Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Jessica’s POV

Returning to work felt like stepping back into a dress that no longer fit.

The fluorescent lights of the Los Angeles office were too bright, the air conditioning too sterile compared to the humid. golden heat of Madrid.

I sat at my desk, pulling up Aaron’s digital itinerary.

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My pulse gave a traitorous little jump just seeing his name in the system header. As his assistant, I saw his life in blocks of time, but now, those blocks felt like obstacles keeping me from him.

I scrolled through the coming weeks: meetings, press junkets, board reviews-and then I saw it. A major tournament in Argentina.

It was three months away. Three months.

I leaned back, and ran my palm down my face.

Would I have to wait sixty days just for a moment of privacy with him? Just to breathe the same air without the crushing weight of the office walls or the shadow of his engagement?

The thought was a slow torture.

Aloud knock shattered the quiet. Without an explicit response from me, the door swung open to reveal Seth and Kelly. bursting in like a comedy duo on a mission.

Seth’s grin was dialed up to eleven, while Kelly trailed behind with a predatory, teasing glint in her eyes.

“Look who’s back from the land of sangria and secrets,” Kelly chirped, striding forward with a teasing glint in her eyes.

“Hello, guys,” I forced a professional smile, straightening a stack of papers that didn’t need straightening. I just needed to buy a second of composure.

To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Scratch the greetings, Jessica,” Kelly declared, striding forward with mock seriousness. She leaned over my desk, her perfume cloying in the small space.

Tell us-how was your trip with the boss?” She waggled her eyebrows, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial stage-whisper.

“Madrid with Aaron Tyrone? That’s the setup for a steamy romance novel, and we want the spoilers.”

Seth plopped into the guest chair uninvited, propping his feet on the edge of my desk with a casualness that only he could pull off.

“Yeah, spill the beans, Jess. Candlelit dinners? Moonlit walks? Did he sweep you off your feet with that signature charm? Come on, we’re starving for details here.”

My heart did a nervous tap-dance against my ribs, but I’d been keeping secrets for years; I was a pro at the poker face.

I let out a light, airy laugh, the kind that dismissed everything and confirmed nothing.

“Oh, please,” I said, waving a dismissive hand.

“It was all business-endless board meetings, scouting sessions, the usual grind. No fairy tales Just jet lag and spreadsheets.

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Chapter 100

Aaron is a perfectionist, you know that. If anything, he was more intense than usual.

Kelly narrowed her eyes, her gaze scanning me like a high-resolution lens.

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“Uh-huh. And that post-trip glow? That’s not just from the Mediterranean sun, honey. You look… satisfied. Like you brought back a better souvenir than a tan.”

Seth leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his playful lilt grounding the room.

“Seriously, Jess. The boss comes back all relaxed and zen-he’s literally humming in the hallways-and you waltz in like you’ve won the lottery. At least admit there was a little flirtation shared glance over tapas? An ‘accidental’ hand brush during a meeting?”

I shook my head firmly, keeping my expression playful but impenetrable. I was a vault; I couldn’t afford even a hairline. fracture in my story.

The last thing I needed was office gossip snowballing into a headline that would destroy everything we’d built.

“Guys, you’re hallucinating,” I teased, steering the conversation back to safety. “It was strictly professional. We worked, we ate —separately most nights—and we slept in our own rooms. End of story. No drama, no romance. I’m sorry to be so boring.”

Kelly pouted dramatically, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Boooo! You’re no fun. But fine, keep your secrets for now. Just know we’re rooting for you. This office is a desert; we could use a good love story.”

They teased me for a few more minutes, poking at my defenses, but I held firm.

Eventually, the clock struck the end of their break, and with a few parting shots about me being “all work and no play,” they finally filtered out.

The silence that followed was heavy.

I sat there, the hum of the computer the only sound in the room My mind traveled back to Madrid.

I tried to focus on my work, but the text blurred. Instead, I remembered the way his skin felt-the heat of him, the way he’d looked at me when no one was watching.

A blush started at my chest and crept up my neck.

One memory rose uninvited, vivid enough to feel bodily, dragging me back into it.

The way he had leaned over me, the sensation of his mouth one, the primal, possessive way he’d taken what he wanted.

A thrilling, electric heat cinched in my lower belly.

I shifted in my chair, involuntarily clenching my legs together as a soft moan threatened to escape.

I was supposed to be working, but I was drowning in him. His inge became so graphic behind my eyelids that I could almost smell his cologne.

My breath hitched. My hand, acting on a will of its own, trailed down, grazing the silk of my blouse, over the curve of my

breast.

I knew I should stop. This was the office. This was dangerous.

But the craving was a fever. My fingers were trembling, slippingower, reaching for the hem of my skirt, desperate for a moment of release from the tension I’d been carrying since wended.

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12:30 Sat, Jan 24 D G D ·

Chapter 100

Just as my fingers reached the lace of my panties, the door handle rattled violently.

“Jessica?”

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I let out a strangled, subtle scream, my spine snapping straight as if I’d been electrocuted. I jerked my hands onto the desk, clutching a stapler so hard my knuckles turned white.

David walked in. He didn’t just walk in; he invaded the room, his eyes instantly locking onto mine.

He stopped mid-stride, his gaze narrowing as he took in my disheveled state: my flushed cheeks, my ragged breathing, the wild look in my eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as they scanned my face.

I cleared my throat, willing my voice to steady, though it came out a bit cracked. “David. I’m fine. Just… startled, that’s all.”

He didn’t move. He didn’t look convinced in the slightest. He slowly crossed his arms, his eyes scanning the room before returning to my face.

“You look flustered. Like I interrupted something… interesting.” His tone was light, but probing.

I forced a laugh, my hand fluttering in a dismissive wave that felt entirely too fast to be casual.

“What? No. I’m just buried in work. These schedules are a beast today; the upcoming tournament logistics are enough to give anyone a fever.”

Inside, my mind screamed the truth: ‘I was about to masturbate to your cousin-hence why I’m flustered. But I didn’t dare say it out loud.

“What’s up? Need something?”

He eyed me a moment longer, suspicion lingering, then exhaled with a shake of his head.

A mischievous glint crept into his expression, shifting gears.

“Well, if you’re sure… but come on, Jess. Spill-how was Madrid: ou two seem… closer lately. Anything happen I should know about? As his cousin and your friend?”

My cheeks burned hotter, but I shook my head firmly, denying with a straight face.

“Nothing happened between us. It was strictly professional.”

David just smirked, leaning against the desk with that knowing look.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that. I’ve known Aaron forever-that post-trip vibe? Doesn’t lie. But hey, if you’re playing coy, I’ll back off… for now.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the humor vanished from his face as quickly as it had appeared. He straightened up, his expression turning stone-cold.

The silence in the room suddenly felt suffocating.

“The media is already circulating about you,” he announced.

The blood in my veins turned to ice. My heart didn’t just thump it felt like it stopped entirely.

“What?”

“Relax,” he interjected, though his tone wasn’t relaxing at all.

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Chapter 100

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“No one knows it’s you. Not yet. There’s a photo from the high school visit. A ‘mystery woman’ leaving his car. The tabloids are having a field day trying to put a name to the silhouette.”

I sank back into my chair, my knees suddenly made of jelly.

“David, if that gets out-

“It won’t,” he interrupted, his voice sharp and authoritative.

“This is where you come in. You need to change the narrative,” he explained.

“We’ll frame it as a logistical necessity, an anonymous assistant on-site for coordination, nothing more. The narrative stays on Aaron’s appearance and his support for youth sports. We remove any personal angle and make it boring it’s not worth the ink.”

I nodded slowly, the professional part of my brain kicking into gear. It was a strange, hollow feeling, being asked to architect. the cover-up of my own heart.

“The tech team is already scrubbing the high-res shots and burying the viral posts under a mountain of sponsored content and redirects. But I need your voice, Jess. Your writing is the scalpel here.”

“I can do that,” I said, my fingers already hovering over the keys.

“I’ll frame it as a team-wide initiative. I’ll highlight the kids, the scores, and the local impact. I’ll bury the speculation under so much ‘positive growth’ rhetoric that the tabloids will fall asleep reading it.”

“Exactly,” David said. “You’ve got this. But Jess…” He paused, his gaze intensifying.

“Whatever is actually happening between you two… be careful. This spotlight is brutal. It doesn’t just burn; it dissects. It won’t forgive a single slip-up.”

He shot me a knowing wink over his shoulder before disappearing.

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12:30 Sat, Jan 24 D G D