Page 34 of Holiday Hoax

“Is that a problem?” Unease swirls in my gut.

“No. I’m just surprised.”

“Are you okay with it?”

“Yes.” She smiles, but it lacks the sparkle in her eye that’s usually present. “Of course.”

I decide not to push it. Maybe I really did just catch her off guard. She steers the conversation away from the awkward exchange like a pro.

“Now that I have all these gorgeous new shoes, I’ll have to go out and get a new handbag to go with them.” She gives me a wry grin. “Like I need an excuse to splurge on a purse.”

I give her a smile in return and pull out my phone to text my personal shopper. I didn’t even think about sending a few handbags with the shoes. God knows growing up with Stella I always heard about the importance of a good handbag. At the last minute I add an instruction to get anything that makes sense for her.

The unease from earlier fades away when she slips her hand in mine and links our fingers after locking her door. As always, she smells incredible. Her scent surrounds us in the elevator. Part of me wishes I could cup her cheek and back her into the wall, kissing her senseless until the doors open back up. But I’m not sure how she’d react.

Maybe she thought the other night was a fluke? Just a night of really good but casual sex. The thing about me, though, is that I don’t do casual sex. I fuck with passion and purpose, it’s never casual.

Casual isn’t even in my vocabulary when it comes to Mia. I feel free with her, like I can let down the stoic, calm, business man persona I’ve cultivated my entire life and just be me. Themore I think about it, the more I realize that even when I decided to fake date her, I felt more.

She doesn’t seem to have the same feelings though. Or if she does, she’s much better at hiding them. I could back off, maybe I should, but as I look over at her, I know that I won’t. The thought of backing off physically pains me.

She might think this is fake, but I’m going to show her nothing could be more real.

CHAPTER 12

MIA

Ian is wearinghis glasses again. Every time I look at him, I’m reminded of waking up beside him Sunday morning, seeing him shirtless with rumpled hair and a book in his lap.

I’m falling for him.

Not just because I’m physically attracted to him but because he’s thoughtful. Our conversations are deep whether they’re about art or the latest news headlines. He looks at everything in life through multiple perspectives, something that honestly surprises me. Most men I’ve been involved with have their opinion, and it’s the only one they care to see.

As we stand to leave from the restaurant, he helps me slip on my coat, pulling my hair from the collar gently. My insides do a somersault at the way he looks down at me. There’s a tenderness in his eyes that’s unmistakable.

“Do you want to go back to your place or mine?” he asks me as we walk out to his car.

Indecision wars within me. I should go home, remind myself that this isn’t real. Because I know that if I go home with him, I’m going to fall fully into this fantasy.

He sees the struggle in my eyes. “What are you thinking? We can work through it together.”

“I want to go home with you,” I say trailing off.

“But?” His eyes bounce back and forth between mine, searching for answers.

Panic swims at the back of my mind as I ready myself to confess. “But I know this is fake, and I’m so close to falling for you. I?—”

My voice cracks, vulnerability suffocates me. He reaches up and cups my face while the valet parks his car beside us. Understanding swims in his eyes as his thumb strokes my cheek.

“Then I’m in good company because so am I.”

In a last-ditch attempt at self-preservation, I latch onto my number one defense mechanism. “Falling for yourself? It’s a bit egotistical, isn’t it?”

He gives me an indulgent smile. “Mia.” He presses a chaste kiss to my lips and then rests his forehead against mine. “I’ll take you home.”

A confusing mix of disappointment and relief rushes through me. “Okay.”

He opens the car door for me, standing there until I’m settled and gently closing the door. Then he walks around the hood of the car and gets inside. I study his expression, but he’s got a neutral mask firmly in place.

---