Not Just Pretend

I promised him one night. He's asking for a lifetime — even if it's only pretend.

I don't remember the mask. I remember his hands.

One reckless night at a members-only masquerade was supposed to be the wildest, most anonymous thing I'd ever done — no names, no faces, no consequences. Then the sun came up, and the stranger who wrecked me in the dark turned out to be Chaska Voss: the billionaire my late father's company answers to, the man my small town both worships and fears, and the one person I can never, ever want again.

Except now he's standing in my kitchen with a business proposal instead of an apology. His family needs a fiancée for exactly ninety days to secure a deal that will save hundreds of jobs — mine included. All I have to do is wear his ring, sit at his table, and convince an entire town we're in love.

The rules are simple: this is a transaction, not a relationship. No feelings. No repeats of that night.

Chaska breaks his own rules first.

Every touch behind closed doors is calculated to look real for the cameras — and feels far too real for me. He's possessive in ways no contract requires, jealous in ways no business deal explains, and the way he says my name like it belongs to him has nothing to do with pretend. I know exactly what happens if this town — if he — finds out how much I want this to be real. I could lose everything. My family's name. My job. My heart.

Ninety days was supposed to be enough time to fake it.

It's nowhere near enough time to stop.

Tropes: Fake Dating, Billionaire, One Night Stand to Relationship, Forbidden/Small-Town Secrecy, Possessive Alpha, Masked Encounter

Heat Level: Fully explicit — frequent, graphic intimate content throughout. 18+ readers only. All characters are consenting adults.