The Borrowed Bride [PUBLISHED]

Chapter 7: The Arrangement

Friendship is an arrangement by which we undertake to exchange small favors for big ones.

-Charles de Montesquieu

Leandro Salazar's POV

"We need to talk." She barged into my office here on the second floor of Castillo de Joya without notice. She stood in front of my mahogany table as her hands place on each side of her waist. I knew that stance so well.

I looked up from the paper I've been reading about the monthly reports of my bank finances. I smiled pleasantly in her direction when I knew that this conversation would only lead to trouble. "What do you want to talk about, wife?"

"Let's clear some things here, Your Excellency."

I smiled at her evenly. I sat back from my chair and silently study her pregnant form. She's really beautiful in her cream-colored dress. We fought for at least half an hour in my villa when I saw her wearing a black dress for our wedding. Thank goodness, I convinced her to wear this dress after an argument. "What is it, darling?"

"I want to have a separate bedroom from you." Her green eyes flashed with defiance in their depth.

"What?" I frowned at her. Is she playing games with me? I asked myself silently. "You are my wife so it's only natural that we will sleep in the same bed."

She focused her expressive eyes straight on my face. I couldn't fathom what she thinking at this moment. "But I don't want to share a bed with you again, Leandro. I want my own bedroom in this huge palace. I'm sure you can give me one."

"No," I scowled at her beautiful face. What's with this ridiculous notion she thought about our arrangement as a married couple? "You are my wife and you will sleep where you are supposed to be sleeping—that is, in my bed beside me, Leila."

"No, I don't want to." She defied me bravely, her eyes flicker with fire. "We are not going to sleep in the same bed ever again."

I smiled evilly in her direction. "I will not be so sure if I were you, my darling. I'm expecting our wedding night. We will have our honeymoon but not now. I need to finish some matters first in the office before I can take a leave. Besides, since we met you only sleep in my bed."

"Well, those days were over now."

Why does she have to be stubborn about it? I'm quite excited about our wedding night after our long separation. I frowned at her. I'm starting to lose my patience here. "What's with this ridiculous notion you have, Leila?"

"I might marry you against my better judgment," She answered proudly. "But that doesn't mean that I will let you rile me over and over again. It's time for me to have some say to our arrangement now that we are married for the sake of our child."

"Are you sure about this?"

She lifted her chin in an act of defiance in my path. "Yes."

"Very well," I hide my smile as I looked at her silently. Let her think that she won the first round but one thing that I'm very sure she would sleep in my bed sooner or later. "I will tell the maids to arrange the bedroom across to mine. It will be your new bedroom." At least, for now.

My wife threw me a victorious smile. "Thank you, Leandro."

"Anything else, wife?"

"Oh, yes." She said with an accusing look on her aristocratic face. I could now see the difference between her and her identical twin sister. I would never make that mistake again. My oversight earned me a punch from her twin sister's husband. "What's the deal between you and your sister-in-law?"