Ruby St. Clair's POV

"Good morning, Red!" I was halfway from drinking my coffee when the cheerful voice of Roman invaded my privacy.

"Glad you're extra jovial today after the mess you created last night. I hope you had a good sleep last night because I have none. So if it's not too much to ask I want you to stop bothering me for the rest of the day if that's okay. A good start for peace offering after our mishap."

"Too bad," he replied casually, helping himself with a cup of coffee from the machine. "That's what exactly I have in mind for today."

I eyed him dryly, enjoying my freshly brewed coffee. "I must be cursed. From the moment I met you, my life became a mess. So far none of my plans had been working the way I wanted it thanks to you."

"I beg to differ, Red." He said with a serious tone, sitting next to me at the breakfast table. "It doesn't have to be working the way you wanted it. Sometimes you have to deal with sudden turns of events and make the most of the situation. Like our current situation instead of feeling bad about our secret going out in the open why don't we take this opportunity and enjoy this instead."

I scowled an eyebrow in his direction. "I don't think I follow you. What are you implying, Roman?" 

He smiled gently in my direction. He surprised me when he held my hand that was resting on the wooden table. "What I am saying is that why don't we enjoy this new life we're embarking on until it lasts? Instead of fighting each other almost at every opportunity. Why don't we try to live as a newly married couple as we should have?"

I shook my head almost instantly. That's a very bad idea. Very bad. "I don't think that's a very good notion, Roman. This sham marriage will not go any further. We're just going to waste our time."

He stared at me intently for a long moment before he took a deep breath. "Okay, here's the thing, sweetheart. Let's make a deal."

I rolled my eyes, trying to remove my hand from his grasp but he held it tightly. "Aren't we yet done with making deals with each other? Our mess piled up on top of one another."

"Please hear me out." It was probably the first time he used that word. I almost thought he was pleading. Wow, Roman Vasquez is almost pleading with me no less.

"By all means let's hear it."

"I will make a deal with you for one last time." He said earnestly, staring deep into my eyes. "I will divorce you three months after the date of our wedding as we both agreed in the past but we still have a few weeks before the said date. I want—I am hoping we're trying to make the most of those weeks together."

I looked at him warily. I am still doubtful about his suggestion. "Is that necessary? I mean, I don't think that is needed since we're going to divorce in the end. I think it is better this way so less unwanted emotions after the divorce."

Hidden emotions showed in his eyes. I suddenly felt a tug in my chest. "To tell you the truth after last night it made me think what it feels like to experience having a large family. My father died when I was still young and it's only been me and my mother since. I want to feel what it feels to belong in a big family even for a moment."

"If you think that would make me agree to your ridiculous suggestion you are mistaken." I eyed him darkly. "If I didn't know better I would assume you are emotionally blackmailing me."

"I swear I am not."

I studied him for a moment but I just regretted it instantly. I just realized how sinfully handsome he was upon studying his face intently. "What will I get from this new set-up of ours if I agree?"

He shrugged nonchalantly as he started playing with my fingers. "Your family will stop snooping with your life especially your grandfather, maybe."

Now that I thought about it this might not be a bad idea at all. Maybe he was correct that if we played the happy couple in public Granddad would stop breathing down on my neck and will trash this ridiculous notion he had of seeing me staying married to Roman since we're still going to divorce after three months and we're already halfway from those months. This might be a perfect opportunity to silently tell Granddad that there's no such thing as forever when it comes to marriage.

But there are still some factors that are bothering me. And I wanted them to be clear before I agreed to his bizarre plan. "Do I need to feel obligated to share your bed if I agree?"

He shook his head but I couldn't miss the way his eyes flared with heat. "You don't have to unless you want to. Like I said before, you are always welcome to my bed anytime."

"I don't know you're such a gentleman," I commented, staring at our intertwined fingers.

"So do you agree?"

I nodded despite the warning my brain had been telling me, my cautious heart knew that this would not end as we both expected.

"All right, fine," I answered with a heavy sigh. "Even though, I still think that this is a bad idea I will agree to your plan if it means that Granddad would stop looking at me with matchmaking in his eyes. But you must promise to keep your part of the bargain and give me the divorce papers after three months."

"I promise, Red."

"I'll count on that promise."

He smiled brightly in my direction. "Now that we already established our new set-up we might as well go on a date today."

My eyebrows shot upwards at his announcement. "You're not going to work today?"

He shook his dark head with the boyish smile still fixed on his face. "Nope. I already planned this last night when we arrived from the dinner party hosted by your grandfather. It occurs to me that I haven't yet dated my wife properly."

"Don't you think that's long overdue? Besides, we're not husband and wife so you don't need to feel remorseful about it."

"Still," he replied, with dark twinkling eyes. "I want to spend more time with you. I believe that I am also overdue for a holiday break from work. I can't remember the last I took a break from the office."

I shook my head but I felt my lips were tugging with a smile I desperately wanted to stop from slipping. "Who goes on a date early in the morning?"

"Us." He said simply. The handsome devil had the nerve to wiggle his eyebrows in my direction like Lucifer was tempting me to do sin. "If my guess had been correct you didn't cook for breakfast so it's high time for us to hit the streets and look for a good American breakfast."

I eyed him dryly, tucking the loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I hope you don't plan to bring me to a restaurant and kiss some random waitress and claim to be her boyfriend, Roman."

I didn't mean it to sound like a joke but he took it that way. He chortled loudly probably remembering the day when we first met. "I assure you I won't do that ever again."

"Good."

"Why don't you get dressed so we can start our date?" He suggested lightly. "I will be waiting for you in the living room."

I reluctantly slid out of my chair and walked towards my room. I was aware of the burning stare he'd been sending me as I went out of the kitchen. Once I was safely inside my room I immediately shut the door firmly behind me. I leaned back on the door and exhaled the heavy breath I didn't realize I was holding until I was all alone in my room.

Goodness! My mind exclaimed. What should I wear? Now that I realize I've never been on a date before. Okay, scratch that I've been on dates before way back in high school and on a few occasions in culinary school but nothing serious.

Is this a serious date then? I asked myself silently. I purposely ignore the question because I'm afraid I don't want to know the answer.

I ran to open my closet and dig into my stuff. This was one of those rare moments that I cursed myself for being a backpacker I only had a few clothes that I own. Shall I call Emerald and lend some clothes to her? I check the time on the clock that might take a long while she might stay the night at Daniel's estate in the Hamptons.

Furthermore, Roman was not the type of man who liked waiting for a woman. He has short patience for waiting. So I picked my best pair of jeans, my burgundy long sleeves, and my black leather jacket. This outfit might do, I run to the bathroom for a quick shower.

I get dressed in record time, I snickered when I saw the vulnerability I saw in my eyes through the mirror. This was so not me. Why do I feel nervous going on a date with a man? It's not like I haven't done this before. I might be out of practice but not clueless.

Taking steady breaths, I tried to calm my nerves. This is just a simple date with a man just like the others in the past. I don't need to be nervous about this is nothing special about this outing with Roman.

When I was sure that my nerves were finally steady I exited my room to see Roman leisurely sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper.

"I'm ready." I made myself known to him. He eyed me from head to toe. I felt conscious of his intense scrutiny. "Is there something wrong with my outfit?" I charged.

He smiled at me in a way that made my heart tremble. "Nothing is wrong, wife. Don't take it the wrong way. This is probably the first time I've seen you dress like this."

"Dress like what?" I asked curiously, examining my choice of outfit. Maybe I should have called Emerald and asked for outfit fits for a date.

"Casual but chic. And very New Yorker."

I couldn't help but blush at his words. He's good at complimenting women. No wonder many had been falling for his renowned charm. I should be very careful when dealing with him. He's a charmer.

"Let's go?" He asked, extending his hand in my direction. "I'm rather famished already."

I looked at the offered hand for a moment before taking it reluctantly. He led me outside the penthouse hand in hand. We rode the elevator in silence once we reached the lobby I was aware of the females' eyes trailing him with their longing gazes. Everywhere he goes he's always the subject of female admiration not that I could blame them since he's sinfully handsome with his casual attire.

That's why he's so full of himself. I thought acidly.

The harsh cold greeted me once we were outside waiting for his car. "Oh, it's so cold."

He stared at me with a comical expression. "You were born and raised in New York yet you're not used to this kind of weather?"

"I hate winter," I announced indignantly, tucking my hands in the pockets of my jacket. "Pile of snow everywhere. I wish I was born in some tropical country where the warmth of the sun greeted me every morning."

"Here," he said, removing his cashmere scarf around his neck and placing it on my neck. "Wear this so the cold will be lessened." I watched him tie it around my neck with precision. "There," he stated when he was finally satisfied with his work. "Still cold?"

"Very."

"Let me take your hand." He took my hand that was hiding in my pocket.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked huffily.

He grinned devilishly in my direction placing our intertwined finger in the pocket of his coat. "I will hold your hand so you won't be cold anymore."

"Very smooth, Mr. Vasquez."

When his sleek car arrived he led me to the passenger's door before he slid to the driver's seat. He fled to the street at such high speed. After a few moments, we arrived at this diner.

"No kissing of the waitress, all right?" I reminded him sharply.

He chuckled, looking at me with amused eyes. "Yes, I promise."

As expected female eyes were trained to follow his every move. Some of them almost said notice me with their batting lashes in his direction for his credit he took no notice.

The waitress who greeted us led us to the vacant table.

"We're having breakfast platter for two." He announced as soon as we sat at the table.

I raised an eyebrow in his direction. "You've been here before?"

He shook his head. "Nope, but it's highly rated online so I thought we might as well try their signature American breakfast."

After a few moments, our order arrived. My eyes widened at the overflowing food on the huge plate in front of me. "Wow. Are you sure we can finish this? Pancakes, sausages, bacon, and scrambled eggs in one sitting?"

"We can't be sure until we try. Dig in." He said starting his food heartily.

The food was delicious it's no surprise the small place was almost full with dinner early in the morning. I love how fluffy their pancakes were. I thought I might die due to my full stomach I was too tired to stand from my chair.

"I can barely walk with our super heavy breakfast," I commented once we were outside the diner. "I'm so full."

"Then it's high time to walk around. We strolled around the neighborhood like a normal couple. I still could smell his aftershave with his scarf around my neck. My eyes got arrested by a pair of earrings on the display window.

"You like them?" He asked casually.

"No, just looking at the design."

"Let's go inside and buy them."

I stopped him when he was about to enter the jewelry shop. "I don't have money."

"You? A jewelry heiress doesn't have money?" He inquired indecorously. "Yeah, right."

"For your information, I am not rich it's my grandfather who is rich." I glared at him hotly. It's always people's misconception that just because you are born into a rich family doesn't always mean you are also rich.

"I'll buy them for you."

"No, thank you. Besides, I don't like them. Let's go." I pulled him away from the store and walked continuously on the streets.