The Italian's Fake Fiancée

20

The next day after breakfast Paige had thought all she had to do was pretend to be the perfect girlfriend when they were in the public eye and the rest would be history.

Especially after the events of last night where she had told Leo about the events of her life and that little matter about her ex-boyfriend Paige had been embarrassed and had longed for a quiet time away from him, but she had been surprised when after breakfast a Golf course was suddenly announced, one which would throw her in the same space with Leo and there was no way she could escape it even if she wanted to.

At first, her excuse had been she didn't bring any appropriate outfit for the game, but like a fairy godmother, Leo's mother had appeared with something she could wear. And all her arguments dissolved like a pack of ice. So here she was in their bedroom dressed up in golf attire waiting for Cole. The same man she had been hoping to avoid by any means today.

She convinced herself the reason she was all dressed up and standing by the balcony was because she had no choice and not because she wanted to see if she would see any emotion in his eyes. Especially since the clothes she was wearing, being a bit small, looked superb on her body.

However, when she came out she couldn't tell if it was she who was speechless or him. For the life of her, Paige had never seen her Boss on anything other than his suit and tie, and seeing him in a very casual cloth of blue-collared polo, tucked into a brown slack, a sports shoe, and a baseball cap on his head did something to her.

Leo's clothes looked clean and

hugged the muscles of his chest, revealing his flat stomach in a way a suit never would have. And those warm eyes of his staring at her kept her in one place. Paige could barely move.

They stared at each other. "You...," Paige swallowed. "You look different."

His mouth curved to the side, and amusement danced in his warm brown eyes. "Don't tell me you expected to see me on a suit and tie miss Compton."

"Not exactly a suit and tie," Paige said moving forward but I didn't expect you to look......" She waved her hand in the air and faltered, lost for words.

His lips stretched into a smile. "Well you don't look bad yourself," he murmured, staring at her navy blue golf dress and then her curly hair covered by an ash visor. Paige felt she saw his eyes linger on some strategic places on her body like her breast, but it was gone so fast she had no choice but to believe she had imagined it. Nevertheless, those few seconds however small it was were like heaven to her.

To think she actually captured her boss's attention like that thrilled her so much that she almost forgot she had been planning one more time to decline to go for the golf course.

His stare left her and darted nervously to different places before it came to rest on her again, and he rumbled, "If you are done, let's be on our way."

That snapped Paige from her daydreaming and in two quick steps, she hurried over to him and touched him on the arm. "I can't go."

He looked down at her. His eyes running all over her face.

"What do you mean, you can't go? They are expecting us." He sang.

"I know but since I can't play wouldn't it be better if I stayed behind." Paige was short of wringing her hands. Which annoyed her, and she lifted her chin even though her heart was beating frantically. "I am sure everyone would understand besides I will only delay them." She wasn't only saying that because that's what she believed, but because she was scared, she was going to mess up there. She had never been on a golf course before.

When she told people she had been so poor, many people did not understand what she meant.

There were many things she had never tried before, and this was one of them. As much as she tried to enjoy living in Leo's family house, she tried not to let it intimidate. She wasn't successful all the time. A bitter smile crossed her face.

"Paige, you can't stay here when everyone will be gone for the golf course. Besides, I have already told my parents you will be there and mother is expecting you. I don't want her to be disappointed when she does not see you and for them to think I am not taking proper care of my fiancée. It would defeat the purpose of what I am trying to do here."

Even though Paige knew the proper care he was talking about wasn't real, for a fleeting second she let herself believe he actually cared for her.

Leo sighed. "And there is no need to worry yourself, it's not at all what you think. It's not intimidating. Paige looked up at him in surprise.

How did he know the right thing to say all the time? She let a smile cross her face and said, "Okay." Partly because he was so close to her, Paige feared they might be breathing the same air. And the distance and his nearness were doing things to her. She was falling more in love with him day by day if it were any possible.

Visibly she saw him relax and smile at her, and then he took her hand and stirred her outside. She should stay away from him, Paige thought. But she banished that thought from her mind in favor of enjoying the feel of his hand on her hand.

As they neared the last step and voices approached them. Leo dropped her hand and pulled her to his body.

A riot of feeling escalated in her and Paige gasped in surprise and stared up at him, but he was looking straight ahead. But he turned to her then and leaned close to her. "Play along." Paige didn't know what he was talking about, but she nodded her head and followed his gaze and saw Flavia looking at them with a mixture of curiosity and a smile on her face.