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“We should leave soon.”
Oh, boy. She took another glance at the full-length mirror in her bedroom. How was she going to do this pretend thing with him when it was something she wanted for real?
“Need some help?” he said from behind the closed door. “I’m good with zippers.”
Whoa. That shot heat right down to her lady parts.
“Truth is, I wouldn’t mind your feedback on what I’m wearing.” Blake opened the door and stood facing him. She wore a forest green bodycon dress with a mid-thigh hem and a wide low-cut neckline. Her straight gold-brown hair was pushed back but still hung to her shoulders. Gold dangle earrings, choker, and her best pair of four-inch high heels.
His eyes went wide, his mouth dropping open slightly. Yep, that was the kind of response she was going for tonight. “Do I look okay?” she asked.
When he found his voice, he said, “You look so beautiful I’m going to have to keep my bodyguard skills at the max so none of the men try to steal you from me.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Relieved, she took a few seconds to check out Morgan in a dark blue suit that had obviously been tailored to perfectly fit his bodybuilder frame and had to pull her gaze away before she started drooling. “Well, you look pretty amazing yourself, Mr. Raines.”
He held out his arm and Blake slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. And it stayed there all the way to the car.
* * *
Morgan droveto the ferry and crossed the bay to the South Fork, heading to an oceanside mansion in Bridgehampton. The two Forks on the East End of Long Island had a similar beauty to the land, but the South Fork was a place where the rich and famous had beach houses and country estates and it was imbued with a slightly snobbish who’s-who culture. He guessed that might be one of the reasons Trent wanted him there with Blake. To be seen with his “fiancée.” The other reason being Trent’s subtle challenge to Morgan’s lie about being engaged when he had never mentioned it before.
One thing for sure, he didn’t need to put on a performance pretending his attraction to Blake was real. Right now, his hands were tense on the steering wheel, his arms fighting the urge to reach out and touch the stunning woman sitting next to him, to tug her body against his while he kissed her silly. And from what he could tell, the attraction was mutual. Now all he had to do was control himself.
“Is this it?” she asked, as he turned into a sandy drive that led to a humongous mansion with a manicured lawn, landscaped gardens, swimming pool and tennis courts off to the side. “It must have at least twenty rooms.”
“Could be. Trent said the guy’s got a rec area with a rock climbing wall and skate board platforms.”
“Who is the host?” she asked.
Morgan parked the car in a space he found on the broad pebbled lot in the front area of the property. “His name is Wynn Sherwood. He is affiliated with the movie business—I’m not even sure how—but that is how I met him a couple times. It’s kind of awkward because I was usually guarding these people, not partying with them. But Trent insisted it would be cool.”
Blake bit her bottom lip the way she always did when she was nervous. He told himself not to think about how badly he’d like to nibble on that lip.
Instead, he patted her hand, then got out of the car and walked around to her side. “Listen, I forgot about an engagement ring, so we can find a way to say we are having one made by a jeweler we like and it isn’t ready yet.”
“Okay. I completely forgot about a ring too, but that sounds good.” Blake took his arm again and looked ready to go, her game face smiling up at him. “Let’s do this,” she said.
Yeah, she was a keeper.
Wait a sec. Not going there.
The sprawling luxurious house was filled with what Morgan and his pals used to call the “fancy folk” back when he was a teen. Now he just saw them as possible clients. As he walked Blake through the crowd of guests, he felt phony being here and hoped Trent, his attorney, knew what he was doing. He had been recommended highly to Morgan by two people he trusted.
“Raines.”
Morgan turned to see a Hollywood director who’d hired his protective services while he was filming a few years ago.
Blake gasped. “Is that…?”
“Yeah. Great guy.” Morgan went over to him and exchanged greetings, introducing Blake as his fiancée.
That was when Trent found him and walked him around introducing him to other guests. Morgan worried about the photos that he knew were being taken. He’d jumped through hoops and paid a lot to keep his name out of the media, but Trent seemed to think being seen socializing with Blake on his arm would help bolster his case somehow.
Morgan knew Fawn and her influential hubby did their part to squelch the “love child” story and would do the same for the custody fight to avoid more bad press. He wished she would just leave it at that and go live her separate life, but Fawn hated losing and would not let go of her claim on Ciara and her determination to beat Morgan in this battle and show the world she was the great mother she never had been and never would be.
