Page 23 of Executive Benefits

And I might really be okay with that.

10

JULIA

“Ican’t believe you’re going on a date with a client, Julia,” Mia said, adding the last string of lights to my tree. Tomorrow, we were set to do hers. It was a fun tradition we picked up doing when we first met each other, and even though I wasn't excited about our conversation, I wouldn’t miss putting our trees up together for anything.

“It’s a fake date,” I reminded her, kneeling down and plugging the lights in to make sure they worked. My apartment glowed in the way only Christmas lights could light up a room, warm and magical, just like my insides right now. Especially when I thought about Nick.

I pushed my hair from my face. “It’s just to help him out so his ex-wife doesn’t get caught up on the idea that he’s doing a rebranding.” Although a small part of me wished it were more as the memory of us going at it on his desk rode through my mind. I huffed out the heat that crested over my body, wanting to feel Nick’s callused hands on my skin, and his fingers pinching my nipples, and his dick?—

“Julia!” Mia clapped her hands in front of my face.

Crap.

“This isn’t a daydream. This is your livelihood. If you’re really going to do this ‘fake dating’ thing, then don’t try to fool yourself. I can see you’re already connected to him way more than you should be,” she scoffed as I handed over her scarf. I gave her an innocent smile and batted my lashes at her. “You’re—hell, we’re—just getting settled here. Don’t you think it’s a bit insane that a man in his forties has to have a woman who’s twenty-eight pretend to be his girlfriend so his ‘mean’ ex-wife doesn’t rain on his parade?” I snorted at the pun. Mia wasn’t amused.

“Okay, you’re right, Mom. I’m listening.” I chewed on the inside of my lip. I hated that she was right. Even if the experience with Nick was nothing like Jared, there was no way I was going to talk Mia away from it now. “Besides, I did learn my lesson. I don’t have feelings for him. It was just a tipsy night where two people were breaking free from bad relationships.”

That sounded right. Really right, actually.

Maybe that was what had happened?

Neither of us had been with another person since our exes.

It was plausible.

A little voice in the back of my mind tried to argue with my rationality, because that small piece of me did want to get to know Nick better.

“Julia,” Mia huffed. “I love you like a sister I always wanted?—”

“You have a sister,” I muttered, flicking my eyes to hers. When I saw the spark of humor in them, I relaxed and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. “I love you too.” I walked her to the door. “Let me get through this job, and you’ll see it’ll all be fine.”

Mia opened the door and walked through. She turned and looked at me. “I know you’re just saying that to convince yourself…”

I slammed the door in her face for fun and heard her loud groan through the door. “Goodnight, you jerk!” she called.

“’Night, Mia! Be safe on your way home.”

I didn’t need to see her to know she was flipping me off through the door, and when I heard her footsteps go down the stairs, I turned and got ready for my fake date with Nick.

At least, that’s what I tried to tell the butterflies in my stomach. It was fake.

And I totally believed that.

And maybe, for a few seconds, I actually did.

Forty minutes later, I was dressed and downtown with Nick. We admired the Christmas lights and got cozy really quickly.

“The town is so pretty,” I said, snuggling up to Nick as he put an arm around my waist. I hated that I liked it. But I liked that I liked it even more. Even though Mia’s warnings fluttered around my mind, I tucked myself in closer to Nick. Not only would it look like we were together, but also, I really liked the way he smelled.

“Yeah, I like it.” He smiled down at me, and I fought the urge to kiss him again. “Want to go to the Christmas Shop after? They have great hot chocolate.”

“I'd love some hot chocolate. It’s actually my favorite drink after red wine.” I laughed. He dropped his hand, and his fingerswrapped around mine. I only wished now that I wasn’t wearing gloves because I wanted to feel that zip of our skin together.

“Well, I guess you’re lucky I’m so intuitive.” A sparkle popped into his sapphire eyes, and I leaned into it.

“I think you’re lucky that you can make an educated guess.”

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