“Jayce!”
“Ourfakewedding. You know, the one that isn’t really happening. I figured it was a fair trade for some peace and quiet.”
CeCe rolled her eyes. He always was too smooth for his own good. “You realize this scheme will most likely blow up in your face.”
“Maybe. But think about how fun our last wedding was.” His midnight-blue eyes twinkled, tempering whatever reservations she had left.
“Itwaspretty nice. At least that time you gave me a ring. Even if it was the twist tie off a bag of cotton candy.”
“Oh! Thanks for reminding me.” He reached into his front pocket and withdrew a tiny leather pouch. “Picked this up in Bali before my flight.”
“Bali? I thought you were in Paris.”
“That was last month.”
“Right.” She nodded along, trying not to draw the comparison between her father’s globe-trotting tendencies and Jayce’s. What was it about the men in her life and their inability to stay put?
She quieted the thought as he dropped to one knee. “Cecelia Desirée Dupree, will you do me the incredible honor of being my fake fiancée?”
Although she knew the proposal wasn’t real, her heart beat a little bit faster as he revealed a stunning crescent-shaped diamond ring that looked like the moon surrounded by a dozen glittering stars. “I—” The words caught in her throat. What was wrong with her?
“Shoot. You don’t like it.” His face fell. “Obviously, this isn’t the ring I’d give you if we really got engaged, but I tried to find one I thought you’d like.”
Wait. What did he say?What did he mean by “if we really got engaged”?
“If you wear this one for now, I’ll get you any one you want as a thank—”
“Jayce.” She extended her hand, willing her fingers to stop jittering.Get it together, CeCe. It’s pretend.“It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You sure?”
“I’m positive.”
“Great.” With a look of relief, he took her hand in his.
The moment their fingers touched, her heartbeat faltered at a sudden and unexpected electrical charge.
An unreadable expression flickered across his face, as if he’d felt the same scintillating sensation that had skittered up her arm.
He cleared his throat then slid the ring onto her finger. A perfect fit.
Job done.
Why hadn’t he let go?
And why hadn’t she pulled away?
Their eyes met.
A strange current passed between them that confused and thrilled her.
In a matter of seconds, her simple, straightforward existence had become a lot more complicated.
And CeCe Dupree didn’tdocomplicated.
Chapter Nine
JAYCE
