From Fake to Forever (Newlywed Games 2)

“Right.” That somehow didn’t make it any better. Because all at once, she wanted Jason to be as passionate about her as he was about Lyn.

Once, he had been. And the taste of it had stuck with her for two years.

She was still in New York due to that as much as or more than the opportunity to work at a genuine fashion house, if she was being honest. The divorce wasn’t even a factor. Maybe it hadn’t been for quite some time.

“Think about it. It was a sincere offer.” He glanced away as the car rolled to a stop at the curbside of her hotel. “Let’s get your stuff. It’s been a long day already.”

Meredith took his hand to allow him to help her from the car, her mind in a whirl of confused emotions and trepidation and a strange sense of determination. Because she got it now. At the same time she pulled passion out of Jason, he pulled it out of her. It just revealed itself in different ways.

She wouldn’t be executive material in Houston. She probably wouldn’t even be a good wedding-dress-business partner. And she definitely wouldn’t make that leap from Former Miss Texas to Full-Fledged Adult because only with Jason’s guiding influence and help and support could she truly succeed. She needed him, needed his belief in her, needed him to goad her into stretching and growing her skill set.

Most of all, she needed him because, despite her confusion and protests to the contrary, she was pretty sure she was falling in love with this man she’d accidentally married, who’d slowly let her peel back his layers, exactly as she’d hoped. Who also wanted to use their marriage to get himself into the CEO’s office and then divorce her.

What was she going to do?

Eleven

Jason’s loft condo on 12th Avenue was the most gorgeous piece of real estate Meredith had ever seen. And that was including the mayor of Houston’s house, her parents’ house and Lyn Couture’s office.

“Oh, my God, Jason,” she breathed when she walked through the door to take in the floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides that displayed the illuminated New York skyline like a photograph.

But it wasn’t a still life; the vibrant city zipped by in a string of lights, people and vehicles. To the west, the Hudson flowed to the Atlantic, while high above, she and Jason watched from the hushed, darkened atmosphere of his home.

Ebony hardwood floors polished to a high sheen reflected the city’s movements, and when Jason snapped on the lights, she gasped again as the open floor plan spread out around her. The stainless-steel and grey granite kitchen looked like something out of a magazine, and the masculine furnishings accented the huge living area creatively to block out individual rooms despite the lack of walls.

An angular staircase zigzagged from the hardwood to the second floor, where she could see another sitting area beyond the glass divider, as well as two doors leading to what were probably the bedrooms.

And this was where she would stay for however long she could finagle it. With Jason. It made her a little faint.

Dropping her shoulder bag, she put a hand on his arm and leaned in with as grave an expression as she could muster. “I mean this in all seriousness. Can I have the condo in the divorce?”

“Not unless you have a really good lawyer,” he deadpanned with a wry twist of his lips. “I take it that means you like it.”

“It’s breathtaking. I had no idea something like this existed. I mean, you see the pictures in magazines and you think they used Photoshop or something to make the views so spectacular.”

With a grin, he picked up the bag she’d dropped and hefted the other one, then nodded for her to precede him toward the stairs. “It’s smaller than some places and not in a trendy neighborhood. But I like it.”

She could tell. The furnishings and decor had Jason Lynhurst stamped all over them. This place was clearly something he took pride in, and inside these walls, she’d bet he forgot all about his suits and business deals. She was dying to find out.

He bid her good-night at the door of her room and she let him go with no small amount of regret. It was appropriate to sleep apart. Sleeping in the same bed had implications. Hell if she could remember what they were right this minute, but she’d make the best of it.

Well, this was no different than sleeping alone in a hotel room. But that was before she’d realized how strong her feelings for Jason were becoming.

Her room was small but functional, with a tiny window that let in almost no moonlight, but the room was along the interior of the building. At least the bedroom had an en suite bathroom so she didn’t have to parade through the upstairs sitting area to get to the other one.

She turned on all the lights and got ready for bed, but sleep didn’t come easily. Jason’s surprise job offer churned through her mind. Being Cara’s assistant was more her speed, but it was safe and familiar. Was that what she wanted? What was New York if it wasn’t a place to take a leap?