Lust.
Lies.
Nathan, however, was as cool as ever. The only signs that he’d just been devouring me like a bodega buffet were hismussed hair and slightly swollen mouth that was probably only visible to me.
He pushed his glasses up his nose and nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Charlotte.”
The hand at my back kept me sitting upright while I flapped my hand over my shoulder, hoping that would suffice as a polite goodbye.
I kept my cheek pressed to his lapel as her footsteps retreated. And the elevator door chimed open. And then finally closed.
Then and only then did the hand at my back retreat.
I stifled a whine at its absence. No, come back.
Nathan stepped away to adjust his clothes, which were barely out of place. His erection was still obvious, but he adjusted that too, so it wasn’tquiteso present. But he couldn’t hide something that large.
Not really.
Nathan’s eyes met mine, unfathomably deep and dark in the dim light. “Do you think she believes it now?”
I coughed. “Does who believe what?”
He nodded toward the elevators. “Charlotte. Do you think that worked?”
My stomach dropped. God, I was an idiot.
That was just part of the act. Another scene in the play. A kiss that had felt so damn real, I’d done the worst thing a performer could do—gotten lost in my character.
Still breathless, I nodded.
“Good. She’ll gossip with her mother, and it will get back to mine.”
I nodded again, then bit my lip, wondering if Nathan might kiss me again for good measure. You know, just to make sure, in case she came back in.
But he didn’t.
I wondered if he ever would again.
Or, more importantly, if he should.
“What about your friends?” he wondered.
I blinked. “Huh?”
“This isn’t just for me. Who needs to see us together for it to get back to him—to Shawn?”
If Charlotte was a bucket of water, hearing Shawn’s name was like plunging into an ice bath. I honestly hadn’t really even thought about it beyond talking to Rochelle.
But Nathan had a point. To take myself off the market, word needed to get around. Which meant that I needed to bring him into my world as much as he was escorting me through his.
I took his hand. “Up for a late night?”
He tilted his head to the left. “I suppose. Where are we going?”
I looked him over, took in his buttoned-up persona and the perfect face, and considered how no one who really knew me would ever believe I’d have snagged a dude like this.
For the first time, I wondered if that meant they didn’t know me at all.
