The black sedan waiting outside the lounge was sleek, silent, and smelled of expensive leather and something dangerously masculine. Maya didn't question it. In her mind, five thousand dollars bought a lot of "premium service," including a high-end ride.
As the car glided through the rain-slicked streets of Manhattan, Maya couldn't stop fidgeting. She kept smoothing her dress, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
"Stop," Elias said.
His voice wasn't loud, but it had the weight of a command. He was sitting in the corner of the seat, one leg crossed over the other, looking as relaxed as a panther in a gilded cage.
"I'm nervous," Maya snapped, her eyes darting to him. "Do you have any idea what's at stake? Mr. Henderson is a dinosaur. He thinks a woman can't lead a department unless she has a 'stable home life.' If he thinks for one second that you're... what you are... I'm finished."
"And what exactly am I, Maya?" Elias leaned into the light. The passing streetlamps strobed across his face, highlighting the sharp, cruel beauty of his features.
"A professional," she said, though the word felt inadequate. "A very expensive, very convincing lie."
Elias reached out. It was a slow, deliberate movement. He took her hand, his fingers surprisingly warm as they threaded through hers. His skin was slightly calloused, a detail that didn't fit the "pretty boy" escort image she'd expected.
"Then let's make it a masterpiece," he whispered.
He pulled her hand toward him, and for a terrifying second, Maya thought he was going to kiss her knuckles. Instead, he flipped her hand over and traced the line of her palm with his thumb. The sensation sent a jolt of pure electricity straight to her core.
"Rule number one," he murmured, his eyes locked on hers. "If you want them to believe we're engaged, you have to stop looking at me like I'm a stranger you're afraid of. Look at me like you've seen me naked. Look at me like you know exactly how I taste."
Maya's breath hitched. "That... that wasn't in the contract."
"Consider it a pro-bono tip."
The Thorne Global Annual Gala was a sea of shimmering gowns and sharp tuxedos. The grand ballroom of the St. Regis was filled with the elite of the corporate world, people Elias saw every day in boardrooms, people who would drop their champagne flutes if they realized their "Ghost CEO" was currently playing the part of a rental fiancé.
Maya stepped out of the car, her hand trembling on Elias's arm. He didn't just walk; he commanded the space around him. The security guards at the door, who usually scrutinized every badge, found themselves stepping aside without a word when Elias fixed them with a single, icy stare.
"Maya! You made it!"
A portly man with a thinning hairline and a forced smile approached them. It was Arthur Henderson, the man who held Maya's future in his hands. He was flanked by his wife, a woman who looked like she'd been carved out of marble and pearls.
"Mr. Henderson," Maya said, her voice finally steadying. "I'd like you to meet my fiancé... Elias."
She purposely left out a last name, hoping to keep things vague.
Henderson's eyes traveled over Elias, his expression shifting from skeptical to genuinely impressed. "Elias, eh? A pleasure. Maya hasn't said much about you. What line of work are you in?"
Maya opened her mouth to provide the cover story they'd practiced, something safe, like Architectural Consultant... but Elias beat her to it.
"Acquisitions," Elias said, his voice smooth as aged scotch. He slid his arm around Maya's waist, pulling her flush against his side. The heat of his body was overwhelming. "I find things that are undervalued... and I make sure they belong to me."
His grip tightened slightly on her hip, his fingers dipping just below the fabric of her dress. Maya felt a flush crawl up her neck that had nothing to do with the wine being served.
"Acquisitions? In this market?" Henderson chuckled, oblivious to the predator standing in front of him. "Tough business. But clearly, you have an eye for quality. Maya is one of our best."
"The best," Elias corrected, his gaze lingering on Maya with an intensity that made her knees weak. "Which is why I find it curious that she's still waiting for that promotion. A woman of her caliber shouldn't be kept waiting, Arthur. Don't you agree?"
Maya's heart nearly stopped. He was using Henderson's first name. He was pressuring him.
Henderson blinked, clearly taken aback by the sheer audacity and the sheer power radiating from the man in front of him. "Well, yes, of course. We were just discussing the final candidates..."
"Discuss no further," Elias said, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous register. He leaned in closer to Henderson, lowering his voice just enough to sound intimate, yet loud enough for Maya to hear. "I'm a very protective man, Arthur. I like to see my fiancée rewarded for her loyalty."
As Henderson scrambled to agree, Elias leaned down and brushed his lips against the shell of Maya's ear.
"How was that for a performance?" he whispered, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine.
"You're going too far," Maya hissed under her breath, even as she smiled for the cameras. "You're supposed to be my fiancé, not my mob boss.
"In this city, Maya," Elias replied, his eyes scanning the room as he spotted his own Chief Operating Officer heading toward them, "there isn't much of a difference."
Suddenly, Elias's expression shifted. The playful predator was gone, replaced by a mask of cold, hard steel. He saw Julian, his rival and former friend, weaving through the crowd. If Julian saw him here, the undercover investigation was over.
"Maya," Elias said, his voice urgent. "Where is the nearest private room?"
"What? Why?"
"The contract," he reminded her, his hand moving to the small of her back and pushing her toward the elevators. "We need to 'practice' our public displays of affection. Now."