Page 20 of Taken By the Fake Fiancé

"Did I just imagine the tension between you two?" she blurts.

“There was no tension between us,” I retort with a shrug.

Jasmine does not need to know what Declan and I are talking about.

Jasmine blinks at me.

"Did you not see the way he looked at you? What is it he wants?"

"I'm sure it's nothing more than work," I lie through my teeth.

"It was nothing but work when Matt asked me to come to his office too, remember I told you? When I'd come to work the next day grinning from ear to ear because I had been fucked really good?"

"Jesus, Jasmine."

"Oh, you do remember."

Thankfully, we are close enough to her door so that I do not have to reply to that. As I rake a quick scan of the drafted contract, Jasmine leans toward me to whisper, "I know you don't know this, but office sex is the best, ever! It's a literal fantasy placed in the palm of your hand."

"Okay," I say, pushing away from her desk. "Everything looks quite okay; you can have it printed and faxed," I mutter, already headed toward the door and hoping that Jasmine had not caught sight of the blush on my cheeks.

"Thank you, Honey, you're the best!" she calls after me.

I wave my fingers in goodbye without looking back at her and head toward Declan's office. I enter when he responds to my knock, calling for me to come in.

Inside Declan’s office, I am greeted with the muted tones that he had decided to paint the room. The blandness of his office and lack of personal touch surprises me.

He has been here for three years, is this muted free tone really his color?

My eyes locate Declan on his chair, I move toward him, not missing the way his eyes scan me, from the root of my deep brown hair to the flats that I’d decided to wear today.

"Please, sit down."

I do as Declan says, ignoring the sudden tensions that swirl in the room.

"I wanted to talk about last night,"he begins again without toying around the subject.

I am beginning to realize that his plain-spoken style is something I love and loathe at the same time. At times like this, I really do wish he was a little conscious of being so direct and straight and blunt.

"I understand that my proposal did not sit well with you. I’ve had time to think about what I'd asked of you, following your reaction, of course, I understand why you had firmly declined."

Declan's eyes remain on mine as he continues.

"I think I should apologize about that. I don't want you to do something that you ordinarily wouldn't."

"Okay. Apology accepted, but what are you going to do? Are you going to forfeit this job that you have always wanted?"

"I don't know yet. I have not thought about it beyond the conversation we had yesterday. Maybe I will consider approaching someone, or probably forfeit it."

"I will do it."

The words land loud and heavy between us. I watch Declan's mouth fall open.

"Are you really sure?"

"I am more than sure that I want to be your fake girlfriend turn fiancée."

"That's…" Declan begins, looking slightly flustered for the first time. "I didn't expect you to say that."

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