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“No, I don’t think we need to go that far, but I think we need everyone to believe that we’re together and we’re happy. The press love a good whirlwind romance.”
Maggie looked at Lucas and Mal, hoping for some support. Surely one of them could see that this was perfectly crazy? But no, they were both watching Alex as though he’d just offered the perfect solution to the problem. “Why?”
“Because anything else is complicated and we don’t have time for complicated.”
“So lying is better than complicated?”
“It’s a tiny white lie,” Alex said. “And it doesn’t have to be forever.”
“So what, I dump you after the deal goes through?”
“It would be better if you waited until the season got started … it won’t be news then,” Lucas said. “Someone else will have done something stupid and there’ll be a whole new scandal to get everyone talking.”
Maggie threw up her hands. “The three of you are insane.”
“Can you come up with another story? One guaranteed not to piss off any of the owners? Or do you want to spend our meetings with them explaining how you had a fling with Alex but everything’s just peachy now?” Mal asked.
“This is not exactly the ideal situation but Alex’s idea is better than anything else I can think of,” Lucas added.
“I think we buy Sutter some concrete boots and the problem goes away,” Maggie said, wishing she wasn’t joking. Damn Will Sutter and his bloody male ego. This wasn’t business, it was personal. He was trying to take both her and Alex down now that she’d said no to him.
So. She could tell the truth and give Will the advantage, or she could agree to Alex’s nonsense and they could win the bid and then she could ignore Sutter and put Alex safely back in the boss box where he belonged.
“Lucas, Mal, can I speak to Alex alone, please?”
They exchanged looks but nodded. No doubt they’d be right outside, trying to listen in, but she knew from experience that this office was pretty soundproof. She’d never managed to listen in on her dad when she’d tried it as a teenager.
Lucas closed the door behind them, which left her alone with Alex.
“You really are trying to ruin my life, aren’t you?” she said.
Alex scowled. “You think I like this any better than you?”
“I think that in these scenarios it’s always the woman who comes off looking bad, so how you feel about it doesn’t really matter. Are you sure you want to do this? Lie?”
“I don’t like lying but I’m not going to let Sutter win. Especially not now. You’re right, he’s a prick and he’s not getting his hands on the Saints if I can help it.”
The venom in his voice warmed her heart a little but she stomped on the feeling. There was to be no feeling kindly toward Alex. Nothing but mutual, professional respect. And a mutual pact to lie to the press, it seemed.
“We need ground rules,” she said.
“For what?”
“For our fake relationship.”
“Rules about what, exactly?” he said, looking almost amused.
“For what we will or won’t be doing. In terms of public displays of affection. Or private ones,” she added.
“About that…”
“I don’t want to talk about last night,” she said hastily. The memory of it had haunted her dreams and her body was still pleasantly sore. She didn’t need to discuss it.
“Did I hurt you?” Alex asked, ignoring her.
“I’m not made of china, Alex, I can handle a little—” She chopped off the “rough sex against a wall” because, really, that would probably be setting the cat among the pigeons.
“You should’ve stopped me.”
