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It was easier than she wanted to admit. Every time Leo touched her, her body bent toward him like a sunflower following the light.
A clinking sound drew her attention to the far corner of the room, where Fred stood on top of a little raised pedestal. Nadia, his fiancée, was beside him, their arms wrapped around each other’s waists. She looked up at her future husband with nothing but devotion in her eyes, and Amelia, uncharitably, felt another pang of jealousy.
It wasn’t like her to feel this way. She was a keep-you-eyes-on-your-own-paper kind of person. But maybe the embers of lust that still warmed her blood after the kiss last night were muddling her brain. She couldn’t help but be jealous of all the loving couples in the room, especially when it made it all the more obvious how fake things were between her and Leo.
“Welcome,” Fred finally said, his voice carrying easily across the room. “Nadia and I are so grateful to welcome you to our home. Stirling was the town of my birth, and this property means everything to me. To welcome my most trusted employees into my home is an annual tradition that I hope to carry on for years to come. We have a few things to celebrate this year.” He went on to describe the successes of the business, including truly staggering revenue and profit numbers, as well as some funny anecdotes about celebrity parties throughout the year. “This week is about celebrating your achievements. It’s my thanks for another great year. To many more.” He lifted his glass, and the assembled crowd did the same, repeating his toast.
Leo stood next to her, the warmth of his body radiating through her arm. A thrill shot through her middle when his hand slipped across her lower back, and she bit her lip to contain it. His touch was a drug.
The kiss had been wonderful, but she had to remind herself that this was all an act. An exchange of services. He was just teaching her how to get a boyfriend, not volunteering for the position. And she was pretending to be his betrothed. It wasn’t the start of their love story. Far from it.
“There’s another thing I want to celebrate,” Fred continued, “and that is love.” He lifted an arm and gestured to Amelia and Leo.
All eyes turned toward them, and Amelia froze.
“Our very own Leo St. James has finally brought his fiancée into the fold.”
Polite applause filled the room, and Leo turned toward her. His hand slid from her lower back to her hip, warm and sure as he held her body. His eyes were serious as he stared into hers, gaze flicking down to her lips. Then, before she could react, he brushed his lips against hers and pulled away as the applause redoubled in volume.
Fred laughed from his dais, lifting his glass in acknowledgment. Leo tugged Amelia close to his chest, nuzzling his lips into her hair.
Amelia was being torn in two. Half of her loved the touch. Loved the kiss. Wanted so desperately for him to do it again…
And the other half reminded her that none of it was real. She wanted to kill Leo for putting her in this position.
The second half won. She elbowed Leo’s gut, and he grunted, wincing, but caught her arm before she could do it again. “That wasn’t very nice,” he rumbled, and desire shot through Amelia’s veins. His voice was an aphrodisiac. She was out of control. Her body was a runaway train.
“Neither was the ambush kiss,” she whispered.
“Hardly a kiss,” he murmured back, lips brushing her ear. “Unless you’ve forgotten what we did last night?”
Now he was mocking her again. “What if I have? It’s not like it was memorable.”
A low chuckle. He knew she was lying. “You’re my fiancée, Amelia,” he grated, his hand still wrapped around her arm, his breath coasting over her ear.
Amelia’s lust didn’t abate. She sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to smile, then leaned against her supposed fiancé, hoping the conflict raging inside her didn’t show on her face. Her poker face was terrible, but thankfully everyone had turned back to the man on the dais.
“And on that note, I’d like to announce my own engagement. Nadia, baby—”
A scream tore out of Nadia’s lips. Horror flashed across her features as she looked down at her right hand, slowly lifting it until it was at eye level. She trembled, frantic. After a long, confused moment when everyone frowned and watched her, Nadia dropped the arm and bent over, looking all around her. With a cry, she fell to her knees and ripped a nearby tablecloth off a table, sending glasses crashing to the ground.
“Nadia! What—” Fred tried to haul her back up, shouting at a nearby staff member to clean up the mess and get a doctor. Glass was everywhere. The smell of champagne filled the air. Murmurs surged through the room as guests tried to figure out what was going on.
Ari, nearest to the dais, backed away and slinked through the crowd toward the door. Vanessa frowned at Nadia, then met Ari’s gaze. Ari tilted his head to the door, then slipped through. The two brothers—what were their names? They started with G, Amelia thought—pushed their way to the front of the crowd and called at everyone to watch the broken glass.
“What’s going on?” Amelia asked quietly as Leo curled his arm around her waist to hold her close.
“I’m not sure,” Leo answered as he set down his glass of champagne and clamped his other hand on her waist, shifting her away from the confused crowd.
Then, with a wail, Nadia’s head lifted. “My ring!” she cried. “My ring is gone!”
TEN
A short,chaotic half hour later, Amelia closed the door to their suite of rooms. The guest wing of the house had three floors, and their suite was on the top floor. Windows lined two walls, giving a view of the forest to the side of the house and the vast green lawn and pool behind.
The suite was beautiful. Decorated in dark green, cream, and rich warm wood, it was as calming as it was luxurious. They stood in a small living room that boasted two armchairs, a three-seater couch, and a fireplace with a big mirror on the mantel. There was a small desk beneath a wide window where Amelia would be able to do some work, and a little round table sat next to a coffee machine and breakfast bar.
Through two pocket doors, she spied the king-sized bed.
