Page 27 of Rush

Mr. Jefferies sighed and shook his head. “Your notoriety is more a hindrance than a help, I’m afraid. They’ll use your lifestyle against you. Your career puts you in the limelight and takes you away from home.”

Linc’s jaw locked and his hand formed a fist. “Sophie is well taken care of.”

“Of that, I have no doubt,” the lawyer was quick to agree, “but they’ll also show history of your lack of stable childcare, which will be another point in their favor.”

Linc ground his teeth, not for the first time cursing that unreliable nanny service.

“But, if their lawyer is worth their salt, they’ll lead with what troubles me most.”

Feeling as if he’d lost already, Linc cautiously asked, “And what’s that?”

Dan’s eyes shot to Nora before he cleared his throat and said, “Your very public past liaisons.”

“Past being the operative word.” Linc’s fist tightened until his knuckles turned white and he all but trembled with rage. “I haven’t been with a woman—public or otherwise—since Sophie came into my life.”

Dan raised his hand. “That may very well be true, but they’ll find a way to twist it so you look like the bad guy.”

“God damn it!” Linc stood from his chair, grabbing the back of it when it nearly toppled over and set it back upright. “Natalie and Jake wanted me to have Sophie. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“It does,” the attorney said calmly. “But to seal the deal, I suggest you do one more thing.”

Linc clutched the back of the chair, leaning into it. “What? I’ll do anything.”

Dan’s eyes flicked to Nora and Linc had a feeling he should be wary of what the man was about to say.

“Get engaged.”

Damn, he hated that he was right.

Chapter Ten

Linc left to show Dan out and Nora plopped herself onto his vacated seat. What had she just agreed to? Not that a fake engagement was a huge deal in the big scheme of things, but what would happen once the custody battle ended and her life returned to normal? With Linc’s fame, the news would reach far and wide. There’d be no keeping it from her mom and friends back home. She’d come out the other end looking like either the jilted lover or the fool who let the catch of the century get away.

Not to mention, her and Linc were in a rocky place right now. It would be hard pretending to be in love when what she really felt like doing was hitting him over the head in hopes of knocking some sense into him. For the past few weeks, she’d had her emotions under wraps dealing with her one-way infatuation.

Until Linc kissed her.

Thinking Linc was attracted to her too, had put a whole new spin on her emotions. For about two-point-five seconds. Until he’d rocked her world again, only this time by abruptly killing her hopes. Talk about mental whiplash. She was still recovering from it and probably would be for some time to come.

Nora was staring off into space, still contemplating things, sipping on Linc’s abandoned coffee when he returned.

He sat down across the table from her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

She set the cup down but kept her hands wrapped around the mug for warmth and shrugged. “If it will help you keep Sophie, then yes.”

“I don’t know what to say.” A warmth entered his eyes. One she refused to contemplate.

Averting her gaze, she stared down into the dark contents of the mug, her grip tightening on the glazed stoneware. Even though he’d insisted it shouldn’t, his rejection still stung. “You don’t need to say anything.”

“Thank you. You doing this means a lot… to me.”

Her eyes flew back to him. “Just so we’re clear. I’m doing it for Sophie and what’s best for her—no other reason. That little girl loves you and the last thing she needs is for her world to be turned upside down again.”

He studied her for a moment with downturned lips then he dipped his head in a nod. “What’s best for Sophie—right.”

The silence stretched again and she was just contemplating getting up to check on Sophie when Linc said, “Listen, I don’t want things to get weird between us again but, for appearances, when we’re in public we’ll have to act like a happily engaged couple. Holding hands, a few kisses, things like that.”

Something she’d already thought about. “I understand. Don’t worry, I won’t mistake it for anything but an act. I’ll remember I’m strictly your employee.”

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