FAKING IT WITH THE CEO

When Pretend Feels Real

Harper had woken up with a firm plan.

Distance. Boundaries. Control.

She repeated those words like a mantra as she moved through her morning routine, determined to remind herself that her relationship with Nathan was nothing more than a contract.

But the moment she stepped into the kitchen and saw him standing there—shirtless, coffee in hand, and looking like he had just walked out of a GQ photoshoot—her resolve cracked.

Her breath hitched before she could stop it.

Nathan glanced up from his coffee, his dark eyes locking onto hers. “Morning.”

Harper swallowed, quickly averting her gaze. “Morning.”

He smirked, as if he had caught the hesitation in her voice. “You sleep okay?”

“Fine.” She grabbed a mug from the cabinet, keeping her movements precise and controlled. “You?”

Nathan took a sip of his coffee before answering. “Didn’t get much sleep.”

Harper still.

She knew exactly why he hadn’t slept. Because she hadn’t either.

Because the air between them had been charged ever since that damn kiss.

Because, no matter how much she tried to deny it, things between them were changing.

She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to focus. “We should go over our schedules today,” she said, keeping her voice professional. “We have a charity event this weekend, and I assume there will be press.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “You’re really going to pretend last night didn’t happen?”

Her fingers tightened around her mug. “It was a moment. That’s all.”

Nathan let out a low chuckle. “A moment?”

“Yes.” She turned to face him, standing her ground. “A strategic moment. We were playing a part.”

Nathan studied her for a long moment, then took a slow step forward.

“Alright,” he said, voice smooth. “Let’s test that theory.”

Harper frowned. “What?”

Nathan closed the remaining distance between them, his body heat wrapping around her like a vice. He didn’t touch her, but he didn’t have to. The air between them was thick enough to suffocate.

He leaned in, voice a low whisper. “If that kiss meant nothing, then look me in the eyes right now and tell me you felt nothing.”

Harper’s pulse thundered in her ears.

She wanted to say the words.

She needed to say the words.

But the problem was… she couldn’t.

Nathan smirked, as if he already knew the truth. “That’s what I thought.”

Harper took a step back, shaking her head. “This is exactly why we need to set boundaries.”

Nathan tilted his head. “Boundaries?”

“Yes.” She folded her arms, trying to regain control. “Clear lines. We’re engaged on paper, Nathan. That’s it.”

Nathan watched her for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. If that’s what you want.”

Something about the way he said it made her stomach twist.

Because a part of her wasn’t sure if it was what she wanted.

—

The Charity Event

By the time Saturday rolled around, Harper was more than ready to step back into the role of Nathan’s perfect fiancée.

She had chosen a sleek navy gown, the fitted bodice accentuating her curves while still looking elegant. Her hair was swept into a loose updo, with just a few strands framing her face.

Nathan had told her he’d pick her up from her apartment, so when she heard the knock at the door, she took a deep breath before opening it.

And immediately regretted it.

Nathan stood there in a perfectly tailored tuxedo, looking devastatingly handsome.

Harper’s breath caught, but she quickly masked it with a polite smile. “Right on time.”

Nathan’s gaze roamed over her, his expression unreadable. “You look…” He paused, then smirked. “Like the perfect fiancée.”

She rolled her eyes. “Good. That’s the goal, isn’t it?”

Nathan chuckled but said nothing, simply offering his arm.

Harper hesitated before looping her arm through his.

She told herself it was just for show.

That it didn’t mean anything.

But the warmth of his body against hers told a different story.

—

The event was held in one of the city’s most prestigious hotels, the ballroom filled with New York’s elite.

Harper had been to corporate galas before, but tonight felt different.

Because tonight, she wasn’t just Harper Cole, PR consultant.

She was Harper Cole, fiancée to Nathan Blackwood.

Nathan kept a hand at the small of her back, guiding her effortlessly through the room. The casual intimacy of the gesture sent shivers down her spine, but she reminded herself that it was all part of the act.

Smiling at the cameras. Laughing at the right moments. Leaning into him just enough to sell the illusion.

They were flawless.

But somewhere between the polite conversations and the flashing cameras, Harper realized something unsettling.

She wasn’t just pretending anymore.

The way Nathan’s hand lingered on her waist… the way he murmured inside jokes in her ear to make her laugh… the way his gaze softened when he looked at her…

None of it felt fake.

And that terrified her.

She was supposed to be in control.

She was supposed to know where the lines were.

But standing beside Nathan, with his touch searing into her skin and his voice sending shivers down her spine, Harper realized she had no idea where the act ended and where something real began.

—

The Dance That Changed Everything

At some point in the evening, the orchestra began playing a slow melody, and couples started making their way to the dance floor.

Harper had no intention of dancing—until Nathan took her hand and led her onto the floor without a word.

She should have protested.

But instead, she let him pull her close, his arm wrapping around her waist as they moved in sync.

Her heartbeat quickened. “This wasn’t part of the plan.”

Nathan’s lips curved into a slow smile. “Maybe not. But it’s expected, isn’t it?”

Harper swallowed hard.

She hated how right he was.

As they swayed to the music, Harper was painfully aware of how close they were. On the way Nathan’s fingers brushed against her bare back. On the way his breath tickled her ear as he leaned in.

And then, in a voice so low she almost didn’t hear it, Nathan murmured, “You’re the only one I see tonight.”

Harper’s breath hitched.

It was just a line.

Just part of the act.

But damn it, it felt real.

She forced herself to smile, forced herself to play the part. “That’s the idea, isn’t it?”

Nathan pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, something unreadable flickering in his dark eyes. “Is it?”

Harper parted her lips, but no words came out.

Because she didn’t know the answer anymore.

And for the first time since this entire charade had started…

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know.

Chapter 19: Falling Against the Rules

Harper had convinced herself she had control.

She had built walls, drawn boundaries, and reminded herself—over and over again—that this was an arrangement. A temporary illusion. A business deal.

And yet…

She was falling.

And worst of all, she was falling against the rules.

The night of the charity event had left something raw and exposed between them. She had felt it when they danced. When Nathan whispered those words in her ear. When his hand lingered on her waist long after the music had ended.

She had seen it in his eyes when they returned home, when he looked at her as if she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

And she had felt it again, in the quiet moments.

Like now.

She stood in the penthouse kitchen the next morning, staring at her coffee, trying to will her heart to stop feeling things it shouldn’t.

Nathan walked in moments later, his hair still damp from a shower, dressed casually in a fitted black sweater and dark jeans. He looked effortlessly gorgeous, as always.

And the worst part? He didn’t even try.

“Morning,” he murmured, his voice still rough from sleep.

Harper nodded, gripping her mug like it was a lifeline. “Morning.”

She expected him to move on, to grab his own coffee and check his phone like he usually did. But instead, he leaned against the counter and studied her.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he finally said.

Harper’s stomach twisted.

She forced herself to meet his gaze. “I have not.”

Nathan arched an eyebrow. “Harper.”

Damn him for knowing her too well.

She exhaled, setting her mug down. “I’m just… refocusing. We got a little too comfortable last night.”

Nathan tilted his head slightly. “Comfortable?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “This arrangement only works if we keep things professional. If we remember that this is just an act.”

Nathan was silent for a long moment before he let out a low chuckle.

“What?” she snapped.

His smirk was infuriating. “You’re panicking.”

“I am not panicking,” she shot back.

Nathan took a step forward, closing the distance between them. “You think if you push me away, it’ll stop whatever this is from happening.”

Harper swallowed hard. “There is nothing happening.”

Nathan didn’t stop moving until he was inches away. “Then why are you trembling?”

Damn him.

Damn him for seeing too much.

She took a slow breath, willing her pulse to slow. “Because you keep pushing.”

Nathan exhaled, his expression shifting into something unreadable. “I don’t want to push you, Harper.” His voice was quieter now. “But I’m not going to pretend nothing’s changed.”

Her chest tightened. “It hasn’t.”

His jaw flexed. “So you’re just going to keep lying to yourself?”

Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it.

They were standing on a ledge, teetering between control and chaos.

And Harper didn’t know which terrified her more—the thought of falling… or the thought that she wanted to.

—

Rules That No Longer Make Sense

The day passed in a blur of meetings and deadlines. Harper threw herself into work, hoping it would distract her from the growing tension between her and Nathan.

It didn’t.

Because every time she looked up, she caught him watching her.

Because every accidental touch sent sparks down her spine.

Because every moment they spent together was unraveling the rules she had so carefully set.

By the time evening rolled around, she was exhausted—not from work, but from trying so damn hard to pretend.

Nathan had a business dinner to attend, which meant she had the penthouse to herself. She curled up on the couch with a book, determined to lose herself in fiction instead of reality.

It was working… until she heard the door open.

She looked up just as Nathan stepped inside, his tie loosened, his expression unreadable.

“You’re home early,” she said, trying to sound casual.

Nathan didn’t respond right away. He walked toward her, then paused a few feet away, hands in his pockets. “Dinner was a waste of time.”

Harper frowned. “What happened?”

Nathan exhaled. “I realized I’d rather be here.”

Her stomach flipped.

She forced herself to look back at her book, pretending his words didn’t make her insides twist. “Well, I’m sure your business partners appreciated that.”

Nathan let out a quiet chuckle. “You always do that.”

“Do what?”

“Deflect.”

Harper’s fingers tightened on the book. “I don’t—”

“Harper.”

Her name was a warning. A challenge.

She closed her eyes briefly, then sighed, setting the book down. “Nathan, we can’t do this.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not real,” she said, voice a little too sharp.

Nathan took a step closer. “It feels real.”

Harper’s breath hitched.

No.

She couldn’t do this.

She couldn’t let herself believe in something that wasn’t real.

She stood quickly. “I’m going to bed.”

She turned to leave, but before she could take a single step, Nathan caught her wrist.

The second his skin touched hers, heat shot through her.

She froze.

Slowly, she turned back to face him.

Nathan’s expression was unreadable, but his grip was gentle, as if he was giving her the chance to pull away.

But she didn’t.

And that was the problem.

She should have pulled away.

She should have reminded him of the contract, of the deal, of the rules.

But instead, she stayed perfectly still, her pulse hammering.

Nathan’s eyes darkened. “Tell me you don’t feel this.”

Harper opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Because she did feel it.

She felt it in every glance. Every touch. Every damn breath.

She was falling.

And she didn’t know how to stop.

Nathan lifted his free hand, brushing his thumb over her cheek. It was the softest touch, but it sent a shiver down her spine.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” he murmured.

Harper’s heart ached.

She wanted to lie.

She needed to lie.

But the truth was right there, in the space between them.

She didn’t pull away.

And in that moment, she knew—

She had already broken the rules.