"Be careful," he cautioned, a lingering intensity in his gaze. "You don't want to die. So whatever you do, stop looking at me like you want to be kissed." His lips, perfectly shaped and inviting, attempted to form a smile, yet the profound sadness in his eyes held them back, casting a shadow over his expression.
It was more than just me who felt it. Beneath the layers of his guarded demeanor, he, too, was aware of the palpable tension between us. It was as if an invisible force drew us closer, an intoxicating attraction that was both exhilarating and terrifying. The air was charged, thick with unspoken words and suppressed desires, making it almost unbearable to maintain distance. Each passing heartbeat echoed the undeniable connection that had formed, leaving both of us teetering on the brink of something we couldn't fully comprehend.
Henley agrees to pretend to date millionaire Bennett Calloway for a fee, falling in love as she wonders - how is he involved in her brother's false conviction?
******
Henley Linden's brother is in jail for a crime he didn't commit, and she'll take any job to raise the money needed to free him. Soon, she's agreed to pretend to date millionaire Bennett Calloway for ten thousand dollars, so his mother will ease up the pressure on him to find a wife. But once Henley is enmeshed in Bennett's world, he falls for her, and she starts to have feelings for him as well. Despite her romance with Bennett, as she grows closer to the Calloways, Henley realizes they are somehow involved in her brother's conviction. Journeying deeper into a world of wealth and conspiracies, Henley is forced to rely on Bennett, though doing so could cost her everything.
[[word count: 200,000-250,000 words]]