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Amelia began chewing again, but still Leo said nothing. He met her eyes, like he was trying to communicate something important to her. What, she had no idea. Her cheek still tingled where he’d touched her, which was another thing she’d have to address once the obstruction in her mouth was cleared.
Gnashing her teeth, she gave Leo a death glare. Her best, most aggressive death glare. Leo would do well to scurry and hide, her gaze was so potent.
But he didn’t scurry. He didn’t hide.
Instead, Leo painted a wide, attractive smile on his face, and reached over to put his palm over hers. He squeezed her fingers when she would’ve pulled back, then brought her fingers to his lips. Then hekissed her hand. What—how—who?
What the hell was wrong with him?
“Caught us,” Leo said, that stupid, fake smile still stretched over his lips. “Fred, this is Amelia. Amelia, Fred.”
Still looking like she was a squirrel storing nuts for winter, Amelia chewed like her life depended on it and finally swallowed, but—
“Amelia!” Fred put his meaty paws on her shoulders and gave her a loud kiss on each cheek. “You have no idea how good it is to meet you.” He smiled genially and tilted his head toward Leo. “This one has kept you hidden away for so long, I was worried you didn’t exist!” He frowned. “But I thought your name was Cat—Kitty—um—”
“Stage name,” Leo smoothly provided.
Stage name?What world was Amelia living in? What the hell was going on?
Fred nodded, apparently accepting that idiotic explanation.
She opened her mouth to answer, but all that came out was an outraged squeak. Her squirrel transformation had gone so far, now she sounded like one too.
“We like to keep my personal life and professional life separate,” Leo interrupted before Amelia could find her tongue. “So it works for us.”
She glared at him. “Wait. No. I’m not—”
“I hope you’re here for the retreat,” Fred interrupted, his dark-brown eyes intent on hers. His gaze skimmed her outfit, then Leo’s, and he snapped his fingers. “The wedding. Of course. But you’ll stay in town for our company retreat, correct?”
Amelia would throw herself off the Stirling clock tower before she went to a company retreat posing as Leo St. James’s fake fiancée.
“Where are my manners?” Fred curled an arm around the woman beside him, his expression softening. “I have a fiancée of my own now. Leo, Amelia, this is the love of my life, Nadia. Although getting her to accept my proposal was a mission.”
Nadia laughed. “Through no fault of my own!” She shifted her purse, and a tiny dog’s golden head poked out. Cooing softly, Nadia scratched behind the pup’s ears. “It was this little monster’s doing, wasn’t it?”
“Butter made his feelings about me very clear,” Fred added wryly. “At least the cast comes off in a couple weeks.”
Amelia watched them, mind whirling with ways to extricate herself from this situation. But she couldn’t do that without getting Maggie’s cake.
Leo was no help. He just smiled at the couple and asked, “The cast?”
“Oh, when Fred proposed, Butter was with us, of course,” Nadia explained. “Fred got down on one knee, and the sun was setting, and everything was so perfect.”
“Until the squirrel,” Fred answered darkly.
Nadia clicked her tongue. “You have to admit, Fred, it was good to see Butter moving so well! Ever since his surgery, he hasn’t been as active.”
“The leash broke two of your fingers, baby.”
“Well, yes, but Butter was so speedy. Weren’t you, honey? Your leg isn’t bothering you at all anymore, is it?”
“Then you fell and broke your arm,” Fred continued. “I had to finish the proposal in the ER.”
Nadia laughed. “I said yes, didn’t I?”
Fred swept his hand down Nadia’s back and kissed her temple. “Made me the happiest man in the world. Show them the ring, baby.”
Nadia thrust her right hand at them, making mooneyes at Fred. The ring slid down her finger to nudge slightly against her knuckle, and Nadia repositioned it with reverent fingers. “It’s a vivid pink diamond that Fred chose to match my favorite Birkin.” She lifted her Hermès purse for emphasis, then smiled at Amelia. “I decided to wear it on my right hand until the cast comes off. I just couldn’t bear to not wear it until then. Don’t you think Fred chose perfectly?”
