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She stared at him, marveling at his ability to play the role of doting fiancé. How had he figured her out? “Yes.” Her voice cracked on the lone syllable. She cleared her throat, summoning a smile. “I’ve always been partial to opals.” But she didn’t wear them often. The pendant and earrings she had were handed down from Nonna and she was exceedingly cautious with them.

“Your grandmother’s influence?”

“Yes,” she repeated. She was warm and tingly all over. Good thing she was sitting down because she wouldn’t have so far to fall if she fainted.

Rhett was grinning at Ilsa. “I knew it.”

“You did,” she praised.

How?It wouldn’t be right to ask him here. Was it a simple case of keeping your enemies close? Still, it was hard to imagine Rhett Ellington studying her so closely in any context.

Holding the ring, he reached for her hand. She didn’t flinch or pull away. Didn’t even feel the urge.

“Trina Bollani, will you be my wife?”

The ring hovered right there at the tip of her finger as he waited for her response. At last, she managed a quick nod, a murmured “yes”. Overcome, her eyes misted as the gold band slipped down the length of her finger. A perfect fit. One more detail he had mysteriously gotten correct.

She felt a tear spill over her lashes and blotted it away before a flood followed. Tonight, alone in bed, she could privately grieve that this would likely be the only proposal in her life. And just as he promised, he made it memorable. Before she realized what she’d done, she stood and threw her arms around him as gratitude and something indefinable welled up inside her.

Remembering where they were, she pulled back and wiggled her finger, letting the opal and the halo of diamonds wink and shine. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Catching his gaze, she knew he understood the full depth of those brief words.

Because he was right. About all of it. They would need to carry on this charade long enough to convince her parents to stop interfering with her life. Whether that was a few months or a full year, she needed Rhett’s support and protection.

Then it would be a quiet divorce.

After that, she was on her own. Looking ahead, she worried she might never forget him or be willing to move on with someone else. But that was a problem for future-Trina.

At the other side of the table, Ilsa sniffled. “Youtwo. My goodness.” She fanned her face. “I admit, I was startled to see Rhett’s email, but now I understand.” Tapping her fingertips together, she said, “Shall we plan the perfect instant wedding for you?”

Rhett brushed a kiss to Trina’s cheek. “Please do.” His gaze locked with hers. “Whatever suits you will be exactly what I want.” Shifting his attention to Ilsa, he said, “I’ll let Max save me from the particulars.”

“What a groom-move,” Ilsa joked. “Go on.”

“Are you sure?” Trina wasn’t as confident about knowing what Rhett wanted. It seemed like a minor miracle that he’d known the opal was her first choice, and yet he’d done it so naturally. Could she say the same about the decisions ahead of her? What would Ilsa think if she made a blatantly wrong choice for their special day?

Theirfakespecial day.

“I trust you to know what I want,” he assured her. There was a heat and an intensity in his eyes that she wished was real. Maybe he was just reminding her to sell the story. To be the happy couple.

How much did it really matter to him anyway? “All right,” she said, playing along. “Have fun.”

After a kiss for his wife, Max, Rhett, and Annie bustled out of the office, leaving Trina and Ilsa to sort out wedding details.

Ilsa closed the door behind them and turned back to Trina, her smile wide and eyes gleaming. “Privacy at last. I’m desperate to hear how all this came to be, but you don’t have to tell me anything. I’ve just never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”

She owed Rhett big time for being able to fool his friends so effectively. “It was a shock to both of us,” she said. “Neither of us were looking for romance and definitely not marriage. Then when we realized, we didn’t want to waste anytime.”

“Smart,” Ilsa nodded sagely. “When you know, you know.”

Ilsa picked up a binder and returned to the table at the window. “Would you like coffee or tea?”

Trina pressed a hand to her midriff. “Tea would be lovely.” She watched Ilsa set everything in motion at the small station behind her desk. “I appreciate everything you’re doing to make our wedding wonderful.”

“We haven’t even started the fun,” Ilsa replied. “And already it’s a pleasure. Not only because he’s the boss.” She grinned. “Weddings are my happy place. Rhett tells me you only have a few days before you have to be back in South Carolina. In the email he mentioned you run a hotel yourself.”

She nodded. “That’s right. Though, as manager, not an owner. I did grow up in the hotel industry though. My parents own a handful of properties in Italy along with a hotel management company. Rhett’s father and mine are close.”