Pretend to Be Mine

ed power in every gleaming detail. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed a skyline of glass and steel, sunlight flashin

sional tormentor, and the only man alive who still trea

warm beneath his fingertips. The city shimme

r into his espresso. "Which means either the

y amusement. "Not everythi

lly does." Marcus

but Marcus had always been annoyin

ern nearly stepped

impressed. "And you're sul

at the memory-the spark in her eyes when she'd snapped back at h

spine. I like her already. You, howev

ze narrowed

tation-playboy, scandals, models like revolving doors-it's hurting yo

o appease a board." Adrian

ing up to events with a steady partner. Someone who doesn't screa

brow. "Hire so

intern-Elena. Ordinary enough to look believable, sharp enough to hold her

ed. "She woul

er. You've close

solving a problem his board had whispered about for months actually made sense. But logic was logic. Survival, pow

Ramirez was th

lobby. Adrian Harrington did not wait-not for interns, not for

smoothly, gaze locking on

into the elevator. By the time they rea

ve the city-Adrian gestured to a chair

u tracked me down

e lowered, all calculat

h dipped.

friend for a few months. In return, I'll make sure your career takes off

d incredulous-burst out of her. "You nearly ran me over

ching. "The board needs stability. You

is i

greed softly,

me? You could hire a model. Or ca

ol, deliberate. "No one would believe it. Y

s? Elena's pulse thudded. She thought of Maya, of tuition, of rent. Of how heavy responsibility fel

ife, Elena. Smiling when you want to scream. Pushing forward when you wan

too close. She hated that

spered, "this stays pre

is eyes-gone too fast to

d more like stepping into a performance with no script. She swallowed hard. This has to stay pretend. And yet

ment, the weight of rent envelopes. Then she though

the door opened. Marcus strolled in, casual

. "Ah," he said, voice dripping amusement. "So this is the girl. Tel

but Marcus only grinne

kled, looking between th

, "this just go