Page 29 of Fake Out

“Thank you,” Marissa replies, her eyes sparkling. “We appreciate your time.”

As we leave the conference room, basking in the success of our meeting, I can’t shake the lingering warmth from my fingertips where they touched Marissa’s skin. But I push those thoughts aside, reminding myself that they won’t take me anywhere.

As we walk out of the building, the warm Florida sun greets us, its rays glinting off the windows around us. The energy between Marissa and me crackles with every step we take, our bodies brushing against one another as we navigate the crowded sidewalk. My heart races, and a new kind of heat rises within me.

“Great job today,” I tell her, my voice slightly breathless. “We really pulled it off.”

“Thanks to you.” Her arm brushes against mine as we walk. The simple touch sends shivers down my spine, leaving me with a dizzying mix of excitement and desire.

“You were the one that coached me.” I force myself to focus on our conversation and not the lingering sensation of her touch.

She stops walking and turns to me. “All I have to say is, thank God you kept to the script.”

“Hey,” I say with a laugh. “I’m not that much of an imbecile.”

“No, you’re not.” She smiles and blinks. I know she’s not trying to be flirtatious, but the way she’s batting her eyes has me thinking dangerous thoughts.

“Today was a step up,” I say, “but we can do even better at the next meeting.”

Her face lights up like she’s surprised to hear me say that. “You’re right. We can.”

We start walking again, and she glances sidelong at me. “I like this new attitude.”

I shrug, feeling pretty damn happy with myself. “New attitude, new Charlie.”

“Hm. Just don’t get rid of the old Charlie completely.”

“Oh, yeah?” I study her profile. “And which parts of him would you miss?”

Suddenly, she seems to get flustered. Her face turns pink, and she looks anywhere but at me. “We didn’t eat lunch. We should pop in somewhere. Yeah, let’s do that.”

She speed-walks ahead of me, and I follow behind, grinning. The two of us might have a weird and hard-to-pin-down dynamic, but I’m enjoying it — even though it’s frustrating.

Then again, that could be the taste of success talking.

Who knows if today’s rep will actually call us or if we’ll never hear from him again. Either way, I’m not worried because one thing is clear: we’re on a path to success, and there’s no stopping us.

CHAPTER 14

MARISSA

Charlie and I step out of the taxi in San Antonio, smiling ear to ear. We’ve just arrived, fresh off the high from our successful meeting in Orlando yesterday. Together, we stroll toward the hotel entrance, luggage trailing behind us like obedient pets.

“Ready for tomorrow’s big meeting?” Charlie asks with a grin, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Yep,” I reply, matching his enthusiasm.

We check into the hotel, anticipation bubbling inside me for what the next day holds. As we part ways to head to our rooms, I steal one last glance at Charlie — his broad shoulders, that unruly mop of dark blond hair that somehow always looks perfect. Shaking myself out of the reverie, I shut the door to my hotel room.

Finally. I’m alone, away from the distraction that is my client.

As I start unpacking, though, the phone rings, and I pick it up to see Ria calling.

“Hey, girl,” I answer.

“Hey! How are things going?”

“Ria, you wouldn’t believe it,” I gush, unable to contain my excitement. “The meeting in Orlando went so well. The rep loved Charlie.”

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