From Fake to Forever (Newlywed Games 2)

He followed her out of the hotel room and prayed her next suggestion wasn’t an offer to be his tutor. Because he had the horrible feeling he might accept.

* * *

The third glass of champagne disappeared much more quickly than the second, and Meredith forced herself not to reach for a fourth. Avery Lynhurst still hadn’t made an appearance and if Meredith was forced to watch another supermodel hit on Jason, she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions.

It was bad enough that she couldn’t keep her eyes off him. And worse, he didn’t seem to be similarly afflicted. It was as if she didn’t exist.

Meredith smiled at the buyer for Nordstrom who’d been chatting her up for ten minutes. Some of the most powerful people in the New York fashion scene milled about in the Grand Ballroom of the iconic Plaza hotel and it was a bit dizzying to be in the midst of it.

Everyone in attendance dazzled in top-tier labels, and she voraciously soaked in the visual panorama. One lucky woman had somehow scored a Galinda Gennings gown adorned with real diamonds.

A hush fell on Meredith’s right, but she didn’t think anything of it until the crowd parted and Allo appeared on a tide of arrogance and condescending flair. She stifled a groan. Wasn’t it bad enough that she had to spend eight hours a day being chastised? She deserved a night off.

“You.” The designer waved his hand in Meredith’s direction. “You’re fired. See HR in the morning to get your exit papers.”

What had she done now? A cold skitter went down her spine. Had someone seen her get out of Jason’s car? They’d been so careful, separating on 58th Street a full two blocks from the hotel.

Allo’s entourage tittered meanly and waited for the next round of fireworks with expectant expressions.

“Why?” Meredith narrowed one eye. “I did a great job working for you today. If you didn’t think so, why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“Non.” Allo pursed his lips and muttered something in French that sounded uncomplimentary. “You have stolen my dress. You are a thief. That is the reason for your termination.”

Meredith glanced down at the glittery dress Jason had given her. “This? You think I stole it?”

Crap. Why hadn’t she and Jason discussed a good cover story? Of course a designer’s brand-new assistant wouldn’t have access to a dress that wasn’t in stores yet. The photographers outside the ballroom had gone wild when Meredith hit the red carpet and she’d reveled in it a bit more than she probably should have. It had lulled her into a false sense of belonging that she clearly hadn’t earned yet.

Meredith shook her head, thoughts racing. If she got fired, she couldn’t be Jason’s spy and there went her divorce. He’d never sign the papers if she screwed up this fast.

“I would never insult you like that, Allo,” she countered smoothly. Thank you, Miss Texas pageant, for training me how to brazen it out under the worst sort of pressure. “I begged, uh...Samantha for this dress. It was on the rack in the...”

Which room at Hurst held the outfits for photo shoots? Someone had shown it to her during her orientation, but she’d been too busy gushing over the clothes to notice her surroundings. Meredith snagged a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and offered it to Allo as the name came to her.

“West gallery,” she lied brightly. With no clue where Jason had actually scored the dress, she had to wing it. “I immediately recognized it as yours, and you’re such a genius, I knew I couldn’t wear anything else tonight. Only Allo will do for me from now on. The press ate it up.”

“Of course they did.” Allo sniffed, accepting the glass as if he’d asked for it thirty minutes ago and Meredith had been slow to fetch it. “You’re too short to do that bit of brilliance justice, by the way. Don’t be late tomorrow. We have much work to do.”

He sailed off into the crowd and Meredith shook her head. Crisis averted. For now. “See you around, boss.”

From behind her, Jason’s warm chuckle flowed over her like honey.

“Don’t turn around,” he murmured.

“Why, because you don’t want anyone to know I’m talking to you?” Meredith guessed and clamped down on the hard twist of need his presence had generated. He wasn’t close enough to feel, but she could sense him, as if his heat had wrapped around her.

“Because I find myself entranced by your back.”

“Yeah, you seem to have a thing for zippers.” She bit her lip as awareness ratcheted up a notch with the memory of his body behind hers as he’d helped her dress earlier.