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His hand is warm around mine.
My heart is racing when I look up at West. His tall frame towers over me as I say, “I have worked for you for over a year now. I know when I can push you and when I need to walk away.”
“I know you can handle me,” he says with a smirk. “But can you handle pretending to be in love with me?”
I swallow hard, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach. “I think I can manage.”
West’s eyes soften, and he gently pulls me closer. “Then let’s seal the deal,” he murmurs.
Before I can react, his lips are on mine.
The kiss is softer than I expected, tender, and completely unexpected. It’s nothing like I imagined kissing West would be.
It’s so much better.
His hand cups my cheek, his thumb strokes my skin.
I want to melt into his embrace. I want to forget this is all pretend. To forget about the money, the lies we are about to tell, and the complications. And pretend we are real.
His hand slides to the back of my head, and he pulls me closer, sliding his tongue between my lips.
Right now, it’s just me and him, and as he tilts his head and deepens the kiss, and it feels like it’s meant to be.
When we finally break apart, I’m breathless.
West’s pale eyes are now dark and intense, and there is a flicker of something more than just business in his gaze.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” His voice is husky and hits me in places it shouldn’t.
I lick my lips and shake my head, unable to form words.
It wasn’t bad at all.
In fact, it was perfect. Too perfect. This fake engagement is the lifeline I’ve been waiting for, but after that kiss, I’m sure heartache will follow.
As the reality of what we’re about to do crashes back over me, doubts start to creep in.
Can I really do this?
Can I pretend to be in love with West when a part of me knows I will fall madly in love with him?
Since the day I met him, I knew he was more.
But I could never think about anything but who we were—the boss and his assistant.
Now what?
West must sense my hesitation because he squeezes my hand gently. “We’ve got this, Amelia. Together.”
I nod, forcing a smile.
“Get some sleep. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
And as I turn to head to my room once again, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m stepping into something far more complicated than I ever imagined.
What scares me is what happens when it’s all over.
Chapter 9