Page 13 of The American

She couldn’t believe he could be so casual about it all. “But you do know this is our life, right?”

He put the marker down and came to stand right in front of her. “I do know that. In Torren we guard the private parts of our lives as our most important asset. Don’t worry, we won’t let them see or hear what’s only ours to share. We will concoct a story and feed them the juicy details bit by bit.”

She sat down. “I like the sound of this, so like a romance novel?”

“Exactly!” He drew a story arc on the board. “So, let’s write a sizzling romance.”

“How did we meet?”

“We already have that. It’s part of the hook to get people interested in our story. Two CEOs, asked to share the same position, caught making out down by the pier.”

“Missed opportunity.”

He turned to her. “You can be sure I won’t make that same mistake again.”

The promise sent shivers up her core. She swallowed but before she could respond, he was back at the board.

“We need to figure out our big fight.”

“We have to have a fight?”

“Well sure, all good romance novels have something huge that pulls them apart and you can’t imagine how they would ever get together again.”

“Should I wonder why you are so versed in romance novels?”

“I’ve read a few. My sister, Dahlia, likes them.”

“You have a sister?”

“She’s away at school most of the year. We try to keep her out of the press as much as possible, let her grow up normal. But she’ll be home at Christmas….now, our conflict. He wrote some more on the board.

“I don’t know. I’m not very good with fights, pretend or not.” She had spent most of her

career, smoothing over differences and helping people get along.”

“Not to worry. I’ll help us think of a doozy.”

They continued mapping out their story, discussing what to tell Zachary, and laughing. Sage hadn’t laughed that much in ten years or more. When they finished, and headed back to the elevator, Thad reached for her hand. “I had more fun planning out our fake relationship than I’ve ever had with a woman. Imagine what magic we can make in the real and hidden side of all this.”

“Real?”

He stepped closer. “We did agree that we were bound to date anyway?” His statement was partially a question.

She paused and then nodded.

“Some of this is all in fun.” He waved toward the conference room. “But in our quiet moments, let’s just be us. I’m interested in you, Sage. You’re at once powerful and capable and gorgeous and vulnerable.” He pulled her arm so that it circled around his back. “You do things to me. And I don’t want this farce to ruin what could be.”

Sage’s heart hammered in her chest. She desperately tried to find her cool, to think of something witty or flirty, but all she could think of was his nearness, the rise and fall of his chest, and his eyes, looking into hers. “What sorts of things?” She closed the distance between them. “Do I do?”

His eyes darkened and he wrapped his hands around her back. She nestled comfortably up against his chest and felt the hammering, racing machine shout out his upheaval. Then he kissed her forehead.

She lifted her chin.

He kissed her nose, her cheek, her neck, right in the curve. Goosebumps trailed over her skin and everything tightened. His thumb brushed across her bottom lip. “Just things. When we are in public, acting out our story, I want you to remember there is a private part of us and I will always be sincere when we are alone.”

She nodded, dying. Never had she wanted a man to kiss her more. But she wouldn’t go begging again, not like she had before. “I’ll remember.”

He tugged on her hand, and they entered the elevator. They were quiet on the way back to work. Their next task, to convince Zachary that a fake relationship was just as good as a fake marriage.

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