Lucy’s heart was thundering, her palms were sweaty, and she was so nervous she didn’t doubt that if she weren’t already sitting down she would have passed out. Several weeks had passed since she’d been married to Ian, and the time had just flown by.

She glanced over to Ian, who sat in the driver’s seat of his Mercedes Benz. He was already looking at her, a smile on his face.

“Hey,” he said and reached out to take her hand, curling his fingers around hers and giving a light squeeze. “It’ll be okay.”

It was so crazy to think that in just in a few weeks so much had changed between them. They had spent their honeymoon in Spain, and during that time she’d learned a lot about Ian. Although he had a crude, arrogant demeanor, underneath all of that he was starting to show her that he was genuine, did have a heart, and could be gentle. Or maybe he was just pretending?

And then when they’d gotten back, they’d spent another week just getting used to married life. She couldn’t lie and say he didn’t get under her skin more times than not, that he’d always be the cocky business man who’d built his empire because he’d been cold and ruthless. But when he realized that he needed to change if he saw them working out, he apologized and tried harder. It was crazy to think he was doing all of this for her.

They were small steps, and ones she was taking as well.

Lucy glanced back at the house, or more so the mansion where Ian’s family was currently living. They were meeting his family today, and she was scared shitless. She had nobody of importance in her life, or at least she hadn’t until she’d met Ian.

And to think I hated him in the beginning, and questioned my sanity for even marrying him.

In just this short time she’d realized that he did make her happy, and that had nothing to do with the amount of money he had, or the exotic places he took her. He made her see that with him she could be a better person, too. That being with him made her happy. She wasn’t lonely, didn’t have that ache in her chest because something was missing.

Lucy still didn’t know what the future held, but she was excited to see how it all played out.

Expect for right now. Right now she was still scared shitless.

Thinking about her relationship with Ian, a semblance of calm settled over her. She was starting to fall for the man she was married to, the one who was melting the wall that he erected around himself for so long.

He shifted in the driver’s side seat to stare at her. “Listen,” he said and glanced down at their hands, which were interconnected.

For long seconds he didn’t say anything, and she started feeling a little nervous, wondering what was on his mind. When he lifted his head and looked back at her she felt the air leave her lungs, not realizing she’d been holding her breath.

His expression was … raw, bared.

“I know this marriage started out as me getting back at my family, proving something to them, but things have changed.” He gave her hand another squeeze. “I felt myself changing because of you. I want to try and make this work, not because I want to rub anything in my mother’s face, but because I like being around you. I love it, in fact. You make me feel like a better man, like I can be a better person.”

Her breath caught, her throat tightening. She could hear the sincerity in his words, could feel how genuine he was being.

“I’m scared,” she finally whispered, glancing at the front doors again. “I’m scared of how this will all play out. I’m nervous about what your family will think, what they will say.” She looked at him again. “But what I’m most afraid of is what will happen between you and me.” And she was frightened. She’d grown to care for him, saw the changes in him. It hadn’t taken long, but there definitely was a shift in the way he held himself, and the way he acted. Would that change once he was with his family? Would he treat her with the respect that she deserved, that he’d been giving her since they’d been on their own?

She swallowed a thick lump in her throat and gave his hand a squeeze this time. “But there’s no point in worrying about what may or may not happen, right?”

He gave her smile and leaned in to kiss her softly. “Right,” he said against her lips. He gave her one more kiss, sweet and gentle. When he pulled back he cupped her cheek and stroked his thumb along her skin. “I can admit I’ve been a shitty person for the majority of my life, taking things for granted, wanting everything handed to me.” He stared into her eyes. “But these few short weeks with you have made me see things differently, have made me feel differently.” He smiled again softly. “I will fuck up more times than not, I can admit that, but I’m trying.” He kissed her again. “I’m not going to let them make you feel less than what you are. I know your worth, you know your worth, and no one’s going to put you down, least of all my family.”

God, in this moment she could have fallen in love with Ian.