12–Rules of Marriage
1232 Words
By morning, Parker had rules.
Because surviving under the same roof as Maxton Sutton required structure.
Distance.
Control.
And boundaries so sharp they could cut.
She walked into the breakfast room at exactly eight o’clock wearing a navy blazer, heels, and enough determination to survive a war.
Maxton was already there.
Of course he was.
Seated at the head of the table, sleeves rolled to his forearms, reading financial reports over coffee like ruthless billionaires were born doing it.
And beside him—
Luca Taylor sat happily stacking pancakes into what appeared to be an architectural disaster.
Parker stopped cold.
Because somehow—
in less than twenty-four hours—
this had become domestic.
Not real.
Not permanent.
But dangerously close to looking like both.
Luca looked up instantly.
“Mom! We’re making architecture.”
Maxton glanced over the rim of his coffee cup.
“Good morning, wife.”
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
“Stop calling me that.”
“Legally, it would be inaccurate not to.”
She ignored the irritating flutter in her stomach and slid into a chair across from him.
Then she dropped a leather notebook onto the table.
“We need rules.”
Luca gasped dramatically.
“House rules?”
Parker softened despite herself.
“Adult rules.”
“Oh.” He nodded seriously. “That sounds boring.”
Maxton leaned back in his chair.
“This should be entertaining.”
Parker opened the notebook with the focus of a woman preparing legal warfare.
“Rule one: no touching.”
One dark eyebrow lifted slowly.
“Straight to the point.”
“Necessary.”
“Interesting that it came first.”
She refused to react.
Mostly because it absolutely was necessary.
“Rule two: no emotional expectations.”
His mouth twitched.
“You copied that directly from the contract.”
“I refined it.”
“Questionable claim.”
“Rule three: no discussing the past unless legally relevant.”
That one landed differently.
The amusement faded from his face.
Only for a second.
But she saw it.
Saw the history move between them like a ghost neither could quite bury.
Then he asked quietly, “Anything else?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze locked on his.
“No undermining each other in front of Luca.”
Silence.
Heavy this time.
Because that rule mattered.
Not strategically.
Personally.
Maxton set his coffee down.
“Agreed.”
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard.
Parker cleared her throat quickly and snapped the notebook shut.
“Good. Then we maintain professionalism and coexist peacefully.”
Maxton took another slow sip of coffee.
“Professionalism in marriage. Tragic romance novel material.”
“Don’t start.”
“You seem tense this morning.”
“I’m living with you.”
Luca looked between them thoughtfully.
“You both talk weird.”
Neither answered.
Parker stood abruptly.
“I have a meeting in twenty minutes. I’ll be upstairs.”
And then—
her heel caught the leg of the chair.
Everything happened at once.
The notebook flew from her hands.
Coffee sloshed across the table.
The room tilted violently beneath her.
And before she could hit the marble floor—
strong arms caught her.
One locked around her waist.
The other bracing her back.
Parker froze.
Completely.
Because suddenly she was pressed against Maxton Sutton.
Chest to chest.
Breath to breath.
Heat surrounded her instantly.
Solid muscle beneath crisp white fabric.
The scent of cedar and expensive cologne wrapping around her hard enough to scramble coherent thought.
The entire room disappeared.
All she could feel was him.
His hand spread against the curve of her waist.
The flex of his fingers as he steadied her.
The way his breathing had changed too.
Luca clapped excitedly.
“WHOA.”
Neither adult moved.
Because rule one had just exploded spectacularly.
Maxton looked down at her.
Too close.
Entirely too close.
His voice dropped lower.
Rougher.
“So much for no touching.”
Her pulse stumbled violently.
“Put me down.”
He didn’t.
Not immediately.
And somehow that was the worst part.
Or maybe the best.
Dangerously hard to tell anymore.
Parker became painfully aware of details she should not have noticed.
The faint scar near his temple.
The exact shade of his eyes in morning light.
The heat radiating through his shirt into hers.
And the way his gaze dipped—
just briefly—
to her mouth.
Her breath caught.
He noticed.
Of course he noticed.
Slowly—
far too slowly—
he set her back on her feet.
But his hand lingered at her waist for one extra second.
Just enough to make a shiver slide down her spine.
And judging by the flicker in his expression—
he felt that too.
Parker stepped back immediately.
Too quickly.
Too obviously.
“Accident,” she said sharply.
“Clearly.”
“It meant nothing.”
His gaze held hers.
“I didn’t say it did.”
Which somehow made it worse.
She grabbed her notebook and straightened her blazer with trembling fingers.
“Rule one violation due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Luca raised his hand from across the table.
“Can I add one?”
Parker pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Fine.”
“No yelling before waffles.”
A startled laugh broke from Maxton.
Real laughter.
Warm.
Unrestrained.
And Parker hated the way it did something dangerous to her chest.
“Approved,” he said.
Luca grinned proudly and returned to demolishing syrup.
Parker muttered something under her breath and turned toward the door.
“Parker.”
She stopped unwillingly.
Turned.
Maxton was watching her again.
Too calm.
Too focused.
Too aware.
“Your earring.”
She frowned and touched her ear.
One was missing.
Before she could react, Maxton crossed the space between them.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Parker forgot how to breathe.
He lifted one hand and brushed her hair away from her neck.
Every nerve ending in her body lit up instantly.
The fallen earring glinted between his fingers.
But instead of handing it to her—
he fixed it himself.
Carefully.
His knuckles skimmed the sensitive skin beneath her ear.
The touch was barely there.
And somehow devastating anyway.
Parker’s fingers tightened around the notebook.
His face was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath.
Could see the tension tightening his jaw.
Could see the exact moment he realized this was no longer harmless.
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them spoke.
When he finished, his hand lingered near her jaw for one suspended heartbeat too long.
And suddenly—
the air changed.
Again.
Dangerously.
His gaze dropped to her lips.
This time neither of them pretended not to notice.
Parker’s pulse thundered.
Because for one reckless second—
she thought he might kiss her.
And judging by the darkening look in his eyes—
he was thinking the exact same thing.
She stepped back first.
Breathing uneven.
Heart out of control.
Maxton stayed where he was, expression unreadable now.
Which was somehow worse than if he’d looked affected.
And from the breakfast table, Luca blinked between them innocently.
“Why are you both red?”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Because neither of them had an answer safe enough to say out loud.
And deep down—
they both realized the same terrifying truth.
The marriage contract wasn’t the dangerous part anymore.
The attraction was.
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