Harry POV
On Wednesday night, Harry was home with Aria. He decided to spend some time with Aria because he felt awful for leaving her just when she was getting comfortable with having a dad. Both Harry and Lucy went and collect Aria from school, because Harry wasn’t sure about Rose arrangements or the details that she provided for Aria at school. He took Aria out for some ice cream where they bond more. They talked about school, her favourite dolls and things that he would know about his daughter.
In the evening, they went out for dinner for a casual meal. The drive back home as pleasant because harry noticed that Aria had a really good voice while she was singing to one of the Disney songs in the car. He couldn’t resist himself from joining her. For the first time he felt relaxed and confident that he would be a good dad a better dad then his father. His thoughts were interrupted by the silence that filled the car. He looked out at Aria and she was peacefully sleeping and he quickly turned around and focused on the road. His thoughts then drift back to Rose. If she would be worried about Aria been home late, but since she didn’t call maybe she was working late again because of the case that she is working on. This week she had been frequently working late then usual, but he didn’t want to reopen the conversation where she tells him that he was trying to control her life and that wasn’t part of their arrangement. But he was more concerned about Aria’s time with Rose. He didn’t want work to interfere with their mother and daughter relationship.
When they arrived home, Rose car was not in the garage and Harry knew that she would be late, again. He quietly carried Aria into the house and headed straight to her room. If was the first time in two weeks since he entered her room and it looks different now, every walls in the room had photo frame and words, but harry’s favourite was the wall facing Aria’s bed. It has the word family and love with photos for Rose, her family and Aria but what surprised him the most was the photos of himself and his family including his sister, aunty and his mum and step-dad.
After he had changed from his office attire, he went down stairs to his study. The home phone in the study was blinking indicting that there was a message, so he pressed the message key to listen.
“Hey Mel, its James. I was just calling about dinner and if you would be coming? I guess I would call you late to confirm. Or we could have the dinner at San Diego when you got there. So Bye for now.”

What didn’t this guy know that it unaccepted to call someone else wife at home? Was he trying to ask Rose out on a date by calling my home phone? Is this part of Rose deal? His thought. Harry was trying to be reasonable till Rose arrived home because she would know the answer before he jumped into the wrong conclusion. Damn this James guy for destroying his happy mood.


Mel POV
Mel got home late after a discouraging day at work. She was tired, hungry and she was in no mood for anything but to rest her mind. On her way to the kitchen, she poked her head into Harry’s study to ask about Aria.
“We went out for some ice cream and had dinner out and on our way home she fall asleep,” he said.
“Thanks for looking after her today. I still have some work to do but i would have dinner first.”
He nodded, leaning back in his chair. He crossed his arms over his chest and informed her, “You had a phone call tonight.”
Mel was surprised because nobody ever called her here. That’s what her cell phone was for. “Really? Who called? Mum? Aria’s School?” she asked.
Harry’s gaze pinned hers. “Some guy named James.”
Confused, Mel responded, “James? James called here at home?”
“Who is he, Rose?” Harry asked.
“He’s a lawyer that we are both working on a case” she responded. But she was absent minded, wondering what was so important for James to call here at home when Harry is around. “Did he say what he wanted?” she asked.
“He left a message, yes.”
“Okay is it still on the phone? Shall I please listen to it?”
“Yeah sure, feel free to listen to your message.”
Harry’s response had her looking at him more closely because he seemed annoyed, no more than that he seemed irritated, not even that angry is more like it. Oh great why would he be angry because her colleague called her at home?
“For God’s sake, Harry. Just tell me. If James has information that I can use on one of my recent cases, I need to know please, Harry.”
Harry shook his head slowly. “The message wasn’t work-related, Rose. Tell me this did you by any chance forget to tell him that you’re married and a mother?” he asked casually.
Mel looked over at him, puzzled. “We’re colleague and work professional so there was no need to announce my personal life to everyone.”
“Not according to this message.”
“What? What did he say?”
“That he enjoyed dinner and was hoping to do it again soon, I am guessing, but he would call you to confirm.”
“What?” she said with annoyance.
“Don’t be annoyed with me; I’m just delivering your message. Did you go on a date with James, Rose?”
“Of course not, Harry?” she said.
“So what dinner is he referring to?”
“It was a work dinner, Harry. He seriously called here?” she asked again.
“Yes he did, Rose.”
“It not like that Harry, so don’t be upset about it.”
“Okay, let me make this clear to you, Rose. Because I left you at home with our daughter for two weeks and a guy is calling my home phone asking my wife on a date and I should be upset?”
“Oh for the Love of God, Harry. So you went straight to the conclusion that I’m dating him?”
“Well that was where this conversation was heading, so Rose, are you dating him?”
“Harry.”
“Don’t Harry me now, he also happened to mention the restaurant where you both had dinner in San Diego.”
“Well that’s great since I’ll be going there in a week time. But there is no other relationship between us besides work-related relationship.”
“Does he know that?”
Mel threw up her hands. “We if he thinks that some sort of relationship was happening between us, then he is dumber then you are.”
He ignored the insult, standing up and leaning in front of his desk, looking down at her intently. “Why were you having dinner with him then?”
“Because I went there for a case and it was my first time being in San Diego, so he decided to show me around and we had dinner, that all to the story.”
“You’ll tell him that you’re married.”
“Well it looks like I would have to talk to him about it.”
Harry continued. “Because if you don’t, I will right after I call our lawyers and invoke the additional two years to our marriage.”
That got Mel’s attention, as she turned and faced him. Her expression was filled with disbelief and fury. “You wouldn’t, harry because I didn’t cheat on you,” Mel said strongly.
She could see that harry wasn’t giving up on this issues, if anything his response was more intense. “I can, Rose and trust me I’ll do it. Because I do not expect to be listening to messages on my phone which some douche bag asking my wife on a date. My wife, for crying out loud.”
Harry’s possessive tone got Mel even angry then she was before. In her eyes her colleague had made a ridiculous move on her and she wasn’t going to let Harry blame her for it. She didn’t want Harry to be calling her his anything.
“I’m not your wife, Harry. Except for the fact were we are both raising a daughter together. And that we are pretending to be happy parents because of Aria. But beside that there is not relationship between us.”
“Pretending?”
Mel crossed her arms stubbornly. “Yes”
Mel realised that he was furious, and that she had just stirred up a whole shell of trouble.
He strolled over to where she was standing, and then he reached out and took her chin in his hand to face him. She stared at him willing herself to stay still. When he took a step forward, Mel stepped back until she was back against the wall of harry’s study, his hips firmly holding hers in place as his hand gently moved over her cheek, as his thumb stroking roughly over her lips. Mel kept silent because if she says anything would only trigger Harry’s fierce anger. Harry pushed back the hair from her face as he growled, “You’re my wife, Rose. For three years and during that time you belong to me.”
“Why?” she asked fiercely.

Harry POV
“Why what, Rose?”
“Because Harry. You don’t want this. You don’t want me or a relationship. You just need a wife, long enough to keep what you want. So Harry you won. Now let go of me.”
Why would she think that I don’t want this? But Harry couldn’t help but looked down at her, the heat that flared in his eyes as he lifted them toward hers. “No, Rose, I don’t think that I’m going to do that because you need to know something about me.”
“Like what, Harry?”
“I don’t like sharing my women, especially my wife.” He moved his other hand up to grip the other side of Rose’s head, her body held in placed against the wall by his. He lifted her face to his and leaned down to cover her mouth with his.
He kissed her hard, as he forced her soft lips to open up for his. Harry gasped in surprise as he found Rose kissing him back, but their kiss was interrupted by a tiny sleepy voice that belong to their daughter. “Mummy? Daddy?” called out Aria as she walked over toward them.
He lifted his head for Rose, but she simply leaned forward and her forehead resting lightly on his chest as Aria hugged their legs together.
“This right here, Rose, is what I want being a family. I know that you don’t trust my emotions because I don’t either, but for our sake and for Aria’s sake I want to try this,” he whispered to her.
“I’m not sure, Harry.”
“Bottom line is I want you badly. So if sex is what you want, you can have it. But you can’t have it with anyone else other than me. Not while we’re married and we have a daughter together. You belong to me just as I belong to you. So for the three years nobody else, just me. Is that clear?”
“Yes.” She answered before she pushed away from him and he let her go. She seat on the chair before she carried Aria on her lap blocking her ears. His guess was that he didn’t want her to listen or hear their conversation.
“You’re right, Harry. This is James or anyone else. So you need to trust me or we are both going to be miserable for the next three years. We need to revisit the agreement because you can’t keep kissing me and leading me on to have this feeling for you when you don’t have them for me. The moment you feel something your defences goes back up again, so I can’t do this now just give me time to think.”
“I know Rose but I am trying,” he said as he walked toward her chair and placed a kiss on Aria.
She slowly stands up with Aria as she moved carefully around him and toward the door. “James is a colleague and I didn’t cheat on you with him. I didn’t break your damn contract,” she added quietly with a little furiousness. “I would fight you on this Harry because I didn’t cheat on you.”
He just stood against the wall with his arms crossed looking down at her and Aria. Finally he nodded. “I believe you; just tell him you’re married and that you’re a mother before he calls here again.
She sighed. “I will. And goodnight Harry.”
He slowly pushed himself off the wall and walked over to her. “Goodnight Rose,” as he kissed her softly again but quickly pushed himself off before he loses control. She quietly left the room and headed upstairs.

Notes

well hope you all enjoy this chapter and the next few chapters because next week would be school time and I need to be prepared and i would try to update during weekdays or weekends.

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