Page 99 of Fireworks & Forehead Kisses

“So that means that Iwasn’tattracted to you,” he stated as if it was clearly the opposite of what he meant.

“No, but for one night anyone can find anyone attractive.”

“Do you know how many one-night stands I’ve had?”

“It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t saying that?—”

“One. I’ve had one one-night stand.”

“Oh.”

“You’re right. It’s not the same. It actually means even more that I would find you attractive without knowing you because that never happens to me. But it did. With you, it did.”

His tone was serious, and I could feel that it clearly bothered him that I didn’t accept his compliments or thought they weren’t sincere.

He glanced over at me and the look in his deep, whiskey stare broke my heart wide open and also caused my core to explode with tingles of arousal. “Can you do me one favor?”

Yes,anything.I wanted to tell Declan I would do anything for him. But what if he asked me to stay married to him, not to get the annulment? What then? Would I still say yes? The thing that scared me the most was I didn’t know the answer to that.

“What?”

“For tonight, just tonight, can we be married? Can you not remind me that this isn’t real and it’s going to end? Can you just be my wife and allow me to be your husband? Just give me this one night. Please. Tonight, will you just be my wife?”

He wasn’t asking for anything I hadn’t already agreed to, really. At the Christmas party, that’s exactly the role I was going to be playing. There was no reason I shouldn’t start now. There was no reason except for the risk I was taking, the risk that every second I spent crossing that line, giving into the temptation of allowing myself the luxury of pretending this was actually my life, was another heartache I was going to have to heal from.

Against my better judgment, screaming at me that I should know better, I took a deep breath, plugged my metaphorical nose, walked to the edge of the high dive, and jumped, saying, “Yes. Tonight, I will be your wife.”

36

DECLAN

As I scanned the room,my gaze automatically fell where it had all evening, on Ashley. She’d effortlessly floated from group to group, conversing with every employee in attendance. I hadn’t asked her to. In fact, I hadn’t prepped her for the event at all. She was just being herself, and people were drawn to her. She was the flame, surrounded by moths.

There was a running clock in my head. We’d been here for one hour and forty-eight minutes. At the two-hour mark, we were leaving. Typically, I stayed until the party ended, which was around four hours. But not tonight. Tonight, I wanted to be with my wife. Tonight, Ashley had promised me that she would be just that—my wife, and I wanted to take full advantage of that promise.

My eyes were still locked on Ashley when Hannah stepped beside me. “Everyone seems to be having a good time.”

This year, instead of holding the party at the Wolfe Hotel ballroom, Hannah suggested we have it on the top floor of the office building, which was currently unoccupied because it had been my grandfather’s private offices.

The plan was to reimagine the space to use more efficiently once the new permanent CEO was installed. Since the demo had already occurred, it was basically a shell of ten thousand square feet. A blank canvas. Hannah hired an incredible team that created a winter wonderland. There were a half dozen Christmas trees, twinkle lights dripping from the ceiling, garland strung up, and snowflakes illuminated on the exposed brick walls. A DJ was set up in a far corner, a dance floor was in the center of the room, and there was an open bar and hors d'oeuvres being circulated around the room.

“Yes, they do.” I turned to Hannah. “You did a great job.”

“Thanks.” She lifted her drink, which looked to be some sort of holiday-themed cocktail, sipped it, lowered her arm, and then sighed. “So did you.”

“Me?” I hadn’t had anything to do with the Christmas party other than approving the budget.

“Yes.” Hannah tilted her martini glass toward the other side of the room. “She is amazing.”

I followed the direction her glass pointed and saw Ashley speaking to the head of marketing at Wolfe Tequila, several people in the HR department at Wolfe Hotels & Resorts, and two women from our janitorial staff. Ashley treated everyone the same, no matter what position or title they held. It didn’t matter if it was the valet or a COO; whoever she was introduced to, she treated with respect, interest, and kindness.

“Iloveher,” she continued. “I really, really do.”

Hannahnevergave her personal opinion on anything or anyone, much less be that effusive. I wondered if her newfound boldness was alcohol-related. In all the years I’d worked with her, I’d never seen her drunk, tipsy, or even a little buzzed.

“I admit I had my reservations when you told me what you’d done. In fact, it was more than that; I was convinced that you had made some sort of arrangement.”

“An arrangement?” I repeated.

---