“Why did you do that?” she whispered, so breathless, she couldn’t have spoken in a normal voice, anyway.
“We’re newlyweds, remember?” His eyes darted toward the wide-eyed guard standing inside the door. “We need to make it believable.”
Of course it had been for show. He hadn’t tried to kiss her or even hug her in the privacy of his ranch home. Not that she wanted him to. In fact, she’d demanded they keep a respectful distance, knowing she couldn’t handle the temptation of physical contact. But he’d conceded a little too easily for her fragile pride.
For a few dreamy seconds, he held her close and she melted against him. When he released her, she went rigid, mortified at her response.
“I’ll see you after work.” She spoke loud enough for the guard to hear. “Have a good day.”
Cole’s work kept him busy, but Brooke had been in the back of his mind all day. Even his PA noticed.
“Did you hear anything I said?” Phillip asked, his mouth pursed in disapproval. He’d been a bit put off to learn about the marriage after the fact, though Cole assured him he was one of the first to know.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t listening.”
“You’ve been completely distracted all day. And we’re already behind after last week. Is this how it’s going to be now that you’re in love?”
He almost denied the emotional attachment but remembered Phillip didn’t know the true story.
“It’s a new thing for me,” Cole said. “I imagine I’ll get better, once I’m used to it.”
“To be honest, I wouldn’t mind if you slowed the pace a little bit.” Phillip flopped into a chair in front of Cole’s desk. “With the new baby, I’m hardly getting any sleep.”
Cole realized he hadn’t even bought the child a gift. He’d given Phillip a bonus, but now that seemed too impersonal. He resolved to send a present before the day was over.
“How’s little Mallory doing?”
Phillip beamed. “She’s beautiful! Amazing! Even though all she does is eat and sleep and poop. It’s just the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“Congratulations.” Why did Cole feel a little jealous?
“Now that you’re married, maybe you’ll find out for yourself what it’s like to be a father.” Phillip tilted his head, his gaze curious. “I hope you’re not offended when I tell you this, but the way you went through women without ever being in a committed relationship, I thought you’d never settle down. That’s why I was so shocked when you told me you got hitched.”
Cole repeated his carefully planned response. “I’m surprised, too. We haven’t known each other long, but everything just clicked. I knew I couldn’t survive without her. But I was scheduled to be on Millionaire Matchup and the contract said I had to marry someone from their pool of contestants. The only solution we could find was to get married right away, before the filming started.”
“To be honest, I get it.” Phillip stood, his hands pressed to his lower back “I knew I wanted to marry Marcy by the end of our first date. But don’t tell her that. She brags about how hard she worked to get me to fall for her.”
Cole nodded, relieved his story had passed muster. And the way it was worded, every single word was true. His statement about not being able to survive without Brooke might’ve implied that they were in love, but he’d never made that claim.
“The phones have been ringing off the hook all day,” said Phillip. “I know you have a press conference planned for tomorrow, but I think the word may already be out.”
“I knew it would be. What have you been telling them?”
“I read your statement, word for word. ‘Mr. Miller will make a public announcement concerning his relationship with Brooke Ponzio at nine a.m. tomorrow morning. Until then, we have no comment.’”
“Perfect. That ought to work them into a frenzy.”
And with any luck, Millionaire Matchup would be ready to announce his replacement on the show. This morning, Garner had reported his lead was already in negotiations. With a new millionaire getting all the publicity and Cole losing his bachelor status, his story would fade into obscurity. Everything was proceeding as smooth as clockwork.
Well… almost everything. He needed to follow Brooke’s advice about keeping his distance. After his strong reaction this morning, he knew kissing was out of the question… even on the cheek. He’d already promised a nightly foot rub, but even that contact had filled his mind with thoughts that couldn’t be classified as platonic by any stretch of the imagination.
Yet, he wasn’t really worried about her magnetic attraction. After all, she was pregnant. Each month, as her belly grew larger, he ought to find her less and less desirable. It had to work. He was counting on it.
And he would still be safe, despite his strong physical attraction to Brooke, as long as he kept a tight hold on his emotions. It was okay to want her, as long as he didn’t love her.
CHAPTER 14
When Cole pulled into the parking lot at Hayward Home thirty minutes early with hopes of finding Brooke in her office, she was waiting outside under an oak tree. He assumed the current ninety-six degree temperature was responsible for her grumpy countenance.
With country music still blaring on the radio, he hopped out of the truck and jogged around to open her door. “Why aren’t you waiting inside the building? Isn’t it dangerous for the baby if you get overheated?”
She climbed up, flounced her back against the seat, and yelled over the music. “I’m standing outside because my boss—who suddenly loves me after treating me like a piece of dirt for the past six months—said I should go home early, since I now have a secretary to schedule my appointments for me. I was so shocked I walked all the way out here before I remembered I didn’t have a car. And then I was too embarrassed to go back inside. Especially since that guard from this morning was teasing me on the way out!”
He grinned as he shut her door and trotted back to the driver’s side. Funny how she was amusing even when she was ticked off. What had he done to entertain himself before they met?
He turned the volume down as he pulled out of the parking lot. “Isn’t it a good thing that your boss is being nice to you?”
“No, it’s not! I’ve been working my tail off for the last six months without so much as a ‘Nice work, Brooke.’ Then you show up and throw some money at them, and they’re all syrupy-nice to me. It’s so fake! It’s infuriating!”
He chuckled. “Welcome to my world.”
“Oh my gosh!” Her eyes went as round as a wombat’s. “Is that really how people treat you? All fake and pandering? I don’t know how you stand it.”
“I’m used to it, by now. But it makes it hard to have a real relationship with anyone, that’s for sure. Just one more reason I’ve never dated seriously.”
