Her reluctance was palpable. Sven could understand her hesitation. Marrying a man she’d just met that morning, and then moving in with him in the evening, could be a nerve-wracking experience. Especially for a young woman like her. She’d just celebrated her twentieth birthday in the summer, but it seemed she was far more innocent than her age indicated. From the information he’d gathered, Annalise didn’t date or socialize much outside work. She devoted her free time to her little brother Robert.
“It would be odd for a newly married couple to live in separate residences, don’t you think?” he said.
“Yeah, but…”
“Secondly, our marriage isn’t fake. Its legality is absolute in the eyes of the law.”
“But Mr. Abbott said it was a pro forma. He explained it to me.”
“Indeed. We’re married for the sake of fulfilling your uncle’s will perfunctorily, but it doesn’t make it fake.”
Annalise quieted for a moment. “Why did you agree to do this?”
“I owe your uncle a big favor.” Sven leaned back and took the key from the ignition. “Fulfilling his wish is the only thing I could do to repay him.”
“Even when you have to marry a woman you don’t love?”
That blunt question made him grin. “I can learn to love you…”
Her face reddened in an instant. “Don’t joke about something like that. It’s not funny.”
“Who said I’m joking?” Sven found the way she blushed very cute.
“We’re too different. You’re a smart, wealthy man and I’m only a lowly dumb waitress. People like us could never be together. In real life, Cinderella doesn’t exist.”
“I think we need to work on your self-esteem issues. You’re a young, very attractive girl. I see no reason why men from different walks of life wouldn’t fall for you.” Sven unbuckled the seatbelt. “And there’s one more thing: quit your job.”
“Excuse me?”
“You certainly don’t expect that my wife would work as a waitress at a diner, do you?”
“Well, I…”
“I want you to hand in your resignation tomorrow. Effective immediately.”
“Kinda bossy, are you?”
“I’m the husband, aren’t I?”
Annalise shook her head. “I’m starting to think this is all a bad idea.”
“Come on, where is your sense of adventure? This should be fun.”
“So it’s all fun and games for you? I’m doing this for my brother.”
“I know. And your brother would want you to have a good time once in a while.”
She quieted again. “I guess you’re right, Mr. Torvik.”
“And another thing—don’t call me that anymore. I’m your husband. Try calling me ‘honey’ or ‘darling’ or something.”
Annalise looked scandalized. “I—I can’t. We’ve just met. It doesn’t sound polite.”
He smiled. His new bride was even cuter when he teased her. “No? Then how are we going to pull off a convincing marriage?”
“Uhm…”
He leaned closer to her. “Try it—‘Sven, honey…’”
“You’re having too much fun with this, aren’t you?”
Sven laughed. “You can tell?”
“It’s just… I’m confused. You were cold when we met this morning. You didn’t seem happy to be married to me, and now you act differently. It’s like Jekyll and Hyde. I…I just don’t understand…”
“I see.” Sven sighed. She was surprisingly perceptive. Many women said he was a difficult man to approach on an emotional level, and when that woman finally got closer, he shut her down by putting a wall of thorns around him. But Annalise was different. He felt comfortable being around her even though they just had met. Sven could be himself in her presence. No more mask. No pretense. “I came to your house with my lawyer and that clerk from city hall. I have an image to maintain. I’m a businessman. People won’t take me seriously if I get too chatty or too friendly.”
“Ooh. That makes sense. You let people think you’re a badass when you’re actually a really nice guy.” Annalise nodded as if she’d just received a revelation. “Got it.”
“Badass? That’s an interesting way to put it.” Sven was very amused now. He had been dubbed plenty of unsavory names thanks to his strict and ruthless business dealings, but nobody had ever called him “badass” before. He took that as a compliment. He could already tell this new chapter of his life with her would be exciting. “Are you ready, Annalise? It’s time to see your new home.”