“Name it.”
The corner of her mouth tipped up. “Can you do that thing with your tongue?”
The rest of the blood in my head immediately drained south. “Baby, I will happily do that thing with my tongue for the rest of the night.”
Sixteen
Tate
I paced the length of our cramped office, one block off of Main Street, my heels clicking against the refinished hardwood floor. The framed magazine article that had started this whole mess hung on the wall, mocking me. My stomach churned.
“Would you sit down?” Kellan lounged in his chair, feet propped on his desk. “You’re making me dizzy.”
“How are you so calm about this?” I stopped in front of him, arms crossed. “Sandra Chen is going to walk through that door any minute, and we have to lie to her face.”
“We’re not lying.” He caught my hand, tugging me closer. “We’re together now, aren’t we?”
“Yes, but—” The warmth of his touch sent tingles up my arm. “That’s not how it started. The original article was based on a lie.”
My eyes drifted to the photo on Kellan’s desk—us at the cookout last week, his arm around my waist, both of us laughing. When had he even had time to get that printed and framed? The ease in that captured moment wasn’t fake. Neither was the way my heart skipped when he touched me now.
“A lie that became truth.” His thumb traced circles on my palm. “Everything in that article about how well we work together, how we complement each other—that was all real.”
“You don’t understand.” I pulled my hand back, missing his warmth instantly. “If people find out I lied about us being together, we could lose clients. The business could tank.”
But that wasn’t even the worst part. The thought of disappointing his family made my chest ache. His mom had cried happy tears when she hugged me. His dad had pulled me aside to say he’d always hoped I’d officially become their daughter.
And Kellan... God, Kellan. What had started as pretend had sparked something real and terrifying and wonderful. The way he kissed me in the morning before work. The electricity when his fingers brushed mine passing tools on the job site. The nights we spent tangled in my sheets, his breath hot against my neck as he whispered how long he’d wanted this.
I’d fallen for my best friend. Hard. The fake engagement had merely given voice to feelings I’d buried so deep I hadn’t recognized them.
“If Sandra digs too deep into our story…” I bit my lip.
“Then we tell her the truth about now. About us.” Kellan stood, backing me against his desk. “That we finally stopped dancing around what everyone else saw.”
His hands settled on my hips, and my traitor body leaned into him. “It’s not that simple.”
“Why not? The article brought us together. Made us face what we really wanted.” His forehead touched mine. “That’s a pretty good story.”
“But—”
“No buts.” He pulled me down onto his lap, and I went willingly despite my protests. “Stop overthinking this.”
My fingers played with the collar of his shirt. “I just hate feeling like a fraud.”
“You’re not a fraud.” He pressed a kiss to my temple. “You’re my partner in every way that matters.”
A knock at the door made me jump. Kellan’s arms tightened around me before letting go.
“That’ll be Sandra.” He stood, straightening his shirt. “Ready?”
I smoothed my skirt, heart hammering. “No.”
“Yes, you are.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Just be yourself. That’s who I fell for, anyway.”
The simple statement hit me right in the chest, momentarily stealing my breath. Before I could respond, he opened the door.
Sandra Chen swept into our office like a fresh breeze, her silk scarf trailing behind her. My throat went dry as she air-kissed my cheeks.
