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I rose from the bed and snatched the phone.
Time to call Bobby in New York.
When I emerged from the bathroom I saw that Declan had slipped into a casual ensemble. I had spent the past two hours washing my hair and marinating myself in bath salts and bubble soap. My skin was pink by the time I’d finished. Donning a white terry robe, I went to Declan to confess.
“Hi, babe. Want some tea?” Declan had ordered room service while I was in the bathroom.
Tea sounded good about now. “Please.” I sat on the edge of the bed. Declan poured me some tea in an earthenware cup. I took a sip. The steaming brew was like nothing I’ve ever tasted. The tea was fragranced with jasmine petals, light with citrusy undertones. I savoured every sip as if it were my last. I put the cup on the coffee table.
“Good, isn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Want some more?”
“No. I’ve had enough.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest, feeling restless. “We need to talk.”
“Can’t it wait until dinner?”
“No.”
Declan lifted his hands. “Okay. Let’s talk.”
“I…” Suddenly, I couldn’t look into his eyes. “I haven’t been truthful with you.”
He waited patiently as I worked up the rest of my courage.
“I’m a fraud. My name is not Jessica Knapp. My real name is Eliza Vanger. I used faked IDs and creds when I applied for a job at the firm.”
I waited for the bomb to explode, but coolness never left Declan’s face.
“And Bobby?” he asked, totally unexpectedly.
“Robert Vanger. I’ve never been married so he takes my maiden name.”
“Do you like to be called Eliza or Jessica?”
“Jessica. Eliza was my past.”
“Okay.” He nodded indifferently.
“Aren’t you mad?”
“About what?”
“Lying to you. About everything.”
He laughed. “Baby, I know who you are.”
“What?”
“Each employee at the firm undergoes an extensive background check. Braden flagged you as a security risk a long time ago.”
“Yet you still give me a job?”
“That’s because I want you, Jessica. I knew you weren’t who you claimed to be in our first interview. Clearly, you’ve never had experience supporting C-level executives.”
I cringed. “I was a cocktail waitress.”
