Page 67 of Morally Black Betrothal

His palms landed atop my knuckles with surprising heaviness. “I promise to make it as easy as possible for both of us.”

His hand was so large and warm. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like…elsewhere.

I took mine back.

“If you don’t mind.” Brendan turned the now-edited contract to face me and flipped to the last page, where the line above my printed name still awaited my signature.

I picked up one of the fancy black pens on his desk and hovered it over the line. Then, before I lost my nerve, I signed my name with a flourish and turned the contract back to him.

He followed suit, then placed it in a drawer, which immediately locked after he closed it.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile that suddenly lit up the entire office.

He stood and pressed the button that changed the glass walls back to transparent. I gawked as he straightened his lapels, then rounded the desk as he once again reached into his jacketpocket. But it wasn’t until he rotated my chair toward him and sank to one knee that I realized what was happening.

“You’re doing this…now?”

“We have an audience now, angel. It’s time for your first shift. So smile and try your best to look overjoyed when you agree to marry me.”

Some of the last rays of sunlight falling over the city caught on the facets of the diamond, sending rainbows scattering around the room. I honest-to-Godgasped. It was beautiful before, but now the ring was blinding.

“That’s good,” he said. “Engagements are supposed to be surprising. Now. Simone Bishop, will you please do me the honor of becoming my beloved bride?”

So many thoughts flew through my head.

How could my finger even hold that ring up?

Why did he have it waiting in his pocket to whip out at a moment’s notice?

How in God’s name were we going to pull this off?

“You need to say something, angel.” Brendan spoke through his teeth. “They’re watching.”

Beyond the glass walls, everyone had stopped moving. More than one were standing up from their cubicles, and several others were watching from a neighboring conference room, three of them identifiable as Brendan’s siblings. Everyone wanted to see the spectacle of Brendan Black on his knees, apparently proposing to a perfect stranger.

This was it.

The first test.

I couldn’t bomb right out of the gate.

As if caught in a trance, I found myself leaning forward to take the ring. The moment the delicate band fit around my ring finger like it had been perfectly designed for it, something in me clicked.

I sprang from my chair and into Brendan’s arms, allowing him to pick me up and whirl me around as my response leapt from my chest.“Yes, yes,yes!” I shouted, blinking back sudden tears.

Over what?

That this wasn’t real?

Or that a tiny part of me sort of wished it were?

I honestly wasn’t sure. But shock lent itself well to my new job as an actress.

Brendan set me back on my feet, then cupped my face between his hands, adoration appearing on those stern features like a freshly drawn sketch. His thumbs traced my cheeks, back and forth.

“You’re doing great,” he murmured. “Keep it up while I kiss you.”

Before I could respond, his lips covered mine, warm and wet and soft. Just as quickly, I found myself kissing him back, tongue meeting tongue, a connection through this strange charade.