Page 3 of Heart Breaker

I make it to Cove in record time, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles have turned white by the time I pull into the parking lot. My phone keeps lighting up on the passenger seat with notifications from the Google alert I set up. It turns out the internet has a lot of opinions about my supposed marriage.

Fantastic.

I’m hoping I’ll find my new fake husband at the office so that we can quickly put an end to whatever this is. Wes flies private charters, but when he’s actually on the ground, he consults for Cove. He acts like he’s only halfway involved, but he is an owner of the company, along with his three brothers.

I slam the car door with the force of a newlywed who didn’t consent to be married and walk toward the impressive polished steel and wood building where sleek glass doors slide open to greet me. The place looks calm, like nothing remotely insane is happening.

I march into the building.

“Morning! Can I—” the receptionist begins brightly, but I just wave her off and keep walking. If anyone tries to stop me right now, they’re getting run over.

The shared workspace sits at the centre of the building, a massive open room lined with desks and glass walls that give a breathtaking view of the ocean. I immediately spot the Winters brothers at the large worktable in the middle of the room.

Ford, the COO, sits at the head of the table with a laptop open in front of him. He looks exactly like you’d expect—sharp, composed, dark hair perfectly in place, his expression cool and controlled in a way that makes people think twice before speaking. Intimidating, without having to try.

Jesse, the marketing brain behind the brand, is the complete opposite. He’s sprawled out in his chair, long legs stretched out in front of him, leaning back like he doesn’t have a single responsibility in the world. Effortless, charming, and fully aware of it. All reasons why my best friend Madeline fell for him.

Noah sits next to him, looking a little smugger. He has lighter hair than his brothers, his features are softer, but there’s a cockiness to him that you can’t miss.

And then there’s Wes. He stands near the window, arms crossed over his chest, staring out at the ocean like he hasn’t just dragged us both into the middle of a storm. Tall, controlled, unreadable. The kind of man who doesn’t say much, but when he does, people listen.

My pulse spikes as I walk straight across the room and drop my phone onto the table in front of them.

“What the hell is this?” I ask, my eyes focused directly on Wes. I slide my phone across the polished surface. It stops in front of Jesse. He glances down at the screen then up at me, a slow grin spreading across his face.

“She’s seen it,” he says.

Ford pinches the bridge of his nose like a man who has already had enough of this morning. Wes turns around to face the room. Unlike me, he looks completely, annoyingly calm.

His eyes meet mine, steady and unreadable, a cool gray that somehow manages to feel sharper the longer I hold his gaze. I take in the way he makes a plain black T-shirt look so good. The fact that he’s standing there looking totally unbothered and so damn attractive makes me feel even more frustrated.

I realize I’ve been looking at him a second too long and force myself to re-focus. I can’t forget the reason why I’m here.

“Morning, Lottie.” His eyes take in every inch of me, making my skin shiver.

My eye twitches. “Morning?” I repeat. “That’s what you’re leading with?”

Jesse presses his fist against his mouth, clearly trying not to laugh. I jab a finger toward my phone. “Care to explain why the entire internet thinks I’m your wife?”

Wes steps closer to the table and glances down at the screen. The headline is still open.

COVE CO-OWNER WES WINTERS SECRETLY MARRIED TO CHARLOTTE HART.

He studies it for a second before he lifts his eyes back to me. “I never said we’re married.”

“You didn’t deny it!” I shout.

Wes’s expression doesn’t change. “All I said was that I wasn’t commenting on my personal life.”

“That is basically the same thing as saying it’s true!”

“I’m with her. It kind of is,” Jesse chirps.

I whip my head toward him. “Stay out of this.”

He lifts both hands into the air like he’s surrendering. Smart choice. I’m a woman on a mission, and there’s really no stopping me when I get started.

Ford finally speaks. “You two clearly need to talk.”