Pretending To Love Mr Hill

Chapter 6

Amelia stood in front of the mirror while the stylist made the final adjustments, the elegant knee length black dress with a slight dip in the neckline hugged her in all the right places, the fabric felt smooth and cool against her skin, she looked stunning.

The makeup artist had worked magic, covering what needed covering while leaving her freckles faintly visible, giving her face a natural glow she knew she could never manage on her own, she herself had never been good with makeup. Now she stared at the person in the mirror and didn’t know what to say or feel. She looked perfect, like a CEO billionaire’s fiancée.

The makeup artist stepped back and smiled, pride shining clearly in her eyes, she loved her work. Amelia loved it too, she offered a small, grateful smile in return, but inside her stomach twisted with nerves as they rounded up the final touches.

Amelia, you can do this. You are beautiful and you’ve got this, she told herself silently, repeating the words like a lifeline.

She stepped out into the corridor, the dress swishing softly around her legs with every movement, her heels clicked against the floor as she made her way to the elevator, the ride up to the boardroom floor felt too short when the doors opened, Andre was already waiting. He offered his hand without a word, and she accepted it without hesitation, grateful for the steady support.

He walked her toward the boardroom entrance. Even before she saw anyone, she heard them, the low murmur of voices, the rustle of papers, the occasional click of cameras, her skin broke into a light sweat despite the strong air conditioning, she willed herself to calm down, reminding herself not to ruin the beautiful work those nice women had done on her.

Instead of worrying she tried to catch a glimpse of Travis from where she stood, but the angle made it impossible beside her, Andre cleared his throat.

“He’s running late. He’ll be here soon.”

Startled, she shook her head in disapproval. “No, I wasn’t… who?”

Andre didn’t bat an eye. “Weren’t you just checking for the boss?”

She quickly bobbed her head from left to right again. “No, why would I?”

The words came out too fast, Andre simply nodded and returned to his tablet, leaving her feeling stupid. Why had she acted so guilty? She mentally slapped herself. While she was still silently beating herself up, the ding of the elevator made her turn around quickly, her eyes landing on Travis’s dark ones as he stepped out.

He scanned her slowly from head to toe. She couldn’t lie she was doing the same to him, his stare sent tingles racing all over her body, drying her throat instantly. He moved toward her, one step at a time, his eyes never leaving hers, she wanted to look away, she tried to look away but something held her in place, locked in his gaze.

He stopped right in front of her and cleared his throat. “You look…” she felt him hesitate a little before continuing, “stunning.”

She quickly drew her eyes away from him and blinked hard, heat crawling up her cheeks.

“Thanks,” she managed. The word came out barely above a whisper, Travis nodded, his Adam’s apple moving visibly, why on Earth was he suddenly so attractive? she thought. She shook her head as if she could will the thoughts out of it, then turned away quickly.

Andre, who had stayed quiet during their entire interaction, finally spoke. “You’re up in five minutes.”

She heard Travis hum in answer, but she didn’t dare look at him again. “Your hand,” he said softly.

She reluctantly gave him her hand, his fingers closed around hers, warm and firm, sending that familiar spark up her arm, she ignored it as they started walking, he entered the room first, with her right behind him. She was about to take another step when he stopped suddenly.

She bumped right into his back, barely escaping smearing her makeup. Thank goodness it wasn’t heavy she made a face at his back as he turned around.

“I forgot to give you something.”

Amelia eyed him suspiciously. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a delicate necklace with a butterfly pendant. It was silver, perfectly matching the bracelet on her wrist.

“The stylist said she forgot to put this on you.”

She brought her hands out to take it, but he pulled it back slightly. “Turn around.”

She blinked. “Huh?” What did he mean, turn around? She raised her eyebrows in confusion.

“I’ll wear it for you.”

She started to protest when he turned her around gently. He leaned in, and his perfume enveloped her, rich, masculine and intoxicating. He placed the necklace around her neck, his face was so close to her skin that she could feel the warmth of his breath.

She tried to steady herself on her feet, heart hammering wildly as he gathered her hair with skilled fingers and moved it to the front, his fingertips lightly brushing the bare skin of her back, electric jolts shot through her at every point his fingers touched.

He clipped the necklace into place, then paused, the top of his lips brushed the nape of her neck in what was barely a kiss, so light it could have been imaging it yet every hair on her body rose in response, a shiver ran down her spine, hot and cold all at once.

She moved away quickly and flipped her hair back into place, trying to regain some composure. Travis took her hand again and led her further into the room where they took their seats.

The boardroom buzzed with energy, reporters and photographers filled the space, their eyes turning toward them the moment they entered. Amelia felt every gaze like a spotlight. Travis’s hand remained in hers under the table, his thumb occasionally brushing across her knuckles in slow, soothing strokes.

Each touch made her acutely aware of him, the solid warmth of his body beside her, the faint scent of his cologne that now mixed with the memory of his breath on her neck, she tried to focus on breathing evenly. When the press conference began, Travis spoke with calm authority, answering questions about their “relationship” with practiced ease. He painted a picture of a whirlwind romance that sounded almost believable. Every time he glanced at her, his eyes softened in a way that made her stomach flutter.

One reporter asked about the sudden engagement. Travis squeezed her hand gently before replying.

“When you meet the right person, time doesn’t matter. Amelia changed everything for me.”

His voice carried a quiet sincerity that sent warmth spreading through her chest, of course she knew it was part of the act, but the way he looked at her... It did something to her.

When it was her turn to speak, her voice came out steadier than she had expected, she kept her answers short, letting Travis guide the narrative.

Sitting so close to him, shoulder to shoulder, made it impossible to ignore the sparks she felt

During a brief pause, Travis had leaned slightly closer. “You’re doing great,” he murmured, his voice low enough for only her to hear, the praise sent a rush of heat through her body right down to her sweet spot, she had nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

His fingers tightened around hers as a photographer called for them to pose. Travis stood and helped her up, pulling her gently against his side, his arm wrapped around her waist, hand resting possessively on her hip. The fitted dress suddenly felt thinner, every point where their bodies touched made her water down there, she placed her hand on his chest to steady herself, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm. It was beating faster than she expected. The realization that he might be just as affected sent a thrill through her.

He looked down at her, dark eyes searching hers. His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes. Amelia’s breath caught. She wondered if he could hear how loudly her heart was pounding, the camera flashes brought her back to reality. They smiled for the photos,

When they finally sat back down, Amelia’s legs felt unsteady. Travis kept her hand in his, refusing to let go even as the questions continued, she stole a glance at him. His jaw was set, but there was a faint flush on the tips of his ears, was he embarrassed? She almost giggled .

Travis turned to her as people began filing out, his voice quiet. “Ready to get out of here?”

She nodded, her fingers still intertwined with his, he stood up pulling his chair backwards enough to be able to adjust hers too, she stepped out and she could feel relief wash over her, she was glad this was finally done with.