Chapter 58

VALERIA

Why is Zane here?

I wondered, feeling as though I were sitting on pins and needles between him and Chris on the sofa.

Thinking back to a few minutes earlier—when he pulled me toward him and asked if I was okay in that unbearably soft, affectionate voice—my heart started racing all over again.

It had taken considerable willpower to pull away from him in that moment. If I had stayed even a second longer, I was afraid I might have melted into his embrace.

Clearly, I was still not immune to his voice.

Arriving at this conclusion, my heart twisted in a mix of bitterness and frustration.

I had warned myself not to have any illusions and to stick to being his contracted wife. But who knew that all it would take was one smile from him for my defenses to nearly crumble?

I am truly hopeless.

Lowering my gaze in self-disappointment, I failed to notice the pleading look Andy sent my way.

It wasn’t until he cleared his throat th