I sat at the makeup table in my room, doing my makeup and deciding on what earrings to wear for tonight. Tom and I had been married for a month now, and it had been shit. He had kept unwaveringly to his promise that we'd never see each other, which surprised me given that I figured that he'd at least want to use the fact that we were married to have sex. But no. I guessed that his hand was good enough. And so I'd kept to my side of the house, and he'd kept to his. I had to admit that I was getting extremely lonely, though. Even sharing a house with an attractive man who I didn't particularly like was better than being alone. And so part of me hoped that tonight, after the Hollands' mob party that Tom and I had to attend, something might change. Though what that would be, I wasn't sure.

"Hey." I looked over my shoulder, my eyes widening slightly as Tom stood at the door with his hands in his trouser pockets.

"Tom...you're in my bit of the house." I gulped, my heart jumping slightly in hope.

"Yeah, sorry, I couldn't find the maid to come instead." he chuckled nervously. I shook my head and stood up.

"No, no, don't apologise, I don't mind." I admitted, making him nod and give me a small smile as I walked towards him.

"I just came to check that you're ready to go. The car's waiting outside." he nodded.

"Right, yeah. Let me just grab my bag." I mumbled, partly to myself as I rushed back to my table and grabbed my clutch.

"Y/N?" he spoke up, making me look at him with raised eyebrows. He coughed nervously and looked down before timidly glancing back up at me.

"You look gorgeous, love." he admitted quietly. My eyes wavered and butterflies exploded in my stomach at the compliment. I had only hoped for things to improve between Tom and I, but by the looks of it, he was actually making an effort to make this work.

"Thank you, Tommy. You don't look too bad yourself." I teased. He chuckled and nodded, making me bite my lip as he left the room. Maybe there was hope after all.

Tom's P.O.V

Tom stood in his bedroom, in front of his mirror as he did the buttons up on his shirt.

"Daphne?!" he called out for the maid. He looked to the door as he heard no response.

"Daphne!" he yelled again. He sighed and bit his lip. He was trying to summon her so that he could check if Y/N was ready for the night without invading her side of the house, as he was well aware that she needed her space. But part of him was debating whether or not to test that, as a way to start re-integrating each other into the other person's lives. After all, they'd been married for a month so far, and the loneliness was already killing Tom. He wanted to hug Y/N, he wanted to kiss her, he wanted to sleep in the same bed as her. He completely understood that Y/N didn't want that yet, but the only way to ease both of them into that was to start actually living together.

"Fuck it." he mumbled, finally deciding that he'd go and get Y/N himself as he opened his door. He headed along the corridor, his shoes clicking against the wooden floors as he reached the thick door that separated the sections of the house. He opened it and entered her side, his heart in his throat. He didn't know why he was so nervous, maybe because he was worried about offending Y/N if she viewed this as him trying to invade her personal space. He just hoped that she didn't see it like that. He reached the end of the corridor, a lump in his throat as he saw that her door was open. He looked in subtly and his eyes widened slightly. He breathed out, his heart jumping at how amazing Y/N looked. She was sitting at her makeup table doing her makeup for tonight, but she looked breathtaking. Through the mirror, Tom could see her purple lips and smokey eyes, paired with beautifully curled hair. He couldn't wait for her to stand up so that he could fully see the dress that she was wearing.

"Hey." he managed to get out, his heart jumping as Y/N looked over her shoulder. Her eyes widening slightly.

"Tom...you're in my bit of the house." She gulped. Shit, she doesn't want me here, I was right, he thought as he tried to keep his cool.

"Yeah, sorry, I couldn't find the maid to come instead." he chuckled nervously. Y/N shook her head and stood up. He gulped harshly, his heart pounding as he skimmed his eyes up and down her body. He had been right. The dress that Y/N had on flattered her in all of the right ways and made her look simply gorgeous.

"No, no, don't apologise, I don't mind." She admitted. Tom's heart jumped in hope, his head nodding and his lips giving the beautiful girl a small smile as she walked towards him.

"I just came to check that you're ready to go. The car's waiting outside." he nodded.

"Right, yeah. Let me just grab my bag." She mumbled as she rushed back to her table and grabbed her clutch.

"Y/N?" he spoke up, making her look at him with raised eyebrows. He coughed nervously and looked down before timidly glancing back up at her. It was now or never. This was his chance to start the process of bringing the two closer.

"You look gorgeous, love." he admitted quietly. Her eyes wavered.

"Thank you, Tommy. You don't look too bad yourself." She teased. He chuckled and nodded, making her bite her lip as he left the room. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he headed down the stairs. Maybe there was hope after all.

Y/N's P.O.V

Tom and I walked into his parents' mansion, the party already in full swing as classical music played and people walked around with drinks.

"Your parents certainly know how to throw a party, Tommy." I chucked.

"They always have." he returned, making me smile as he hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me into his body. My eyes widened at his action and I looked up at him, making him return the glance.

"Sorry, um...I should have asked before doing that. It's just that we need to look happy and like we're getting along." he nodded. I gulped, my heart thumping through my chest at both his action and his words. Were we not getting along?

"It's fine. I don't mind you holding me." I admitted. He nodded and gave me a small smile, making me bite my lip as we started to move through the crowd and greet people.

"Harrison, you alright?" Tom laughed as his best friend walked towards us.

"Not too bad, good to see you!" Harrison returned, me chuckling and shaking my head as the boys tightly hugged. Harrison looked at me.

"Y/N, it's great to see you. I believe that you're now Mrs Holland." he stated as he leant down to kiss my cheek.

"That's right. A month today, actually." I nodded, looking up at Tom as he curled his arm back around my waist.

"How's married life treating you?" Harrison chuckled. Tom and I looked at each other, our eyes slightly wide as we silently discussed how to answer. We looked back at him.

"Amazing." we smiled in unison.

"Glad to hear it. I also hear that married sex is better-."

"Alright, can you get me a drink, please, darling?" Tom smiled at me, making Harrison chuckle.

"Sure. Whiskey?" I asked.

"Please." he nodded. I returned it before leaning up and pecking his lips. His eyes widened slightly but he returned the peck, his gaze glued to me as I walked away. I smirked and bit my lip, mentally congratulating myself for managing to be that bold as I walked away.

Tom's P.O.V

Y/N nodded before leaning up and pecking Tom's lips. His eyes widened slightly, his heart exploding in his chest as he returned the kiss. She had just kissed him willingly. Maybe she was also wanting to start moving things forward between the two of them. She pulled away from him, his gaze glued to her as she walked away. He gulped harshly and tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he looked back at Harrison.

"You look shocked that your wife kissed you, mate." he teased.

"That's because it's all an act. We haven't even slept in the same bed yet, let alone consummated the marriage." Tom scoffed.

"Really? The perfectly synchronised and almost rehearsed response to me asking how it was going didn't at all give that away." Harrison replied sarcastically, making Tom roll his eyes at his best friend.

"Believe it or not, I'm trying. I went into her side of the house for the first time today, I said that she looked beautiful, I even put my arm around her. And I think that she's reciprocating it. She didn't have to kiss me just then." he shook his head.

"You think that things are starting to improve between you?" Harrison asked. Tom bit his lip, a smile threatening to tug onto his face as his eyes wandered.

"Yeah. I think that they are." he nodded.

Y/N's P.O.V

I stood outside, my cigarette in between my purple lips as I looked out over Tom's parents' gardens. I moved the cigarette from in between my lips and blew out the smoke as I thought. I had to admit, I was lucky to have been arranged to marry Tom out of all potential men, the stunning gardens only being one reason. I could tell that he was trying with me, after all, he'd been complimenting me before we got here and had put his arm around my waist. I just hoped that he saw me kissing him as me trying equally as hard.

"You're Y/N Holland, right?" I looked to my side and gave Alex Williams a smile as he walked towards me. He was the heir to the third most powerful mob in London, after mine and Tom's, and he was nothing special to write home about.

"Alex." I smiled as he leant down and kissed my cheek.

"You're looking stunning tonight, babe." he smirked. My smile dipped slightly at the use of the nickname but I forced it back on as I took another hit of my cigarette.

"Thank you. There are material perks to being the heir to the second biggest mob and being married to the heir of the first, believe it or not." I joked, making the man laugh and nod as he put his hands into his trouser pockets.

"Yeah, I can imagine. Speaking of which, are you happy with Tom?" he asked bluntly. I looked at him and squinted my eyes as I moved my cigarette from in between my lips and exhaled the smoke.

"Course I am. He's loving, kind, respectful. He's everything that I need in a man." I shrugged.

"You say that, Y/N, but word spreads quickly in the mobs and at parties like these. And word says that both of you were absolutely furious when you found out about the contract." he stated. I looked at him and tried to work out why he was asking such questions.

"Tom and I have been married for a month now, and a lot can change in that time. Why are you asking me if I'm happy with him, Alex?" I scoffed.

"I think that you know why." he nodded as his arm reached out and hooked around my waist, making my eyes widen.

"Get the fuck off of me, what's wrong with you?" I spat.

"What the fuck is this?" I turned around and sighed in relief as Tom stood there, anger in his eyes and his fists clenched as he stared at Alex.

"Nothing, Holland, it's all fine." Alex chuckled as I went to Tom and he wrapped his arm protectively around my waist.

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure that what it actually was, was you trying to assault my wife." he spat.

"What's the big deal? You two don't even love each other. What's the point in you having her all to yourself when you can be married legally but I can actually be with her-."

"How dare you talk about her like that!" Tom yelled as he lurched for the man.

"Woah, Tommy, stop!" I exclaimed, quickly putting myself in between the men as Alex scrambled back.

"Tom." I demanded as I put one hand on his chest and the other on his cheek. He leant into my touch slightly, his chest heaving and his nostrils flaring in anger as his eyes flicked down to me.

"He's not worth it. He's not worth your energy, babe." I spoke quietly and shook my head. His eyes wavered slightly, and he sighed as he looked at me. His gaze flicked to my lips for a split second, making me gulp harshly.

"Yeah, alright. Sorry." he mumbled. I gave him a small smile as he took my hand from his cheek and gently kissed the palm of it before looking at Alex.

"Talk disrespectfully about my wife again and fucking see what happens, asshole." he spat, making Alex gulp as Tom took my hand and we headed back inside.

I lay in bed, my body wide awake as I stared up at the ceiling. I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier at the party, all of it had just confused me. Everything from Tom wrapping his arm around me, to him not rejecting my kiss, to him defending me against Alex Williams and even kissing my hand afterwards. It was making me confused, especially given that I thought that we were both happy with living separate lives. Maybe we were both changing our minds. I sighed and sat up, knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep with all of this going on in my head. I stood up and grabbed Tom's white dress shirt that I'd had Daphne sneak into my room for me. I knew that it was kind of wrong to have stolen one of his shirts, but I liked wearing it and it smelled exactly like him. I put it on over my underwear and buttoned the garment up, a sigh of bliss leaving my lips as Tom's scent of aftershave filled my nose. I opened the door and headed out. My feet quietly padded along the carpet, my mind wondering what was going to happen between us as I turned to go into the kitchen. My eyes widened, my feet stopping in my tracks. A shirtless Tom was sitting at the island, a carton of ice cream in front of him and a spoon in his mouth as he sat there.

"Hey." I managed to get out, making him look over his shoulder at me. His eyes widened and he gulped harshly as his eyes skimmed up and down my shirt-covered body.

"I wondered where that shirt had gone. Daphne said that she'd accidentally dyed it pink and so had to throw it out." he teased. I smirked and shook my head as I hopped onto the counter next to where he was sitting.

"Go easy on her, I asked her to steal it for me." I chuckled. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"You wanted my shirt? I mean, I'm not complaining, you look fucking hot." he admitted, making me smirk and bite my lip as I looked down in an attempt to hide my on-fire cheeks.

"It's nice, it, um...smells of you." I confessed quietly. Tom chuckled and nodded, his eyes glued to me as he grabbed another spoon from the jar on the counter and handed it to me.

"So, what was all of that stuff with Williams about tonight?" he asked as we both started to dip our spoons into the ice cream. I shrugged.

"He was asking if I was happy with you, since apparently everyone in all of the mobs knows that neither of us were happy about the contract when it was first brought to us." I muttered.

"And what did you say?" Tom asked as he put the spoon into his mouth. I looked at him.

"I said that a lot can change in a month." I nodded. He returned it, his gaze shifting back to the carton.

"He's just salty that I was arranged to be with the most beautiful heir to the mobs and not him." he complimented, making me smile and bite my lip.

"Thank you, though, Tommy. I appreciate you stepping in and getting me out of there." I nodded.

"Of course. Just because we got married for business instead of love doesn't mean that you deserve any less respect as my wife, and as a woman. It wasn't okay how he was acting and talking to you." he mumbled. I sighed and nodded, the fact that he'd called our marriage "business" again hurting slightly.

"That's another thing. What's with the 'Tommy' and 'babe'?" he chuckled as he looked at me. I returned it and shrugged as I bit my lip.

"They're just cute little nicknames, you know? I won't call you them if they make you uncomfortable." I replied.

"No, no, it's okay. I like them." he admitted, his gaze glued to me again as he gently rested his arm on my legs and his hand on my thigh. I smiled and bit my lip, him returning it as we just looked at each other. This marriage may have started off in shambles, but it was definitely getting better.