Chapter Eleven
Raina
I gasped as Simon’s lips crashed into mine.
The kiss was fierce and demanding, his mouth claiming mine with an intensity that sent shockwaves radiating through my entire body.
But beneath the roughness, there was something unexpectedly tender in the way his thumbs traced the line of my jaw, and the sharp intake of his breath when our lips first met.
He tasted like whiskey and want, and I melted into him as every ounce of attraction I’d been fighting since the day we met surged to the surface, a wave of desire so powerful it stole the air from my lungs.
When he caught my lower lip between his teeth and sucked gently, a soft moan escaped me, and liquid heat pooled low in my belly.
The ache between my thighs was sudden and insistent, making me forget everything—where we were, who might be watching, all the complicated reasons why kissing my boss was a catastrophically bad idea.
All I wanted was to be closer to him. To feel his body pressed against mine.
But even as our mouths moved together, he maintained a careful distance between us.
My hands came up to his chest, fingers splaying across the solid wall of muscle beneath his tuxedo jacket.
I could feel his heart pounding, racing just as fast as mine, and some reckless part of me wanted to fist that expensive fabric and drag him closer to eliminate every inch of space between us.
Then, without warning, Simon pulled away.
I stared up at him, breathless, my lips still tingling from the pressure of his mouth on mine.
Kissing him had been overwhelming and electric—the kind of kiss that rewired something fundamental inside you—and already I wanted to do it again.
Wanted to thread my fingers through his hair and pull him back down to me.
But his attention had already shifted.
“Good,” he muttered, his voice rougher than usual as his gaze moved past me toward the auction tables. His jaw was tight, his expression carefully neutral, as if he hadn’t just turned my entire world upside down. “I think Alexander saw that.”
I blinked, the words taking a moment to penetrate the haze of desire still clouding my thoughts. “What?”
“He saw us arguing.” Simon’s green eyes finally met mine again, but there was something guarded in them now. Controlled. “That’s why I kissed you. We need to maintain the cover story.”
My heart plummeted.
Of course. I should have known. I did know, somewhere beneath the romantic notions that had taken over the moment his lips touched mine. This was a performance. A calculated move to convince Alexander we were a real couple.
I followed Simon’s gaze to where Alexander and Brenda stood examining the silent auction items. He wasn’t looking at us now, but it made perfect sense that Simon had kissed me after catching the man watching our tense conversation.
What else was he supposed to do? Let Alexander think we were fighting?
I told myself it didn’t bother me. That it made sense. That I had no right to feel disappointed when I was the one who’d invented this fake relationship in the first place.
My lips still burned from the kiss. My heart felt like it was being slowly crushed in a fist.
Who am I kidding? I’m hurt. Hurt that Simon could brush off a kiss that had left me reeling. Hurt that what felt earth-shattering to me had been nothing more than strategic maneuvering for him.
But then I caught something in Simon’s expression, a flicker of something unguarded before he shuttered it away. His breathing wasn’t quite steady. His hands, which had dropped to his sides, were curled into loose fists, as if he was fighting the urge to reach for me again.
Maybe that kiss hadn’t been purely performance after all.
Or maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.
I cleared my throat and pasted on the best smile I could manage. “Right. Of course. The cover story.”
Simon’s gaze sharpened, those green eyes studying my face with an intensity that made me feel transparent. Like he could see straight through my careful composure to the chaos underneath.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” The lie came out too quickly, too bright. “I just… I think we should leave.”
If he noticed the disappointment threading through my voice, he didn’t show it. I hoped he was simply oblivious to what I was feeling. I was already embarrassed that I’d let myself believe, even for a moment, that the kiss was real.
“You’re right,” he said with a curt nod. “I think we’ve accomplished what we came here to do.”
What we came here to do. My stomach twisted at the reminder that this entire evening—including that devastating kiss—was about securing Alexander’s business.
We were close to the ballroom exit when Alexander appeared in front of us, Brenda at his side.
“Heading out?” he asked warmly.
Simon’s expression transformed, an easy smile sliding into place. “I’m afraid so. But I’m hoping we can meet next week to discuss a potential partnership.”
Alexander nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful.
“We could do that. But I want to be honest with you, Simon. Chuck has formally expressed interest in working with me as well.” He paused, letting that sink in.
“Now, I’m not opposed to partnering with both of you, but I have a feeling that might not be something you’d be comfortable with. ”
He must have noticed the animosity crackling between Simon and Chuck during dinner. It would have been impossible to miss. The tension had been thick enough to cut with a knife.
“I don’t think Chuck and I could ever work together,” Simon said honestly, his voice carefully neutral despite the muscle ticking in his jaw.
I could see the curiosity in Alexander’s eyes, but he didn’t push for an explanation. He simply nodded.
“I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to work with you regardless,” Simon continued. “I believe we could accomplish great things together.”
Alexander’s gaze flicked to me, then back to Simon, and I knew in that moment that my impulsive claim about us being in a relationship had been the right move.
Simon wasn’t thrilled about it, and that kiss had made it abundantly clear that keeping my real feelings separate from our fake relationship was going to be torture.
But Alexander was taking Simon far more seriously now.
The wariness from earlier in the evening had been replaced by genuine consideration.
“I’m weighing my options carefully,” Alexander said.
“And I believe it’s important for anyone I partner with to truly understand my resort—what makes it special and what we’re trying to build.
” He smiled. “I’d like you and Chuck to visit Neptune’s Kingdom in a couple of weeks.
Stay a night, free of charge. See the place for yourselves.
” His eyes warmed as they landed on me. “And please, bring Raina. Brenda enjoyed talking with her tonight.”
“We’d be delighted,” Simon said smoothly, committing us both before I could even process the invitation.
Alexander clapped Simon on the shoulder, promised to reach out soon with details, and walked away with his wife.
Simon stayed at my side as we made our way through the hotel lobby and out into the night. The air was cool against my flushed skin, the parking lot bright with security lights. Away from the crowd and the music, an uncomfortable silence settled between us.
Everything that had happened tonight left me feeling overwhelmed, my mind and heart at war over the man walking beside me.
He was my boss, which placed him firmly in the off-limits category.
But that kiss… it had changed something inside me.
Transformed a crush I was determined to ignore into something far more significant.
And still, undeniably, a terrible idea.
I was so lost in thought that I didn’t realize we’d reached my car until I nearly walked into it. I fumbled with my purse, searching for my keys, when Simon cleared his throat.
I looked up to find him standing in front of me, looking more uncomfortable than I’d ever seen him. His usual confidence had been replaced by something almost awkward—shoulders slightly hunched, one hand rubbing the back of his neck.
“I suppose we should discuss how to handle this going forward,” he said, his voice rough.
Oh, so now he wanted to talk about it? After he’d already volunteered us both for a weekend getaway at Alexander’s resort?
I took a deep breath, forcing down my irritation. I’d made this bed. Now I had to lie in it.
“I know this situation is… complicated,” Simon continued, and there was a resignation in his tone that hadn’t been there before, an acceptance that we were in this together now, whether he liked it or not. “But I’m more determined than ever to secure Alexander’s partnership.”
“Because of Chuck?” I questioned.
One corner of Simon’s mouth curved upward in a rueful half-smile. “You picked up on that, did you?”
“I’m pretty sure everyone at the table felt the hostility between you two.” I tilted my head, studying him. “I don’t know what happened with your business, but I’d have to be blind not to see you’re carrying a serious grudge.”
Simon let out a long exhale, tipping his head back to look up at the stars scattered across the dark sky. “Yeah.” When he looked at me again, there was a hint of self-deprecating humor in his expression. “I’m a hell of a businessman, but apparently my real talent is holding grudges.”
A small laugh escaped me, but it didn’t break the tension humming between us. Even as Simon made light of the situation, the easy rhythm of our usual interactions was absent. Tonight had changed something.
“The point is,” he said, his green eyes locking onto mine with renewed intensity, “we’ll have to keep up appearances until Alexander signs a contract with us and tells Chuck to go to hell.”
“I know.”
I kept my voice carefully neutral, even as my thoughts spiraled. My impulsive lie had snowballed into something far bigger than I’d anticipated. The idea of playing the role of Simon’s loving girlfriend was both dreadful and enticing—and still, absolutely, a terrible idea.
“Alexander mentioned visiting the resort in two weeks,” Simon said, taking a small step closer to me.
The movement was subtle, but suddenly he was near enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.
His face was half in shadow from the overhead light, all sharp angles and unreadable expression.
“In the meantime, we should get comfortable being together outside the office. Go out in public. Now that we’re committed to this charade, we need to make it convincing. ”
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
My fingers finally closed around my keys, and I pulled them from my purse with a rush of relief. I needed to leave. Needed space to process everything—the kiss, the fake relationship, the confusing tangle of feelings I had no business having for my boss.
Simon watched me press the button on my key fob, then stepped past me to open my door before I could reach for the handle. The gentlemanly gesture caught me off guard, and I slid into my seat without quite meeting his eyes.
He started to close the door, then stopped. When I looked up, he was watching me with an expression I couldn’t decipher.
“I want to apologize,” he said quietly. “For kissing you like that. Without warning, without asking.” He paused, his jaw tightening. “I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry, Raina.”
Hearing my name in that low, rough voice made everything worse. My throat tightened, and I couldn’t form a response.
He’s sorry. Sorry for the best kiss I’d had in years. Sorry for the moment that had set my entire body on fire and made me forget every reason I was supposed to keep my distance. Great.
Simon seemed to take my silence as acceptance. He gave me a short nod, then closed the door with a soft click.
I sat there for a long moment, watching him walk toward his own car, my lips still tingling and my heart aching with something I refused to name.
Then I started my engine and drove away, trying very hard not to think about how thoroughly I’d just complicated my life.