Trent shifted his weight, his arms loose at his sides. He still looked like he could snap a man in half without even trying, and he was just staring at me. Steady and quiet, like he was trying to work out a puzzle without all the pieces.
Alex blew out a sigh. “Dad is set on this thing with Gregory, Char.”
His tone dipped there and he was being strangely careful with his words. Too careful. It wasn’t like Alex to tiptoe, which meant that there was something he wasn’t saying—and that scared me more than anything he’d actually said so far.
“Dad is wrong,” I said, heat rising to my neck. “I’m not getting shoved into some arrangement I don’t want.”
“I know,” Alex said, raking a hand through his hair with obvious tension thrumming all the way through him. “We justneed time to figure out how to talk him down or to convince him this isn’t a good match.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Nate muttered.
Meanwhile, I could feel Trent’s eyes on me like a physical thing and I snapped my gaze his way. Those incredible blue eyes were searching when they met mine, intent and still studying like he was trying to work something out.
“What?” I demanded. “What are you looking at?”
He didn’t even blink, just taking me in and probably seeing the wild panic in my eyes. The way my hands kept fisting at my sides. When Alex finally fell silent, Trent straightened up, speaking in that slow, Texas drawl.
“Do you want to come down to the ranch with me for a week or two?” he asked. “You can just lie low while Alex comes up with a better plan.”
My heart stuttered, but it was absolutely not because of him. It was purely because the situation was so damn insane.
Obviously.
“I, uh, I don’t know,” I said quickly. “I mean, I shouldn’t. I’m not running away. And I don’t need?—”
I gestured at him vaguely, because how was I supposed to sayyour stare is melting my brainaloud?
“I don’t need to lie low,” I finally finished lamely. “All I need is for my dad to realize that Gregory isnotthe one.”
Trent’s expression didn’t change, except that maybe his eyes warmed a fraction, which didn’t help my heartbeat situation at all.
“He’s right,” Alex said suddenly, snapping his fingers. “That’s perfect. Go to Texas.”
“What?” I whirled to face him. “No!”
“Yes,” he insisted, already shifting intoProblem-Solving Commandermode. “Dad can’t arrange anything if you’re not physically here, Char. This will give us time. Trent’s ranch isisolated and he’s the last person Gregory would ever think to look at twice, so it’s the perfect cover.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Trent was already moving. He didn’t say another word or wait for a reaction, clarification, or protest. He just reached for his abandoned drink, lifted it, and downed the entire thing in one long swallow.
After he’d set the empty glass down on the desk, he turned and walked out of the room like he’d simply checkedget roped into Westwood dramaoff his list of things to do for the night. I watched him march his giant ass out of the room, and I was catching up to him halfway down the hall before I’d even given my feet the conscious command to move.
“Trent,” I hissed, grabbing the banister as I hurried after him. “Hey. Stop. Why are you doing this?”
He paused on the landing with one hand on the rail, his shoulders lifting with a quiet breath before he turned to face me. “This fake-dating thing will help me out too.”
My eyebrows shot up. “How?”
He shrugged. “My parents throw a big party every Labor Day weekend. It’s a huge thing. Old neighbors, other ranches, and investors. People I want to make connections with. Showing up with a good woman on my arm makes me look a little more…” His gaze skimmed over me, slow and assessing, but not inappropriate. Just enough to make my stomach flip. “Settled.”
I stared up at him. “So you want me to do what, play arm candy?”
“I wouldn’t have put it like that.” His mouth pulled into a crooked smile. “But yeah. Basically.”
“I don’t even know you,” I whispered, incredulous.
“You know enough.”
“That isnotcomforting.”
