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Those three words have my chest expanding until it threatens to crack myribs.
I want a thousand next times withhim.
"Thanks." My gaze runs over his chest and shoulders, the way he fastens his cuffs. “Here, letme.”
I cross the floor to fix them for him. “I can’t believe the gala is just a few days away,” I say as I work the cuff links intoplace.
“Me either. Here’s hoping you can stand pretending to be my girlfriend for the rest of theweek.”
The warmth in his eyes has me smiling. “I’ll try to endureit.”
The alarm on my phone goes off, reminding me of my appointments for the day. After finishing his cuffs, I head to the door and grab my shoes. “Are you worried about the prospectivelawsuit?”
He’d told me about the wrinkle in his latest deal over theweekend.
“No. It’s a scare tactic. I think the company threatening to sue is more interested in buying them out and figures they can work the price down this way. Happens all the time. We can still get in on this, and we’ll make tens of millions or more if wedo.”
I work with large businesses, but it still blows my mind that Ben does deals every month worth more than I’ll make in adecade.
He grabs my coat from the closet, helping me into it once I step into myheels.
“It’s too bad you couldn’t find Holt’s suggestion, too,” I say. “I looked them up and their mission lookedexciting.”
I turn back to him and belt my jacket, and he cocks his head in surprise. “Youdid?”
“Mhmm. We need more people working on innovations in healthcaredelivery.”
His eyes darken. Before I can stop him, he grabs my coat tie and tugs me in for a drugging kiss, wrapping both arms around me to hold me against him until Imelt.
“What was that for?” I murmur as he pullsback.
“You’re sexy when you tell me what I should invest in. Even when you side with Holt.” He winks. “Good luck with Vane this morning. Call me when you landhim."
* * *
Lily’salready in class when I get dressed and do my hair before I head down to Richard’soffice.
“I apologize, but Mr. Vane’s schedule has changed at the last minute,” the woman at the front desk in the huge office informs me, looking not the least bit apologetic. “He asked me to tell you he’ll speak with you at the rehearsaldinner.”
I frown. “But the launch for the resorts is in a couple ofmonths.”
She smiles tightly. “I trust Mr. Vane has the details inhand.”
Confusion rolls through me, but before I can respond, a familiar form stalks down thehall.
“Aiden,” I call afterhim.
He looks up in surprise. “Daisy. I was on my wayout.”
I cross to where he’s standing. “I was supposed to meet your father today about getting your business after the wedding, talking about some ideas for launching the resortcollection.”
He sighs. “Listen. You’ve done a capable job on our PR. The last person we hired couldn’t get the storyright.”
“The story?” Iecho.
He cocks his head and lowers his voice. “You’re a smart woman. Don’t tell me you haven’t figured it out. The story that this is a fairy tale wedding and my bride and I are in love?” His mouth twistssardonically.
It takes a moment for the words to sink in. When they do, I feel blindsided. “You’re not inlove.”
