Passion Play

Rose pulled her attention from his long, lean thigh and met his gaze. “We could just lie and say yes to both.”

“We could.” Donovan shrugged, the movement of his broad shoulders fluid under his dark jersey. “But we agreed to keep the story as close to the truth as possible. Our responses would be more authentic if we’re working from memories rather than lies.”

Rose’s gaze dropped again to her bouquet. She hated to admit it, but the man had a point. Even though their whole relationship was make-believe, she couldn’t imagine faking what she’d felt when she received these “just because” roses. “You’re right.”

Donovan’s features brightened with his grin. “Something tells me I should mark this day with a ceremonial plaque.”

“Don’t push it.” Rose gave him a dry look.

“With this one visit, we’ve already accomplished three things.” Donovan stood. He was too close.

Rose straightened from her desk, putting space between them. “What are they?”

“I’ve seen where you work, met one of your coworkers.” He closed the distance. “And I bought you roses.”

Rose backed up. “That’s a lot for people who’ve only been in a relationship since March.”

She glanced toward the glass walls of her office to see if anyone else had noticed that Donovan was crowding her. No one seemed to be paying attention to them, although she could be mistaken.

“It’s just the beginning. Most importantly, we have to become more comfortable with each other. We have to learn to trust each other.” Donovan closed the gap between them again. He was invading her personal space.

His scent, sandalwood and musk, enveloped Rose. His body heat spread into her clothing. Rose forced herself to hold her ground and his gaze. “I’m comfortable with you,” she lied.

Donovan chuckled. It was a low, rumbling sound that she felt vibrate in her lower abdomen. “Then why do you flinch every time I touch you?”

“I don’t.”

Donovan leaned in—Rose reared back. His sexy lips curved in a smug smile. “Yes, you do.” He straightened. “You can’t do that at your reunion. You’ll give us away.”

“I’ll have that under control before the reunion.”

“How?”

The man was frustrating, especially when he was right. “Fine, we’ll spend time together. But we can’t go from zero to sixty. Back up. If you get any closer, you’ll be in my suit.”

Donovan took a step back, and Rose breathed more easily.

“Sorry.” He flashed her a friendly smile.

Rose ignored it and the way it weakened her knees. “That’s fine. What do you propose we do to get more comfortable with each other?”

Donovan cocked his head. “Why don’t we start with something simple, like lunch?”

Rose checked her silver Timex wristwatch. “I can do that.”

This was a surprise. In a matter of minutes, they’d agreed on two things: roses and lunch. She’d begun to think they’d never come to a consensus on anything. Their constant disagreements wouldn’t play well during her reunion. They needed to project a loving and harmonious relationship. Benjamin—and his pregnant wife—had to believe she’d found her happily-ever-after with the man of her dreams.

Rose collected her purse from the bottom drawer of one of her file cabinets. She swallowed a sigh. Would she ever find her happy ending? Was she even meant to have one? She slid a sideways look at Donovan as she adjusted the strap of her purse onto her shoulder. So far, all she’d come up with was an agreement with a stranger for a fake relationship. It didn’t seem that her fairy-tale ending was destined to happen anytime soon.

“After you.” Donovan stepped aside, then winked at her.

Rose’s heart fluttered at the casual gesture. At least her make-believe prince was undeniably handsome and incredibly sexy. As far as fake relationships went, this one had its perks. Too bad it was all a farce.

* * *

Donovan took in the happy expressions of the people gathered around Lily Beharie’s dining table on Wednesday night. He could still smell the spicy grilled chicken, warm, buttery mashed potatoes and tangy salad dressing. For dessert, the ladies had served hot apple pie à la mode.

It was more than a week after Donovan had paid the surprise visit to Rose’s law firm with the dozen red roses and suggested they get to know each other better before her reunion. Tonight was another step in that direction—they were now getting to know each other’s friends and family.