Christian and I were officially dating. It felt strange, not only because it wasn’t something I’d ever thought would happen but also because to the outside world, nothing had changed. In their eyes, we’d been a couple this entire time.
I’d posted my Hawaii photos after we returned to D.C., and our couple shots did great, as expected. I was still keeping up with my Instagram, though my attention was now split between that and my fashion line.
The only people who knew our pre-Hawaii relationship hadn’t been real were Christian, myself, and my friends, who’d greeted my announcement with considerably less surprise than they had the previous bombshell.
According to Jules, it’d been “inevitable” based on how we’d been eye fucking each other at her housewarming.
Christian and I went on our first real date a week after we returned from Hawaii. We took each other to our favorite places in D.C.—the U.S. Botanic Garden for me, Eastern Market for him.
Correction: a specific vendor at Eastern Market for him.
“Mr. C!” The vendor’s face creased with a gummy smile when he saw Christian. “Good to see you again! And with a lovely lady by your side, too.” He winked at me. “What are you doing with an ogre like him?”
He jerked his thumb at Christian, who shook his head.
“Beauty isn’t everything.” I patted Christian’s hand. “He has other great qualities.”
The vendor laughed while my new boyfriend sighed with exasperation, though a glint of humor surfaced in his eyes.
“Stella, meet Donnie. Wannabe comedian and woodworker extraordinaire.” He tapped a puzzle on the table. “This is the only reason I put up with your old ass.”
“My old ass has more wisdom than you do in your pinky,” Donnie retorted.
A grin worked its way onto my face as I surveyed his wares. “These are incredible.”
The table boasted the most intricate woodworks I’d ever seen, including model sailboats, miniature folding screens, and a selection of mind-boggling puzzles.
“Thank you.” Pride glowed in Donnie’s face. “Keeps me busy now that I’m retired.”
Christian and I chatted with Donnie for a while until other customers pulled him away. We ended up buying two puzzles (Christian) and a set of gorgeous carved bangles (me).
“I’d say our first date was a success.” I swung my shopping bag as we walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner.
“Of course it was. I planned it.”
My mouth dropped. “Hello? Did you forget about the garden earlier? We both planned the date.”
“Yes, but I drove us all day.”
“That is not how planning works!”
Christian laughed as I lightly shoved his arm.
Other than his annoying habit of taking credit for dates we both planned, Christian was a great boyfriend. Vague and moody at times, especially after a stressful day at work, but considerate and supportive almost all the time.
I’d all but moved into his bedroom and turned the guest room into an overflow closet. He worked from home twice a week so we could spend more time together, and even though we spent most of those days doing our own thing—him on his laptop, me on my fashion line plans—it was nice having him close.
All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect real relationship.
Still, it took me another two weeks after our first date before I invited Christian to join me on a visit to Maura’s.
I’d never brought anyone to see her before, and the prospect tore at my nerves. What if she didn’t like him? What if he didn’t like her? What if she got agitated and—
Stop. It’ll be fine.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing pulse as we stopped in front of her room.
“Here.” I shoved the tembleque we brought into Christian’s hands. “You hold it. I don’t care if you don’t like dessert. You need to butter her up.”
“Here I thought my charm would be enough,” he drawled, but he took the dessert without complaint.
“I doubt it.” I twisted the doorknob. “She’s not easily charmed by men.”
But of course, he proved me wrong.
Maura loved him, and not just because of the tembleque, though that helped.
Christian swept into the room like Prince Charming, handing her the dessert and complimenting her on her necklace. Less than ten minutes later, they were laughing over a joke he made like they’d known each other forever.
I watched them, mouth agape.
It was one of Maura’s better days, and she seemed in high spirits, but still. It was disconcerting to see them get so chummy so fast when even I had to warm her up a bit every time I visited.
I wasn’t sure whether to be happy they got along so well or disgruntled that she got along with him better than she did me.
“Today’s puzzle day,” Maura said. “I like puzzles. Do you like puzzles?” She narrowed her eyes at Christian like his answer would determine whether they could continue their new friendship.
A smile spread across his face. “I love puzzles.”
“What kind?”
“Every kind. Crosswords, jigsaws, cryptograms…”
“I like jigsaws the most.” Maura interrupted him mid-sentence. “It’s…” She hesitated, and I could see her wracking her brain for the right phrase.
I glanced at Christian as the minutes ticked by. He waited for her to continue without a hint of annoyance or impatience.
Something warm heated the pit of my stomach and expanded into my chest.
“It’s satisfying,” Maura finally said. The word came out slow and hesitant, like she was testing whether it was the right term. “When the pieces fit together and you see the whole picture.”
Christian stared at her, his expression indecipherable. “Yes,” he said quietly. “It is.”
I’d seen many iterations of Christian Harper over the past three months, but the one sitting here today? He was the one I could most see myself falling for.
I blinked away my unwanted emotion and pasted on a bright smile.
“Maura, would you like to take a walk in the garden? It’s a beautiful day.”
Her face lit up. “Yes, please.”
“Milady.” Christian held out his arm.
He was laying it on thick, but Maura actually giggled as she took his arm. I had never, not once in all my years of knowing her, heard Maura giggle.
Unbelievable.
He must have the devil’s magic on his side.
“How did you two meet?” she asked as we walked through the rose garden. It was her favorite, and we stopped every two feet so she could ooh and aah over the lush blooms.
“We…” I almost told her the story Christian and I had concocted, but I went with a semblance of the truth. It felt wrong to lie to her. “We live in the same building and have some mutual friends. I ran into a bit of trouble, and Christian helped me out.”
“Oh. How nice of him,” Maura said. She patted his hand. “You are such a gentleman. I can just tell.”
He smiled and raised an eyebrow at me over her head.
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help smiling.
As insufferable as he would be after effortlessly charming Maura, I loved how well they got along. Nothing stressed me out more than people I cared about butting heads.
It was why my last family dinner had taken such a toll on me. Between Hawaii and my fashion line, I’d been busy enough to shove it to the back of my mind, but it haunted me still.
I refused to cave first, though. If my family wanted to talk to me, they knew where to find me.
Maura, Christian, and I wandered through the gardens for a while until Maura got tired and we returned to her room.
“I like him,” she said when Christian went to the restroom. “Such a handsome young man. Charming too.”
I stared at her. “Do you…have a crush on him?”
She snorted. “Of course not! I’m too old to have crushes. Besides, he only has eyes for you.”
My face warmed. “I don’t…”
“It is true.” She coughed and picked up her teacup. “He doesn’t…he…” Her hands shook as she brought the cup closer to her mouth. It almost touched her lips before she dropped it, and it shattered into a dozen jagged pieces.
Maura’s mouth fell open. Her eyes widened and took on a familiar wild look.
“It’s okay. It’s okay,” I said quickly. “It’s just a cup. I’ll get the nurses to—”
“It’s not just a cup!” Her breathing quickened. “It’s broken and it’s…it’s…” Her gaze darted around the room.
“Everything will be fine.” I kept my voice calm despite the way my stomach dropped. She was growing visibly agitated, and once she got agitated, it was near impossible to calm her down without sedation. “I’ll call a nurse and they’ll clean it up. They’re—”
“Already on their way.” Christian’s voice cut into the conversation. I hadn’t heard him come in, but he moved quickly through the room and knelt in front of her. “There are new cups in the community room, along with puzzles. Would you like to do one together?”
Maura’s eyes were still bright with panic, but her breaths slowed into something resembling normal. “Puzzle?”
“A jigsaw puzzle,” he confirmed. “Their newest one. You’ll be the first person to complete it.”
“I…yes. I like puzzles.” She released her stranglehold on her armrest. “I did a puzzle of a poodle once. I used to own a poodle. It’s my favorite dog breed…”
She went off on a tangent about the best and worst dog breeds as Christian guided her to the community room.
I followed them, my throat tight.
“Thank you,” I said once Maura was happily settled with her tea and puzzle. “For…” I gestured toward the hallway where her room was situated. “And for coming with me.”
“There are worse ways to spend my day.” Christian laced his fingers through mine and placed our hands on his thigh. “Thank you for inviting me.”
I looked down at our entwined hands and couldn’t stop my heart from expanding so much it made it hard to breathe.
I am in so much trouble.
That night, after we visited Maura, Christian and I attended our first business event for him as a real couple.
The significance wasn’t lost on me, though the actual event bored me to tears. It was some tech gathering, and I spent most of it smiling, nodding, and pretending I cared about what people were saying while Christian networked.
“The EU is killing us with its regulations,” the man he was talking to grumbled. “It’s untenable!”
I stifled a yawn while Christian answered him.
Tech regulation wasn’t nearly as interesting as baby turtles.
While the other man droned on about some new law that just passed, I placed a hand on Christian’s arm and whispered, “I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
He nodded, and I slipped away before I had to listen to one more complaint about the EU.
There wasn’t a line for the restroom, so I took the opportunity to fix my hair and makeup and check my notifications. My follower count was still growing, but it was slower now than in the beginning stages of our “relationship.”
I didn’t care as much as I used to. Joining the million-follower club made getting big partnerships easier, but it’d also made me realize how little the number meant on a personal level.
I slipped my phone into my clutch and exited the restroom.
I made it halfway back to Christian when the hairs on the back of my neck rose. I recognized that chill; it was what I felt when someone was watching me.
My head jerked up, and I scanned the room frantically for anything—or anyone—suspicious.
Nothing. Just a bunch of people in suits, grousing about the latest regulatory laws and bragging about their companies’ market caps.
You’re being paranoid. Your stalker is not here. This is a closed event—
A scream rose but stuck in my throat when someone grabbed my ass and squeezed. Hard.
I whipped around and stared in disbelief at the man leering at me.
He winked at me and moseyed on past like he hadn’t full-on groped me in the middle of a professional event.
I was too stunned to say anything before he left.
The interaction had lasted less than a minute, but that was enough to make me feel like I was coated in a layer of grime I could never scrub off.
“What’s wrong?” Christian picked up on my discomfort the instant I returned to his side.
He’d had his back turned, so he hadn’t seen what happened. The man he’d been talking to had also wandered off, leaving us alone.
“Nothing.” I shifted beneath his skeptical gaze before I admitted, “Someone groped me on my way back from the restroom.”
Christian stilled.
“Who?” His tone was calm, almost pleasant, but it contained something that evoked an arctic chill beneath my skin.
My body betrayed the small voice warning me not to tell him.
I instinctively flicked my eyes toward the bar, where the man who’d groped me was hitting on an uninterested-looking woman.
Christian followed my gaze.
“I see.” His inflection didn’t change, but foreboding slithered down my spine like the cool, scaly skin of a snake.
Some people burned hot when they were angry, but Christian ran cold. The quieter he got, the more people needed to worry.
“It’s not a big deal,” I said anxiously. I didn’t want him doing anything that might get him into trouble or that he might regret later. “It was only a passing grab. Not worth making a scene over.”
“I won’t make a scene.” Christian set his empty champagne glass on a nearby table, his face unreadable. “In fact, I’m done here. Are you ready to leave?”
I nodded and breathed a silent sigh of relief. Thank God.
Between the mind-numbing conversations and the jerk who couldn’t keep his hands to himself, I was ready to put the night behind me.
Still, when we exited the building and walked to Christian’s car, I couldn’t shake the sense that whoever had raised my inner alarms earlier hadn’t been the man who groped me, but someone else entirely.
