Page 40 of The Bad Boy's Fake Wife

I say nothing to him as I get into the car and he starts driving. The night air rushes in, cool against my skin, but it does nothing to ease the tightness in my chest. I stare out the window, pretending the town’s lights blur the thoughts running wild in my head. I don’t smile, or even pretend to be human, until I see the lights of the venue and several cameras waiting for Jonathan and me to put on a show.

“Ready?” he asks, and I nod.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Chapter 18

Jonathan

Lights.Cameras.People.

I notice none of them. I don’t even spare them a thought. My entire mind is consumed by the woman walking next to me, her eyes fixed forward.

Emma. I was so close to losing my composure with her earlier, so close to dropping every ounce of restraint and begging her to be with me for real. But fear held me back—the fear that she would turn me down, that this was all just an act for her, and that I was a fool for believing in something more. Desire coils tight in my chest, so overwhelming that I barely register the flashing cameras as we make our way to the front door. My pulse hammers, my focus narrowing to the woman beside me.

“Smile, Jonathan, you look like you lost your pet,” Emma whispers next to me, looking glamorous as ever. She seems to be basking in the glory of the moment and the cameras in our faces, but I can tell that she doesn’t like it as much as she’s pretending. What else is there in the layers of emotions caked on her face? Do I want to know?

“I’ll smile when they get the cameras out of my face,” I mutter, but I still smile. Something about bickering with Emma makes me feel a little more human.

Emma snorts. “That’s not going to happen. Aren’t you supposed to be used to this?”

Iamused to it, but not with her, and never with my emotions so high and all-consuming. She’s distracting, removing me from reality and making me forget to act or even pretend to be in the moment. That doesn’t matter when Emma is here.

I make a show of taking her hand in mine and the crowd roars, taking photos of us nonstop. I hear them telling us to pose on the red carpet for them, their golden couple and the talk of the town. I relish how small and soft her hand feels in mine, and I tightly hold on to her. My heart dances with delight.

I turn to look her in the eyes, something I haven’t done since our little moment back at home. I am once again taken aback by how good she looks. She looks like an angel freshly fallen from heaven, and I find myself asking why she even agreed to this in the first place. Why didn’t she find inspiration someplace else? Why did she have to end up with someone who’s shallow and is lying to the entire town about being married? I cannot begin to fathom her reasons, and when her eyes lock with mine, it’s hard not to wonder.

“Now smile for the camera!” someone from the crowd cries, and Emma laughs, smiling effortlessly. Her smile is more beautiful than any flower I’ve ever seen, prettier than the moon or anything on this earth.

Emma blushes then, her eyes on me. “Artemis will get jealous that you think I’m prettier than the moon.” Her teasing smile tugs at something deep inside me, and for a second, I forget we’re surrounded by flashing cameras.

I hadn’t even realized I said that out loud. “But you are.”

Emma laughs coyly and places a hand on my shoulder, and it takes all of my brain cells to come together to remind me that she’s just acting for the camera. I nearly tell her to get her hands away from me at that thought.

“Enough of the photos, let’s go in,” I whisper, and drag her inside while she throws them kisses.

“I’m beginning to get jealous of the paparazzi. It seems like they get more of your attention than I do,” I say, grinning.

Emma rolls her eyes, but she’s still smiling, “Oh please, there’s enough for youandmy adoring fans.”

Before I can say anything else, Reed walks up to us with Ralph, one of the executive directors of the company.

“Looks like the couple of the century finally made it.” Reed grins at the two of us, and Emma laughs.

“Oh brother, you make me sound like a celebrity!” Emma coos.

Reed steps forward. “But you are.” He then turns to Ralph. “Are you aware that you’re standing next to an incredible author? She has a few excellent books out already, and she’s working on another one as we speak.”

Ralph’s interest is piqued, and he steps closer to Emma. She straightens slightly, her lips pressing together in polite curiosity, though I catch the flicker of hesitation in her eyes. “Is that so? I must say, I fancy myself as a sort of…book collector. I would love to have a copy of your works to add to my growing list.”

Emma tilts her head to the side and asks, “What do you mean by book collector?”

Ralph laughs. “Darling, I buy books to display in my personal library. I don’t actually read them, but I enjoy collecting them.”

Emma frowns as she looks at Ralph. “So…what? They just collect dust and you never read them? Sir, that’s against the very idea of books.”

Ralph looks offended. “They don’t collect dust! I clean them myself every few weeks. They are in excellent condition.”

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