“Of course I’m sure.” I scoff.
“But if she did?”
“I’d show her exactly how she should be loved.”
“Mate, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to show her. You have to show the world you’re madly in love, so use this time to show not only the world but Ria too.”
“You think this could work?” Hope blooms in my chest at the possibility that I could have everything I’ve always wanted.
“With me in your corner? Of course.”
“So what do we do?”
“We initiateSeduction Stone.”
Dear God. I thought I was the clown.
Chapter 18
Ria
I’m not sure which of us feels worse for how the atmosphere changed after Ezra appeared—me or Trixie. Ezra followed us around until he had to leave for his flight, and he tried one last attempt at getting Trixie to come with him, but he was met with a wall of women who refused to let him bully her into going. So she has been apologizing to Jade every chance she gets and has retreated into herself.
And me? I can’t stop thinking about how I’ve never fucked up more in my life. I’ve basically messed up my life, my family’s business if I can’t pull this off, and Leo’s as well. So my head is elsewhere and it’s affecting my mood.
But it’s not just the prospect of my family’s reputation that is weighing heavily on my mind. No, it’s the way my stupid heartsqueezed at the vision of Leo talking to that girl. And the only explanation I have is that I’ve got it mixed up in my head that as my fake husband he can’t be showing me up like that. Even if I watched as he stumbled away from her and didn’t take her up on whatever she was offering, my heart clenched and I fought with everything inside me not to strut up to him, wrap my arms around him, and claim him in front of her. I have never felt this ridiculously possessive feeling before for anyone, let alone Leo. All I’ve come up with is I’m worried we will fuck this up even further if he can’t keep it in his pants. Lord knows I’ll be getting an A plus in that department. I haven’t been with a man since Ezra even with Grace trying her best to, in her words, “bring water to the desert.” Celibacy and I are in a committed relationship and I’ve had no interest in men. My career and building a name for myself has been my constant driving force. So I can’t let one stupid decision ruin all my hard work.
“Morning, beautiful.” Grace bounces into my office on our first day back, looking refreshed and not like she is struggling from jet lag. Unlike me who’s had to have four chai lattes already and it’s not even eight o’clock. “Ria, you look terrible.” She grabs my cheeks, pulling my face down to hers. “Your skin, babe. It’s not dewy, and I don’t want to fall into the pools of your luscious blue eyes. They’re all red and puffy.”
“I’ve not slept properly in days,” I mumble as she continues to scan my face.
“I can see that. But we have that meeting today with Mr. West.” She squeezes my cheeks before she releases me.
“I know; that’s why I can’t sleep.” I throw up my hands, and swiping the spray bottle off my desk, I start to mist my plants around my office. This is something that would normally calm me, but it does nothing to ebb the nerves rolling through me. “I’m panicking that he will see right through me and Leo. We sat at my place last night with Hunter and laid out our story, but I’mabsolutely sure he will see right through it.” Placing the spray bottle down, I start to flap at my shirt as heat rushes me. “Is it hot in here?”
“Not particularly?” Grace frowns.
“You sure?” I continue to flap at my shirt. “I’m sweating from my eyeballs, it's so hot.”
“Okay, we need to take a breath.” She halts my steps by taking my hands in hers to stop my frantic movements. “Who are you?”
“Huh?”
“Who are you?” she repeats.
“Babe, you know who I am.”
“Yes, of course I know who you are.” She rolls her eyes.
“Okay, so why are you asking?”
“Dear God, Ria, who the fuck are you?” Her voice rises as she stares up at me.
“Ria Stone?”
“Again.”
“Ria Stone,” I say, slightly louder.
