Page 114 of Strictly Business

Her lips part. She doesn’t pull away. She doesn’t laugh it off or tell me it’s a bad idea. Instead, she nods. “Okay.”

My shoulders drop in relief, and I release a breath. “Good,” I murmur, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her forehead, my lips lingering as I close my eyes.

I’ve never brought a girl home. Never wanted to. But I want to bring Amara. I want her to meet my mom, see my childhood bedroom, have her around my family.

Because I know now, with a certainty that shakes me to my core.

I’m not letting go of her.

Not now. Not ever.

Chapter thirty-seven

Amara

I’m about to hurl. My stomach churns, and my head’s spinning like crazy, like we’re still in the air. But we’re not. We landed thirty minutes ago, and now we’re on our way to his mom’s house.

I glance over at Nicholas, seeing him focused on his phone, completely unfazed. I envy how calm he is, how he’s always collected, always in control.

“I can feel you stressing.”

“I’m fine,” I mutter, though my white-knuckled grip on the seat says otherwise.

His dark eyes flick to mine, brow arched as he tilts his head.

I exhale, the tension in my shoulders releasing a bit. “Okay, maybe I’m not fine. But can you blame me? You’re not the one about to walk into a room full of strangers who think this—” I gesture between us “—is real.”

He sets his phone down, turning toward me, his gaze sharp. “It is real. At least for the next month. Remember that.”

The reminder that this thing between us is coming to an end in less than thirty days has my heart pumping in my chest.

“What if she doesn’t like me?” I blurt out before I can stop myself.

His brow furrows, and for a moment, he looks almost confused. “She will.”

I shake my head, exhaling. “I know it’s stupid to think about because it’s not like we’re really together, but…” His jaw ticks as I tuck my hair behind my ear. “I really want her to like me,” I admit, quietly.

He drops his phone, his hand cupping my face, as he gazes into my eyes. My stomach flips.I love his eyes. “It’s not stupid. I thought the same when I met your family. I was worried they’d think I wasn’t good enough for you. I wanted them to love me.”

I suck in a breath. He never told me that. He always seems so confident, so sure of himself. I thought he didn’t care about their approval.

“My mom will love you, Amara.” His lips twitch. “Especially since you’re the first girl I’ve ever brought over.”

My brows shoot up. “Seriously?”

He shrugs. “I’ve never dated much,” he admits. “I had a few girlfriends, but nothing too serious.” His thumb moves gently back and forth against my cheek. “You’re myfiancée. It’s different.”

The way he says fiancée makes it sound like it’s fact, not fiction, and it breaks my heart a little. Because in less than one month, I won’t be his fiancée anymore, I won’t even be his assistant. I’ll be nothing to Nicholas, and he’ll forget all about me.

I nod, my throat tight, and close my eyes, begging myself to keep it together. I’ve known the terms of this deal from the start. I’ve been bracing for this, preparing myself. I need to accept thatthis won’t be my reality much longer. I won’t wake up next to him. I won’t kiss him. I won’t make love to him.

Leaning back in the seat, I stare out the window, doing my best to keep the tears in check.

When the SUV finally slows to a stop, my breath catches in my throat.Holy shit.

The Blackwood estate is massive. The kind of place that only exists in my unrealistic vision boards. The driveway stretches for what feels like forever, decorated with perfectly manicured hedges, with a fancy fountain sitting in the middle.

And the house itself is just as beautiful. White stone with tall windows, and a front door so big, I’m pretty sure it could fit a car through it.

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