I walked deeper into the suite, taking in the lush tropical fantasy that surrounded us. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors that dominated one wall, I could see a perfect lagoon of impossibly blue water stretching toward a lush green mountain that rose dramatically from the artificial horizon. I knew it was all holographic projection and atmospheric engineering, but the illusion was so perfect I could almost feel the warmth of the tropical sun on my skin.
I didn’t know what Bali Hai was, but I knew that most of the fantasy suites recreated actual places on Earth. After growing up on a decimated and stark planet, I couldn't imagine the beauty that stretched in front of me. I stepped out onto the balcony and sank deeper into the simulation as the waves lapped gently against an unseen shore, seabirds cawed, and tree fronds rustled in a breeze that carried hints of salt and flowers.
“Do you realize,” I said, gripping the railing and staring out at the impossible vista, “that we’re going to need to fake being in love? Convincingly. For weeks, possibly months, in front of everyone we know.”
She joined me on the balcony and kept her gaze on the horizon. “I can do that.”
Something about her confident tone made me turn to look at her, and I studied the determined set of her jaw and lift of her chin. She was beautiful, dangerously so, and the thought of pretending to be in love with her while knowing it was all an act made something twist painfully in my chest, especially when I knew it wouldn’t be real,couldn’tbe real.
I’d decided long ago that life as an Inferno Force warrior was too dangerous for me to ever take a mate, and I’d seen too many mated Drexians lose their edge after taking a bride. I’d sworn that would never happen to me and had gone to great lengths to make sure I’d never gotten attached to a female before. Sasha’s plan was not helping.
I stepped closer, close enough to see the flecks of amber in her dark eyes as she turned to me. “Can you?” I lowered my head until our faces were inches apart, until I could feel the warmth of her breath against my lips. “And then what? We reveal the truth and confess that the engagement was a ruse?”
Her breath quickened, and I saw her eyes widen slightly. For a moment, neither of us moved, suspended in that charged space between almost-kissing and pulling away. Then I forced myself to step back, to break the spell before I did something we’d both regret.
She gathered herself with visible effort, her hands smoothing down her uniform as if she could smooth away the tension as easily. “Exactly,” she said, her voice only slightly breathless. “Once we have the information we need, we'll call it off.”
I shook my head, moving back into the suite where the air felt less charged. “So you want to invite all our friends, colleagues, and family, plus all the important Earth officials to a huge wedding, and then call it off?”
“If it gets us to uncover the people who signed my death warrant, then yes,” she snapped, following me inside.
I could see her point, could follow the logic of her plan even as I recognized all the ways it could go catastrophically wrong. What would happen when my Inferno Force colleagues discovered my part in the deception? How would everyone who’d rescued us react to being deceived? What would it do to Sasha’s relationship with Ariana when her sister learned that the wedding she’d undoubtedly be thrilled about was nothing but a means to an end?
But beneath all those concerns was a more personal fear. What would happen to me when this was over? What would happen when we’d gotten the answers she needed, and it was time to call off the engagement and go back to our separate lives? The thought of that inevitable ending made my gut clench.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” I said again. “And I hope you can do a better job of faking being a fiancée than you did with Serge and Reina.”
Something flashed in her eyes, and before I could react, she was stalking across the suite toward me, her steps quick and purposeful. Then her hands were fisting the front of my uniform and she was pulling me down to meet her rising lips in a hard kiss.
But what started as a challenge shifted when I kissed her back with an intensity that had nothing to do with proving a point andeverything to do with the want that had been building between us. My head swam as rational thought scattered like leaves in a storm. Her lips were soft and warm, and for a moment I forgot every reason she was wrong for me, why this was dangerous, why I should pull away.
When we finally broke apart, both of us breathing hard, she looked as stunned as I felt. Her slightly swollen lips and flushed cheeks, along with the fragile look in her eyes, made my chest ache.
“See?” she managed, her voice not quite steady. “Faking it is no problem.”
But I knew she hadn’t been faking that kiss any more than I had.
I was in deeper than I’d ever intended to be, falling for a woman who saw me as a convenient ally in her quest for revenge. And when this was all over, when she’d gotten her answers and no longer needed my help, I was going to be left with a broken heart and the memory of what it felt like to almost have something real with someone—and then lose it all.
Chapter
Nineteen
Sasha
In the aftermath of the kiss, my lips tingled and my heart knocked against my ribs like it was trying to escape my chest. The memory of his firm lips made me want to pull him back and kiss him again, which was exactly the kind of thinking that would get me into trouble.
Maybe Deklyn was right. Maybe I was out of control, letting my emotions drive my decisions instead of cold logic. But I knew my plan could work. It had to work.
“So,” I said, trying to inject some normalcy into my voice as I moved away from him, putting distance between us before I did something else impulsive. “We need to figure out exactly how to make this convincing. Who do we need to get here?”
Deklyn ran a hand through his dark hair, and I tried not to notice the way the motion made his uniform stretch across his broad shoulders. “Earth Planetary Defense Command, obviously. Your former squadron leaders, anyone who would have been in the decision-making chain when you were captured.”
“The media will help,” I added, settling into one of the plush chairs and crossing my legs to keep myself from pacing. The ecru cushions were soft beneath me, and the subtle scent of tropical flowers seemed to emanate from the fabric itself. “If Serge can get this televised, it’ll put pressure on the higher-ups to attend. They’ll want to control the narrative.”
“Which means we’re going to have to go along with all of Serge’s wedding planning,” Deklyn said, his tone suggesting he found this prospect about as appealing as a Kronock interrogation session.
I felt a stab of guilt as I looked at his expression. “Do you care about the details? Do you have preferences for a fake wedding?”
