Free Beyond Love Lies Deceit by Melissa Toppen

like me.” He shakes his head on a light laugh. “Do you think you could make it work?”
    “You’re the boss Mr. Scott. I will do whatever you need me to.” I respond. “When would we be leaving?”
    “The private jet will fly us out tonight.” He says, laughing when my eyes go wide.
    “Tonight?”
    “In three hours to be exact.” He laughs again. “You’re welcome to go ahead and wrap up whatever you are working on and head home to pack. I will have a car pick you up at seven sharp.”
    “Actually, can I just meet you there?” I ask, knowing that if he shows up where I claim to live, he will find that I don’t actually live there.
    While I succeeded in fooling Ryan on my place of residence, I doubt I could manage to get to my real home, pack, and then be able to make it to the Regency by seven considering it’s nearly five now. Not to mention there is something so different about deceiving Ryan than there is Luke. Luke is different and while I know lying to him is inevitable, I don’t want to do it when it’s avoidable.
    When this all blows up, because it eventually will, I would like to contain the blast radius as much as possible. People are going to get hurt, one way or another, but if I can keep Luke from being one of those people, then that’s exactly what I am going to do.
    “It’s actually a private air strip and gaining access is not as easy as you might think. However, if it’s easier, you can just meet me back here once you’ve had a chance to pack and we can head over together.”
    “Okay, that should work.” I agree, knowing that my actual apartment is much closer than the Regency and I should have no trouble getting there and then back here in time.
    “How should I pack?” I ask, having no idea what type of attire is going to be required for this trip.
    “We’re meeting with the board of Cyntech first thing tomorrow morning; your normal work attire should suffice. I would suggest bringing at least two professional outfits as we may be there for a couple of days. Tomorrow night we have reservations at Sachkets for drinks. I would suggest a nice cocktail dress or something similar. Our time there will hinge on how everything goes.”
    “Got it.” I nod, my stomach already swirling at the thought of spending two days alone with Luke on the complete opposite side of the country.
    “Meet me in the lobby at seven.” He instructs, pushing away from the counter and crossing the small space towards the door. Turning just inside the doorframe, my stomach twists tighter when his eyes once again meet mine. “And thank you.” He adds, a half smile pulling up one side of his mouth.
    “For what?” I ask, confused by his comment.
    “For agreeing to accompany me. Typically I would do this alone but something tells me I am going to need you.” His smile widens causing a fluttering sensation to swarm my chest.
    “Of course.” I force a smile, despite the weakness that seems to have formed in my knees at his words.
    It might just be my imagination but I swear he put an emphasis on the word need and as he throws me another nod and quickly disappears down the hall. It takes everything I have to reel in my nerves and shake off the feeling that thought leaves me with.
    I know better than to get involved with Luke. Even if he wanted it to, I could never deceive him that way. I could never let myself be with him knowing every single thing he knows about me is actually a lie. Hell, he doesn’t even know my real name.
    And while it’s easy to get lost in the fantasy of what this situation could be like, I know that at the end of the day it’s just that; a fantasy. Luke Scott could never want a woman like me. And since when have I cared if someone wanted me?
    Therein lies my real problem. Luke stirs something in me, something that makes me feel almost normal. When he looks into my eyes, I am no longer this person. I am no longer part of this reality. I am simply a woman; a woman who longs for the