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He kisses me on the forehead before pulling away, so quickly that I can’t even comprehend his action until it’s happened. Then, I blink in a daze as he puts the lid back on the box and gathers his laptop bag. “I have to get to work. Make sure the dress fits!”
“O…Okay.” I’m a stuttering, flustered mess, my gaze still fixed on the ring. I’m used to mouth kisses, neck kisses, kisses below the waist, but a forehead kiss is so… domestic. So loving.
So not Roman.
“Just out of curiosity,” I say as he makes to leave, “Were you abducted by aliens and replaced by a clone last night?”
His chuckle brightens the room, his smile breathtaking enough that I want to remember it forever. “Goodbye, Madison. Goodbye, Leo!” he shouts.
“Bye, Dad!” Leo replies from his bedroom.
With his hand on the door, he gives me a final smirk. “I’ll see you tonight. Make sure you’re ready by seven.”
“Yes, lovely husband.” My voice drips sarcasm, though inside, I’m melting with no way out.
With a jolt, I realize that my feelings for Roman are far from just physical anymore. I’m falling for him, the same way I fell for Elio, and with those butterflies come debilitating panic. I can’t get hurt again, especially not by him. I could lose everything: my job, my security, Leo. Brandon.
I’m in deep, deep trouble.
* * *
I can’t helpbut fidget in the back of Roman’s limo, nerves zapping through me as we stop outside the Rockefeller Center. Photographers loiter outside, waiting to snap the elite in their best getups, and elegantly dressed elite head inside after posing.
As though noticing, Roman covers my trembling hands with his own, his thumb brushing the golden band on my left hand. “Madison, there’s no need to be nervous.”
I nod, though I’m not convinced. This feels… more real, somehow, than anything we’ve done before. I feel so out of place compared to all of Roman’s peers and colleagues. I’m just a nanny, for goodness’ sake. Kids are my thing, not wealthy business types who believe I’m married to the most successful CEO in the city.
“Madison.” He tilts my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You’re going to be fine. You look…” His eyes rake down my body, across the lace and satin, hugging my curves, “Breathtaking. All I need is to win over Reid and close the deal. Just do what you always do. Give them that gorgeous smile.”
“So, I’m arm candy is what you’re saying.”
He snorts, shaking his head. “You’re not arm candy tonight. Tonight, you’re my wife.”
We’ve spent the whole week trying to get our story straight in case people ask. It won’t be easy, indulging in such a big lie, but pretending to be smitten by him won’t be all that difficult, either. Especially if he keeps complimenting me like this.
He smooths down one of my untamed curls, inching closer until I’m drowning in his spiced cologne. If he keeps this up, my worry will dissipate. It’s hard to think about anything else when he’s this close to me. “You have no idea how much I want to rip that dress off you right now,” he whispers.
I gulp, my core throbbing with want. “Maybe later.”
He offers a wolfish grin and then kisses me, long and hard, until my heart is racing for an entirely different reason than the crowds outside. I search desperately for friction, moving against him until I can feel his hard cock brushing my hip through our layers of clothing.
Chuckling, he pulls away, wiping my red lipstick from his mouth. My vision swims at the sight. Still, some lingers at the corner of his mouth, and I use my thumb to swipe it away. He does the same for me, cleaning the smudges around my Cupid’s bow.
“I wouldn’t mind too much if the lipstick stayed. I’d like them to know who I’ve been kissing tonight.”
I roll my eyes, though my toes curl inside my stilettos. The wedding band on our fingers may feel like him claiming me, but I like the idea of doing the same this way. So, I kiss him a final time on the base of his jaw, leaving a perfect red print, and then grab my clutch.
He takes my hand, his gaze a smoldering fire that quickly ignites me, too. “Ready?”
“Now I am.”
He gets out first and then helps me do the same. Silver flashes and noises of admiration ripple through the starry night. We stop in front of the first photographer, Roman’s arm snaking around my waist and pulling me close. I can’t help but look up at him, both to avoid the glare of the cameras and because I’m so addicted to the sight of him that it hurts. He’s perfectly cool and collected, sending the cameras soft smiles before he meets my gaze.
And just like that, he’s kissing me on the cheek. He lingers there in the crook of my neck, inhaling me for a moment. “You smell like heaven. I’m a lucky man.”
“I’m glad you’ve finally realized that.”
“I always knew you’d make a man lose his mind,” he murmurs against the shell of my ear. “I just didn’t think it would be me.”
