Page 7 of False Start, Real Passion

He shakes his head, his smile turning rueful. “You’re a terrible liar, Tori Michaels.”

Hours later and we find ourselves posing again. The cameras flash, blinding and relentless, as Jaxon’s arm snakes around my waist, pulling me flush against his side. His touch ignites a flurry of sensations I refuse to acknowledge.

“Smile for the cameras, babe.”

Again, I plaster on my best paparazzi grin, praying it doesn’t look as fake as it feels. As the photographers shout for more, Jaxon leans in closer, his lips grazing my temple. “Again, relax,” he whispers, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. “You’re safe with me.”

Safe? The man is a walking danger zone, and not just for my carefully constructed professional facade.

Finally, mercifully, the cameras stop flashing. Jaxon releases me, and I step back, desperate to put some distance between us. But even as I move away, I can still feel the imprint of his touch, the ghost of his breath on my skin.

I am sooo ready to go.

Chapter three

Do I? Can I?

Thecarglidesthroughthe city, cutting a quiet swath through the chaos. Jaxon sprawls like he owns it, all long legs and lazy confidence. I sit with perfect posture, a stick of dynamite wrapped in silk. The air is loaded, ready to explode with all the things we aren’t saying.

Jaxon looks like he’s lounging at a beach resort instead of a town car, relaxed and maddeningly at ease. Meanwhile, I’m a bundle of nerves wound so tightly it’s a wonder I haven’t snapped yet. The silence is thick, the buzz of everything unsaid vibrating between us.

I replay the night, trying to untangle the mess of emotions and attractions. The fake relationship feels like it’s slipping into dangerous territory. Did I miscalculate this badly? Is he really that good, or am I really that compromised?

Jaxon breaks the quiet, shattering it with a knowing grin. “Why’re you trying so hard to fight it?”

I stare out the window, but the city blurs under the weight of his question. “Fight what?”

His chuckle is low and rich, making my stomach flip. “This thing between us.”

“Imagining things, Jaxon,” I say, but the words are hollow, even to me.

The banter is sharp, too close to the truth. He’s perceptive, seeing through every thinly veiled attempt to deny what’s happening. My heart races, caught in a trap it built for itself, one I can’t even admit to building.

“You’ve been dodging it all night,” he presses, confident and amused. “Admit it. You want this as much as I do.”

His words are a reckless taunt. He knows I’m not immune, knows I’m too wrapped up in my professional facade to concede. But my defensiveness gives me away.

“There’s nothing to admit,” I say, but it’s a pathetic bluff.

“You know,” he drawls, breaking the silence, “for someone who claims this is all just business, you seem awfully affected by my presence.”

My head snaps towards him, my eyes narrowing. “Excuse me?”

He shrugs, a lazy grin spreading across his face. “Just an observation. You’re wound tighter than a spring. It’s okay to admit it, Tori. The attraction between us.”

“Attraction?” I sputter, my voice rising an octave. “There is no attraction. You’re my client, and I’m your PR manager. End of story.”

Jaxon’s grin only widens, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. Maybe one day you’ll actually believe it.”

My internal struggle is written all over my face. I’m confusion and excitement wrapped in anxiety, each pulse of my heart a reminder of how far over my head I’ve waded. Why can’t I keep this under control? I’m supposed to be a PR genius, and here I am, failing to handle a client.

I try to focus on the stakes, the risk of getting too close. Jaxon’s unsettling charm, the pull I can’t escape. The entire job, the entire plan, is on shaky ground, and I’m wobbling right along with it.

It rattles me, sets off another round of internal chaos. Why does this feel so real when it’s supposed to be pretend? My heart has its own ideas, and they’re not lining up with the game plan.

I turn away, my jaw clenched, and stare resolutely out the window. But even as I deny it, I can feel the truth of his words, the undeniable pull that seems to exist between us.

And it terrifies me more than any media scandal ever could.

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