Contract Marriage: I Will Never Love You-Chapter 127: When it Rains

Hailey

"Well, that went better than I thought," Josh says as we get into the taxi.

I shake my head. "I can’t believe you basically told him that we plan to marry someday. What the hell, Josh?"

He shrugs. "It doesn’t seem like a crazy idea to me."

I stare at him, stunned. The cab pulls away from the curb, the city blurring past the windows, but all I can focus on is the warm, stubborn certainty in his voice.

"Josh," I say slowly, "we haven’t even had a real date. We’re not even officially a thing."

He turns to me, resting his elbow on the edge of the seat, his gaze steady. "We have gone on a date."

"Okay, one date. You think I am ready to marry you after one date?" I ask.

"A man can dream," he says, smirking.

God...

I cross my arms, glaring out the window to hide the way my lips threaten to twitch. He’s smirking like this is all some big joke, but I can see the truth behind his eyes—he means it.

Maybe not in a "drop everything and run to Vegas" kind of way, but in the deeper, scarier way that sneaks under your skin and refuses to leave.

"You know you can’t just say stuff like that to my brother, right?" I mutter.

Josh leans back, completely relaxed now, like he didn’t just light a grenade and lob it into the middle of my family dynamic. "I panicked."

"That was not panic," I shoot back. "That was confidence with a death wish."

He chuckles. "I figured if I leaned into it hard enough, he’d either accept it or implode. Honestly, I’m not sure which happened."

I finally glance over, and he’s watching me like he always does—with way too much focus, like I’m the only thing that matters. And maybe that’s why it’s hard to stay mad.

I sigh. "You are lucky you’re cute."

Josh grins. "So you do think I’m cute."

I groan and cover my face. "This is why I didn’t want you in my life."

"Ouch," he says with a hand on his heart, but there’s no sting to it. "And yet, here I am. In your life. In your cab. Possibly in your future wedding photos."

I swat his arm. "Shut up."

But even as I say it, I’m smiling. He knows it too. I feel his fingers brush mine on the seat between us, tentative, like he’s testing the water.

I let them stay.

Just for now.

I hear a tap against the taxi window, soft at first, then heavier.

"Oh, wow, it’s raining!" Josh exclaims.

I glance out the window as the raindrops begin to race each other down the glass, distorting the lights of the city into smudges of gold and red. The rain turns the whole world into a watercolor painting—blurry, messy, strangely beautiful.

Josh leans closer to the window like a little kid, grinning. "I love when it rains here. It makes everything feel...new. Like something important is about to happen."

I tilt my head. "That’s oddly poetic for someone who just declared himself my future husband in a diner booth."

He chuckles. "Even a diner can be romantic when you are with the right person."

I shake my head, but I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face.

"You know," he says, softer now, "I meant it."

I turn to him, heart suddenly thudding. "Meant what?"

"All of it. I know I was being an idiot about the brother-in-law line, but I wasn’t joking about caring about you. I just...I don’t want to scare you off."

His voice is low, sincere in a way that immediately strips away all my defenses. The cab moves again, but time feels slower now, suspended in the quiet space between us.

"You haven’t scared me off," I say, almost a whisper.

He watches me for a second longer. "Good. Because I’d really like to take you on that second date."

"In the middle of a thunderstorm?" I ask.

He grins. "You afraid of a little rain?"

I glance out the window again, then back at him. "Nope," I say.

"Well, I don’t mean to have a second date right now. It needs to be planned carefully," he says seriously.

Planned carefully?" I echo, raising an eyebrow. "You don’t seem like the type to plan anything carefully."

Josh lifts a finger like he’s about to make a very important point. "I am now since I realized you are not just anyone. This second date needs to be memorable. Iconic. The kind of thing you’ll think about ten years from now and go, ’Wow, he really pulled that off.’"

I roll my eyes, but my cheeks are already warm. "That’s a lot of pressure for one date."

He shrugs. "You’re worth the pressure."

For a moment, I forget to breathe. The cab bumps over a pothole, pulling me back to the moment, but his words linger like the low hum of thunder in the distance.

"Okay then, Mr. Iconic," I say, forcing a smirk to keep the flutter in my chest under control. "You better bring your A-game."

Josh leans back like he’s already won something. "Oh, I will. You won’t even know what hit you."

We both glance out the window as the cab pulls up in front of the brownstone. The rain has picked up, a steady curtain now sweeping the sidewalk.

"Guess we run for it?" I say, eyeing the downpour.

Josh grins and shrugs out of his jacket. "Or we make it cinematic."

He opens the door and holds his jacket up like a makeshift umbrella. I groan but slide out after him, squealing as my shoes hit a puddle. He pulls me close, wrapping the jacket over both our heads, his other arm curling around my shoulders.

We’re laughing, dodging puddles, completely drenched within seconds, but I can’t bring myself to care. His laugh is warm in my ear. His hand finds mine again. And when we reach the front door, rain dripping from our hair and noses, he doesn’t let go.

The door closes behind us with a soft click, shutting out the storm. Water drips from our clothes onto the hardwood floor, forming small puddles at our feet.

Josh’s eyes lock with mine, darkening with an intensity that makes my breath catch. In one fluid motion, he takes my face in his hands and backs me against the wall, his body pressing into mine. His lips find mine with a hunger that dissolves every hesitation I’ve been clinging to.

I gasp against his mouth, my fingers tangling in his wet hair, pulling him closer. His kiss is deeper this time, more desperate. Like he’s been waiting forever for this moment.

I melt into him. His hands are everywhere, leaving trails of heat through my damp clothes, and I find myself arching toward him, wanting more.

"We should probably get out of these wet clothes," he says against my neck, his breath hot on my skin.

I freeze for a moment, reality intruding. "Josh... I—"

He pulls back immediately, his eyes searching mine. "Too fast?"

The concern in his voice makes my heart squeeze. "No," I whisper and reach for the buttons of his shirt.