Chapter Three

      Madison knew precisely what he was asking and she was ashamed for not thinking of it earlier. Her desperate action had put him at risk. She blamed her oversight on being near him, close enough to touch. Holding his hand, having that strong, warm palm pressed against hers, brought her persistent fantasy to life with vivid detail. Despite the crazy twists and turns of the evening, despite knowing there were likely more problems ahead, this past hour with him had been nothing short of a dream come true.

      And now she was waking up with a jolt. “Only the security clearance team is aware the wedding set is only for show.” The rings had been enough of a buffer for her, until tonight.

      “That doesn’t answer my question,” he stated, executing another perfect turn in the dance.

      Of course it didn’t. Sam Bellemere, master of logistics and computer code, was searching for the bug—the flaw—in her story. “I have no reason to believe your home has been compromised.” She pushed the words through the tight smile she kept plastered on her face.

      “A good start.”

      “I never once used your full name in any conversation or correspondence until tonight.”

      She felt more than heard his disbelieving snort. Did he have to push this here and now? She was worn out, had been working toward this evening for the better part of a year. She had a bottle of her favorite wine chilled and waiting at her apartment for her private celebration. “I will tell you the whole story. In person.”

      “I know.” His hands flexed, underscoring the inevitability of those two words.

      Was that a threat or a promise? Her body had an opinion, but that was nothing new. She’d worked her tail off through high school and college until finally realizing her goal of becoming a liaison with the State Department. The joy had dulled quickly when she ran up against the preconceived notions of men and women from different countries and cultures. It wasn’t a shock, she knew her research, yet facing it head-on day in and day out had challenged her resolve. The illusion of having a husband smoothed out those rough edges and gave her the respect and distance she needed to excel in her position. Even the team who handled her security clearance had been on board with the idea, since there wouldn’t be any issues with questionable romantic relationships.

      At the office, with the people who knew her best, she’d found having a particular man in mind made the lie easier. Even if she didn’t share the details of the whirlwind wedding and happy marriage, it gave her story credibility. No need to fabricate height, hair and eye color, or how her husband smiled at her over a shared joke. All she had to do was picture the man dancing with her now.

      Sam Bellemere, reclusive, wealthy and brilliant, was the embodiment of her ideal husband and she had no intention of admitting such a thing. At six feet, he was the perfect height for her. His brown hair and brown eyes might sound bland, yet thinking about the flecks of gold in his irises she’d noticed when he tutored her, recalling his exasperation and amusement with her struggle to learn what he mastered so easily, always made her smile. It was those sweet memories that convinced her coworkers she’d found her soul mate.

      If only it could be true.

      It was impossible to ignore how he’d bulked up as he matured, filling out through the shoulders and everywhere else since high school. He was light on his feet, his muscles firm under his tuxedo. She’d read in an interview that he kept fit by boxing at a gym across town. It was obviously working.

      She reeled in her attraction before it became obvious. Her crush on him had begun that first week of his tutoring. No matter where she went, who she met or dated, or how many birthdays she celebrated, he was the standard by which she measured all men. She knew being stuck on a high-school crush was ridiculous. She worried there was something wrong with her emotionally. Every attempt to break through those persistent feelings had failed.

      “Madison?”

      Tonight was a dream twisted within a nightmare of potential embarrassment. She’d never meant for them to play the happily married couple in public. Her body heated with every sway and step she took near him, believing the impossible. If she were brutally honest, she’d admit her entire system had gone on full alert when he stepped into the security office. Without an ice bath, she didn’t stand a chance of cooling down any time soon.

      “Madison?” He spun her out and back to him once more.

      “Hmm?”

      “What’s on your mind?”

      She jerked herself back into work mode. “The hacker.” It wasn’t really a lie. She’d mastered the art of compartmentalizing and showing interest in one thing while her mind raced off in another direction.

      She really should credit that skill to Sam, as well. In high school, he’d never done more than shake her hand the first day the teacher introduced them. Her fantasies had been outrageously different. Looking back, she knew the only reason Sam’s tutoring had been effective was that she’d been determined to prove she wasn’t the typical dumb blonde. She wanted to earn his respect as a student and win his attention as a person. It hadn’t worked, although she passed the classes she needed to keep her career goals on track. By the time they went their separate ways at graduation, she’d settled into the reality of being his friend, knowing she’d lost the chance to be his girlfriend.

      “Madison?”

      “Yes.”

      “The music’s over.”

      Feeling the gaze of others on them, she stepped back and grinned up at him, playing the role of enamored spouse to perfection. Indulging herself, she brushed nonexistent lint from the lapel of his tuxedo so she could feel the solid muscle of his chest under his clothing. The images that flooded her mind nearly undermined her reserve and