Men don't marry wives just to handle chores...

Julissa felt her heart flutter at her husband's words. She had to admit, she didn't fully get the man in front of her—now turned away, busy working. Still, his actions gave her something she hadn't felt in a long time: peace, and a quiet sense of security.

She even felt a little lucky. Rushing into marriage, only to end up with a man who genuinely cared. With a shy smile, she turned happily toward her brother and sister.

Flynn picked things up fast. After that first meal, he felt way more confident about the next. Julissa had already made two dishes earlier, so he quickly set out four more and a stew.

After dinner, Flynn still refused to let Julissa touch the dishes. Once the kids were down and she'd finished tucking them in, he called her into the living room and pressed a bank card into her hand.

Julissa looked up at him, curiosity swimming in her eyes. "What's this for?"

"Your aunt was going on about a dowry, wasn't she? There's thirty grand in here. Take it."

Realization hit. She stared at the card in his hand, hesitating, feeling uneasy about taking it. Her face shifted. "I don't need it."

"You sure?" Flynn arched a brow, baffled. Who in their right mind turned down money? Unless she thought thirty grand wasn't enough?

Julissa met his eyes. "I told you—I don't owe my aunt a thing. Don't let her get to you. Besides, you've got car payments, a mortgage. How'd you come up with thirty grand that fast? You borrow it?"

Flynn pressed his lips together, scrambling for an excuse. "Didn't I mention? I closed a new deal, got paid. Every bride deserves something. So just take it, okay?"

He tried handing it over again, but Julissa took it only to shove it back. "Even if you made some money, you should put it toward your loans. No need to give it to me."

"Why not? It's not enough?" Flynn's frustration was mounting. He'd never met someone so damn hard to please. Impatience crawling in, he cut to the chase. "Just name your price, and I'll wire it all at once."

Those words blindsided Julissa, igniting a hot flash of anger. Her big eyes, bright as stars, swam with hurt. "You think I married you for money? Is that really what you think of me?"

Remembering the thousand bucks she'd dropped on clothes for her siblings today, humiliation washed over her. She pulled the household card out of her purse and handed it back. "I only spent a little over a grand on clothes today. But I won't touch your money again. I can make my own."

Turning away, eyes reddening, she refused to look at him, fighting back the tears. Sure, she picked this husband, but she couldn't control what he thought of her. Fine. From now on, they'd just split everything fifty-fifty.

Flynn was stunned—he hadn't realized he'd wounded her pride. Seeing her on the verge of tears, eyes red, left him helpless. He reached out, wanting to turn her around, but caught himself and pulled back, trying to clarify. "Maybe I said it wrong. Look, we're married, so you deserve the same as any wife. Whatever others have, you should have, too."

"There's no need. I didn't marry you for a dowry. I just wanted a man who treats me right, and who accepts my brother." Still stinging, Julissa got to her feet. "I'm going to bed. You have work tomorrow—get some sleep."

Flynn watched her retreat into the bedroom, card in hand, utterly confused. What'd he do wrong? Wasn't a dowry a part of every marriage? Then why'd she get so upset when he tried to give it to her?

As he mulled it over, he noticed the household card she'd returned—giving him more to chew on.

She came back out, thrusting the receipts at him. "Here. The receipts for the clothes I bought my sister and brother. $1,070 total."

She set the receipts on the table and turned to go again, but Flynn wasn't having any of it. "Hold up. Sit. We need to talk."

Julissa stopped, sitting reluctantly, still visibly upset.

Flynn tossed the receipts straight into the trash and held out both cards again. "Take them."

"I don't want them. From now on, we go fifty-fifty on everything. I'll buy the groceries, you cook, and I'll do the dishes." She wanted things fair—didn't want anyone feeling taken for a ride. She had a job. Her salary was enough for her and her brother.

Seeing how pissed she was, Flynn felt helpless but had to get his point across. "You need to get that, legally, we're married. Have you ever seen a marriage where everything's separate? At least for me, my wife should be taken care of by me. If you're gonna insist on splitting everything—what's the point of this marriage, then?"

Flynn was torn. Here he thought she'd married him for his money, but she was turning it down—and getting pissed about it. It bruised his ego.

Julissa dropped her head, letting it all out. "I married you because you seemed mature. Stable. I never once thought about a dowry. I told you—don't worry about my aunt. But you still tried to pay me off tonight, like you had to keep me happy. If I wanted money, I could've asked before the wedding. Was he really that clueless? Obviously, there was something about him she actually liked, or she wouldn't have married him. He was being unreasonable."

Flynn was perplexed. Did she think he was too old or something? He was only thirty. Refusing to argue further, he stuck to his guns. "Regardless, take the money. It's a matter of principle. You can do whatever with it. Don't give it back, or I'll have to rethink this whole thing between us."

Julissa watched Flynn's back as he strode out of the room, leaving two bank cards lying on the table. That heavy silence settled between them like a wall. Had she completely misread him? Did he really think she deserved what everyone else had, and that's why he'd handed her the money? But with his mortgage and car payments hanging over his head, why would he double down on giving her a wedding gift instead of chipping away at his debt?

As she replayed their whirlwind marriage in her mind, Julissa decided there was zero point in starting a fight over a misunderstanding. She scooped up the cards and padded into the bedroom.

Flynn was in the bathroom when she walked in. Without making a sound, she slipped the cards into the nightstand drawer, tucking them beneath a book for safekeeping. Then she settled onto the bed with her phone, scrolling through work emails.

When Flynn finally stepped out of the bathroom, freshly changed and dodging her eyes, he caught sight of Julissa curled up on the bed in her ancient, threadbare pajamas. He ran a towel over his damp hair and kept his voice level. "Didn't you buy yourself any clothes today?"

She'd barely spent a grand. What could that even get you? He figured she had only picked up stuff for the kids and left herself hanging. He couldn't wrap his head around why a young woman wouldn't want to burn through someone else's cash—especially when she'd tied the knot at twenty.

"I've already got plenty to wear, and I have a uniform for work," Julissa replied. "No need to go crazy on more clothes. The card you gave me is in the drawer. Use it if you need to pay something off. I don't have many expenses right now anyway."

Flynn's brows pulled together. He twisted around to face her. "You have a uniform for work? Hold up—you're still working?"

Julissa nodded. "Yeah, I went back today. My shift's nine-to-five, so it won't get in the way of dropping Abel and Kori off at preschool or picking them up. No worries there."

An unexpected wave of guilt hit Flynn square in the chest. Here was this young woman, pushing back on his money, pouring her energy into Kori, and even squeezing in a job during her downtime. That kind of commitment was way beyond anything he'd ever expected.

Still unsettled, Flynn threw out, "Why don't you just quit and focus on the kids?"

Julissa shook her head. "It's no big deal. The job's chill, it comes with benefits, and it doesn't eat up my whole day. I even get four days off a month."

If she quit, she'd be totally dependent on his paycheck, and the minute things went south, she'd have zero leg to stand on. In Julissa's book, a woman could let a man spend on her, but she damn well better have her own cash flow to keep things balanced.

Flynn wasn't having it. "You're really that dead set against letting your husband take care of you?"

Julissa held her ground with a firm nod. "I've got the ability to earn. Why would I lean on you?"

Her confidence in her own hustle left Flynn speechless. A dry flicker of amusement tugged at him—she actually thought her little job made her some kind of independent queen.

Scrambling for solid ground, he asked, "Aren't you beat? Working and chasing after the kids?"

Julissa let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Not at all. They're sweethearts—no drama. I drop 'em off at preschool, head to work, and they're back in the evening. You won't even let me cook, and there's a washing machine for laundry. The house stays spotless. I'm seriously not tired."

Flynn fell quiet.

The house was tidy because he'd hired someone to deliver groceries and clean during the day. If she was this stubborn about keeping her job, fine. He'd let it ride.

After drying his hair and tossing the towel aside, Flynn sank back onto the bed and laid it out. "Use the money I gave you and buy yourself some decent clothes. Those pajamas you're rocking? They need to go."

He wasn't one to mince words. If she refused to touch his money while juggling his sister, he'd end up feeling like he owed her. And Flynn Greene didn't do debts.

Julissa glanced down at her pajamas, realizing she'd been living in that same set for a solid year now. Did they smell funky or something? She took a quick sniff but caught nothing. Maybe he just hated the cutesy cartoon prints?

She remembered she had another set and scrambled up. "I'll change," she offered.

As she ducked into the bathroom to swap outfits, Flynn tracked her retreating form, leaning back against the headboard with his mind spinning. Was he seriously going to be roommates with this girl forever? She didn't want his money, and she sure as hell wasn't making moves on him. So what was her angle? Was she just into the fact that he had his life together?

That thought left Flynn more tangled than ever.

Julissa came back wearing slightly newer pajamas, this time splashed with fruit prints. The short sleeves and shorts bared her slim arms and legs. Maybe because she couldn't stand wearing a bra to bed, certain curves were more, well, noticeable—and definitely grabbing his attention.

Oblivious to anything suggestive, Julissa felt the sharp bite of the autumn night and practically dove under the covers, yanking the blankets up high. Her cheeks flushed pink as she flashed Flynn a shy smile. "Uh... let's get some sleep. It's late."

She lay down, turning her back to him.

Flynn, still propped up, stole a glance at her. The pale stretch of her neck and the sharp cut of her shoulder bones created this pull he couldn't explain. Her hair fanned out like dark, glossy seaweed.

Even with that careful distance between them on the bed, a faint, fresh scent reached him—something clean, like cut grass, teasing his senses.

It was sweet enough to freeze him for a beat, sparking a reaction he sure as hell didn't plan on. Shit, what was wrong with him?

Flynn shook off the haze, forcing himself to get a damn grip. He was a thirty-year-old man who'd never been with a woman. Feeling a stir just meant he was normal. Period.

Dead set on keeping his cool, Flynn stretched out and turned his back to Julissa.

Tonight, sleep didn't come easy for Julissa. She wasn't even sure what she was lying awake waiting for. After a long stretch of silence, when she sensed zero movement, she slowly rolled onto her side, stealing a look his way.

He was facing away, too.

People always said men were driven by pure instinct. So why the hell was he acting like such a gentleman next to her? Was it respect? Or was he just as unprepared as she was?

Maybe both. They had sprinted into this marriage, sure, but their connection was going to need time to actually grow. She wasn't ready, either.

That thought settled something inside her, and finally—finally—Julissa drifted off.

The next morning, Julissa woke to the scent of breakfast already laid out on the table. Flynn must have gotten up early. She hurried to wake her little brother and sister, Abel and Kori, fed them, and walked them to preschool.

Assuming Flynn had already left for work, she came back ready to tackle the dishes, but froze—there he was, lounging on the couch like he didn't have a care in the world, and the dishes were already done.

She walked over, puzzled. "Aren't you going to work today?"

Flynn shut his laptop, unfolded himself from the couch, and headed for the door. "I am. You need to go in too, right? I'll give you a lift."

"What? Is it even on your way? I usually take the bus, and it's, like, super easy for me."

"It's on my way."

He swapped his shoes and stepped out. Julissa rushed to lock up and followed. "How can it be on my way? You don't even know where I work."

"It'll be on my way once you tell me where you work."

In the elevator, he stood ramrod straight in a tailored suit that screamed money, radiating a kind of quiet authority that practically built an invisible wall around him.

Julissa stole a glance or two. She had to admit, her husband was crazy good-looking. He was tall, too. As they stood side by side, she discreetly measured herself against his shoulder.

God, she barely grazed his shoulder. Such an awkward height gap. She came from a comfortable middle-class family, and yet, after twenty years, she was still only five foot two.

Standing next to Flynn, she felt like a schoolgirl playing dress-up.

They reached the underground parking garage in no time and got into the car. Julissa eagerly climbed into the front passenger seat, buckled up, and rattled off her work address, sneaking peeks at him behind the wheel.

From her angle, her husband looked practically airbrushed, like he'd stepped off the cover of a glossy magazine. His profile could cut glass—high-bridged nose, razor-sharp jawline. His hands on the steering wheel were elegant, almost refined, a perfect match for the high-end suit he wore. The more she looked, the more he fit the mold of those powerful, filthy-rich CEOs from the novels she sometimes read.

He was way too easy on the eyes.

"So, you've always worked in sales?" she asked, trying to spark a conversation.

Flynn didn't even glance her way, his tone as flat as always. "Yes."

"Ever thought about modeling? You're tall, great build. You could hit it big. Or maybe acting? With that face, you'd totally stand out."

She wasn't exaggerating. He had the potential. And she felt a secret little thrill of gratitude for having the foresight to marry him.

The idea of having such a jaw-droppingly handsome husband made her actually look forward to coming home every day.

Flynn shot her a sideways look. Maybe she was finally showing her true colors, unable to resist his physical appeal. Maybe she planned to play the long game, waiting him out. He'd see how long she could keep the act up before her real intentions slipped.

"I'm not into that stuff," he said casually, a hint of surprise flickering through him when he realized her workplace was one of his own hotels. "You work at the St. James Hotel?"

Julissa nodded. "Yep, front desk. Our hotel is pretty famous—one of the top-tier five-star spots in the city and known worldwide."

Flynn raised an eyebrow. "A place that fancy usually requires a college degree. You didn't go to college. So how'd you swing it?"

A proud little grin tugged at her lips. She turned to him, playful. "Guess."

"Because you're good-looking?"

He couldn't deny she was. Her fair complexion and pleasant face fit the hotel's image, but looks alone wouldn't cut it.

Julissa laughed. "Looks help, but mostly it's because I speak several languages. We get tons of international guests. You just need solid language skills and a polished appearance, and you're in."

That caught Flynn's attention. The woman sitting next to him actually had some unexpected talents.

The car soon rolled to a stop at the hotel's rear entrance. Julissa hopped out, waving at him with a smile. "Thanks for the ride! Drive safe on your way back."

"Mm-hmm," Flynn replied, and without so much as a backward glance, he drove off.

Julissa watched his car blend into the traffic, a pleasant little buzz in her chest. She hummed to herself as she walked inside. Life wasn't about big expectations—just a simple routine with her family and a sliver of time with her husband. An occasional ride to work was more than enough to make her glow.

After changing into her uniform, she headed to her post to relieve her coworker. Technically, her shift didn't start for another ten minutes, but a handful of foreign guests were already checking in and her colleague was buried. Julissa jumped right in to help.

She chatted with the guests in flawless foreign languages, all warmth and genuine smiles.

Once the check-ins were handled, she exchanged a relieved grin with her coworkers. That's when her shift partners started arriving.

Noticing the one colleague—the one notorious for sneaking snacks on the clock—was missing, Julissa asked, "Elodie not coming in today?"

"Probably slept in. Must be nice having a manager in the family," one coworker quipped. "You can roll in whenever and nobody says boo about slacking off. So jealous."

Right on cue, Elodie waltzed in, looking chic in heels, a cheerful, good-looking guy in tow.

Julissa and the others blinked.

"Who's that? Your boyfriend?" Alora asked.

Leaning over the counter, Elodie shot Julissa a grin. "Boyfriend? Please. He's just one of my many cousins. You can call him Jamie."

She slid his ID across the counter. "Check him in, will you? Presidential suite. Top floor."

Julissa hesitated. "The presidential suite? You sure?"

A suite that cost thousands a night. The guy didn't exactly scream big spender.

"Go ahead. He can afford it." Elodie winked at Julissa, then turned to her cousin. "These are my coworkers. This is Julissa. Isn't she pretty?"

Jamie glanced at Julissa with a reserved smile and a sincere, "Yeah, really pretty."

Julissa felt her cheeks heat up. As she processed the booking, she noticed his last name matched Flynn's—Greene. Was the name Greene really that common?

She didn't dwell on it, just smiled and handed him the key card. "Your room's all set. Elevators are that way."

Jamie thanked her, turning to Elodie. "I'll head up now?"

"Go on," Elodie waved him off, then bounced back to her friends, buzzing. "Well? Isn't he handsome?"

Alora and the other coworker nodded enthusiastically. "So handsome!"

Elodie's grin widened. "Julissa, should I introduce you to him? His family's loaded, and he's got a really sweet personality."