BETROTHED TO THE BILLIONAIRE

Valerie’s POV

Determined to get on his nerves tonight, I lay sprawled on the bed fully clothed. The moment the shower goes off, I close my eyes to pretend that I am asleep.

I can’t let him sleep with me on the same bed. We can’t share the same bed.

I love my privacy and space. I never had any reason to share a bed with anyone, except Fred and I am not ready to get to that stage with Ryan.

I know we are supposed to sign the contract tonight but I am seriously not going to give him the chance to sweet-talk me into letting him sleep here tonight.

The bathroom door opens and I imagine him coming out of the bathroom with a bare chest trailing with water from his wet hair and a towel wrapped around his waist.

I imagine the glare he will throw my way when he notices I’m already asleep on the bed, sprawled with my legs apart to prevent him from getting into bed with me.

Today is our first night as a couple and I want us to stick to the rules of the contract to ease the whole period we will be together. If I allow him to share a bed with me now, he may consider that as a kind gesture or continue to expect much from me someday when we are in a situation where we have to share a bed.

Besides, I can sleepwalk sometimes and I really do not want him to see that side of me.

Silence ensues, except for the continued hard beating of my heart.

Why isn’t he saying anything yet? Is he still in the bathroom? Why isn’t he coming to throw me off the bed?

I am ready to exert the same type of energy. If he wants a fight tonight, I am in for it. I won’t allow him to sleep here and that’s final.

Deliberately, I open my eyes slowly and it comes in contact with a close-range pair of blue eyes.

Shit! I sit up startled.

It turns out to be Ryan. Why does he have his eyes a few inches away from mine? Was he trying to see if I was really sleeping or not?

“So you weren’t sleeping? I guessed so”, he mutters, as if hearing my thoughts.

“I was asleep”, I defend myself. “I caught wind of your…” I trail off, not knowing what excuse to give him.

Should I tell him I caught wind of his cologne?Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

No, he isn’t wearing any clothes.

A wind of his breath?

That is too close and stupid.

He leans upright and turns his back on me as he begins to dry his body. He isn’t wearing a towel like I thought he would. He is wearing shorts.

“Get down from the bed, young lady. You are sleeping in the sitting room and on the couch.”

I blink and pinch myself but it is real.

“What?!” I exclaim loudly in disbelief.

Did I hear him right? Did he just ask me to go sleep on a couch?

Me?

“You heard me right.”

“I thought I didn’t.” I retort back sharply.

“I am making the rules, remember?” He reminds me, veering backward to face me.

I know he is making the rules but this is definitely the dumbest rule ever. It isn’t legal. How can I sleep on a couch and he calls that a rule?

I shake my head and snicker in laughter.

Ryan is trying to get on my nerves as well. He has no idea what I can do. He has no idea the kind of woman I am.

“Valerie or whatever your name is, get out of that bed now before I do something rash”, his voice is loud and he is standing with arms akimbo, waiting for me to comply with his stupid orders and get out like a meek dove.

Without saying a word to him, I lay back in the bed, my legs apart so as not to provide any space for him.

I don’t need to argue words with him. He is obviously not a gentleman and I am not a gentlewoman either.

“Don’t get me upset, woman!”

“Val.”

“Don’t you dare call me Val? That name is special and comes out of people who are special. Call me Valerie.” I throw him a harsh glare, ignoring his own icy glare piercing deep into me.

He snorts like I just said a funny joke. “Special? Your name is the dumbest name I have ever come across.”

“Really?” My right-hand goes to the second pillow on the bed.

“Really. You are not special so forget it…”, I throw the pillow at him to cut him short.

Within a split second, he strides close and picks me up from the bed. I jerk and try to wrench myself from his hold. I struggle to get out but he is stronger.

He begins to walk to the door and I know if he steps out, he is going to win this game. So I lean down on his shoulder and bite him hard.

He releases me instantly and I fall on my buttocks. Not giving the pain a chance to sip through me, I rise and jump back on the bed.

Fortunately, I am wearing a sleep shirt and trousers.

I spread my legs over the edge of the bed as I hear him wince in pain.

“Hey, get down!”

I don’t close my eyes, even though I want to but I want to know what he wants to do next so I won’t be caught unawares.

“I am warning you now, get down!” He is now standing up and I am hugging the second pillow to myself ready to lunge it at him if he tries anything funny.

“Holy shit! What have I gotten myself into? What sort of woman is this?” He complains to himself bitterly and turns back in frustration, raging his hands into his sleek hair.

When he twirls back abruptly, I know he is going to do something. Before he can get to me, I throw the pillow in his face and rush down from the bed so he won’t carry me like he did the other time.

He picks up the other pillow and lunges at me too.

I duck it.

“Get out of this room!”

“No. You get out!” I retort back, going around and jumping on the bed and down as he follows me on my heels.

“I am your bride and I should take the bride. What sort of man are you?”

“A man who wants nothing but my peace of mind. Why the hell are you tormenting me?”

He looks unhappy all of a sudden but I don’t want it to get to me. He stops following me and drops to the bed with his two hands holding onto his head.

The weight of the whole thing comes crashing.

The wedding.

The future.

We are both unhappy about this.

He is not the only unhappy one, I am unhappy too. Why is he trying to get my sympathy when we are in this together?

Breathing heavily, I try to calm down with my right hand placed on my chest.

I should be the better one.

But I still can’t share a bed with him. Why is it so difficult for him to leave the bed to me tonight and then by tomorrow, we will have our separate rooms?

“Fine!” I declare openly, raising my hands in surrender. “I have an idea.”

He drops his hands and snaps his head towards me, anger still evident on his face. “What stupid idea do you have?”

“My idea isn’t stupid, jerk. Do you want to hear me out or not?”

“What is it?” He asks lazily, as though he cares less about my idea or whether it will turn out in his favor.

“Let’s do a coin toss to decide who takes the bed and who takes the couch”, I announce, folding my arms around my bosom.

“What?!” He exclaims with his face in a deep frown.

“Yes. That way, we won’t argue back and forth or fight each other since you can’t be a responsible husband and a gentleman. Let’s do it.”

“I am not doing that with you. It’s silly”, he remarks with indignation. “I am taking the bed and that’s final.”

With that said, he lies on the bed and I charge toward him again with a wicked grin.