Chapter 1

The Hamptons flew past the tinted windows of the Bentley, a blur of manicured green and impossibly large houses. Avery Hopkins took a slow, deliberate breath, the kind she always took before the curtain went up.

She turned her gaze from the scenery to the man beside her. Joshua Stanley.

He sat perfectly straight, his attention locked on the stock market data scrolling across a tablet propped on his knees. It was as if she wasn't there. As if he was alone in the cool, leather-scented air of the car.

A small, private smile touched Avery's lips. The youngest Stanley son was even more tightly wound than she'd anticipated.

Showtime.

She shifted, letting her body lean into his space. The scent of her perfume, expensive and intentionally bold, cut through the sterile air he'd wrapped around himself.

Joshua's shoulder went rigid. His eyes didn't move from the screen.

The corner of Avery's mouth lifted. She crossed one leg over the other, the silk of her dress whispering as the hemline slid a few crucial inches up her thigh.

Her hand moved next. Her fingers, light as a spider's thread, brushed against a barely-there wrinkle on the sharp crease of his suit trousers. The movement was slow, deliberate, a question asked without words.

His entire body jolted, a sharp, involuntary tremor that was impossible to hide.

Finally, his head snapped up. His eyes, a startling ice-blue, were filled with a clear warning.

"What are you doing?"

Avery blinked, a picture of innocence. "Getting into character, Mr. Stanley. We're almost there. We should probably look like we're in love."

Her fingers didn't retreat. They moved, bolder now, inching upward until they rested lightly on his thigh.

Through the fine wool of his trousers, she felt the muscle underneath bunch into a knot of solid steel.

Joshua's breathing hitched. His Adam's apple bobbed in a single, sharp swallow. He tried to focus on the numbers on his screen, but her touch was a brand, a point of heat burning through the layers of fabric and composure.

"My character is the 'rebellious girlfriend'," Avery murmured, her voice low, her breath ghosting near his ear. "This seems like something she would do, don't you think?"

His hand shot out, clamping around her wrist. His grip was surprisingly strong, tight enough to make her wince.

"The agreement didn't say you could touch me." His voice was rough, a raw, frayed sound laced with a fury he was barely containing.

Avery's eyes drifted to the tips of his ears. They were bright red. And just like that, she found it. The crack in his perfect, icy facade. A flicker of an idea, a tantalizing possibility, sparked in her mind. Could it be that the heir was a virgin to this kind of game? She filed the thought away; a potential weakness to be exploited.

She didn't pull back. Instead, her free hand came up, her fingers tracing the silk of his tie, right over the spot where his heart was hammering against his ribs. A frantic, trapped rhythm.

"Oh? But if you're this stiff, anyone will be able to tell we're acting." She met his gaze, a direct challenge.

Joshua's eyes darkened. He looked from her defiant eyes to her lips, so close to his. For a second, his mind went completely blank. The control he prided himself on, the discipline that defined his entire life, was slipping.

He snatched his hand back from her wrist as if he'd been burned, shoving himself against the opposite door, creating as much distance as the backseat would allow.

"Keep your distance, Ms. Hopkins," he ordered, his voice a low growl, a desperate attempt to reclaim his authority.

Avery pulled her hands back, a slow smile spreading across her face. She had found his weakness.

She settled back into her seat, her tone light and easy. "Alright, whatever you say, boss. But don't blame me when your family sees right through you."

At the mention of his family, the storm clouds gathered in Joshua's eyes again.

The car slowed, gliding to a smooth stop before a set of magnificent iron gates.

Joshua straightened the tie Avery had disturbed, taking a deep, fortifying breath. He was ready for battle.

Avery turned to her reflection in the window, applying another layer of deep red lipstick, her eyes sharp and focused. The stage was set.