Page 54 of Say You Remember Me
“Smart.”
I finished off the plate and set it on the coffee table. Then leaning back against the cushions, I decided we should probably get back to the conversation we’d been having earlier and said, “So, before Mr. Calvin showed up, I think we were talking about setting some ground rules for this whole thing, right?”
Maddie tucked some hair behind her ear. “I think that’s right.”
“And you said you’re not super into PDA, right?”
“Our first meeting aside? Then, not really...” She looked at me intently. “What about you?”
“Well…” I said, the back of my neck suddenly feeling hot. “I may have leaned more to the other extreme in the past.” Which was basically code for me having the inability to turn away from a good make-out session with a beautiful woman if the mood struck. “But I can definitely see the prudence in toning things back a bit. It would have certainly helped me keep my name out of the tabloids in the past.”
“Being discreet isn’t nearly as exciting to report on, I suppose,” Maddie said with a grin.
“And we both know what a fame-whore I’ve been in the past.” I winked. “But…in case we run into Margot or anyone connectedto her…” I cleared my throat, keeping things as casual as I could. “Would you be okay with me holding your hand again? Kind of like I did last night?”
She nodded, a soft smile touching her lips. “I think that’d be fine.”
“What about putting my arm around your waist?”
“That’s fine, too,” she said, her voice steady, though there was a hint of pink on her cheeks.
“All right,” I said, nodding. “Good to know.” I hesitated, glancing sideways at her. “What about a kiss on the cheek? Is that okay?”
She blinked, and her smile softened. “I think that should be fine. Kisses on the cheek are sweet, anyway.”
“Good. Then I think that’s as far as we’ll need to go in public. We want this to seem professional—no hands all over each other.”
Her blush deepened at my mention of us having our hands all over each other and looked away. Which only reminded me of the delicate situation we were in.
Sure, she’d agreed to pretend to be my fiancée this weekend, wearing a ring and letting me keep her close. But I needed to be careful not to get reality confused with make-believe.
Because playing pretend with someone I was already so attracted to was a recipe for trouble—like tempting fate to pick up where we’d left off that night we first met.
And before I knew it, my mind betrayed me, flashing images so vivid it was like she was already in my arms.
I could feel the weight of her leaning into me at the bar, her lips just inches from mine, her breath warm and unsteady as her eyes searched mine with that unmistakable spark. I imagined drawing her closer, feeling the way her body would press against mine, every inch of her soft and willing as our mouths finally collided in a kiss that felt as inevitable as it was explosive.
We wouldn’t stop there; I’d lean in, whispering something about not wanting the night to end, about bringing her somewhere private. She’d nod, maybe with that shy smile she’d flashed before, the one that always tempted me. And in the next second, we’d be alone, behind closed doors in a room like this, where I’d lift her into my arms, our lips meeting in hungry, dizzying kisses as I carried her to the bed, ready to taste her laughter and every inch of her that she’d offer me.
Nope. We’re not going there.I cut off my fantasy before it could continue further down that forbidden path.
Maddie was my assistant. She was amother.
And I was not going to even entertain the idea of treating this situation like I had other relationships in the past.
We might be about to fake an engagement, but the last thing I wanted was to make her life more complicated than it already was.
“So…should we come up with a story?” Maddie’s voice broke into my thoughts, thankfully oblivious to my momentary lapse. “You know, in case someone asks how we met and fell in love, or…how you proposed.”
“Yeah.” I cleared my throat, focusing my gaze back on her face. “Let’s come up with something good.”
18
MADDIE
My heart gavea little leap as Ian helped me out of his car and handed his keys to the valet. We'd gotten through today’s client meals without anyone so much as glancing at the huge rock on my finger, but now that we were back at the hotel and about to walk into the summit’s first big mixer, I had a feeling that things were about to ramp up. Margot would be in the same ballroom as us, and even if we didn’t actually end up interacting with her face to face, she could be watching us at any moment, and I needed to be convincing in my new role as Ian’s fiancée.
Ian glanced over at me, his mouth pulling into a small smile as he took my hand, a spark of confidence settling in his eyes. "It’s showtime, my darling,” he murmured, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. And even though I knew it was all just for show, the butterflies fluttered around in my stomach from the gesture.
