Page 74 of Bound To Be Mine

It was all moving so fast. The partnership, the campaign, the idea of Briggs staying in LA for weeks. I’d barely had time to process what happened in Vegas, and now suddenly we were supposed to be building a fake life together.

The door opened behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was him. I could feel his presence.

“You okay?” Briggs asked, coming to stand beside me at the railing.

“Yeah.” I turned to face him. “Just needed a minute.”

He nodded, his eyes searching mine. “This is a lot. I know that. If there’s anything you’re not comfortable with, just tell me. We can push back on whatever doesn’t work for you.”

I appreciated that more than he probably knew. “It’s fine. It’s just moving really fast now that it’s going.”

“It is.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything. This whole arrangement was supposed to help you, not make your life more complicated.”

“You’re not making my life complicated,” I said. That was mostly true. He was making my emotions complicated, but that was a different issue entirely.

“Good.” He was quiet for a moment, his gaze drifting to the street below. “If you want me to leave or give you space, I won’t be offended. I can find a hotel, keep my distance except for when we need to do the campaign stuff. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

I thought about it. Having him stay in LA, being around him more often, spending time together—it was risky. Every minute I spent with him made it harder to remember this was all fake. I had to protect myself from whatever this feeling was that seemed to intensify by the minute.

But the alternative was worse. I had already gotten a taste of that when I’d flown home from Vegas. I’d spent the entire flight missing him, which was ridiculous given that I barely knew him.

“No, stay,” I said, the words coming out before I could second-guess them. “I mean, it makes sense for the campaign. And we’re supposed to be married. Married people live together.”

“They do,” he agreed, his eyes meeting mine again. “But I know how to move without being seen. I can sneak into a hotel or rent a house with privacy.”

I shook my head. “If we’re going to convince people this is real, we need to practice. Get comfortable around each other. Learn each other’s habits and quirks.”

“That’s very practical of you.”

I shrugged. “I can be practical.”

“I’m learning that.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “You’re full of surprises, Mandy Carter.”

“Blackwell,” I corrected without thinking. “For the next three months, anyway.”

His smile widened. “Right. Mandy Blackwell.”

That was wild. Me. A Blackwell. A month ago, I never would have imagined me sharing a last name with my best friend.

“We should probably head back in,” I said.

The door opened. Cleo poked her head out, a knowing look on her face.

“Everything okay out here?” she asked.

“Perfect,” I said, probably too quickly. “Just getting some air.”

“Right.” She didn’t look like she believed me. “Well, dessert just arrived. You might want to come back before Dash eats all of it.”

“We’re coming,” Briggs said.

Cleo disappeared back inside. I started to follow, but Briggs caught my hand, pulling me back for just a second.

“For what it’s worth,” he said quietly. “I’m glad you said yes to this. To all of it.”

“Me too,” I said.

We headed back inside. I felt like the high school quarterback just asked me to prom. I was going to be living with the man.