Page 109 of Strictly Business

He scrunches his nose, the corner of his mouth tugging into a small smile. “I’ll end up with a scratched face, and then your mommy wouldn’t want to kiss me anymore.”

I roll my eyes, a playful grin tugging at my lips. “That’s not true. I’ll want to kiss you even more.”

Nicholas glances at me for a moment, then turns his attention back to Pumpkin, who’s now trying to nuzzle against his chest. “Well, in that case…” He leans closer to the counter, his hand moving to Pumpkin’s back. “Scratch away, Pumpkin.”

She stretches out, curling her little paws against Nicholas’s chest, her tiny nose nuzzling him.

Nicholas chuckles as she climbs into his arms. “I guess she is pretty cute.” His gaze shifts back to me, his fingers lightly brushing my leg. “I think I’ve fallen in love with your cat,” he says, with a smirk.

I let out a laugh, shaking my head, feeling my heart soften at the look on his face. “It was inevitable.”

Nicholas chuckles, but his smile falters, just slightly. The playful gleam in his eyes dims, and he swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he looks at me. “Yeah.”

My heart stutters, the beat picking up pace, each thump like a drum in my chest. The way Nicholas looks at me, the way we fit together, the way he makes me feel…

This might all be fake, for the sake of the deal, but there’s something else, something I can’t pretend isn’t there anymore. My feelings for him have been growing, building, until the realization slaps me right in the face.

I’ve fallen in love with my boss.

Chapter thirty-six

Nicholas

Inevitable.

That’s the only word that keeps running through my head as I stare blankly at my screen. It was inevitable that Amara would end up working for me. Inevitable that I’d kiss her. Fucking inevitable that in just one month, everything will be over between us, and I’ll never see her pink cheeks or those deep green eyes ever again.

My pen taps against the desk. I should be finalizing the details for the international expansion. Should be reviewing the quarterly reports. Should be doinganythingthat doesn’t involve thinking about her.

But I can’t stop it.

The deadline for our fake engagement is fast approaching. Only a matter of time before we both walk away from each other and leave everything that happened behind.

And that sinking feeling in my gut grows heavier with every second that ticks by.

The thought of her no longer being a part of my life—the thought of her not living in my penthouse, not working beside me, not filling the space with her warmth and her goddamn laugh—hits harder than I ever expected.

I didn’t plan for this. I didn’t want this.

But it was fucking inevitable.

I run a hand over my face, gripping the pen tighter, as if doing so will somehow ease the ache deep in my chest. The clock is ticking, and every passing second reminds me that soon—too soon—this thing between us will be over.

And it doesn’t feel like it should be.

I need a fucking drink.

“Jesus Christ, Nicholas. You look like you’re about to explode.”

I barely look up. “Ever heard of knocking?”

“Nah.” Ethan flops down in the chair across from me. “Keeps you on edge,” he says with a smirk. “So… guess what I found out today.”

My eyes flick to him, but I’m not in the mood for his bullshit. “What?”

“Your membership at the club was reinstated,” he says, tilting his head with that teasing glint in his eyes. “Sneaky dog.”

I let out a groan. “How the hell do you know that?”

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