FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS (Ophelia Corrigan) novel Chapter 52

CHAPTER 52

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The moment Jamie walked into the conference room the next morning, my brain short-circuited.

She was wearing a little black dress-the kind that looked simple from a distance but devastating up close. The fabric hugged every curve like it had been painted on her, and the neckline dipped low enough to make me forget my own name.

Her hair was down for the first time. Dark waves falling over her shoulders, catching the fluorescent light like she’d just stepped out of a magazine.

I’d seen her in suits. I’d seen her in that ridiculous Mickey Mouse shirt. I’d seen her naked, flushed, coming apart beneath me.

But this? This was a whole different level of torture.

“Good morning, Mr. Hart,” she said, her voice perfectly professional. She didn’t meet my eyes. “The Chinese delegation is already in the conference room. I’ve prepared the presentation materials.”

“Good morning,” I managed, my voice rougher than I intended. “You look…”

“Professional?” She cut me off, finally meeting my gaze with a coolness that made me want to shake her. “That’s the goal.”

And then she walked past me like I was just another piece of office furniture.

What the hell was happening?

The meeting was a nightmare.

The Chinese delegation sat across the table, six men in dark suits, expressions unreadable. Our translator, a nervous young man named Wei, sat between us, scribbling frantically as the lead negotiator spoke in rapid Mandarin.

“Their main concern is distribution rights,” Wei translated. “They want exclusivity in the Asian market, but they’re worried about our timeline for product launch.”

I leaned back in my chair, my eyes fixed on Jamie.

She hadn’t looked at me once since we walked in. Not once.

“Tell them we can accelerate the timeline,” I said, my voice calm despite the chaos in my head. “But exclusivity comes at a price. Five percent above our standard rate for the first two years.”

Wei translated. The lead negotiator nodded slowly, expression unchanged.

I should have been focused on the deal. Instead, I was watching Jamie’s fingers move across her tablet, watching the way her dark hair fell against her cheek, watching her bite her lower lip as she studied whatever was on that screen.

That lip.

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I knew exactly what that lip tasted like.

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Mr. Hart?” Wei’s voice cut through my thoughts. “They’re asking about the performance metrics. They want guarantees.”

“Jamie.” The word escaped before I could stop it.

She finally looked up, her gaze wary. “Yes?”

“The performance metrics. What are we showing them?”

“The data we prepared last week,” she said, her voice perfectly professional. “The projected growth for 23 and Q4, along with the market analysis for the Asian sector.”

“I know which data.” I leaned forward, my eyes never leaving hers. “What I’m asking is…” I paused, my voice dropping low enough for her to hear. “Why are you avoiding me?”

Her eyes widened, just slightly. “I’m not avoiding you. I’m working.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“Simon-”

“Jamie.” I said her name like a warning. “Answer the question.”

The lead negotiator said something in Mandarin, his voice carrying a note of impatience. Wei hurried to translate, but I barely heard him.

“Mr. Hart, they’re asking if everything is all right-”

“Everything is fine,” I said, my eyes still locked on Jamie. “Tell them I’m just having a private conversation with my head of legal.”

Jamie’s cheeks flushed. It was the first crack in her perfect facade.

“Simon, we’re in the middle of a negotiation,” she hissed, keeping her voice low. “Can we please focus?”

“I’m perfectly focused.” I leaned back in my chair, but my eyes never left hers. “Aren’t you?”

The silence stretched between us. Then Jamie cleared her throat, turned to Wei, and said, “Tell them we have the performance metrics. We’ll share the full report before the end of the week.”

The meeting continued. I forced myself to pay attention, to contribute, to close the deal the way I was supposed to. But my mind was elsewhere-on the curve of her neck, on the way her fingers moved across her tablet, on the fact that she wouldn’t look at me.

When the Chinese delegation finally filed out, I was ready to climb the walls.

“Meeting in the auditorium,” I said, catching her arm before she could escape. “Company-wide update. You’re coming.”

“I have work to do-”

“You’re coming.”

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FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS: MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again. “Fine.”

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The auditorium was packed. Every employee from every department had gathered, filling the rows of chairs, eyes fixed on the stage. I stood at the back, leaning against the wall, Jamie at my side.

She’d positioned herself about two feet away, careful not to touch me.

The lights went down. The presentation began.

I waited until the second slide before I moved.

My hand found the small of her back, my fingers spreading across the thin fabric of her dress. She stiffened, but didn’t pull away.

“Let’s finish our conversation,” I murmured, my lips close to her ear.

“I have nothing to say.”

“Liar.”

“Simon-”

“Did I do something wrong?” I kept my voice low, my hand sliding lower, lower, until my fingers found the hem of her dress. “Or are you just punishing me for something I don’t know about?”

Her breath hitched. “I’m not punishing you.”

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

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