Page 5 of Fake It Til You Break It

“Too good for this dump.”

His quiet laughter drew my gaze to his mouth, and I noticed his bottom lip appeared a little pinker and puffier than the top. Probably because he’d been chewing on it the entire drive.

“What about me?” I prompted, taking a step back and holding my arms aloft at my sides.

Jasper studied me for a moment, the moonlight shining in his honey-brown eyes. Then an uncharacteristic smirk curved one side of his mouth in a way that invited all sorts of sinful thoughts.

Like the fact that I was itching to pull his auburn locks free from the elastic band at his nape and run my fingers through the soft tresses.

I shut that thought down fast and mentally shook myself. Definitely not going there.

“You’ll do,” Jasper answered dryly.

“Well, I suppose that will have to be enough.”

Damn, he had a great laugh, even if I detected a thread of self-consciousness lurking beneath the surface. It was real, though, and the way his eyes shined with amusement had me plotting ways to earn another one of those quiet chuckles.

“Shall we?” I motioned toward the entrance where a mountain of a man in a black shirt at least two sizes too small waited with a clipboard.

Not a tablet. Not a cell phone. A fucking clipboard.

The whole scenario couldn’t have been more cliched if it tried.

“Mr. Shaw, I feel obligated to remind you that we arethrilledto be here.” He lowered his voice as we approached the troll at the door. “Fake it if you must.”

I blinked at the subtle reprimand. “I haven’t said anything.”

Jasper sighed. “Your face is saying enough.”

“And I will remindyouthat I am a professional.” Once we made it through the door, I would be polite, dutiful, and charm itself. “I didn’t realize I had to fake it with you as well.”

Ten feet from the entrance, he came to an abrupt stop, and his hand landed on my elbow. He didn’t grab or pull, but that light pressure was enough to halt me in my tracks.

“I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.” His eyebrows drew together, and worry lines marred his forehead. “I’m nervous, but that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have—”

“Jasper, relax.” I wanted to reach out, caress his cheek, maybe smooth those creases from his brow, but I didn’t. Instead, Icovered his hand where it still rested on my elbow. “It’ll take a lot more than that to offend me.”

“Okay.” He released a shallow breath through his parted lips, but he still held a lot of tension in his shoulders. “And for the record, you don’t have to fake anything with me.” His lips curved upward, but I wouldn’t exactly call it a smile. “Although, I would appreciate if you could pretend to like me while we’re here.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard since Idolike you.”

The pink that stained the tops of his cheeks was fucking adorable. While not a word I ever thought I would use to describe a grown man, I couldn’t think of one more fitting. He had this innocence about him, an innate goodness that both humbled and awed me.

I just wished he’d allow more people to see it.

“You don’t even know me.”

I held his gaze and shook my head. “You’re wrong.”

Maybe I didn’t know all the little details, but I knew enough. After all, I had been watching the guy for years. Not in a creepy, obsessive way, but I definitely noticed when he entered a room.

I could count the number of times we’d spoken directly on one hand, but I had stood witness to plenty of group discussions. I’d seen him smile and nod, though the light never quite reached his eyes. While his contemporaries merely waited for their turnto talk, I’d heard him speak with compassion and poise about Project SafeHouse.

More importantly, I’d heard the things he hadn’t said.

Like the fact that he hated the charade of these events. He played the game out of necessity, not because it brought him any real joy.

Rather than elaborate, however, I moved his hand so that it looped around my arm and started walking again.

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