Page 27 of Arranged To Be Mine

BEAU

Her lips lit a fire in me that I hadn’t expected. I had to remind myself that I was just trying to help her out, not make out with her in front of half of Los Angeles’s elite social scene. But the moment my mouth touched hers, something shifted. Something I hadn’t planned for.

She tasted like champagne. For a few seconds, I forgot why I’d done this in the first place.

I’d seen her face when I walked back from talking to my mother about the fox. The look of barely contained panic had immediately made me concerned. And then I recognized the same expression she’d worn in the press conference video right before she’d bolted like a scared jackrabbit. Those influencers had been circling her like sharks, phones out, asking about love and all that internet bullshit that had been haunting her for days.

I’d heard enough to know where the conversation was heading. More ice queen content. More viral moments. More ammunition for people who wanted to tear her apart. More meme material.

I had to get them talking about something else. I would put all that talk to rest. I did the one thing that would prove without a shadow of a doubt that Darcy Corwin didn’t have a heart of ice.

I lit the world on fire.

The kiss had surprised me almost as much as it had surprised her. But as I pulled away, the looks on the influencers’ faces told me it had been the right move. Their jaws were practically on the floor. Their phones were still recording, but now they were capturing something entirely different. Not the ice queen fumbling through awkward questions. A woman being kissed by a man who clearly couldn’t keep his hands off her.

There was zero chance they hadn’t picked up on that chemistry. It sizzled. The air felt electrified.

“Oh my God,” one of them breathed. “That was so romantic.”

“How long have you two been together?”

“Is this why you came tonight? To go public?”

“Are you in love?”

The questions came rapid-fire, cameras getting closer, the women pressing in and invading our personal space.

Darcy’s body had gone rigid against mine. I could feel the tension radiating off her. I could feel her spiraling into panic mode again. She was ready to run. That would not help the story we’d just created.

I pulled her closer to my side, angling my body to block her from the worst of the camera angles. My arm stayed firmly around her waist, protective and possessive in a way that would look great in photos. And it kept her put.

“That’s plenty for tonight, kids,” I said, flashing them my most charming smile. “Now I’d like some time with my girl.”

The emphasis on those last two words was deliberate. Let them chew on that.

For a moment, I thought they might push back. Influencers weren’t known for respecting boundaries. But something in my expression must have convinced them because they backed off with knowing smiles and promises to tag us in their posts.

When they were finally gone, I looked down at Darcy.

“You’re welcome,” I said.

Her face stayed remarkably calm. Anyone watching would think she was gazing up at her boyfriend with love in her eyes. But I knew better.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Her voice was filled with venom, but that lovestruck look on her face softened it.

I almost laughed. Almost. “Come on. Let’s dance.”

Before she could protest, I guided her toward the dance floor where other couples were swaying to the soft music. I pulled her against me once again. We fell into an easy rhythm.

She followed my lead, which surprised me. I’d expected her to fight me every step of the way. She was still stiff but doing her best to look like we danced like this all the time.

“You should probably rethink being CEO of an international company,” I said quietly, my lips close to her ear so no one else could hear, “if you can’t handle a few questions from some random influencers.”

Her fingers tightened on my shoulder. Not quite claws but close. “I had it handled.”

“Not from where I was standing.”

“Well, you didn’t have to kiss me.”