The Tie That Binds: A Marriage of Convenience Novel

I’m oddly nervous as we board the plane. Daniel and I have cabins next to each other while Kate’s is further down. I’m worried she’ll catch on to us. Paying attention to minor details is literally her job. It won’t take her long to figure us out. She’ll only be with us for a few days, though. Right until the contracts are signed.

I’m quiet as the flight attendant converts our seats into a double bed. Daniel lies down and pulls me over. “What’s going on, Lyss? You haven’t spoken a word in hours. Are you tired?”

He massages my shoulders and my eyes fall closed. I sigh in delight. “No, not tired. Just kind of worried. What if Kate finds out about us? And what about our accommodation? She probably booked us two different rooms.” Just the idea of being away from him for a single night annoys me. Daniel smiles at me and tugs a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.

“That’s what you’re worried about? You don’t want her to find out?”

I look up at him, startled. “I mean… yeah, we’re keeping our relationship a secret, right?”

Daniel looks dismayed, and suddenly I wonder whether he might actually be okay with her knowing. “I guess so,” he murmurs. He turns away from me and lies down as he scrolls through the list of movies absentmindedly.

I sit up on my knees and tug on his clothes. “Hey, do you wanna join the mile high club?” I ask. I bite down on my lip and blush furiously. Daniel stops sulking and grins. He jumps on top of me and tackles me down to the bed. I laugh at his response, but my smile melts off my face as a sudden thought occurs to me.

“Hey, you haven’t, right? You — have you ever…”

Daniel kisses me and shakes his head. “Nope. Never. You’ll be my first and only, Lyss.” I giggle and throw my arms around him. Both of us are impatient as we frantically undress each other. I’m hyperaware of every single movement on the plane and try my very best to stay quiet.

“Thank god I’ll have at least one of your firsts,” I murmur. Daniel sinks inside me and covers my lips with his hands.

“Shh, baby,” he whispers, smothering my moans. I giggle against his lips and he kisses me to keep me quiet. Neither one of us lasts long. Within minutes, Daniel is the one that’s struggling to keep quiet. He looks at me and bites down on his lip the way he does when he’s trying his best to hold on.

“Come for me, Dan,” I whisper. His body stiffens and his lips fall open as he fills me up. He pulls out of me immediately and finds my clit with his fingers, sending me over the edge within seconds.

The two of us collapse against each other and he kisses my forehead, his arms wrapped around me. He turns so he’s on his back and I’m half on top of him, my leg over his.

“You’ve had so many of my firsts,” he whispers. “You’re the first girl I ever bought flowers and chocolates for, other than my mum. The first girl to sit in my car after I got my license. The first and only girl I’ve ever picked up drunk at a nightclub.” He chuckles at the last one and presses a lingering kiss to my lips. “You’re the only girl I’ve ever taken to the ballet and the only one I’ve ever sat and watched movies with on my sofa. You’re also the only girl I’ve ever cooked for and the only one to have entered my apartment. It’s a sacred space to me, and I’ve only ever shared it with you, your dad, and my family. You might not have had my every first, but you’ll have all my lasts. You’ll be the last girl I’ll ever sleep with. The last one I’ll ever take on dates and the last one I’ll ever kiss.”

My heart soars at his words. If only that were all true. We both know our marriage won’t last. It came with an expiration date straight from the start, and by the time it’s over he’ll be relieved to get out. I know Daniel well enough to know that he doesn’t like commitment and that his relationships don’t last long.

He seems to sense my insecurity and kisses me, hugging me tightly as we both drift to sleep.