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Once he was behind the steering wheel, the engine humming, he sent Ilsa a text that they were headed her way.

“Does she know this is fake?” Trina asked.

“Only if we tell her it is,” he replied. “She might suspect, since this is the first anyone has heard of me in a relationship.” He glanced over and caught her nibbling on her lip. “Don’t worry. We’re doing everything the right way. Everyone will buy in. You’ll see.”

“Mm-hm.” Her skepticism was clear enough. “I’m sureyou’re right.” She shook out her hands. “Don’t you worry…” Her voice trailed off.

Her head tipped to the side and he knew what she was thinking. “That everyone will think it’s weird that it’s me.” He said what they were both thinking.

“Yes, exactly. And it’s terribly insulting to you, even as a thought inside my head.”

“Stranger things have happened than you and I having a secret romance.” At her snort, he plowed on. “I’ll do my best to make it easy for you to play the role of my wife in public. It’s not like we’ll be out and about together all the time.”

“Clearly you’ve forgotten how Brookwell works,” she said. “I will try, I promise.”

He hadn’t forgotten the quirks of the small town or the active gossip grapevine. “You have to be yourself, Trina. That’s all.” He couldn’t shake the image of her frightened and teary on the beach. He didn’t need the whole story on Luca until she was ready to share, but backing out of this plan was a bad idea. “No one’s ever seen you in a relationship, right?”

“That’s true,” she said, thoughtfully.

Driving a courtesy car, he drove up to the front entrance to make life easier for the valet team. “So we’ll be together, a team. It wouldn’t make sense for either of us to be super affectionate in public anyway.”

“Another good point. I can’t imagine creating any kind of scene in public. Other than when we triumph in trivia.”

He chuckled. With the car parked, the engine off, he turned to her. “Feel better?”

“Much, yes.” She gave him a smile that took him out at the knees.

He had to wait a beat before he climbed out of the car, just to make sure he didn’t trip over his feet. The Trina-effect was potent stuff, at least for him. She always leveled him in the mostunexpected moments.

Her beauty had stunned him when he recognized her at the orientation for their internship in France. He hadn’t seen her or thought of her in years. Not since a visit to Italy when they’d all been kids.

But physical beauty was only scraping the surface. She was smart and creative, with an iron will when it came to any kind of challenge. He’d seen glimpses of those traits whenever he visited Brookwell with his sister. Trina went out of her way to be kind to everyone—even him. As she’d said, they were both making an effort to keep the peace for Harper. Each interaction with Trina made it easier to view her through the lens of a mature adult rather than the annoyed student he’d been.

He liked the changes he’d allowed himself to see.

Walking around the car, he met her where she waited at the closed passenger door, her purse tucked under one arm. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.” She stepped right up to him and with her teeth worrying her full lower lip, she reached out and took his hand. “Is this okay?”

She might as well have punched him in the heart. “Perfect,” he managed. He was in over his head and realized he couldn’t deny her much of anything. An issue he would have to work on.

Carefully, she wove her fingers through his and he focused on the soft heat, the contrast of her wine-colored fingernails marching along the back of his hand. Still nibbling on her lip, she lifted her gaze to his.

They could stand there at the hotel entrance for a hundred years. He was not about to break whatever spell had come over her. Her smile turned shy, and he felt a subtle tremor through their joined hands. “I will do my best in public to show you the affection of a wife in love.”

“To sell our story,” hecroaked.

She swallowed. “Exactly. I’m warning you. I’m not very good at it.”

“You’re doing great.” His body practically vibrated with the need to bring her closer, to tip up her chin and kiss her lightly on those luscious lips.

Tapping into some previously unknown well of willpower, he guided her into the lobby and back toward the admin wing.

He was about to marry a warm and vibrant woman who’d been hiding for too long. Trina deserved every good thing he could offer. He wanted her whole story. Wanted to destroy Gallo for whatever he’d done to scare her so badly. Hell, he’d slay any and all of her dragons until justice and peace filled her heart rather than fear and uncertainty.

He bent his head closer to her ear. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” she confessed on a whisper.