Free Tell Me You Do by Fiona Harper

bounce-back year.’
    Daniel looked thunderous. ‘I can’t really hold it against her—the radio station is making her do it—but it’s the broadcasting equivalent of a full moon. Brings out all the crazies …’ His expression softened. ‘You helped, though. That woman backed off when she thought we were together.’
    Chloe nodded. ‘I guess the cat’s out of the bag—even if it was an illusory bag and an illusory cat.
No comment
isn’t going to cut it now.’
    He gave her an uneven smile. ‘If today was anything to go by,
No comment
wasn’t cutting it anyway.’
    There was that.
    She sighed and gently slid her hand out of his. He didn’t stop her. Then she turned and rested her forearms on the gallery rail and stared out over the Palm House, even though, because of the secluded spot they’d chosen, much of what she could see was the dark waxy leaves of the bushy tree in front of her. It was so hot up here. Her jumper was starting to cling and her fringe was growing damp against her forehead.
    ‘So what do you want to do about it?’ he asked, then leant on the rail beside her, mirroring her pose.
    For a long time neither of them said anything but, eventually, a seed of an idea dropped into Chloe’s brain from somewhere, floating on thewind. A few minutes later it had grown into a little green shoot of a plan, new and fresh and unexpected. She didn’t want to see any more women suffering the way that lady had today. And she didn’t think Daniel deserved the embarrassment, either.
    She pushed her weight back onto her feet and straightened. ‘Let’s make it work for us,’ she said.
    He turned to look at her, clearly unconvinced that was possible. ‘How?’
    She took a deep breath. Her heart began to pump faster.
This must be what it feels like for them
, she thought,
for the guys, when they’re gathering up the courage to ask a girl out.
    But this wasn’t like that. Not really. Because she wasn’t really asking him out; she certainly wouldn’t risk being refused by Daniel a second time.
    So she swallowed her nerves down, then looked him in the eye. ‘I have a proposal for you.’

CHAPTER FIVE
    A LARM FILLED DANIEL’S eyes. Chloe could practically hear the word
proposal
ringing round his head. He was feeling panicked? Good. At least that meant they were on even ground now.
    ‘Not that kind of proposal,’ she added wearily.
    Daniel folded his arms across his chest and leaned back on the opposite railing, close to the curved glass of the Palm House’s roof. ‘What do you mean, then?’
    Chloe swallowed. ‘Have dinner with me,’ she said, her heart pumping. ‘Or something else. Once a month—just before Georgia does her latest radio segment. Just like today, it might keep the crazies at bay.’
    He blinked slowly. ‘You said you didn’t think it was a good idea to go out with me.’
    She nodded. ‘I’m not suggesting we date, just that once in a while we let ourselves be seen together in public, let everyone join the dots. It won’t be our fault if they draw entirely the wrong picture.’
    ‘And at work?’
    ‘We do what we’ve been doing. Keep it cool and professional. People will think that we’re trying to be discreet.’
    He stared at her for the longest time. Chloe held her breath and refused to fidget. No way was she going to let him see how nervous she felt. She was very glad she let go of his hands now, because her palms were sweating.
    It’s not real. You’re not asking him out on a real date …
    ‘Why are you doing this for me?’ he asked warily.
    She shook her head. She didn’t know, really. It was stupid. Crazy.
    You do know
, a little voice inside her head whispered.
You want an excuse to spend time alone with Drop-Dead Daniel, so you can make believe, torment yourself …
    No. That wasn’t it. She couldn’t
let
that be it.
    ‘Someone told me about your sister,’ she finally said. That was true. ‘Let’s just say I thought you could do with a break.’ That was