Page 35 of Boss with Benefits

She kissed him one more time. “I promise.”

∞∞∞

The next day, Jessica felt like she couldn’t catch her breath. She spent her first three hours at the office running from task to task without taking a break. Keeping busy was a good way to get her mind off their marriage farce, and she didn’t plan to slow down. Last night was incredible. Brady had made love to her several times before dawn, leaving her exhausted and confused. She was trying hard not to think about the future, but he was making it more difficult by the day.

She emerged from her office with a file for Brady. A few of their employees glanced up at her; she focused on his door. Taking care not to make eye contact with anyone, she crossed the crowded workspace between their offices. Without knocking, she entered his private domain and shut the door behind her.

“We should make the announcement today,” he said.

“About what?” she asked.

“Duh.” Sitting behind his desk, he rolled his eyes at her. “Don’t you think we should tell our employees we’re married?”

Her stomach muscles clenched, and she groaned. “Do we have to? There will be questions, so many questions. I don’t want to deal with that today.”

She went to his couch and purposely collapsed. With an arm over her face, she stretched out on the expensive leather that was softer than butter. A hundred thoughts zipped through her head. She couldn’t hold onto any of them. The fact was, she had technically married her boss. Her partner. Whatever.

She sighed into the crook of her arm. A heavy sigh.

“Why don’t you want people to know we’re married?” Brady asked, undeterred by her dramatic collapse.

“I told you. Questions. I don’t feel like answering questions.”

“Then don’t.”

She moved her arm and looked up at him. “How do I escape them when they are coming from our employees? There won’t be a corner here where I can hide to avoid them.”

He pushed her legs off the couch before sitting down. Then he reached over, grasped her arm, and pulled her up so they were sitting beside each other. His hand went to her thigh.

After a quick squeeze, he moved the hand to his own lap. “We can do this however you want, but keep in mind we want the court to believe this is a real marriage. If you married the man of your dreams, wouldn’t you be screaming the news loud enough for all to hear? Wouldn’t you want to share it with everyone?”

He had a point. If they were in love, she would be walking on a cloud. People would see the joy on her face and know she was head over heels. How was she supposed to fake that?

“How should we make the announcement?” she asked. “What do we say?”

“No worries. I’ll do it, and I’ll answer their questions. You can just stand there and smile.”

She nodded. “I can do that.”

“Can you look happy and not like you’re facing a firing squad?”

“I’ll try.”

He put an arm around her and kissed the sensitive place behind her ear. Butterflies flapped their wings in her stomach. She considered turning her head so she could press her mouth to his. So tempting. A naughty thought occurred to her. They were already sitting on a comfy couch. If they locked his office door, they could enjoy some alone time together. The employees would definitely believe they were newly married if they madelove in the office and perhaps even sent everyone out to an early lunch.

Heat burned her cheeks, and she turned away to keep him from noticing. She reminded herself why she couldn’t allow him to get under her skin. Brady had only married her to help with the custody case. As soon as it was over, he would put in for a divorce.

“When do you want to make the announcement?” she asked.

He stood and walked to his desk. “I have a better idea. Play along.”

His finger tapped the intercom button.

Katherine’s voice came through instantly. “Yes, boss?”

“Can you come in here for a second?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.” Katherine entered the office with a pad and pen in hand. “What do you need me to do, Brady?”

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