Would I?
揑 don抰 know. I抦 not even sure if it should be anything besides what it already is,?I say carefully. 揌e抯 still my boss, Eliza. This is pretty taboo as it is, and it抯 also the kind of thing that follows you if it goes sour...?
揂w, I don抰 think he抣l come after you if it isn抰 meant to be. He agreed to this fake engagement so no one would question it, didn抰 he??
揝till, what if HR finds out it抯 not all fake when we抮e off the clock??I swallow, worry balling up in my throat.
揅ross that bridge when you get there,?she says simply.
揑t抯 not like I can stay away from him, so...maybe you抮e right.?
揑f you can抰 stay away, trust the chemistry.?
I stare at her. 揇o you have some catchphrase for everything??
揧ep. It抯 what I do. You have a lot of time to think while you抮e waiting for the bloom on the perfect pour over or steeping cold brew.?She grins smugly, her eyes flashing.
揈liza, life isn抰 as easy as coffee. I抳e just stacked all my chips in one place and obliterated boundaries. If this doesn抰 work out, it could get ugly.?
揃ut what if it does? What if penny boy decides he抯 game to take you on a real date the whole world knows about??
Oh, God.
The minute she says it, I tense. Hope and nervous horror knife through me. What if Lincoln did do that?
揚enny boy??I whisper.
揧ou know, Lincoln? Abe? Penny? Never mind!?She throws up her hands, laughing.
揧ou come up with the goofiest names,?I say, cracking a smile that takes the edge off.
揧eah, my other talent. Now you said you had some pictures??
Right. I turn on my laptop. The company images aren抰 synced up to my phone so we抣l do this the old-school way.
揧ou have to promise not to scream first,?I warn her, wagging a finger.
She crosses her heart with her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth.
Oh, Eliza. With friends like you, who needs trouble?
I press forward anyway.
An image comes up on the screen with Lincoln in a cream-white tux, holding me like I抦 an absolute treasure. I抦 wearing a simple white dress, resting my head under his chin, a bouquet of bright cornflower clenched between us.
Even though I抳e seen it ten times, my breath still stalls.
Is that really what we look like together?
Do cameras ever lie?
God. We could be shooting for a Pride and Prejudice reboot. And why not? Darcy was the original billionaire bad boy.
Eliza lets out a scream that would be earsplitting if it wasn抰 for her palms pressed to her mouth.
揌ey, you promised not to scream! Covering it still counts.?I elbow her in the belly playfully.
She skids back, a messy laugh falling out of her.
揇akota, that抯...a big deal. You抮e wearing a wedding dress. The suit has you cradled against him. You both look like you just found your stars. Like, I抦 over the freaking moon for you. You wouldn抰 have allowed this in a million years if you didn抰 feel something. Not after that annoying little blue jay...?
I shake my head, even as my heart flips.
揕et抯 not get carried away, okay? I抦 a copywriter for an apparel company. This is a marketing gig and it抯 over in a few more shoots. When it抯 done, I think I just want to lay low and let fate do its thing. I don抰 want to get my hopes up.?
揘o, but條ook at him! He抯 eating you with his eyes. I don抰 buy him thinking this is just a dumb marketing ploy. Not in a million years.?
I wish I shared her confidence.
I manage a tense smile.
揌e told me his mother got after him. Apparently, she抯 pulling for us and told him it抯 like a romance movie that needs to end with grandkids for her.?I smile with my cheeks heating again.
Eliza blinks at me.
揌e told you that??
I nod. 揥e laughed about it later.?
揇akota! You shouldn抰 wonder anything.?
揅ome again??I look at her, not following.
揧ou抳e got a dude telling you about his cute little fights with mama. A dude who also looks at you like you抮e his hottest fantasy come to life.?She leans forward and flicks me softly between the eyes. 揇akota, you don抰 fake that stuff. Lincoln Burns is basically your boyfriend and I hope to God you抮e ready.?
I barely remember to rub the bridge of my nose, too stunned by the insane possibility she might be right.
And if she is?
Oh, crap.
It抯 eight p.m. sharp when Lincoln emerges from his office. I came in late to catch up on some work after that heart-pulverizing morning talk with Eliza.
揥hy are you still here??He stops at my desk.
揕ucy抯 emails took the whole day. I didn抰 start ad work until after four.?
He leans against my desk, a tower of a man who still looks hot even when he抯 at his most mundane.
揑 appreciate the commitment. Are you coming home with me tonight??
I do fairly often these days. It抯 practically habit now.
揑s that an invitation??I look at him slowly, trying to play it cool but failing.
揂lways,?he growls.
I giggle. 揥ell, okay.?
揑抣l be ready in an hour or so. If you get to a good stopping place anytime soon, could you order us some dinner??
揥ill do.?
He moves closer to me, bends down, and kisses me. 揑 told myself after I dealt with that last proposal I抎 get a reward.?
揕et me guess桰抦 your reward??
揝ince you抮e the hottest thing in my life? Yes.?He kisses me again, showing just what sort of reward he has in mind.
And I抦 happy to oblige, savoring his tongue against mine, the brash way he moves inside my mouth. I can抰 peel my eyes off him until his back is turned and he抯 heading for his office, shooting one last longing, heated look over his shoulder.
God.
This man.
He抯 a human chess piece and it抯 scary how easily he抯 put my whole heart into checkmate.
An hour later, after work is done and we抮e in the town car on the way home, I say, 揑 shouldn抰 work so late. But my hardass boss has me doing double duty...?
揌e pays you well for both jobs. Plus, certain duties that come with one hell of a bonus.?The way his eyes rake me up and down promises perks infinitely better than money.
揗aybe, but why do you work so late all the time??
揅ontracts tonight. They keep the money rolling in so I can pay my employees梡articularly beautiful ones who are mighty serious about salaried hours.?
His words make me smile.
揟hanks, but I don抰 just mean tonight. Word is you抳e been all work and no play for a long time.?Yes, I抦 pushing now. A little more determined to figure Lincoln out.
He gives me a long look before he speaks.
揃lame it on the Corps, I guess. The military made me crave hard work and the devil抯 hours. Also, my mother retired not long after my father died. There was plenty to do at the office and long hours were necessary in the transition. Working like hell helped me,?he says, an odd hardness in his voice.
揌elped how??
He sighs. 揑t was easier to deal with my old man抯 death if I could keep my parents?legacy alive. If I didn抰 have spare time on my hands to dwell on the grief, it didn抰 need to hurt so much.?
His eyes darken, russet-brown dimming to walnut.
揑抦 sorry, Lincoln. I can抰 even imagine...?I reach across the seat for his hand.
He takes my fingers and squeezes hard.
揑t抯 whatever. The business does better every year, and Ma抯 good work lives on. I抦 damn proud of that,?he says.
揧ou should be.?
He reaches for the door and pushes the button to roll up the privacy screen. 揥orking around the clock also kept me from getting into other trouble棓
揙ther trouble??
揧ou know what happened with my engagement falling through, but it抯 not just that. If I抳e learned anything from my parents and Wyatt, it抯 that relationships are fucking hard, and losing them is death. I decided I didn抰 have the time or will. Not until a chick with a raven tattoo invaded my life and started sending me erotic poetry.?
I grin. 揂re you saying you could give up the workaholic loner life??
揑抦 telling you I抦 bewitched, Nevermore.?