Read Beauty and the Boss (Modern Fairytales) for Free Online

relationship.” She held her hands out, palms up. “How do we do that?”
    He’d seen it in movies, so it couldn’t be that hard. Smile a lot. Kiss a lot. Hold hands. Stare into each other’s eyes meaningfully. I can handle that .
    “We act happy, just like regular couples do. Kiss. Smile. Date. Instagram how in love we both are, and how we can’t wait to get married.” He shrugged. “And then, after a suitable amount of time, we break up and continue on as we have been.”
    She shook her head. “But we have to pretend to be in love ? That’s crazy . Isn’t it?”
    “Maybe. Maybe not.” He shrugged, his heart pumping hard and fast. “Either way, I think it’s our best option. This way, you keep your job and I keep mine. No cow-milking necessary.”
    A small laugh escaped her. “But we’d have to actually, you know, date .”
    “Yeah.” Another shrug. “And?”
    “And…and you know nothing about me,” she said, wringing her hands. “Nothing at all.”
    “That’s not true. Remember when we worked on the Collins project for a week, and on Friday, it all fell apart?”
    She blinked at him. “Yeah.”
    “We thought it was hopeless, that we’d end up failing the client because we didn’t have the numbers or the presentation ready.” He rested a hand on her shoulder and stared into her gorgeous eyes. She shivered and swayed closer. “We worked all throughout the weekend, only breaking for sleep, but we ended up giving them the best damn presentation we’ve ever given.”
    “You’re saying this to prove we work well together, right?”
    “Yep.” He let go of her because if he didn’t, and if she kept staring up at him, he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself. “And there’s no way in hell you can argue with that.”
    “You’re right. I can’t. But you still know next to nothing about me.”
    “Sure I do. You’re kind, smart, and think fast on your feet.” He shrugged. “I can count on you to get a job done, and you’re a loyal employee. If that’s not enough for me to decide we make a good team, there’s the fact that I enjoy working with you.”
    He purposely left off mentioning he liked her , because the appreciation he had for her had grown even stronger after her lie. Never in his life had anyone cared enough to try to help him like that. When his father died, and he’d been in a dark abyss of grief and shame, all his friends had abandoned him the second it became clear he wouldn’t be paying for their drinks anymore. He’d been alone, struggling with guilt, for almost six years now.
    And she’d jumped to his defense, like no one else ever had, tying them to each other in unexpected ways. His mother was every bit as ruthless as she let on. If she wanted to get Maggie fired, she would. Unless he did something. Unless he saved her. And he would . If there was one thing he’d inherited from his mother, it was her ruthlessness.
    She took her turn at pacing, with short, agitated steps. Pressing her thumb against her mouth, she nibbled on the nail, clearly upset. It was so strange to be able to read her so easily, since he lived in a world of masks and fake smiles. “But we have next to nothing in common. Your family is as different from mine as night is from day.”
    “Night and day aren’t that different, when you think about it. Both are ruled by a bright, round object in the sky. And both end in order for the other to begin.” He stepped into her path, stopping her pacing, and caught her arms gently. Her skin was soft under his hold, and when she glanced up at him, every nerve in his body focused on her. “It’s all about teamwork. And I, for one, think we’d make an excellent team.”
    “But—” She rested her hands on his chest then quickly jerked them back, leaving behind a searing heat. “Sorry. So sorry.”
    If there was one thing she didn’t need to apologize for, it was touching him. Every small caress, every soft stroke, reminded him what it was