CHAPTER SIX

With my breath hitched in my throat, I slowly unwrap my arms from around Brandon's waist. His tone is icy enough to chill me to the marrow. My face takes on a look of genuine confusion when I see the utter disgust on his face.

He takes a few steps back and crosses his arms over his chest. "I don't need you to be the sort of wife that I deserve, Natalie. I only need you to keep to your end of the bargain."

My mouth hangs open. What is wrong with this man? Here I am feeling sad for him and his auto response is disrespect? Trying hard to shove down the embarrassment that I feel, I count to five in my head and head to the bathroom. Better to remember that Brandon went through a childhood that shaped him into a hard man.

I turn on the shower and let the water flow. Now that I know how Brandon's childhood was, I can understand why he is so hard wrung. Of course, I can't let him know that I know. If he suspects that I pity him, he is bound to become defensive and push me further away.

When I step out of the bathroom, Brandon is already in bed. I get a blanket from one of the drawers in his room and settle into the long sofa on the other side of the bed.

"What are you doing?" He asks, sitting up.

"Going to sleep, Brandon. Why?"

"What do you mean why? Why are you on the sofa?"

I look at him incredulously. "You don't expect me to join you in bed now, do you?"

The look on his face tells me that is exactly what he expects. I fold my arms and stare at him with a pointed look.

"Natalie, that chair is uncomfortable. You cannot possibly spend the night there." He runs a hand over his face as he talks.

"We're not sleeping in the same bed." I insist.

"Don't be silly!" His voice booms, "I told you before. I am not in the habit of forcing myself on women."

"I do not doubt you for a second, Mr Martinez, but I insist that...." Before I can finish my statement, Brandon is out of bed and at my side. He picks me off the sofa like I weigh no more than a feather.

"Put me down right now!" I say in a squeamish voice that fails at its purpose of being menacing. He dumps me on one side of the bed and turns to climb into the other side.

"Don't you dare climb off this bed, Natalie?" He orders sharply and halts my attempt to climb off.

"Listen," he continues "We have both had a long day and I would appreciate it if you refrained from giving me any more trouble. What is wrong with you?"

Sullen, I continue to stare at him without a response. "Remain in bed, Natalie." He says before settling into a lying position. "And I mean it."

I want to go back to the sofa just to prove that I can, but something in the tone of his voice stops me. Brandon and I cannot share bed space. He better than anyone should know that. We have both agreed to keep sex off the table and of course, I do not want it any other way. But I am only human. There's only so much that a girl can take and sleeping in such close proximity with a man built like a Greek god is certainly not one of those things.

While I'm still trying to sort my thoughts, Brandon's heavy snoring reaches me and causes me to roll my eyes. Really? For one so good looking, I certainly wasn't expecting such pig-like snoring. Wow, Brandon. Way to put a girl off. I close my eyes and try to get some sleep. After such a long day, sleep is a welcome recluse.

I am up before the break of dawn the next morning. By habit, I am an early riser. It always used to throw my father off how I never slept in late even on weekends. On a morning like this, I miss my father desperately. I wonder what he would have said about this marriage. Or even about me leaving Cranes Island to settle in Washington. My family had lived on the little island where I grew up for generations, and I'd just left everything behind.

In my defense, I didn't know how to feel after his death. Everything reminded me of him. Everyone spoke about him which heightened my grief. I needed a break. I needed to be away from all of that. I didn't lock the door when I left; just picked up my bag and walked away from everything. As I watch the sunrise with my arms wrapped around myself, I hear a sound behind me and turn to see Brandon sitting up in bed.

"Why are you up so early?" He asks groggily.

"I'm always up early. Did I wake you?"

"No. I'm up early too sometimes" He says while getting out of bed and heading towards the bathroom.

With my arms still wrapped around my body, I let my gaze roam Brandon's room. Truth is, that is exactly what I see this room as. Brandon's. Although we agreed before the wedding that he and I would share his room because it is the largest in the house, I know that I want a separate space for myself.

The walls are painted in dark mahogany hues and even the furniture screams masculine elegance. Although the room is neat and beautiful in its own way, it lacks the softness and homeyness that would make it into a room befitting a married couple.

"You snore," I say quietly as he steps back into the room.

"What?"

"You snore and it bothers me. I can't continue to share bed space with a snorer."

He looks livid. "First of all, I do not snore. Secondly, if the bed doesn't work for you, you're welcome to sleep on the floor."

"Wouldn't make a difference. Your snoring would still get to me if I slept on the floor. What I want is a different bedroom."

"You have to be crazy."

"I'm not. There are several rooms in this house. I could take the smallest of them.”

With a look of utter frustration, Brandon says, "You're not getting a different room, and that's final! Since you're up early, put your time to good use and get dressed. We have breakfast at 7:30." He pulls out some pieces of clothing from his wardrobe and storms out of the room.