Did that really happen? Did one of the most famous actresses in the world really just threaten my and Bryce’s relationship?

I didn’t have much time to think about it. Bryce and Hunter had joined us, and Felicity had turned her sunny charm back on.

“You boys have fun?” she asked, laying her head on Hunter’s shoulder, giving me one last wink to make sure I was still keeping our conversation in mind.

“We had a blast,” said Hunter. “Nothing you ladies would find all that interesting. Probably bore you both to tears.”

After the conversation I’d just had, casual sexism wasn’t something I was in the mood for.

“You know,” I said, “some women are actually interested in business. Some women are actually interested enough to found their own companies.”

Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Is that right?” he asked.

“It is right,” said Bryce. “Chelsea founded her own company, along with a few partners. Illimitable Technologies. A recent acquisition of ours—and how the two of us met.”

“So very impressive,” said Felicity. “Brains and beauty. I’ll have to keep all that in mind.”

“Anyway,” said Bryce. “The two of us only just got here, and we still need to make the rounds. It’s been a pleasure seeing you both.”

“Until next time, Ducky,” said Felicity, throwing her arms around Bryce, putting her body between him and me in a move that was clearly calculated.

“And I’m sure I’ll be seeing plenty of you around, Chelsea,” she said to me with a wink.

Hunter and Bryce shook and we all said our goodbyes. I felt better as soon as the pair left.

“How’d that go?” asked Bryce, slipping my drink out of my hand and taking a sip before replacing it.

“Not sure,” I said.

I wanted to tell him that I was almost certain she had something in mind for me, but I knew it’d sound paranoid.

“She’s one of those women who you never know if she’s being nice or being…something else,” I said.

“Sounds like Felicity, all right.”

And there was also the matter of Hunter eye-fucking me. I didn’t care for it one bit, but I didn’t want to ruin the mood with my complaints. Thankfully, Bryce beat me to it.

“And sorry about Hunter,” he said. “He’s good at what he does, but he never really grew out of his frat boy days.”

“I can tell,” I said. “Didn’t seem like he gave a damn that he was scoping out the boss’s fiancée.”

“Sometimes I wonder if he can even help it,” said Bryce.

I couldn’t resist any longer.

“Oh, and ‘Ducky’?” I asked.

Bryce shook his head, as if he was still in disbelief that this was the nickname he’d gotten saddled with.

“Don’t ask me where the hell she got that,” he said. “Must be some British thing.”

He stuck out his arm, and I took it, feeling safer as soon as I was close to him. Together, the two of us strolled into the center of the ballroom, the band finishing up one number and starting another.

“How about this?” he said. “I take you around the place, introduce you to a few more people, spread the word that we’re getting married. And after that the two of us can do some dancing—that always clears my head after a long night of mingling.”

I smiled, very interested in the idea of losing myself in some music.

“Then let’s do it,” said Bryce.

Arm in arm, Bryce led me through the ballroom, stopping at the knots of partygoers here and there and introducing me as his new fiancée. Over the course of the next hour, I met some of the biggest names in the city, along with more than a few celebrities stopping up for the weekend from Los Angeles.

After a time my hand was sore from all the shaking, and I was worn out from all the introductions. Not to mention totally starstruck. And I couldn’t help but notice Felicity out of the corner of my eye. She was far enough away that I couldn’t exactly tell if she was shooting me daggers, but either way, there was nothing friendly about the way she was looking at me.

“OK,” said Bryce, coming back from fetching us both a pair of fresh drinks. “That’s about all the networking I can handle.”

“You have no idea,” I said. “I feel like my brain’s going to melt from having to keep all these new names straight.”

“You never had to do this sort of thing when you were founding your company?”

“Nope,” I said. “The other founders did all the people stuff. I handled the tech.”

“Well, I think you handled yourself pretty damn well,” he said, placing his hand on my hip and preparing to dance with me.

“Why thank you, Mr. Carver,” I said, pressing my body against his.

The band started a new tune, and the two of us danced slowly. I closed my eyes and let my head rest against his chest, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips as we danced. As he held me close I took in everything—the solid feel of his chest, his intoxicating scent, the way he moved perfectly to the music. I let it take me away, putting the stresses of the last few hours behind me.

And the more we danced, the more turned on I became. I knew that it was bad, that he and I needed to put the sexual tension behind us, but I couldn’t help it. The man looked so damn good in his tux that it was almost painful.

After the third song ended, Bryce placed his hands on my hips and stepped back.

“I don’t know about you,” he said, “but none of these little things on the trays are really hitting the spot. What do you say we get out of here and find some real food?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“And what sort of ‘real food’ did you have in mind?” I asked.

“Hmm,” he said, looking away. “I’m thinking something triangular and very greasy.”

“Sounds perfect to me,” I said. “Let’s hit it.”

He took my arm once more and led me through the room, the two of us saying our goodbyes as we left.

The limo awaited us in front of the building, and I took one last look at the place before climbing into the back of the car. Once the doors were shut, I closed my eyes and savored the sweet silence.

“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” asked Bryce as the car took off.

“It was…interesting,” I said. “A world I never thought I’d be a part of.”

“I could tell it was tough for you,” he said. “But you did phenomenally. And like I’ve said, I wouldn’t have chosen you for this whole thing of ours if I didn’t think you were up to the task.”

“And what is it about me that makes you feel that way?” I asked. “I didn’t really give you much to go on with my little fit in the elevator.”

“Just a strength I see in you,” he said, undoing his bowtie and letting it hang down both sides of his neck in that debonair look I loved. “Maybe it’s something you don’t even see in yourself. But I know it’s there.”

I blushed, not sure how to take the compliment.

“I appreciate it,” I said, “but I just hope I don’t let you down.”

“Please,” he said, pouring us a pair of drinks. “You were able to hold your own with Felicity Hargrove. And I could tell she viewed you like some serious competition.”

“No kidding,” I said, my eyes on the passing city. “She seems like one of those women who’d give you a smile and a hug while she plots to ruin your reputation behind your back.”

“Not too far off,” he said. “It was fun at first, but you can only handle so much drama before it starts to get very, very old. Especially when you’ve got an entire company to run.”

“She didn’t seem to be too happy about the fact that you and I had gotten engaged after so little time when you and she…”

I drifted off, not wanting to get too into his personal life.

“I didn’t expect that she’d take it well. But as far as I’m concerned, she was the one who cheated on me, so she doesn’t really have much say in these matters.”

“You’ll never believe what she told me about that,” I said, not able to resist.

Bryce raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s hear it,” he said. “Was it about how she only cheated on me to save the relationship?”

“That’s it,” I said. “All about getting your attention, the other men meant nothing, all that.”

He scoffed as he swirled the ice around in his drink.

“Total insanity,” he said. “People like her do whatever they want and somehow are able to turn it around in their heads to make them the suffering martyrs.”

He shook his head and took a sip of his drink.

“Anyway, enough about that,” he said. “We’re here at the trendiest fine dining establishment this city has to offer.”

I glanced out the window at a small storefront decorated with purple and yellow neon lights, the word “Imo’s” written in swooping, cursive lettering. Through the glass I caught the sight of several large ovens, along with a glass display case filled with pizza after pizza. My stomach grumbled at the sight of it.

“Shall we?” he asked, opening the door.

“We shall.”