Page 42 of If the Ring Fits

“Exactly, we need to spice up your character.”

“I thought we were fluffing me up?”

My grin widens, unfazed by his dubious expression. “We are, with a twist of danger to keep things interesting.”

“Is there even an ax throwing place in Manhattan?”

“Sure, on Lafayette Street, just a fifteen-minute walk from the office.”

“Should the fact that you know that scare me?”

“Tremendously.” I smile innocently.

“And how did we do at ax throwing?”

“You sucked, but I was awesome!” I scoff playfully. “Nailed a bullseye on my first try and won us free nachos.”

“Yup, nothing spells romance like flying axes and free nachos.” Adrian nods enthusiastically. “And that’s the moment I fell in love?”

Love. He says it so easily, so truthfully. I wish my poor fluttering heart could tell the difference.

“That’s the moment,” I agree.

“And what about you? When did you know you loved me?”

I bite my lip, stalling for time.

The car slows to a crawl as Adrian stops at a red light. He turns to face me, his dark brown eyes playful yet expectant.

“I knew when you made me laugh during my worst day—” I cut myself short because maybe there’s too much truth inwhat I’m saying. He made me smile on the day I got fired and found out I was pregnant—more than once.

Adrian’s eyes bore into me. The light turns green, but he doesn’t drive forward. He keeps looking at me until the car behind us honks, and he finally presses on the accelerator, gaze back ahead.

“So, I can make a bad day good.” His Adam’s apple bobs while he keeps his eyes fixed on the road—tone of voice level, but also quietly thunderous. “And you love me for it.”

The words hang over our heads like a sword ready to fall, the teasing note fading into something quieter. More charged.

Love. It might be harder to fake than I thought.

I look away from him, fixating on the posh beach mansions flashing by. When did we even make it to the Hamptons?

“Looks like we’re almost there,” I say. “Anything else we need to get straight?”

“We’ve got the basics sorted.” Adrian turns the Ferrari smoothly onto a long, hedgerow-lined drive. “The rest we can improvise. Just… stay close to me in there, okay?”

I smile softly, touched by the protectiveness in his tone. “Don’t worry, Bunny.” I test out the endearment and appreciate the way it rolls off my tongue. “I’ll be sticking to you like glue. You’ll get sick of me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Sunshine.” His hand finds mine, fingers interlacing and squeezing.

As we pull up at the sprawling beach mansion, a new, anxious frisson skitters across the back of my scalp. Let the fake-dating games begin…

17

ADRIAN

I pull the Ferrari into the circular driveway of Dominic’s sprawling Hamptons estate. The white mansion rises before us, all columns and balconies and sparkling windows. Rowena’s eyes are wide as she takes it all in.

“Wow, your boss knows how to summer.”

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