The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

"Are you tired?"

He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, as if cherishing her.

Gwyneth felt herself melt at his tenderness, her heart turning to utter softness.

"I'll do all the work later, don't worry."

The words made Gwyneth bury her face in his chest, mortified. Even though she knew no one could overhear them, and even if the staff did, they'd pretend not to, she still wished she could dig a hole in the floor and disappear.

And it was broad daylight, too. Saying something like that-she'd never be able to look anyone in the eye again.

Hawthorne looked down at her, amused by her bashfulness, his laughter shaking his whole frame.

From her vantage point, Gwyneth could see the line of Hawthorne's throat, the strong curve of his jaw, the lowered lashes, his sharp nose, and those distractingly sensual lips.

She pressed her ear to his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat- like a metronome. As they drew closer to the upstairs bedroom, she could feel his pulse quicken.

Gwyneth's own nerves and embarrassment only grew.noveldrama

Hawthorne set her down gently on the bed. Gwyneth rolled toward the center, cocooning herself tightly in the covers.

A few moments later, she heard water running in the bathroom and assumed Hawthorne was taking a shower. She cautiously peeked out from under the comforter-only to meet his deep, intense gaze.

His eyes were dark as midnight, impossibly deep, and the sight startled her. She stammered, "You-you didn't—”

She meant to ask if he wasn't going to shower.

But Hawthorne simply scooped her out from under the covers. "We'll go together."

Today, Hawthorne wasn't as tireless as usual. He could tell Gwyneth was worn out.

After coming to her twice in three hours, he stopped, simply holding her and quietly admiring her sleeping face.

Hawthorne had never been in love before-not even experienced so much as a secret crush.

Family upheaval had left his life singularly focused on restoring the Everhart family. Nothing else mattered.

It should have been his older

brother's duty, but his brother was interested in everything except business. Hawthorne had been

ruthless struggle had farsoft

forced to take charge as a teenager, cleaning up the mess. Years of

put the

Everhart family back on its feet in Greenvale.

Fate is a strange, unthinkable thing. After setting the Everhart family on the right track, his first goal was the Langford family. He'd sworn he' wouldn't rest until he'd paid them back for what they'd done.

Who could have guessed that the woman he'd fall for at first sight would be the daughter of the very man who'd nearly destroyed the man who'd Everhart family? And that it all began with the most unlikely twist of fate.

Hawthorne gazed at Gwyneth's sleeping face, his emotions tangled and heavy.

He tucked the blanket around her with a gentle hand, then slipped out of bed and stepped onto the balcony.

After all the commotion, the lights in the garden below were flickering on. The last blush of sunset faded from the sky, slowly surrendering to darkness.

The world outside dimmed. Hawthorne pulled a cigarette from a pack, let it hang from his lips, and the tiny ember glowed and faded with the night breeze.

If, one day, Gwyneth learned what he was planning-would she hate him? Would she walk away from him forever?