Page 18 of Drunk on You

“No,” he says too quickly.

“Really? Because you were all over me, and then the moment I clarified our relationship was strictly physical, you got all weird.”

Ian sighs. “Truth?”

“Always.”

“I’ve never felt a connection with a woman the way I do with you,” he says, palming the side of my face. “And when I mentioned wanting to take things slow, it was because I’d like to see where things go with us for real. But you’ve made it clear twice that’s not what you’re looking for, so …” He shrugs. “I just need a moment to get my head on straight. But it’s not your fault I caught feelings for the only damn woman who isn’t available.” He chuckles softly.

I consider telling him that it’s not one-sided so he doesn’t think he’s the only one who has felt the connection, but before I can get the words out, a valet attendant steps up to my door and opens it.

“Can we continue this conversation after dinner?” I ask, hoping it will help make things less uncomfortable.

He went through all this trouble to have a fake fiancée on his arm, and I don’t want our personal issues to affect his work engagement.

“Of course,” he says, leaning over and kissing my cheek. “And in case I forgot to tell you, you look beautiful tonight.”

With my arm linked in his, we walk up to the hostess stand.

“Kingston,” Ian says, causing me to do a double take because did he just say …

No, I have to be hearing things, right?

“Yes, sir,” she replies. “Mr. and Mrs. Kingston are already here. I’ll show you back.”

I’m so shocked by their conversation that I nearly trip over my heels and Ian has to save me.

“Are you okay?” he asks, continuing to follow the hostess back.

“Who is?—”

Before I can finish my question, a masculine voice calls out my name. And not Stacey, the name Ian thinks is my real name. No, he says Anastasia. My real name.

“Dad,” I whisper, my eyes meeting his.

“Dad?” Ian unhooks his arm from mine and takes a step back. “Wait, Anastasia?”

“Julian, what’s going on here?” Dad asks, looking at my fake fiancé.

“Who’s Julian?” I ask. “You mean Ian?”

But the second I say the names, my entire world turns on its axis because there’s only one Julian that I know of …

“This sounds like a rendition of ‘Who’s on First?’” a woman says with a giggle.

I quickly glance at her and notice she’s standing next to my dad. I recognize her from their wedding announcement. She’s Selene, my dad’s wife—my stepmom.

But I don’t have time to focus on her because I’m too busy mentally kicking myself in the ass for not doing proper research. I mean, I looked up the key players at Kingston, I know the names of the COO and CFO, as well as several other employees, but I was so busy tying up loose ends at Benson that I didn’t bother to look up pictures and details.

I told myself I would delve deeper once I was here and knew exactly who I was dealing with. I mean, the company has hundreds of employees working at Kingston’s headquarters. It would’ve been a waste of time to look up people who weren’t relevant. But that was dumb on my part because look where it’s landed me—fake engaged to Julian Parker, the COO of Kingston Limited.

“Samuel is your dad?” Ian—err, Julian—questions.

“Yes,” I snap, ready to go off on him until I glance at my dad, who’s looking at us in confusion because he knows I’m engaged, yet I’m arguing with my fiancé over our names. “And this is your boss, right?” I say with a fake smile, trying to cover my tracks before my story is blown to pieces.

Julian glances at my dad. “I thought your daughter’s name was Anastasia,” he says, stating the obvious, but not connecting the dots yet.

“It is,” I answer for my dad.

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