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What would it feel like if this led to the real thing? Throughout the day, I couldn’t stop picturing the things I would get to do with Harper under the guise of our engagement—like showing off the woman I have feelings for, buying her things, and the occasional PDA disguised as actions to make everyone believe our ruse.
I would be the happiest man if she felt the same way.
“By the way,” Caleb interrupts my thoughts, “could I take a one-week trip next month with Mira?’
Glaring at him while taking my shot feels good. “You spent the last two days working from home. That’s why I couldn’t tell you anything. Now you want a week?”
He leans closer. “I think I might propose soon. I promise I’ll make sure I have everything under control before I leave.”
Who am I to stand in the way of love?
“If you take the week, you don’t get a vacation for the rest of the year, and you can’t work from home either.”
Caleb looks devastated but has no choice. “Fine. I accept your terms. All I’ll say is you will get there soon. The point where it feels like you can’t live without the woman you love, and you want to see her every day.”
“I see the woman I like every day,” I point out. “Not only does she work for me, but we live in the same building. I’m afraid I’ll never have a reason to get to where you are.”
I laugh, throwing my head back when he pouts and reaches for his glass.
“Mira is lucky to have you.”
“I can say the same,” he grins like a man in love.
“All right then,” I rub my palms together. “I’m going to need you for a couple of things in case they don’t bite since we are less than a month to the unveiling.”
Caleb gives me a mock salute. “Yes, of course.”
In the meantime, I need to sort things out with Harper and figure out the dos and don’ts of our “engagement” so I don’t lose out on an excellent opportunity to win her over.
Chapter 19
Harper
"You look ravishing,” Gabriel says as I get out of the car, with him holding my hand, “but I wish you had come let me get you.”
I shake my head. “You wouldn’t have wanted to see my parents, trust me. I spared you from getting an interrogation this evening when they dropped by my apartment unannounced.”
It was an hour before the non-profit, tech-related event that Gabriel and I decided we would use to announce our relationship—precisely two weeks and five days before the unveiling, that my parents showed up.
My mom said she was worried because I wouldn’t let her help me and getting them out of my apartment came with me promising that I would tell her all the details later, and telling my father that if my career failed, I would join him. I lied through my teeth, of course, but it got them out.
Which was why I texted Gabriel to leave without me.
He kisses the back of my palm. “If you asked me to, I would walk on hot coals for you.”
My cheeks lit up at the sexy drawl of his tone, and I briefly wondered if it was flattery or a hint of the truth. I don’t have time to dwell on it, because the press notices his presence, and the cameras turn on us.
Gabriel sneaks his arm around my waist and pulls me closer before planting a kiss on my cheek. As expected, the rapid clicking of cameras and their flashes struggle to capture the moment.
“I would kiss you on the mouth,” he whispers in my ear, “but I don’t want to ruin your lipstick. That shade of red looks like it was made for you.”
I’ll be shocked if none of the pictures show my reddened cheeks because I refused a stylist and then forgot to wear blush.
We move past the red carpet, and Gabriel doesn’t let go of my hand as he stops to greet some people and gets pulled aside by others.
“Is she the latest?” A bald man teases, and I pull back my glare from going full force on him.
Gabriel lifts my hand to show the fancy, obviously expensive ring on my finger. He bought it two days ago, and I refused to accept it at first because I could tell it cost a fortune…but it was too pretty not to wear tonight.
