Page 27 of Fiancé for Hire

Despite the marriage proposal yesterday, he had made an exhausting workweek bearable with his funny text messages and even a couple of phone calls. But it was the huge bouquet of cookies that he personally delivered that had her practically falling in love with him. Not really, but almost.

Drevon had also included a note in the bouquet. Antika had stuck it in her pocket before letting her coworkers dive into the cookies. She had forgotten about it until she got home last night and read it.Hope this makes you happy. A warm hug—coming Saturday.

The whole setup had been the sweetest gesture that any man had ever done for her, and she would never forget it. Not only had he made her day, but he remembered that cookies made her happy.

On top of that, he had shut Edward up.

Yes, it was silly of her to care what her ex thought, but it felt great to see the arrogant jerk put in his place.

“You almost look as good as me, but I ain’t mad, sis,” Tamera said, bringing Antika back to the present. “We lookhawwwt!” She lifted her hands up and snapped her fingers while doing a little dance.

Antika laughed, and she had to agree. They did look amazing. It was the night of Tamera’s birthday party, and her friend was wearing a daring peach-colored outfit that crisscrossed over her breasts and tied behind her neck. The almost-sheer material hugged her midsection, and the long skirt had a deep split up each side that showed off her left and right leg with each step she took.

The garment was definitely a showstopper and left very little to the imagination. The color coincided with the gray, blue, and peach color scheme that she had for the decorations.

Tamera had rented a ballroom in a hotel located in the city of Dunwoody. She had been planning this birthday party for months, and by the looks of how beautifully the room was decorated, it was worthy of the event.

They were standing near one of the entrances, and Antika admired how the large ballroom had been transformed. Three long buffet tables were positioned in the center of the space and divided the room in half. The serving staff were currently bringing out food dishes and setting them inside the chafing pans. The scent of barbecue chicken and bacon-wrapped scallops wafted through the air. If the food tasted as good as it smelled, the guests were in for a treat.

Antika took in the round tables covered with light-gray tablecloths and how they were strategically placed. It was amazing how a simple room could come together so seamlessly. She never would’ve thought to put gray, blue, and the color peach together, but it worked. The hotel’s event planner had outdone herself, and Antika especially liked the way yards of material draped from the ceiling, looking like waves. That, along with some twinkling lights overhead, gave the space a whimsical vibe.

“I just can’t get overyourtransformation,” Tamera said next to her. “With the way you’re looking, you’re going to have every man in here tonight swallowing their tongues. I don’t know how your fiancé is going to handle the competition. Speaking of which, where’s your man? I thought you guys were coming here together.”

“First of all, he’s not my man,” Antika said, then glanced at the slim platinum watch on her wrist. It was an hour before the party kicked off, and she wasn’t expecting him until then.

“We had planned to come together, but he lives in Alpharetta. He would’ve had to practically drive past here and go another fifteen miles to get to Atlantic Station,” she said of where she lived. “I thought it would be easier for us to meet here.”

“Makes sense, but before he gets here, promise me that you’re going to try and have a good time and not overthink the situation.”

“I promise.”

Antika could admit to being anxious about seeing Drevon again, especially since they were pretending to be engaged. Still, she was looking forward to spending time with him. It was one thing to text and talk on the phone, but it was another to share the same space.

Drevon had asked her to travel with him to New York in two weeks. He had a couple of business meetings, and there was one where he’d need a date. They would be staying in his condo…together. She wanted to make sure they were both comfortable with one another before that trip and before her company’s big celebration that was happening in a few weeks. But now that Edward thought that she and Drevon were engaged, it would be easier to tolerate her ex during the company’s party.

Her heart rate kicked up thinking about all the time they’d have to pretend to be a couple. They would need all the practice they could get to pull off this farce. Well, at least she did. Drevon’s acting skills would probably help get him through any situation.

For the next hour, she and Tamera took care of last-minute tasks and were finishing up when guests started arriving.

Antika’s anxiety inched up. At any minute, she’d be face to face with Drevon. As if her thoughts conjured him up, he miraculously appeared in one of the doorways, and Antika’s breath caught.

Wow.

Was it possible that he got better looking overnight? It still blew her mind that not only had she not recognized him the first day they met, but she had insisted that he was not what she had requested. The man was sex on a stick and no woman in her right mind would ever say that he wasn’t her type.

Clearly, she hadn’t been in her right mind.

While Drevon glanced around looking for her, she gobbled him up with her eyes. Casually dressed in a navy-blue linen button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his muscular forearms were on full display. A platinum watch and a thick silver chain-link bracelet graced his wrists, and he had on the pinky ring. The diamonds on it couldn’t be missed. White, linen pants covered his long legs, but it was the white fedora on his head, tilted down just enough to give him a mysterious vibe, that had her salivating.

Her pulse amped, pounding loudly in her ears.

Tonight, he’s mine, and I need to take full advantage.

The thought—bold and without shame—caught Antika off guard. But it was exactly how she was feeling. Question was, could her actions match her thoughts?

When their gazes collided, it was as if the earth stopped spinning and everything and everybody faded away. Left was the two of them staring at each other. Then Drevon flashed his soul-stirring smile, and Antika’s knees went weak. She latched onto the back of a chair momentarily rocked by everything that was Drevon Ross.

“Okay, be cool,” she murmured to herself, then stood with her shoulders back and her head held high as she glided across the room.

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