Christmas Bride (Convenient Marriages #5) - Noelle Adams Page 0,11

mean. I didn’t expect it either. But it will make it easier going forward.”

She was pleased. Proud of herself. She was handling this exactly right. Keeping it in perspective so she could enjoy herself and not get hurt. So she went on, “So if we need to kiss again—just to convince people that we’re really together—I’m in.”

He shook his head, still laughing softly. His eyes were very warm on her face. If she hadn’t already known that his heart belonged to someone else, she might have gotten the wrong idea from that expression. “Same here.”

She leaned against him again. His body was still shaking with amusement, and it felt incredibly good against hers. “Why are you still laughing about it?”

“I don’t even know,” he admitted. “Just that this is very weird.”

“I know. If it’s too weird, just tell me and we can call the whole thing off.”

“No way. I haven’t had anything to entertain me this much in ages. And no one has tried to set me up on a date in two weeks. As long as it’s okay with you, I want to keep going.”

“Me too.”

It occurred to her that she should probably convey some degree of emotional distance. Wouldn’t want him to think she was doing this just because she wanted to. So she added, “Although maybe you can introduce me to a couple of people in the next few weeks. I’m supposed to be adding some contacts for my business.”

“Oh. Yeah. Of course. I’ve already mentioned you to some of my mom’s friends. I’ll do better. I promise I’m not going to take advantage of you.”

Only Carter could be worried about taking advantage of her, when he’d been more of a gentleman with her than any man she’d ever met in her life. “I know you won’t,” she told him. “You’re way too good a guy for that.”

He gave her a strange look. One she didn’t understand. She was about to ask him about it, but a couple came over to the love seat just then. Ruth didn’t know them, but Carter did. They were old school friends of his.

Ruth responded to the introductions and the friendly conversation, conveying the right balance of friendliness toward the new acquaintances and besotted interest in Carter.

It wasn’t nearly as hard as she would have thought.

THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY, Ruth gave Carter a sidelong look as they rode up the elevator in a very swanky lakeside apartment building. Lincoln and his wife, Summer, had invited them over for dinner.

Ever since they’d received the dinner invitation on Wednesday, Ruth had been getting ready. She’d brainstormed all conceivable background information she and Carter would need at that point in their relationship. She’d called him up for the past two evenings to go over strategy. Last night, they’d talked for two hours, although in all honesty only the first half hour was actually preparing for tonight. The rest was getting to know him so they could be convincing to Carter’s brother and sister-in-law.

And now the time was here. Ruth was sure they were ready. They wouldn’t be caught off guard by an unexpected question or an awkward moment. Carter wanted to prove that he was over his long-lost love for Summer.

Whether Ruth believed those feelings were truly over (and she didn’t), she was going to make sure everyone else believed it after tonight. It was important to Carter. He hadn’t said so, but she could tell. If any moment was crucial in their wild fake-engagement plot, it was this one.

Right now.

Dinner with Lincoln and Summer.

“We’re gonna do great,” she murmured.

“Mm-hmm.” Carter slanted her a wry look.

“We are. You’ll see. You might not believe it, but I can be a great adoring girlfriend. They’ll be completely convinced I believe you walk on water.”

“All right. Don’t overdo it though. They’re both really smart. And observant. And they know me really well. If it’s too over the top, they won’t buy it.”

“It’s not going to be too over the top. It will be exactly right. And don’t forget you’ve got to act like you’re into me too. If they think it’s one sided, you’ll have accomplished nothing but embarrassing me. Or rather, nothing but letting me embarrass myself.” She checked her outfit—slim pants, leather boots, and a pine-green top with a discreetly sexy V-neckline. “Not that it hasn’t happened before.”

“Stop it,” Carter bit out, giving her an impatient look.

She couldn’t have been more surprised if a pet kitten gave her a painful scratch across the face. In the

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