Page 23 of Faking It with my Small Town Billionaire

After pressing her head into my chest and telling her to close her eyes, I wrap my arms around her. With her quaking body so close to mine, that same musky scent reaches my nose, and I can’t help myself. I inhale, breathing her in. My stomach twists, and it has little to do with the speed of the elevator.

When we enter my office, Lily remains nearly attached to the far wall. As far away from the wall of windows as possible.

“We can use another office.”

“No,” she says stubbornly. “I’ll be fine.”

“Uh-huh,” I reply, trying not to laugh at her as she’s pressed against the wall like a paranoid spider.

But we can’t carry on like this, so the first thing I do is close the blinds. They’re electric, and with one press of a remote control, they move across the huge glass panes with a low hum, blocking the view of the city.

I’m not sure that’s enough, though, so I take two chairs and the small table that sit at the far side of the room and bring them right over to the wall.

“Come on, Lily. Sit down.”

A little while later, after Gloria brings in a large jug of coffee, we get down to business. I set up my phone to record, put it on the table between us, and say, “Okay. Where shall we start?”

After an hour, we’ve gotten the basics down.

We’ll move into the apartment I bought just outside Willow Creek. Separate rooms, obviously. We agree on full and open communication. If either of us has a problem with each other, we nip it in the bud immediately. No long, sullen silences or slamming doors. Mutual respect is also high on the list. As is privacy. We don’t check each other’s rooms, phones, or any other personal items.

When we’ve exhausted all areas we can think of, I ask her if she’s okay.

She inclines her head. “It’s all just a bit weird.”

“It’s about to get weirder. We need to talk about being together when we’re around people. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but it needs to look realistic.”

“Right,” she quips back. “Newly married couples don’t usually walk three feet apart, do they?”

“So, what about holding hands when we’re in public? Are you okay with that?”

She grins. “As long as you wash after you tinkle.”

I laugh and shake my head. “That’s just gross.”

“Our backstory is easy enough. Everyone knows we knew each other in school. It won’t be a stretch for them to believe you arriving back in Willow Springs has sparked something between us.”

“I agree. Okay. What else?”

Lily sits and thinks for a moment, then shakes her head. “I can’t think of anything. I mean, we’re going to live like roommates, right? It’s being around other people that’s going to be tricky.”

“I have one more stipulation.”

“Let me guess,” she says knowingly. “Don’t tell a soul.”

I love the way her mind works. “Exactly.”

I lift the phone and turn off the recording device. “I’ll get this transcribed and have a contract written up by tomorrow.”

When I stand, Lily follows suit. “Shall we shake?” I say, offering her my hand.

She nods and puts her warm, slender hand in mine.

“Nice doing business with you, Miss Harper. All you need to do now is go away for a weekend. We’ll have to play a part for a couple of weeks. Get people used to the idea, and then you disappear for two days, and voilà. We’re married.”

Lily looks worried. “What about the bakery? Besides, I don’t have the kind of money to just take a trip for two days.”

I feel awful and like a bit of a fool. I’m aware of her financial situation. I should know better. Sometimes, I just forget. But she’s about to be my wife, so I need to pay more attention.

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