Chapter 26 I stood in the shower like a soggy pretzel , hoping the scalding water would burn the confusion out of my skull [ ] Spoiler alert : it didn't . || Ashton's words kept looping : ' Let's get married for real . ' Excuse me ? Was I concussed ? Had I slipped and hit my head and developed some sexy rich - boy - themed delusions ? Because last I checked , we were in a mutually agreed fake engagement . No strings , no vows , no wedding hashtags . And yet , there he was , five minutes ago , standing in front of me with that infuriatingly composed face and that annoyingly persuasiv baritone , dropping a ' let's get hitched like he was suggesting brunch . || I mean , what even was that ? rging in my He'd leaned in , talked in that velvet - coated , emotionless CEO tone like he was negotiating a merger , but the only thing merging brain was every single R - rated thought I'd ever had about him . I hadn't registered a single word , too busy inhaling his scent , staring at his lips , and letting my dumb , horny body teeter on the edge o blurting out yes . Thank God for the ringing phone that cut through the haze before I threw myself at him . I cranked the water hotter , whacked my forehead gently against the tile , and groaned . ] ] What was wrong with me ? The second Ashion appeared , my logic dipped out like a side character in a horror film , leaving my poor brain cells to fend for themselves against the tsunami of testosterone and abs I wondered if he saw through my act , if he Adam's appie might taste he knew that while he was talking strategic alliances , all I could think about was how his If he ever realised I was so into him that I wasn't even listening to his perfectly sensible , legally airtight proposal and was just picturing him naked … I'd actually die . Of humiliation . Possibly on the spot " Damn it , ' I muttered , smacking the tap like it owed me money [ I tried to rationalise it maybe it was just the post Rhys drought . After all , it'd been a while . My libido had gone into hibernation and Ashton had apparently jump - started it back to life . Besides , it wasn't all my fault . Even Agent Peggy Carter nearly face planted into Steve Rogers ' pecs after the serum transformation , and she was literally a government - trained professional If she couldn't resist a good set of chesticles , what hope did I have ? I was just a regular woman with a pulse . And a highly reactive , dangerously thirsty hormone system [ ] By the time I stepped out of my extra long shower , my fingers were prunier than a sad raisin in the sun { } sad in front of my wardrobe . Do I wear my usual sleepwear , which consisted of a threadbare unt fee with a coffee stain shaped sty the Australia and a pair of shorts so tiny they'd get flagged on Instagram ? } I pretend to have dignity and put on something that didn't scream Tii trying to seduce you ? ] In the end , I reached for a long , ankle grazing dressing gown I'd bought during a misguided boho phase and never worn again . It was shapeless , scratchy , and about as flattering as a camping tarp . [ ] I tiptoed out of my flat and paused at Ashton's door . He hadn't pressured me for an answer when he suggested we get married . Said I should take my time and think about But honestly , I was terrified that if I saw those hypnotic eyes of his again , I'd throw all rational thought out the window and say " yes " : [ ] Worse , I was worried I'd be desperate enough to suggest we celebrate our new relationship status with a cheeky roll in the sheets . [ ] Not that that was something I'd usually do . Then again , I wasn't really a one - night - stand kind of girl either . Or a fake fiancee kind of girl . [ ] Apparently , I was going through a phase called ' acting completely out of character and confusing the hell out of myself . When I finally pushed open the door to his place and saw the empty living room , I wasn't sure if I was relieved or gutted . [ ] Possibly both . He'd left a note on the coffee table . Said he had to fly to another city for urgent business but he'd be back in time for the party . Also said I could treat the place like mine . [ ] Dangerous words . Because five seconds later , I was standing in his bedroom weighing the moral implications of crashing on his sofa versus full - on starfishing in his bed . [ ] The bed won . [ ] It smelled like him , and I slept like a baby . Next morning . I woke up to find that my mum had called me roughly two dozen times and left a string of messages long enough to qualify as a podcast . Each one more shouty than the last , blaming me for Louisa's accident . ] Rhys might have called too , but I wouldn't know - I'd blacklisted him as soon as I'd left the hospital . There was also a message from Ashton , Louisa was out of surgery but still in ICU , hopy on anaesthetic and not up for visitors . [] I texted back a quick thank - you and inhaled a breakfast consisting of cold toast and half a banana . Then it was time for work . I'd barely stepped foot into the studio when I got summoned to the boss's office Nyx Collective was a high end jewellery design house co founded by two bosses , but one of them was basically a ghost . As in , no one had seen him . Not once . He could've been an Al for all I knew Word on the street was that this mystery founder had bankrolled 80 % of the start up costs , which made him the real power behind the trevet curtain [ ] Anyway , the person currently sitting across from me wasn't that elusive financier , but the other boss . The one who did the actual Savannah Lane was pushing forty but looked like she'd just been cast as the sexy barista in a romcom Glowy skin , hair like a thampoued , and a wardrobe that screamed ' rich but relatable " Vana , I'm really sorry , I said as soon as I walked in , before she could unleash the guilt tripping Kraken . I know this week was a