“Relax, Wilder. I’ve got this. We’ll be the perfect fake couple. But you need to work on your affectionate husband-to-be act.”
“I don’t do affectionate,” he said flatly.
Liar, she thought, remembering the feel of his hand on her back, the way he’d looked at her when she talked about her grandmother.
“Then you’d better learn fast.” She patted his arm before walking around her desk, ignoring the spark that jumped from his arm to her fingertips. “If we’re leaving Friday, you have time to find clothes less intimidating. Maybe a sweater.”
“I don’t wear sweaters.”
“That’s my point,” she said, but he had already walked away. And there. As she settled into her chair, she realized Lucy’s words from that morning kept replaying in her mind.The longer you pretend.
She reached for her keyboard. This was business. Plain and simple.
She had to believe that. Because if she didn’t, if she let herself think, even for a second, that some part of this was real, she would never get through it without getting hurt in the end.
And it would end once he secured Beauchamp’s investment. Then back to boss and assistant. The thought created an unexpected ache inside her.
Through the glass walls of his office, she could see him at his desk, his attention fixed on his computer screen. He looked the same—focused, in control, a man whose world ran on precisionand calculation. But she knew better now. She’d seen beneath the surface, the past hurts that formed him, the things that motivated him.
And that knowledge was dangerous. Because it made him a man with scars, fears, and moments of tenderness.
A man she might fall for.
The thought sent a jolt of fear through her. Falling for him wasn’t part of the plan.
But as she forced herself to answer emails, schedule meetings, and check off the tasks that made up her day—another thought surfaced. Plans change. Hearts change. People change.
Footsteps approached, then stopped at the edge of her desk. He cleared his throat. “We’ll review strategy tonight.”
“Right,” she said, matching his brisk tone. “Strategy. Actual couples don’t need to review strategies for spending time with friends, you know.”
“We’re not a real couple,” he said.
“Obviously. I’m making a point.”
“Make it less ambiguously next time,” he said, turning to head back to his office. But he paused at the doorway.
“And thank you. You were effective.”
Effective. Like a new software update. Not charming, not the woman who’d made him laugh for what felt like the first time in years. Effective.
“Anytime,” she said, her voice lighter than she felt. “That’s what you pay me for,”
He disappeared into his office, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Chapter 9
They agreedto iron out the details at 5:30, so when Devney met him downstairs, he said, “Let’s go.”
She hesitated for half a second, then followed without question.
He’d chosen the restaurant strategically. Not only was it where he would meet Knox and Gabriel later, but it served multiple purposes—exclusive enough for privacy yet prestigious enough to be seen by the right people. Combining these meetings saved time and eliminated additional travel. The efficiency pleased him.
As they walked through the heavy oak doors, he watched her reaction from the corner of his eye. Her steps faltered as she took in the surroundings: dark wood paneling that absorbed the light, private leather booths that promised seclusion, crystal decanters sparkling behind the bar. A place designed for men with power and the discretion to use it wisely.
Her gaze moved over the space, he could almost see her taking mental notes, cataloging the kind of place this was—a setting where strategies were drawn in Scotch and fortunes sealed with handshakes. Her eyes narrowed at the far corner,where a senator sat deep in conversation with a tech CEO whose face regularly appeared on magazine covers.
She slid into the booth across from him, still scanning the room like someone collecting intel.
