Playing Pretend (16 page)

That did something strange to my insides, and as much as I wanted to act on it, I knew I couldn’t. The dynamic of our relationship was about to change, and I couldn’t risk getting more emotionally attached than I already was.

“What if things get ugly? You know the media have a habit of twisting information to sensationalize any story.”

“They won’t,” Caleb reassured me. “I won’t let you get hurt. Please, just trust me.”

I did.

Implicitly.

But I couldn’t escape the concern that it would eventually be my downfall.

MY HANDS SHOOK AS
I put my earrings in, and appraised myself one last time before I was to meet Caleb in the living room. My strapless gown was a beautiful aqua blue, with an empire waist, ruched bodice and a sweetheart neckline. The willowy fabric swept all the way down to the floor, caressing my feet. It was another gift from Caleb, for the fashion show, and despite the many protestations to wear something so expensive, I’d found it on my bed earlier that afternoon.

The last two weeks had flown by in a blur, and in spite of the rumor mill churning overtime at Callahan Industries, I kept my head down and continued working like nothing had changed.

There was a light knock at the bedroom door, and when I opened it Caleb leaned against the doorjamb with his tuxedo jacket hanging over his arm. We looked each other over, my eyes lingering on his chest and his face, and his lingering on the exposed skin of my neck.

For two weeks I’d been lusting after him, wishing that every time we’d watched a movie, or had dinner together that I could reach out and touch him, or tuck myself into his side, and rest my head on his chest. Those inclinations came far too naturally when I was around Caleb, which is why I’d made a point of distancing myself at the office. The gossips were already speculating about the nature of our relationship, and even knowing that it was somewhat strategic on Macy’s part, I didn’t feel at ease about any of it, not to mention that Jennifer was now out for blood.
My
blood. Not that I paid her much mind. I was too preoccupied with the preparations for the fashion show, and making sure that it would be executed as flawlessly as possible.

“You look…” Caleb cleared his throat, and I felt my cheeks warm. He could make me feel like my seventeen-year-old self in a heartbeat, complete with rosy cheeks, and a fluttering pulse.

“So do you.” My smile was shy. “I just need to slip my shoes on and I’ll be ready to go.”

When Caleb didn’t reply, I turned and picked my shoes up on the way to the bed. I sat down, ready to slip them on, when Caleb knelt down in front of me.

“Let me.” He lifted my foot, and slid the strappy heel on with more finesse than I expected. Once he’d done both feet, he reached out his hand and helped me stand, steadying me when my heel wobbled on the carpeted floor.

I blinked, and then reminded myself that everything Caleb did and said tonight was part of the ‘act’, our story for the tabloids, and the Board of Directors who were attending the event. It wasn’t real.

“Thank you for the dress,” I said, taking a perfunctory step back. It didn’t help much since I was already so close to the bed. “Although I would have been just as happy with something a little more inexpensive.” At the wounded expression on Caleb’s face, I rushed to add, “I just don’t want you to think I expect it.”

“Believe it or not,” his mouth lifted up on one side, “I
am
capable of doing something nice just because I think you deserve it.”

Oh brother.

He was laying it on thick.

“You don’t have to butter me up,” I giggled, trying to tamper down the intensity of the atmosphere around us. If I didn’t at least
try
get a handle on it, it would take on a life all of its own. I couldn’t have that.

“I’m not.” Caleb’s expression turned serious, his eyes fixed firmly on mine. “A beautiful woman deserves a beautiful dress.”

“Want to make sure I look good on your arm?”

That was the nerves talking, but I was unable to ignore the elephant in the room. We were about to step out as a couple for the first time, announce our relationship to society. Naturally Caleb would want us looking our best.

He took my hand, and lifted it to his mouth. With soft lips, he pressed a kiss to my palm, so gentle and light I wasn’t sure I felt it.

But I did.

Everywhere.

“Actually,” his light stubble rubbed my skin as his mouth moved. “I’m the one hoping to do
you
justice tonight. The press will think me underdressed in comparison.”

If I were wearing panties they’d be ruined because let’s face it, Sean Connery himself could get some tips from this man. He was smooth, intrepid and dare I say chivalrous. Act or not, he knew what he was doing, and I didn’t see anything wrong with relishing the flattery.

Just a little.

Caleb’s grin turned lascivious, and my belly twisted.

Of all the treacherous things my body could do.

I swallowed, and extricated my hand from Caleb’s grasp. “We’d better get going. We don’t want to keep the press waiting.”

I slipped past Caleb, taking my silver clutch purse from the dresser, and left the room. Caleb said nothing, but I felt his eyes on the naked flesh of my shoulders, the sultriness of his body behind me. I had to focus, and keep my head on straight if I had any hope of surviving the game I was about to play.

Henry, who I’d dubbed Saint Henry after his first week with us, was in the nursery with Braelynn. The little Miss was supposed to be sleeping, but her eyes widened when she caught sight of Caleb and me. I was still getting used to that reaction from her, having her give me her own version of a smile whenever she saw me, but it warmed my chest a little more every time.

Caleb kissed Braelynn’s head, and left to make the necessary arrangements with the extra security detail. Alfie had been stationed at home with Henry, and Caleb hired two more guards for us. I didn’t think we’d be as newsworthy as we were, but the press had been relentless in their pursuit of information, and after the Danielle debacle, Caleb wasn’t taking any risks with our safety.

I lifted Braelynn from her crib. “Wish me luck,” I whispered and kissed her little nose. “I’m going to need it.”

Henry chuckled, but was smart enough not to say anything more. He did, however, look at me with sympathy, and I wondered if I was doing a good enough job of hiding my anxiety.

He took Braelynn from my arms, and I said my goodbye before meeting Caleb in the atrium where he was talking to two mountainous men dressed in black suits. Ah, Terminator One and Terminator Two had arrived. They listened intently as Caleb gave them instructions, and only barely acknowledged him with a brisk nod. He slipped his jacket over his shoulders, and if I were a lesser woman I would have salivated right there on the spot. Fortunately, I’d learned to master complete Zen-like control over my salivary glands whenever I was in the same space as Caleb. He seemed to have a direct line to the little bastards.

“You ready?”

My eyes flickered, and I ignored the teasing smirk on Caleb’s face. He enjoyed rendering me speechless far too much, and sadly, it was happening far too often.

“Define ready,” I replied, unable to shake the unease that swept over my body. Now I knew I was doing a terrible job of hiding how I really felt about the evening ahead. I was scared, and the longer I tried to keep that from Caleb, the more obvious it became.

“You’ll be fine.” Caleb gave me what he probably thought was a reassuring smile, but in reality I felt anything but reassured. We hadn’t really spoken about what I would be laying on the line, and after tonight we had nothing to hide behind anymore.
I
had nothing to hide behind. The city, and probably most of the world, would know that I was the significant other in Caleb Callahan’s life, the woman they would assume was warming his bed, and helping him raise his daughter. That’s exactly what we wanted them to think, but we had no way of foreseeing their reaction, and that was what truly scared me. In all likelihood they would all jump to the same conclusion: I was sleeping with the boss in the hopes of a better job prospect, or the very least because he had more money than he knew what to do with.

Caleb walked towards me, closing the space between us in three long strides. With his thumb, he rubbed the frown lines between my brows, and tipped my chin so that I could see his eyes.

“Stop overthinking it, Kadence. Whatever happens after tonight we’ll deal with together.”

Ugh. Why was it so easy for him to see what I was thinking? What I was feeling?

“Mr. Callahan.”

Terminator One broke the moment between us before I could respond.

“Your car is downstairs.”

Without any hesitation at all, Caleb’s hand found mine and for once I allowed myself to be comforted by the sense of safety his touch made me feel. Right then I needed it more than I needed to protect myself from what this charade was eventually going to do to me. Fair enough, it was my choice, but when it came to Caleb I wasn’t sure there was ever really
another
choice.

We were contemplative on the elevator ride down to the basement. The press was camped outside the main entrance, so we made a surreptitious exit out the back, and slipped into the early Thursday evening traffic without much fuss. Terminator One sat in front, and when I looked behind us, I noticed another black Escalade tailing us.

“Just a precaution,” murmured Caleb, catching my confused expression.

I looked back outside, watching the city fly by in a multi-colored blur as the driver weaved his way towards Washington Street. Caleb had chosen a refurbished warehouse to host tonight’s event, and in collaboration with our event management staff, we’d managed to turn the space into a fully functional runway. Caleb had insisted I spend less time at the venue, purely to avoid a frenzy with the press, but I stuck to my guns and assisted Macy every step of the way.

With her growing baby bump, I was starting to do more and more of the legwork, and much to my surprise I found that I enjoyed being outside of the office more than being inside it. For once that had nothing to do with Jennifer and everything to do with discovering another facet of my job. It also kept my mind occupied, leaving little to no time to dwell on whether or not my family was going to come crawling out of the woodworks after the night was over. That sliver of fear had still nestled its way into my head, like an insidious parasite feeding off my self-doubt. There was no turning back now, not that I would do that to Caleb. I also had the strangest feeling that he would in fact protect me from whatever came next, and that alone was enough to stop me from pondering why he would put up with all the drama in the first place.

Our objective was to show the Board that Caleb had a stable home life, and could easily balance his responsibilities as C.E.O
and
father, but I was starting to have doubts about whether pretending to be in a relationship with
me
would make that happen.

Caleb touched my hand, noticing that I’d zoned out and I whipped my head in his direction.

“We’re here.”

I swallowed the tight ball of nerves lodged in my throat, and gave Caleb a rather pathetic attempt at a smile.

C’mon,
I chided myself.
You have more grit than this. Get your shit together.

“Okay,” I exhaled into the space of the car, willing all anxiety, and nerves and worry to pack their fucking bags and leave. Come what may, it was now or never, and I was either all the way in or not in at all. A little late to be making that call now, but there was something to be said for the sudden fortitude that arose when staring at your decision in the face.

The stillness in the car was broken when Caleb’s door swung open. Lights flashed, people yelled, and all the while Caleb looked unruffled. He reached for my hand, and helped me step down. If I thought it was loud when Caleb had stepped out, the noise grew by several decibels as soon as my foot hit the sidewalk.

Our names were being shouted, and it seemed that the attention was drawn away from everyone else in attendance. We were in the spotlight, all cameras and questions directed at us.

“Breathe.” Caleb’s lips brushed my ear, the small harmless gesture sending the press into pandemonium.

Show time
, I thought. I recalled everything my mother had ever told me about standing next to a powerful man, even though I promised myself I would never be one of those women. It was that exact moment that I decided not to be. Standing next to Caleb didn’t have to mean that I was just another ‘society girl’ on the arm of a wealthy mogul. It meant whatever I wanted it to, and right then I wanted to be seen as Caleb’s ‘partner’, his consort.

With practiced grace, and demure flair, I lifted my chin, slid my hand into the crook of Caleb’s arm, and smiled like I had a secret. The press lapped it up like the mutts they were, taking their pictures and throwing their questions at us. Caleb did well not to respond, and much to my amazement, took
my
lead. He looked at my profile, and from the corner of my eye I could see his lips lifted into a smile. It was doting, filled with adoration that the fools in front of us bought into. I had no idea Caleb could act so well. We moved with ease, like we’d been together for years, instead of weeks, but then again we’d started moving in sync not long after I moved in with him.