Page 11 of Fake Out

“Shall we get down to business?” I ask, opening the folder I’ve brought with me and laying out my notes.

“Of course.” A faint smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “But first, I have to know. Are you single?”

All right. Enough is enough. One compliment is fine, but this is taking things too far.

“Charlie, that’s not relevant.” I don’t bother hiding my disappointment. I’d hoped he would be more focused on his future than flirting with me.

“Come on,” he protests, leaning in closer. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“Okay, then. Let me be clear.” I lean forward and fix him with a steely gaze. “You’re lucky to have been given this chance. There’s no way anyone else in the industry will take you on after your last scandal. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep our relationship strictly professional. No flirting. No comments about my body or looks. No questions about my personal life.”

His playful expression falters for a moment, but then he smirks again, clearly unfazed by my words. “Well, now that we’ve got that settled, shall we discuss my future?”

I exhale sharply. That’s just what I was saying!

“Great,” I respond.

Already, he’s reminding me of all the entitled bros I work with at the office. But hey, at least that means I’ll know how to deal with him.

“If you need a refresher on the boundaries?—”

He cuts me off. “I don’t. Strictly professional. Got it.” He looks away.

I bite my tongue and try not to notice how good he smells, how large his hands are, how silky his sandy-blond hair is. I’m giving him a hard time, but the boundaries are for me as well.

And if I know what’s good for myself, I’ll play within the lines.

CHAPTER 7

CHARLIE

Folding my arms, I sit back in my seat and watch as Marissa spreads out her papers and opens her computer. One thing is for sure. The woman has come prepared.

“First things first. I’m gonna be a hard-ass with you.” She looks at me with those intelligent hazel eyes. “You need to seriously buckle down if we’re going to change your image.”

“Ah, but where would the fun be in that?” I tease, grinning at her.

She frowns. “Clearly, we have our work cut out for us.”

“Let’s start by getting to know each other better.” I lean in closer, feeling my pulse quicken. “Tell me, Marissa. You seem to have your shit together. What’s someone like you doing as an assistant agent?”

She blushes slightly, caught off guard by my compliment. “Well, I’m still fairly new in the industry,” she admits, fiddling with her pen. “Isaac took me under his wing, but being his assistant has been… challenging.”

“Challenging? You deserve better. With your wit and charm, you should be running your own agency.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she warns. “And didn’t we just talk about boundaries?”

I sit back. Yep, we sure did. And she’s right. We should be professional here.

I just couldn’t help myself, though. Seeing her in person is a hundred times better than gazing at a photo. Also, one of the ways I deal with stress is by letting loose with a beautiful woman.

Is that such a crime?

A waiter comes in to take our orders, and the second he leaves, Marissa clears her throat. “We have a lot of work to do if we want to rehaul your image and make you more likable.”

I nod. “I’m willing to do whatever needs to be done. Lay it on me.”

“Good.” She tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “First off, we need to work on your public persona. I think participating in charity events would be an excellent start. People love seeing celebrities give back.”

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