Charlotte nodded, but there was skepticism behind her eyes. “I know. He’s handsome and all that. It’s fine if that’s what you want. But know that whatever happens, it won’t last. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
They stepped off the escalator and rounded to descend to the ground floor. Lily was torn. There were a million reasons why Noah making a pass would be a bad thing—the sanctity of their working relationship, closely followed by the fragility of her own heart. She only wanted to believe in happy endings, and since she’d never had her own, it made her more gushy than most when it came to romance. A guy who only skirted it? He was a terrible idea.
But there was this part of her that was so drawn to Noah and his magic—his smile, the way he made her pulse race when he walked into a room. It was impossible not to want more of that. She couldn’t help but want him, even when all logic said he wasn’t attainable. The thought of one night with him was incredibly tempting. And after their one passionate kiss? When he’d run his hand up her skirt and they’d both lost all sense of decorum? Her most base impulse was to throw caution to the wind when it came to Noah.
But ultimately, she had to preserve not just her job, but her stake in Locke and Locke. Another job she could get. But if she wanted to make the most of that 1 percent? She needed to keep a very close eye on it. Anything less would be reckless and irresponsible.
CHAPTER FIVE
Ever organized, Lily was packed and ready to go thirty minutes early on Friday morning. She was dressed in a brand-new outfit, a wrap dress in coral pink, the new black pumps with the signature Louboutin red bottom and a sparkly necklace, bought on Noah’s dime. If ever there’d been a time when she looked confident and felt nothing of the sort, today was the day. Expectations galore had been foisted upon her for this trip. She had to appear as if she were a woman befitting the handsome and wealthy Noah Locke. And good God it made her nervous.
After her chat with Charlotte at Saks, she forced herself to reframe her expectations. At that point on Tuesday, a day into her role of fake fiancée, she’d started relishing the part where she got to kiss and touch Noah a little too much. She needed to remind herself why she had no business getting her hopes up about Noah, but she hadn’t figured out how to shock herself into the right frame of mind. Then it came to her that morning in the shower. She needed to watch the video. She needed to see firsthand what was not only horribly embarrassing, but painfully true.
With twenty more minutes until she had to leave, she sat down at her home computer. An internet search quickly produced what she needed. Since it had first run, the video had been picked up by a spate of gossipy websites. Noah’s dirty laundry was everywhere.
She pushed Play, sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. The voice-over started right away. Big Apple businessman, Noah Locke, of the Locke hotel family, has been busy with the ladies over the last several months. And do we mean busy. Then came the barrage of images. Noah’s taste in women was hard to pin down—she’d give him that much, but there was no question that he was indeed a ladies’ man. Some were curvy, some were rail-thin. Some were statuesque, others petite.
Lily took each image as it came. She was tough. The women in Noah’s life were a fact. She’d known this about him all along. Still, being confronted with the visual evidence created a stabbing sensation in her chest. It’s one thing to hear about a disaster, like a tornado ripping its way through a town, and quite another to see the footage of the actual devastation.
The worst of it was everything they said about him—that he was just as much of a womanizer as his dad and that he treated women as if they meant nothing. Lily was certain the former wasn’t true, but she wasn’t so sure about the latter. Judging by the breadth of Noah’s female companions, it seemed safe to say that he saw no point in settling down.
Lily powered off her computer. Why should Noah have to decide anything? Handsome, single and wealthy afforded him the freedom to do whatever he wanted. Why should anyone deny him what was his to have if he so chose? The women in Noah’s rotation had to have known what they were walking into when they agreed to go out with him. The rumor mill in the city was fierce. They had to know that Noah Locke was not the guy you get serious with. He was a fantasy, and a stunning one at that, but he wasn’t for keeps.
Lily’s phone beeped with a text.
We’re here. Do you need help with your bags?
She replied to Noah.
I’m good. I’ll be right down.
However rattled she might be by having watched the video, she was glad she’d done it. It was a solid reminder of what this weekend was about—a business transaction designed to convince Lyle Hannafort that Noah could be trusted. Lily was a prop, and nothing more.