Page 94 of Strictly Business

Amara

The apartment is quiet. Too quiet. The only sounds are the faint hum of the fridge and Pumpkin clawing at the cat tree I bought for her… with Nicholas’s card, of course.

He left for work a couple of hours ago, and it’s ridiculous how much I already miss him. We woke up in bed together—like we do every morning—and he crawled between my legs, making my eyes roll to the back of my head as he ate my pussy for breakfast until my legs were shaking. And then he got in the shower, got dressed and kissed me long enough to make me forget how to think straight before he told me to stay home today while he took care of things at work.

I smirk to myself at the reminder. Dating the boss has its perks. The thought pops into my mind, making my smile drop. We’re not dating. This engagement isn’t real. It’s a contract, a means to an end, nothing more. I keep repeating that in my head, day after day, like a mantra that’s supposed to protect me from heartbreak.

But I feel a strange whirling in my chest. It’s getting harder to hide my feelings for him, when I wake up in his bed every morning, tangled in his sheets, his arm heavy around my waist, holding me against him.

He doesn’t let me sleep in the guest room anymore. Not that I’m complaining. I’ve stopped trying to argue about it. The way he clutches me to him, burying his face in the crook of my neck until we both drift off, makes it impossible. It’s addictive, the way he holds me, like he can’t bear to let me go.

My phone buzzes on the coffee table, jolting me out of my thoughts. I reach for it, half expecting a message from Nicholas, even though he’s probably neck-deep in meetings by now. Instead, it’s from my sister.

Annie:

Loved seeing you this weekend. Nanna’s doing great with the new nurse. Thank Nicholas for me. He seems like a really good guy. I’m really happy for you.

A smile tugs at my lips as our weekend away at home flashes in my mind. I can’t remember seeing my grandma so happy for me before, so charmed by a guy. It felt so natural, so easy, like he wasn’t just pretending to be my fiancé, like this whole thing wasn’t a charade.

But it is.

Once Nicholas gets what he wants, I’ll leave this place. I’ll leave him. And there’s nothing I can do about it.

I’ll have to deal with the heartbreak. They’ll feel sorry for me, and Grandma will probably shake her head and say she knew it was too good to be true.

And I’ll have to nod along, pretending I didn’t know that too. Pretending it doesn’t hurt as much as it does.

I’ve known this was coming from the moment I signed that contract. I shouldn’t feel sad about it… but the thought of walking away still makes my chest ache.

I shake my head, trying to dislodge the growing lump in my throat. My nose tingles as tears threaten to form, but I force them back. Crying over something that isn’t real is pointless. I reach for my phone again, ready to text Annie back, when another buzz makes the screen light up.

But it’s not Annie this time.

It’s Liam.

My ex.

The air leaves my lungs as I stare at his name, a name I’ve been trying to forget for months. Against my better judgment, I open the message.

Liam:

Saw the pictures of you and him.

My heart pounds. I hover over the block button, my thumb twitching, but then another message comes through.

Liam:

You look so beautiful.

I furrow my brows, my stomach twisting. I can’t remember the last time Liam called me beautiful. Certainly not in the last year of our relationship. Not after he started pulling away, finding excuses to stay late at work, his affection dwindling until it was almost nonexistent. And now, suddenly, he decides to say it when I’m with another man?

I see he’s typing and my stomach churns.

Liam:

Can I see you? I really need to talk to you.

My chest tightens, memories of Liam crashing over me. I should ignore him. Block his number and forget he ever existed. But… he was someone I thought I’d marry. Someone I loved. Someone I spent years of my life with.

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