FAKING IT WITH THE CEO

Chapter 16: A Kiss That Feels Too Real

Harper hadn’t planned to kiss Nathan.

She hadn’t thought about the repercussions, hadn’t weighed the risks. The moment had simply happened—a reaction to Sophia’s smug presence, to the scrutiny surrounding them, to the need to prove that their relationship was real.

But the second her lips touched Nathan’s, everything changed.

There was no hesitation. No stiffness or awkwardness that should have come with a fake kiss. Instead, Nathan responded instantly, his grip tightening around her waist, pulling her flush against him as if he needed her closer.

And God help her, she let him.

The room around them—the clinking glasses, the hushed whispers—became nothing more than background noise. The only thing Harper could focus on was the heat of Nathan’s mouth on hers, the way his fingers pressed into her lower back, as if afraid to let go.

She felt his breath hitch when she deepened the kiss ever so slightly. A shiver ran down her spine when his hand slid up to cup the side of her face, his thumb grazing her cheek with a tenderness that made her heart stutter.

This wasn’t just for show anymore.

This was something else.

And that terrified her.

Finally, she forced herself to pull away, her chest rising and falling with the effort to steady her breathing. Nathan’s face was close—too close—his dark eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that sent a wave of heat through her.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, a slow, knowing smirk curled at Nathan’s lips. “Well,” he murmured, his voice lower than before. “That was… convincing.”

Harper swallowed hard, willing her pulse to slow. “That was the point.”

Nathan’s gaze flickered down to her lips before returning to her eyes. “You sure that’s all it was?”

The question sent a jolt of panic through her.

Because she wasn’t sure.

Not at all.

Before she could respond, a familiar voice cut through the moment.

“Well, well.”

Harper stiffened as Sophia approached, her arms crossed over her designer gown, amusement dancing in her eyes. “I have to admit, that was quite the performance.”

Harper plastered on her best unaffected smile. “It’s not a performance if it’s real.”

Sophia arched an eyebrow, her gaze flicking between Harper and Nathan. “Is that so?” She let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. “You know, Nathan never used to be so… affectionate in public. But I suppose people change.”

Harper’s stomach twisted. She hated the way Sophia spoke, as if she knew Nathan in ways Harper never could.

Nathan, however, remained unbothered. “Some people bring out different sides of me,” he said smoothly, his hand settling against the small of Harper’s back in a way that made her breath catch.

Sophia tilted her head, her smile never faltering. “Of course. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

Before Harper could ask what she meant, Sophia turned on her heel and disappeared into the crowd.

The moment she was gone, Harper exhaled, realizing only then how tense she’d been.

Nathan’s thumb brushed absentmindedly against her back. “You okay?”

Harper forced a small laugh. “You mean aside from being interrogated by your ex-fiancée?”

Nathan smirked. “You handled her well.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I handled her?”

His smirk widened. “You’re the one who decided to kiss me.”

Heat rushed to her cheeks. “I was just… committing to the role.”

Nathan’s expression darkened, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “Is that what it felt like to you?”

Harper’s breath hitched.

She didn’t have an answer.

And that scared her more than anything Sophia Langford could ever throw her way.

—

The Car Ride Home

Harper sat stiffly in the backseat of Nathan’s town car as the driver navigated through the city streets.

The air inside the vehicle was thick with something unspoken, a tension that neither of them acknowledged but both felt.

She could still feel the ghost of Nathan’s lips on hers, still feel the way he had held her like she belonged to him.

It had been a mistake.

A necessary mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.

She cleared her throat, forcing herself to speak. “So… Do you think she bought it?”

Nathan turned to her, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Sophia?”

Harper nodded.

He leaned back against the seat, studying her. “She definitely saw something she didn’t expect.”

Harper frowned. “Which is?”

Nathan’s gaze was unreadable. “You.”

A beat of silence stretched between them.

Harper shifted uncomfortably, suddenly very aware of how small the space between them was. “Well, at least we convinced her.”

Nathan didn’t respond right away. Instead, he reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a gentleness that made her stomach flip.

Her breath caught in her throat. “What are you doing?”

Nathan’s fingers lingered for just a moment longer before he pulled back. “Trying to figure something out.”

Harper swallowed. “And what’s that?”

Nathan’s voice was low, his expression unreadable. “If I kissed you just now, would you still say it was part of the act?”

Her heart stopped.

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.

Because the truth was, she didn’t know.

She wasn’t sure where the act ended and reality began anymore.

And that was dangerous.

Harper forced a laugh, leaning back against the seat. “I think we should just stick to the plan, don’t you?”

Nathan studied her for a moment before exhaling, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. “Yeah. The plan.”

But the way he looked at her told her that neither of them believed it anymore.