<h4>Chapter 5: Chapter 5</h4>


    DEMI


    "Demi dear?" I look away from the tall, arched window to stare at Mrs. Rollins. She walks elegantly towards me in a flurry of satin. A sparkling diamond ne glitters on her neck. Next to me, my aunt, Kira and my best friend Anna huddle close.


    Mrs. Rollins ces her ring studded hand on my left shoulder. "It''s okay. This is your home now." I inhale deeply and force a smile. I still can''t believe it. Anna has a big smile on her face as she delivers my suitcase to one of the domestic staff. Aunt thanks Mrs. Rollins profusely for standing by me.


    Down the hallway, the quads stand with their hands buried in their pockets, their faces bereft of emotion. Their father must still be stewing in his study. Mr. Rollins isn''t entirely happy to suddenly wee a daughter who isn''t at the very least an heir to a fortune. For thest one hour while I was waiting with my family, he has been scolding the quads, referring to me as their ''mess''.


    I am supposed to pick one of the sons to y my husband for the next twelve months. This is another reason that has me all tensed up.


    "Rx dear." Mrs. Rollins steers me toward her sons. "One of my sons has decided to be your husband." I halt in my track.


    "Is he the one who married me? You said you knew."


    Mrs. Rollins sighed. "No, he isn''t the one I suspected to have married you that night. Honestly, I am not entirely sure my guess is correct and my boys won''t open up to me. Don''t be disheartened dear. Ashley has offered to stand by your side. Collectively, they have promised to treat you with the respect you deserve." Seeing the worry etched on my face, she takes my hands in hers. "You''re still free to choose as we originally nned. I just thought I would let you know that one of them is stepping up."


    Aunt pulls me aside. "Does it really matter who it was that night? This isn''t some kind of love marriage. Since you can''t tell the brothers apart, sticking with Ashley or randomly selecting won''t make a difference. Chances are you might still end up picking one of the three who didn''t wed you. The most important thing is that you have been epted as the first daughter-inw of the Rollins family. Don''t forget that."


    "She''s right, Demi." Anna adds. "You''re one lucky girl. So many women have yed this fake marriage card with the quads and never even got to the front steps of this mansion yet here you are moving into the mansion and cherry-picking what quad you share a room with." She gives me a dirty wink. "Go for it. If the coward who married you won''t step up, good riddance, right? Stick with another bro."


    I whip my head to stare at the brothers. They are standing next to their mother now. Drawing a breath, I nod in agreement. "You''re right. This will all be over in a year anyway. I shouldn''t overthink who gets to y my fake hubby."


    "That''s the spirit." Anna cheers me.


    "Are you for real?" Kira mutters disdainfully. "Rather than thinking of turning this sham marriage into the real deal and making a ce for yourself, you''re already looking forward to your divorce? You''re nuts."


    Before I can reply her, Mrs. Rollins draws close to us.


    "Demi, this is Ashley."


    He''s beautiful. Damn it, they all are, with a powerful gaze that can chew up and spit a woman''s insecurities if allowed to linger. I extend a hand and when he kisses my knuckles, I freeze up. No, not that one. Not the flirt. He leans close to my ear and whispers in a breath.


    "Hope you like getting chained in the bedroom."


    The color drains from my face as he backs away.


    We head to Mr. Rollins'' study where hiswyer is already waiting for us with the contract papers. Mrs. Rollins had earlier sent a copy to me for review. Ashley and I sit down and while he hastily signs, I quickly scan the fine print to ensure the changes I had insisted on had been included. No sex. Contract length was exactly twelve months. Reason for divorce would be due to irreconcble differences.


    "Sign it already." Mr. Rollins speaks impatiently.


    "It''s not stated here how I can distinguish or identify Ashley." I reply with a frown.


    My father-inw leans forward in his high chair. "Why do you need to tell him from the others? Do you n to sleep with him? Have his babies? Are you worried about riding the wrong Ash?" The quads chuckle softly behind me.


    "Brett!" Mrs. Rollins cautions her husband with a stern look.


    Satisfied with the embarrassed hue on my face, he smirks. "Since it''s only a marriage on paper, he isn''t bound to distinguish himself. You don''t get that privilege."


    "Sign it Demi." Aunt pleads. "Don''t be difficult."


    I cast one long look across the faces of the quads before signing the document. Mrs. Rollins insists we celebrate with a few drinks. It turns into a mini celebration in one of the grand living rooms on the first floor. Mrs. Rollins takes Aunt and Kira on a tour of the mansion while her husband retires to his study. One of the quads escorts him and I conclude it''s the one who is desperate to please their father. The rest disperse to the gaming room.


    "Rx Demi. It''s not the worst thing in the world to be married into the Rollins family and to a gorgeous face like that" Anna''s eyes wheel to Ashley in a white shirt as he approaches us. She leans close to whisper in my left ear. "You''re living every woman''s fantasy right now. Don''t take that for granted."


    "Ladies." Ashley charismatically bows to kiss Anna''s knuckles and she giggles like a teenager. "Anna, pleased to make your acquaintance. I terribly apologize for disrupting your conversation but I would love to have a word with my new wife. You''re wee to join my mother and the otherdies for a proper lunch. Oliver here will escort you." With a casual wave, a young man hustles forward and steers Anna towards the elevator.


    Ashley''s eyes go warm when he turns to me again. My breath hitches in my throat. A year will never be enough to get used to the thrill that radiates up my core whenever I lock eyes with the quads. He smells really nice. His posture is everything. I dip my eyes to the fine trim of his beard, then the angles of his jawline. Maybe if I look at him closely, I will spot a differential scar or something with which to distinguish him from the rest.


    "Are you really Ashley or just posing as usual?"


    Hisughter is low and pleased as he strolls to an antique bar, unearths a bottle and tops off my ss. "If you really want to know, you could take away that nasty use that prevents me from popping your cherry. After our first night together, you will never mistake me for anyone else, darling."


    He is too close. Looking away, I take a bracing sip of my wine for the first time and ce a steadying hand to my tummy. How can one person ooze so much sexual appeal? These brothers could make a nun''s stomach muscles curl in lustful delight. I can''t get distracted, I remind myself. This marriage is not for personal gratification and for all I know, Ashley could just be acting out the script the quads gave him. My face hardens as I recall the tant denial and rejection. I was made to look stupid in front of everyone simply because these quadruplets won''t own up to their wrongs.


    "You all must be enjoying this, right?" My brows knit in anger as I face him again. "The Rollins quads must really think they''re invincible. Tell me, how hard did you allugh about this situation and me? Did you cast a dice to see who gets to y my fake husband or was it out of the goodness of your heart that you chose to be burdened with me for the next few months?"


    He downed his drink in one gulp and shook his head to the side. "It''s scary to imagine all the spiteful assumptions people have of my brothers and I."


    "There wouldn''t be so many assumptions if you and your brothers weren''t so scared of putting on your big boy pants and behaving like distinct adult individuals rather than your habitual, childish game of switcheroo." For a moment, I sense his gentlemanly fa?ade waver as his fingers tighten around the stemless ss. Good. Show me who you truly are, Ashley Rollins. Break the mold.


    He works a devilish smile onto his perfect face. "What is this really about, Demi Branson? Why do you have it out for my brothers and I?" It takes a lot of willpower to nt my feet on the ground while he circles me with a whiff of amusement. "You''ve made it abundantly clear that you are no fan of ours. You despise our guts. But if you truly consider us the scum of the earth, then my mother''s deal shouldn''t have appealed to a self-righteous woman like you. Which begs the question; if you''re not doing this for the money or out of duress, why exactly are you here?"


    The question hangs thickly and ufortably in the air. My lips curl in a smile. "How about this? I''lly all my cards on the table when the REAL Ashley Rollinses out to y. Think you can manage to pull that one off or have you spent too long ying everyone else but yourself and simply don''t remember who you truly are?"


    His eyebrows sh up at me. I hit home with that one.


    He takes my ss and drains it in a gulp again. "The real Ashley is exclusive to family members only. For your one-year subscription, <i>this</i> Ashley is all you''re gonna get." He nts a moist kiss on my cheek and saunters away. I feel a quick tug of guilt as I watch him leave. Did I already mess this up on the first day of our marriage? I bite down on my lower lip and pace around. I can''t get through this marriage if all the brothers hate me.


    My phone pings. It''s a text message from an unknown number.


    [I know your secret, Demi Branson. You weren''t drunk on the night of your wedding with Ash. You only pretended to be.]


    My phone tters to the floor as I stagger backwards in shock. Damn it! I''m screwed!