She touches her mouth with shaking fingers. “This wasn’t part of the deal.”
“No.” My voice comes out rough and raw. “But I’m done pretending it’s not real.”
A couple rounds the corner of the terrace. They’re guests I don’t recognize, but judging by how they nod politely at us before moving to the opposite end of the space, they’re people I should recognize.
Bailey smooths her dress down with trembling hands.
“We should go back inside,” she says quietly.
“Bailey, we need to talk about what just happened.”
“Please. I can’t talk about this right now. We have things to do.”
She’s absolutely right. Of course, she’s right.
But every instinct in me is screaming not to let this moment end. I don’t want her to leave without acknowledging what shifted between us.
“Later,” I say firmly. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“Maybe we will.”
“We definitely will.”
She meets my eyes directly. “You said this was business.”
“I lied to both of us.”
“Daniel—”
“I lied to myself. I lied to you. I’ve been lying since the moment you walked into my office.” I take her hand in mine. She doesn’t pull away. “This stopped being business the second I remembered what you taste like.”
Her breath shudders out of her. “We can’t do this.”
“I know we can’t.”
“Trevor will kill you if he finds out.”
“I know that too.”
“This complicates everything we’ve set up.”
“I know.” I lift her hand to my mouth and kiss her knuckles. “But I’m done pretending I don’t want you.”
She stares at me for a long moment, visibly torn between running and staying. Finally, she pulls her hand from mine and takes a step back.
“We go back inside right now, finish the evening, and smile for the cameras, investors, and everyone else.” Her voice is steadier now. “And then we figure out what the hell we just did.”
“I agree to those terms.”
Bailey pulls out her phone and uses the camera to check her makeup. She fixes her lipstick with steady hands, smoothing her hair back into place. We walk back inside together. The ballroom has gotten more crowded since we left. The music is louder and more people are dancing now that dinner is over.
Larsson catches my eye from across the room. He raises his glass in a subtle salute. Whatever he saw tonight satisfied his concerns. The optics are working precisely as planned.
Bailey and I make our rounds through the room. I introduce her to a few more important people. She’s perfect with every single one, charming and warm.
Her hand stays on my arm all evening. The touch burns through my jacket, a constant reminder of what just happened and what can’t happen again.
Except I know it will.
