Page 52 of Merry Fake Bride

“Do you like it crispy?”

Devon nods, watching me with curiosity brimming in those caramel eyes.

“Toast or bread?”

“Toast, please.”

“No problem. Unfortunately, your bakery is the last deal I have to get through, and the board has been pushing at an insanely fast pace. I won’t bore you with what rides on this deal because none of it will compare to how this feels for you and your family.”

“You’re talking like you’ve changed your mind.” Devin slowly sips her coffee. “Have you?”

“To an extent.”

“Is this because we had sex at the bar? Because the implication that sex would?—”

“Oh, God, no!”

My hands tremble faintly when placing the bread into the toaster.

She hasn’t mentioned that night until now and I’d presumed the topic was very much off the table.

Glancing at her for the briefest of moments, I see her in the same light I saw her at the bar.

Although I think I prefer this look. Devon seems relaxed and calm, and wearing my T-shirt just amplifies the urge to touch her soft chin and kiss her.

“I would never,everuse sex to… I mean, I didn’t even know who you were when we… No, Devon. It’s not because we slept together.”

My heart stutters like I’m a teenager again and I spin back to the toaster to hide the warmth creeping across my face.

“Is it because I got hit by the car?”

“No, it has nothing to do with anything like that. It doesn’t even have anything to do with you, per se.”

The lie sours on my tongue.

I would never consider these options if it were anyone else, and deep down, I know that basing business decisions onfeelingsleads to a mess, but I can’t help it.

She’s under my skin, and hurting her in any form is the very last thing I want to do.

Besides, admitting I’m seeking out ways to help her because I’m attracted to her just feels all kinds of shady after her accusationthat I somehow orchestrated the car accident—an accusation thrown in the heat of the moment, but it sticks in my mind.

“So you just changed your mind?”

Devon looks disbelieving as I set the toast down on a plate in front of her and carefully add the strips of bacon.

“Yes. I won’t deny that visiting the bakery played a part in it, though. Before all of this, that place was just a few lines on a really long document just like every other business we bought up in that block and the two next to it. When you’re dealing with so many things like that on a daily basis, it’s painfully easy to become disconnected from the reality of other people’s lives.”

“Oh,no,” Devon murmurs with gentle sarcasm. “The prince in his ivory tower is disconnected from the townsfolk.”

I smirk softly. “I know how it sounds. But it’s true. And I came to the quiet realization that destroying people’s lives trying to push through greedy deals like this to appease a man who isn’t here anymore isn’t something I have to lock myself into. But that realization came with a few truths.”

Devon sets her coffee aside in favor of the bacon sandwich and the warmth of her gaze follows me around the kitchen as I collect more bread for my own toast.

“Alone, there’s not a lot I can do. When I started to poke around, the board made it very clear that if I caused any trouble, a vote of no confidence would land on me before I could even blink and then I would be out and powerless to do anything.”

“Ouch,” Devon murmurs. “That’s kind of harsh.”

My shoulder lifts while spreading butter on my toast.