Page 63 of The Fake Husband Deal

He quirked a brow.

“Okay, fine. I am.”

“Is it serious? It must be if you’ve ditched us. Is it Tanner? Is this why you haven’t been out on Fridays with us? Because it’s hard to hide how you feel for each other? You don’t have to keep it a secret. We like Tanner.”

I laughed. “I like Tanner too. Just not like that.”

“Okay. I guess we’ll meet him… Wait, sorry, I’m making assumptions here. Is it a woman?”

I chuckled. “No, you guessed right.” I tucked my hands in my pockets. “This isn’t easy for me, Adam. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

He released a breath. “This is a good thing, Noah. I’m glad you found someone who’s rattled that cage you’ve locked yourself in.”

I returned to my office, waving at Lex who was swaying to the sound of his radio while he worked.

He was finally truly happy. The last Spencer Weekly I’d been to was after Lex and his boyfriend had gotten together for good.

Just like with Lior and me, Lex’s second chance with Emery had been based on a lie. But they were happy now. I could see it in my brother’s eyes and the way he smiled again. I think it also made Adam happier.

Four days later, as I met Lior outside his office, I wondered if we could also overcome the lies.

I’d worn a suit to disguise how nervous I was. I felt like I was about to take the most important exam of my life, which I expected to fail.

“Hey,” he said with a warm smile.

I wound my arms inside his suit jacket and around his back. “Tell me this is going to work,” I said against his chest.

He kissed my hair. “It’s going to work. Leave it with me, okay?”

Because we were so openly comfortable with each other, I hoped selling our marriage wouldn’t be impossible.

We had Lior’s mom on our side too. She had joined us for dinner at Lior’s place a few times, and as he’d promised, she was a true marshmallow. A pushy one, though, since she was determined we needed arealwedding.

Thank god for parents who fell in love at first sight and expected everyone else to experience the same. I just hoped my parents would react the same way when they found out the truth.

“Come on up.” He held my hand and guided me through reception, getting me registered so I could always just walk in without being verified.

“You own the whole building?” I said in awe as I saw Lior’s name on the wall by the elevators.

“Yes and no. Technically, that’s my dad’s name, but it’ll save us money in the future when the company is officially mine. But the building belongs to the company.”

“You could take my surname and change it on the wall to Lior Van Spencer. Ooh, that has a nice ring to it. Makes my name sound very exotic.”

He laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”

Ridiculously in love with you, I thought. At least that was something I didn’t have to sell to the partners.

I wanted to laugh at the thought that I was walking into a meeting where I had to convince Lior’s business partners of my true feelings for him, while to him, I had to sell the fact I didn’t want more than friendship.

How fucked up was that?

Lior’s mom greeted us outside the large conference room.

“Christ, you could fit my whole office in that room.”

Mathilda laughed. “It needs to be big enough for their egos, my dear.”

“Mom,” Lior chided.