? Because the contract I made you sign requires you to?”

“Mh-hm.”

I tightened my grasp on her waist, pulling her closer and swaying with her.

She was usually way more talkative than this.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Arthur was drunk.”

“He was”

“If you would’ve have been there, what was he planning to do?”

1 stiffened. “I was there.”

She hesitantly looked at me. “But you won’t always be there.”

“I will.” I tell her, my voice promising. “You’re my responsibility, Sofia.”

“Freckles.”

“What?”

She finally smiled. “You call me freckles.”

“I do. I passed her a soft one back and she relaxed, seeming convinced.

Im ready to go home.

“You haven’t eaten.”

She just shrugged, moving away from me and my hands drop from her waist, almost making me wish she hadn’t. She fixed

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Chapter 12

her dress while I stared, wondering how pretty that piece of cloth would look on the floor of my.

That thought alone, of removing her dress in my room, my hands all over that perfect skin of hers, made heat rush down and I could feel my pants tighten.

I had to tear my vision away from her and just when I was almost successful in calming my absurd thoughts down, she wrapped one of her hands around my arm, and my breath froze midway again.

on my self control, I led

who. I didn’t

they called you, Sofia murmured, turning back to the screen, forcing me

was my name in bold letters, under the

shook my head. Wasn’t this supposed to

you don’t

I rolled my eyes.

walked out of the gala in silence, but couldn’t help myself

I paid were worth lifting her mood after that d*ckhead dragged

SOFIA

was stubborn for not carrying a coat, because it really was chilled outside. While we waited for the valet to bring the car,

a

My teeth

to

genuinely thought he would

was a gentleman at times, and not

difficult man

waste a second rushing to the passenger seat and getting in. Lknew Gabriel was amused,

got

in.

on the heater, and then the engine

hours later, I was in my room. The time was almost midnight, but I couldn’t sleep. My

lazy to wake up, but when the hunger pangs became unavoidable, I tip toed down to the kitchen in the

here, so I had no idea what was kept

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Chapter 12

didn’t feel like cooking: Hoping to find some chips with a dip of some ice cream,

No luck.

behind me.

jumped in my place when I

and a questioning eyebrow raised. I gulped looking at him, but

took a conscious decision to look away from him. “I- I’m just looking for chips, Or something to

a shirt and pants. And I always knew he

made aware of the tiny shorts I was wearing since I sleep with the heater in my room on, my hair tied in a messy ponytail when his

He didn’t stop.

till he was inches away, forcing me to

checks flushed when I realised I wasn’t wearing any bra and although I wasn’t too blessed in that department, I had

and I was

breath. If I leaned up, he was close enough

“Chips,” he said.

He had walked this close to open the drawer above me, and I hadn’t even realised it because I was so lost

pack of unopened chips from him.

He didn’t move away.

he put

was barely

He didn’t answer.

height. His face was inches away from mine couldn’t even think properly without imagining kissing him,

over my but it didn’t seem like he was trying to feel me up. They slid downwards,

My very bare thigh.

*Hm?” I gulped.

don’t know how he raised me,

you

“What?”

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Chapter 12

“The chips.