I can barely keep my eyes open as I stumble out of the apartment, a cosy oversized cardigan around me as I try to keep up with my feet. I'm barely holding myself together because of the sleepy state I'm in as I watch James step out of the door with bags in his hands. After he's done locking, his eyes land on me while I try to stand with my weight against the wall.

His face reflects immediate amusement, "Good morning to you too."

"Not a word," I warn him, making him chuckle as we get into the elevator.

When we are in the car, I reach into the backseat for my handbag that he kept. I didn't carry anything; I think it's a miracle I could make my way to car without falling face-first. I look for my eye mask and put it on with him mocking me with his raised eyebrows.

"Weren't you supposed to drive?" He asks, obviously getting a kick out of teasing me.

"You're very annoying sometimes, you know that?" I offer, realising how that's something I wouldn't even have joked about three months ago, but my nerves have resolved around James. He still does intimidate me at times, but it has taken me time to realise that we're both equals in this relationship so I have learned to relax in his presence and be myself.

I know he thrives on it as well, seeing as how he laughs out loud, shaking his head at me before leaning forward to give me a peck.

"Go to sleep, I'll wake you up once we're there."

I didn't even take a bath or brush my teeth. James tried to wake me up for fifteen minutes but after that he gave up, aware that it was a lost cause. He freshened up and packed the rest of our stuff that was left for morning. I could still feel his movements in the room somewhere at the back of my head while I slept. He told me to get up and move out after he made his first trip to keep the bags in the car. So, I grabbed the first thing my eyes caught which was this cardigan to keep me comfortable for the ride. I adjust the seat a little and bring up my knees as I put my eye mask on.

"Night." I mumble before dozing off.

James didn't start packing until midnight because once we got back home, I kept him incredibly busy. It's also one of the reasons I feel so exhausted right now, but I have absolutely no regrets. We had a few days of making up to do after my periods ended, and I'm sure he would agree.

He had to drag himself out of bed to pack because I suggested to keep it off until the morning, offering that I would help but now I'm glad he went against my whiny protests and packed the bags last night itself.

After what seems like an hour, my alarm goes off and I groan in response, reaching for my phone in the middle console. My hand meets James's and I remove the eye mask, the morning light making it hard for me to see anything with squinted eyes.

"I was just going to switch it off, what's it for?" He asks as I pick up my phone to switch off the annoying buzz.

"Pill reminder." I mumble as I pick my hand bag from the backseat, feeling a little disoriented. I pull out the pill pack and take the water bottle from console before swallowing it.

When my eyes have adjusted to the light, I turn to my husband to find him focused on the road. It's eight in the morning and we left around six thirty, recalling that James tried to wake me up an hour before that. He seems to be lost in his thoughts, his eyebrows a little frowned, making me wonder what's on his mind.

"How much time till we reach?" I ask, trying to wake up completely from my slumber as I pop in a mint in my mouth.

"An hour, I guess."

I nod, my eyes still fixed on him because he looks distracted. I know tomorrow is a hard day for him, which is why I was surprised when he asked me to come along. When James is upset, he usually always wants his space but I believe I would've gone a little crazy to spend four days without him, knowing that he's not okay. The most he has been away is for a weekend when he went to Texas to finalise his deal and the site for a new plant that company is planning to set up.

That weekend, I had all my friends over for a slumber party. Austin and Caleb had just come back from their trip to LA and everyone wanted a change of scene from hanging out at Max and Ashley's apartment. So, we all went for bowling first, but then ended up at the penthouse where we made pretty damn good use of the foosball and pool table along with theatre room.

James wasn't very happy to know that I had a hangover for an entire day but he didn't comment on it either, telling me that it was my age for hangovers. There aren't a lot of times I feel the age difference between us, mostly because he never makes me feel like there is anything which makes it an issue in our relationship, but sometimes when I hang out with my friends, worry about senior year, that's when it hits me how different our dreams are career wise because he's already where I wish to be one day – successful.

"What's on your mind?" I try to know his thoughts and he gives me a sideway glance before focusing his gaze back on the road, just shrugging in return. A sigh leaves me at his response as I reach out to play some music because he clearly is not in the mood to talk and I don't want to push it.

I connect my phone to the audio system and put our playlist on shuffle. James and I made a playlist with ten of his favourite songs and ten of mine, a perfect mix. A small smile reaches his face when I'm confessin' by Doris Day starts to play, a song I dedicated to him because it reminds me of the days when I was sure James could never love me or feel this way about me, yet there was undeniable hope in my heart.

A feeling of content settles inside me to see his reaction, a smile of my own taking place upon realising that he's still with me and not completely lost in his thoughts. For the next hour I hum to some of the songs, James's hand finding mine from time to time or resting on my thigh for the rest of the drive.

"We're here." When the car comes to a stop, almost mindlessly, I step out and James does the same. This time I reach for our bags in the trunk, carrying one over my shoulder and the other in my hand. James begins, "Lil, I got it."

"There's no need, I'm wide awake now." I amusedly respond to him and he just shakes his head at me in return.

When I turn towards the place, I stop mid-track, making James bump into my back as he curses under his breath while I take in what stands in front of me. What the hell! James and my definition of a 'cabin' are very different because what stands in front of me is a huge house, a perfect mix of its wooden essence with the glasses adorning it, giving it a slight modern touch but the classic look of it is evident more than anything.

"What's wrong?" James asks as he comes to stand in front of me while I continue to look at the house.

"That is not a cabin." I point behind him, perplexed.

He seems to process my words before looking behind himself then staring back at me, realising what I must mean, "Okay so maybe cabin is not the right word."

"You think?" I look at him incredulously.

A man who must be in his late forties' steps out of the door, a smile on his face as he makes his way to us and I seem to snap out of my daze, coming back to my senses.

"Oh, great you're here." His smile widens when his eyes land on me. "You must be Lillian?"

I nod, feeling awkward as I plaster a small smile, a little clueless about him because I know James mentioned that someone manages the place but we never discussed it in much detail, missing out the name basis as well.

"Cooper." James starts, keeping the bag down to shake his hand. "How's everything?"

"Good as always, Jim." He grins before his eyes draw back to me again and lands on the bags in my hand. "Oh, don't trouble yourself, please. I got this."

I immediately shake my head, "No, it's alright. Thank you, Cooper. It's really nice to meet you."

This time my smile is more genuine and less forceful. He looks at James for assistance but even he shakes his head. Cooper nods in return as he gestures towards the door, "C'mon, let's get you settled and then I'll leave."

"You're leaving?" I frown in confusion and he nods, his eyes darting to my husband who just gives him a grateful look in return.

"I won't be far off if you need anything, just a call away." He promises as we step inside. He takes our bags, moving upstairs while my eyes take in the beautiful place.

The inside of the house is completely made out of wood, giving it a very cosy feeling of a cabin, which makes me understand why James calls it that, because the essence is same, just the size is huge. It's a beautiful change from the modern penthouse that we have to the peaceful aura this entire place radiates. There's a fireplace mantle in the living room and the kitchen is just at the back of it with an island and the dining table nearby.

Several books are lined up above the mantle along with a beautiful painting which just gives it a better outlook. A wooden staircase is going up on the left and I can't wait to see the rest of this house that has me in awe of it. When my eyes move to James, he seems to be staring at me, gauging my reaction and he raises a questioning brow once I'm done taking everything in.

"It's beautiful." I breathe, completely understanding why does he come here for isolation and peace.

This entire place is disconnected from the world of rush out there in the city. There were several smaller cabins in the town while coming here in the middle of nowhere but this seems like a good place to get your head together, and if it were upon me, I'd settle here with James forever.

Cooper comes downstairs and joins us in the living room. After reading our faces, he starts, "Great, I guess I'll take my leave now. I've restocked the groceries just this morning but in case you run out, just let me know and I'll get it delivered from the local market."

"You've already done enough, Coop. The market isn't that far away, we are close to civilisation." James cracks a small smile which makes Cooper laugh as he nods.

"Well, then. Let me know a couple of hours before you have to leave?" He suggests and gets an acknowledging nod in return. He turns to me. "It was nice to meet you, Lillian."

"Likewise."

I like how he didn't call me Mrs. Clark like everyone rushed to do so whenever James introduced me to someone. After he leaves, I turn to James and he's looking around like he's taking everything in for the first time again, a sigh escaping his lips.

"What's on your mind?" I dare ask again and his eyes flicker to me before he extends his arms towards me. Without a thought, I walk to him and he wraps himself around me, his hold tighter than usual.

"This place just holds a lot of sad memories," He mumbles before sighing deeply and fixing his gaze on me. "I'm hoping this time will be better."

I want to say that I understand his pain, that I understand how he's feeling but that wouldn't be true. I didn't lose a parent at the age of seven when children need their parents the most but that doesn't mean that I'm not trying or don't empathise with him. I just so badly wish I could take away his pain, but if only life came packed with unicorns or rainbows.

"I promise to try," I tell him and he presses a kiss on my forehead before leaning forward to peck my lips but I take a step back. "Yes, after I take a bath and brush my teeth."

He grumbles under his breath, amusing me as I take his hand before moving towards the stairs. It leads to narrow hallways with doors on each side and there's another staircase at the end of it. James catches my eye before pulling me backwards, "Trust me, you want to wait until night to explore that."

I look back at him, taking in his words before nodding, trusting him to know better. "What made you buy this place?"

He opens one of the doors and when I step inside, my eyes immediately widen as I take in the beauty of it. That seems to answer my question. It's a huge room, completely authentic with the wooden surface, every inch of it covered with wood. There's another fireplace on the far right of the room but that isn't what surprises me, it's the glass window shed behind and a little above the bed, giving a sight of the trees but mostly the open sky.

"Can we please just settle here?" I finally ask the question I've been dying to.

He laughs at my suggestion. "Careful there, love. I still have a company to run back home."

"Oh, shush the business talk. We're leaving that behind for four days, remember?"

He just shakes his head at me as I move to the door on my left and it leads to a bathroom. I absolutely love how authentic this entire house is. There's a bathtub on the far back, it has all the modern equipment fit yet somehow doesn't radiate that vibe at all. I notice how there are new toothbrush and paste made available. Cooper really did take care of everything.

"I'll just take a shower and be out," I announce as I shut the door behind me.

After taking my sweet time to follow through the morning routine, I'm done with the shower when I realise that I didn't get myself a towel and there's no robe in here either. Damn my excited mind. I creak open the door a little and pop my face out, my eyes landing on James who's sitting on the chair, lost in his thoughts.

"James?" I call out and he jerks out of his daze, his eyes meeting mine. His expressions worry me but I try not to pry too much. "I forgot to take a towel, and there's nothing in here."

Suddenly his eyes light up at my words as his lips transform into an amused smirk. I want to tell him to pause his thoughts right where they started but when a huge grin takes over his face, I already know it's too late.

"So, you're all naked and wet in there?" He gets up from the chair and walks nearer to the bathroom door. His words' intention doesn't go missing, but it only amuses me as I roll my eyes.

"Yes, very naked and wet. Are you going to help me out?" I playfully pout at him which makes him stop walking as he raises a questioning eyebrow at me.

"Are you serious?"

I nod, playing along as I open the bathroom door a little more and he closes the distance between us, his palms around my cheeks before he starts kissing me. For a moment, I almost lose sense of what I was doing and give in, most of my body still hidden behind the wooden surface. It's always so hard to pull away from him but when my hand rests on his chest and I pull back a little, he grumbles.

When our eyes meet, I see the need behind his orbs but I want to have my fun too, almost feeling bad for what I say next. "Okay, now be a dear and help me with a towel."

"Seriously?" His face turns into a deep scowl as he looks at me in playful disappointment, catching onto my words. "You're so going to regret that, Mrs. Clark."

"I always do, Mr. Clark, but then I love every second of it." I grin at him in victory as he shakes his head at me.

He steps back and opens the cupboard before throwing a towel my way and I reach out to grab it, realising that he's way too clever for me as he wiggles his eyebrows at me, taking in my bare body as I seem to have opened the door wider.

"Time to regret." He chuckles as he makes his way towards me and I already what's coming next as he pulls me to himself.

I don't even protest before kissing him back, the towel soon forgotten. He backs me up against the wall and his hands soon find my ass as I wrap my legs around his waist, his lips moving down to my neck. I know this is providing him the perfect distraction, so I don't hold back. Every thrust of his is met with a chant of his name, every kiss is met with the same hunger, and every touch burns of the same passion.

Some hours seem to have passed when I start to blink open my eyes, light from the sky still peeking in the room. My gaze moves to James and he seems to be in a deep slumber with his lips parted, which is a rare situation for me to encounter. The man who cannot seem to sleep with the slightest of the light back at home is almost passed out peacefully. He must've been tired from the drive, and well last night and this morning. I know how to keep my man busy pretty damn well.

It's almost like he can hear my thoughts, his eyes flickering a little before they open up to set on me, a sleepy smile taking over his face and the beauty of it seems to take my breath away. My hand comes up to his face as my finger traces his jawline under the stubble that I've grown to love. I'm not really picky about whether I like him better with a slight beard or clean shaved, his face is anyway my favourite sight.

His arm around my waist tightens as he pulls me closer, a low rumble leaving him when my naked body brushes against his. I continue to read his face, his eyes which he always seems to keep guarded from others, but has slowly let me in.

"What time is it?" I ask, wondering for how long did we both sleep.

He uses his elbow to lift off his weight from mattress a little as he looks over my shoulder at the night stand. "Almost two."

"Wow, we seem to have slept for a while."

"We needed it." He shrugs, leaning forward to kiss my hair before he starts to slip out of the bed but I pull him back by his wrist.

"Hold on, where are you going?" I pout and he grins at my reaction.

"I was thinking of searching something easy to make for you."

His words immediately peak up my attention as I smile at him. "Were you, now? I know we've made some progress in the kitchen, Mr. Clark but are you sure?"

"I think we've made a lot of progress in the kitchen, love." He winks at me before slipping out successfully and fishing out fresh pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from the bag. His words make a deep blush rise on my cheeks as I give him a look that I know does nothing to him.

"Alright." I clear my throat to let the heat subside, sitting up in bed as I pull the comforter along with me. "You better come up with something good because I'm starving."

"I don't make promises I can't keep."

"That sounds promising." I tease and he mocks an offended look.

"It is."

With that, he disappears out of the room and I sigh with a smile still lingering on my face. If seven months ago someone would've told me that I would be happily married to James Peter Clark, I would've cried because of how miserable I was back then and I wouldn't have liked people mocking my misery. But here I am now, with the most handsome man I've ever laid eyes on and by some miracle of God, he loves me back.

When he doesn't come back up for twenty minutes, I get out of the bed and search for a pair of pjs and his long-sleeved shirt. The air here is naturally chillier than the city, and I absolutely love the smell of nature this house seems to hold. I decide to give him another ten minutes as I spend time unpacking our bags.

After I'm done, it's been a little above half an hour and with no sight of James, I begin to worry a little so I make my way downstairs only to find the kitchen island filled with what looks like every food ingredient present in this place and a very confused James picking between stuff. My worry immediately vanishes as I grow more amused at the scene in front of me.

"What are you doing?"

He almost, almost seems surprised at my voice but then a sheepish look takes over his features as he looks between the uncooked food material and me, rubbing the back of his neck. "I couldn't figure out what to make."

A laugh leaves me which earns me a glare from him, immediately shutting me up but I can't seem to keep in my snicker. "What were you planning to come up with when you left the room?"

"Well, Cooper said he went grocery shopping so I was hoping to find some frozen pizza or shit."

"Or shit?" His words always leave me so amused as I shake my head. "So much for the promise you made for your promise."

He scowls at me, "Hey, it's not my mistake. Grocery includes frozen pizza."

"No, it does not. It includes stuff to make pizza from scratch." I correct him and he grumbles under his breath but nothing audible, so I speak up. "Do we have eggs?"

His eyes lit up immediately, "Fuck, yes. I can make scrambled eggs, you taught me how."

I try not to laugh at his enthusiasm as I go to stand by his side, afraid that the man would end up running into a knife or burning this place down if I really did leave him alone in the kitchen. I don't know why didn't I come downstairs with him in the first place, aware that even though he's slowly learning his way around, he's still borderline terrible at this stuff.

"It's alright, we'll make it together?" I offer and he gives me a look which makes me raise my hands in surrender. "I just want to see how you make it, sounds like a delicious sight."

"Yes, flirt your way into everything." I laugh at his words but he continues to scowl at me so I offer him a questioning look in return. "I want to have frozen microwaved pizza."

"God." I breathe under my breath, trying not to let my laugh be evident. "We can have it for dinner? You said yourself that the market isn't far away, we can go and fetch some things. I don't see any chocolate syrup here either."

He nods before picking up a bowl and an egg. We spend the next hour preparing the food and then devouring it, realising how we missed both lunch and breakfast. Afterwards I do the dishes even when James tries his best like always to convince me that he doesn't mind washing it for me.

"I don't want to change out of these comfortable clothes," I tell him when he's changing into a pair of jeans and a fresh t-shirt.

He looks back at me and takes in my tank top with the yoga pants before his eyes meet mine and I know he wants to argue but doesn't say a word. "Just carry a jacket or something? It usually gets chilly by the evening."

That I don't argue with because I know he's right, I can already feel how different the air here is, surrounded by nothing but greenery. I grab my cardigan from the morning and wrap myself in it, putting my hair in a bun above my head.

"What a classy look, beautiful as ever." James grins at me as we step out and he locks the door behind himself and I know he's mocking me which makes me shove my elbow in his stomach. "A man can't compliment his wife now?"

"Nope." I smirk at him and he shakes his head.

We reach the local market of the town and James finds himself a parking space which earns us a look as soon as we step out, the luxurious car attracting attention. He rolls his eyes as he pulls me by his side and I look at him. "Don't judge them, Mr. Billionaire."

"Hold on, they are judging me, I'm not the one doing it. Also, for the record, and this is the last time I'm saying this, it's my father who's a billionaire, not me."

This time, I'm the one who rolls her eyes as I give him a look, "Okay, Mr. Millionaire. Does that sound better?"

"Much. Thank you." He remarks sarcastically, making me snicker as we walk down to a grocery store.

James has surprisingly grown very comfortable with being affectionate and keeping it to bare minimum in public. As we enter the grocery store, I realise the normalcy of what we're doing. This is so simple, something every couple does yet James and I have never been to a grocery store together because usually Mrs. George or Reece runs the errands, and sometimes I go by myself since I don't like to tell them on my own to get me anything.

"Do we have cereal?" James asks, looking at the box lane and I nod which makes him frown. "Okay then, what do we need?"

"Just some basic stuff that I'm sure Cooper didn't think was necessary. Like midnight snacks, chocolate syrup and ice cream, oh and frozen pizza." I grin at him and he chuckles, his hand moving down to my ass as he gives it a light squeeze and I gasp. "Hold your hands, Mister. We're out in public."

He just shrugs at me in return. "I don't really care, you know? Back at Atlanta, every action of mine has a chance of becoming gossip so I stay super cautious but there's no one here that would notice us. We're just a stupid couple buying stuff for our dinner."

His words hit me like a truck as I stare at him in absolute surprise. I had no idea that he felt this way, because he has never once in past months talked about this. But it makes so much sense, for him to keep himself cool and collected because of the reputation he holds back there. It isn't because he cares what people think about him, it's because he doesn't want it to affect his company's reputation – he doesn't want to let his father down.

"I never knew you felt that way," I speak honestly and he gives me a small smile. "I always assumed it was because you know, you've taken your time opening up, affectionately."

His expression remains neutral at my words, relaxing me that he's not offended by it. Rather he nods in understanding. "Yes, that's partially the reason too but I'm just speaking in terms of being out in the public."

I process his words before leaning forward and pressing a peck on his lips and he freezes a little before relaxing, a smile taking over. I sigh with content, picking out the stuff we might actually need for the next four days. When we're at the checkout line, I'm lost in my thoughts and he bumps his shoulder with mine, giving me a questioning look.

"What's wrong?"

I shake my head, "Nothing, I'm just being ridiculous thinking that there's so much I don't know about you."

"Lillian." His voice is a little stern which makes me look at him with my full attention. "You know me better than anybody, better than Hale, better than my own father, and you know me better– "

He's cut off when the guy standing behind us speaks up. "Would you move along?"

The glare James shoots at him is enough for the guy to shut up, his jaw tense as he continues to glare at him, as if challenging him to speak again. God, these are the moments I understand why did I ever feel so intimidated by him in the first place. I feel bad for the poor guy as he stutters before shutting up and James shifts his attention back at me, his hard features immediately softening.

"Let them pass," I whisper, waiting for his wrath to shift on me but he just closes his eyes before opening them and pulling us aside a little so that the others can go ahead.

"Yes, so you know me better than you think you do, trust me on that, alright?" I nod in return, a little speechless. James presses a kiss on my forehead, sighing. "Good, remember that. Plus, whatever things you don't know, we've got a lifetime together. You don't have to worry about a thing."

His words are more assuring than I ever could've asked for. I wrap my arm around his waist as he moves us back in the line and I rest my head against his shoulder, letting his warmth engulf me. After getting the groceries, we walk around the local market a little as I stop in front of a boutique, a red dress catching my eye but then I already have a closet full of dresses back at home.

"James!" I shake his arm when my eyes catch sight of a salon, then point across the street. "Please, yes."

He groans, "I was hoping you'll forget about it. I like your hair like this."

His fingers play with my strands as if to make a point and I shake my head. "Nope, chop-chop. I'm getting that haircut."

I begin to cross the road and he has no choice but to follow me but then stops outside the salon which makes me give him a look as he raises his hand in surrender. "Fine, go get it. But I'm not going in there, I'll go keep this stuff in the car and meet you out here in half an hour?"

"Deal. I'll call you if I get free early."

"I don't carry my phones during this getaway, Lil. Remember, it's a complete cut off from the life back home."

"Hold on." I grip on his arm as he's about to walk away. "Are you telling me that you, James Clark, have left your phones at home, which basically translates to your company has absolutely no way of contacting you."

He nods, amused at my reaction. "I'm full of surprises today, aren't I?"

"Honestly, James, my life has been full of surprises since the day I found you sitting in front yard of my parents' house."

He chuckles, giving my hand a light squeeze before walking away and I enter inside the small salon. It's buzzing with chatter and the black man at the front who must be in late twenties gives me his attention.

"Hey, how can I help you?"

"I need a haircut, more like I don't want to shorten it much. But something new to it, if that makes sense?"

His face splits into a huge grin as he stands up from his chair and keeps his hand on my chin, taking in every inch of my face but his eyes are fixed on my hair mostly. "I got the perfect thing for you."

God, am I going to let a stranger who has never touched my hair before give me a make-over? I take a deep breath before nodding to myself and giving him a smile as he leads me to a chair before getting everything ready. He spends the next half an hour pulling and cutting my hair and at one point I just let him do whatever the hell he wants because he obviously didn't listen to me when I told him not to cut too much of the length from the front.

"Done, it's exactly how I thought it would be." He grins as he dusts off the coverall from my clothes and is done blow drying my hair.

I sigh as I look at myself in the mirror, shrugging because it's exactly how I wanted it to be too – it's different. I turn to him with a smile, "Thank you."

After making the payment, I step out and it's been more than half an hour but James is nowhere in sight. Since I can't make a call to reach him, I decide to wait outside the salon, standing against the wall as I take in the life of a small town, wondering if people here are any different than the ones who grow up in the rush of the city, because all I've felt since I came here is peace.

When it's been another ten minutes and James still hasn't shown up, I begin to worry a little but it's a ridiculous idea to entertain that he could've forgotten me here. I don't even remember which way did we park the car, so I'm sure I'll be lost the moment I start walking. Just as I'm planning to come up with something, I hear his laugh but it's not the laugh I hear at night in our bed when he ends up cracking at my nonsense humour. It's the laugh that comes from the CEO of Clark Enterprise.

My eyes land on him and I immediately scowl when I see the familiar face of Liam, one of his best clients along with my husband's as they approach me. James's eyes finally discover me outside the salon and he stops mid-sentence, his jaw hanging in the air as he looks at me. Liam frowns at me, and I clear my throat, approaching them since they're already so close to where I was standing.

James continues to stare at me while I look at Liam who now smiles at me, "Lillian, it was a pleasant surprise running into the two of you."

"A pleasant surprise indeed," I smile at him, trying hard not to let the disappointment of running into someone familiar from back at the city show on my face.

I was happy to live in the bubble world that James and I could stay here for four days without having something taint it but it's too good to be true. I turn to James who still seems to be in a daze and I know that's a reaction to my hair but I can't process whether it's a good or a bad one.

"It was nice to meet you, Liam. Although we should be heading back." I look at James with narrowed eyes and he finally seems to snap out of his thoughts as he nods at him.

"Yes, we should."

Liam smiles at the two of us, "Great, see you at dinner. Don't be late. I got your number from him, Lillian. I'll text you the address."

Wait. Hold back. What? As Liam turns around to walk away, I continue to stare at his back in surprise until my very cold stare lands on James who finally steps towards me.

"What the hell?" I gape at him.

"What did you do with your hair?" He starts and a bad feeling sets in the pit of my stomach at his words, making my scowl turn deeper as I continue to stare at him in disbelief.

"Wow, thanks," I scoff before starting to walk in the same direction where the two of them came from. If he doesn't like it, the least he could've done is keep his mouth shut or at least been subtle about it.

"No, fuck, Lil." His hand reaches for my wrist as he pulls me back to himself and I almost collide with his body. He pulls me closer as he brings his palms up to cup my cheeks. "I didn't mean it in a bad way."

"Try again," I mumble, still pissed off about his reaction and this dinner Liam mentioned.

"Jesus, it's just, I didn't expect to see this." His fingers play with the bangs on my forehead as he looks at my hair then back at me. "I just thought you would get a trim or something but this is something else entirely. Your hair is so short from the front."

He touches the layer of my hair resting on my shoulder but the full length goes lower than the middle of my back like it originally did. The man at the salon just gave my hair layers that goes incredibly well with the bangs, and it's a new look so I'm pretty damn okay with it, even if James doesn't approve.

"You're still scowling at me," he states the obvious and I offer him a questioning look like why the hell is he expecting anything else. "I think I'm doing a terrible job at expressing my feelings right now but Lil, you look so fucking beautiful. If it weren't for a small town, I'd drag you to the car and make love to you, not fuck, make love like in that slow excruciating way that has you wet just thinking about it. Who am I kidding, even the thought of fucking would have you panting."

"Okay, okay. Stop!" I put my hand on his mouth as my face heats up. "You like the new hair, I get it."

He presses a kiss on my palm before removing my hand. "Love, love the new hair."

The thing he says to me! I've never met a man who would talk to me that way and to think I actually am fond of the way his dirty mouth works. After he pecks my cheeks, and the heat in my stomach settles down from his words, I remember Liam's words.

"This doesn't explain what happened with that client of yours. What the hell is that about?"

He sighs, running a hand through his hair as he gives me that look, that look where he already knows that I wouldn't like the answer. "I ran into him while getting coffee. He's here with his family and started discussing some things from back at work, but then suggested that we should go over for dinner so we could talk more peacefully."

"No." I immediately shake my head and he begin to speak but I cut him off. "James, absolutely fucking not. We're not going for dinner at your client's holiday place to discuss work while we're here."

"Baby, you have no fucking idea how far away from that shit I remain during this particular time of the year, but he was talking about doubling the holdings and that itself would mean the biggest turnover for this year. Dad would be on cloud nine." His voice goes quieter as he continues, "Lil, I don't bring my phone with me just so I can miss Mom in peace. If I'm insisting on this, just understand how big of a deal this must be."

I study his face and there's pain as he mentions his mother, for the first time calling her Mom in a conversation which makes the reason behind this trip even more real, and my heart turns sadder for the boy inside him who wants to miss his mother in peace but also seeks his father's happiness and approval through work.

He gives me a pleading look but I just nod in defeat. "We leave as soon as we're done eating. No extra pleasantry drinks."

"Promise." He kisses my hair and I sigh.

When we reach back at the house, we set up everything we got for the kitchen and James seems to get lost in his thoughts like this morning. I know he isn't happy about this dinner deal either so I'm really trying to keep my pissed mood in check. My eyes land on a bag on the island I didn't notice before and I frown at it.

"Hey, what's in that?" I ask James who's sitting on the kitchen island, staring far off until he snaps back to the present. "What's in the bag?"

"Oh, I must've forgotten about it." He breathes as he passes the bag to me. "Go on, check it."

I scowl but don't say anything as my curiosity peeks up, my hands and eyes wandering inside the bag before I pull out the dress I was eyeing at that store in town. It's the same colour, exactly same design as I open it and my surprised stare lands on James.

"When did you get this?"

"While you were getting the haircut. I had some time to kill and I saw the way you looked at it. You aren't big on shopping so I don't understand why don't you buy stuff when you like it."

His words are true and it always astonishes me how well he knows me. I didn't even know he saw me look at it, let alone imagine him going to buy it for me. My eyes land on the price tag and I look back up at him. "I have a lot of clothes back home, and I saw the price tag from the window, you know?"

He sighs, extending his arm towards me as I walk in between his legs. "I don't know how to change these thoughts in your head, but love, at some point you're going to have to accept that with the man you're married to comes a lot of luxury. I understand my privilege, I really do but I don't want you to feel guilty over it and hold yourself back like this."

He's right. It does make me feel guilty to see the luxury I have access to just because I married him, but I also understand his point.

"I know, and I don't like when you spend money on me. But I'll gladly accept this one because I love it so much, Thank you." I kiss him and he sighs into it, making me tighten my hold around him before parting away.

"Good, you can wear it tonight."

A couple of hours later I'm wearing the red dress that fit me like a glove and almost convinced James that staying in was a much better idea than going out. It ended in the middle of my thighs and the thin straps barely kept the dress together, making me fear that it would literally fall off and I'll have a dress malfunction but the attached padded bra convinced me otherwise.

James knocks at the door of a cabin that looks a lot like other cabins we passed down on our way here, this one's just a lot bigger. James got a wine bottle from his cellar back at the house for his client, one of his favourites, he remarked. He's wearing jeans and a t-shirt coupled with his leather jacket that makes him look so hot that I wished for him to actually change his mind.

Liam opens the door for us with a huge smile on his face. "Hey, you made it."

"Of course, thanks for having us." I return his smile, earning a look of approval from my husband.

A couple of laughs boom from the room across the foyer and Liam looks back at us. "Ah, I hope you don't mind but my cousin decided to surprise us with his presence last moment. Kids love him."

"Sounds like a good family time, Liam. Hope we're not invading." I speak and shoot a look at James who just shrugs at me.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. Here, let me get your coat." He extends his arms to remove it and I quickly thank him before we move forward from the foyer into the living room. "Guys, we have company."

With everyone's back to us, I see two kids on the floor and Liam's wife immediately stands to greet us. But I stop mid-track, hearing before my eyes see it and I suck in a breath, looking at James who's frowning at my sudden reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Any chance Liam's last name is Hudson?" I ask, trying to recall if I've ever heard James mention it.

"Yes, Hudson Industries, why?" He scowls at me.

But then the man himself makes his presence known, a look of utter surprise on his face as he crosses the distance between the living room and comes over to wrap his arms around me in a tight hug.

"What a surprise, Lillian." He grins, parting away as he takes in every inch of my body and I plaster another smile on my face since this morning.

"Sam."

•••

this is the longest chapter I've written for this story but I think it was long overdue with all the slow updates.

hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. don't forget to vote and comment.