Blind Date Setup.


    Otherwise known, in M''s mind, as a colossally bad idea.


    She''d done the blind date thing before-recently, in fact-but she''d never expected to wind up at one like this. Her nerves were so frayed that she almost forgot the lines she and Forrest had rehearsed. Not that it mattered; even if she remembered, she could barely get the words out.


    If only her date was a stranger, she might have managed.


    But she knew Janice.


    She knew her, and so did her father; they''d worked together on business deals more than once. Doing something this awkward in front of a business partner''s daughter-someone her own age, sure, but still-was downright humiliating.


    M''s ears burned with embarrassment. She shot a pleading look at Forrest, who sat at the table, head bowed, shoulders twitching ever so slightly-probably trying not tough. He didn''t look up, making it clear he had no intention of bailing her out.


    Left with no choice, M met Janice''s increasingly perplexed stare. She cleared her throat, wincing inwardly at how awkward she sounded. "Um, excuse me, Janice, I''m sorry to interrupt..."


    "Huh?" Janice blinked in confusion.


    She nced at Forrest sitting opposite her, saw that he was still staring at his hands, silent and withdrawn, and sensed that something was definitely off.


    Before Janice could say anything, M-still standing awkwardly by the door- finally forced herself to speak. The line she blurted out wasn''t even the one she and Forrest had agreed onst night. "I—I''m sorry. I just... Can we end this whole thing? This blind date, I mean. I..."


    "Why?" Janice was totally baffled.


    "I''ll exin," Forrest finally looked up, unable to hide the smile tugging at his lips. He gave Janice an apologetic nod. "I''m truly sorry, Ms. Burke."


    He''d tried to be gentle, but Janice wasn''t stupid. The truth hit her in a rush. "You''re making a fool of me!"


    She sprang up, furious, eyes darting from M-still awkwardly lingering by the door-to Forrest, who sat there with his easy, handsome smile. Frustration warred with humiliation inside her. She''d always hated blind dates, but she''d agreed this time only because her father told her Forrest was the guy.


    Handsome, talented, well-known.


    Rumor had it he was still single, with a spotless reputation-the kind of man every family in their circle wanted for their daughter. Girls all over town were waiting for the day he''d finally decide to settle down. Now, when he did, she''d been chosen as his date. Janice couldn''t help but get her hopes up.


    She''d arrived today full of anticipation, only to be yed for a fool.


    Even Chairman Suthend had shown up.


    Did that rumor fromst year turn out to be true? Was Forrest actually interested


    in that widowed Montgomery woman? Was he really pursuing her?


    Who goes on a blind date when they''re already in love with someone else?


    And a widow, no less.


    Why did all the good men end up with her? First Lysander, now Forrest. When the news broke that she''d been Lysander''s secret wife for years, the whole social circle had gone wild for ages. The gossip just wouldn''t die down.


    Sure, the woman was beautiful and capable... but still. The injustice of it burned.


    To be outshone by a widow. To be toyed with.


    The more Janice thought about it, the angrier she got.


    Unable to restrain herself, she grabbed her ss of red wine and flung it straight into Forrest''s face. He didn''t dodge-just calmly wiped the wine away with a napkin, then looked at her and, incredibly, apologized again: "I''m sorry."


    kel


    "Jerk!" Janice''s eyes were red with tears of frustration as she stormed toward the door. At the threshold, she found her way blocked by Mita. Janicered at her for a long moment, then turned away without a word, mming the door behind her.


    "Wait-!"


    M snapped out of her shock and moved to follow, but Forrest caught her wrist. "It''s okay. Don''t worry about it. I''ll visit her myself tonight and apologize properly."


    M drew a shaky breath. "What the hell happened? You didn''t exin it to her?" From Janice''s reaction, it was obvious she''de expecting a real date; she had no idea it was all just an act.


    Still, if the goal was to convince Giselle-to reassure her, to make her feel safe about working with Forrest, to prove that their partnership was necessary and solid-then showing


    Forrest as in-demand made


    Even if, honestly, it was a terrible plán.


    Using a fake date to provoke her?


    Only M would dream up something like that.


    She''d never imagined Forrest would be so up-front with her about the scheme, but once he had, she''d just gone along with it, ying her part.


    But the other party was supposed to be in on it too. The whole point wasn''t the date itself. So why did Janice seem genuinely invested?


    She''d looked truly hurt.


    "For the act to work, it has to feel real," Forrest said with a faint smile.


    M groaned, rubbing her temples. "I''ll buy her a gift, and you can pass it on as


    an apology." She couldn''t show her face right now-after all, she was supposed to be the clueless bystander in this setup.


    Poor Janice. She was clearly heartbroken.


    And she was the Fontaine family''s daughter, one of their business partners. Who knew what kind of rumors would start swirling after this... But what was done was done.


    "Let''s get out of here-"


    Just as M turned to leave, she realized Forrest had moved closer without her noticing. She walked straight into his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart and the heat radiating from beneath his thin shirt.


    She froze, momentarily stunned.


    She recoiled instinctively, but before she could bump into the door behind her, Forrest''s arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back, saving her from smacking into the wood.


    It waste May, and the air was already growing humid and warm. Their clothes were light, and M could feel the heat of Forrest''s palm burning through the fabric at her waist, making her skin tingle The warmth crept up her side and into her cheeks, leaving her shed.


    His breath was hot and heavy above her.


    For a long moment, M stood frozen, then finally raised her hand to his chest, intending to push him away-only to feel his heart beating hard and fast beneath her palm.