Page 29 of Fake It Til You Break It

nine

~ Beckett ~

Nothinghadbeendeclared.No commitments had been made. Jasper and I hadn’t discussed the future or even settled on a label for what we were.

Yet, we had fallen into a rhythm that felt as natural as breathing. We had spent almost every day together for the past two weeks, whether that meant at my place, his, or the center. We had navigated three separate events, and the only difficulties had been keeping our hands to ourselves until the party ended.

In public, I still acted like the perfect date, attentive but with clear boundaries. It hadn’t been easy, but I understood why it had to be that way. For starters, I would be in breach of company policy, which could result in immediate termination.

I gave precisely zero fucks. In fact, I had already decided to turn in my resignation.

I maintained a professional distance at these galas and fundraisers purely for Jasper’s benefit. I had been working the circuit long enough, and with different clients, that most people knew me as a professional plus-one. No one batted a fake eyelash at the fact.

The scandal it would cause if they found out Jasper Ryan was sleeping with his hired chaperone, however, would destroy not only his reputation, but his psyche as well.

“Okay, let me look at you.” Jasper stopped me in the lobby of the Berkshire Hotel with a hand to my arm.

I waited, letting him scan me with an expert eye. “What’s the verdict?”

“Very handsome.” He straightened the knot on my tie and brushed an imaginary piece of lint from my shoulder. “The ladies will be absolutely ravenous.”

I cringed internally. He hadn’t said anything untrue, but I didn’t care what a bunch of professional husband hunters thought of me. Only his opinion mattered.

Still, I loved how easily the compliments rolled off his tongue now. I liked that he touched me without fear or hesitation. He had come so far in such a short time, and I wouldn’t let anyone, or anything, destroy his newfound confidence.

Even if that meant spending the next few hours pretending I wasn’t completely gone for him.

I didn’t miss the irony of our situation, either. After weeks of convincing Jasper he didn’t need to put on a performance every time he donned a tux, here I was, white knuckling my sanity while faking detachment.

“Are we staying at your place tonight?”

I glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one had wandered close enough to overhear. “Of course. And I washed your favorite hoodie.”

When we stayed at my place, he always complained that I kept it too cold, especially at night. So, I had let him raid my closet for a sweater, and nothing had been the same since. Now, the moment he entered my apartment, he went straight to my room and changed into an old, tattered gray hoodie I had owned since college.

I had newer ones. Better ones. Sweaters that hadn’t started to unravel at the seams. But he always chose that one, and he refused to tell me why. Not that I questioned him too hard about it. I liked seeing him in my clothes, and he wore that sweater so damn well.

I had a particular affinity for peeling him out of it at the end of the night, too.

“Mr. Shaw,” he said, a warning in his voice. “I know that look.”

Blinking, I straightened and pasted on a charming smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Jasper chuckled and shook his head. “Behave.”

Easier said than done when he looked like sin on a mission in his tailored tuxedo.

He’d gotten a haircut the previous week, then spiraled about it for three days. Trimming the length had accentuated his curls, and the soft ends brushed the tops of his high cheekbones like a halo. Long hair or short hair, it didn’t matter to me. He was stunning regardless, but I did like the new look.

Tonight, he had added a bit of gel to give the tresses more structure, creating a polished veneer that tested my self-control. Twice since we had arrived, I’d had to remind myself why reaching out to tuck the locks behind his ear would be a bad idea.

The one saving grace was that award dinners didn’t tend to last as long as donor events. Plus, we would be seated most of the evening, and what happened beneath the tablecloth would be mine and Jasper’s secret.

I wouldn’t embarrass him—or let him embarrass himself—but I liked the idea of keeping him on the edge. I wanted to tease him just enough so that by the time the closing speeches concluded, he would be feral and desperate to find somewhere private.

“Ready?” I winged my arm out to the side in offering. “Let’s get this over with.”

He wound his arm around mine and nodded. “Agreed.”

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