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Grace obediently held up her arms. “Up.” Amelia lifted her onto her hip.
“Perfect. Now, Dad, put one arm around Amelia and rest your other hand on Grace’s head.”
Liam hesitated, and Amelia could tell that he was uncomfortable with the arrangement. She wasn’t entirely comfortable, either. Holding Grace was one thing, but having Liam put his arm around her felt entirely different. Intimate.
But Liam stepped forward. He slid an arm around Amelia’s shoulders, and Amelia caught the scent of his cologne, a masculine, slightly woodsy smell. Liam’s presence was warm, and all her focus was drawn to him, just like when he’d stood in front of her at the restaurant and asked her to reconsider their arrangement.
Liam rested his other hand on Grace’s back, as instructed, and the photographer snapped a few shots.
“Lean into each other,” she suggested. Amelia gave in to the magnetic force that pulled her towards Liam and allowed herself to lean against him. His chest was firm and muscular against her shoulder. The photographer snapped a few more photos, then instructed them to take a new position.
This time, Amelia and Liam held Grace’s hands and swung her between them. Grace was hesitant to take Liam’s hand — he was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger to her — but she agreed when Amelia explained that they could swing her high through the air. When they lifted her up, the little girl shrieked with joy, her pink sneakers kicking up almost level with her head.
Next, the photographer instructed them to hold Grace’s hands and look down at her, their backs to the camera. Grace looked from Amelia to Liam, grinning broadly. Amelia and Liam exchanged a glance, and Amelia’s heart warmed — perhaps Liam was finally bonding with his daughter. Maybe this photoshoot would be good for more than a few fake photos.
After a few shots of this, Meg nodded. “Great. Now, Mom and Dad, bend down and kiss Grace’s cheeks.”
Just then, there was a buzzing sound. Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
“Sorry, it’s work.” He answered and turned away, already speaking quickly into the phone. “I see. Tell Oliver that until we get a better figure for the service fees, we won’t be partnering with him at all. And…” His voice trailed off as he walked away from them.
Amelia exchanged an apologetic glance with the photographer. “His job is very important.”
“Right. Shall we take a few photos of you and Grace?”
“Sure.” But as Amelia posed with Grace, holding her hands, chasing her around, tickling her small stomach until the child cackled with glee, she was distracted by Liam. It had seemed that he was finally connecting with Grace, at least a little, but the moment work had called, it was all over. Amelia couldn’t help feeling frustrated. It wasn’t right for him to prioritize his job during the few minutes he’d set aside for his child.
And yes, Amelia felt a little personally slighted, too. She’d been having fun with Liam. It had been nice to see him again in a more relaxed environment. It had also been nice when he’d put her arms around her, even though she knew it shouldn’t have been.
A few minutes later, Liam came striding back towards them. Amelia was relieved.
“Sorry about this, but I will need to go into the office. There’s a minor emergency.”
“You paid for the full two hours,” Meg reminded him.
“Maybe you can take a few more shots of Amelia and Grace. Listen, I have to run.”
And with that, Liam was gone, leaving Amelia in shock — and more disappointed than she should have been.
CHAPTER 10
LIAM
Having a fake wife and a very real daughter was an exceptionally strange experience.
Previously, Liam had worked long hours at the office simply because he always had more work than he could easily handle. Yet he’d always relaxed at home for a few hours in the evening and taken some time off on the weekends. Now, though, he found himself working longer and longer hours, just to avoid Amelia and Grace.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get to know them better. Part of Liam wanted, almost desperately, to join them in the kitchen to make cookies or play in the park or whatever it was that they did all day. He wanted to win Grace over. He wanted to know more about Amelia and see if he could make her blush again, like she had when he’d put an arm around her during the photoshoot.
Yet more strongly than any of that, Liam knew he needed to keep his distance. He wasn’t a family man. The photography session had proven that yet again, when he hadn’t known what to do with his daughter or what to talk to Amelia about. He hardly ever had conversations that weren’t about business.
Liam also knew he couldn’t get too attached to either Grace or Amelia, because they would eventually both be gone. Grace would grow up and go to boarding school. Amelia would end their fake marriage after a year, as they’d set out in their contract. Growing closer to either of them would only set him — and them — up for heartbreak. It was easier to avoid Amelia and the beautiful home she was creating out of his barren apartment.
Take this morning, for instance. Liam had woken up to the sound of laughter and bouncy children’s music coming from the kitchen. Amelia and Grace had been up early. When he’d passed by, Grace had been carefully slicing a banana with a plastic children’s knife while Amelia made pancakes. They’d been wearing matching checkered aprons. Both had been singing along, Amelia in her sweet singing voice and Grace in a happy child’s mumble.
“Come join us!” Amelia had called. But Liam had declined.
“I have work to do.”
