Selfish Romance

ip tightening on the gift-wrapped box she'd spent hours fussing over. From where she stood, she

s used to be, or at least pretended to be, before Matthew decide

nger was unmistakably the one Agnes had once picked out with Mat

-not shatter, but rip.

ack to reality. Agnes blinked. The world moved again. Conversations buzzed, cut

ned and w

Just a slow, quiet r

, back aching-Agnes poured herself a glass of wine an

mpletely replaceable?" she

nce answ

Week

loor manager, snapping her out of her daze. "

hadn't changed in the past ten minutes. Sighing, she rose, smoothed her gray pen

eartbreaker of the highest order-was a man who intimidated board members a

sion of James she'd be meeting today: the cold strategist, the

ready open. Nev

e said evenly as

one and gestured for her

e

fingers forming a steeple beneath his chin.

re the women on speed

who won't say the wrong thing to donors or tr

. "And I'm your

one I trust not

r arms. "Flatt

flatter

ours

her eyes. "Wh

en said, "Because my ex will be there. A

e it

d CEO had a soft spot after all. A sma

st-breakup bitterness

end we're...?" she asked

s a beat. "To

ed, the man who has a new date every week and thinks commitment

he corrected. "And ye

N

y n

it's ri

s arms. "Nam

at him. "

iented, composed, and brutal when necessary. I need someon

k I can b

yone can be..

ul now. "What if I said I'd do

ibly sharpened.

She smiled bitterly. "I want to walk in on the arm of some

ered. "You want to

a brow. "Ju

other up, the silence between them

"Two nights. One for you, one for me.

at his hand,

ea

Ru

later that night over ta

less necessary,

l it, though. Hand on the wai

li

"Wouldn't

eal details about o

ely no catch

ither noticed the way their hands br

ight – F

ith a slit that flirted with every step she too

like he was seeing s

," he murmured as

the same," she

James leaned down and whispered, "Smile, darlin

sweetly.

es played the part of doting boyfriend too well-brushing her lower b

an into it. To laugh like she was

moment James's

. Everything

yes flicking to Agnes.

s closer. "This is Agnes.

at hadn't been pa

oo deliberate to question. And when she met th

re," sh

ulled her heels off and si

nt," James said,

she replied,

riefly before Ja

n," he m

o," she w

that their performance

om. Not with the

n the way he looked at her like she

wn, somethi

ough t

h to neve